Glossary

Any territory for which a change of organization, or reorganization, or sphere of influence change is proposed or ordered, or any territory to which services are proposed to be provided pursuant to Government Code §§ 56133, 56133.5, or 56134 (services provided outside the jurisdictional boundary of a city or special district).

The inclusion, attachment, or addition of territory to a city or special district.

See Ralph M. Brown Act.

A law (California Public Resources Code § 30000 et seq) adopted in 1976 and intended to manage the conservation and development of coastal resources through a long-term comprehensive planning program.  Development within the Coastal Zone is subject to additional regulation beyond local zoning controls, pursuant to coastal plans that are adopted by the California Coastal Commission as well as local cities and counties with territory along the California coast.

A law (California Public Resources Code § 21000 et seq) adopted in 1970 which requires disclosure to the public of the potential environmental impacts of proposed projects, to mitigate those impacts, and enhance public participation in the environmental review process.  See also environmental clearance, environmental impact report, mitigated negative declaration, and negative declaration.

The document prepared by the executive officer and recorded with the county recorder that confirms the final successful completion of a change or organization or reorganization.

The document issued by the executive officer that confirms an application for a change of organization or reorganization has met submission requirements and is accepted for filing.

Changes of organization include a city incorporation; district formation; annexation to a city; annexation to a district; detachment form a city; detachment from a special district; disincorporation of a city; a district dissolution; consolidation of cities; consolidation of special districts; merger of a city and a special district; establishment of a subsidiary district; and/or the exercise of new or different functions or classes of services, or divestiture of the power to provide particular functions or classes of services, within all or part of the jurisdictional boundaries of a special district.  See also reorganization.

A Local Agency Formation Commission (“LAFCO”).

A planning policy document that is part of General Plan which addresses a particular geographic region within a city or county.  A community plan is also known as an area plan or a district plan.

The commission of the principal county, or the commission’s executive officer when authorized by the commission, when exercising its responsibility to conduct protest proceedings following approval by the commission of a change of organization or reorganization.  See also protest proceedings.

The uniting or joining of two or more cities located in the same county into a single new successor city or the two or more districts into a single new successor district.

Territory that abuts or share a common boundary with territory within a local agency.  Territory is not contiguous if the contiguity is only based upon a strip of land more than 300 feet long and less than 200 feet wide at its narrowest width, that width to be exclusive of highways.

A law (Government Code § 56000 et seq) enacted by the California State Legislature and Governor in 2000 that is the primary law that governs LAFCOs.  The Act defines the authority, responsibilities, and procedures which LAFCOs must follow.

A sphere of influence for a city or special district that includes the same territory as the jurisdictional boundaries of that city or special district.  A coterminous sphere of influence is adopted if there is no anticipated need for services outside the boundaries of a city or special district, or if there is insufficient information to support inclusion of additional territory within the sphere.

A special district that has a legislative body that consists, in whole or in part, of ex officio members who are officers of a county or another local agency, or who are appointees of those officers, and who are not appointed to fixed terms.  See also  independent special district and special district.

The exclusion, deletion, or removal from a city or special district of any portion of the territory of that city or special district.

An area of inhabited territory, as defined by Government Code § 56046, or as determined by commission policy, that constitutes all or a portion of a “disadvantaged community” as defined by § 79505.5 of the Water Code (inhabited territory within a county unincorporated area in which the annual median household income is less than eighty-percent (80%) of the statewide annual median household income).

The dissolution, extinguishment, or termination of the existence of a city and the cessation of its corporate powers, except for the purposes of winding up the affairs of that city.

The disincorporation, extinguishment, or termination of the existence of a special district, and the cessation of all its corporate powers, except as the commission may provide pursuant to Government Code § 56886 or for the purpose of winding up the affairs of the special district.

Dependent Special District:  A special district that has a legislative body that consists, in whole or in part, of ex officio members who are officers of a county or another local agency, or who are appointees of those officers, and who are not appointed to fixed terms.

Independent Special District:  A special district that has a legislative body all of whose members are elected directly by registered voters or landowners within the special district, or who are appointed to fixed terms, and excludes any special district having a legislative body consisting, in whole or in part, of ex officio members who are officers of a county or another local agency or who are appointees of those officer other than those who are appointed to fixed terms.

Special District:  An agency of the State, formed pursuant to general law or special act, for the local performance of governmental or proprietary functions within limited boundaries and in areas outside district boundaries when authorized by the commission.

The right to use another’s real property for a particular purpose, granted by the property-owner who retains other rights of ownership.  Easements may be granted for a number of reasons, including vehicular access, location of public utilities, and conservation of open space.

An action adopted by a public agency pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act.  Environmental clearances may include an environmental impact report, a negative declaration, a mitigated negative declaration, or an exemption.  See also California Environmental Quality Act, environmental impact report, mitigated negative declaration, and negative declaration.

An environmental clearance pursuant to CEQA.  A written statement identifying all potential environmental impacts, mitigation measures to minimize those impacts, and to identify those impacts which cannot be mitigated. .  See also California Environmental Quality Act, environmental clearance, mitigated negative declaration, and negative declaration.

The person appointed by the Commission pursuant to Government

Code § 56384 who shall conduct and perform the day-to-day business of the commission, and to perform duties prescribed by State law and such duties as the commission may authorize or direct.

The creation of a special district.

