Las Virgenes Final MSR (August 2004)

L V AS IRGENES F M S R INAL UNICIPAL ERVICE EVIEW Report to the Local Agency Formation Commission for Los Angeles County Prepared by Burr Consulting Adopted on August 25, 2004 L V AS IRGENES F M S R INAL UNICIPAL ERVICE EVIEW Report to the Local Agency Formation Commission for Los Angeles County Submitted to: LAFCO for Los Angeles County Larry J. Calemine, Executive Officer 700 North Central Blvd, Suite 350 Glendale, CA 91203 (818) 254-2454 Submitted by: Burr Consulting Beverly Burr, Project Coordinator 612 N. Sepulveda Blvd, Suite 8 Los Angeles, CA 90049 (310) 889-0077 Adopted on August 25, 2004 TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.......................................................................................................................................3 MUNICIPAL SERVICE REVIEW FINDINGS...................................................................................................................................3 SPHERE OF INFLUENCE FINDINGS..............................................................................................................................................5 INTRODUCTION..................................................................................................................................................6 LAFCO OVERVIEW......................................................................................................................................................................6 MUNICIPAL SERVICE REVIEW ORIGINS.....................................................................................................................................7 SPHERE OF INFLUENCE UPDATES.............................................................................................................................................10 MUNICIPAL SERVICE REVIEW PROCESS...................................................................................................................................12 CHAPTER 1: MSR AREA.....................................................................................................................................13 AREA OVERVIEW.........................................................................................................................................................................13 MUNICIPAL SERVICES.................................................................................................................................................................14 GROWTH AND POPULATION PROJECTIONS.............................................................................................................................15 CHAPTER 2: AGENCY OVERVIEWS................................................................................................................19 CITY OF AGOURA HILLS.............................................................................................................................................................19 CITY OF CALABASAS....................................................................................................................................................................21 CITY OF HIDDEN HILLS.............................................................................................................................................................24 CITY OF MALIBU..........................................................................................................................................................................28 CITY OF WESTLAKE VILLAGE....................................................................................................................................................30 SPECIAL DISTRICTS......................................................................................................................................................................33 CHAPTER 3: PUBLIC SAFETY..........................................................................................................................38 POLICE SERVICE..........................................................................................................................................................................38 FIRE AND PARAMEDIC SERVICE................................................................................................................................................46 CHAPTER 4: UTILITIES.....................................................................................................................................56 WATER..........................................................................................................................................................................................56 WASTEWATER..............................................................................................................................................................................56 SOLID WASTE...............................................................................................................................................................................66 CHAPTER 5: PUBLIC WORKS...........................................................................................................................69 STORMWATER...............................................................................................................................................................................69 STREET MAINTENANCE..............................................................................................................................................................71 PARKS............................................................................................................................................................................................72 LIBRARIES.....................................................................................................................................................................................77 TRANSPORTATION.......................................................................................................................................................................79 HOUSING......................................................................................................................................................................................79 CHAPTER 6: MSR CONCLUSIONS...................................................................................................................81 INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS OR DEFICIENCIES............................................................................................................................81 GROWTH AND POPULATION PROJECTIONS.............................................................................................................................83 FINANCING CONSTRAINTS AND OPPORTUNITIES..................................................................................................................85 COST AVOIDANCE OPPORTUNITIES.........................................................................................................................................86 OPPORTUNITIES FOR RATE RESTRUCTURING.........................................................................................................................86 OPPORTUNITIES FOR SHARED FACILITIES...............................................................................................................................86 GOVERNMENT STRUCTURE OPTIONS.......................................................................................................................................87 EVALUATION OF MANAGEMENT EFFICIENCIES.....................................................................................................................87 LOCAL ACCOUNTABILITY AND GOVERNANCE.......................................................................................................................87 CHAPTER 7: SOI UPDATES...............................................................................................................................89 I CITY OF AGOURA HILLS.............................................................................................................................................................89 CITY OF CALABASAS....................................................................................................................................................................90 CITY OF HIDDEN HILLS.............................................................................................................................................................92 CITY OF MALIBU..........................................................................................................................................................................92 CITY OF WESTLAKE VILLAGE....................................................................................................................................................93 CREDITS...............................................................................................................................................................95 REFERENCES......................................................................................................................................................96 LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES TABLE INTRO-1: COMMISSION MEMBERS, 2004.............................................................................................................7 FIGURE 1-1: LAS VIRGENES AREA MAP.......................................................................................................................13 TABLE 1-2: LAS VIRGENES SERVICE PROVIDERS..........................................................................................................14 FIGURE 1-3: RESIDENTIAL POPULATION, 2000-2025....................................................................................................15 FIGURE 1-4: PROJECTED ANNUAL POPULATION GROWTH RATES, 2000-2025.............................................................16 FIGURE 1-5: JOBS PER HOUSING UNIT, 2000................................................................................................................17 FIGURE 1-6: JOBS, 2000-2025......................................................................................................................................17 FIGURE 1-7: MALIBU BEACH AVERAGE DAILY VISITORS, 2003...................................................................................18 FIGURE 2-1: GENERAL FUND REVENUE SOURCES, FY 00-01.......................................................................................20 FIGURE 2-2: GENERAL FUND REVENUE SOURCES, FY 00-01.......................................................................................23 FIGURE 2-3: GENERAL FUND REVENUE SOURCES, FY 00-01.......................................................................................26 FIGURE 2-4: GENERAL FUND REVENUE SOURCES, FY 00-01.......................................................................................29 FIGURE 2-5: GENERAL FUND REVENUE SOURCES, FY 00-01.......................................................................................32 FIGURE 3-1: LOST HILLS SHERIFF STATION WORKLOAD, 2003....................................................................................38 FIGURE 3-2: FBI CRIME INDEX OFFENSES, 1993- 2002................................................................................................39 FIGURE 3-3: FBI CRIME INDEX RATE, 2002.................................................................................................................40 TABLE 3-4: LOST HILLS SHERIFF STATION STAFFING...................................................................................................40 TABLE 3-5: CRIME CLEARANCE RATES........................................................................................................................42 FIGURE 3-6: RESPONSE TIMES, 2003............................................................................................................................43 FIGURE 3-7: SWORN STAFFING PER 1,000 RESIDENTS, FY 03-04.................................................................................44 FIGURE 3-8: FIRE AND EMS INCIDENTS, 2003..............................................................................................................47 FIGURE 3-9: FIRE DEPARTMENT 911 INCIDENTS BY TYPE, 2002..................................................................................47 TABLE 3-10: FIRE STATIONS........................................................................................................................................49 TABLE 3-11: FIRE AND MEDICAL RESPONSE TIME STANDARDS (MINUTES).................................................................51 FIGURE 3-12: AVERAGE RESPONSE TIMES (MINUTES: SECONDS), 2003........................................................................52 TABLE 4-1: LAS VIRGENES SEWAGE SPILLS (GALLONS)...............................................................................................63 FIGURE 4-2: TRASH DISPOSED (TONS), 1990-2002.......................................................................................................67 FIGURE 4-3: LANDFILL DIVERSION RATES, 2002.........................................................................................................68 TABLE 5-1: MUNICIPAL PARK ACRES PER 1,000 RESIDENTS, 2003..............................................................................73 TABLE 5-2: LOS ANGELES COUNTY AND STATE BEACHES...........................................................................................76 TABLE 5-3: LAS VIRGENES BEACH QUALITY...............................................................................................................77 TABLE 5-4: RHNA HOUSING NEEDS, 1998-2005.........................................................................................................80 II E X E C U T I V E S U M M A RY The purpose of this report is to comprehensively review municipal services delivered in the Las Virgenes area. The Las Virgenes area is a residential and recreational area, much of which lies within the Santa Monica Mountains, with hilly terrain, mountain and ocean views, and abundant open space. The Municipal Service Review (MSR) area has a resident population of 63,388 in the incorporated cities, and 19,411 in the unincorporated areas. There are 28,298 visitors to Malibu’s beaches on an average day, and 93,793 visitors on a peak day. There are numerous visitors to the parks in the area as well. The area is within the jurisdictional boundaries of the County of Los Angeles. There are 14 local agencies under LAFCO jurisdiction, which provide municipal services in the area. Cities Independent Special Districts Dependent Special Districts City of Agoura Hills County Sanitation District #27 Consolidated Fire Protection District City of Calabasas Las Virgenes Municipal Water County Waterworks District District #29 City of Hidden Hills Los Angeles County West Malibu Sanitary District Vector Control District City of Malibu Point Dume Community Services District City of Westlake Village Santa Monica Mountains Resource Conservation District West Basin Municipal Water District The following MSR Findings apply to one or more of the local agencies listed above. MUNICIPAL SERVICE REVIEW FINDINGS Infrastructure needs or deficiencies The area’s growth is constrained by an environmentally degraded watershed, and related regulatory constraints imposed on stormwater and wastewater services. There are fire station needs in Agoura Hills and Old Topanga, with the new Agoura Hills station scheduled to be built this fiscal year. Three fire stations in the western Malibu area are in poor condition, although one facility is being replaced this fiscal year. According to an MSR study of water providers in the Las Virgenes area prepared by Dudek and Associates, water supply appears to be adequate to meet expected future demand. According to that study, the County Waterworks District #29 has identified significant infrastructure deficiencies due to an aging system and topography. 3 There are deficient septic systems in Malibu and possibly in unincorporated areas, and there is no central wastewater service to Malibu and some of the unincorporated areas. The Las Virgenes MWD wastewater system faces potential infrastructure needs relating to uncertain regulatory requirements, and limited space at the existing treatment facility for expansion of treatment processes. Malibu streets are congested and this problem is expected to worsen. Street congestion on the Ventura Freeway and Pacific Coast Highway was cited by the fire service provider as a significant factor affecting response times. Although the Calabasas landfill is not scheduled for closure for over 20 years, the cities in the MSR area have not met solid waste diversion requirements and the area as a whole is not making as much progress as other areas of the County in diverting trash from the landfill. Once the landfill is filled, the solid waste will be exported to landfills outside the County. The Malibu stormwater system and, likely, the stormwater systems throughout the MSR area are deficient in that significant bacteria are being conveyed through the stormwater system into Malibu Creek. As a result, there is a potential need for a stormwater treatment facility. Growth and population projections The Las Virgenes’ population is projected to grow at about one percent annually, roughly the same rate of growth as in L.A. County as a whole. The largest population increases in the unincorporated areas are projected in the west Malibu hills, Topanga Canyon and the Calabasas vicinity. Commercial growth is anticipated along the Ventura Freeway corridor. Growth areas in Calabasas include Mountain View Estates and Mont Calabasas where 770 units are planned, and the proposed Liberty Major development located in unincorporated territory adjacent to the City where fewer than 50 units area planned. The Mountain View Estates is currently located outside the City of Calabasas bounds, but the City has planned to annex the area. In Agoura Hills, growth areas include commercial development along the Ventura Freeway and Agoura Road, as well as growth potential in the Old Agoura area where vacant parcels remain. Financing constraints and opportunities With the exception of Agoura Hills, the cities in the Las Virgenes MSR area have greater resources in terms of general fund revenues per capita than does the median city in the County. Financing constraints will affect the ability to finance not only major infrastructure needs such as stormwater treatment and centralized wastewater treatment, but also infrastructure needs like fire station construction, parks, and libraries. Cost avoidance opportunities The County Waterworks District #29 has identified cost avoidance opportunities if the District were sold to another agency. 4 Opportunities for rate restructuring The County Waterworks District #29 is expected to increase water rates in the coming years, and the Las Virgenes MWD is expected to increase wastewater rates in the coming years. Opportunities for shared facilities The City of Malibu may construct a wastewater treatment facility in the Civic Center area to replace leaking septic systems with a cleaner alternative. Such a facility would be costly, and might be more easily financed if shared with the County of Los Angeles. The inland cities and the City of Malibu are all obligated to reduce bacteria levels in the Malibu Creek watershed. Construction of a stormwater treatment facility is an expensive prospect, but is a potential solution to the stormwater impact on beach quality. Such a facility would naturally be shared by the local agencies due to regulatory considerations, gravity, and financing constraints. Government structure options The report identifies one government structure option: formation of a special district to address wastewater or stormwater treatment needs. This option has not been proposed. Evaluation of management efficiencies The local agencies are generally efficiently-run agencies that conduct workload monitoring, benchmarking studies, and financial analysis. Local accountability and governance The local agencies are accountable to their citizens. The agencies publicize governing body meetings and actively solicit community input in decision-making. SPHERE OF INFLUENCE FINDINGS The municipal services provided in this area are adequate. Regulatory considerations affecting stormwater and wastewater discharge raise questions as to the ability of services to be extended to additional territory at this time. It is recommended that LAFCO not change the SOIs of the five cities at this time. 5 I N T R O D U C T I O N This report is prepared pursuant to a new legislative requirement that LAFCO conduct a comprehensive review of municipal service delivery and update, as necessary, the spheres of influence of agencies under LAFCO’s jurisdiction not less than every five years. This chapter provides an overview of LAFCO’s history, powers and responsibilities. It explains spheres of influence and the legal and procedural requirements for updating the spheres of influence. It discusses the origins and legal requirements for preparation of the municipal service review (MSR). The chapter explains spheres of influence and the legal and procedural requirements for updating the spheres of influence. Finally, the chapter reviews the process for MSR review, MSR approval and sphere of influence updates. LAFCO OVERVIEW After World War II, California experienced dramatic growth in population and economic development. With this boom came a demand for housing, jobs, and public services. To accommodate this demand, the state approved the formation of many new local government agencies, often with little forethought as to the ultimate governance structures in a given region. The lack of coordination and adequate planning led to a multitude of overlapping, inefficient jurisdictional and service boundaries, and the premature conversion of California’s agricultural and open-space lands. Recognizing this problem, in 1959, Governor Edmund G. Brown, Sr. appointed the Commission on Metropolitan Area Problems. The Commission's charge was to study and make recommendations on the "misuse of land resources" and the growing complexity of local governmental jurisdictions. The Commission's recommendations on local governmental reorganization were introduced in the Legislature in 1963, resulting in the creation of Local Agency Formation Commissions operating in each county. In 1964, the Legislature formed a Local Agency Formation Commission in each county, including Los Angeles, as a regulatory agency with countywide jurisdiction to discourage urban sprawl and encourage the orderly formation and development of local government agencies. Each LAFCO is responsible for coordinating logical and timely changes in local governmental boundaries, including annexations and detachments of territory, incorporations of cities, formations of special districts, and consolidations, mergers, and dissolutions of districts, as well as reviewing ways to reorganize, simplify, and streamline governmental structure. Each LAFCO's efforts are directed toward seeing that services are provided efficiently and economically while agricultural and open- space lands are protected. To better inform itself and the community as it seeks to exercise its charge, LAFCO conducts service reviews to evaluate the provision of municipal services within the county. Each LAFCO regulates the boundary changes proposed by other public agencies or individuals by approving or disapproving such changes, with or without amendment, wholly, partially or conditionally. Each LAFCO is empowered to initiate updates to the spheres of influence as well as proposals involving the dissolution or consolidation of special districts and the merging of subsidiary districts. Otherwise, LAFCO actions must originate as applications from affected homeowners, developers, cities or districts. 6 Los Angeles County LAFCO (hereafter, “LAFCO”) consists of nine regular members: two members from the Board of Supervisors, two city representatives, one City of Los Angeles representative, two special district representatives and two public members (one of which represents the San Fernando Valley Statistical Area). There are six alternates to the regular members. Commissioners are appointed to four-year terms. Table Intro-1: Commission Members, 2004 Appointment Source Members Alternative Members Two members from the Board of Supervisor Yvonne Burke Supervisor Don Knabe Supervisors appointed by the Board of Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky Supervisors. Two members representing the 88 cities Mayor Carol Herrera Mayor Cristina Cruz-Madrid in the county. Must be a city officer and City of Diamond Bar City of Azusa appointed by the City Selection Mayor Beatrice Proo Committee. City of Pico Rivera One member from a city representing Councilwoman Cindy Miscikowski Councilman Grieg Smith 30% of the total population of the City of Los Angeles City of Los Angeles county who is a member of the legislative body from that city. Two members appointed by the Jerry Gladbach Robert W. Goldsworthy Independent Special District Selection Castaic Lake Water Agency Water Replenishment District of Committee. Donald Dear Southern California West Basin Municipal Water District One public member from the San James DiGuiseppe Richard Close Fernando Valley statistical area, not a member of the Board of Supervisors, appointed by the Board of Supervisors. One member from the general public Henri F. Pellissier Kenneth Chappell appointed by the other eight Commissioners MUNICIPAL SERVICE REVIEW ORIGINS The municipal service review requirement was adopted after the Legislature’s consideration of two studies recommending that each LAFCO throughout the State conduct reviews of local agencies. The Little Hoover Commission study focused on the need for oversight and consolidation of special districts, whereas the Commission on Local Governance for the 21st Century study focused on the need for regional planning to ensure efficient service delivery as the California population continues to grow. 7 LITTLE HOOVER COMMISSION In May 2000, the Little Hoover Commission1 released a report entitled Special Districts: Relics of the Past or Resources for the Future? This report focused on governance and financial problems among independent special districts, and the barriers to LAFCO’s pursuit of district consolidation and dissolution. The report raised the concern that “the underlying patchwork of special district governments has become unnecessarily redundant, inefficient and unaccountable.”2 The report raised concerns about independent districts with the following problems: • a lack of visibility; • a lack of accountability as evidenced by relatively low voter turnout rates, infrequency of contested elections, and inadequate notice of public meetings; • excessive reserve funds; • questionable receipt of property tax revenue by utility districts; • inadequate financial reporting; • outdated boundaries; and • outdated missions. The report questioned the public benefit provided by health care districts that have sold, leased or closed their hospitals, and asserted that LAFCOs consistently fail to examine whether they should be eliminated. The report pointed to service improvements and cost reductions associated with special district consolidations, but asserted that LAFCOs have generally failed to pursue special district reorganizations. The report called on the Legislature to increase the oversight of special districts by mandating that LAFCOs identify service duplications and that LAFCOs study reorganization alternatives when service duplications are identified, when a district appears insolvent, when district reserves are excessive, when rate inequities surface, when a district’s mission changes, when a new city incorporates and when service levels are unsatisfactory. To accomplish this, the report recommended that the state strengthen the independence and funding of LAFCOs, require districts to report to their respective LAFCO, and require LAFCOs to study service duplications. COMMISSION ON LOCAL GOVERNANCE FOR THE 21ST CENTURY The Legislature formed the Commission on Local Governance for the 21st Century (“21st Century Commission”) in 1997 to review current statutes on the policies, criteria, procedures and precedents for city, county and special district boundary changes. The 21st Century Commission released its final report Growth Within Bounds: Planning California Governance for the 21st Century in January 2000.3 The report examines the way that government is organized and operates, and 1 The Little Hoover Commission, formally known as the Milton Marks "Little Hoover" Commission on California State Government Organization and Economy, is an independent state oversight agency that was created in 1962. The Commission's mission is to investigate state government operations and—through reports, recommendations and legislative proposals—promote efficiency, economy and improved service. By statute, the Commission is a balanced bipartisan board composed of five citizen members appointed by the Governor, four citizen members appointed by the Legislature, two Senators and two Assembly members. 2 Little Hoover Commission, 2000, page 12. 3 The Commission on Local Governance for the 21st Century ceased to exist on July 1, 2000, pursuant to a statutory sunset provision. 