Ross Valley Area Service Review and Sphere of Influence Update - April 2007

ROSS VALLEY AREA SERVICE REVIEW AND SPHERE OF INFLUENCE UPDATE Marin Local Agency Formation Commission April 2007 Peter Banning, Executive Officer Evelyn Ellis, Assistant Planner Candice Bozzard, Commission Clerk 165 North Redwood Drive, Suite 160 San Rafael, California 94903 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT The staff of Marin LAFCO gratefully acknowledges the time and effort of staff of the County of Marin, City of Larkspur, Town of Corte Madera, Town of San Anselmo, Town of Fairfax, Town of Ross, Sanitary District #1, Sanitary District #2, Ross Valley Fire Service, Kentfield Fire Protection District, and Sleepy Hollow Fire Protection District who provided information and insight during the preparation of this report. Table of Contents Summary & Recommendations...................................................................................................i Chapter I. Introduction.............................................................................................................1 A. Purpose................................................................................................................................1 B. Background..........................................................................................................................1 C. Existing Sphere of Influence...............................................................................................3 D. Description of Existing Agencies & Services....................................................................4 E. Projected Area Growth and Service Demand - Population Growth............................19 Chapter II. Service Reviews....................................................................................................32 A. New Requirements for Service Reviews..........................................................................32 B. Level of Analysis................................................................................................................34 C. Types of Reorganization Alternatives..............................................................................34 D. Wastewater Collection, Treatment & Disposal...............................................................37 E. Fire and Emergency Medical Service..............................................................................45 F Police Protection & Traffic Enforcement..........................................................................54 G. Street and Landscape Maintenance..................................................................................59 H. Parks and Recreation.......................................................................................................64 Chapter III. Spheres of Influence.............................................................................................73 A. Factors Affecting Sphere of Influence Determinations.................................................73 B. City Spheres of Influence...................................................................................................77 C. Special Districts................................................................................................................102 GLOSSARY: Common LAFCO and Planning Terms.................................................................115 Maps Map 1: Existing and Recommended City Spheres of Influence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iv Map 2: Existing City Boundaries and Spheres of Influence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Map 3: Existing Sewer Agency Boundaries and Spheres of Influence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Map 4: Existing Fire Protection Boundaries and Spheres of Influence. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 Map 5: Existing Joint Power Authorities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Map 6: Parks and Open Space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 Map 7: Recommended Sphere of Influence, Corte Madera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82 Map 8: Recommended Sphere of Influence, Fairfax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86 Map 9: Recommended Sphere of Influence, San Anselmo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91 Map 10: Recommended Sphere of Influence, Ross . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95 Map 11: Recommended Sphere of Influence, Larkspur. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .101 Map 12: Recommended Sphere of Influence, Sanitary Districts #1 and #2. . . . . . . . . . . . . 104 Map 13: Existing Sphere of Influence, Sanitary District #2. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .106 Map 14: Existing Spheres of Influence, CSA #16 and CSA #17 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112 Map 15: Existing Sphere of Influence, CSA #27 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113 Tables Table 1. Summary Data –Ross Valley Area Cities, Towns, and Special Districts..................7 Table 2. Sources of Municipal Service: Ross Valley Area Communities..............................8 Table 3. Ross Valley Joint Powers Agencies...........................................................................13 Table 4. Ross Valley County Service Areas and Other Dependent Special Districts..........18 Table 5. Historic Population Growth in Ross Valley Area (1950 – 2000)..............................21 Table 6. Ross Valley Study Area Population Projections (2000-2020)...................................24 Table 7. Housing Units for Ross Valley Towns (1990 – 2000)................................................25 Table 8. Average and Median Housing Sales Prices for 2005...............................................26 Table 9. Jobs/Housing Balance in Ross Valley Area..............................................................27 Table 10. Households by Type for Ross Valley (2000)............................................................28 Table 11. Land Use by Acreage in Ross Valley Area Communities......................................30 Table 12 Summary Data – Ross Valley Emergency Service Agencies...................................46 Table 13. Ross Valley Fire Agencies – 2004/05 Calls for Service..........................................47 Table 14. Summary Data Ross Valley Area Police Services...................................................54 Table 15. Street and Landscape Maintenance Responsibilities – Ross Valley.......................59 Table 16. Town of Corte Madera Parks and Recreational Facilities......................................65 Table 17. City of Larkspur Parks and Recreational Facilities.................................................66 Table 18. Town of San Anselmo Parks and Recreational Facilities........................................67 Table 19. Town of Fairfax Parks and Recreational Facilities..................................................67 Table 20. Town of Ross Parks and Recreational Facilities......................................................68 Table 21. Sources of Service - Town of Corte Madera Sphere of Influence...........................79 Table 22. Estimated Population and Development Potential - Town of Corte Madera......80 Table 23. Sources of Service - Town of Fairfax Sphere of Influence......................................84 Table 24. Estimated Population and Development Potential - Town of Fairfax.................85 Table 25. Sources of Service - Town of San Anselmo Sphere of Influence............................88 Table 26. Estimated Population and Development Potential - Town of San Anselmo.......88 Table 27. Sources of Service - Town of Ross Sphere of Influence..........................................92 Table 28. Estimated Population and Development Potential - Town of Ross.....................93 Table 29. Sources of Service - City of Larkspur Sphere of Influence.....................................97 Table 30. Estimated Population and Development Potential - City of Larkspur...............98 SUMMARY & RECOMMENDATIONS ROSS VALLEY AREA SERVICE REVIEW AND SPHERE OF INFLUENCE UPDATE Purposes of Spheres of Influence Adopted by LAFCO This report is presented as part of a process mandated by Sections 56425 and 56430 of the Cortese-Knox-Hertzberg Local Government Reorganization Act of 2000. As stated in that section, “In order to carry out its purposes and responsibilities for planning and shaping the logical and orderly development and coordination of local government agencies so as to advantageously provide for the present and future needs of the county and its communities, the Local Agency Formation Commission shall develop and determine the sphere of influence of each local governmental agency within the county.” As used in this report, “sphere of influence” means a plan for the probable physical boundaries and service area of a local government agency. Establishing geographic areas around each city and special district to delineate where they may expand in the future is one of the primary activities of each LAFCO in the State. In determining a sphere of influence, the Commission is required to consider and make written findings with respect to the following factors:  The present and planned land uses in the area, including agricultural and open space lands.  The present and probable need for public facilities and services in the area.  The present capacity of public facilities and adequacy of public services which the agency provides or is authorized to provide.  The existence of any social or economic communities of interest in the area if the commission determines they are relevant to the agency. Spheres of influence act as a guide to LAFCO review of future boundary proposals. LAFCO is required to review adopted spheres of influence every five years. Ross Valley Area Service Review & ii April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update Existing Ross Valley Area Spheres of Influence Marin LAFCO adopted spheres of influence for cities and special districts in Ross Valley during studies conducted in 1982 through 1986 under an earlier definition of sphere of influence (“…the ultimate boundary and service area…”) as discussed below. As a result, all urbanized areas of Ross Valley were allocated to the spheres of influence of one of the five cities as shown in Map 1, comparing existing and recommended city spheres of influence. Changes Affecting Ross Valley Area Spheres of Influence Since Adoption A number of important changes have occurred in Marin County and the Ross Valley area since 1982 that will have an impact on the review of existing spheres of influence: 1. Definition of Sphere of Influence: The definition of "sphere of influence" in 1982 was "… a plan for the ultimate boundary and service area of a local government agency." The definition now reads "…. a plan for the probable boundary and service area of a local government agency." 2. General Plans and Development Regulations: The County's General Plan and Zoning Ordinance have been made more restrictive since 1982, decreasing potential growth in the unincorporated areas. 3. Preservation of Open Space & Agriculture: Large areas of open space and agricultural land are now permanently preserved in their present uses, restricting the outward expansion of urban land uses and reducing the potential demand for urban services in unincorporated areas around existing city boundaries. 4. Local Government’s Financial Pressure from State: Since the passage of Proposition 13 in 1978, the ability of property tax revenue to fund the extension of city services to developed communities has been impaired. Even in Marin County where assessed values have kept pace and sometimes exceeded inflation in the cost of municipal services, significant sales tax generating land uses would need to be present in annexing communities to avoid adverse fiscal impacts from annexation of developed communities. State legislative policies continue to favor annexation of unincorporated communities to cities, but fiscal disincentives persist. In recent years and for the short-term future, policies encouraging city annexation are undermined to the extent that the Legislature re-directs or “borrows” revenue intended to support local services (including property tax, vehicle license fees and gas tax) to resolve funding shortfalls at the state level. Service Reviews Ross Valley Area Service Review & iii April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update New legislation effective in 2001 requires LAFCO to perform "service reviews" prior to updating spheres of influence. In conducting a service review, LAFCOs must review all of the agencies that provide each local service within a designated geographic area. Chapter II “Service Reviews” discusses wastewater, police, fire, road maintenance and park and recreation services in the study area. In general, the results of service reviews prepared as a part of this report conclude that local governments in the Ross Valley area share a long history of seeking to cooperatively minimize costs and maximize service efficiency. Although the political reorganization of some special districts is difficult, reorganizations of fire service agencies are unlikely to result in significant public benefits in the form of enhanced service level and containment of escalating costs. Accordingly, the findings proposed in this study encourage further study of changes to public safety agencies in the Ross Valley. Sphere of Influence Recommendations The report recommends that the Commission amend the spheres of influence of each of the five Ross Valley cities and take other actions with respect to the spheres of special districts in the area. Map 1 below shows the existing and recommended city spheres of influence. Staff recommendations are further summarized in the table below. Ross Valley Area Service Review & iv April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update Ross Valley Area Service Review & v April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update Map Agency SOI Recommendation Reference Town of Corte Amend the Town’s sphere of influence to Map 7 Madera delete unincorporated portions of Ring Mountain in public ownership that will not require urban services provided by the Town. Town of Fairfax Amend the Town’s sphere of influence to Map 8 delete publicly owned open space areas to the west, north and south of the Town’s current boundary. Town of San Re-affirm existing sphere of influence Map 9 Anselmo (including Sleepy Hollow and Lower Sun Valley areas) without change. Town of Ross Amend the Town’s sphere of influence to Map 10 delete unincorporated areas. Recommended sphere of influence to be coterminous with the Town’s boundary. City of Larkspur Amend the City’s sphere of influence to Map 11 exclude San Quentin and most of the Kentfield area except for Greenbrae east of Wolfe Grade. Sanitary District #1 Amend the District’s sphere of influence to Map 12 designate an “interim” sphere including the Murray Park Sewer Maintenance District service area and excluding publicly owned open space to the west of the existing boundary. Sanitary District #2 Amend the District’s sphere of influence to Page 107 designate an interim sphere of influence coterminous with existing district boundaries. Two small