A jurisdiction’s planning document that lays out the future of the city or county’s long-terms physical development in general terms defined in policies and objectives.  State law requires that every city and county have a General Plan, and that it contain seven mandated elements:  circulation, conservation, housing, land use, noise, open space, and safety.

The creation or establishment of a city.

A special district that has a legislative body all of whose members are elected directly by registered voters or landowners within the special district, or who are appointed to fixed terms, and excludes any special district having a legislative body consisting, in whole or in part, of ex officio members who are officers of a county or another local agency or who are appointees of those officer other than those who are appointed to fixed terms.  See also dependent special district and special district.

Territory within which there reside 12 or more registered voters.  See also uninhabited territory. 

Unincorporated territory that is surrounded or substantially surrounded by a city to which annexation is proposed, or by the city and a county boundary or the Pacific Ocean, or unincorporated territory that is surrounded by the city to which annexation is proposed and adjacent cities.

A sphere of influence for a city or special district which includes territory that is larger than the jurisdictional boundary of the subject city or special district.

The governing board of a city, county, of special district.

A city, county, or special district.

A local plan adopted by a city or county lying within the coastal zone, and certified by the State Coastal Commission, that governs land-use within the Coastal Zone within said city or county.  See also California Coastal Act.

The termination of the existence of a special district when the responsibility  for the functions, services, assets, and liabilities of that special district are assumed by a city.

An environmental clearance pursuant to CEQA.  A mitigated negative declaration prepared for a project includes revisions to the project which mitigate identified potentially significant effects on the environment to a point where no significant effect on the environment would occur.  See also California Environmental Quality Act, environmental clearance, environmental impact report, mitigated negative declaration, and negative declaration.

An environmental clearance pursuant to CEQA.  A written statement briefly describing the reasons that a proposed project will not have a significant effect on the environment and therefore does not require the preparation of an environmental impact report.  California Environmental Quality Act, environmental clearance, environmental impact report, and mitigated negative declaration.

A city’s designation for unincorporated territory outside the city’s limits for the purpose of determining zoning that will apply to the property upon annexation to the city.

In the case of a special district, the law under which a special district was formed (i.e., the County Sanitation District Act, the County Water District Law, and the Recreation and Park District Law), and, in the case of a city, the general laws or the city charter.  See also special act.

For a special district with territory in two or more counties, the county having the greater portion of the entire assessed value, as shown on the last equalized assessment roll of the county or counties, of all taxable property within a district or districts for which a change of organization or reorganization is proposed.

“Proceeding” or “Proceeding for a change or organization” or “Proceeding for a reorganization” means proceedings taken by the commission for a proposed change or organization or reorganization.

An application filed with LAFCO for a desired change of organization or reorganization initiated by a petition or by resolution of application of a legislative body or school district for which a certificate of filing has been issued.

Proceedings taken by a commission, or its executive officer authorized by the commission, as the conducting authority.  See also conducting authority.

A law (Government Code § 6250 et seq) which requires inspection or disclosure of governmental records to the public upon request, unless exempted by law.  The intent of the law is for the public to have the right of access to information concerning  public business.

A law (Government Code § 54950 et seq) which details the requirements to be followed by public agencies (including LAFCOs) for conducting public meetings and ensuring that public documents (such as agendas and staff reports)  are accessible to the public.  The intent of the Brown Act is to ensure that the public has a right to attend in the decision-making process and that public agencies conduct their business in an open and transparent manner.

Two or more changes of organization contained within a single proposal.

The document adopted by a local agency or school district initiating a change of organization or reorganization or the document adopted by a commission when the commission initiates proposals.

A law which is tailored to the unique needs of a specific geographic area.  See also principal act.

An agency of the State, formed pursuant to general law or special act, for the local performance of governmental or proprietary functions within limited boundaries and in areas outside district boundaries when authorized by the commission.  See also dependent special district and independent special district.

A planning policy document which proscribes a set of development standards to a particular geographic area in a city or county.

A plan for the probable physical boundaries and service area of city or special district, as determined by the commission.

• Coterminous Sphere of Influence: A sphere of influence for a city or special district that includes the same physical territory as the jurisdictional boundary of that city or special district.  A coterminous sphere of influence is adopted if there is no anticipated need for services outside the boundary of a city or special district, or if there is insufficient information to support inclusion of additional territory within the sphere.

• Larger Than Sphere of Influence: A sphere of influence for a city or special district which includes territory that is larger than the jurisdictional boundary of the subject city or special district.  A Larger Than SOI indicates the expectation of future growth of the agency’s physical boundaries and associated service area.

• Zero Sphere of Influence: A sphere of influence for a city or special district that includes no territory.  The Commission’s adoption of a Zero sphere of influence presumes that the functions, services, assets, and liabilities should ultimately be re-assigned to another public agency.  The Commission’s adoption of a Zero SOI shall be accompanied by a determination that there are factors or considerations which warrant the re-assigning of those responsibilities to another service provider.

The public agency (county, city, or special district) designated by the commission and which succeed to all of the rights, duties, and obligations of an agency (or agency) which has been dissolved or consolidated.

Territory within which there reside fewer than 12 registered voters.  See also inhabited territory.

A sphere of influence that includes no territory.  The Commission’s adoption of a zero sphere of influence assumes that the responsibilities of that agency should ultimately be re-assigned to another public agency.

The primary instrument through which a city or county implements its General Plan.  Zoning divides all land in a city or county into zones and specified the permitted uses and development standards in each zone.