8 establishes a vision of how the state will grow by “making better use of the often invisible LAFCOs in each county”. The report points to the projected doubling of California’s population over the first four decades of the 21st Century, and raises concerns that, without a strategy, open spaces will be swallowed up, expensive freeway extensions will be needed, job centers will become farther removed from housing, and this will lead to longer commutes, increased pollution and stressful lifestyles. The 21st Century Commission recommended that effective, efficient and easily understandable government be encouraged through consolidation of small, inefficient or overlapping providers, transparency of municipal service delivery to the people, and accountability of service providers. The sheer number of special districts, the report asserts, “has provoked controversy, including several legislative attempts to initiate district consolidations”4 but cautions LAFCOs that decisions to consolidate districts should focus on service adequacy, not simply on the number of districts. Growth Within Bounds cautions that for LAFCOs to achieve their fundamental purposes, they must have a comprehensive knowledge of the services available, service efficiency within various areas of the county, future service needs, and expansion capacity of each service provider. Comprehensive knowledge of water and sanitary providers, the report argued, would promote consolidations of water and sanitary districts, reduce water costs and promote a more comprehensive approach to the use of water resources. Further, the report asserted that many LAFCOs lack such knowledge, and should be required to conduct such a review to ensure that municipal services are logically extended to accommodate growth and development. The state-mandated municipal service review would require LAFCO to look broadly at all agencies within a geographic region that provide a particular municipal service and to examine consolidation or reorganization of service providers. The 21st Century Commission recommended that the review should include water, wastewater, garbage, and other municipal services that LAFCO judges to be important to future growth. The Commission recommended that the service review be followed by consolidation studies and be performed in conjunction with updates of spheres of influence. The recommendation indicated that service reviews be designed to make nine determinations, each of which was incorporated verbatim in the subsequently adopted legislation. MUNICIPAL SERVICE REVIEW LEGISLATION The Cortese-Knox-Hertzberg Local Government Reorganization Act of 2000 requires LAFCO to review municipal services before updating the spheres of influence.5 The requirement for service reviews arises from the identified need for a more coordinated and efficient public service structure, which will support California’s anticipated growth. The service review provides LAFCO with a tool to comprehensively study existing and future public service conditions and to evaluate organizational options for accommodating growth, preventing urban sprawl, and ensuring that critical services are efficiently and cost-effectively provided.- 4 Commission on Local Governance for the 21st Century, 2000, page 70. 5 California Government Code §56430(c). 9 Effective January 1, 2001, Government Code Section 56430 requires LAFCO to conduct a review of municipal services provided in the county by region, sub-region or other designated geographic area, as appropriate, for the service or services to be reviewed, and prepare a written statement of determination with respect to each of the following: 1) Infrastructure needs or deficiencies; 2) Growth and population projections for the affected area; 3) Financing constraints and opportunities; 4) Cost avoidance opportunities; 5) Opportunities for rate restructuring; 6) Opportunities for shared facilities; 7) Government structure options, including advantages and disadvantages of consolidation or reorganization of service providers; 8) Evaluation of management efficiencies; and 9) Local accountability and governance. The municipal service review process does not require LAFCO to initiate changes of organization based on service review findings; it only requires that LAFCO make determinations regarding the provision of public services per Government Code Section 56430. However, LAFCO, other local agencies, and the public may subsequently use the determinations to analyze prospective changes of organization or reorganization or to establish or amend spheres of influence Municipal service reviews are not subject to the provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) because they are only feasibility or planning studies for possible future action, which LAFCO has not approved. (Cal. Pub. Res. Code § 21150) The ultimate outcome of conducting a service review, however, may result in LAFCO taking discretionary action with respect to a recommended change of organization or reorganization. Either LAFCO, if acting on its own, or the local agency that submits a proposal to LAFCO, will be considered the lead agency for purposes of CEQA and must conduct an appropriate environmental review prior to LAFCO taking action. SPHERE OF INFLUENCE UPDATES LAFCO is charged with developing and updating the sphere of influence for each city and special district within the county.6 A sphere of influence is a planning boundary that designates the agency’s probable future boundary and service area. Spheres are planning tools used to provide guidance for individual proposals involving jurisdictional changes, and are intended to encourage 6 The initial statutory mandate, in 1971, imposed no deadline for completing sphere designations. When most LAFCOs failed to act, 1984 legislation required all LAFCOs to establish spheres of influence by 1985. 10 efficient provision of organized community services and prevent duplication of service delivery. Territory must be within a city or district's sphere in order to be annexed. The purpose of the sphere of influence is to ensure the provision of efficient services while discouraging urban sprawl and the premature conversion of agricultural and open space lands by preventing overlapping jurisdictions and duplication of services. LAFCOs cannot tell agencies what their planning goals should be. Rather, on a regional level, LAFCO coordinates the orderly development of a community through reconciling differences between agency plans so that the most efficient urban service arrangements are created for the benefit of area residents and property owners. The Cortese-Knox-Hertzberg (CKH) Act requires LAFCO to develop and determine the sphere of influence of each local governmental agency within the county, and to review and update the SOI every five years. LAFCO is empowered to adopt, update and amend the SOI. It may do so with or without an application, and any party is allowed to submit an application proposing a SOI amendment.7 LAFCO may recommend government reorganizations to particular agencies in the county, using the SOIs as the basis for those recommendations. In determining the SOI, LAFCO must make determinations on four additional topics: 1) present and planned land uses in the area, including agricultural and open-space lands; 2) present and probable need for public facilities and services in the area; 3) present capacity of public facilities and adequacy of public service that the agency provides or is authorized to provide; and 4) existence of any social or economic communities of interest in the area if LAFCO determines that they are relevant to the agency. CKH stipulates several procedural requirements in updating SOIs. The CKH Act requires that special districts file written statements on the class of services provided, and that LAFCO clearly establish the location, nature and extent of services provided by special districts.8 LAFCO must notify affected agencies 21 days before holding the public hearing to consider the SOI, and may not update the SOI until after that hearing.9 7 If a city submits an application for a SOI amendment, it must first negotiate the boundaries, development standards, and zoning requirements within the annexable sphere area with county representatives. If an agreement is negotiated, LAFCO must give it great weight in making its final determination. 8 In conducting the MSRs, the Commission has required written statements entitled Requests for Information on the nature of services from all agencies including special districts. 9 The Commission may update the SOI at a Commission meeting held on the same day as the public hearing. 11 MUNICIPAL SERVICE REVIEW PROCESS LAFCO is charged with preparing municipal service reviews and updating the spheres of influence of 180 local agencies. Given the enormity of this task, the Executive Officer has divided the county into the following nine geographic areas for which MSRs are being prepared: 1) Catalina Island 6) Gateway 2) High Desert 7) Northeast San Gabriel Valley 3) Las Virgenes 8) South Bay 4) Santa Clara 9) Los Angeles 5) Northwest San Gabriel Valley LAFCO has determined that certain special districts (cemetery, community services, garbage disposal, health care, library, recreation and park, resource conservation and mosquito abatement) are subject to sphere of influence reviews and updates, but are not considered providers of “backbone” municipal services. These special districts are subject to abbreviated municipal service reviews and sphere of influence updates, which are not part of this report. The MSR process involves the following steps: 1) Draft Municipal Service Review. During this step, LAFCO has sent questionnaires (Requests for Information) to the agencies about their delivery of municipal services. LAFCO prepares the draft municipal service review report, and submits that report to the affected agencies for review. During the 30-day review period, LAFCO invites the agencies to discuss their comments and related policy options with the Executive Officer. 2) Draft Final Municipal Service Review: After receiving the agencies’ comments and holding a public workshop, LAFCO makes report revisions and releases the draft final municipal service review report. 3) Final Municipal Service Review: At a duly noticed public hearing, LAFCO may consider the nine written determinations regarding the municipal service review or may request revisions or additional analysis be conducted for the MSR. In the latter case, the report will be revised and resubmitted to LAFCO at the next meeting. 4) Sphere of Influence Update: After making the nine written determinations, LAFCO may proceed to update the sphere of influence of the agencies covered in the particular municipal service review report. Affected agencies must be notified 21 days in advance of this hearing. 12 C H A P T E R 1 : M S R A R E A This chapter provides an overview of the MSR area covered in this report, the local government agencies providing municipal services, municipal services, and growth and population projections. AREA OVERVIEW The Las Virgenes area includes the five cities of Agoura Hills, Calabasas, Hidden Hills, Malibu and Westlake Village, in addition to the unincorporated areas of Topanga Canyon, Triunfo Canyon, and the Malibu hills. The coastal area is characterized by mountains, canyons and beach areas, while the inland area is characterized by steep mountains, rolling hills, canyons, streams and oak woodlands. Commercial areas are concentrated along primary transportation routes such as the Ventura Freeway (US 101), the Pacific Coast Highway and Topanga Canyon Boulevard. Figure 1-1: Las Virgenes Area Map Much of the MSR area is open space. A substantial portion of the land in the Las Virgenes MSR area is state and federal parkland. State parks in the MSR area include Topanga State Park and Malibu Creek State Park. Part of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area is located in the MSR area. The County of Los Angeles maintains three major beaches in Malibu—Zuma, Malibu Surfrider and Pt. Dume County Beaches—in addition to Nicholas Canyon, Dan Blocker, and Las Tunas beaches. The State maintains Leo Carrillo, Malibu Lagoon, the Robert Meyer beaches—El Pescador, La Piedra, and El Matador beaches—in addition to the Malibu Pier. 13 MUNICIPAL SERVICES Municipal services are provided to the five cities and the unincorporated communities by different providers. Fourteen municipal service providers in the MSR area are local government agencies under LAFCO’s jurisdiction. These providers include the cities, the Consolidated Fire Protection District of Los Angeles County (CFPD), the Las Virgenes Municipal Water District, the County Water Works District #29, and the County Sanitation District #27. There are various private providers of street maintenance, park maintenance, and solid waste collection services, in addition to public providers that are not under LAFCO’s jurisdiction. Table 1-2: Las Virgenes service providers Agoura Hills Calabasas Hidden Hills Malibu Westlake Village Unincorporated Public Safety Police Sheriff Sheriff Sheriff Sheriff Sheriff Sheriff Parking Citations Calabasas Calabasas Calabasas Malibu Calabasas Sheriff Fire CFPD CFPD CFPD CFPD CFPD CFPD Paramedic CFPD CFPD CFPD CFPD CFPD CFPD Ambulance AMR AMR AMR AMR AMR AMR Westlake Medical Hospital NA NA NA NA Center NA Utilities Las Virgenes Las Virgenes Water MWD MWD Las Virgenes MWD CWWD #29 Las Virgenes MWD CWWD #29 Septic Tanks and Las Virgenes Las Virgenes isolated private Septic Tanks and Wastewater MWD MWD Las Virgenes MWD systems Las Virgenes MWD CSD #27 G.I. Industries & Atlas Consolidated Solid Waste G.I. Industries G.I. Industries Waste G.I. Industries G.I. Industries G.I. Industries Public Works Hidden Hills & Hidden Hills Community Street Maintenance LA County LA County Association Burns Pacific LA County LA County LA County Flood LA County Flood LA County Flood LA County Flood Maintenance Maintenance LA County Flood Maintenance LA County Flood Maintenance Flood Control District District Maintenance District District Maintenance DistrictDistrict Other Services Hidden Hills Community Park Maintenance Agoura Hills Calabasas Association Private contract Private contract LA County Hidden Hills Agoura Hills, Community Conejo Recreation Recreation Agoura Hills Calabasas Association Malibu and Park District LA County Library Sytems and LA County Westlake Village Library LA County Services (bookmobile) LA County & LA County LA County Calabasas (summer Transit Agoura Hills Calabasas beach bus) Malibu Westlake Village LA County Land Use Agoura Hills Calabasas Hidden Hills Malibu Westlake Village LA County LA County West LA County West LA County West LA County West LA County West LA County West Vector Control Vector Control Vector Control Vector Control Vector Control Vector Control Mosquito/Vector District District District District District District 14 GROWTH AND POPULATION PROJECTIONS This section reviews the residential, commercial and visitor population as well as projected growth. Residents In 2000, the residential population was 63,388 in the incorporated cities and 19,411 in the unincorporated areas. Agoura Hills and Calabasas are the largest residential communities in the Las Virgenes area. Agoura Hills had 20,537 residents and Calabasas had 20,033 residents, according to the 2000 Census. There were 12,575 residents in Malibu, 8,368 in Westlake Village, and 1,875 in Hidden Hills. The unincorporated areas in the Las Virgenes area include Topanga Canyon, the Malibu hills, and other areas. Topanga Canyon is the largest unincorporated community in the MSR area with 6,431 residents in 2000. Other unincorporated communities include Triunfo Canyon east of Westlake Village, Malibu Lake, Monte Nido in Malibu Canyon, Malibu Bowl and El Nido in Corral Canyon. Figure 1-3: Residential Population, 2000-2025 SCAG projects 30,000 that the residential 25,000 population in the five cities will grow 20,000 to 72,024 by the 15,000 year 2025, an 10,000 increase of 8,636 residents. 5,000 - In the 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 2025 unincorporated areas, SCAG Agoura Hills Calabasas Hidden Hills projects the Malibu Westlake Village Unincorporated population will grow to 27,832 by the year 2025, an increase of 8,421 residents.10 The largest population increases in the unincorporated areas are projected to occur in the west Malibu hills, Topanga Canyon and the Calabasas vicinity. 10 SCAG Regional Transportation Plan, 2001. 15 Figure 1-4: Projected Annual Population Growth Rates, 2000-2025 Growth in the 1.2% Las Virgenes area 1.0% population in the five cities is 0.8% projected to occur 0.6% at a slower rate 0.4% than countywide growth. 0.2% 0.0% In the long 2000-05 2005-10 2010-15 2015-20 2020-25 term, SCAG expects Malibu and Countywide Agoura Hills Calabasas Calabasas to grow Hidden Hills Malibu Westlake Village at an increasing rate. The pace of growth in Agoura Hills, Hidden Hills, and Westlake Village is generally expected to slow over the long term. In the unincorporated areas, SCAG projects rapid growth from 2000-2005, followed by growth at a rate slightly higher than the countywide growth rate. In the long-term, the West Malibu Hills, Topanga Canyon, and unincorporated areas surrounding Calabasas are expected to grow more quickly. The Triunfo Canyon area east of Westlake Village is expected to grow more slowly among the unincorporated communities. 16 Jobs Figure 1-5: Jobs per Housing Unit, 2000 The jobs-housing balance in the Las Unincorporated 1.1 Virgenes MSR area is comparable to the countywide jobs-housing balance. Among the Westlake Village 0.6 communities in the MSR area, Agoura Hills had Malibu 1.2 the highest ratio of jobs to housing units in the Hidden Hills 0.5 year 2000. Calabasas had the second highest ratio of jobs to residents. Hidden Hills had the Calabasas 1.3 lowest ratio of jobs to residents. Agoura Hills 1.5 COUNTYWIDE 1.4 Among the communities, Agoura Hills had the largest job base in 2000 with 10,711 jobs.11 - 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 Calabasas had 9,449 jobs, Westlake Village had 2,023 jobs, Malibu had 7,353 jobs, and Hidden Hills had approximately 100 jobs.12 There were 8,189 jobs in the unincorporated areas. Figure 1-6: Jobs, 2000-2025 Between the 14,000 years 2000 and 12,000 2025, SCAG 10,000 projects that, 5,736 8,000 jobs will be created in the Las Virgenes 6,000 area. The number 4,000 of jobs created is 2,000 projected at 1,469 - for Calabasas, 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 2025 1,365 in the unincorporated Agoura Hills Calabasas Hidden Hills areas, 1,289 in Malibu Westlake Village Unincorporated Agoura Hills, 1,146 in Westlake Village, 430 in Malibu and 37 in Hidden Hills. Job creation in the MSR area is projected to occur at roughly the same pace as job creation countywide. Job growth areas include Westlake Village and Topanga Canyon, where the rate of growth is expected to exceed the countywide growth. In Malibu, job growth is expected to occur at a somewhat slower pace than in the MSR area as a whole. 11 Number of jobs was estimated by SCAG and the County of Los Angeles Urban Research Division based on a combination of Dun & Bradstreet, Info/USA, and California Employment Development Department data sources. 12 The number of jobs for Hidden Hills was provided by the City. According to SCAG, the number of jobs in Hidden Hills was 294. 17 Visitors As a tourist destination, the Malibu population is heavily affected by the number of visitors. The state and national parks in the unincorporated areas also receive a relatively large number of visitors. Figure 1-7: Malibu Beach Average Daily Visitors, 2003 In 2003, there were over 10 million 100,000 visits made to Malibu’s beaches.13 On an average day, there are 28,298 visitors to 80,000 Malibu’s beaches. Beach attendance in Malibu peaks in the summer, when 68 60,000 percent of Malibu beach visits occur. In July 2003, there were 93,793 visitors on an 40,000 average day. The beaches receive the most visitors on summer holiday weekends. 20,000 The state and national parks also - receive a significant number of visitors. The MSR area does not accommodate a significant number of overnight visitors. The primary tourist destination within the area is the City of Malibu, where there are only 151 hotel and motel rooms. In Malibu, there may be as many as 2,010 seasonal residents.14 13 Los Angeles County Fire Department, Beach Activity Reports, 2003. 14 Malibu General Plan EIR, page IV-169. 18 naJ beF raM rpA yaM nuJ luJ guA peS tcO voN ceD C H A P T E R 2 : AG E N C Y OV E RV I E W S CITY OF AGOURA HILLS The City of Agoura Hills arranges for service provision within the city limits. The City contracts with Los Angeles County for sheriff, relies on special districts for fire protection and emergency medical services and for water and wastewater, and is a direct provider of recreation, park maintenance and land use planning services. FORMATION AND BOUNDARY The City of Agoura Hills was incorporated as a general law city in 1982. The City is located in western Los Angeles County at the eastern end of the Conejo Valley. The City is bounded by the City of Westlake Village to the west, the unincorporated Oak Park area in Ventura County to the north, and unincorporated Los Angeles County to the south. An unincorporated portion of Los Angeles County, the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area and the City of Calabasas, lie to the east. The City of Agoura Hills constitutes 8.2 square miles of land area. LAFCO has previously adopted a coterminous sphere of influence (SOI) for the City of Agoura Hills. The City’s boundary and SOI are depicted in Appendix A, Map 3. LOCAL ACCOUNTABILITY AND GOVERNANCE The city is governed by an elected city council. Council members are elected at-large to serve four-year terms. The council meets twice monthly. Council meetings are held on the second and fourth Wednesday of each month. The council also serves as the governing body of the City’s redevelopment agency. Council meetings are broadcast on cable TV. The Council meeting schedule is stated on the City’s website. City Council agendas are posted in front of City Hall and on the City’s website. Council meeting minutes are posted on the website and are available at City Hall. The City updates constituents through a newsletter mailed to residents as well as press releases and announcements on cable television. The City Manager accepts complaints by letter, phone or meeting. The City does not have a formal system for tracking complaints. Agoura Hills encourages community input through customer survey satisfaction cards. 19 GROWTH AND POPULATION PROJECTIONS The City is approaching buildout in its residential neighborhoods, whereas substantial land remains for future commercial development. Potential growth areas primarily involve commercial development along the Ventura Freeway and Agoura Road. In addition, there are remaining vacant parcels in the Old Agoura area. Growth is constrained by topography, preference for a rural character, and environmental issues. The City is surrounded by hills. Much of the hillside areas in the City are under public ownership or have been deed restricted as permanent open space. Where development is allowed, the steepness of slope dictates permitted densities. The City’s general plan states that preservation of the rural character of the City is an important priority. EVALUATION OF MANAGEMENT EFFICIENCIES The City of Agoura Hills conducts performance evaluation by ongoing evaluations conducted by the City Manager and reported that it conducts productivity monitoring on an ongoing basis through unspecified “best management practices”. The City has ranked in the top five cities in California for the lowest risk management claims per resident from the California Joint Powers Insurance Authority (JPIA). FINANCING CONSTRAINTS AND OPPORTUNITIES The City received $7.6 million in general fund revenue in FY 00-01, which amounts to $370 per capita. By comparison, municipal general fund revenue per capita in Los Angeles County was $565. Figure 2-1: General Fund Revenue Sources, FY 00-01 The City’s revenue per capita is generally VLF lower than in California cities as a whole. The City depends more heavily on sales tax, Interest transient occupancy taxes, vehicle license fees Utility Users (VLF), and property taxes than does the average California city. The City relies less on Business License business license taxes for revenue. The City Sales does not impose a utility users tax. Hotel (TOT) Agoura Hills has outstanding debt from a Property bond that financed the civic center-library project. The City had $9.6 million in long- 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% term indebtedness from bonds at the end of FY 01-02, and had $9.8 million in long-term CA Cities Agoura Hills debt from other sources, including advances paid to the redevelopment agency. The City has never defaulted on bonded debt. 20 Agoura Hills contingency reserves were 94% of general fund revenue at the end of FY 01-02. The Government Finance Officers Association recommends an undesignated reserve ratio of at least 5-15 percent. REGIONAL COLLABORATION Agoura Hills is a member of the Malibu-Las Virgenes Council of Governments, and participates in the Ventura Council of Governments. The City participates in regional planning through a community standards district. The cities of Agoura Hills and Calabasas provide community center services through a joint powers authority. Agoura Hills provides recreation services by contract to the City of Westlake Village. The inland area—including Agoura Hills, Calabasas, Westlake Village and the unincorporated areas—is subject to uniform standards through a community standards district that was formed in September 2002. Community-wide standards include restricting exterior lighting to low-intensity and prohibiting outdoor advertising signs, among others. GOVERNMENT STRUCTURE OPTIONS The City has not proposed any government structure options. CITY OF CALABASAS The City of Calabasas arranges for service provision within the city limits. The City contracts with Los Angeles County for sheriff, relies on special districts for fire protection and emergency medical services and for water and wastewater, and is a direct provider of recreation, park maintenance, transit and land use planning services. FORMATION AND BOUNDARY The City of Calabasas was incorporated as a general law city in 1991 to gain responsibility for land use decisions. The City is located in western Los Angeles County along the Ventura Freeway. The City of Calabasas constitutes 13.1 square miles of land and 0.1 square miles of water in Calabasas Lake. LAFCO has previously adopted a coterminous sphere of influence (SOI) for the City of Calabasas. The City’s boundary and SOI are depicted in Appendix A Map 4. According to correspondence from the City Manager to LAFCO, City plans include future sphere of influence and boundary changes. The City is planning to submit an application to LAFCO to create a sphere of influence that will encompass portions of its planning area as identified in their General Plan.15 The study areas include the Calabasas Landfill and Mountain View Estates areas 15 The City of Calabasas does not have any currently pending applications with LAFCO. 21 located north of the Ventura Freeway, a portion of Topanga Canyon Road and surrounding areas located just east of City bounds, and a large area south of the City that extends south to Piuma Road. LOCAL ACCOUNTABILITY AND GOVERNANCE The city is governed by an elected city council. Five council members are elected at-large to serve four-year terms. A Mayor is selected by the City Council, from one of its members, for a one- year term and serves as the official representative of the City for legislative and ceremonial purposes. The council meets twice monthly. Council meetings are held on the first and third Wednesday of each month. Council meetings are broadcast live on cable TV, and broadcast subsequently. The Council meeting schedule is stated on the City’s website. City Council agendas are posted in front of City Hall and on the City’s website. Council meeting minutes are posted on the website and are available at City Hall. The City updates constituents through a monthly newsletter mailed to residents, through a monthly cable television program, and through announcements made on cable television. The City’s community outreach efforts through cable television have been recognized with numerous awards from the National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors (NATOA). Complaints are typically submitted via telephone, but may also be submitted by email or in person. Constituents with complaints are asked to complete a form requesting service. The City tracks the most common types of complaints for street maintenance (634 in 2003), traffic concerns (612 in 2003), and building code violations (588 in 2003). GROWTH AND POPULATION PROJECTIONS Calabasas believes that the SCAG growth projections for 2022 and later are over-stated. SCAG projects 9,577 households by the year 2025, but planning studies indicate that the City will be fully built out when it grows to 9,155 households. If the City annexes adjacent territory, the City believes that it could accommodate as many as 9,923 households when it is fully built out. Growth areas in Calabasas include Mountain View Estates and Mont Calabasas where 770 units are planned. The Mountain View Estates area is not currently within the City bounds, but is planned for annexation. Another growth area is the proposed Liberty Major development also located in unincorporated territory adjacent to the City where fewer than 50 units area planned. There is also potential for future growth in the unincorporated areas surrounding the City’s SOI. Commercial growth has been significant and is anticipated to continue along the Ventura Freeway corridor. The City’s policy with respect to neighboring unincorporated communities is to preserve rural communities like Monte Nido and Old Topanga. Growth is constrained by topography, environmental constraints, and community preferences. The vast majority of vacant land both in and adjacent to the City cannot be developed at high densities due to topography; the sloped terrain limits both street access and utility connections. The City’s general plan states that a community attitude survey showed strong public sentiment in favor of slower growth and enhanced environmental protection. Growth in the area is also limited by 22 environmental constraints. Much of the area is designated as Significant Ecological Areas (SEAs) by the County, meaning that they contain plants or animals that are unique, unusual, or declining; development in these areas would require extensive and costly mitigation. The entire city is within the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area; hence, the National Parks Service reviews City land use decisions and development plans. EVALUATION OF MANAGEMENT EFFICIENCIES The City of Calabasas conducts performance evaluation by establishing goals for City departments and monitoring performance in comparison to those goals through the budget process. The City monitors productivity by tracking workload in a number of departments (such as traffic) and uses informal reports to track workload in other departments (such as planning). The City received the Model Community Achievement Award in 2000 from the South Coast Air Quality Management District for alternative vehicle fueling. The City has received recognition for excellence in financial reporting, parks and recreation programs, pedestrian safety, planning, and risk management (for low workers compensation claims). FINANCING CONSTRAINTS AND OPPORTUNITIES The City received $12.8 million in general fund revenue in FY 00-01, which amounts to $640 per capita. By comparison, municipal general fund revenue per capita in Los Angeles County was $565. Figure 2-2: General Fund Revenue Sources, FY 00-01 The City’s revenue per capita is generally VLF higher than in California cities as a whole. The City depends more heavily on sales tax Interest and utility users taxes than does the average Utility Users California city. The City relies less on interest property taxes, transient occupancy taxes, and Business License interest income for revenue. The City does Sales not levy a business license tax. Hotel (TOT) Calabasas has outstanding debt from a Property lease revenue bond that financed the Creekside Park Community Center and land 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% purchases for the City Hall and library sites. The City had $6.2 million in long-term indebtedness from bonds at the end of FY CA Cities Calabasas 01-02, and had $0.2 million in long-term debt from other sources. The City has never defaulted on bonded debt. The City’s contingency reserves were 106% of general fund revenue. The Government Finance Officers Association recommends an undesignated reserve ratio of at least 5-15 percent. 