open space areas in the vicinity of Paradise Drive included in the San #2’s existing sphere of influence should be excluded. Ross Valley Area Service Review & vi April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update Map Agency SOI Recommendation Reference Sleepy Hollow Fire Amend the District’s sphere of influence to Page 110 Protection District designate an interim sphere of influence coterminous with existing district boundaries indicating continued support of consolidation efforts. Kentfield Fire Amend the District’s sphere of influence to Page 109 Protection District designate an interim sphere of influence coterminous with existing district boundaries indicating continued support of consolidation efforts. County Service Affirm without change the “zero sphere of Map 14 Area #16 influence” designation for CSA #16 County Service Amend the existing “zero sphere of influence Map 14 Area #17 for CSA #17 and adopt a status quo sphere of influence coterminous with the District’s existing boundaries. County Service Affirm without change the existing sphere of Map 15 Area #27 influence of CSA #27 that is coterminous with current boundaries. The full text of this report may be downloaded from the Marin LAFCO website at http://lafco.marin.org. Larger scale versions of the report's maps may be viewed at the offices of Marin LAFCO at 165 North Redwood Drive, San Rafael. CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION A. PURPOSE This report will review the spheres of influence of local government agencies in the Ross Valley area. The discussion is intended to provide a basis for boundary planning decisions to be made by the Marin Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) and will include analysis and recommendations for the revision of the spheres of influence of the following local government agencies: Town of Corte Madera Town of Fairfax Town of San Anselmo Town of Ross City of Larkspur Sanitary District #1 Sanitary District #2 Kentfield Fire Protection District Sleepy Hollow Fire Protection District County Service Areas #16, #17, and #27 B. BACKGROUND This report is presented as part of a process mandated by Section 56425 of the Cortese- Knox-Hertzberg Local Government Reorganization Act of 2000. As stated in that section, “In order to carry out its purposes and responsibilities for planning and shaping the logical and orderly development and coordination of local government agencies so as to advantageously provide for the present and future needs of the county and its communities, the Local Agency Formation Commission shall develop and determine the sphere of influence of each local governmental agency within the county.” As used in this section, “sphere of influence” means a plan for the probable physical boundaries and service area of a local government agency. In determining a sphere of influence, the Commission is required to consider and make written findings with respect to the following factors: • The present and planned land uses in the area, including agricultural and open space lands. • The present and probable need for public facilities and services in the area. • The present capacity of public facilities and adequacy of public services that the agency provides or is authorized to provide. • The existence of any social or economic communities of interest in the area if the Ross Valley Area Service Review & 2 April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update commission determines they are relevant to the agency. While designating an area as part of an agency’s sphere does not mandate that the area will be annexed or reorganized, it does signify the belief of the Commission that, in the long term, the agency is the logical and most efficient provider of municipal services. The actual effect of any adopted sphere of influence will be to augment local agency plans with policy guidance on matters relating to the organization of local government. In short, the purpose of the Commission's sphere determinations is to answer the question, “What local agencies should provide which services to what geographical area as change occurs?” Once adopted, the sphere of influence is an important guideline in reviewing individual proposals for changes in boundaries or organization in local government agencies. However, the specific changes in boundaries or organization recommended in a sphere of influence determination must be initiated by registered voters, landowners, or an affected city or special district or the county. LAFCO itself may only initiate limited types of proposals affecting the organization of special districts. Some of the established spheres of influence in Marin County are outdated or otherwise insufficient because of revisions to State law, court action, changes in land use and service plans, or the passage of time. To account for such changes, all LAFCOs in California are required to periodically review and update adopted spheres under Government Code Section 56425(b). Marin LAFCO adopted policies for the periodic review of spheres of influence in September 2000. Changes to State law effective on January 1, 2001 require LAFCOs to study the service relationships between agencies providing municipal services within different sub- regions in each county prior to the periodic review of adopted spheres of influence. "Service Reviews" for municipal services in the Ross Valley are included in Chapter II of this report. Ross Valley Area Service Review & 3 April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update C. EXISTING SPHERES OF INFLUENCE Marin LAFCO engaged in an extensive study of local agency jurisdictions beginning in 1982. The Commission adopted San Anselmo's study, Town of San Anselmo Sphere of Influence Report, on July 10, 1986, resulting in adoption of the present sphere of influence for the Town of San Anselmo shown on Map 2. The towns/cities of Larkspur, Corte Madera, Ross, and Fairfax did not have studies performed at this time. Since 1982, a number of important changes have occurred in Marin County and the Ross Valley area that may affect spheres of influence. These changes include strains on local government revenues, along with numerous changes to adopted general plans, open space preservation, and the definition of sphere of influence. These changes have all contributed to the need for this review of existing spheres of influence. Each of the changes may affect the territory that LAFCO includes in the sphere of influence – boundary plan – for each city or town and each special district in the study area. Chapter III discusses these trends in more detail. Ross Valley Area Service Review & 4 April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update D. EXISTING AGENCIES AND SERVICES Local government services in the Ross Valley area are provided by a variety of different types of small local agencies – cities, special districts, and joint powers agencies or JPAs. Table 1 lists the towns, cities, and special service districts in the Ross Valley area described in this report and shows summary data for each. The following sections discuss the basic scope of services, population, and budget of each agency. Table 2 summarizes the sources of municipal services for the cities, towns, and unincorporated areas in the Ross Valley area. Chapter II of this report provides a more specific and detailed description of service provision in the study area and the inter- relationships among local government agencies. Ross Valley Area Service Review & 5 April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update 1. Cities a. Town of Corte Madera The Town of Corte Madera is bordered to the east by San Francisco Bay and to the west by Mount Tamalpais and is bisected by Highway 101. Corte Madera adjoins the Town of Tiburon to the southeast, the City of Mill Valley to the south, unincorporated lands (mostly in open space preserves) of Marin County to the west, and the City of Larkspur to the north. Corte Madera occupies approximately four square miles. The Town is largely built out, with only a few individual parcels left undeveloped that are not otherwise classified as open space or in some form of preserve. The Town offers police and fire protection, sewage collection, parks and recreation, road maintenance and construction, street sweeping and flood control protection. The 2004/05 budget for the Town of Corte Madera is $16.4 million. b. Town of Fairfax The Town of Fairfax is a community situated in the heart of central Marin County just west of San Anselmo. Fairfax was incorporated in 1931 and has a population of 7,319 (2000). The Town offers police protection, parks and recreation, road maintenance and construction, street sweeping and lighting, and library services. The 2006/07 budget for the Town of Fairfax is $11.12 million. The Town’s current Sphere of Influence contains the town limits as well as the unincorporated area of Fairfax, including open space and water district lands. c. Town of San Anselmo Incorporated in 1907, the Town of San Anselmo is the oldest town in the Ross Valley area. The Town provides police, parks and recreation, road maintenance and construction, street sweeping and lighting, and library services to a population of 12,378. The unincorporated areas of Sleepy Hollow as well as the southern tip of Sun Valley are included in San Anselmo’s Sphere of Influence. The 2006/07 budget for the Town of San Anselmo is $12.9 million. Ross Valley Area Service Review & 6 April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update d. Town of Ross The Town of Ross was incorporated in 1908 and is bordered by Kentfield on the east and San Anselmo on the west. The Town encompasses an area of 1.6 square miles and has a population of 2,329 with 768 households. The Town provides police, fire protection, public works, and planning services. The 2006/07 budget for the Town of Ross is $4.4 million. e. City of Larkspur The City of Larkspur is a full-service municipality located west of Corte Madera and east of Ross and extending along Corte Madera Creek. The City provides police, fire protection, storm water collection, parks and recreation, road maintenance and construction, street sweeping and lighting, and library services. The 2004/05 budget for the City of Larkspur is $9.9 million. Larkspur’s Sphere of Influence also contains (1) the unincorporated community of Kentfield, (2) the unincorporated San Quentin Peninsula, and (3) the community of Greenbrae, half of which is located in the city and half of which is unincorporated. Ross Valley Area Service Review & 7 April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update Table 1. Summary Data – Ross Valley Area Cities, Towns, and Special Districts City/Town/District Year Services 2000 Area Full-Time Annual Formed Population (sq. mi.) Staff Budget ($million) Town of Corte Madera 1916 Police, fire protection, parks & 9,100 4.5 62 16.4 (04/05) recreation, road maintenance & construction, street sweeping, flood control protection, sewage collection Town of Fairfax 1931 Police, parks & recreation, 7,319 2.2 30 11.12 (06/07) road maintenance & construction, street sweeping & lighting, library. Town of San Anselmo 1907 Police, parks & recreation, 12,378 2.65 50 12.9 (06/07) road maintenance & construction, street sweeping & lighting, and library. Town of Ross 1908 Police, fire protection, public 2,329 1.6 21 4.4 (06/07) works, planning. City of Larkspur 1908 Police, fire protection, storm 12,014 3.65 55 9.9 (04/05) water collection, parks & recreation, road maintenance & construction, street sweeping & lighting, and library. Sanitary District #1 1899 Sewage collection and 49,000 26.75 20 19.3 (05/06) (Ross Valley) transport. Sanitary District #2 1901 Sewage collection and system 9,100 4.5 0 2.8 (04/05) maintenance. Marin Municipal Water District 1914 Domestic water service, 184,818 147 230 49.7 (05/06) (Water Code Section 71000) wastewater recycling. Sleepy Hollow Fire Protection 1949 Fire protection and emergency 2,500 2.43 0 0.87 (05/06) District services. Kentfield Fire Protection 1962 Fire protection and emergency 10,000 (98) 3.8 12 3.1 (06/07) District (California Health and medical service, hazardous Safety Code) materials first responder, fire inspection, code enforcement, public education, fire investigation and rescue. Ross Valley Area Service Review & 8 April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update Table 2. Sources of Municipal Service – Ross Valley Area Communities Area Police Fire/ Water Sewer Solid Community Street Parks & Library Emergency Waste Development Maintenance Recreation Medical Town of Twin Town MMWD Sanitary Mill Town Town Town County Corte Cities District Valley Madera Police #2 Refuse Town of Town Ross Valley MMWD Sanitary Marin Town Town Town County Fairfax Fire Service District Sanitary #1 Service Town of Town Ross Valley MMWD Sanitary Marin Town Town Town Town San Fire Service District Sanitary Anselmo #1 Service Town of Town Town MMWD Sanitary Marin Town Town Town County Ross District Sanitary #1 Service City of Twin City MMWD Sanitary Marin City City City City Larkspur Cities District Sanitary Police #1 Service Sleepy County Ross Valley MMWD Sanitary Marin County County County County/ Hollow Sheriff Fire Service District Sanitary San #1 Service Anselmo Unincorp. County County MMWD Sanitary County County County County Fairfax Sheriff Service District Area #31 #1 Kentfield County & Kentfield MMWD Sanitary Marin County County County Larkspur/ County Fire District Sanitary County Service Protection #1 & Service Area #17 District Murray Park Sewer Mainten ance District San County County MMWD Sanitary County County Town Larkspur/ Quentin Sheriff Service District County Area #31 #1 & San Quentin Sewer Mainten ance District Greenbrae County County MMWD Sanitary Mill County N/A County Corte Boardwalk Sheriff Service District Valley Madera/ Area #31 #2 Refuse County Ross Valley Area Service Review & 9 April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update 2. Special Districts a. Sanitary District #1 Sanitary District #1 (SD1) was formed as a special district organization in 1899 under the Sanitary District Act of the California Health and Safety Code. Its boundaries include 26.75 square miles of the Ross Valley watershed (see Map 3). SD1 currently provides sewage collection, pumping, and system maintenance to the entire study area except the Town of Corte Madera. SD #1 also administers the solid waste franchise in two unincorporated portions of its Service Area. In 1982, SD1 annexed the collection system of the San Quentin Prison, and in 1993 it annexed the City of Larkspur. Under contract with the County, SD1 also operates and maintains collection systems of the Murray Park and San Quentin Sewer Maintenance Districts. Sewer maintenance districts are county-governed, dependent special districts created to provide sewage collection service in unincorporated areas. SD1, as well as Sanitary District #2, are members of the Central Marin Sanitation Agency (CMSA), which is a joint powers agency administered by its own board, separate from the District Board of Directors. SD1 is the only member agency of CMSA that is not directly or indirectly tied to a city. See Section 3, “Joint Powers Agencies and Dependent Special Districts,” below for more information on CMSA. b. Sanitary District #2 Sanitary District #2 (SD2) is a