23 REGIONAL COLLABORATION Calabasas is a member of the Malibu-Las Virgenes Council of Governments. The cities of Agoura Hills and Calabasas provide community center services through a joint powers authority. Calabasas administers a parking citation program for the cities of Agoura Hills, Westlake Village and Hidden Hills. The City of Calabasas also provides summer beach bus transit services to the City of Hidden Hills. The City provides park maintenance for the Las Virgenes Unified School District in exchange for use of school facilities for recreational programming during non-school hours. GOVERNMENT STRUCTURE OPTIONS The City has not proposed any government structure options. CITY OF HIDDEN HILLS The City of Hidden Hills is a gated residential community, and arranges for service provision within certain portions of the city limits. The homeowners association—the Hidden Hills Community Association—provides recreation and most street maintenance services. The City contracts with Los Angeles County for sheriff, relies on the CFPD for fire protection and emergency medical services, and the Las Virgenes Municipal Water District for water and wastewater, and relies on private companies for refuse collection and land use planning. The City is a direct provider of street maintenance services for the one-third mile of public roads within the city limits. FORMATION AND BOUNDARY The City of Hidden Hills was incorporated as a general law city in 1961. The City is nestled between the western foothills of the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles County, and is a gated community. The City of Hidden Hills constitutes 1.7 square miles of land area. LAFCO has previously adopted a sphere of influence (SOI) for the City of Hidden Hills that includes unincorporated territory to the west and to the south of the city limits. The SOI includes the territory lying between the city limits and the Ventura Freeway (Highway 101) to the south, and the territory between the city limits and Mountain View Drive to the east. The City’s boundary and SOI are depicted in Appendix A Map 5. LOCAL ACCOUNTABILITY AND GOVERNANCE Hidden Hills is governed by the City of Hidden Hills with many administrative activities conducted by the Hidden Hills Community Association. 24 City of Hidden Hills The City is governed by an elected city council of five members elected at-large to serve four- year terms. A Mayor is selected by the City Council, from one of its members, for a one-year term and serves as the official representative of the City for legislative and ceremonial purposes. The council meets twice monthly. Council meetings are held on the second and fourth Monday of each month. Council meetings are broadcast live on cable TV, and broadcast subsequently. City Council agendas are posted at City Hall, the local community center, and at the three gate entrances to the City. Council meeting minutes are posted on the website and are available at City Hall, and are summarized in the monthly newsletter. The City updates constituents through a monthly newsletter mailed to residents, through a voluntary email/fax notification system, and via cable television. Complaints are typically submitted via telephone, but may also be submitted by email or in person. The City reports that the majority of complaints involve traffic violations, coyotes, building violations, bright lights, and barking dogs. The City has a formal complaint form for traffic violations that generates a letter to the owner of the reported vehicle. The City logs traffic and coyote complaints in order to make service adjustments, and investigates reported building code violations. Hidden Hills Community Association The Hidden Hills Community Association is governed by seven members of the Board of Directors elected at-large for two-year terms. The Board meets at least once monthly, and meetings are open to all residents. Agendas and minutes are available upon request to the Association. The Association updates residents through a monthly newsletter mailed to residents, and through a voluntary email/fax notification system that updates residents on events, road closures, and emergencies. Complaints are typically submitted in person to the Association. Formal complaints are addressed to the Board of Directors. The complaints received by the Association mirror those received by the City. GROWTH AND POPULATION PROJECTIONS Hidden Hills is nearly built out, with potential for 38 additional houses to be built on vacant (infill) lots and potential for 10 jobs to be created on the two undeveloped commercial parcels. There is a potential growth area located within the City’s SOI where a developer is contemplating the annexation of seven acres. This could potentially add another five houses to the City. The City of Hidden Hills projects that all lots will be built out by the year 2015, and that the population will reach 2,034 by that time. By comparison, the SCAG growth projections are consistent through the year 2015, but project that the population will reach 2,133 by the year 2025. Hence, the City views the long-run SCAG growth projections as overstated. With the exception of four commercially zoned lots, the entire city is zoned as residential with a minimum lot size of one acre. Much of the area to the west of the City is designated as a Significant 25 Ecological Area (SEA) by the County, meaning that the area contains plants or animals that are unique, unusual, or declining; development in this SOI area would require extensive and costly mitigation. In addition, as a gated community, growth is constrained by conditions, covenants, and restrictions (CC&R’s) which were originally set in place by the original developers and are now regulated by an elected board of directors of the Hidden Hills Community Association. The Association is responsible for reviewing and approving construction on or modification of any of the 648 home sites as it relates to aesthetic impacts only; the City of Hidden Hills reviews, approves and inspects all construction within the City. In addition, the Association is responsible for maintaining all of the common areas, which include six miles of roads, three guard houses, 25 miles of bridle trails, three community riding arenas, four tennis courts, a competition-size pool, recreation center, and a 99-seat performing arts/movie theater. EVALUATION OF MANAGEMENT EFFICIENCIES Due to its small size, the City of Hidden Hills conducts performance evaluation informally and on an ongoing basis. The City does not engage in productivity monitoring, as it only employs three staff members. The City reported that it has not received any awards or honors in the last five years. FINANCING CONSTRAINTS AND OPPORTUNITIES The City received $1.0 million in general fund revenue in FY 00-01, which amounts to $548 per capita. By comparison, municipal general fund revenue per capita in Los Angeles County was $565. Figure 2-3: General Fund Revenue Sources, FY 00-01 The City’s revenue per capita is generally VLF comparable to California cities as a whole. The City depends more heavily on property Interest taxes and interest income than does the Utility Users average California city. The City receives negligible revenue from sales taxes and Business License business license taxes. The City lacks hotels, Sales and does not levy a transient occupancy tax According to the State Controller’s Annual Hotel (TOT) Cities Report FY 2000-01; the City received Property $170,011 in revenue from its utility users tax. The City eliminated its utility users tax the 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% following fiscal year on October 22, 2001. Hidden Hills has no outstanding debt CA Cities Hidden Hills from bond or any other long-term debt. The City’s contingency reserves were 267% of general fund revenue at the end of FY 02-03. The Government Finance Officers Association recommends an undesignated reserve ratio of at least 5- 15 percent. 26 REGIONAL COLLABORATION Hidden Hills is a member of the Malibu-Las Virgenes Council of Governments. Calabasas administers a parking citation program for Hidden Hills as well as the cities of Agoura Hills and Westlake Village. Hidden Hills participates in joint financing arrangements; the City receives general liability insurance coverage through its membership in the California Joint Powers Insurance Authority. GOVERNMENT STRUCTURE OPTIONS The City has not proposed any government structure options. 27 CITY OF MALIBU The City of Malibu arranges for service provision within the city limits. Malibu contracts with Los Angeles County for sheriff, relies on special districts for fire protection and emergency medical services and for water, and is a direct provider of recreation and land use planning services. FORMATION AND BOUNDARY The City of Malibu was incorporated as a general law city in 1991. The City was formed primarily due to residential opposition to what was perceived as growth-inducing effects of the County’s plans for a wastewater treatment system for the area. The City is located within the Santa Monica Mountains, and is characterized by steep and rugged hillside and canyons draining into the Pacific Ocean, and approximately 27 miles of coastal area. The City of Malibu constitutes 19.9 square miles of land and 81.1 square miles of water in the Santa Monica Bay. LAFCO has previously adopted a coterminous sphere of influence (SOI) for the City of Malibu. The City’s boundary and SOI are depicted in Appendix A Map 6. LOCAL ACCOUNTABILITY AND GOVERNANCE The city is governed by an elected mayor and city council. Council members are elected at-large to serve four-year terms. The position of Mayor is held by a council member, with the position rotating amongst the council members every nine months. The council meets twice monthly. Council meetings are held on the second and fourth Mondays of every month. Council meetings are broadcast live on cable TV and replayed on Saturday. The Council meeting schedule is stated on the City’s website. City Council agendas are posted in front of City Hall and on the City’s website. Council meeting minutes are posted on the website. The City accepts complaints by phone or email, but does not have a formal system for tracking complaints. Malibu encourages community input by conducting customer surveys. GROWTH AND POPULATION PROJECTIONS The Malibu General Plan (1995) anticipates that, at build-out, the City can accommodate 4,146 to 7,380 residential units and up to 3,369,000 square feet of commercial development. The general plan indicates that if the City were built out at the maximum densities, the amount of vacant land would decrease from 6,759 acres to 3,541 acres. At build-out, the City anticipates a maximum residential population of 16,902. Although much of the land in Malibu is vacant, much of the vacant land is not suitable for development due to physical, environmental and other constraints. 28 Growth is constrained by topography; there are seismic, liquefaction, landslide, and erosion hazard areas within the city limits. Development in mountainous areas is subject to such risks, and the City precludes development on slopes in excess of a 2:1 gradient. The City’s policy is to preserve ridgelines to reduce exposure to landslides. The Malibu Coast fault zone has been designated as an active fault zone in two locations—Winter Mesa and the lower portions of Solstice, Escondido and Latigo Canyons—within the City of Malibu. Environmental growth constraints are significant. Growth in the area is constrained by the City’s location in the coastal zone, and related requirements that the City accommodate public access to recreational facilities and the beaches. There are environmental constraints to development due to coastal environmental resources that require protection. There are eight areas in the City designated as Significant Ecological Areas (SEA) by the County, meaning that the area contains plants or animals that are unique, unusual, or declining; development in these areas requires extensive and costly mitigation. Municipal service constraints on growth include wastewater and street services. The lack of a central wastewater treatment and disposal system and the lack of street access to vacant land are factors that constrain growth. EVALUATION OF MANAGEMENT EFFICIENCIES The City of Malibu conducts productivity monitoring by including performance measures in the annual budget for major programs. The City Council holds quarterly meetings for the purpose of reviewing how each department is meeting goals established for the fiscal year. The City has received awards for excellence in financial reporting from the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) and the California Society of Municipal Finance Officers (CSMFO). FINANCING CONSTRAINTS AND OPPORTUNITIES Figure 2-4: General Fund Revenue Sources, FY 00-01 The City received $10 million in general VLF fund revenue in FY 00-01, which amounts to $793 per capita. By comparison, municipal Interest general fund revenue per capita in Los Utility Users Angeles County was $565. Business License The City’s revenue per capita is generally higher than in California cities as a whole. Sales The City depends more heavily on property Hotel (TOT) taxes, utility users taxes and vehicle license Property fees than does the average California city. The City relies less on interest income and sales taxes. The City does not impose a 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% business license tax. CA Cities Malibu Malibu had no outstanding debt from 29 bonds at the end of FY 01-02, and had $0.1 million in long-term debt from other sources. The City has never defaulted on bonded debt. Malibu’s contingency reserves were 50% of general fund revenue at the end of FY 01-02. The Government Finance Officers Association recommends an undesignated reserve ratio of at least 5- 15 percent. GOVERNMENT STRUCTURE OPTIONS The City has not proposed any government structure options. CITY OF WESTLAKE VILLAGE The City of Westlake Village arranges for service provision within the city limits, has a staff of nine full-time employees, and relies on public and private providers for most services. The City contracts with Los Angeles County for sheriff, relies on special districts for fire protection and emergency medical services and for water and wastewater, relies on Agoura Hills for recreation, relies on private providers for park and street maintenance, and is a direct provider of land use planning services. FORMATION AND BOUNDARY The City of Westlake Village was incorporated as a general law city in 1981. The City was formed to preserve the land use and design standards envisioned in the community’s master plan, and to prevent the inclusion of its territory in the City of Agoura Hills, which incorporated one year later. The City is the eastern portion of a master-planned community that straddles the Ventura-Los Angeles County border. The City of Westlake Village constitutes 5.2 square miles of land and 0.5 square miles of water in Westlake and Las Virgenes Reservoir. LAFCO has previously adopted a coterminous sphere of influence (SOI) for the City of Westlake Village. The City’s boundary and SOI are depicted in Appendix A Map 7. LOCAL ACCOUNTABILITY AND GOVERNANCE The city is governed by an elected city council. Five council members are elected at-large to serve four-year terms. A Mayor is selected by the City Council, from one of its members, for a one- year term and serves as the official representative of the City for legislative and ceremonial purposes. The council meets twice monthly. Council meetings are held on the second and fourth Wednesday of each month. Council meetings are broadcast live on cable TV. The Council meeting schedule is stated on the City’s website. City Council agendas are posted in front of City Hall and on the City’s website. Council meeting minutes are posted on the website and are available at City Hall. 30 The City updates constituents through a monthly newsletter mailed to residents and through special events aired on cable television. The City is planning to conduct a citywide survey in 2004, under advisement from the Westlake “2015” Citizen’s Committee, to assist the City in determining the major issues or concerns of the Westlake Village community, and what the community should be like in the next decade. Complaints are typically submitted via telephone, but may also be submitted by email or in person. Constituents with complaints are asked to complete a service request form. The City has a formal complaint tracking system, receives approximately 100 complaints annually, and indicates that the most common inquires involve requests for information, and the most common complaints involve landscape and street maintenance issues. GROWTH AND POPULATION PROJECTIONS The City’s most recent general plan (1993) indicates that 77 percent of land area was developed or committed to preservation as open space, and that 23 percent, or 833 acres, was vacant and potentially developable. The City’s general plan identified 11 potential growth areas along the City’s eastern boundary where development plans were in process for vacant land. At that time, the City indicated that 741 additional housing units could be built until the City was built out. Much of that land has subsequently been developed. Westlake Village reported to LAFCO that the City is nearly built out, and anticipates only minimal population growth in the future. The City does not anticipate growth in adjacent unincorporated territory, because most territory is publicly owned and lies within the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. The vast majority of vacant land both in and adjacent to the City cannot be developed at high densities due to topography and environmental constraints. Much of the area is designated as a Significant Ecological Area (SEA) by the County, meaning that it contains plants or animals that are unique, unusual, or declining; development in these areas would require extensive and costly mitigation. Another growth constraint is the City’s policy to preserve the natural character of hillside areas as a scenic resource. The City objects to SCAG growth forecasts from the RTP 2001 as overstating growth and inconsistent with the City’s General Plan. EVALUATION OF MANAGEMENT EFFICIENCIES The City of Westlake Village conducts performance evaluation by establishing goals for City departments and monitoring performance in comparison to those goals on a quarterly basis. Each of the eight full-time employees receives an annual performance evaluation. The City monitors productivity by tracking the status and progress of major City functions and projects with status reports presented monthly to the City Council. The City reported that it received no awards or honors in the last five years. 31 FINANCING CONSTRAINTS AND OPPORTUNITIES The City received $6.1 million in general fund revenue in FY 00-01, which amounts to $728 per capita. By comparison, municipal general fund revenue per capita in Los Angeles County was $565. Figure 2-5: General Fund Revenue Sources, FY 00-01 The City’s revenue per capita is generally VLF higher than in California cities as a whole. The City depends more heavily on sales Interest taxes, hotel taxes and interest income than Utility Users does the average California city. The City relies less on property taxes and VLF than Business License does the average California city. The City Sales receives interest income and sales taxes. The City does not impose a utility users tax or a Hotel (TOT) business license tax. Property Westlake Village has outstanding debt from a bond that financed the city hall and 0% 20% 40% 60% library facility. The City had $8.3 million in long-term indebtedness from bonds at the CA Cities Westlake Village end of FY 01-02, and had $0.3 million in long-term debt from other sources. The City has never defaulted on bonded debt. The City’s contingency reserves were 111% of general fund revenue at the end of FY 01-02. The Government Finance Officers Association recommends an undesignated reserve ratio of at least 5- 15 percent. REGIONAL COLLABORATION Westlake Village is a member of the Malibu-Las Virgenes Council of Governments. Calabasas administers a parking citation program on behalf of Westlake Village as well as the cities of Agoura Hills and Hidden Hills. The Conejo Recreation and Park District (Ventura County) and the City of Agoura Hills provide recreation programming to Westlake Village residents. GOVERNMENT STRUCTURE OPTIONS The City has not proposed any government structure options. 32 SPECIAL DISTRICTS There are nine special districts located within the Las Virgenes MSR area that are reviewed in separate MSR reports. After the respective MSR report for each agency has been approved, the Commission will update the SOI of the particular agency. CONSOLIDATED FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT The Consolidated Fire Protection District of Los Angeles County (CFPD) is a direct provider of fire suppression, rescue, paramedic, and lifeguard service throughout the MSR area. The CFPD was formed as a dependent special district on April 12, 1949 prior to the creation of LAFCO. The CFPD includes all the unincorporated areas of the county within its boundaries, along with 57 incorporated cities for which it provides fire protection and emergency medical services. The CFPD includes all territory in the MSR area. The CFPD’s SOI is coterminous with its boundaries. The CFPD’s territory includes 2,296 square miles. This report does not provide a complete review of the CFPD, as the CFPD spans multiple MSR areas. After completing all nine of the municipal service reviews, LAFCO will be able to update the CFPD’s sphere of influence. COUNTY SANITATION DISTRICT #27 The County Sanitation District #27 (CSD) is a direct provider of wastewater and solid waste services in a small coastal area lying between the City of Malibu and the Pacific Palisades community of the City of Los Angeles. The CSD relies on a contract service provider—the City of Los Angeles—for wastewater treatment and disposal, and serves as an intermediary between the homeowners and the City of Los Angeles. The CSD was formed as a dependent special district on April 20, 1961 prior to the creation of LAFCO. It was organized under provisions of the California Health and Safety Code §4700 et seq. as a county sanitation district. The CSD includes unincorporated territory that lies between Topanga Canyon Boulevard and the City of Los Angeles boundary. The CSD formerly included territory within the western portion of what is now the City of Malibu; this territory was detached when the City of Malibu incorporated in 1991. LAFCO has previously adopted a coterminous sphere of influence (SOI) for the CSD. The District’s boundary and SOI are depicted in Appendix A Map 9. The CSD’s territory includes 0.11 square miles of land area, and does not include submerged areas. 33 This report does not provide a complete review of the County Sanitation District #27, as the County Sanitation Districts’ operations span multiple MSR areas. COUNTY WATERWORKS DISTRICT #29 The County Waterworks District Number 29 is a direct provider of retail water services to the City of Malibu and to unincorporated areas south of the Santa Monica Mountains. The District was formed as a dependent special district on December 9, 1935 prior to the creation of LAFCO. It was organized under provisions of the California Water Code §55000, et seq. as a county waterworks district. County waterworks districts are authorized to develop, treat and distribute both potable and reclaimed water, and to collect and dispose of wastewater. The District does not provide wastewater or water treatment services; hence, it is not providing all authorized services. The District’s territory includes 50 square miles of land area. The water services provided by this agency are covered in a separate MSR report—a MSR study of water providers in the Las Virgenes area prepared by Dudek and Associates. LAS VIRGENES MWD The Las Virgenes Municipal Water District (MWD) is a direct provider of water and wastewater services to the cities of Agoura Hills, Calabasas, Hidden Hills and Westlake Village and to unincorporated areas north of the Santa Monica Mountains. The District provides service to unincorporated areas outside the MSR area in the Oat Mountain, Chatsworth, and West Hills communities, and provides service to some customers in the neighboring County Waterworks District #29. The Las Virgenes MWD was formed as an independent special district in 1958 “to represent local residents in securing a source of imported water”.16 It was organized under provisions of the California Water Code §71000, et seq. as a municipal water district (under 1911 law). Municipal water districts are authorized to provide both wholesale and retail water services, wastewater services, recreational facilities and services, fire protection, paramedic and ambulance services. The District provides only water and wastewater services; hence, the District is not providing all services authorized. Territory in the unincorporated county area, known as Dayton Canyon, located west of and contiguous to the City of Los Angeles, was recently annexed to the City of Los Angeles and the area is no longer in the District's boundary and will now receive service from the City of Los Angeles. LAFCO approved the District's request to allow the remaining undeveloped territory adjacent to Dayton Canyon to remain within the District's service area boundary. LAFCO has previously adopted a coterminous sphere of influence (SOI) for the MWD. The District’s boundary and SOI are depicted in Appendix A Map 8. 16 Source: Agency Background, Consolidated Annual Financial Report for the FY Ended June 30, 2002. 34 The District’s territory includes 119.9 square miles of land area. The District’s wastewater services are included in this report. The water services provided by this agency are covered in a separate MSR report—an MSR study of water providers in the Las Virgenes area prepared by Dudek and Associates. WEST BASIN MUNICIPAL WATER DISTRICT The West Basin Municipal Water District (MWD) is a wholesale supplier of water to the City of Malibu and the unincorporated Topanga Canyon area. The majority of the District’s service area is located outside the Las Virgenes region in the South Bay and West Los Angeles areas. The West Basin MWD was formed as an independent special district in November of 1947 prior to the creation of LAFCO. It was organized under provisions of the California Water Code §71000 et seq. as a municipal water district (under 1911 law). Municipal water districts are authorized to provide both wholesale and retail water services, wastewater services, recreational facilities and services, fire protection, paramedic and ambulance services. The District provides wholesale water services, wastewater treatment, and resource conservation services; hence, the District is not providing all services authorized. The District’s territory includes 156 square miles of land area. The water services provided by this agency are covered in a separate MSR report—an MSR study of water providers in the Las Virgenes area prepared by Dudek and Associates. LA COUNTY WEST VECTOR CONTROL DISTRICT The Los Angeles County West Vector Control District controls mosquitoes and Africanized honeybees, and monitors ticks and Lyme disease throughout the Las Virgenes MSR area in addition to West Los Angeles and the South Bay areas. The District was formed as an independent special district in 1944 prior to the creation of LAFCO. It was organized under provisions of the California Health & Safety Code §2200 et seq. as a mosquito abatement and vector control district. Mosquito abatement and vector control districts are authorized to exterminate mosquitoes, flies, other insects and rats and to research, control and monitor algae. The District does not provide rat extermination services; hence, the District is not providing all authorized services. The District’s territory includes 401 square miles of land area and 2,318,809 residents, according to 2000 Census data. LAFCO staff has prepared countywide MSR studies of this District and other limited-purpose districts that are not providing “backbone” services. While not part of this MSR, the countywide non-backbone MSR provides comprehensive information on municipal service review determinations, SOI update determinations, and SOI update recommendations for this district. 