subsidiary district serving Corte Madera and the north Paradise Drive unincorporated area governed by the Corte Madera Town Council (see Map 3). Under the Joint Powers Agreement with CMSA, SD2 contracts with CMSA personnel to provide all engineering, management, and operational services for the treatment and disposal of wastewater. By a separate contractual agreement, CMSA provides for sewage collection and pump station maintenance. Town of Corte Madera personnel provide all engineering, management, and operational services to the wastewater collection system, exclusive of sewage collection pump station maintenance. The CMSA Commissioner from SD2 is appointed by the District Board, which is the Corte Madera Town Council. SD2 of Marin County was incorporated in 1901 and was re-incorporated as a subsidiary district to the Town of Corte Madera in 1969. SD2 is an integral part of the Town of Corte Madera. Ross Valley Area Service Review & 10 April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update Although SD2 is no longer independent, it does have a legal existence separate and apart from the Town. Currently, the boundaries of the Town and SD2 are contiguous, with two exceptions. Portions of the Tiburon Peninsula served by SD2 are either in the incorporated limits of the Town of Tiburon or in the unincorporated sphere of influence of the Town of Tiburon. The portion of Greenbrae east of Highway 101 and south of Corte Madera Creek served by SD2 is either in the incorporated limits of the City of Larkspur or in the unincorporated sphere of influence of the Town of Corte Madera. c. Kentfield Fire Protection District Ross Valley Area Service Review & 11 April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update The Kentfield Fire Protection District is a special district formed under authority of Section 13800 of the California Health and Safety Code. The District’s boundaries include all of the unincorporated Kentfield area (see Map 4). The Kentfield Fire Protection District is governed by a five-member Board of Directors. The District employs 12 full-time professional firefighters and 20 volunteer firefighters. All District personnel are State-certified to their classification and rank. The District’s daily staffing is four firefighters, including a chief officer. Available within minutes are four neighboring automatic aid engines, twelve immediate need mutual-aid engines, and eight immediate need “wildland” mutual-aid engines. d. Sleepy Hollow Fire Protection District The Sleepy Hollow Fire Protection District (SHFPD) was established in 1949 and is responsible for fire protection and emergency services in the unincorporated Sleepy Hollow area (see Map 4). The SHFPD contracts with the Town of San Anselmo to receive these services from the Ross Valley Fire Service, a joint powers agency of the Towns of San Anselmo and Fairfax. The SHFPD has no staff or facilities. Ross Valley Area Service Review & 12 April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update e. Marin Municipal Water District The Marin Municipal Water District (MMWD) is a municipal water district authorized under Section 71000 of the State Water Code. MMWD provides water for domestic use and fire flow to the entire eastern urban corridor of Marin County south of Novato, including the entire Ross Valley study area. The topic of water service will be the subject of a separate study. General information on MMWD can be found in the San Rafael Area Service Review and Sphere of Influence study as well as on the MMWD web site at http://www.marinwater.org. Ross Valley Area Service Review & 13 April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update 3. Joint Powers Agencies Joint powers agencies (JPAs) are authorized under Section 6500 et seq. of the State Government Code. If authorized by their governing bodies, two or more public agencies may jointly exercise any power common to both through a joint powers agreement or contract. The agreement may set up a governing board composed of representatives of the contracting agencies. The inter-agency contract or agreement defines the governance and functions of the joint powers agency. LAFCOs have no jurisdiction over JPAs, but they are of interest to the service review portion of this study. Table 3 provides data on JPAs in Ross Valley. The service areas of the JPAs are shown on Map 5. Table 3. Ross Valley Joint Powers Agencies Year 2000 Area Full-Time 2005 Budget Joint Powers Agency Formed Services Population (acres) Staff ($thousand) Ross Valley Fire Service 1982 Fire protection and 22,500 9,671 24 $4.7 emergency medical services. Twin Cities Police Authority 1980 Police services for the 21,114 4,903 33 $3,800 communities of Corte Madera and Larkspur. Central Marin Sanitation 1979 Wastewater collection, 98,400 27,488 34 $6,300.0 Agency treatment & disposal. (10/04) Ross Valley Paramedic 1983 Paramedic services. 59,980 N/A 0 $19.9 Authority a. Ross Valley Fire Service In 1982, the San Anselmo Fire Department joined with the Fairfax Fire Department to form the Ross Valley Fire Service (RVFS), which is administered under joint powers authority and provides service to the towns of San Anselmo and Fairfax. The Sleepy Hollow Fire Protection District contracts with the Town of San Anselmo for fire services from the RVFS. Primary funding for the JPA is through contributions from the two towns. San Anselmo's contribution includes the estimated cost of providing services to the service area of the Sleepy Hollow Fire Protection District that the Town of San Anselmo has contracted to provide. Ross Valley Area Service Review & 14 April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update The RVFS is governed by a Board of Directors, comprised of two members from Fairfax and San Anselmo and a non-voting member appointed by the Sleepy Hollow Fire Protection District. The RVFS is administered by the Town Administrator (Executive Officer) of one of the towns, as appointed by the Board of Directors. b. Twin Cities Police Authority The Twin Cities Police Authority is a full-service police agency for the communities of Corte Madera and Larkspur. The communities consolidated police services in 1980 after a year of planning. Working under a joint powers agreement forming the Twin Cities Police Authority, the Town of Corte Madera and City of Larkspur through two selected members from each Council form the Twin Cities Police Council to develop policy for the Police Authority. Overall management of the Police Authority is the function of the Management Committee comprised of the City and Town Managers. Operation functions are assigned to the Chief of Police. c. Ross Valley Paramedic Authority The Ross Valley Paramedic Authority is a JPA whose members are the cities and towns of Ross Valley, the Sleepy Hollow Fire Protection District, and County Service Area (CSA) #27. The Authority provides emergency medical services and transport to local medical facilities for the residents of Corte Madera, Larkspur, Kentfield, Ross, San Anselmo, Sleepy Hollow, and Fairfax. Since 1983, property owners in the Ross Valley area have paid a per living unit tax of up to $30 to fund the Ross Valley Paramedic Authority. To meet the cost of paramedic services, the voters have approved special assessments on a number of occasions since 1983. A renewal of this special tax was on the November 2006 ballot in all of the communities served by the Paramedic Authority by means of Measures B (Corte Madera), C (Fairfax) , D (Larkspur), F (Ross), G (San Anselmo), J (CSA #27), K (Kentfield Fire Protection District) and O (Sleepy Hollow Fire Protection District). The proposed tax will be a maximum of $39 ($45 in Corte Madera) a year per living unit in 2007-08. Annual increases will be limited to $5 in Corte Madera and $3 in the other cities for four tax years. For commercial properties, the tax is $39 per 1,500 square feet of structure of commercial use, or 2.6 cents per square foot in 2007-08, not to exceed 3.2 cents per square foot in the fourth year of the tax. The special tax is due from every person who owns a living unit or non-residential structure within the affected areas as reflected in the rolls of the County Assessor at the same time ad valorem tax is due. The special tax is to be collected in the same manner Ross Valley Area Service Review & 15 April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update as the ad valorem tax. The Marin County Tax Collector must collect the tax and any penalty or interest due. The authority's two ambulances – one maintained by the joint agency and the other by Corte Madera – responded to 2,249 calls in 2005. d. Central Marin Sanitation Agency The Central Marin Sanitation Agency (CMSA) was formed for the purpose of constructing and operating a wastewater treatment plant for the benefit of its four members: San Rafael Sanitation District, Ross Valley Sanitary District, the City of Larkspur, and Sanitary District #2 (Corte Madera). The CMSA plant is located in San Rafael. CMSA owns and operates the sewage treatment plant, which provides modified secondary treatment, a deep-water sewer outfall line, and three transport lines from San Rafael, Larkspur, and San Quentin. CMSA serves the southern half of San Rafael, all of the incorporated and unincorporated areas of Ross Valley, and a small area of unincorporated Tiburon on Paradise Drive. The CMSA wastewater treatment facility is governed by a Board of Commissioners consisting of six Board members representing each of the joint powers member agencies as described in the Agency’s Joint Powers Agreement dated October 15, 1979. All six of the Board members are appointed by the governing boards of the CMSA’s four member agencies. The largest members, SRSD and Ross Valley Sanitary District, appoint two members each. Sanitary District #2 and Larkspur appoint one member each. CMSA Commissioners are compensated $100 per meeting. Meetings generally take place once a month. CMSA is publicly owned and operated and treats an average of approximately 11 million gallons per day (mgd). CMSA capacities vary depending on weather conditions; during dry weather conditions, the treatment plant has a capacity of 10 mgd, and during wet weather or rain-induced conditions the capacity varies from 90 to 125 mgd, depending on tidal conditions. In dry weather, flows contributed by the service area are approximately 8 mgd. Wet weather flows vary with storm events. Due to the extreme wet weather conditions, the facilities were designed with extra settling tanks, a large-capacity effluent disinfection system, and a two-mile-long, seven-foot- diameter marine outfall. The trend over the past two decades has been increasing wet weather flows from CMSA member agencies to the CMSA treatment plant. This is for the most part due to changes made by the member agencies to their wastewater transport infrastructure. Member agencies’ systems mainly rely on gravity to transport wastewater to the Ross Valley Area Service Review & 16 April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update CMSA plant. Since storm events can cause these systems to overflow, CMSA member agencies have been increasing their pumping capacity to prevent such sewer overflows. The added flow that results from this increased pumping has placed additional strain on the CMSA plant. 1 CMSA serves 52,340 equivalent dwelling units (EDUs) averaging 2.2 people per EDU or a population of approximately 115,000 (stated in EDUs) in the member agencies' combined service areas. The total operating revenue for Fiscal Year 2003-2004 was $6,319,000.00. 2 1 San Rafael General Plan 2020 Draft EIR, Public Services and Utilities Section, February 2004. 2 Central Marin Sanitation Agency web site - http://www.cmsa.us. Ross Valley Area Service Review & 17 April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update 4. County Service Areas and Other Dependent Special Districts County Service Areas (CSAs) are “dependent” special districts operated by the County within specific geographical areas in the unincorporated County to provide specific enhanced service levels. The County Board of Supervisors governs CSAs, sometimes with the assistance of an appointed advisory committee. CSAs are a method of providing a specifically defined area or community a higher level of service than the County would normally provide to all unincorporated areas. The formation process and method of financing for CSAs allow residents to decide upon service levels through approval or rejection of special assessments necessary to provide the extra increment of service. As summarized in Table 4, there are currently four active CSAs within the Ross Valley area, as follows: County Service Area #16 provides median strip and entranceway landscape maintenance through a contract with the Greenbrae Property Owners Association. This area is located in the west Larkspur-Greenbrae area, including both the unincorporated and incorporated territories to the west of Highway 101 and north of Sir Francis Drake Boulevard. The 2004/05 budget increased due to the voters of Greenbrae approving an increase in their assessment from $75.00 per year to $150.00 per year. County Service Area #17 (Kentfield Park/Police Services) provides for maintenance of Creekside Park using County landscaping maintenance crews. CSA #17’s budget increased due to contracting out maintenance for landscaping of road medians along Sir Francis Drake Boulevard. CSA #17 covers incorporated portions of Larkspur, as well as unincorporated areas around Wolfe Grade Road, Sir Francis Drake Boulevard, and the unincorporated Kentfield community. CSA #17 also provides extended police services in the Kent Woodlands community though contract with the Sheriff’s Office. County Service Area #27 (Ross Valley Paramedic) provides paramedic service through the Ross Valley Paramedic Joint Powers Authority for the areas outside of the cities and fire districts of the Ross Valley area (e.g., San Quentin and unincorporated Fairfax area). CSA #27 has been funded by a special assessment approved by the voters since 1983. The November 2006 elections raised the cap on the annual parcel tax from $30 to $48. County Service Area #31 provides structural fire protection in the unincorporated areas in Marin County served exclusively by the Marin County Fire Department (i.e., all areas outside the boundaries of cities and other special districts providing fire protection service). It is funded by a special assessment approved by the voters in Ross Valley Area Service Review & 18 April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update 1994. Areas served within the Ross Valley sphere of influence include unincorporated Fairfax, San Quentin, Greenbrae Boardwalk, Southern Sun Valley, and portions of Sleepy Hollow and Kentfield. Table 4. Ross Valley County Service Areas and Other Dependent Special Districts Year 2000 Area Full-Time 2005 Budget District Formed Services Population (acres) Staff ($thousand) County Service Area #16 1971 Parkway landscape 3,049 410 N/A $228.2 (Greenbrae) maintenance. County Service Area #17 1973 Parks & recreation facilities 11,601 N/A $1,231.4 (Kentfield-Larkspur) maintenance; extended sheriff service to Kent Woodlands. County Service Area #27 1983 Paramedic services for Ross 7,909 185 N/A $19.9 Valley area. County Service Area #31 1994 Fire service for 22,154 N/A N/A $533.0 unincorporated areas of Marin County. Murray Park Sewer N/A Sewer maintenance to 247 53 N/A $86.1 Maintenance District Murray Park neighborhood. San Quentin Sewer N/A Sewage treatment service. 32 120 N/A $221.7 Maintenance District Additional dependent special districts in the Ross Valley area are two small sewer maintenance districts, as follows: Murray Park Sewer Maintenance District is a small district that contracts with the City of Larkspur to provide sewer maintenance in an area tributary to but outside the Larkspur city limits. The sewage is treated at the CMSA plant under its contract with the City. A reserve is being retained for needed reconstruction of some of the sewer mains. Map 3 shows the boundaries of Murray Park Sewer Maintenance District. San Quentin Sewer Maintenance District is a small district serving San Quentin Village, an area that, until 1986, contracted with the State Department of Corrections for sewage treatment. Funds are budgeted to pay the District’s share of a pump station to move the sewage to the CMSA plant. Funds budgeted are charges from Sanitary District #1 and line maintenance as well as a special assessment of $175 per household. It is anticipated that this district will eventually be absorbed by a larger district, and adequate reserves are needed to cover any related costs. Map 3 shows the boundaries Ross Valley Area Service Review & 19 April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update of the San Quentin Sewer Maintenance District. E. PROJECTED AREA GROWTH AND SERVICE DEMAND - POPULATION GROWTH As noted earlier in this report, LAFCO is required to consider present and planned land uses and the need for public facilities and services when reviewing adopted spheres of influence. The following sections describe trends in population, housing, employment and land use that will affect the provision of local government services in the Ross Valley study area. 1. Marin County a. Growth in Marin Marin County’s population was 247,289 in 2000, according to the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG). Between 2000 and 2015, Marin County is projected to add 23,900 residents, a total increase of 9.6 percent, or less than one percent annually. Marin will become the slowest growing county in the Bay Area after 2015, adding only four percent to its population between 2015 and 2030. During the period, 2000 to 2020, Marin County is expected to add 21,880 jobs and to have about 630 fewer jobs than employed residents in the year 2020. Population and Employment3 One factor limiting Marin’s population growth is the county’s aging population. As in other Bay Area counties, the average age of Marin’s existing residents is increasing. By 2030, more than 35 percent of the county’s population will be over 60 years of age. In contrast, the over-60 age cohort represented only about 14 percent of the county’s population in 1980. In 2000, it was 18 percent. The rapid aging of the county’s population will have broad public policy implications for the provision of public and private services. Growth in population in the County is currently limited by the lack of available land for development, opposition by residents to increasing the densities of their communities, and fears of increasing traffic congestion, among other factors. While slowing technology sales and reduced tourism since 2001 have hurt Marin employment, slight job growth is expected to continue from 2005. While Marin’s economy has become more diversified, limitations on the amount of land suggest job 3 Marin Housing Workbook, February 2002, page 2-1; Marin County Housing Element, June 3, 2003. Ross Valley Area Service Review & 20 April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update growth will occur more slowly than in the rest of the Bay Area. Development Potential and Planning Policy The Marin Countywide Plan contains policies that protect “community separators” between communities in the city-centered corridor and reflect a high level of public interest in protecting remaining open space lands. Of Marin County’s 520 square miles of land area, only 11 percent are developed in urban uses and only 5 percent of the remaining land is potentially developable under existing policies. Agricultural lands make up 36 percent of the County’s total area, park lands represent 33 percent, and the remaining 15 percent are in public or private open space use. 4 Traffic Congestion and Transportation Traffic in Marin County is a major issue, with commuters coming from areas outside of Marin. Southbound Highway 101 is one of the most congested highways in the region, with the commute between Novato and San Rafael on Highway 101 ranking the eighth worst in the Bay Area (2001).5 Traffic congestion management is likely to be a factor that affects the rate and location of future population growth. b. Housing Need Marin County’s fair share of the regional housing need within the unincorporated areas is a total of 521 units for the period from January 1999 to June 2007. Of this total, 85 units (16.3 percent) must be affordable to very-low-income households, 48 units (9.2 percent) must be affordable to low-income households, 96 units (18.4 percent) must be affordable to moderate-income households, and 292 units (56.0 percent) must be affordable to above-moderate-income households (see Table 5). For comparison, the County estimates that 39 percent of all Marin County households fall in the very low- and low-income categories. 4 Marin County Issues and Trends Report, Chapter 1, page 5, www.future-marin.org. 5 Marin County Congestion Management Agency, Marin County Board of Supervisors, Marin County Transit District, “Moving Forward - A 25-Year Transportation Vision for Marin County.” Ross Valley Area Service Review & 21 April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update 2. Ross Valley Study Area The Ross Valley study area includes the cities of San Anselmo, Fairfax, Corte Madera, Larkspur, and Ross and the unincorporated communities of Kentfield, Greenbrae Boardwalk, San Quentin, Sleepy Hollow, Lower Sun Valley, and unincorporated Fairfax. Sir Francis Drake Boulevard is the major tie that binds the communities together. Other features shared by Ross Valley communities include Corte Madera Creek, which flows through the valley; public service and school districts; and traffic arterials other than Sir Francis Drake Boulevard. In an urban area such as central Marin County, land use, transportation, and environmental problems transcend the boundaries of individual cities. Many of these problems can be solved only through a pooling of effort that cuts across political and geographical boundaries. a. Historic Growth Table 5. Historic Population Growth in Ross Valley Area (1950 – 2000) 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 Corte Madera 1,933 5,962 8,464 8,074 8,272 9,100 Fairfax 4,078 5,813 7,661 7,391 6,931 7,319 San Anselmo 9,188 11,584 13,031 12,053 11,743 12,378 Ross 2,179 2,551 2,742 2,711 2,180 2,329 Larkspur 2,905 5,710 10,487 11,064 11,070 12,014 Total Ross 20,283 31,620 42,385 41,293 40,196 43,140 Valley Towns Source: Association of Bay Area Governments website; historical census (http://www.bayareacensus.ca.gov/) By 1900, small communities in Ross Valley were forming around the nuclei of railroad stations in Corte Madera, Larkspur, San Anselmo, and Fairfax, and the valley was dotted with grand landscaped estates. The population grew slowly until the opening of the Golden Gate Bridge in 1937; growth accelerated in the post-Word War II housing boom, and by the 1950s the last dairies in Sleepy Hollow and in the Sorich Creek basin had closed. The lower reaches of the Corte Madera watershed had mostly been developed; parts of the remaining areas had been set aside as parks and nature reserves. Table 5 and the chart below illustrate population growth in Ross Valley communities between 1950 and 2000. Today, intermediate elevations are characterized by low-density residential development. The upper reaches of the Corte Madera watershed are dedicated to recreation and domestic local water supply. The areas where large development Ross Valley Area Service Review & 22 April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update projects can occur are very few, but infill development and redevelopment of existing 6 residential and urban areas are continual. 1950 - 2000 Population Growth for Ross Valley Cities 14000 12000 10000 8000 6000 4000 2000 0 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 Dates noitalupoP San Anselmo Fairfax Corte Madera Larkspur Ross b. Current and Projected Population and Employment According to the Marin County Community Development Agency, the total 2000 population in the planning areas (planning areas are defined as the city or town’s Sphere of Influence) of the Ross Valley area was 59,980 (see Table 6). The Ross Valley area’s population is projected to grow by approximately eight percent between 2000 and 2020. This is slower than the Bay Area as a whole, but in line with expected growth in Marin County. Similar to current conditions, Ross Valley is expected to contain about 23 percent of the county’s population and about 20 percent of the county’s jobs in the year 2020. Below is a chart showing employment by occupation for the incorporated areas of Ross Valley based on 2000 Census data. As the chart shows, 57 percent of occupations were Management jobs, 25 percent were Sales or Office jobs, 10 percent were Service positions, 5 percent were in Construction, 3 percent were in Production, and less than 1 6 Friends of Corte Madera Watershed web site (http://www.friends.org/ws/watershed.html) Ross Valley Area Service Review & 23 April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update percent were in Farming/Forestry. Of the total number of jobs, almost 20 percent were held by self-employed workers. Occupations in the Incorporated Areas of Ross Valley for 2000 Management/ Professional 5.2% 2.9% Service 0.2% 24.7% Sales/ Office 57.0% Farming/Fisheries/ Forestry Construction 10.0% Production/ Transportation c. Trends Population and Employment In the past, population growth in the Ross Valley area has resembled trends throughout Marin County (see Tables 6 and 7). It is anticipated that Ross Valley’s population growth will continue to resemble countywide growth into the future because of the following factors. Limited Land Supply The county and cities have a shortage of remaining vacant land designated for development. The majority of vacant land consists of individual lots, rather than large parcels. Only a few vacant large parcels remain undeveloped in the Eastern Urban Corridor of the County (including the Easton Point property on the Tiburon Peninsula and St. Vincent’s/Silveira in San Rafael). The towns in Ross Valley have approximately 44 vacant parcels ranging from 0.10 acre to 9 acres that are zoned for residential use. However, the majority of these parcels are considered undevelopable due to steep slopes and limited access. Ross Valley Area Service Review & 24 April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update Table 6. Ross Valley Study Area Population Projections (2000 - 2020) 1990 20002 2010 2020 Change % Change 2000-2020 2000-2020 Corte Madera 8,272 9,100 9,700 10,300 1,200 13.2% Corte Madera 9,242 9,800 10,400 1,158 12.5% Planning Area1 Fairfax 6,931 7,319 7,400 7,600 281 3.8% Fairfax 8,482 8,700 8,900 352 4.1% Planning Area San Anselmo 11,743 12,378 12,500 12,800 422 3.4% San Anselmo 14,860 15,000 15,300 560 3.8% Planning Area Ross 2,180 2,329 2,420 2,480 151 6.5% Ross 2,592 2,420 2,480 151 6.5% Planning Area Larkspur 11,070 12,014 12,500 13,900 1,886 15.7% Larkspur 24,804 25,300 27,500 2,696 10.9% Planning Area Total Planning 59,980 61,220 64,580 4,917 8.2% Areas 1 Planning areas are defined as the city or town’s Sphere of Influence. 2 2000 population source - Marin County Community Development Agency Source: Association of Bay Area Governments, Projections 2005 Tables 22, 24, 26, 28, and 30 (in Chapter III) show existing population and potential housing units in the study area’s cities and unincorporated communities. Estimates of potential units are based on existing general plans and zoning and reasonable estimates for limited increased housing development with implementation of housing programs proposed in recent housing elements. The limited availability of land constrains development potential in the Ross Valley study area, as in other communities in Marin County. Ross Valley Area Service Review & 25 April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update Table 7. Number of Housing Units in Ross Valley Towns (1990 – 2000) 1990 2000 Difference % Change Corte Madera 3,717 3,850 133 3.6 Fairfax 3,225 3,418 193 6.0 San Anselmo 5,330 5,408 78 1.5 Ross 759 805 46 6.1 Larkspur 5,966 6,413 447 7.5 Total 18,997 19,894 897 4.7 Source: Association of Bay Area Governments, 1990 and 2000 Census data High Cost of Land and Housing The limited supply of land and high demand for this land will keep the price of development sites and existing housing prices high throughout Marin County. Recent information indicates that vacant lots are available in Fairfax for prices ranging from $65,000 (0.11 acre) to $4,950,000 (98 acres). Vacant lots are also available in Corte Madera from $399,000 (0.21 acre) to $887,000 (0.16 acre) and in Ross from $775,000 (0.23 acre) to $1,850,000 (4.0 acres). 7 Between 1993 and 2000, the median home sales price in Marin County increased from $314,250 to $523,000. The median price for a single-family detached home in Marin County in January 2006 was $960,000, a nearly 13-percent jump over the January 2005 median. Table 8 shows average and median housing prices in the Ross Valley area for 2005. 