35 MALIBU SANITARY DISTRICT The Malibu Sanitary District provides refuse collection and recycling services to the City of Malibu east of Corral Canyon as well as territory in adjacent unincorporated areas. Refuse collection and recycling services are provided through a private waste hauler under contract with the District. The District's current contractor is Waste Management- G.I. Industries. The District was formed as a dependent special district in 1892 prior to the creation of LAFCO. It was organized under provisions of the California Public Resources Code §49000 et seq. as a garbage disposal district. Garbage disposal districts are authorized to collect and dispose of garbage and other refuse. The District provides refuse collection and recycling service through a private waste hauler. The District is providing all services authorized. The District’s territory includes 3.85 square miles of land area. There were 4,005 residents in the District’s boundaries in 2000, according to Census data. The District does not anticipate significant population growth. The District's operations are routinely monitored by the District's field inspectors to ensure the contract waste hauler's full compliance with all the provisions specified in the contract for providing quality services with reasonable cost as well as protecting public health and safety. LAFCO staff has prepared countywide MSR studies of this District and other limited-purpose districts that are not providing “backbone” services. While not part of this MSR, the countywide non-backbone MSR provides comprehensive information on municipal service review determinations, SOI update determinations, and SOI update recommendations for this district. POINT DUME COMMUNITY SERVICES DISTRICT The Point Dume Community Services District provides recreation services in the Point Dume community in the City of Malibu. The District was formed as an independent special district August 26, 1985. It was organized under provisions of the California Government Code §61000 et seq. as a community services district. Community services districts are authorized to provide a wide array of services, including recreation as well as water, wastewater, solid waste collection, police, fire protection, and other services. The District provides recreation services; hence, the District is not providing all services authorized. The District’s territory includes 1.17 square miles of land area. There were 1,516 residents in the District’s boundaries in 2000, according to Census data. SCAG projects that the population in the District will grow by 17 percent through 2020, which is slightly lower than the projected countywide growth rate. LAFCO staff has prepared countywide MSR studies of this District and other limited-purpose districts that are not providing “backbone” services. While not part of this MSR, the countywide non-backbone MSR provides comprehensive information on municipal service review determinations, SOI update determinations, and SOI update recommendations for this district. 36 SANTA MONICA MOUNTAINS RCD The Santa Monica Mountains Resource Conservation District (RCD) includes the cities of Westlake Village, Agoura Hills, Hidden Hills, and Calabasas as well as territory on Santa Catalina Island and portions of the City of Los Angeles. The District was formed as an independent special district February 8, 1961. It was organized under provisions of the California Public Resources Code §9151 et seq. as a resource conservation district. Resource conservation districts are authorized to control runoff, prevent and control of soil erosion, develop and distribute water, and improve land capabilities. The RCD activities generally include wildlife-monitoring, sale of trees for conservation purposes, tree registration, and natural science education. Hence, the District is not providing all services authorized. The District’s territory includes 225.47 square miles of land area. There were 119,111 residents in the District’s boundaries in 2000, according to Census data. SCAG projects that the population in the District will grow by 19 percent through 2020, which is comparable to the projected countywide growth rate. LAFCO staff has prepared countywide MSR studies of this District and other limited-purpose districts that are not providing “backbone” services. While not part of this MSR, the countywide non-backbone MSR provides comprehensive information on municipal service review determinations, SOI update determinations, and SOI update recommendations for this district. 37 C H A P T E R 3 : P U B L I C S A F E T Y This chapter discusses the provision of public safety services—police, fire and paramedic—in the Las Virgenes area. The section is designed to address questions relating to the efficiency and adequacy of services, the adequacy of infrastructure, and opportunities for sharing facilities and reducing costs. The chapter provides first an overview of the service configuration, a description of the level and type of workload, service quality indicators, facility descriptions, explanation of current and potential regional collaboration between service providers, a discussion of service delivery challenges, and an analysis of potential policy alternatives relevant to the particular service. POLICE SERVICE The Los Angeles County Sheriff is the sole provider of police service throughout the MSR area, which includes the unincorporated communities of Malibu Lake and Topanga Canyon and the cities of Agoura Hills, Calabasas, Hidden Hills, Malibu, and Westlake Village. The Sheriff’s Lost Hills Station serves the MSR area in addition to the unincorporated Chatsworth Lake Manor and West Hills communities. SERVICE DEMAND The demand for service is related to the size of the population, the size of the area being policed as well as crime levels. Calls for Service Figure 3-1: Lost Hills Sheriff Station Workload, 2003 In Los Calls & Traffic Reported False Angeles County, Observations Citations Incidents Alarms Arrests the number of Total 122,182 NA 8,018 NA 1,399 calls for police Agoura Hills 24,443 3,306 1,783 940 252 service has risen Calabasas 25,351 4,305 1,690 1,043 253 in recent years, and the same Hidden Hills 1,502 347 54 48 5 trend has Malibu 40,565 12,009 2,680 1,067 518 occurred in the Westlake Village 13,751 1,573 665 814 87 Las Virgenes Unincorporated 16,570 NA 1,146 NA 284 area. The entire MSR area is served by the Lost Hills Sheriff Station. In 2003, the total number of calls for service and observations made by the Lost Hills Sheriff Station was 122,182. The total number of reported incidents in 2003 was 8,018 a three percent increase from 2002 incidents.17 Of the total incidents, 43 percent were non-criminal related. The calls for service and incidents include two unincorporated areas outside of the MSR area— 17 Reported incidents are incidents for which an official police report must be prepared. 38 Chatsworth Lake Manor and West Hills—but the majority of calls and incidents come from the MSR area. In 2003, there were 98,345 incident observations by sheriff deputies at the Lost Hills station that required a response. There were 1,399 arrests made by the Lost Hills Sheriff Station in 2003. There were 518 arrests, including felony and misdemeanor incidents, in Malibu, 284 arrests in unincorporated areas, 253 arrests made in Calabasas, 252 arrests in Agoura Hills, 87 arrests in Westlake Village, and 5 arrests made in Hidden Hills.18 Overall, crimes levels are still significantly lower than what they were in the early 1990s. In the MSR area, crime statistics indicate that serious (Part I) crime has increased, Part II crime has decreased, and non-criminal incidents have increased.19 By comparison, for all the territory served by the Sheriff, Part I crime has decreased, Part II crime has been relatively stable and non-criminal incidents have increased over the same period. In 2003, there was 1,589 Part I crimes reported from the Lost Hills station and 2,945 Part II crimes reported. Figure 3-2: FBI Crime Index Offenses, 1993- 2002 Serious crime— FBI Crime Index 800 offenses—has generally 600 decreased in the last decade countywide and 400 in the MSR area, but 200 has increased slightly in the past few years.20 0 Previously, from 1983 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 to 1991, crime had been increasing throughout the State. The crime rate decline is associated with a steep short-term decline in violent juvenile and youth crime, particularly in large cities. A study by the California Attorney General’s Office argues that violent periods tend to occur when gang- controlled illegal substances are in high demand.21 This study notes that community policing, crime mapping and increased incarceration rates have also contributed to declining crime rates. 18 Source of arrests for cities is California Attorney General, Office of Criminal Justice Statistics. Arrests include misdemeanors and arrests of juveniles. Source of arrests for unincorporated areas is the total reported by the Sheriff for the Lost Hills Station less the city totals reported by the California Attorney General’s office. 19 Part I crimes include murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny, motor vehicle theft, arson and simple assault. Part II crimes include assault and battery, fraud, forgery, vandalism, carrying weapons, prostitution, sex offenses, drug abuse, gambling, drug abuse, driving under the influence, 20 FBI Crime Index offenses include all Part I offenses except arson. 21 Marowitz, 2000. 39 semirC IBF Agoura Hills Calabasas Hidden Hills Malibu Westlake Village Figure 3-3: FBI Crime Index Rate, 2002 Crime rates in the MSR area are relatively low, Agoura Hills 172 compared to the Calabasas 180 countywide crime rate. The crime rate reflects the ratio Hidden Hills 84 of FBI Crime Index offenses (serious felony Malibu 267 crimes) per capita, and is expressed as crimes per Westlake Village 222 10,000 residents. Countywide 410 The City with the highest crime rate is Malibu 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 with 267 crimes per 10,000 FBI Crimes Per 10,000 Residents residents. Malibu beaches attract a large amount of visitors and contribute to the City’s higher crime rate. FACILITIES The Sheriff’s operations in the MSR area are primarily served by the Lost Hills Sheriff Station, with secondary facilities located in the Malibu Civic Center. The County operates an animal shelter that is located in Agoura Hills. Table 3-4: Lost Hills Sheriff Station staffing The Lost Hills Sheriff Station includes a dispatch Sworn Personnel 134 center, a jail/dorm facility, a temporary holding facility, a Captain 1 large conference room, and a helicopter-landing pad. The Lieutenants 6 facility has a work force level of 134 sworn personnel, and Sergeants 17 operates approximately 100 vehicles, which include patrol Deputies 110 cars, quad runners for beach service, a rescue truck, a pick-up truck, a van, and trailers. Civilian Personnel 46 Community Service Assistants 6 The Sheriff provides patrol car service to the cities Custody Assistants 5 based on community preferences. There is one full-time Law Enforcement Technicians 12 patrol unit assigned to the City of Westlake Village, in Dispatchers 9 addition to a traffic car. As reported in their 1995 General Clerical Staff 14 Plan, the City of Calabasas is served by one two-man patrol car in the early evening and morning hours, one one-man patrol car during daytime hours, and four one-man vehicles for traffic control. One of the station’s two holding facilities is used to hold trustees (sentenced criminals) that live in a dorm facility and work at the jail and station providing a variety of maintenance and custodial duties. The other temporary holding facility holds individuals awaiting court appearance and arrestees. 40 There are nine dispatchers at the station, with three on duty to answer calls. The dispatchers stay on the call with the citizen, while call information is typed and sent to the Sheriff Radio room, which is located in east LA. While the dispatcher is on the phone, the radio room dispatches the units. The condition of the station facilities was described as good and no new facility needs were reported by the Sheriff’s Department. However, the Sheriff did mention a need to update the Department’s computer aided dispatch system. The Sheriff’s Air 5 rescue program based in Long Beach provides search and rescue, and over- water operations with a flight crew of two deputy pilots, two paramedics and a sergeant crew chief. For its operations, Air 5 flies Sikorsky H-3 helicopters. The helicopters fly out to the Lost Hills Station as needed and the Station supplies an observer on the helicopter when needed. SERVICE STANDARDS There are no established standards for law enforcement agencies relating to emergency response times, crime clearance rates, patrol staffing levels, or citizen satisfaction levels. Voluntary accreditation programs establish standards for law enforcement agencies as well as crime laboratories. In the arenas of police training and selection, there are clear standards for California law enforcement agencies. General The Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) is a national organization that functions as an independent accrediting authority. Law enforcement agencies may voluntarily choose to apply for CALEA accreditation. CALEA offers an accreditation program as well as a law enforcement recognition program in which the agency is required to meet a more modest list of standards. CALEA law enforcement accreditation does not require the law enforcement agency to meet specific benchmarks in terms of response time, staffing levels or crime clearance rates. CALEA accreditation requires the police service provider to pass inspection and to meet dozens of requirements such as annual documented performance evaluation of each employee, investigation of all complaints against the agency and its employees, and annual review of allocation and distribution of personnel. Although the Los Angeles County Sheriff has not opted to pursue CALEA accreditation, the Sheriff Contract Law Enforcement Bureau and the Lost Hills station does conduct annual documented performance evaluation of each employee, investigates all formal complaints against the agency and its employees, and annually reviews the allocation and distribution of personnel. In the MSR area, the Sheriff is in compliance with CALEA accreditation standards. The California Peace Officers Association has developed sample law enforcement agency policies on use of force, use of safety belts, review of complaints about personnel, fitness for duty evaluations, and law enforcement values. For example, the sample policy on conduct review states, “it should be standard practice for all law enforcement agencies to conduct comprehensive and thorough investigations into any allegation of misconduct or substandard service, whether such 41 allegations are from citizen complaints or internally generated.”22 Hence, policies relating to ethics and evaluation standards are readily available to law enforcement agencies. The Los Angeles County Sheriff maintains written policies on use of force, use of safety belts, review of complaints about personnel, fitness for duty evaluations, and law enforcement values, among other issues.23 Hence, the Sheriff abides by CPOA standards in the Las Virgenes area and throughout its larger service area. Crime Laboratories Crime laboratory standards are established by the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors—Laboratory Accreditation Board (ASCLD/LAB). Accreditation is a voluntary program whereby a lab is inspected to determine whether the lab’s polices, procedures, staff, physical plant, and work product meet published peer-based standards.24 The only law enforcement agency in the MSR area—-the Los Angeles County Sheriff— operates an accredited laboratory. Training The California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) has developed standards for the testing and selection of police officer applicants as well as the training of police officers, dispatchers and detectives. The Los Angeles County Sheriff conducts training to POST standards. SERVICE ADEQUACY Crime clearance rates, response time for serious crimes in progress, patrol staffing, complaints and awards are potential benchmark indicators. Crime Clearance Rates Table 3-5: Crime Clearance Rates AREA 2000 2001 2002 The effectiveness of a law enforcement Countywide 20% 21% 20% agency can be gauged by many factors, including serious crime clearance rates, or the Westlake Village 23% 16% 24% proportion of serious (FBI) crimes that are Malibu 19% 20% 24% solved. Again, however, there are no clear-cut Hidden Hills 7% 19% 38% standards or guidelines on the proportion that Calabasas 21% 21% 26% should be solved. Agoura Hills 17% 22% 24% The Sheriff manages to solve serious crimes 22 California Peace Officers Association, 2004. 23 Interview with County Sheriff Contract Law Enforcement Bureau Lt. Richard Mouwen, 2004. 24 Three states—New York, Oklahoma and Texas—require accreditation of all crime laboratories, California does not. 42 more effectively in the MSR area than they do elsewhere in the County. In the five cities, of the 1,263 total FBI crimes reported in 2002, 312 were cleared. Compared to the countywide clearance rate of 20 percent, the proportion of serious crimes cleared in the incorporated areas is somewhat higher—25 percent. The LA County Sheriff reported that in 2003, 19 percent of total crimes reported by the Lost Hills Station were cleared and 17 percent were cleared in the unincorporated areas. Response Times Although police response times for serious crimes in progress are an important indicator of service adequacy, there are not clear standards as to what that response time should be. Police response times were traditionally used to measure effectiveness. However, more recent research indicates that response time does not have a significant effect on crime solving, because most crimes are “cold” crimes and victims do not tend to call police immediately after the crime is committed. The modern approach to response time—differential response—is to ensure quick response to serious crimes (Priority 1) in progress, when there are opportunities to save a victim and/or to apprehend the criminal, and to inform lower-priority callers that response time may be lengthy. Experiments indicate that differential response leads to both citizen and officer satisfaction.25 Figure 3-6: Response Times, 2003 The Sheriff’s average response time to emergency incidents in the MSR area varies Westlake Village 8 5 from five to seven minutes, with the longest response times occurring in Malibu. For 10 Malibu priority incidents, average response times 7 vary from six to 11 minutes. In Calabasas, 11 the City’s performance objective is a seven- Hidden Hills 6 minute average response time for emergency calls in the urban areas and a 9 Calabasas nine-minute response time in rural areas; the 6 Sheriff is meeting the Calabasas 6 performance objective. The Sheriff did not Agoura Hills 5 provide response times for service to the unincorporated areas, but pointed out that - 5 10 15 response times to certain park areas could Emergency Priority be longer given the remoteness of the area. Response to crimes in progress, rescues and felony crimes take precedence over non-violent crimes and report calls. 25 Walker and Katz, 2002. 43 Staffing Some jurisdictions point to the ratio of sworn officers to residents as an important indicator of police service level. No established State or national standards for police staffing levels were identified. Each city contracts for a particular staffing level. Figure 3-7: Sworn Staffing per 1,000 Residents, FY 03-04 There are 143 sworn officers serving the MSR area in addition to the Westlake Village 1.0 Chatsworth and West Hills unincorporated areas. In the Lost Hills Malibu 1.9 station service area, the population in 2004 is approximately 94,287. Hence, Hidden Hills 0.8 there are 1.5 sworn officers per capita in the service area. Each city contracts for a specific staffing level involving patrol and Calabasas 0.8 traffic deputies, with contract service payments calculated to include other Agoura Hills 0.7 sworn staffing such as detectives and supervisory staff. For this reason, staffing 0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 per capita is not directly comparable to the total for the Lost Hills station service area or to staffing per capita in jurisdictions that provide police services directly. However, contract- staffing levels of the various cities are comparable since all jurisdictions are expected to use proportionally similar levels of detective and supervisory staffing. Staffing levels are highest in Malibu where the beach visitor population is significant. Complaints and Awards The Lost Hills station’s share of citizen complaints was lower than its share of service calls. The Lost Hills station received 22 complaints in 2003 and 40 complaints in 2002. By comparison, there were approximately 1,900 complaints regarding Sheriff service and personnel countywide. Citizens may complain about service to the Station Commander or the Sheriff Ombudsman. The Sheriff stated that awards have been received for the Sheriff’s Teen Traffic Offender Program (STTOP) and for their juvenile intervention team. The STTOP program was developed after it was realized that the station received a number of telephone complaints about local teens terrorizing neighborhoods with their reckless driving. The main focus of the program is to inform parents of their teen's poor driving habits. When information is received about a reckless teen driver, it is passed on to a traffic deputy who tracks down the teen driver and meets with both the teen and the parents. During this meeting, the deputy discusses traffic safety issues and the teens reported driving habits that brought him to our attention. Suggestions are made on how the parent can control the youthful driver in hopes of resolving the matter informally during these discussions. In addition, awards have been received for certain officers at various times from each city’s Chamber of Commerce for outstanding service in the respective city. 44 SERVICE CHALLENGES Several challenges were raised in providing effective law enforcement service in the MSR area. One challenge relates to street layout in the area and accessibility by patrol car. The City of Calabasas is severed by the Ventura Freeway, creating potential access concerns when the Ventura Freeway is closed. In the City of Malibu, police protection is hampered by the length of the City and its relatively low density. The secluded orientation of many neighborhoods provides little or not opportunity for regular visual inspection from major arterial roadways.26 For the more than one million visitors that come each year to Malibu beaches, the City of Malibu has a summer enforcement Beach Team that begin their duties on Memorial Day weekend and continue through Labor Day to provide the extra law enforcement needed. According to the Sheriff, a lack of deputies has hampered police service to the unincorporated county areas and has made is difficult to provide adequate service. The Lost Hills Station currently has 17 sergeants and 21 are needed. The Sheriff stated there is a need to increase staff levels in order to service the area adequately. Also due to low county compensation the hiring and retention of clerical staff has been difficult at the station. Growth in residential development in the unincorporated Chatsworth area (outside the MSR area both also served by the Lost Hills station) will affect the services in the unincorporated MSR area because of the need to increase police service in that area. The Sheriff expects some growth in the cities, which may lead them to amend their contracts for more service. REGIONAL COLLABORATION The emergency service providers in the MSR area currently collaborate in the areas of parking enforcement and joint participation on the Search and Rescue Team. The City of Calabasas administers a parking citation program for the cities of Agoura Hills, Hidden Hills, and Westlake Village. Search and Rescue services are provided by all volunteer teams form the cities of Agoura Hills, Calabasas, Malibu, and Westlake Village, which also operate as part of the L.A. County Sheriff's Department large mountain reserve unit. In Malibu, the volunteers also assist with patrolling the community, dissemination of information to the community, and other community services. All of the cities contract for additional shared services provided by the Sheriff, which include a two-man juvenile intervention team and vehicle, a community relations officer, and a patrol car not on-call for use on special projects. The Sheriff meets regularly with the five cities served, who together discuss police service issues at the Council of Governments (COG) meetings. 26 Source: City of Malibu General Plan EIR, IV-199. 45 The Lost Hills Sheriff Station is shared with the community; community meetings and training sessions are held in the station’s large conference room in the basement. The Sheriff shares its large basement assembly area with other County departments and outside law enforcement agencies, including the County Board of Supervisor deputy for community meetings, county fire, and CHP. Occasionally, the County Fire Department will use the helicopter pad to land for medical emergencies in the area. POLICY ALTERNATIVES There are no potential major changes in law enforcement provision in the MSR area. FIRE AND PARAMEDIC SERVICE The Consolidated Fire Protection District of Los Angeles County (“CFPD”) is the primary provider of fire, paramedic, lifeguard and fire inspection service in the MSR area. American Medical Response is the primary provider of ambulance services. The Ventura County Fire Department and the City of Los Angeles provide mutual aid within the MSR area. The California Department of Forestry provides fire crews for severe and widespread fire emergencies.27 The CFPD Battalion 5 carries primary responsibility for fire and paramedic service in the MSR area. The CFPD Lifeguard Division has the primary responsibility for lifeguard services in the MSR area. The entire area lies within the boundary of the CFPD, with services financed largely through property taxes. The wildland camps provide brush fire suppression, sandbagging, control burns, maintenance of motorways and other manual labor. Specialized services like hazardous materials, air rescue helicopter, air ambulance helicopter, and fire suppression helicopter are provided by the CFPD centrally. A helicopter responds to heavy trauma incidents when street congestion precludes timely response by ground-based units. Helicopter response also is used in the shore vicinity in the summer and on weekends when beach visitation is high. A helicopter is usually based at the wildland fire camp (Camp 8) in eastern Malibu, and helicopter patrol is also frequent along the shore. The Lifeguard division is responsible for providing patrol on the extensive Malibu Beaches. The Lifeguard Division provides 24-hour lifeguard services to the Malibu Surfrider, Corral, Zuma, Point Dume, and Nicholas Canyon beaches. Malibu Surfrider, Zuma, Point Dume, and Nicholas Canyon are operated year round and staffing is augmented as needed. A 24-hour lifeguard rescue unit is dispatched from Zuma Beach. Additionally, a two-crew member boat (Baywatch Malibu) is stationed off Malibu Pier and operates daily. Another two-crew member boat (Baywatch Topanga) operates on busy weekends (e.g. July 4) and for special events. There is a 24-hour boat stationed at Marina Del Rey for all after-hour emergencies. There are fire hazards within the MSR area in mountainous watershed areas where severe fire hazards exist during dry weather. Large wildfires have burned through the Santa Monica Mountains, and in and near the cities there. In addition, highly flammable brush exists in the area. The County Fire and Building Codes require standards for construction of all buildings and structures. 27 The CFPD provides contract service on State lands to the California Department of Forestry. 46 SERVICE DEMAND Figure 3-8: Fire and EMS Incidents, 2003 On average, there are thirteen incidents daily in the five cities in Westlake Village 590 the MSR area, primarily emergency medical calls. The highest number Malibu 1,801 of incidents occurs in the Malibu area. The actual daily volume Hidden Hills 97 varies with more rescues and evacuations occurring on days Calabasas 1,238 when the beaches receive more visitors. The Department also receives non-emergency service Agoura Hills 1,146 requests. - 500 1,000 1,500 2,000 In 2003, there were 2,287 incidents in the unincorporated areas within the MSR area. There were 449 incidents in Topanga Canyon in 2002 and 148 incidents in the unincorporated area north of western Malibu in 2002. Figure 3-9: Fire Department 911 Incidents by Type, 2002 Most of the incidents in the MSR area are medical emergencies.28 There were 277 fires EMS, in the MSR area as a whole, with brush fire 3,668 incidents were reported in Malibu, Agoura Hills and Calabasas. There were 765 false alarm incidents, involving alarm-related Fire, 277 service calls, 3,668 emergency medical service calls and 1,700 other incidents. Among the cities, EMS incidents were more common in Malibu. False alarms were more common in Hidden Hills. Brush fires Other, were more common in Malibu and Agoura 1,700 Hills. Other incidents were more common in False the unincorporated areas. Alarm, 765 Additional incidents are handled by lifeguards. In 2003, lifeguards at the various beaches in the MSR area performed 3,573 rescues, with a daily average of 10 rescues.29 Lifeguard activity is much higher, as it also includes preventing situations where rescues may be needed. In 2003, lifeguards performed 705 rescue prevention 28 Incidents in the MSR area include all incidents for which Battalion 5 fire stations in the MSR responded, and include incidents in the unincorporated areas. 29 Lifeguard beach activity was provided by the CFPD Lifeguard Division, and reflects activity at Las Tunas, Topanga, Malibu, Corral, Point Dume, Nicholas, and Zuma Beaches, in addition to rescues performed by the Malibu and Topanga Baywatch units. 47 actions on an average day. Lifeguard rescues and prevention activities peak in July when beach visitation is more than triple the annual average. 48 FACILITIES Table 3-10: Fire Stations30 Fire Stations Location Built Condition Staff Equipment 2 Captains 2 Engines 3 Fire Fighters 1 Squad CFPD No. 65 Agoura Hills 1936 Fair 3 Fire Fighter/Paramedics 1 Patrol 1 Captain 1 Engine CFPD No. 67 Calabasas 1938 Fair 2 Fire Fighters 1 Patrol 1 Captain 1 Engine 1 Fire Fighter 1 Squad CFPD No. 68 Calabasas 1968 Fair 3 Fire Fighter/Paramedics 1 Patrol 1 Captain 1 Assessment Engine 2 Fire Fighters 1 Engine 1 Fire Fighter/Paramedic 1 Squad 11 Paid Call Fire Fighters CFPD No. 69 Topanga Canyon 1955 Fair 1 Battalion Chief 1 Engine 1 Asst. Chief 1 Utility Vehicle 1 Captain 1 Patrol 3 Fire Fighters 1 Utility Driver CFPD No. 70 Malibu 1964 Good 1 Captain 1 Engine 1 Fire Fighter 1 Squad CFPD No. 71 Malibu 1939 Poor 3 Fire Fighter/Paramedics 1 Patrol 1 Captain 1 Engine CFPD No. 72 Malibu vicinity NA Poor 2 Fire Fighters 1 Patrol 1 Captain 1 Engine 1 Fire Fighter 1 Squad 3 Fire Fighter/Paramedics CFPD No. 88 Malibu 1954 Fair 1 Captain 1 Engine CFPD No. 99 Malibu 1976 Poor 2 Fire Fighters 1 Patrol 2 Captains 1 Engine CFPD No. 125 Calabasas 1970 Fair 5 Fire Fighters 1 Quint 1 Captain 1 Assessment Engine 2 Fire Fighters 1 Patrol 1 Fire Fighter/Paramedic CFPD No. 144 Westlake Village 1970 Fair 1 Captain 1 Truck 3 Fire Fighters 1 Crew Bus 21 Fire Suppression Aids CFPD Camp 8 Malibu NA Good 1 Captain 1 Truck 10 Fire Fighters 4 Crew Buses CFPD Camp 13 Malibu NA Fair 81 Inmates 30 Table 3-10 reflects staffing by occupation, but not by detailed position level. The MSR does not review staffing at the detailed position level as position definitions vary across agencies. The Fire Fighter category in Table 3-10 includes the CFPD position of Fire Fighter as well as the position of Fire Fighter Specialist. 49 There are currently 11 fire stations in the Las Virgenes MSR area, and two wildland fire suppression camps. In addition, there are lifeguard stations along the Malibu beaches, and there are two Baywatch rescue boats that serve the area. Eight of the 11 fire stations are classified as in either good or fair condition by the CFPD. Among those classified as in fair condition, two are housed in buildings that were built in the 1930s. Infrastructure needs or deficiencies are largely addressed through the Developer Fee Program, adopted by the Board of Supervisors and affected cities to construct additional stations needed due to development. Through this program, developer fees finance the construction of new facilities. There are two fire stations being planned for the MSR area, and plans to relocate two other fire stations. Three of the fire stations were classified as in poor condition by the CFPD. These three stations are located in the west Malibu area. The CFPD plans to replace Fire Station No. 72 in FY 04-05 with a new 4,500-square foot station; the new station will cost $3.3 million. Replacement and relocation of two stations in west Malibu in poor condition is being evaluated. The CFPD is reviewing facility alternatives. There are currently no plans to replace Fire Station No. 99, even though it is in poor condition. In FY 04-05, the CFPD plans to make improvements to Fire Station No. 71 to improve access, privacy and the facility’s roofing system; the CFPD’s long-term plans include relocating this station in the future, but funding has not yet been identified for the relocation. The CFPD also plans to refurbish or relocate Fire Station No. 99, and is assessing which approach to take; the County CIP does not identify funding for this project in FY 04-05. The CFPD has designed a new Fire Station No. 89, which it plans to build in the City of Agoura Hills in FY 04-05. The new station will be approximately 10,800 square feet, and will house one engine company, a paramedic squad, the battalion chief’s office and a training room. The cost of building this station is expected to be $5.7 million. Developer fees are currently insufficient to fund 100 percent of this station’s construction; the CFPD will advance approximately 50 percent of its costs until sufficient developer fee funds are collected. The CFPD has long-term plans to build another fire station in Old Topanga. In addition, the CFPD plans to relocate Fire Station Nos. 71 and 72 in order to optimize response times in western Malibu. There are two wildland fire suppression camps located in the MSR area. Camp 8 is located in east Malibu, is owned by the U.S. Forest Service, and is in good condition with the exception of the wastewater treatment facility at the camp. The CFPD plans to upgrade and rehabilitate the wastewater facility at Camp 8 in FY 04-05 to conform with Regional Water Quality Control Board requirements. Camp 8 is staffed by one captain, three fire fighters and 21 fire suppression aids. Camp 13 is located in west Malibu, is owned by the CFPD, and is in fair condition.31 Camp 13 is staffed by one captain, 10 firefighters and 81 inmates. As an inmate camp, the camp is financed in part by State or County funds. Baywatch Malibu is a CFPD Lifeguard Division rescue boat unit moored at the Malibu Pier, and the Baywatch Topanga unit patrols the area around Topanga County Beach on busy weekends. The 31 Regional Water Quality Control Board Order No. 00-111 ordered Camp 13 to comply with wastewater discharge requirements due to illegal discharge into Trancas Creek by replacing its wastewater facility. 50 Baywatch Boats have many important functions and duties within the Lifeguard operations and can often be seen just outside the surf line, patrolling the shores of Los Angeles County. Their duties include responding to boating emergencies and backing up beach Lifeguards in times of heavy rescue activity. Each Baywatch rescue boat is staffed by a crew of two Lifeguards, licensed by the U.S. Coast Guard, providing emergency assistance for vessel distress calls, boat fires, scuba diving accidents, medical emergencies, and recovery and salvage operations. There are lifeguard stations at Nicholas Canyon Beach, Zuma Beach, Point Dume, Dan Blocker Beach, Malibu Beach, Las Tunas Beach, and Topanga Beach. Lifeguard stations are manned during daylight hours, with after-hours coverage provided from Zuma Beach and Baywatch Marina del Rey. No opportunities for sharing facilities were identified. SERVICE STANDARDS For fire and paramedic service, there are service standards relating to response times, dispatch times, staffing, and water flow. Table 3-11: Fire and Medical Response Time Standards (minutes) Full- Structure Basic Life Advanced Ambulance Agency Providing Guideline Fire Fire Support Life Support Transport National Fire Protection Association 6 10 6 10 Commission on Fire Accreditation 5:50 5:50 CA EMS Agency Urban/Metro 5 8 8 Suburban/Rural 15 20 20 Wilderness (1) AQAP AQAP AQAP (1) AQAP means as quickly as possible. Particularly in cases involving patients who have stopped breathing or are suffering from heart attacks, the chances of survival are related to how quickly the patient receives medical care. Similarly, a quick fire suppression response can potentially prevent a structure fire from reaching the “flashover” point at which very rapid spreading of the fire occurs—generally in less than 10 minutes.32 The guideline established by the National Fire Protection Association33 (NFPA) for fire response times is six minutes at least 90 percent of the time, with response time measured from the 911-call time to the arrival time of the first-responder at the scene.34 The fire response time guideline established by the Commission on Fire Accreditation International is 5 minutes 50 seconds at least 90 percent of the time.35 For medical response times, NFPA recommends a six-minute response 32 NFPA Standard 1710, 2004. 33 The National Fire Protection Association is a non-profit association of fire chiefs, firefighters, manufacturers and consultants. 34 For a full structure fire, the guideline is response within ten minutes by a 12-15 person response team at least 90 percent of the time. 35 Commission on Fire Accreditation International, 2000. 51 time for basic life support (BLS) and ten minutes for advanced life support (ALS) at least 90 percent of the time. The BLS medical response time guideline established by the California EMS Agency is five minutes in urban areas, 15 minutes in suburban areas, and as quickly as possible in wilderness areas; for ALS first-response, the guideline is eight minutes in urban areas and 20 minutes in suburban areas. NFPA recommends a 60-second standard for dispatch time—the time between the placement of the 911 call and the notification of the emergency responders. The Commission on Fire Accreditation International recommends a 50-second benchmark for dispatch time. For structure fires, NFPA recommends that the response team include 14 personnel—a commander, five water supply line operators, a two-person search and rescue team, a two-person ventilation team, a two-person initial rapid intervention crew, and two support people. The NFPA guidelines require fire departments to establish overall staffing levels to meet response time standards, and to consider the hazard to human life, firefighter safety, potential property loss, and the firefighting approach. NFPA recommends that each engine, ladder or truck company be staffed by four on-duty firefighters, and that at least four firefighters (two in and two out), each with protective clothing and respiratory protection, be on scene to initiate fire-fighting inside a structure. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration standard states that when at least two firefighters enter a structure fire, two will remain on the outside and maintain visual or voice contact to assist in emergency rescue activities.36 For emergency medical response with advanced life support needs, NFPA recommends the response team include two paramedics and two basic-level emergency medical technicians. For structure fires, NFPA recommends the availability of an uninterrupted water supply for 30 minutes with enough pressure to apply at least 400 gallons of water per minute. SERVICE ADEQUACY Figure 3-12: Average Response Times (minutes: seconds), 2003 Response times reflect the time elapsed between the 911-call dispatch and the arrival Westlake Village 4:58 of the first responder on scene. As such, response times do not include the time Malibu 3:58 required to transport a victim to a hospital. Hidden Hills 6:27 In Malibu and Westlake Village, response times are comparable to countywide response Calabasas 5:14 times for urban areas. The quickest responses occur in Malibu where the average response Agoura Hills 5:42 time is 3 minutes and 58 seconds, and Westlake Village where the average response 0:00 2:24 4:48 7:12 9:36 time is 4 minutes and 58 seconds. By comparison, the CFPD median response time for all urban areas in the County is 4 minutes and 30 seconds. In Malibu, response times tend to be 36 29 CFR 1910.134 52 longer for canyon areas. The average response time in the largely rural unincorporated MSR area in 2003 was 7 minutes and 16 seconds. In Calabasas, the average response time (5 minutes, 14 seconds) is comparable to the CFPD median response time for suburban areas (5 minutes, 36 seconds). By comparison, the City’s performance objective is a five-minute maximum response time for fire and EMS calls. In Agoura Hills, the average response time (5 minutes, 42 seconds) is slightly higher than the CFPD median response time for suburban areas. In Agoura Hills, response times are longer for portions of the City adjacent to Ventura County. In Hidden Hills, the average response time (6 minutes, 27 seconds) is lower than the CFPD median response time for rural areas (7 minutes, 18 seconds). Response times in the unincorporated areas of the MSR area are comparable to CFPD response times in rural areas of Los Angeles County. In remote areas, it may take as long as 30 minutes for the CFPD to reach a victim and more time for a victim to be evacuated to a hospital. Area hospitals include the Westlake Medical Center in Westlake Village and Los Robles Regional Medical Center in Thousand Oaks. The Insurance Service Office (ISO), an advisory organization, classifies communities from 1 to 10. Communities with the best systems for water distribution, fire department equipment, firefighting personnel and fire alarm facilities receive a rating of 1. A Pubic Protection Classification (PPC) rating has a direct bearing on the cost of property insurance for every home and building in a community. The Public Protection Classification rating for the entire MSR area is four, as awarded by the ISO. The Consolidated Fire Protection District receives one to two dozen letters of commendation for service provided in the area each year. SERVICE CHALLENGES There are numerous challenges in providing adequate fire and paramedic service in the MSR area, particularly in mountainous areas outside the city limits. The primary service challenge raised by CFPD relates to the large size of the service area, the relatively small number of streets, and traffic congestion. In some areas, emergency response takes longer due to longer travel times. Because the Ventura Freeway and Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) are the only major east-west corridors, these streets become congested with associated effects on response time. Traffic congestion on the Ventura Freeway tends to peak during rush hour, while traffic congestion on PCH is significant both during rush hour and when beach visitation is high on weekends and in the summer. A related service challenge is access difficulties for certain communities. The most difficult response involves isolated locations in unincorporated areas where streets are unpaved and gates are locked. Road access is an issue in other areas as well. Within Malibu, response times are longer for incidents occurring in the canyons due to accessibility. In Hidden Hills, response times are longer because fire personnel must travel along the congested Ventura Freeway and through a hilly area where high-speed travel is precluded. In gated communities, emergency response vehicles must enter through the main gate and then drive through the community to the incident; this lengthens response times. 53 Topanga Canyon is a challenging service area, because it takes 15 to 20 minutes for any back-up crews to reach an incident. The CFPD addresses this problem by staffing the station with personnel trained both as fire fighters and paramedics, and by relying on call firefighters to respond with a reserve engine to structure fires. There is no fire station within the city limits of Agoura Hills, but Fire Station No. 65 is located just south of the City. Response times in Agoura Hills are longer than in neighboring cities due to the fire station location. The CFPD is currently building an additional fire station to improve service in Agoura Hills. In the Malibou Lake (sic) and Old Topanga communities, response is challenging because the communities are not located near fire stations.37 The CFPD is planning to build a fire station between Calabasas Highlands and Old Topanga in the future, but has not yet identified funding. The MSR area is challenging to supervise due to its relatively large size and the time needed to travel from inland to coastal incidents. The battalion chief supervises all major incidents, and must travel 30 to 45 minutes to get from a major inland incident to a major coastal incident. Another challenge is providing service in the Topanga and Malibu Creek State Parks to EMS incidents on remote hiking and mountain biking trails. In many instances, CFPD supplements service with helicopter crews to reach remote emergency incidents. REGIONAL COLLABORATION There is mutual aid assistance with the Ventura County Fire Department (VCFD) and the City of Los Angeles. However, the call volumes between Fire Station No. 144 in Westlake Village and Ventura County, as well as Fire Station No. 68 in Calabasas and the City of Los Angeles based in Woodland Hills are not significant to the overall call volume within those stations. Emergency helicopter evacuation and support is provided primarily by the CFPD’s Air Operations, which flies out of Camp 8 during the day, and Pacoima at night. For scuba diving accidents, the CFPD pilots transport a USC dive doctor out to the beach. For search and rescue cases, the Sheriff’s Long Beach helicopter unit often responds. 911 phone calls are dispatched by the CFPD Command and Control facility on the mainland, The California Highway Patrol provides initial dispatch of cell phone 911 calls, which are dispatched to the Lost Hills Sheriff Station. GPS-equipped cell phone 911 calls are answered directly by the Lost Hills Sheriff Station. The Baywatch units monitor emergency marine radio mayday calls, and may also receive mayday dispatches from the U.S. Coast Guard. The Search and Rescue team is coordinated by the Lost Hills Sheriff Station, and includes team members from the various CFPD units. 37 The Malibou Lake community uses the spelling “Malibou”, rather than the more commonly used “Malibu”. 54 When a major wildfire occurs, the California Department of Forestry provides assistance. Major wildfires occur in the area every few years. The last such fire occurred in 2003. 55 C H A P T E R 4 : U T I L I T I E S This chapter discusses the provision of utility services—water, wastewater and solid waste—in the MSR area. The section is designed to address questions relating to the efficiency and adequacy of services, the adequacy of infrastructure, along with opportunities for sharing facilities, reducing costs and rate restructuring. The chapter provides an overview of the service configuration, the level and type of service demand, facilities, current and potential regional collaboration between service providers, service delivery challenges, and an analysis of potential policy alternatives relevant to the particular service. WATER There are three water districts located within the Las Virgenes MSR area that are reviewed in a separate MSR report and that do not require further review of water services in this report. Dudek and Associates has prepared an MSR study of water providers in the Las Virgenes area (“Water MSR”). The three water providers are the County Waterworks District Number 29, the Las Virgenes Municipal Water District (MWD), and the West Basin Municipal Water District (MWD). WASTEWATER The Las Virgenes Municipal Water District and the Los Angeles County Sanitation District No. 27 are the primary wastewater service providers in the MSR area. The Las Virgenes Municipal Water District serves the cities of Agoura Hills, Calabasas, Hidden Hills, and Westlake Village. The Los Angeles County Sanitation District No. 27 serves a small- unincorporated area lying between the City of Malibu and the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of the City of Los Angeles. The City of Malibu does not have centralized wastewater service, and relies primarily on property owners to maintain isolated septic systems and secondarily on scattered “package treatment facilities.” SERVICE DEMAND Wastewater demand is affected primarily by growth in residential populations and commercial development. The Las Virgenes Municipal Water District (LVMWD) provides wastewater treatment and disposal services to the cities of Agoura Hills, Calabasas, Hidden Hills, and Westlake Village, as well as the Triunfo Sanitation District in Ventura County. The District provided sanitation service to 15,859 customers in 2002. The District’s treatment facility averages a flow of 9.1 mgd, with 6.0 mgd 56 related to District customers and 3.0 mgd related to customers of the Triunfo Sanitation District in Ventura County, which shares one-third of the treatment capacity.38 The most recent available information on sewage flows generated in each city is the respective general plans. The City of Agoura Hills reported in 1992 that sewage flow generated by the City is approximately 2.7 million gallons per day. The City of Calabasas reported in 1995 that the approximate flow generated from the City is 2.8 million gallons per day. The City of Westlake Village trunk sewer lines have a design capacity of 10.5 million gallons per day (mgd). In 1993, the flow was reported to be about 1.5 mgd. The contributing flow from within the city limits was approximately 0.7 mgd.39 The Los Angeles County Sanitation District (CSD) changes in service demand can only come from the 1,336 residents that live in the small area it serves. The sewage is pumped by the District into the City of Los Angeles sewer system. The daily flow demand is approximately 0.14 mgd. There are five “package” sewage treatment plants within the City of Malibu: Latigo Bay Shores, Point Dume, Trancas Canyon, Malibu Mesa, and Malibu. The sewage flows at these facilities in 2003 were as follows: • Sewage flows were reported to be at 12,000 gallons per day at the Latigo Bay Shores Wastewater Treatment Plant, with higher flows in the summer. • Point Dume Wastewater Treatment Plant sewage flows were reported to be at about 70,000 gpd. • The Trancas Water Pollution Control Plant sewage flows were reported to be 74,231 gpd, with a maximum day flow of 101,879 gpd. The plant treats wastewater from 270 homes and condominiums in the Trancas area. • Malibu Mesa Wastewater Reclamation Plant sewage flows were reported to be 126,000 gpd in 2003, with a maximum day flow of 217,000 gpd. The plant treats wastewater from Pepperdine University and 102 single-family homes. • The Malibu Water Pollution Control Plant sewage flows were reported to be 23,898 gpd in 2003, with a maximum day flow of 34,118 gpd. The plant treats wastewater from 191 condominiums in the City of Malibu.40 There are 43 major septic systems in Malibu; these are public and private systems with active NPDES discharging permits in Malibu. There are an estimated 390 multi-family and commercial complexes using septic systems in the City. Although these users are required to obtain waste discharge permits from the Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB), only 11 had filed for and received discharge permits, as of July 2002. Approximately 3,800 single family residential septic systems are not required to apply for a discharge permit from the RWQCB, but are required to obtain permits from the local regulatory agency. 38 Source is LVMWD CAFR for FY ended June 30, 2002. 39 Source: City of Westlake Village General Plan Adopted July 1993. 40 Source for flows at Latigo Bay Shores and Tivoli Cove is the RWQCB. Source for flows at Trancas Canyon, Malibu Mesa and Malibu plants is the Los Angeles Consolidated Sewer Maintenance District report entitled Malibu Area Wastewater Treatment Plants Maintained by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works. 57 Septic system usage in the unincorporated areas was not available. Overall, when development is built in either the City of Malibu or unincorporated areas not served by the Las Virgenes Municipal Water District, it is the individual property owner’s responsibility to build and maintain it own sewer service. FACILITIES The wastewater facilities include collection, treatment and disposal. Wastewater Treatment Plants The primary treatment plant serving the Las Virgenes area is the LVMWD’s Tapia Water Reclamation Facility (TWRF), which has a design treatment capacity of 16.1 million gallons per day (mgd). The TWRF is located on Malibu Canyon Road five miles south of Hwy 101. Wastewater at the plant is treated through a vertical slatted bar screen, a grit chamber, and an air injection process. Sludge (resulting solids) is sent to the Rancho Composting Facility for further treatment. The treated effluent from Tapia has one of two end destinations. The effluent is either reclaimed for irrigation and industrial uses, or is discharged to streams. The plant discharges between 8 to 10 million gallons per day (mgd) of treated effluent into Malibu Creek or Las Virgenes Creek during the wet season (November 15 to April 15), and is not allowed to discharge during the dry season. A related treatment facility is the LVMWD Rancho Las Virgenes Compost Facility. At this facility, LVMWD is permitted to compost the solid wastes from its treatment facility into fertilizer. Not all of the sludge is composted; about one ton per year is disposed in the facility’s injection fields. The facility was designed to compost primary sludge, but with the restriction on Malibu Creek discharge, the facility’s injection fields have become the principal disposal site for surplus recycled water. The District plans capital improvements every five years and some projects are reviewed annually. The District also continuously monitors plant capacity and replacement needs. The second most important treatment plant serving the region is the Hyperion Treatment Facility in the City of Los Angeles. The Hyperion Treat Plant is located on 144 acres between the El Segundo Dunes and the Pacific Ocean, south of the Los Angeles International Airport in Playa del Rey. The plant has a design capacity of 450 mgd, with peak wet weather flows up to 1000 mgd, which can be handled for short periods.41 The treated wastewater is discharged through a pipeline into Santa Monica Bay. The Hyperion facility provides treatment and disposal of wastewater from CSD #27, handles the sludge produced at the five “package treatment plants” in Malibu, and handles wastewater from eastern portions of Calabasas. There is no centralized wastewater treatment in Malibu, although some community members advocate building one. Increased development in the City of Malibu Civic Center area was reported to have adverse affects on the Malibu Creek and Lagoon due to a variety of factors including wastewater impacts on water quality.42 Malibu acknowledges in its general plan a history of deficient 41 Source: City of Los Angeles, Department of Public Works, Decade of Progress, 1990-2000. 42 Source: City of Malibu General Plan, Draft Environmental Impact Report August 1995. 58 wastewater management. The issue of building centralized wastewater infrastructure is controversial in Malibu, pitting environmentalists against anti-growth residents, as demonstrated at a May 2004 Pepperdine University conference on Malibu water quality. There are five separate package treatment plants in Malibu that are owned by public and private parties. These plants provide wastewater treatment, and transport of sludge to Hyperion and other facilities for disposal.43 There have been no sewage spills involving the wastewater plants in Malibu; the plants currently have the capacity to process peak demand and are adequate to meet existing demand. None of the Malibu plants has been cited for violating wastewater discharge orders in the past five years. Future development will require facility upgrades and/or expansion as these package plants are currently at capacity. The Trancas Water Pollution Control Plant has a design treatment capacity of 75,000 gallons per day (gpd), and is owned by Los Angeles County, with the Jewish Community Foundation owning certain disposal fields. The plant has been in service since 1964, and is operated by the Consolidated Sewer Maintenance District. The plant serves the residential area of Trancas Canyon, east of Trancas Canyon Road, as well as 36 homes along Sealevel Drive, Point Lechuza Drive, Victoria Point Road and six lots along Broad Beach Road. The pumps and mains that serve the various areas are owned and maintained by Los Angeles County. The treated wastewater is disposed into subsurface leach fields. The sludge is hauled by tanker trucks to the City of Los Angeles Tillman Water Reclamation Plant for treatment and disposal. The plant is in poor condition, is currently being rehabilitated and upgraded, and is operating at or beyond capacity. The Malibu Water Pollution Control Plant is owned by Los Angeles County and operated by the Consolidated Sewer Maintenance District. The plant has been in service since 1966. The plant serves the condominiums on De Ville Way and Vista Pacifica Street, which includes 170 dwelling units. The treated wastewater is disposed into nine seepage pits four feet in diameter and 40 feet deep. The sludge is treated and hauled by tanker trucks to the City of Los Angeles Tillman Water Reclamation Plant for further treatment and disposal. The plant has a design treatment capacity of 51,000 gpd. The plant was recently rehabilitated in 2001, is in fair condition, and is operating at capacity. The Latigo Bay Shores Wastewater Treatment Plant (aka “Tivoli Cove”) is owned and operated by the Tivoli Cove Homeowners Association. The plant has been in service since 1973 and was originally planned to be used for a limited purpose and abandoned when regional facilities became available. The plant serves the Tivoli Cove condominium complex, which has about 120 units. The treated wastewater is disposed in to two 900 square foot subsurface leach fields. The sludge is trucked monthly to the Hyperion treatment plant operated by the City of Los Angeles. The Latigo Bay Shores Wastewater Treatment Plant has a design treatment capacity of 28,000 gpd. The current condition of the plant was not available. The Point Dume Wastewater Treatment Plant is owned and managed by the Marblehead Land Company. The plant has been in service since 1969 and serves 297 mobile homes within the Point Dume Club of Malibu and 90 condominiums at the Zuma Bay Villas. The treated wastewater is used for irrigation on surrounding foliage and landscaped areas at the mobile home park and condominium development. The sludge is trucked monthly to the Tillman treatment plant, which is 43 Malibu Wastewater Management Study prepared by Philip Williams and Associates, Ltd. and Peter Warshall and Associates for the City of Malibu in 1992. 59 connected to the Hyperion plant. The Point Dume Wastewater Treatment Plant has a design treatment capacity of 70,000 gpd. The plant is operating at capacity, and is currently acquiring the RWQCB permits to upgrade the facility to 100,000 gpd capacity. The Malibu Mesa Wastewater Reclamation Plant has been in service since 1978 and serves Pepperdine University located just outside the City of Malibu and the Malibu Country Estates located within the City. The force main and pumping facilities are owned by Pepperdine University. Los Angeles County performs duties that include replacement of components, repairs, and additions, while the plant is maintained by the Consolidated Sewer Maintenance District. The treated wastewater is used to irrigate the Pepperdine campus. The sludge is treated and hauled by tanker trucks to the City of Los Angeles Tillman Water Reclamation Plant for further treatment and disposal. The plant has a design treatment capacity of 200,000 gpd. Some of the flow from Pepperdine University is pumped through a force main to the Tapia Water Reclamation Facility. The plant was recently rehabilitated in 1998, is in fair condition, and is operating at capacity. In January 2003, the City started a new Wastewater Management Program to regulate decentralized wastewater treatment systems located within the City and make sure they are adequately designed, operated, and maintained. The results of this study are not yet available. In most areas of the City of Malibu, property owners use on-site septic systems. The only areas not on septic systems in Malibu are those covered by the package treatment plants discussed above. According to the RWQCB, both types of septic systems are believed to be sources of bacterial contamination that affect water quality at Surfrider Beach.44 Septic system failure rates have been estimated to be 20 to 30% in the unincorporated parts of Los Angeles County and within the Malibu Creek Watershed. A UCLA study documented Malibu septic system leakage into Malibu Lagoon. Due to documented leakage, some septic systems in the area are apparently deficient.45 Faulty septic systems in the Malibu area have been estimated to contribute to fecal bacterial pollution in the Malibu Creek Watershed,46 with other causes including stormwater runoff and birds. According to the RWQCB, leaking septic systems are believed to be sources of bacterial contamination that affect water quality at Surfrider Beach. The RWQCB has begun citing and inspecting septic systems within the City, and has also approved grant financing for the City of Malibu to prepare a Septic System Management Plan to identify and correct sources of bacteria from septic systems that affect Surfrider Beach. The City of Malibu study on the impact of the Civic Center’s septic systems on local creeks and lagoons is underway. The Plan will also be the basis for long-term management and oversight of septic systems in the City. In order to compensate for costs associated with the study and maintenance of Malibu's septic system, the California Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB) has recently begun collecting annual fees from some septic tank owners. Due to the recent changes in the California Water Code, the regional board is now obligated to identify commercial and multifamily septic 44 State Water Resources Control Board Meeting – Division Of Clean Water Programs, July 18, 2002. 