7 www.realtor.com, April 2006 Ross Valley Area Service Review & 26 April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update Table 8. Average and Median Housing Sales Prices for 2005 Single-Family Homes Condos & Town Homes 2005 2005 2005 2005 City Average Price Median Price Average Price Median Price Corte Madera $1,124,195 $1,010,000 $629,963 $615,000 Fairfax $868,087 $787,500 $518,463 $517,000 San Anselmo $1,058,562 $934,500 $558,438 $513,500 Ross $2,794,064 $2,192,500 N/A N/A Larkspur $1,389,868 $1,329,000 $615,667 $574,500 Kentfield $2,311,167 $1,800,000 $581,200 $600,000 Greenbrae $1,329,418 $1,255,000 $581,700 $535,000 N/A – not available Source: The Marin Report (http://westbayre.com/anewsletter.htm) Jobs/Housing Balance Table 9 shows the jobs/housing balance for the towns in the Ross Valley area. The communities in Ross Valley have a wide range of ratios of residents per job, ranging from 2.62 for Fairfax’s Sphere of Influence to 0.73 for Corte Madera’s Sphere of Influence. Larkspur and Ross are more balanced than the other communities. Not shown in this table is the mismatch between job type and employed residents in the Ross Valley area. Wages of a large proportion of service jobs provide insufficient income to pay high local rents and housing costs. This requires local employers to rely on workers commuting to the area from other communities and local employed residents to commute to higher-paying jobs in other employment centers. Ross Valley Area Service Review & 27 April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update Table 9. Jobs/Housing Balance in Ross Valley Area Employed Residents Per 2000 Estimates for 2020 Job Planning Employed Employed Area Jobs Households Residents Jobs Households Residents 2000 2020 Corte 6,940 3,850 5,090 7,580 4,300 6,120 0.73 0.81 Madera Fairfax 1,980 3,778 5,191 2,200 3,910 5,780 2.62 2.63 San 5,990 6,130 8,545 6,020 6,300 9,480 1.43 1.57 Anselmo Ross 860 761 930 900 800 1,060 1.08 1.18 Larkspur/ 12,950 8,743 12,930 14,770 9,880 15,330 0.99 1.04 Kentfield Note: Based on city spheres of influence. Source: Association of Bay Area Governments Household Characteristics As of January 2000, there were 19,894 housing units in Ross Valley towns. Of these, 62 percent were single-family detached units, six percent were single-family attached units, nine percent were in structures of 2 to 4 units, and 23 percent were in structures with five or more units. Multi-family housing comprises 32 percent of the housing stock in Ross Valley. Of the total housing units in Ross Valley, 61 percent were owner- occupied, 36 percent were renter-occupied, and 3 percent were vacant. Table 10 shows households by type in Ross Valley. Ross Valley Area Service Review & 28 April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update Table 10. Households by Type for Ross Valley (2000) Total Single Non- House- Family Single Person Non- family hold Family Age Person Age Family Age Total Age Jurisdiction Households 65+ Households 65+ Household 65+ Households 65+ Corte 2,472 536 937 296 367 60 3,776 892 Madera Fairfax 1,813 252 1,029 245 464 43 3,306 540 San 3,191 559 1,511 386 565 60 5,267 1,005 Anselmo Ross 626 146 97 40 38 14 761 200 Larkspur 2,901 758 2,650 903 591 71 6,142 1,732 Total Ross 11,003 2,251 6,224 1,870 2,025 248 19,252 4,369 Valley Source: 2000 Census In 2000, there were 19,252 households in the Ross Valley Area towns, of which about 57 percent were family households and about 32 percent were single-person households. Similar to Marin County as a whole, occupants of 23 percent of all households in Ross Valley are age 65 or more. Traffic Congestion and Transportation Auto traffic congestion is a major problem on the major arterials extending through Ross Valley towns to Highway 101: Sir Francis Drake Boulevard in Fairfax, San Anselmo, Ross, and Kentfield; Madera Boulevard in Corte Madera; and Corte Madera Avenue, Magnolia Avenue, College Avenue, and Doherty Drive in Larkspur. Towns and cities in Ross Valley are continually trying to provide opportunities for viable modes of transportation other than the single-occupant vehicle, such as biking, walking and transit. This is demonstrated by the cities’ active involvement in the Marin Countywide Bicycle/Pedestrian Master Plan, Transportation Authority of Marin, and the cities’ individual Bicycle/Pedestrian Master Plans and supporting programs such as “Safe Routes to School”. Safety improvements such as installing new sidewalks, crosswalks, pavement markings, and warning lights and signs and implementing traffic calming methods are examples of what Ross Valley cities have done to provide and encourage alternative modes of transportation. Significant expansion of the traffic capacity of the existing arterial street network has not been a part of city and county transportation planning. Ross Valley Area Service Review & 29 April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update The Corte Madera Bicycle Transportation Plan notes that the Town spends approximately $50,000 per year on bikeway improvements. Recent improvements included resurfacing and maintenance of existing paths, and installation of landscaping. The primary large project identified by the Town is a bicycle/pedestrian Highway 101 overpass south of Tamalpais Drive, estimated to cost $2,000,000. This would allow cyclists to avoid using the existing high-volume vehicular Tamalpais Drive overcrossing. Marin County prepared a Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan in June 2001 that addresses countywide bicycle and pedestrian systems. The Plan contains various goals and objectives for maintenance of existing systems as well as possible construction or upgrades to improve the system to meet the needs of county bicyclists and pedestrians. The Plan indicates that improvements to bicycle and pedestrian systems would create expanded opportunities for non-vehicular travel in the area through greater interconnectivity between the various cities in the County. A number of possible improvement projects are identified in and around Corte Madera, including: • Reopening of the Alto Tunnel (a former Northwestern Pacific Railroad tunnel running from the terminus of Tunnel Lane in Corte Madera south to near Underhill Road in Mill Valley). The tunnel is partially collapsed and would require substantial work to reopen. An estimated 800 people per day would use the tunnel if reopened. • Construction of a Corte Madera Creek Trestle, linking Corte Madera and Larkspur near the Greenbrae Boardwalk. • Construction improvements for the Cal Park Hill Tunnel linking Larkspur and San Rafael farther north of the Greenbrae Boardwalk. d. Land Use The communities in the Ross Valley study area are primarily residential, with tracts of open space in the unincorporated Fairfax area and parts of Corte Madera. The towns of Ross, Fairfax, Larkspur, and San Anselmo have small downtown areas with a number of community retail centers, while Corte Madera has two major shopping centers – Corte Madera Town Center and The Village. Larkspur’s retail centers include Bon Air Shopping Center and Larkspur Landing. Table 11 shows land use by acreage in the Ross Valley area. As the table shows, there are 3,710 acres of single-family homes, comprising 41.2 percent of the total land area. There are 394 acres of multi-family housing in the Ross Valley area, comprising 4.4 percent of the total land area. The City of Larkspur has the most multi-family housing in the area, with 113 acres representing 28.7 percent of the multi-family housing total in Ross Valley Area Service Review & 30 April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update Ross Valley. Developed unincorporated areas such as Sleepy Hollow and Kentfield tend to have a greater proportion of single-family housing than areas within the City boundary. Combined parks, recreational, and open space areas account for 2,325 acres, or 25.8 percent of the land in the area. Commercial and industrial uses are very limited in the study area, with approximately 402 acres or 4.4 percent of the land area. Table 11. Land Use by Acreage in Ross Valley Area Communities Single- Multi- Parks/ Commercial Family Family Open and Public Total Residential Residential Space Industrial Land Other Acreage Corte 649 86 1,266 135 28 697 2,861 Madera Fairfax 749 86 196 28 7 356 1,422 San 1,010 93 223 45 4 330 1,705 Anselmo Ross 672 16 51 32 27 186 984 Larkspur 630 113 589 162 54 493 2,041 Total 3,710 394 2,325 402 120 2,062 9,013 Source: Marin County Community Development Agency e. Housing Demand and Development Potential Housing Needs Between 1990 and 2000, the towns of Ross Valley added 897 housing units to the housing stock, for an average of almost 90 units per year. According to the Association of Bay Area Governments, total projected housing need in the area is 716 additional units between 2001 and 2007, or approximately 120 units per year.8 Of the total projected need, 132 of the units are for very-low-income households, 68 are for low-income households, 194 are for moderate-income households, and the remaining 322 are for above-moderate-income households. The towns of Ross Valley have very little vacant land within their present boundaries. 8 Association of Bay Area Governments, Regional Housing Needs Determination, 2001– 2007 Housing Element Cycle. Ross Valley Area Service Review & 31 April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update Limitations on Growth Because the Ross Valley area has little remaining vacant land available for large-scale development, building on smaller or underutilized sites scattered throughout the towns will be of primary importance in meeting housing needs. Encouraging new housing development at appropriate densities, promoting mixed-uses where housing can be incorporated into existing areas of commercial-only or industrial-only uses, and supporting continued development of second units will help make more intense use of land resources and help address Ross Valley’s housing needs. The towns of Ross Valley are capable of serving projected growth within current town boundaries. Because future development is planned to occur as infill, police, fire and wastewater collection services may be extended on an incremental basis not requiring restructuring of existing town service departments. Many of the unincorporated pockets already receive services directly from the towns through contractual arrangements with the County or special districts or through joint powers agreement. The towns of Ross Valley have shown little interest in promoting annexation of developed unincorporated areas because annexation would require substantial public investment to bring infrastructure up to the towns’ standards. Chapter III contains tables estimating existing and potential housing units for each city and unincorporated area in Ross Valley. According to the County’s estimates, the maximum buildout population projection (2030) in the unincorporated portion of the current sphere of influence of all of the towns in Ross Valley combined is 17,665. This number represents an increase of 4.7 percent over the 2000 population of 16,864. It is also projected that the incorporated portions of the towns in Ross Valley will have a 2030 buildout population of 48,292, representing an increase of 11.9 percent over the 2000 population of 43,140. Continued growth to these projections is in line with growth expected for Marin County as a whole. CHAPTER II. SERVICE REVIEWS A. NEW REQUIREMENTS FOR SERVICE REVIEWS In 1997, the State Legislature enacted AB 1484, establishing the Commission on Local Governance for the 21st Century (CLG). The members of the CLG were appointed by the Governor and represented a broad spectrum of constituent groups and perspectives including counties, cities, special districts, educators, industry, and elected officials. The Commission was asked to assess governance issues and make appropriate recommendations, directing special attention to the Cortese-Knox Local Government Reorganization Act of 1985, the 57 Local Agency Formation Commissions (LAFCOs) governed by the Act, and citizen participation in local government. The results of those efforts were summarized in Growth Within Bounds, published in January 2000. In Growth Within Bounds, the Commission reported that: LAFCO’s legislated directives imply that each LAFCO has comprehensive knowledge of the services available within its county, the current efficiency of providing service within various areas of the county, future needs for each service, and expansion capacity of each service provider. Although some LAFCOs may have access to such essentials, many do not, and the Cortese-Knox Act offers no mechanism for assisting and encouraging them to gather the basic necessary information. The Commission believes that such provision should be added to the statute. Information on public service capacity could be gathered as part of the implementation of a new requirement for periodic service reviews. LAFCOs could conduct such reviews prior to or in conjunction with amendments to spheres of influence. A service review would encompass a comprehensive study of each identifiable public service provided by counties, special districts, and the cities in the region. The review would not focus exclusively on an individual jurisdiction to determine its future boundary or service areas. Rather, it would require LAFCO to look broadly at all agencies within a geographic region that provide a service. The review would also include a component that examines the benefits or disadvantages of consolidation or reorganization of service providers. LAFCOs should be provided flexibility in designating the geographic area to be analyzed, the timing of conducting particular reviews, and the scope of the reviews.9 The State Legislature recognized the validity of the Commission’s findings and codified a process that could be used to collect information and evaluate service provision from a broader perspective. The process for conducting service reviews is provided in Section 56430 of the Government Code. Section 56430 requires that in 9 Commission on Local Governance for the 21st Century, Growth Within Bounds, pages 98-99. Ross Valley Area Service Review & 33 April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update order to prepare and to update spheres of influence in accordance with Section 56425, LAFCOs are required to conduct a service review of the municipal services provided in the county or other appropriate designated area. LAFCOs must include in the area designated for service review the county, the region, the sub-region, or other geographic area as is appropriate for an analysis of the service or services to be reviewed and must prepare a written statement of its determination with respect to each of the following: • Government structure options, including advantages and disadvantages of consolidation or reorganization of service providers; • Infrastructure needs or deficiencies; • Growth and population projections for the affected area; • Financing constraints and opportunities; • Cost avoidance opportunities; • Opportunities for rate restructuring; • Opportunities for shared facilities; • Evaluation of management efficiencies; and • Local accountability and governance. In conducting a service review, LAFCOs must comprehensively review all of the agencies that provide the identified service or services within the designated geographic area. In addition, service reviews are to be conducted before, or in conjunction with, but no later than the time it is considering an action to establish a sphere of influence (pursuant to Section 56430 of the Cortese-Knox-Hertzberg Act) or update a sphere of influence (pursuant to Sections 56425 or 56426.5). The Commission on Local Governance for the 21st Century advised and recommended that “A service review should not replace designations or updates of spheres of influence, but should be conducted in the establishment or amendment of any spheres.”10 10 Commission on Local Governance for the 21st Century, Growth Within Bounds, page 99. Ross Valley Area Service Review & 34 April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update B. LEVEL OF ANALYSIS For this initial set of service reviews associated with the periodic review of spheres of influence in the Ross Valley area, the scope of the service review will be confined to municipal-type services provided by the County of Marin, the cities of Ross Valley, and various special districts within the Ross Valley sub-region with the exception of Marin Municipal Water District. For purposes of these service reviews, "municipal- type services" will include the following broadly defined categories: • Wastewater Collection, Treatment, and Disposal • Fire and Emergency Medical Services • Police and Traffic Enforcement Services • Street and Landscape Maintenance • Parks and Recreation This report will examine all of the above categories for the Ross Valley area. Domestic water and wastewater recycling will be the subjects of subsequent service reviews. A service review should encompass a comprehensive study of all agencies that provide an identified service or services within the designated geographic area. In other words, the process does not focus exclusively on each individual jurisdiction to determine its future boundary or service areas, but takes into account other agencies that are empowered to provide the same service. Further review of existing service provisions may also be undertaken at the request of affected agencies or individuals under LAFCO’s adopted policies and procedures for amendment of spheres of influence.11 C. TYPES OF REORGANIZATION ALTERNATIVES Service review requirements often focus on discussion of government structure options, including consolidation of existing cities and special districts. Under current State law, “consolidation” has a particular meaning, but changes to the organization of cities and special districts may take on several different forms separately defined in the Cortese-Knox-Hertzberg Act. Those different types of organizational changes are described below. 