45 Lower Malibu Creek and Lagoon Resource Enhancement and Management Study, CA State Coastal Conservancy/Malibu Creek Watershed Lagoon Task Force, UCLA, May 2000. 46 California Regional Water Quality Control Board Los Angeles, 2004. 60 discharges and issue the appropriate discharge permits. To accomplish this, RWQCB is requiring initial and periodic inspections on site. The City of Malibu has developed a conceptual plan to centralize wastewater treatment, disposal, and reuse in the Civic Center area, and estimated that it would cost $12 million to build such a facility, and $900,000 annually to operate such a facility. Such a facility would connect existing and proposed commercial properties of the Civic Center to a wastewater reclamation facility. Wastewater would be treated to tertiary standards for wastewater reclamation; the facility would include disinfection and nitrogen removal. Funding for construction of the facility is not identified in the City’s Capital Improvement Plan (CIP). Wastewater Collection Facilities The cities of Agoura Hills, Calabasas, Hidden Hills, and Westlake Village maintain local intercept collector sewer lines that are connected typically to LVMWD trunk lines and, in limited cases, to the City of Los Angeles sewer system. The County Sanitation District No. 27 maintains local intercept collector sewer lines in its small service area, which area connected to City of Los Angeles trunk lines. The trunk sewers convey sewage to the respective wastewater treatment facilities—Tapia Water Reclamation Facility and Hyperion. The wastewater collection lines are maintained by Los Angeles County in Agoura Hills, Calabasas, Hidden Hills, Westlake Village, and in the CSD No. 27. The status of these facilities is as follows: 1) The City of Agoura Hills will require system upgrades for local collection capacity to accommodate future development. Future sewage flows could increase by 17 percent, according to the City’s current adopted 1992 plan. The City is currently working on a plan to improve the sewer system in old Agoura. 2) The City of Calabasas has the capacity to accommodate future development with its existing sewer lines and with requirements that developers are responsible for financing new lines. 3) The City of Hidden Hills has the capacity to accommodate future development with its existing sewer lines. Newly developed parcels are responsible for financing new lines. 4) The County of Los Angeles owns and maintains the local collector sewers, which are in good condition. 5) The City of Westlake Village has the capacity to accommodate future development with its existing sewer lines. Newly developed parcels are responsible for financing new lines. There are no wastewater collection facilities in certain parts of the MSR area—most of Malibu, rural areas of Calabasas, old Agoura, Topanga Canyon and isolated unincorporated areas. These areas rely on on-site septic systems. Septic systems are located on individual properties, provide treatment of wastewater, collect sludge, and discharge effluent into a leach field. Property owners are responsible for septic system maintenance and sludge disposal. According to the City of Malibu, the life span of a properly maintained septic system is 30 years. The amount of use can shorten a septic 61 systems lifetime. According to the City, improperly maintained septic systems have caused alleged health and safety problems, but with adequate disposal, the systems can be safely operated.47 In the City of Agoura Hills, old Agoura is served by a septic system due to concerns about contaminating groundwater, which is at a high level in this area. There is no documentation of septic system leakage or deficiencies in this area. Some of the rural areas of Calabasas located in the northeastern portion are served by septic systems. There is no documentation of septic system leakage or deficiencies in this area. In Topanga Canyon and other unincorporated areas throughout the MSR area, there are septic systems. There is no documentation of septic system leakage or deficiencies in this area. Wastewater Distribution Facilities In order to transport the local sewage to treatment facilities, the LVMWD relies on pumping stations and force mains within the MSR area. No distribution infrastructure needs or deficiencies were identified. The CSD owns and operates one pumping station and the force main. The pumping station and force main are in good condition. As a cost avoidance opportunity, the District anticipates replacing the costly pumping station with a gravity sewer by FY 05-06.48 47 Source: City of Malibu General Plan, November 1995. 48 Source: County Sanitation Districts, Capital Projects Revenue Bonds Statement, 2003, pg 57. 62 SERVICE ADEQUACY For wastewater service, the most appropriate benchmarks for evaluating service adequacy are the number of spills, regulatory sanctions, and pollution of the water. Sewage Spills Table 4-1: Las Virgenes Sewage Spills (gallons) Agency/Location Date Cause Gallons There have been Malibu Creek Lagoon 6/3/04 lagoon breach causing die off of sea life Unknown several raw sewage spills LVMWD 4/26/04 overflow of two clean outs 5,000 in the Las Virgenes LVMWD 3/31/03 blockage in line caused overflow 2,000 MSR area. Most of the power outage triggered release of spills are related to LVMWD 10/10/02 treated effluent into creek 210,000 sewage line blockage LVMWD 10/13/02 sludge pipeline corrosion 24,759 causing overflows. LVMWD 12/8/02 sludge pipeline corrosion 28,000 City of Malibu The significant (private plant) 2/19/04 control valve failed 200 City of Calabasas 11/21/03 released into the storm drain 600-800 sewage spills are related City of Calabasas to sewer line leaks. The (private lateral) 5/19/04 grease blockage 225 most significant spills City of Calabasas 1/6/03 tree roots in line 500 were two incidents clog in the sewer line caused manhole involving corroded City of Calabasas 11/1/00 to overflow 5,000 LWMWD pipelines that transport sludge from Tapia to the District’s composting facility. On October 13, 2002, at least 24,759 gallons of sewage sludge leaked from a pipeline into a catch basin near Las Virgenes Creek. The District deployed a clean-up effort, but at least 500 gallons of the sludge entered the creek. Two months later, a similar incident occurred with a pipeline rupture approximately 40 feet upstream from the prior spill. Although 28,000 gallons of sludge was discharged, the spill was cleaned and no sludge reached the creek. The RWQCB found that the discharge resulted from “pipeline failure and a lack of proper maintenance”.49 Water Quality The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) established total maximum daily load (TMDL) standards for bacteria in the Santa Monica Bay in June 2003. The TMDLs allow for bacteria levels to exceed standards on no more than 17 days per year during wet weather, three days during winter dry weather, and zero days during summer dry weather. Malibu Creek and five of its tributaries—Stokes Creek, Las Virgenes Creek, Palo Comado Creek, Medea Creek, and Lindero Creek—exceed the water quality objectives for bacterial indicators.50 Malibu Creek and Lagoon are a polluted waterway, with bacteria levels in excess of eminent total maximum daily load (TMDL) standards being set by the RWQCB. The RWQCB’s draft TMDL for 49 California Regional Water Quality Control Board Complaint No. R4-2003-0009. 50 California Regional Water Quality Control Board, 2004. A schedule for development of TMDLs in the Los Angeles Region was established in a consent decree (Heal the Bay Inc., et al. v. Browner Case No. 98-4825 SBA) approved on March 22, 1999. The consent decree schedule requires that this TMDL and the Malibu Creek nutrient TMDL be completed by March 22, 2003. 63 bacteria is being established to hold jurisdictions within the watershed jointly accountable for discharges from their storm drains and onsite sewage treatment systems, and encourage the use of a variety of methods to prevent these discharges. The draft TMDL is expected “to reduce the risk of illness associated with swimming in waters contaminated with human sewage and other sources of bacteria. Swimming in waters with elevated bacteria densities has long been associated with adverse health effects.”51 The draft RWQCB gives the affected jurisdictions until 2006 to remedy discharge associated with septic systems and stormwater runoff. Regulatory Actions The RWQCB per federal mandate requires sewage discharges to have a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit, which includes various sewage system requirements for disposal of treated water and sludge. The Board also monitors sewage and other hazards spills that contaminate waterways. California Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB) has taken various types of enforcement actions against public and private parties in the Las Virgenes region due to illegal discharge of wastewater and exceeding TMDL standards for treated wastewater. The LVMWD’s Tapia Water Reclamation Facility has been sanctioned on several occasions by RWQCB in the last five years due to illegal discharge and discharge of effluent that exceeds TMDL standards. The LVMWD was fined $20,000 for the sludge spills that occurred in 2002. In addition, RWQCB has taken action against LVMWD for failing to meet effluent standards. The district was fined $6,000 in 2003 for failing to meet standards for oil, grease, dichlorobromomethane, and other pollutants in the wastewater effluent that was discharged into Malibu Creek.52 In Malibu, several businesses have been ordered to comply with wastewater discharge requirements due to inadequate septic systems, lack of monitoring, and leakage of wastewater into Malibu Creek and Malibu Lagoon. The affected facilities are located near Malibu Lagoon, and include Malibu Creek Plaza, Malibu Country Mart, and Malibu Beach Inn.53 These facilities are located in the City of Malibu; the City of Malibu does not currently provide wastewater collection and treatment utilities. SERVICE CHALLENGES In the Las Virgenes MSR area, service challenges include capacity for increased development, the regulation of the onsite septic systems and minimizing the causes of sewage contamination in the regions waterways. For the LVMWD, service challenges include complying with new TMDL requirements for effluent discharged into Malibu Creek and planning facility improvements while TMDL requirements are changing. Related regulatory challenges include expanding treatment processes at 51 Letter from RWQCB TMDL Chief to Interested Persons, December 5, 2003. TMDL is scheduled for Board action on July 1, 2004. 52 RWQCB Complaint No. R4-2003-0114-R. 53 RWQCB Orders R4-2003-0048, 01-011, R4-2003-0032, R42003-0030. 64 the “landlocked” TWRF where there is little room to grow, and addressing RWQCB concerns about elevated nutrient levels in the groundwater beneath the Las Virgenes Composting Facility. Another service challenge for LVMWD involves adapting to a new policy precluding the District from discharging effluent into Malibu Creek during the dry season. The District has accommodated this new policy by diverting sewage to the City of Los Angeles sewers, discharging effluent to the LA River, expanding recycled water customers, and processing surplus recycled water at the Rancho Las Virgenes Composting Facility. The Las Virgenes Composting Facility was designed to compost primary sludge, but with the restriction on Malibu Creek discharge, the facility has become a principal disposal site for surplus recycled water. This has made it difficult at times for the District to schedule injection, disposal of recycled water and farming activities on the injection fields.54 Yet another service challenge for LVMWD involves marketing recycled water and compost. A final service challenge involves litigation between the District and its joint venture partner Triunfo Sanitation District. The District’s financial statements indicate that it is owed $5.3 million by the joint venture, and disputes certain capital improvement project costs with its partner as well. In the Malibu area, the primary service challenge also relates to regulatory issues. Malibu is now responsible for inspecting and monitoring septic systems, and for devising a plan to ensure that septic systems are properly sited and maintained. In addition, the City is contemplating costly wastewater and stormwater treatment facilities, and construction of wastewater distribution systems to convey wastewater from houses in the Civic Center area to a wastewater facility. For CSD 27, there is a costly pumping plant currently in use, but the CSD plans to replace it with a gravity sewer in FY 05-06.55 POLICY ALTERNATIVES In Malibu, centralized wastewater collection and/or treatment are alternatives to the use of septic systems. A collection system could potentially transmit wastewater to the City of Los Angeles of treatment and disposal through Hyperion. Such a system is an alternative to the existing, fragmented system of septic tanks. A centralized local treatment could potentially provide further service to the community. Special district formation is a government structure option for the Malibu community to form and finance a centralized wastewater system with local control over system capacity and growth. The City of Malibu is actively seeking to improve upon its existing system and is conducting studies for that purpose. One possibility that the City may consider is special district formation. Similarly, Topanga Canyon may consider a centralized wastewater collection system transmitting wastewater to the City of Los Angeles for treatment and disposal through Hyperion. Such a system is an alternative to the existing, fragmented system of septic tanks. Special district formation is a government structure option for the Topanga Canyon community to finance a wastewater system with local control over system capacity and growth. 54 Sanitation Master Plan for Las Virgenes Municipal Water District and Triunfo Sanitation District, July 2003. 55 Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts Financing Authority, Official Statement for $444.8 million Capital Projects Revenue Bonds, 2003 Series A. 65 No other government structure options were identified. SOLID WASTE Solid waste collection and hauling services in the cities are provided by private operators. In most areas, service is provided by a private company—G.I. Industries, a subsidiary of Waste Management. All non-hazardous waste collected within these cities is disposed in the Calabasas Landfill. The Calabasas Landfill is owned by the County and operated by the Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County under a JPA. The landfill began operating in 1961. The landfill accepts waste from the MSR area as well as Thousand Oaks and western portions of the City of Los Angeles including Brentwood, Encino, and Granada Hills. The landfill does not accept waste from outside this “wasteshed” area. A new regulatory environment has had a profound effect on solid waste disposal in the MSR area and throughout the County. In 1989, California passed historic legislation that sought to radically decrease the amount of materials deposited in the state’s landfills. Assembly Bill 939 mandates that cities must have 50 percent less trash going to landfills in the year 2000 than it was estimated to be sending in 1990. Under the law, the state can fine a city $10,000 a day for failing either to prepare an approved diversion plan or to make a good faith effort to implement such a plan.56 A Senate bill passed in 1997 offers extensions through 2005 to jurisdictions falling short of the AB 939 standards that have made a “good faith effort” to comply. 56 California Integrated Solid Waste Management Act of 1989, California Public Resources Code §40050 et seq. 66 Service Demand Figure 4-2: Trash disposed (tons), 1990-2002 The landfill disposal area is 416 acres, 1,000,000 with an estimated 21 million tons of refuse in place. The landfill accepts 1,600 800,000 tons of refuse daily. 600,000 There were 462,560 tons of trash buried in the Calabasas landfill in 2003. 400,000 Due to recycling and other efforts, the amount of trash buried at the landfill has 200,000 declined significantly since 1990. 0 The California Integrated Waste Management Board permits the landfill to 9 0 9 2 9 4 9 6 9 8 0 0 0 2 9 9 9 9 9 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 accept 3,500 tons of trash daily. Facilities The landfill has a permitted capacity of 69.7 million cubic yards, with 22 million cubic yards of capacity remaining. The landfill is slated for closure by 2023. The Calabasas Landfill is located in the upper tributary canyons to Las Virgenes Creek, north of the Ventura Freeway. Las Virgenes Creek flows westerly from the site to Malibu, where it flows into the ocean. The geologic materials beneath the site store and transmit limited quantities of groundwater and natural groundwater quality is poor. Therefore, there are no significant uses of groundwater in the areas surrounding the landfill. Prior to 1980, the Calabasas Landfill operated as a Class I facility, meaning that it accepted liquid and hazardous wastes. Today, the landfill operates as a Class III facility, accepting only municipal solid waste and inert waste. All active areas of the landfill are now lined with plastic liners and gas collection systems to minimize the landfill's potential to contaminate downstream groundwater. Older areas of the landfill are unlined or lined with compacted clay. The landfill is located in a northern segment of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (SMMNRA), across the Ventura Freeway from the main body of the 150,000-acre federally protected preserve but immediately adjacent to a 4,000-acre unit of the SMMNRA heavily used by hikers, mountain bikers, and equestrians that also provides a significant wild-habitat link between the Santa Monica Mountains north into the Santa Susana Mountains. In 1984, Congress passed legislation designed to limit the creation of new solid waste disposal sites in units of the National Park System (NPS) and to reduce the potential for adverse effects from existing operations. Under the new federal regulations, the Sanitation Districts are required to maintain an NPS Special Use Permit (SUP) to continue operation. The SUP issued by the National Park Service to the Calabasas Landfill required implementation of native plant restoration measures in certain areas of the landfill, which involving installation of irrigation systems and the replacement of non-native vegetation with native vegetation to implement the native plant restoration measures. 67 Service Adequacy At present, the Calabasas Landfill meets the State minimum standards for solid waste handling and disposal. State minimum standards regulate the design and operation of solid waste facilities in order to protect public health and safety and the environment. Since 2000, the landfill has been cited by various regulatory agencies including the L.A. County Fire Department, the RWQCB, and the AQMD. The landfill has been cited for conditions in its hazardous waste storage yard (since closed), leaving a trench temporarily open during construction of an irrigation system, late filing of monitoring reports, and gaseous emissions. In all instances, the landfill site personnel resolved all issues within the corresponding prescribed regulatory timeframe. In addition, the site has an active corrective action program to control and monitor constituents on groundwater quality. Figure 4-3: Landfill Diversion Rates, 2002 By 2002, the median city in Los Angeles Westlake Village 48% County had succeeded in diverting 46 percent of its solid waste from landfills. Westlake Malibu 29% Village has managed to outperform the Hidden Hills 35% median city, with a diversion rate of 48 percent achieved in 2002. However, the other Calabasas 41% cities in the Las Virgenes area have generally not kept pace with the median city in the Agoura Hills 23% County. County Median 46% The cities with low diversion rates have 0% 20% 40% 60% been allowed an extension on the 50 percent diversion requirement due to good faith % of trash diverted from landfills effort. Service Challenges The Calabasas Landfill exists in a unique regulatory environment—in a watershed and adjacent to national park areas. As such, it is subject to a stricter regulatory environment than other solid waste landfills. Policy Alternatives No solid waste policy alternatives were identified. 68 C H A P T E R 5 : P U B L I C WOR K S This chapter discusses the provision of public works—parks, libraries, street maintenance, stormwater and transportation—in the Las Virgenes area. The section is designed to address questions relating to the efficiency and adequacy of services, the adequacy of infrastructure, along with opportunities for sharing facilities and reducing costs. The chapter provides an overview of the service configuration, current service delivery challenges, and an analysis of any potential policy alternatives relevant to the particular service. STORMWATER The Los Angeles County Flood Control District (LACFCD) manages major flood control facilities. LACFCD owns mainline storm drain pipelines, and the cities own lateral lines and catch basins connecting with the LACFCD mainlines. The LACFCD plans flood control improvements according to a Master Plan of Drainage program. The LACFCD provides maintenance of City-owned lateral lines and catch basins under a contract service arrangement with the cities. Calabasas maintains its own lateral lines and catch basins. The run-off in the MSR area drains through the canyons and into the Pacific Ocean. In Calabasas, most run-off drains through Las Virgenes Creek into Malibu Creek or through Topanga Canyon. In Westlake Village, most run-off drains into Westlake Lake, with some excess run-off draining into Triunfo Canyon Creek and through Malibu Canyon to the Pacific Ocean. Agoura Hills does not have a significant flooding problem, since the City’s flood control facilities and storm drainage system generally have sufficient capacity to protect developed areas from excessive storm run-off. In Agoura Hills, potential flood hazards may result from overflow of natural watercourses and man-made drainage systems due to excessive and unusual run-off. There is a potential need for storm drainage improvements in Old Agoura areas without paved streets and in the flood plains of Palo Comado and Cheeseboro Canyons.57 Calabasas flood hazard areas include canyon bottoms and areas along primary drainage courses; however, the City does not have problem flooding conditions. In the City of Hidden Hills, stormwater-draining infrastructure is maintained by the County and is in excellent condition. Malibu’s drainage system conveys run-off through its canyon bottoms. According to the City’s general plan, the stormwater system was not designed to consider water quality, seasonality, or destination of the run-off. 57 City of Agoura Hills General Plan, page X-12. 69 In Westlake Village, flood hazard areas are limited to the Triunfo Canyon drainage below Westlake Lake. Development within the canyon is subject to review and approval of the LACFCD. Development tends to increase runoff when the area of paved surfaces is increased, as the stormwater is unable to seep into the soil. The cities and the County require developers to mitigate flood effects to the standards established by FEMA. A RWQCB study indicates that stormwater runoff is the most significant factor contributing to high bacteria levels in the Malibu Creek Watershed. The Malibu Creek drains an area of approximately 115 square miles, including much of the Las Virgenes MSR area. Malibu Creek empties into Malibu Lagoon near Surfrider Beach; this beach is consistently rated by Heal the Bay as the beach with the worst beach water quality in the County. Under a new policy, the cities of Calabasas, Malibu, Westlake Village, Agoura Hills, Hidden Hills, Simi Valley, Thousand Oaks, the Counties of Los Angeles and Ventura, California Department of Parks and Recreation, National Park Service, and Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, and Caltrans are jointly responsible for reducing bacteria levels in urban runoff in the Malibu Creek Watershed. Stormwater emptying in this area is not currently treated. The City of Malibu was awarded $2.5 million to clean up world-famous Surfrider Beach, and will focus on treating dry weather runoff by building a package treatment plant similar to the successful Santa Monica Urban Runoff Recycling Facility (SMURRF). The Malibu facility, which would be a smaller version of SMURRF, will filter and disinfect runoff from three separate drains that dump into Malibu Creek and Malibu Lagoon. The City is in the planning stages of conducting an initial study and design of a Storm Water Treatment Facility in the Civic Center area that will help clean the storm waters and mitigate the water quality impacts. A preliminary estimate by the RWQCB is that it would cost $34 million to construct a stormwater treatment system with the capacity to treat all stormwater in the watershed. Landslide Issues Slope stability is a major concern in the developed hillside areas, which are prone to landslides, mudslides, slumping and rock falls. Landslide hazards exist through much of the mountainous areas of Malibu. The City’s general plan documents 250 mapped landslides, with the 15 largest landslide areas containing 350 homes within the city limits. The report states that “Most of the large landslides involve housing units, many damaged and numerous threatened”.58 Landslides have occurred in the mountainous portions of Agoura Hills, particularly in the higher elevations and along northern ridgelines. In Westlake Village, potential landslide hazards exist in the northeast tip of the City. 58 City of Malibu General Plan Final Environmental Impact Report, August 1995, page IV-15. 70 STREET MAINTENANCE Street maintenance service is provided in the MSR area by the cities, the County, and private parties. Los Angeles County Public Works Department The Los Angeles County Public Works Department provides street maintenance services to all of the unincorporated areas in the MSR area and to the cities of Agoura Hills, Calabasas, and Westlake Village. The County maintains over 3,100 miles of roads and local streets in the unincorporated areas and over 1,700 miles in 22 incorporated cities. There are 53 miles of streets in the City of Calabasas. The City of Westlake Village has approximately 30 miles of streets within its limits, according to traffic engineers. There are 64 miles of streets in the City of Agoura Hills. County Public Works maintains streets, signalized intersections, traffic and street name signs, streetlights, as well as pavement markings, painted curbs, and raised traffic markers. The street services include street sweeping, pothole repair, and tree trimming. The County also provides road design and improvements, check plans, and road inspections. The City of Agoura Hill’s FY 2003-04 capital improvement projects include annual street overlays, improvements to the Kanan Street/Ventura Freeway interchange, and widening of Agoura Road to improve traffic flow. The City of Calabasas’s FY 2002-04 capital improvement projects include an annual overlay program to maintain roadway infrastructure and improvements at the Coldsprings/Lost Hills and Las Virgenes/Agoura Roads intersections. In addition, the City plans to widen the Lost Hills Road/Ventura Freeway interchange to improve traffic flow. In the City of Westlake Village, routine street maintenance and repairs are handled by the County, but the City will occasionally hire private contractors for special projects. The City’s FY 2003-04 capital improvement projects include resurfacing several roads and streetscape improvements. City and Private Service Providers The City of Hidden Hills provides its own street maintenance services to the 1/3 mile of public roads in the City. The rest of the six miles of roads in the City, are private roads owned and maintained by the Hidden Hills Community Association. All of the roads are in good condition. In the City of Malibu, there are 47 miles of city owned streets including eight million square feet of pavement. The street maintenance services are provided by Burns Pacific Construction, Inc. based in Thousand Oaks, with a contract that extends through 2006 at present. Burns Pacific provides routine maintenance services that include pothole repair, street sign installation, wall and sidewalk maintenance, weed abatement, catch basin cleaning, as well as response to major storm events. A two-man crew working five days a week handles the basic services except for weed 71 abatement. The company has contracted with the City since it incorporated in 1991 and maintains a local office and maintenance yard in the City.59 In the FY 2002-03 capital improvement programs, the City plans for reconstruction on Cross Creek Road to improve the inadequate street plan, pedestrian walkways, street parking, and poor drainage. Service Challenges As reported by the Consolidated Fire Protection District (CFPD), there is significant and increasing congestion on the Ventura Freeway during rush hour and there is significant congestion on Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) both during the rush hour and on summer days and weekends throughout the year as a result of beach visitation. CFPD generally reported that the MSR area is lacking in roads, with only two major east-west corridors in the area and limited routes for travel between inland areas and the coast. Malibu anticipates that by the year 2010, the service levels at major intersections on PCH will be poor (D or F). The City does not view itself as having control over street congestion due to the use of PCH as a major arterial and to visitor traffic volume. The City indicated that it does not propose any road closures or new roads, which would significantly affect street circulation patterns. In Agoura Hills, there is significant congestion on freeway on-ramps and freeway frontage streets, according to the City’s general plan. In Calabasas, Las Virgenes Road contains heavy traffic, largely related to beach visitation. Like Agoura Hills, Calabasas experiences congestion on freeway on-ramps and freeway frontage streets, according to the City’s general plan. Policy Alternatives No policy alternatives have been identified regarding street maintenance services. PARKS There are substantial parks, beaches, and open space resources in the MSR area. Park providers include the five cities, the County, the State and the National Park Service. REGIONAL PARK SERVICE There are numerous open space recreational areas in the MSR area. Growth in these open space areas continues. The Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy is a State agency that identifies and acquires parks lands in the Santa Monica Mountains. Purchased lands are dedicated either to the National Park Service or California Department of Parks and Recreation who assumes long-term responsibility for the lands. In addition, the Conservancy operates and maintains the Ramirez 59 Source: City of Malibu, Council Agenda Report prepared by Brandie Sanchez, Public Works Clerk, March 2004. 