1. Functional Consolidation 11 LAFCO Policies, Procedures & Guidelines, Chapter IV, Section 4. Ross Valley Area Service Review & 35 April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update Cities and/or special districts often agree to work together to provide a service or accomplish a service objective. Examples range from simple letter agreements between managers to formal contracts adopted by resolution of agency governing boards to joint exercise of power agencies formed under Government Code Section 6500. The principle behind such agreements is that two or more agencies may jointly exercise any power that each participating agency may exercise individually. Such contractual service arrangements do not alter the governance or boundaries of existing agencies and generally do not require approval by LAFCO. This report refers to these service arrangements collectively as examples of “functional consolidation” in contrast to other forms of “political consolidation” that do affect governance or boundaries of existing agencies and require LAFCO approval. 2. Subsidiary Districts According to Government Code Section 56078, “subsidiary district means a district of limited powers in which a city council is designated as, and empowered to act as, the ex officio board of directors of the district.” Subsidiary districts are used to establish a city council as the governing board of a previously independent special district, presumably when independent governance of the district is no longer needed and the city council is able to provide adequate political accountability for provision of the service. Establishment of a subsidiary district does not require that all of the district’s jurisdictional area lie within the city’s boundary. A minimum of 70 percent of the affected district’s jurisdictional area and 70 percent of the district’s registered voters must overlap or lie within the city’s boundary (Government Code Section 57105). 3. Merger According to Government Code Section 56056, “merger means the extinguishments, termination and cessation of the existence of a district of limited powers by the merger of that district with a city as a result of proceedings taken pursuant to [this] division.” The functions of the merged district then become functions of the merging city and are governed by the city council. 4. Consolidation According to Government Code Section 56030, “consolidation means the uniting or joining of two or more cities located in the same county into a single new successor city or two or more districts into a single new successor district. In the case of Ross Valley Area Service Review & 36 April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update consolidation of special districts, all of those districts shall have been formed pursuant to the same principal act.” Fire protection districts operating under Section 13800 of the Health and Safety Code could consolidate with other fire protection districts, or two municipal water districts operating under Section 71000 of the State Water Code could consolidate under the formal definition in the Cortese-Knox-Hertzberg Act. However, a municipal water district could not consolidate with a county water district because county water districts are formed under a different section of the State Water Code (Section 30000). In order for two agencies set up under different enabling statutes to become one agency, some different form of reorganization would be required as described below. 5. Dissolution According to Government Code Section 56035, “dissolution means the dissolution, disincorporation, extinguishment, and termination of the existence of a district and the cessation of all its corporate powers, except for the purpose of winding up the affairs of the district.” Dissolution might be proposed if a special district no longer provided service or if its service functions could be undertaken by a city, the county or another special district. 6. Reorganization According to Government Code Section 56073, “reorganization means two or more changes of organization initiated in a single proposal.” This very general concept can be employed to combine two or more change of organization. Examples might include: • Annexation of territory to a city and dissolution of a special district that provided service to the annexing area; • Annexation of territory to a city and detachment of the same area from a special district of another city; or • Consolidation of two special districts and annexation of a city’s jurisdiction to the consolidated district. Ross Valley Area Service Review & 37 April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update D. WASTEWATER COLLECTION, TREATMENT, AND DISPOSAL Several agencies provide for wastewater collection and treatment in the Ross Valley area. Sanitary District #1 (SD1) provides sewage collection for most of the Ross Valley area except for the Town of Corte Madera and portions of the Tiburon Peninsula area, which are served by Sanitary District #2 (SD2). Sewage is then transported to the Central Marin Sanitation Agency for treatment and disposal. Map 2 shows the study area and the sewer service providers. 1. Government Structure Options The examination of alternative organizational structures for sewer service in the Ross Valley area is limited by the definition of this report’s study area. Ross Valley is served by SD1, SD2, and the Central Marin Sanitation Agency (CMSA), a joint powers agency (JPA) that includes one other partner agency, San Rafael Sanitation District, with its service area in San Rafael. In 2005, CMSA conducted an internal strategic business planning effort, concluding that “. … the current structure [of the JPA], does not adequately allow the [member] agencies to collectively address their needs and therefore it is not viable.” CMSA retained Red Oak Consulting to identify consolidation alternatives and facilitate CMSA’s approach to defining the need for its own organizational change. The report, Central Marin Regionalization Scenarios Evaluation (March 2, 2005), accepted by the CMSA governing board, recommends that CMSA implement modifications to the CMSA Joint Powers Agreement while researching and moving forward toward consolidation as a single special district. However, the six-member board could not agree on any subsequent action in pursuit of the report’s recommendations or further steps toward organizational change. In late 2006, CMSA board members voted to proceed with further study of “regionalization,” directing its staff to retain new consultants and design additional study approaches for review. LAFCO staff will aid CMSA consultants in describing implementation procedures for consolidation alternatives. Sanitary District #1 and CMSA have recently acted to combine office and corporation yard facilities at the CMSA plant. A draft use agreement was completed in December 2006 with expectations of the sanitary district moving into modular buildings on the CMSA campus in spring 2007. Ross Valley Area Service Review & 38 April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update a. Status Quo – No Change This alternative would include annexations of un-served areas within current spheres of influence (e.g. un-served areas within special district spheres of influence), changes to contractual arrangements between existing agencies, and the possible dissolution of County-governed sewer maintenance districts in Murray Park and San Quentin Village conducted by the Board of Supervisors. (Dissolution of maintenance districts does not require approval by LAFCO.) Advantages/Incentives Disadvantages/Obstacles Some portions of existing collection systems in poor condition, subject to Service Level, Possible extension of service to un- significant inflow/infiltration. CMSA Operations, served areas, enhanced environmental treatment plant currently at permitted or Efficiency protection. capacity for wet weather flows. Expansion or management alternatives needed. Rising costs and regulatory requirements, Possible cost savings to annexing declining property tax revenue. No Cost Savings homeowners, elimination of on-site mechanism for coordinating or combining wastewater system maintenance. collection system maintenance functions between agencies. Accountability for collection system through direct election to CMSA member No direct election of CSMA board Political agency boards. Policy coordination members controlling sewage treatment Accountability between City of Corte Madera and functions. Obsolete participation of Sanitary District #2 through common Larkspur on CMSA board. staff and governing board. Ross Valley Area Service Review & 39 April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update b. Consolidated Ross Valley Sanitary District Under this alternative, consolidation of Sanitary Districts #1 and #2 would result in a single independent sanitary district operating all sewage collection facilities in the Ross Valley area. The consolidated sanitary district would still be a member agency of CMSA with the San Rafael Sanitation District. Advantages/Incentives Disadvantages/Obstacles Expanded scale and coordination of Service Level, collection system maintenance programs Separate rate zones and reserve funds Operations, under a single jurisdiction. Possible needed for each pre-existing agency to or Efficiency pathway to consolidation of all CMSA protect ratepayer equity. members. Greater available economies of scale for Stranded management costs in Corte collection system maintenance, Modest Madera Public Works Department. Cost Savings management cost efficiencies and Connection between SD2 programs and reduction in costs of governing boards. City resources would be severed. Simplified government structure. Equal Amendment of CMSA joint exercise of Political and direct political representation for powers agreement needed, including Accountabilit incorporated and unincorporated area discontinuation of Larkspur as a voting y ratepayers in SD2 area. member. c. Consolidation of CMSA Member Organizations Under this alternative, "consolidation" of Sanitary Districts #1 and #2 with the San Rafael Sanitation District would result in a single sanitary district operating all collection, treatment, and discharge facilities of all CMSA members. This alternative would be simplified if preceded by consolidation of Sanitary Districts #1 and #2. The existing joint exercise of powers agreement for CMSA would be dissolved. The City of Larkspur would have no further role in governance of the sewer system. Ross Valley Area Service Review & 40 April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update Advantages/Incentives Disadvantages/Obstacles Integrated responsibility for collection treatment and disposal throughout Separate rate zones required for each Service Level, consolidated service area, simplified pre-existing agency's service area to Operations, or government structure. Improved maintain equity among ratepayers of Efficiency management efficiency under single three previous agencies. organization. Unified maintenance standards for collection systems. Stranded management costs in Town Increased availability of economies of of Corte Madera and City of San Cost Savings scale for maintenance of collection Rafael. Personnel costs likely to rise system, management cost savings. to the higher costs of the two consolidating agencies. Complex implementation. Multiple Equal political accountability for elections likely. Amendment of CMSA Political incorporated and unincorporated joint exercise of powers agreement Accountability ratepayers. Direct election of governing needed, including discontinuation of board members. Larkspur as a voting member. 2. Infrastructure Needs or Deficiencies All agencies operating sewage collection systems are now subject to new requirements of the Regional Water Quality Control Board. Where the previous regulatory system focused on the effectiveness of treatment plants, the new regulations focus on the integrity of sewage collection systems. New regulations require reporting of all sewage spills of any size and the creation of sewage system management plans (SSMPs). Requirements for content of SSMPs effectively mandate the assessment, monitoring, and improvement of collection systems to control inflow and infiltration and other measures to assure public health and safety. Although the requirements do not set specific minimum standards of service, the result is similar in partially removing the discretion of sewer agencies to defer maintenance needs and subjecting collection agencies to litigation. Most sewer agencies in Marin County have or are planning to raise sewer service rates to cover the costs of needed capital improvements and/or enhanced maintenance procedures. Ross Valley Area Service Review & 41 April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update Treatment capacity at the CMSA plant is not sufficient to sustain the existing trend toward increasing wet weather flows due to severe inflow and infiltration in member agencies collection systems. CMSA is pursuing new management strategies and capital improvements to treatment facilities to meet the peak demand during wet weather created by the significant deterioration of the member agency collection systems and increased pumping capacity, effectively transporting inflow and infiltration effects downstream to the CMSA treatment plant. Average dry weather flow to the CMSA treatment plant from all member agencies is approximately 8 million gallons per day (mgd) and has remained at that level since 1985. Since the early 1990s, wet weather (maximum daily) flows have continued to increase from about 4 times the dry weather flow in 1990 to 13.5 times the dry weather flow currently. Flows from the storm of December 31, 2005 flooded the CMSA treatment plant. The large capacity and planned capital improvements to CMSA treatment facilities (construction through 2009) will continue to mask the effects of inflow and infiltration in member agency collection systems. Ross Valley Sanitary District has conducted comprehensive studies of the sewer system. A detailed sewer system assessment has created priorities for upgrading the system and bringing it up to modern standards. District engineers investigated the condition of 500 manholes, and each of the pump stations and pressurized mains as well as reviewing the operations and maintenance activities of the District. 