72 Canyon Park, which encompasses 22.5 acres, the Corral Canyon Park, which encompasses 16.1 acres, and the Solstice Canyon Park, which encompasses 556 acres. These parks include hiking and equestrian trails, picnic areas, and camping. The State maintains several parks in the MSR area including: • Leo Carrillo State Park is a 2,100-acre park with 1.5 miles of beach, hiking trails, and camping and picnic areas. • Malibu Creek State Park is an 8,000-acre park with hiking trails and picnic areas. • Topanga State Park is an 11,000-acre park in the Santa Monica Mountains with 36 miles of hiking trails. The National Park Service maintains the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (SMMNRA), which constitutes 150,000 acres in both Los Angeles and Ventura counties. The SMMNRA is a 46-mile long chain of peaks and valleys extending from Oxnard to Griffith Park. A total of 26 officially designated parks, preserves, beaches and natural areas are contained within the SMMNRA boundaries. The National Park Service maintains hiking, bike and equestrian trails throughout the SMMNRA. The facilities operated by the National Park Service include the Diamond X Ranch, where there are maintenance facilities and offices and the Paramount Ranch, which encompasses approximately 750 acres with ranger services and an old western town. They also coordinate their efforts with various local agencies including state park rangers, CHP, and LA County Sheriff and Fire. LOCAL PARK SERVICE Each of the cities maintains neighborhood parks. The cities of Agoura Hills and Calabasas both state in their general plans a goal of maintaining at least three acres of park space per 1,000 residents. Table 5-1: Municipal Park Acres per 1,000 Residents, 2003 Acres/1,000 The City of Agoura Hills’ policy is to maintain at least three acres of local park space per 1,000 Area Park Acres Residents residents and at least five acres of open space per Total Cities 7 21.8 11.2 1,000 residents. The City operates six park sites Agoura Hills 3 7.0 1.8 encompassing 37 acres. The community parks Calabasas 5 6.6 2.8 are Forest Cover (10 acres) and Chumash (12 Malibu 6 04.0 47.5 acres). The Reyes Adobe, Agoura, Sumac and Westlake Village 1 9.2 2.3 Morrison Parks are neighborhood parks, varying from three to four acres. Open space areas include the privately owned Lake Lindero Country Club and the City-owned Medea Creek Park. Recreational facilities include a 1,800 square foot multipurpose room and a community center. The City of Agoura Hills provides park maintenance services directly. In the City of Calabasas, there are a total of 56.6 acres of City owned park space. The City operates nine park sites and two recreation centers. In addition, there are two undeveloped park sites in the City. There are also eight Las Virgenes Unified School District park facilities in Calabasas, 73 which City residents may use through a joint use agreement between the City and the District. Recreational facilities in Calabasas include a tennis and swim center and a community center. The City of Calabasas provides park maintenance services directly. According to the City’s Parks and Recreation Master Plan, the eastern portion of Calabasas is underserved and two more community parks are needed in this area. In addition, there is a shortage of sport fields to meet the resident demand, both soccer and baseball fields. The City is currently planning improvements to three parks—De Anza, Grape Arbor and Gates Canyon Parks. The cities of Agoura Hills and Calabasas jointly own a community center through a JPA. The City of Agoura Hills Recreation Center is located at 30160 Thousand Oaks Boulevard and provides classes and recreation activities. There are two parks in the City of Hidden Hills operated by the Hidden Hills Community Association. The Association maintains expansive trails, a community center, and two park areas with playground facilities, in addition to providing recreational programs. The City of Malibu has approximately 1,870 acres of open space land, as reported in the 1995 General Plan. The open space includes national, state, and local parks, beaches, and other open recreational space. The City of Malibu recognizes the National Parks and Recreation Association (NRPA) standard that at least 2.5 acres of community parkland should be provided for every 1,000 residents and states that the total amount of parkland in the City exceed the NRPA standard. To meet the growing needs of the community, Malibu maintains a combination of contracted service and a City work force. The Vander Geest Landscape Company is the private contractor that provides park maintenance service in the City of Malibu. The City of Malibu Parks & Recreation Department maintains and operates five park sites that include the following: • Charmlee Wilderness Park is a 590-acre park with picnic areas as well as 8 miles of hiking trails, native plant displays and a nature center. • Las Flores Creek Park is a five-acre park with hiking trails. • Malibu Bluffs Park is a six-acre park with two baseball diamonds, a soccer/multi- purpose field, exercise par course, jogging path, picnic tables, and a community building. • Malibu Equestrian Park is a three-acre park with two horse-riding rings and a picnic area. • Papa Jack's Skate Park is a 10,000 square foot skate area with instructional programs also provided by the City. The Malibu Bluffs Park, Equestrian Center, and Charmlee Wilderness Park are on lease from the County or the State. The recreational facilities Malibu operates include two community centers, a community pool, and a senior center. The Las Flores Creek Park is currently in the middle of a restoration and improvement project, which includes creek restoration and natural habitat improvements. 74 The Point Dume Community Services District maintains parks and recreation facilities in the City of Malibu. The District operates the Malibu Community Center, a 27,000 square foot former school building. Additional recreational facilities include a grass play area, picnic tables, basketball and volleyball courts, and a tennis backboard. The City of Westlake Village’s development standard is to maintain at least 26.2 acres of local park space per 2,714 dwelling units. The City currently has a total of 19.2 acres of park space and 3,364 dwelling units; hence, it has much less park space than stipulated in the development standard. Open space areas include 342 acres owned by the Las Virgenes Municipal Water District, which has potential for recreational uses. In addition, approximately one-fourth of the City is located in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. Park maintenance services for the City of Westlake Village are provided by a private contract service provider. The City of Westlake Village operates five park sites that include the following: • Berniece Bennett Park is a 5.2-acre park with a picnic area, children’s play area, and basketball courts. • Canyon Oaks Park is a 2.5-acre park with picnic areas and a tot lot. • Russell Ranch Park is a 4-acre park with baseball and soccer fields, a play area, and a picnic area. • Three Springs Park is a 6.2-acre park with a jogging course, basketballs courts, play area, and picnic tables. • Foxfield Park is a 1.3-acre park with a picnic area, play area, walking gardens, and a half- basketball court. The City of Westlake General Plan adopted in July 1993 expressed the need for a senior center, hiking trails, baseball and soccer fields, and play equipment. Since the General Plan was adopted, the City has built Foxfield Park, which opened to the public in June 2003. Senior recreation programs are currently held at the Westlake Village Civic Center Community Room. Youth programs are offered at Berniece Bennett Park and at the Civic Center. The acquisition and financing of park facilities in the City of Westlake Village may require new development to dedicate land or pay in-lieu fees. 75 BEACHES There are 10 beaches in the MSR area that are operated by either the County Department of Beaches and Harbors or the State. Table 5-2: Los Angeles County and State Beaches State Beaches Acres Location Visitors The State beaches include Leo Carrillo, Leo Carrillo NA County 590,581 Malibu Lagoon, and the Robert H. Meyer Memorial State Beach, which is made up of Malibu Lagoon 22 Malibu 1,403,296 three "pocket beaches" along the west end of Robert H. Meyer Memorial the City of Malibu. The names of the beaches El Matador 4 Malibu NA are El Pescador, La Piedra and El Matador. El Pescador 4 Malibu NA La Piedra 4 Malibu NA The County beaches include Dan Blocker County Beaches Acres Location Visitors which not staffed by lifeguards, Las Tunas Dan Blocker 1 Malibu 221,355 which is staffed only during the summer, and Nicholas Canyon, Point Dume, Surfrider, Las Tunas 1 Malibu 8,738 Topanga, and Zuma which are staffed year- Nicholas Canyon 23 Malibu 204,005 round.60 Point Dume 34 Malibu 1,050,540 Surfrider 37 Malibu 1,553,450 According to the County Department of Topanga 21 County 402,470 Beaches and Harbors capital projects Zuma 105 Malibu 6,892,600 program, improvements began in April of this year to the Dan Blocker Beach in Malibu, including new stairs and walkways, picnic tables, a drinking fountain, portable restroom facilities, and an off-street parking lot. Beach Quality The Los Angeles County Department of Health Services (DHS) began monitoring beaches in 1999 on a routine basis as part of AB 411, which increased pollution monitoring at public beaches and set uniform health standards for monitoring programs.61 DHS found that water quality often exceeded state pollution standards for beach bathing water. The Heal the Bay organization produces a Beach Report Card, which serves as an indication of water quality at monitored beach locations. The grades are based on daily and weekly bacterial levels that indicate pollution from numerous sources, including fecal waste. The higher the grade, the lower is the risk of illness to ocean users. The report is not designed to measure the amount of trash or toxins. The grades tend to be lower in the winter-wet months because of storm run-off. Most of the beaches in the area receive passing grades. However, two beaches are notable exceptions. 60 Beach acreage was provided by the L.A. County Department of Beaches and Harbors and by California State Parks. Beach visitation was provided by the Consolidated Fire Protection District, Lifeguard Division. 61 Assembly Bill 411 was passed in 1997 and codified in California Health and Safety Code §115880. 76 Table 5-3: Las Virgenes Beach Quality Surfrider Beach in Malibu is Heal the Bay Weather and Period rated as the worst quality beach in Annual Beach Report Card Dry Wet the County. The factors affecting Location 4/03-3/04 4/03-3/04 beach quality include discharge of Leo Carrillo Beach A B treated wastewater, septic tank Nicholas Canyon Beach A+ B leakage, storm run-off, and the Trancas Beach entrance A B nature of Malibu Lagoon. The Westward Beach A B pollutants flow through Malibu Paradise Cove B B Creek into Malibu Lagoon, and Latigo Canyon Creek entrance A D pools in the Lagoon during the dry Puerco Beach A D season when a sandbar forms separating the lagoon from the Surfrider Beach at Malibu Colony fence D F ocean. When the sandbar Surfrider Beach at Malibu Lagoon F F breaches, the water quality at Malibu Pier - 50 yards east C F Surfrider Beach area is typically Big Rock Beach B B graded with an “F.” Topanga State Beach C F According to the SWQCB, stormwater runoff and septic tank leakage are the two most important factors causing bacteria levels at the beach. Septic tanks in the vicinity of the beach contribute to the problem, as do septic tanks leaking upstream into the Malibu Creek. The Tapia Reclamation Facility discharges treated wastewater into the Malibu Creek from April 1 to November 15 every year, although the effluent is chlorinated and is not attributed with high levels of bacteria in the water. During the dry season, Tapia is precluded from discharging into the creek. During the dry season this year, the Surfrider Beach grade has risen to a B. By comparison the Topanga State Beach grades for 2002 were in the As and Bs. Currently, Topanga State Beach has a B grade. The low grade in 2003 could be due to a variety of factors including contaminated storm runoff. LIBRARIES Library services in the MSR area are provided by County of Los Angeles for the unincorporated areas and the cities of Agoura Hills, Hidden Hills, Malibu, and Westlake Village. The City of Calabasas owns and maintains its own library facilities, but contracts with a private provider for library services. Agoura Hills The former Las Virgenes Public Library became the Agoura Hills Library in October of 2001, when the City moved into a brand new 17,772 square foot facility at located on 29901 Ladyface Court. The library is part of the new City Hall Civic Center. The facility has a copy center, computer center, two conference rooms, and a bookstore. The facility is relatively new and is in excellent condition. 77 The Library collection includes approximately 104,820 books, 118 periodicals, 7,291 audio recordings, 7,972 video recordings, California telephone directories, pamphlets, and local history materials. Hidden Hills and Unincorporated Areas The City of Hidden Hills receives library services from the Las Virgenes Bookmobile operated by Los Angeles County. The Bookmobile currently stops at the Hidden Hills Community Center on Fridays from 1:30 pm - 3:30 pm. The Bookmobile sets up shop in various locations in the MSR area each week, including in Topanga at the Pine Tree Circle Shopping Center, the Topanga Mobile Home Park, and Woodland Park Mobile Estates. In addition, the Bookmobile stops at the Point Dume Plaza in Malibu and the Seminole Springs Mobile Home Park in Agoura. The Las Virgenes Bookmobile began serving the outlying areas of Calabasas, Hidden Hills, and Topanga Canyon in January of 1992. The collection currently consists of 5,906 books, 23 periodicals, 1,372 video recordings and 1,250 audio recordings. Malibu The Malibu Library was established in 1970 and is located in the Malibu Civic Center Complex. The facility is 16,530 square foot and has an adult and children’s reading area, and a meeting room, which accommodates a maximum of 125 people. The Malibu Library has a staffing level of 12.5. The Library collection includes approximately 87,914 books, 61 periodicals, 6,498 audio recordings, 4,669 video recordings; and other special materials such as telephone directories, pamphlets, California topographic maps, and local history. Westlake Village The Westlake Village Library was established in March of 1993 and is located within the Westlake Village City Hall complex; a new facility where library services where moved to in February of 2002. The facility is 11,500 square feet and has a children's reading area, two study rooms, a copy room, and a bookstore. The facility is relatively new and is in excellent condition. The Library collection includes approximately 52,573 books, 52 periodicals, 2,148 audio recordings, 2,472 video recordings, and other materials such as local telephone directories, local history information and pamphlets. The Westlake Village Library also features a 350 square foot bookstore called the “Book Nook”. The Book Nook is operated exclusively by the Friends of the Westlake Village Library, a non-profit organization whose purpose is to support the library through fund-raising, cultural programs, community awareness and volunteer support. Calabasas Library services in the City of Calabasas are provided under contract by Library Systems and Services (LSSI). The City assumed control over the County Library in July of 1998. 78 The Calabasas Library facility is a 12,000 square foot space and is located at 23975 Park Sorrento. The facility has computer, periodical and children's facilities and a large conference room is available for meetings. This new facility opened in March of 2002 and is in good condition. The collection currently consists of more than 85,000 items. TRANSPORTATION The cities of Agoura Hills and Calabasas operate summer beach bus services. The City of Agoura Hills also provides Dial-A-Ride curb-to-curb transportation service to the general public in the City of Agoura Hills and in adjacent portions of Los Angeles and Ventura Counties. The cities of Westlake Village and Malibu offer subsidized taxicab services to elderly and disabled citizens. The City of Malibu also offers a daily shuttle service between Westward Beach and the nature preserve on Cliffside Drive as required by the California Coastal Commission. The City of Westlake Village offers a fixed-route bus service used heavily by school-age children, relying on a private company as a contract service provider. The City of Hidden Hills does not provide public transportation services, but participates in a beach shuttle service provided by the City of Calabasas. Transportation providers are regulated by the California Public Utilities Commission. HOUSING This section covers housing affordability, housing needs, and housing construction in the MSR area. Affordability Generally, housing in the MSR area is more costly than countywide. The median price for an owner-occupied home countywide was $209,300, according to the 2000 Census. In Agoura Hills, the median home price was $366,600. In Westlake Village, the median home price was $433,800. In Calabasas, the median home price was $497,900. In Malibu and Hidden Hills, the median home price was over $1 million. Housing Needs The Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA) quantifies the need for housing within each jurisdiction between 1998 and 2005. RHNA is determined by SCAG based on growth forecasts, vacancy needs and replacement needs. Growth forecasts are based on the most current Census data, general plan information, historical growth patterns and projected job creation. The RHNA future housing needs project the needs for families at different income levels. 79 Table 5-4: RHNA Housing Needs, 1998-2005 Income Level For the Las Virgenes Above area, RHNA projected a need for 2,490 new units Agency Total Very Low Low Moderate Moderate to be constructed Total MSR Area 2,490 462 485 532 1,011 between 1998 and 2005. Agoura Hills 77 12 8 13 44 Most of the needed Calabasas 0 0 0 0 0 housing construction was Hidden Hills 69 9 6 9 45 allocated to the Malibu 14 2 2 2 8 unincorporated areas. Westlake Village 315 52 32 52 179 The RHNA needs were Unincorporated 2,015 387 437 456 735 77 units in Agoura Hills, no additional units in Calabasas, 69 additional units in Hidden Hills, 14 additional units in Malibu, and 315 in Westlake Village. For several of the cities, the actual housing constructed through April 2004 was available. In the cities of Agoura Hills, Calabasas and Malibu, actual housing unit construction has already exceeded the RHNA housing needs.62 In Hidden Hills, there have been 30 units constructed since 1998; 39 additional units would need to be constructed by 2005 in order to meet the RHNA projection. The number of housing units constructed in Westlake Village and the unincorporated areas was not available. Housing element law, enacted in 1969, mandates that local governments adequately plan to meet the existing and projected housing needs of all economic segments of the community. The law acknowledges that, in order for the private market to adequately address housing needs and demand, local governments must adopt land use plans and regulatory systems, which provide opportunities for, and do not unduly constrain, housing development. As a result, housing policy in the State rests largely upon the effective implementation of local general plans and, in particular, local housing elements. Housing element law also requires the Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) to review local housing elements for compliance with State law and to report its written findings to the local government. Municipalities are required to update the housing element of their respective general plans every five years.63 The County, City of Calabasas and City of Westlake Village are in compliance with this requirement. However, the cities of Agoura Hills, Malibu, and Hidden Hills were not in compliance as of June 4, 2004.64 62 Source for actual housing unit construction is U.S. Census Bureau Building Permit database. 63 California Government Code §65588. 64 HCD Housing Element Compliance Report, June 4, 2004. 80 C H A P T E R 6 : M S R C O N C LU S I O N S This chapter sets forth recommended findings with respect to the nine service-related evaluation categories based upon this review of municipal services for the Las Virgenes MSR area. INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS OR DEFICIENCIES This determination refers to the adequacy of existing and planned public facilities in accommodating future growth and the efficient delivery of public services. The adequacy of public facilities depend on supply factors—location, regulatory and environmental constraints on the facility, capacity, condition, and other quality indicators—and demand factors—current and future customer base size, customer characteristics affecting service demand, proximity to related service providers like hospitals, and complexities such as terrain and elevation. In addition, the analysis considered infrastructure duplication among neighboring providers. Police Service The Lost Hills Station’s computer aided dispatch system needs to be updated. Fire and Paramedic Service Infrastructure deficiencies include three fire stations in west Malibu that are in poor condition. The CFPD plans to replace Fire Station No. 72 in FY 04-05 with a new 4,500-square foot station; the new station will cost $3.3 million. In FY 04-05, the CFPD plans to make improvements to Fire Station No. 71 to improve access, privacy and the facility’s roofing system; the CFPD plans to relocate this station in the future but has not yet identified funding for that project. The CFPD is also planning to refurbish or relocate Fire Station No. 99 and is assessing which approach to take; the County CIP does not identify funding for this project in FY 04-05. Infrastructure needs include building additional stations in Agoura Hills and Topanga in order to optimize service delivery. The CFPD plans to build a new fire station in the City of Agoura Hills in FY 04-05. The CFPD has long-term plans to build another fire station in Old Topanga. In addition, the CFPD plans to relocate Fire Station Nos. 71 and 72 in order to optimize response times in western Malibu. Water According to an MSR study of water providers in the Las Virgenes area prepared by Dudek and Associates (“Water MSR”), water supply is adequate to meet expected future demand. Although no infrastructure needs or deficiencies were identified that would affect the ability of the Las Virgenes MWD and the West Basin MWD to provide service, there are infrastructure deficiencies at the County Waterworks District #29 in Malibu and the unincorporated areas, according to the Water MSR. The County Waterworks District #29 has identified significant infrastructure deficiencies due to an aging system and topography, according to the Water MSR. 81 Wastewater The Las Virgenes MWD wastewater system faces infrastructure needs as a result of regulatory actions prompted by bacteria levels in the downstream Malibu Lagoon and Surfrider Beach. The District is no longer authorized to discharge wastewater effluent in Malibu Creek during the dry season. The District faces uncertain regulatory requirements for its wastewater treatment facility, and faces challenges in expanding the treatment processes in the constrained space where the facility is located. The District has been disposing of sludge and wastewater effluent in fields within the watershed, but this practice may also become questionable in the environmentally sensitive watershed. The District is making upgrades to increase the amount of sewage that is being sent to the City of Los Angeles Hyperion facility. In the City of Malibu, there is no centralized wastewater treatment facility. Instead, the community relies on septic systems. There are deficiencies in the septic systems, with evidence that some septic systems are leaking wastewater into Malibu Creek and contributing to elevated bacteria levels in the downstream Malibu Lagoon and Surfrider Beach. Individual property owners face fees, inspections, sanctions, and may be required to replace septic systems. With new requirements for local agencies in the watershed to reduce bacteria in Malibu Creek, the City of Malibu faces the costly prospect of building and operating a centralized wastewater treatment facility. In the City of Agoura Hills, the old Agoura area lacks wastewater service and relies on septic systems. Similarly, some households in Calabasas and Hidden Hills rely on septic systems. Although property owners in Topanga Canyon and other unincorporated areas are using septic systems, the unincorporated septic systems have not been linked to beach pollution. As the septic systems in the unincorporated areas age, the County may also face the problem of faulty septic systems and a need for centralized wastewater treatment. Solid Waste The Calabasas landfill operates within the same environmentally sensitive watershed, and faces infrastructure needs prompted by regulatory concerns. Although the landfill is not projected to reach final fill elevations for approximately 20 years, the cities in the MSR area have not met solid waste diversion requirements and the area as a whole is not making as much progress as other areas of the County in diverting trash from the landfill. If solid waste diversion does not improve in the MSR area, the landfill may be filled in a shorter time period. Once the landfill is filled, the solid waste will be exported to landfills in the desert outside the County. As a result, solid waste disposal will become more costly. Stormwater Stormwater runoff has been linked to bacteria levels in the downstream Malibu Lagoon and Surfrider Beach. The cities and the County are jointly responsible for reducing bacteria counts in the watershed, and may need to construct a stormwater treatment facility to do so. Preliminary cost estimates indicate that such a facility may cost as much as $34 million. The City of Malibu reported that its stormwater system is deficient because it was not designed to consider pollution. There is a potential need for storm drainage improvements in Old Agoura areas without paved streets and in the flood plains of Palo Comado and Cheeseboro Canyons. 82 Streets The majority of the paved roads within the MSR area are maintained by the County. Malibu anticipates street infrastructure needs and deficiencies and has projected that by the year 2010 the service levels at major intersections on Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) will be poor (D or F). The City does not view itself as having control over street congestion due to the use of PCH as a major arterial and to visitor traffic volume. The City indicated that it does not propose any new roads that would significantly affect street circulation patterns. Parks There are substantial regional park, beach and local park amenities in the MSR area. The cities of Agoura Hills and Westlake Village have less municipal park acreage per resident than called for in City policies. The Surfrider Beach ranks as the most polluted beach in the County, with concerns that swimming at the beach may pose health hazards. To address this deficiency raises infrastructure needs and deficiencies for wastewater and stormwater service providers. Housing Municipalities are required to update the housing element of their respective general plans every five years to plan to meet the existing and projected housing needs of all economic segments of the community. The cities of Agoura Hills, Malibu, and Hidden Hills were not in compliance with this requirement as of June 4, 2004. GROWTH AND POPULATION PROJECTIONS This determination refers to the expected demand for services within the particular area, as measured by current and future population. The report provided evidence as to population and other measures of service demand in the MSR area, as well as projected growth over the next 20 years. In 2000, the residential population was 63,388 in the incorporated cities and 19,411 in the unincorporated areas. SCAG projects that the residential population in the five cities will grow to 72,024 by the year 2025, an increase of 8,636 residents. In the unincorporated areas, SCAG projects the population will grow to 27,832 by the year 2025, an increase of 8,421 residents. Growth in the Las Virgenes area population in the five cities is projected to occur at a slower rate than countywide growth. In the long term, SCAG expects Malibu and Calabasas to grow at an increasing rate. The pace of growth in Agoura Hills and Westlake Village is generally expected to slow over the long term. The largest population increases in the unincorporated areas are projected in the west Malibu hills, Topanga Canyon and the Calabasas vicinity. Commercial growth is anticipated along the Ventura Freeway corridor. 