3. Growth and Population Projections for the Affected Area Projected growth in the study area is expected to be very moderate in relation to existing population, as discussed in Chapter I. While the County’s population is expected to grow approximately 10 percent by 2020, the Ross Valley area expects population growth of approximately 8 percent in the same time period. The amount and rate of expected population growth in unincorporated areas within the Ross Valley vary significantly from area to area (see Chapter III, Tables 22, 24, 26, 28, and 30). General Plan buildout capacity for some areas is subject to additional planning for development or redevelopment. 4. Financing Constraints and Opportunities Operations, maintenance, and infrastructure of wastewater systems are supported by fees set at needed levels by the governing boards of the sewer agencies. CMSA costs are supported by proportional contributions of its member agencies, which include treatment costs in their budgets. Pressure to increase sewer rates in all sewer agency jurisdictions is currently growing due to the need to address deteriorated collection Ross Valley Area Service Review & 42 April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update system facilities and rising personnel, insurance, and regulatory costs. Although sewer service fees must directly reflect the costs of providing sewer service, the governing boards are not otherwise constrained in raising fees to required levels. 5. Cost Avoidance Opportunities Reorganization or enhanced cooperation among Sanitary District #1, Sanitary District #2, and CMSA are not likely to produce significant savings due to the disparate nature of the three organizations, their facilities, service areas, management, and governance. On a contractual basis, Sanitary District #1 and CMSA have agreed to combine office and corporation yard facilities at the CMSA site. This action will remove the need for new facilities previously planned by Sanitary District #1. Although the districts take as many opportunities as they can to cross-train their employees, many services are outsourced. Because of the small size of these organizations, the limited services performed, and tightly defined job parameters, there is less opportunity for promotion than there would be in a larger, more full- service wastewater utility. 6. Opportunities for Rate Restructuring Because Sanitary District #1 is not able to receive property taxes from the residents of the City of Larkspur, those customers pay a higher sewer service charge ($292 per equivalent dwelling unit [EDU] annually) than customers located elsewhere in the Sanitary District #1 service area ($215 per EDU annually). However, the difference between the two rates has been decreasing as residents in the Sanitary District #1 service area contribute proportionally less money to Sanitary District #1 through property tax. San Quentin Prison is billed based on average water usage that is measured quarterly. Sanitary District #1 has raised its rates approximately 3 to 6 percent each year since 1999 to keep up with rising costs of operation, capital projects, and treatment. Fiscal Year 2005 is the last year of authorized rate increases, so Sanitary District #1 is planning to conduct a rate study. As with all of the districts, the CMSA treatment charge of $119 per EDU per year is built into Sanitary District #1’s rates. All three CMSA members will monitor the need for rate increases to address needed improvements to collection systems. 7. Opportunities for Shared Facilities Other than the previously described agreement between Sanitary District #1 and CMSA to share the CMSA site, opportunities for shared facilities between Sanitary Districts #1 and #2 and CMSA are unlikely to produce significant advantages due to Ross Valley Area Service Review & 43 April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update the disparate nature of the three organizations, their facilities, service areas, management, and governance. Sanitary Districts #1 and #2 are collection-only sewer agencies. CMSA operates a treatment plant only. Opportunities for management cost efficiencies or other economies of scale may be greater within the membership of the four CMSA organizations. 8. Evaluation of Management Efficiencies Daily management of Sanitary District #1 is carried out by a full-time District Manager who oversees 19 staff members and report to the Board. Sanitary District #2 technically has no employees; rather, Town of Corte Madera Public Works Department employees provide services to Sanitary District #2 on a part-time basis. Management of Sanitary District #2 is administered by the Director of Public Works of the Town of Corte Madera. The Director oversees a Superintendent of Public Works who also functions as the Superintendent for Sanitary District #2 and oversees a staff of 13 Public Works employees. Sanitary District #2 relies heavily on outside contractors for engineering, sewer maintenance, and construction work, including a maintenance agreement with CMSA. Management efficiency of the sewer service function in the study area would probably be most enhanced by consolidation of Sanitary Districts #1 and #2 to form a single sanitary district serving the Ross Valley area. A single sanitary district would be able to pursue possible economies of scale in the maintenance of the collection systems now operated by the two separate agencies and other, more minor operational costs. These cost savings would be minor, however, and would create short-term cost impacts (‘stranded management costs’) on the Corte Madera Public Works Department. Other implementation issues, including the creation of separate rate zones, are discussed in Section 1 above. 9. Local Accountability and Governance Sanitary District #1 is governed by a five-member Board of Directors directly elected by the voters of the District. Sanitary District #2 is a subsidiary district governed by the five-member Corte Madera Town Council. Both agencies are members of CMSA with the San Rafael Sanitation District, governed by a three-member board appointed by the County Board of Supervisors and the City of San Rafael. Overall, governance and accountability for the sewer service function are divided among elected and appointed officials, board members responsible only for sewer service, and those with responsibility for multiple municipal services. In addition, the operation of the CMSA treatment plant is governed by board members appointed by its member agencies, including the City of Larkspur, which is no longer engaged in any aspect of sewer Ross Valley Area Service Review & 44 April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update service. Recent studies and discussions at CMSA have touched upon the need to develop alternatives for simplifying governance for sewer service. The CMSA board has re- started studies of government structure alternatives, including consolidation of Sanitary Districts #1 and #2 and consolidation of all three operating members of CMSA to form a single sanitary or sanitation district. LAFCO staff is participating in CMSA studies. Full consolidation would result in equal accountability for incorporated and unincorporated area residents and integration of responsibility for collection and treatment functions. Ross Valley Area Service Review & 45 April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update E. FIRE AND EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES Fire protection and emergency medical services in the Ross Valley area are provided by Ross Valley Fire Service (RVFS), Kentfield Fire Protection District, Sleepy Hollow Fire Protection District (SHFPD), Town of Corte Madera Fire Department, Town of Ross Fire Department, and City of Larkspur Fire Department, as shown on Map 3 and Table 12. Each of the six agencies providing service in the study area is responsible for structural fire protection and emergency medical services within its boundaries. However, the locations of fire stations, the complex jurisdictional boundaries, and the small size of the six agencies require them to work together to provide continuous service throughout the study area. Each agency has contractual agreements with one or more of the others to fill gaps in service provision, as follows: • Agreements among Town of Fairfax, Town of San Anselmo, and SHFPD. The Ross Valley Fire Service (RVFS) was created in 1982 under a joint powers agreement between the Towns of Fairfax and San Anselmo to provide fire protection, emergency medical and related services within the Fairfax-San Anselmo area. Primary funding for the RVFS is through contributions from the two towns. San Anselmo's contribution includes the estimated cost of providing services to the Sleepy Hollow area that the Town of San Anselmo has contracted to provide. The RVFS is governed by a Board of Directors, consisting of two members appointed by each town and one (non-voting) member from Sleepy Hollow. The Authority is administered by the Town Administrator (Executive Officer) of one of the towns, as appointed by the Board of Directors. • County Agreements with Ross Valley Fire Service. The County does not operate any fire stations in the Ross Valley area. The agreements between the Ross Valley Fire Service and the County allow efficient fire protection service to unincorporated areas in Fairfax and sharing of costs between the RVFS and the County. • Agreements between Town of San Anselmo and SHFPD. In 1956, Sleepy Hollow Fire Protection District (SHFPD) signed a service agreement with the Town of San Anselmo for fire protection based on assessed values and on mutually shared expenses. In 1976, Sleepy Hollow voters approved a special tax to re-establish independent fire protection service and to end the contract with San Anselmo. In 1979, SHFPD and San Anselmo signed a 25-year contract based on percentage of Ross Valley Area Service Review & 46 April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update total labor cost. In 2002, SHFPD proposed to become a voting member of the RVFS and to increase its share of fire protection costs. However, a revised joint powers agreement was not approved by the RVFS board. In 2004, SHFPD signed a 5-year “evergreen” contract with San Anselmo, based on the old 23 percent of labor cost contract. SHFPD agreed to pay 25 percent for two years to help with San Anselmo’s budget shortfall. Table 12. Summary Data – Ross Valley Emergency Service Agencies City/District Services Service Area Stations Staff Budget Population (sq. mi) (FTE) ($ million) Ross Valley Fire Fire protection 22,500 7.3 3 25 4.7 Service City of Fire protection, 12,014 3.65 2 16 2.5 Larkspur fire inspection, code enforcement Kentfield Fire Fire protection 6,375 3.8 1 12 3.3 Protection and emergency District medical service, hazardous materials first responder, fire inspection, code enforcement Town of Corte Fire protection 9,600 4.0 2 25 3.0 Madera Sleepy Hollow Fire protection 2,464 1,554 0 0 0.9 Fire Protection District Town of Ross Fire protection 2,329 1.6 1 4 1.1 All areas of the County are within the service area of a city or a special district empowered to provide emergency services (such as a fire protection district) or are under the responsibility of the Marin County Fire Department. Within the Ross Valley study area, the Marin County Fire Department provides service to the Fairfax unincorporated area and Marin General Hospital as well as providing wildland fire protection services that are typically the responsibility of the California Department of Forestry (CDF). The Marin County Fire Department provides wildland fire protection in the unincorporated portion of Fairfax through County Service Area #31. Ross Valley Area Service Review & 47 April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update Fire protection districts are authorized by Section 13800, et seq., of the State Health and Safety Code. A fire protection district may provide fire protection services including ambulance services, rescue and first aid services, clearing of land, adoption of fire prevention ordinances, issuance of burning permits and dissemination of fire prevention information. A district may establish special fire protection zones when improvements are made that benefit only a portion of the district or for similar purposes. A district may consist of any incorporated and unincorporated territory that has not been declared the responsibility of the state for wildland fire protection. The district board may be three, five or seven members directly elected or, in some cases, appointed by a city council or the Board of Supervisors. All of the agencies listed in Table 12 provide services such as structural fire protection, emergency medical, emergency preparedness, rescue, hazardous materials mitigation, fire prevention, and plan-checking services. These services are provided uniformly throughout the study area by mutual aid agreement, joint powers agreements, and other contracts. “First-in” or order of response assignments are made on the basis of proximity, not jurisdiction, under the auspices of the Marin County Mutual Aid System and the Marin Emergency Radio Agency (MERA). The response standard or goal adopted by member agencies is to enable response to calls for medical assistance with advanced life support capability within 5 minutes for at least 90 percent of all such calls. The six emergency service agencies in Ross Valley operate a total of 10 fire stations and employ a total of 78 full-time equivalent (FTE) personnel. Table 13 shows call volume data for each agency. Calls for service for each agency are approximately proportional to their budgets and populations. Table 13. Ross Valley Fire Agencies – 2004/05 Calls for Service Town Town of Kentfield City of Ross Valley Call Type of Ross Corte Madera Fire Larkspur Fire Service Structural Fire 4 29 10 46 30 Other Fire 3 19 18 138 23 Paramedic N/A 745 675 790 1,095 Other 357 461 199 385 776 Ross Valley Area Service Review & 48 April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update 1. Government Structure Options As described above, each of the fire service agencies in the Ross Valley area has a contractual relationship with one or more other agencies in addition to its own service responsibilities. The contractual relationships (including mutual aid and automatic aid) make up for some of the deficiencies in station location and disadvantages of small- scale organizations. All of the Ross Valley fire protection agencies and labor organizations are currently involved in study of organizational alternatives to further enhance service efficiency. A consultant has been retained to define alternatives and preliminary strategies for restructuring this service. Study participants focused on requirements for addressing service level deficits and existing revenue sources. Organizational alternatives and implementation issues for those alternatives have not yet been considered in detail. Phase I of the study has been completed. Public presentation information was released on April 6, 2007 and is included in this report as Attachment A. The study may proceed