83 Growth areas in Calabasas include Mountain View Estates and Mont Calabasas where 770 units are planned, and the proposed Liberty Major development located in unincorporated territory adjacent to the City where fewer than 50 units are planned. The Mountain View Estates is currently located outside the City bounds, but is planned for annexation. In Agoura Hills, growth areas include commercial development along the Ventura Freeway and Agoura Road, as well as growth potential in the Old Agoura area where vacant parcels remain. Police Service Serious crime tends to vary over the course of the business cycle, rising along with unemployment. Crime and calls for police service in the MSR area have declined in recent years. Over the same time period, paradoxically, the resident population has increased. Future demand for police service is unknown, but is expected to grow during times of relatively high unemployment. Fire and Paramedic Service calls for fire and paramedic providers have been increasing, and area expected to continue growing as a result of population growth and the aging of the population. Demand growth will be affected by the availability of alternative services like primary care and telephone-based service, and demand management practices, such as better fire prevention training, fire code improvements, and building rehabilitation. Water In addition to residential population growth, water demand is affected by the visitor population, economic growth among commercial and agricultural water users, temperature, rainfall, household size, conservation efforts, and pricing. Wastewater Wastewater service demand is affected by growth in the residential and visitor populations as well as rainfall. Wastewater demand is expected to grow over the next several years along with the population. Solid Waste The amount of solid waste disposed has declined over the last decade. Assembly Bill 939 mandates that cities must have 50 percent less trash going to landfills in the year 2000 than it was estimated to be sending in 1990, although none of the cities in the MSR area has achieved this goal. Solid waste demand is expected to decline at a more rapid rate in the coming years. Stormwater The demand for stormwater facilities is projected to increase due to population growth and growth in the proportion of the surface paved. Rainfall is unpredictable, and has a significant effect on stormwater demand. 84 Street Maintenance The use of streets is expected to increase along with the projected residential population and to also be affected significantly by the visitor population. Parks The use of parks is expected to increase along with the projected residential population. Libraries The use of libraries is expected to increase along with the projected residential population. Transportation The use of public transportation services is expected to increase due to population growth and growth in the senior population receiving Dial-a-Ride services. FINANCING CONSTRAINTS AND OPPORTUNITIES Under this determination, a community’s public service needs are weighed against the resources available to fund the services. The municipal service review identified the financing constraints and opportunities that have an impact on the delivery of services. With the exception of Agoura Hills, the cities in the Las Virgenes MSR area have greater resources in terms of general fund revenues per capita than does the median city in the County. Financing constraints will affect the ability to finance not only major infrastructure needs such as stormwater treatment and centralized wastewater treatment, but also infrastructure needs like fire station construction, parks, street improvements and libraries. Agencies providing municipal services are heavily dependent on State funding. Past and proposed preemption of certain revenue sources (i.e., VLF and property tax) has made major revenue streams vulnerable. In FY 2002-03, $4.9 billion statewide was shifted from local agencies to local schools due to the State Education Revenue Augmentation Fund (ERAF) created in the 1990s. As a result, city property tax shares are an average of 25% lower. Cities rely heavily on a portion of the State-collected VLF. Since 1998, these revenues have been steadily reduced and backfilled by the State. Some State-proposed changes to VLF, and to VLF related revenue programs might further reduce this critical revenue source. Municipal service providers are constrained in their capacity to finance services by the inability to increase property taxes, requirements for voter approval for new or increased taxes, and requirements of voter approval for parcel taxes and assessments used to finance services. Financing opportunities that do not require voter approval include imposition of or increases in fees to more fully recover the costs of providing services, including false alarm fees, development 85 impact fees, land dedications for fire station sites and fire infrastructure construction, and other fees to recover the actual cost of services provided. Agencies may also finance many types of facility improvements through bond instruments that do not require voter approval. Financing opportunities that require voter approval include special taxes such as parcel taxes, increases in general taxes such as utility taxes, sales and use taxes, business license taxes, and transient occupancy taxes. Agencies may finance facilities with voter-approved (general obligation) bonded indebtedness. Communities may elect to form business improvement districts to finance supplemental services, or Mello-Roos districts to finance development-related infrastructure extension. COST AVOIDANCE OPPORTUNITIES This determination relates to identifying service duplication issues, inefficiencies related to overlapping boundaries, and cost reduction opportunities related to economies of scale. The municipal service reviews shall identify cost avoidance opportunities by assessing duplicative services, duplicative costs, and other inefficiencies. The County Waterworks District #29 has identified cost avoidance opportunities. OPPORTUNITIES FOR RATE RESTRUCTURING Municipal service reviews describe the existing rate structure and compare it with those of neighboring service providers, where relevant. Service reviews identify strategies for rate restructuring, which would further the LAFCO mission of ensuring efficiency in providing public services. Further, the service review will assess conditions that may impact future rates. The service review may identify opportunities for rate reductions through annexations or other reorganizations. The County Waterworks District #29 is expected to increase water rates in the coming years in order to provide needed infrastructure upgrades and replacement. The Las Virgenes MWD is expected to increase wastewater rates in the coming years. OPPORTUNITIES FOR SHARED FACILITIES Under this determination, LAFCO may consider how sphere of influence changes could create better opportunities for agencies to share facilities and eliminate costly duplications of service. The service review identified facilities used by local government agencies providing municipal services on the island as well as contract service providers. The service review evaluated whether efficiencies can be achieved by accommodating the facility needs of adjacent agencies, and assessed the compatibility between the facility needs of neighboring service providers. Options for planning future shared facilities and services were also considered. 86 Wastewater The City of Malibu may construct a wastewater treatment facility in the Civic Center area to replace leaking septic systems with a cleaner alternative. Such a facility would be costly, and might be more easily financed if shared with the County of Los Angeles. Stormwater The inland cities and the City of Malibu are all obligated to reduce bacteria levels in the Malibu Creek watershed. Construction of a stormwater treatment facility is an expensive prospect, but is a potential solution to the stormwater impact on beach quality. Such a facility would naturally be shared by the local agencies due to regulatory considerations, gravity, and financing constraints. GOVERNMENT STRUCTURE OPTIONS Although the objective of the service review is to update spheres of influence, LAFCO may determine that another type of policy change under its jurisdiction is warranted. LAFCO is empowered to initiate certain reorganizations such as district consolidation, dissolution, mergers and subsidiary district (Government Code §56375(a)). The Legislature has also encouraged the Commission to recommend governmental reorganizations to particular agencies in the county, using the spheres of influence as the basis for those recommendations (Government Code §56425 (g)). No policy alternatives were proposed by the affected agencies. The service review identified one government structure option. Utility District Formation The City of Malibu faces financing constraints with respect to constructing and operating centralized wastewater treatment facilities or stormwater treatment facilities. Formation of a special district may be a viable option for ensuring that upstream agencies contribute appropriately to the costs and to provide a joint decision-making body. EVALUATION OF MANAGEMENT EFFICIENCIES Where there are other potential service providers, the municipal service review shall consider the effectiveness of an agency’s internal organization to provide efficient, quality public services. Efficiently managed agencies contain costs and deliver adequate services. The local agencies are generally efficiently run. The agencies conduct workload monitoring, performance evaluation, and financial analysis; and several of the agencies have been leaders in technical innovations in their areas of service. LOCAL ACCOUNTABILITY AND GOVERNANCE This determination encompasses multiple policy-making goals. In evaluating spheres of influence and other potential reorganizations, LAFCO will consider which agency best meets the 87 needs and desires of affected residents. In considering local governance issues, LAFCO will solicit and give great weight to the policy proposals initiated by the affected agency. In determining which agency is best poised to serve unincorporated territory, LAFCO shall also give weight to each agency’s accountability to affected residents. The service review documented the local agencies’ form of governance, accountability to constituents and contract service recipients. The service review documented the agency’s cooperation with LAFCO’s requests for information as an indicator of its public accountability. The service review assessed the agencies’ decision-making and operational and management processes, and found that the five cities, the CFPD, and the independent districts: (1) include an accessible and accountable elected or appointed decision-making body and agency staff; (2) encourage and value public participation; and (3) disclose budgets, programs, and plans. 88 C H A P T E R 7 : S O I U P DAT E S This chapter sets forth-recommended findings with respect to the four agency-specific determinations related to updating the spheres of influence for the local agencies in the Las Virgenes MSR area. CITY OF AGOURA HILLS LAFCO has adopted a coterminous sphere of influence (SOI) for the City of Agoura Hills. The City’s most recent (1992) General Plan identifies two planning areas that are located in adjacent unincorporated areas as potential annexation areas—the Potomac area to the east and the Agoura Canyon Ranch Specific Plan to the south. The western portion of the Potomac area is designated for single-family residential use, with the remainder designated as restricted open space. The Agoura Canyon Ranch area is designated for rural-residential and restricted open space use. The City identified needs for stormwater and wastewater infrastructure in these potential SOI expansion areas. The Marks Road unincorporated island to the east of the city lies between the cities of Agoura Hills and Calabasas, but is accessible only from Agoura Hills. Nonetheless, the City’s General Plan does not identify this as a potential annexation area. In its response to the LAFCO Request for Information, the City indicated that it does not propose or anticipate proposing any changes to its SOI. Expansion of the City’s SOI is not recommended at this time. Pursuant to Government Code section 56425, the following determinations are recommended to update the existing SOI. Present and Planned Land Uses in the Area The land area within the current sphere is coterminous with the boundaries of the City of Agoura Hills. The sphere is bounded to the north by Ventura County, to the west by the City of Westlake Village, and by unincorporated areas to the east and south. The City of Agoura Hills is a residential community with significant open space areas, and with commercial development located along the Ventura Freeway corridor. Present land uses in the City of Agoura Hills mostly include residential, commercial, and open space. Planned land uses in the area include residential and commercial developments as well as retention of open space. Present and Probable Need for Public Facilities and Services in the Area The City is growing. Similarly, the need for fire, water, wastewater, stormwater, street maintenance, parks, and library services is expected to grow in the future. The City identified needs for wastewater infrastructure in old Agoura, which lies within the SOI. Regulatory considerations affecting stormwater discharge raise questions as to the need for stormwater treatment facilities. 89 Present Capacity of Public Facilities and Adequacy of Public Service that the Agency Provides or is Authorized to Provide The properties within the City receive services from a variety of local agencies. With regard to public services provided to the existing sphere area, the present capacity of public facilities is limited for solid waste. For the most part, the municipal services provided in this area are adequate. The City identified inadequacies in wastewater infrastructure in old Agoura, which lies within the SOI. Existence of Any Social or Economic Communities of Interest The City of Agoura Hills has a long and rich history, with a high degree of community identity, which is propagated through community events and community organizations such as the Chamber of Commerce. The community of Old Agoura is a rural equestrian community that lies within the City. The community of Liberty Canyon is located in southeast Agoura Hills adjacent to Calabasas. Recommendation It is recommended that LAFCO retain the existing coterminous SOI for the City of Agoura Hills. CITY OF CALABASAS LAFCO has adopted a coterminous sphere of influence (SOI) for the City of Calabasas. The City’s general plan states that the City’s goal is for its boundaries to encompass the entire Calabasas community and provide for rational management of the area’s natural environment. More specifically, the City aims to coordinate with surrounding cities—Agoura Hills, Hidden Hills and Malibu—to jointly define its ultimate boundaries through its SOI and undertake a joint application to LAFCO for SOIs. The general plan adopts a policy in which the City determines the annexation interest of residents in adjacent unincorporated areas and conducts a fiscal impact analysis of financial feasibility of extending the boundaries before applying to LAFCO for a SOI expansion. There is territory within the City’s general plan study area that lies within the SOI of the City of Hidden Hills. The City would like to amend its SOI to include unincorporated areas contiguous to the City, excluding territory that lies within the SOI of the City of Hidden Hills.65 The City indicates that these “sensitive” areas should be developed in accordance with the City’s General Plan, that the areas share natural resources, traffic routes and commercial areas with the City, and that the areas would “be best served by Calabasas”. The City is studying six areas for potential annexation in order to provide for responsible development of these areas, to enhance local control and to improve municipal services.66 Although the City indicated that annexation would improve police and library services, it should be noted that these services are provided by the County currently both in the subject territory and in the City. 65 City of Calabasas amended response to LAFCO Request for Information Part II, January 14, 2004. 66 Mountain View Estates and several additional unincorporated areas are included in the City’s planning area, but are currently outside the City’s sphere of influence. According to the City’s General Plan, the City is planning to submit an application to LAFCO to create a sphere of influence that will encompass portions of its planning area after further study finds that these areas could feasibly be annexed into the City over the long term. 90 Expansion of the City’s SOI is not recommended at this time. Pursuant to Government Code section 56425, the following determinations are recommended to update the existing SOI. Present and Planned Land Uses in the Area The City of Calabasas is a residential community with significant open space areas, and with commercial development located along the Ventura Freeway corridor. Present land uses in the City of Calabasas mostly include residential, commercial, and open space. Planned land uses in the area include residential and commercial developments as well as retention of open space. Present and Probable Need for Public Facilities and Services in the Area The City is growing, as is the unincorporated area in the vicinity of the City. Similarly, the need for fire, water, wastewater, stormwater, street maintenance, parks, and library services is expected to grow in the future. Regulatory considerations affecting stormwater discharge raise questions as to the need for stormwater treatment facilities. Present Capacity of Public Facilities and Adequacy of Public Service that the Agency Provides or is Authorized to Provide The properties within the City receive services from a variety of local agencies. With regard to public services provided to the existing sphere area, the present capacity of public facilities is limited for solid waste. The municipal services provided in this area are adequate. Existence of Any Social or Economic Communities of Interest The City of Calabasas has a long and rich history, with a high degree of community identity. The City has a small-town and semi-rural environment. Communities include Calabasas Park, Calabasas Highlands, Calabasas Hills and Calabasas Village. The Calabasas Park community includes a 600-acre master-planned community of luxury homes and the Calabasas Golf and Country Club. Calabasas Highlands is a community in the southern portion of the City, adjacent to Old Topanga. The Calabasas Hills community is located in western Calabasas and includes the Deer Springs and Saratoga Hills neighborhoods. Calabasas Village is a mobile home park in central Calabasas. Economic communities within the City include the Commons at Calabasas and Old Town Calabasas. The Commons at Calabasas, a 200,000-square-foot shopping complex, offers a variety of restaurants, retail stores and office space in a village atmosphere. The original 19th century hub of Calabasas, Old Town offers shopping, strolling and dining in a western setting. Recommendation It is recommended that LAFCO retain the existing coterminous SOI for the City of Calabasas at this time. 91 CITY OF HIDDEN HILLS LAFCO has adopted a sphere of influence (SOI) for the City of Hidden Hills that extends beyond the city limits. The SOI runs down Mountain Gate Drive, cutting through a community. Portions of the area within the SOI are included in the Calabasas planning area in its general plan. The City proposes to retain its existing SOI. Expansion of the City’s SOI is not recommended at this time. Pursuant to Government Code section 56425, the following determinations are recommended to update the existing SOI. Present and Planned Land Uses in the Area The City of Hidden Hills is a residential community. Present land uses in the City of Hidden Hills mostly include residential and open space, with commercial use limited to four parcels. Planned land uses in the area include residential developments as well as retention of open space. Present and Probable Need for Public Facilities and Services in the Area The City is expected to experience modest growth. Similarly, the need for fire, water, wastewater, stormwater, street maintenance, parks, and library services is expected to grow modestly in the future. Regulatory considerations affecting stormwater discharge raise questions as to the need for stormwater treatment facilities. Present Capacity of Public Facilities and Adequacy of Public Service that the Agency Provides or is Authorized to Provide The properties within the City receive services from a variety of local agencies. With regard to public services provided to the existing sphere area, the present capacity of public facilities is limited for solid waste. The municipal services provided in this area are adequate. Existence of Any Social or Economic Communities of Interest The City of Hidden Hills has a long and rich history, with a high degree of community identity. The City is a compact gated community with only four commercial parcels. Recommendation It is recommended that LAFCO retain the existing SOI for the City of Hidden Hills. CITY OF MALIBU LAFCO has adopted a coterminous sphere of influence (SOI) for the City of Malibu. The City’s 1995 general plan recommends an SOI for the City that extends approximately five miles inland on the north,67 which is substantially larger than the territory included in the city limits. 67 Final Environmental Impact Report, City of Malibu Draft General Plan, November 1995, Figure III-3. 92 Expansion of the City’s SOI is not recommended at this time. Pursuant to Government Code section 56425, the following determinations are recommended to update the existing SOI. Present and Planned Land Uses in the Area The City of Malibu is a residential community with significant beach areas, and with commercial development located along the Pacific Coast Highway corridor. As of the 1995 general plan, vacant land constituted 60 percent, residential land constituted 22 percent, open space constituted 15 percent, and other (commercial, institutional and agricultural) land constituted 3 percent of land. There are 185 acres of commercial land along Pacific Coast Highway. Present land uses in the City of Malibu mostly include residential, commercial, and open space. Planned land uses in the area include residential and commercial developments as well as retention of open space. Present and Probable Need for Public Facilities and Services in the Area The City is growing, as is the unincorporated area in the vicinity of the City. Similarly, the need for fire, water, wastewater, stormwater, street maintenance, parks, and library services is expected to grow in the future. Regulatory considerations affecting wastewater and stormwater discharge raise questions as to the need for wastewater and stormwater treatment facilities. Present Capacity of Public Facilities and Adequacy of Public Service that the Agency Provides or is Authorized to Provide The properties within the City receive services from a variety of local agencies. With regard to public services provided to the existing sphere area, the present capacity of public facilities is limited for wastewater. Wastewater, stormwater and street maintenance services provided in this area are not adequate. Existence of Any Social or Economic Communities of Interest The City of Malibu has a long and rich history, with a high degree of community identity. Specific communities within the city limits include Malibu Beach, Malibu Junction, Malibu Riviera and Point Dume. The Civic Center is the only major economic community of interest; most commercial development is located in this area. Recommendation It is recommended that LAFCO retain the existing coterminous SOI for the City of Malibu. CITY OF WESTLAKE VILLAGE LAFCO has adopted a coterminous sphere of influence (SOI) for the City of Westlake Village. The City proposes to retain its existing SOI. Expansion of the City’s SOI is not recommended at this time. Pursuant to Government Code section 56425, the following determinations are recommended to update the existing SOI. 93 Present and Planned Land Uses in the Area The City of Westlake Village is a primarily residential community. Present land uses in the City of Westlake Village mostly include residential, commercial, and open space. Planned land uses in the area include residential and commercial developments as well as retention of open space. Present and Probable Need for Public Facilities and Services in the Area The City is growing. Similarly, the need for fire, water, wastewater, stormwater, street maintenance, parks, and library services is expected to grow in the future. Regulatory considerations affecting stormwater discharge raise questions as to the need for stormwater treatment facilities. Present Capacity of Public Facilities and Adequacy of Public Service that the Agency Provides or is Authorized to Provide The properties within the City receive services from a variety of local agencies. With regard to public services provided to the existing sphere area, the present capacity of public facilities is limited for solid waste. The municipal services provided in this area are adequate. Existence of Any Social or Economic Communities of Interest The City of Westlake Village has a long and rich history, with a high degree of community identity. The City is the eastern part of a master-planned community that also includes Thousand Oaks. The City encompasses twenty individual neighborhoods, each with an active homeowners' association that maintains architectural standards and meets biannually with the City Council. Recommendation It is recommended that LAFCO retain the existing SOI for the City of Westlake Village. 94 C R E D I T S This report benefited greatly from the guidance of the LAFCO Executive Officer Larry Calemine. County Counsel provided legal analysis and review. LAFCO staff prepared all maps in this report, and provided questionnaire administration and database support. The County of Los Angeles CAO’s Urban Research Division assisted with parcel-based map verification and preparation of the geographic basis for demographic estimates. The County of Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department and Fire Department were equally generous with their time and care in explaining service delivery. Beverly Burr authored this report with the assistance of Cecelia Griego. 95 R E F E R E N C E S BOOKS, REPORTS AND ARTICLES California Regional Water Quality Control Board, Los Angeles. Total Maximum Daily Loads for Bacteria, Malibu Creek Watershed. January 29, 2004. Commission on Fire Accreditation International. Fire and Emergency Service Self-Assessment Manual, sixth edition. Fairfax, Virginia: Commission on Fire Accreditation International, 2000. Commission on Local Governance for the 21st Century. Growth within Bounds: Planning California Governance for the 21st Century. Sacramento: Commission on Local Governance for the 21st Century, January 2000. Kelling, George L., Tony Pate, Duane Dieckman, and Charles E. Brown. Kansas City Preventive Patrol Experiment. Washington: Police Foundation, 1975. Little Hoover Commission. Special Districts: Relics of the Past or Resources for the Future? Sacramento: Little Hoover Commission, May 2000. Marowitz, Leonard. Why Did the Crime Rate Decrease Through 1999? (And Why Might it Decrease or Increase in 2000 and Beyond?). Sacramento: California Attorney General Criminal Justice Statistics Series, December 2000. Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. The Regional Urban Water Management Plan for the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, December 2000. Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. Report on Metropolitan’s Water Supplies: A Blueprint for Water Reliability, March 25, 2003. Miller, Chaz. Garbage by the Numbers. National Solid Wastes Management Association Research Bulletin 02-02, July 2002. National Fire Protection Association. NFPA 1710: Standard for the Organization and Deployment of Fire Suppression Operations, Emergency Medical Operations, and Special Operations to the Public by Career Fire Departments. Quincy, Massachusetts: NFPA, 2001. Peter Warshall and Associates. 1992 Malibu Wastewater Management Study. Report to the City of Malibu, 1992. Sherman, Lawrence W. and Barry D. Glick. The Quality of Police Arrest Statistics. Washington: Police Foundation, August 1984. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Cleaner Water Through Conservation. Publication EPA 841-B- 95-002, April 1995. http://www.epa.gov/water/you/intro.html Walker, Samuel and Charles M. Katz. The Police in America: An Introduction with PowerWeb. McGraw- Hill, 2002. 96 DATA SOURCES Agency-specific data: responses to LAFCO Requests for Information, budgets, Comprehensive Annual Financial Reports, Capital Improvement Plans, General Plans, official statements, and miscellaneous plans Beach visitors and rescues: Los Angeles County Fire Department, Lifeguard Division Crime statistics and clearance rates: California Attorney General, Criminal Justice Statistics Center Demographic data: U.S. Bureau of the Census Crime: Los Angeles County Sheriff Department; California Department of Justice Demographic Data: U.S. Bureau of the Census Long-Term Debt: California State Controller; MuniStatements; Moody’s; Standard and Poors; Comprehensive Annual Financial Reports Maps: LAFCO archives; Los Angeles County Public Works Department; Thomas Brothers Population Projections: Southern California Association of Governments, Regional Transportation Plan, 2001 Property Ownership: Los Angeles County Assessor Revenue: California State Controller; Comprehensive Annual Financial Reports Solid Waste Data: California Integrated Waste Management Board Wastewater Data: California Regional Water Quality Control Board; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency INTERVIEWS AND CORRESPONDENCE Debbie Aguirre, Planner, L.A. County Fire Department Jeff Bouse, Senior Civil Engineer, LA County Department of Public Works David Bruns, Financial Planning Head, County Sanitation Districts Toni Callaway, California Water Quality Control Board Los Angeles Region, Non-Chapter 15 Division Shelly Cossack, Assistant Manager, Hidden Hills Community Association Dusty Crane, L.A. County Department of Beaches and Harbors Chief Jack Garner, POST Management Counseling Services Bureau Captain Reginald Lee, L.A. County Fire Department Battalion Five 97 Captain Tom Martin, Lost Hills Station, County of Los Angeles Sheriff Captain Steve Powell, L.A. County Fire Department Lifeguard Division Deputy Jason Skeen, Los Angeles County Sheriff Contract Law Enforcement Bureau Robert Theobald, Planning Director, City of Westlake Village 98