to a second phase if results maintain the interest of the affected agencies. LAFCO staff will provide support for development of organizational alternatives and the study of implementation issues. Organizational alternatives and their variations fall within two general categories or strategies: enhancement of the status quo through further development of joint powers agreements and formation of a new independent fire protection district. The two general alternatives are summarized below. a. Development and Expansion of Joint Powers Agreements Existing joint powers agreements could be extended or new joint powers agreements created to further enhance service efficiency. Ross Valley Fire Service could be expanded to add additional jurisdictions; Kentfield Fire Protection District could form partnerships with the Town of Ross or the City of Larkspur; the existing Twin Cities Police Authority could be expanded to encompass fire protection for Corte Madera and Larkspur; Ross Valley Paramedic Service could be expanded to encompass fire protection service. Ross Valley Area Service Review & 49 April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update Advantages/Incentives Disadvantages/Obstacles Increased organizational scale may allow reductions in management costs, Service Level, greater efficiency in overtime and Operations, disability leave, unified training, or Efficiency equipment and procedures. Reduced reliance on mutual aid. Reduced personnel costs (chief officers); elimination of redundant Dissimilar rates of compensation. purchases for apparatus, reduced Possible incompatibility of retirement Cost Savings maintenance of reserve equipment, systems. Possible aggregate increases in building space, training facilities, cost of employee benefits. supplies, maintenance services. Unified information management systems. Ease of implementation through Political contracts between existing agencies. Loss of political accountability – no direct Accountability Reversible if not successful. election of governing board. Ross Valley Area Service Review & 50 April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update b. Expanded or Consolidated Fire Protection District Under this alternative, a new or expanded fire protection district would replace fire protection service responsibilities of all five Ross Valley cities, the Kentfield and Sleepy Hollow fire protection districts, and the Ross Valley Fire Service. The new district would also assume responsibility for paramedic services. Advantages/Incentives Disadvantages/Obstacles Increased organizational scale may allow reductions in management costs, greater Service Level, efficiency in overtime and disability Operations, leave, unified training, equipment and or Efficiency procedures. Reduced reliance on mutual aid. Reduced personnel costs (chief officers); Requires permanent transfer of property elimination of redundant purchases for tax revenues from cities to new district. apparatus, reduced maintenance of Financial equity difficult to attain for all Cost Savings reserve equipment, building space, agencies. May require new special tax training facilities, supplies, maintenance measures in some areas. Possible services. Unified information aggregate increases in cost of employee management systems. benefits. Direct representation, election of district board members. District board may be Complex implementation likely to require expanded to include board members of step-by-step consolidation process. Loss Political predecessor agencies. Consolidations of ability to weigh competing service Accountability would require voter approval unless priorities in multi-purpose agencies there is unanimous consent of (cities) consolidating boards. Ross Valley Area Service Review & 51 April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update 2. Infrastructure Needs or Deficiencies Ross Valley Fire Service has three fire stations that were constructed in the 1960s and 1970s. Fire Station 19 was constructed in 1976, Station 20 in 1963, and Station 21 in 1974. Very little has been done in the way of improvements since these dates. These buildings were designed with a much simpler and far less comprehensive service in mind. A modern facility is needed to house more equipment, secure drug storage, archived records and many computer workstations. The existing building for the Kentfield fire station was completed in 1968; it is approximately 10,000 square feet, two-story, tilt-up construction, and houses the offices and apparatus of the Kentfield Fire Protection District. Additional space is leased to the Marin County Sheriff’s Office as a sub-station. The District is currently accepting bids for developing a Fire Station Modernization Plan. The scope of the proposal includes office and living space modernization, health and safety, including seismic standards review, addressing access/Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) issues, energy conservation, and evaluation and modernization of mechanical systems. Larkspur has two fire stations. Fire Station #1 is expected to undergo extensive rehabilitation, including structural repairs to bring the station up to seismic safety requirements, and redesign to better accommodate its use as a fire station. Fire Station #2 was demolished and replaced with a new station in 1990. The new station is designed in two modular sections, one for an engine room, and the other for an office/living unit. The two stations are adequate to meet present and future demand for fire and medical emergency services since the City is substantially developed. The Ross Town Council is considering a building remodel or rebuild for the Town’s fire station in the context of the current study of fire service consolidation. Ross Valley Fire Service is working with Fairfax and San Anselmo to perform flood damage repair and other improvements to three fire stations. 3. Growth and Population Projections for the Affected Area The aging population and changing medical environment may affect future demand for emergency medical service throughout the study area. The rate and total amount of population growth anticipated for the study area is moderate and will not require major expansion of the facilities and operations of the existing agencies. Ross Valley Area Service Review & 52 April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update 4. Financing Constraints and Opportunities The towns of San Anselmo and Fairfax are both experiencing problems with budget shortfalls that affect the overall service levels of the towns. San Anselmo recently sought voter approval of revenue enhancement measures for an additional revenue source without success. The Town is evaluating various measures to cut costs by eliminating personnel, closing parks, and limiting library hours, thereby reducing service levels. With the passage of Measure F in 2005, the Town of Fairfax has gained parcel tax revenues of $465,000 per year to augment its general revenues. The proceeds of the tax will be used at the discretion of the Town Council for Town facilities and services, including fire protection. This is a short-term source of revenue, however, and it will be crucial for the Town to develop a strategic plan to address additional revenue sources in the future. 5. Cost Avoidance Opportunities Overall, the six fire protection agencies in the study area have taken advantage of opportunities to minimize overlapping service responsibilities, redundant facilities, and other costs. The contractual relationships of the towns of Fairfax and San Anselmo with the Ross Valley Fire Service are examples of agencies pursuing available opportunities to avoid costs. Further cost avoidance opportunities for Marin County fire agencies generally lie in their ability to spread management costs over larger and larger organizations through functional or political consolidation. The current fire service consolidation study is expected to generate specific strategies for cost-saving measures. 6. Opportunities for Rate Restructuring Fire and emergency services are funded primarily from the property tax and other general revenues. Sources of general revenue are subject to significant requirements for voter approval and other restrictions limiting the ability of local government boards to make adjustments to changing costs. There are no significant consumer rates or fees for fire protection and emergency services that could be productively restructured to address existing service needs or revenue shortfalls. However, the RVFS and its constituent cities believe that the level of compensation for responding to calls for service from the approximately 750 housing units in Ross Valley Area Service Review & 53 April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update unincorporated areas around Fairfax and San Anselmo is currently insufficient, given the volume of calls. The RVFS is seeking to renegotiate its service agreement with the County, seeking greater compensation through County Service Area #31. 7. Opportunities for Shared Facilities The City of Larkspur, Town of Corte Madera, Kentfield Fire Protection District, Town of Ross, and Ross Valley Fire Service executed a joint fire engine purchase in 2006. The Kentfield Fire Protection District is currently sharing resources with other Marin fire agencies, such as by conducting live fire training with the RVFS. The District co- sponsored a grant proposal to obtain, with the Ross Fire Department and Ross Valley Fire Service, a portable self-contained breathing apparatus re-filling trailer. This piece of equipment allows firefighters to re-fill breathing air bottles during emergency events. In addition to contractual arrangements for sharing of station and service areas among the County, fire departments, and districts, the County operates dispatch services for most of the cities in Marin County through the Dispatch Communication Center located in San Rafael. There have been discussions regarding sharing one dispatch center countywide. A central dispatch system would be an opportunity for further regional cooperation and functional consolidation that would reduce cost to the taxpayers and improve service. 8. Evaluation of Management Efficiencies The City of Larkspur, the Kentfield Fire Protection District, and the Town of Ross are in the process of considering a consolidation of fire services to create management and other service efficiencies. The six organizations providing service to the Ross Valley study area respond to the challenges to management efficiency on a continuing basis. With the exception of the Marin County Fire Department, the organizations serving the area are small, serving populations of 2,000 to 22,000, but must perform a wide range of emergency service functions. The six organizations approach the inherent management inefficiency of the existing structure through functional consolidation of service (e.g., Ross Valley Paramedic Authority joint powers agreement) and through continuing interest in further consolidation. 9. Local Accountability and Governance The fire districts and departments of the Ross Valley area are each governed by either independent boards or by the applicable City or Town Council. Officials responsible for fire protection are directly elected in the Town of Corte Madera, Town of Ross, City Ross Valley Area Service Review & 54 April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update of Larkspur, and Kentfield Fire Protection District. Officials responsible for fire protection in the Towns of Fairfax and San Anselmo are appointed to the governing board of the Ross Valley Fire Service. Residents of the Sleepy Hollow area receive service from the Ross Valley Fire Service, but have no representative on the RVFS governing board; the Sleepy Hollow Fire Protection District contracts with the Town of San Anselmo for service and has only a non-voting member appointed to the RVFS governing board. Expansion of the service area of RVFS could result in inclusion of the Sleepy Hollow Fire Protection District as a member agency. Information on services provided by all fire protection agencies in Ross Valley is communicated to the public through regular board meetings, a well-developed budget process, and web sites operated by the cities and special districts. Web sites or web pages for Ross Valley Fire Service and Ross Valley Paramedic Service are provided by member agencies. F. POLICE AND TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT SERVICES The Ross Valley area has four agencies that are responsible for police and traffic enforcement services in the incorporated areas. Table 14 provides a summary of the services provided by these departments. Table 14. Summary Data – Ross Valley Area Police Services Police Population Number of Officers per Annual Cost of Police Department 1 Sworn Officers 1000 Residents Budget Services per Served Authorized 2004/05 Resident Fairfax 7,200 12 1.66 $1,850,243 $257 San Anselmo 12,400 18 1.45 $3,076,487 $248 Twin Cities 21,450 35 1.66 $5,296,746 $247 2 2,200 8 3.6 Unavailable Unavailable Ross 1 Population figures were obtained from the California State Department of Finance, Demographic Research Unit. All other figures were obtained from the individual agencies. 2 Budget and cost of service figures are unavailable for the Ross Department of Public Safety as their budget figures are not broken down between police and fire services. Source: San Anselmo Police Department, 2004 Annual Report The Marin County Sheriff’s Office is responsible for law enforcement services in the unincorporated areas of Ross Valley, including extended service provided to the Kent Woodlands area under County Service Area #17. The exceptions are traffic enforcement, traffic complaints, vehicle accidents, and auto theft investigations. These Ross Valley Area Service Review & 55 April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update activities are handled by the California Highway Patrol in unincorporated areas. The police departments in the Ross Valley area respond to calls for emergency service in unincorporated areas on a “first in” basis as needed. The Marin Emergency Radio Authority (MERA) is a countywide public agency consisting of the County, all cities and towns, fire districts, and other special districts that joined together to replace the aging and obsolete public safety communications system. This radio system is used by member agencies in law enforcement, fire management, emergency medical, road maintenance, transit, public works, schools, and local government, and by other county-based entities in Marin County. This system unifies public safety response, making it possible for members to communicate more effectively and efficiently with each other and within individual departments. It is designed to allow regional or wide area communication between dispatch centers and mobile units of agencies operating throughout the county. All of the cities, fire and police agencies in the Ross Valley area are members of MERA. The Sheriff's Office provides preventative patrol and responds to calls for service within four sub-regional areas of the County that are each served by a sub-station or the Marin County Civic Center Station. The four service areas are further divided into patrol beats. The unincorporated areas of Ross Valley study area are covered by the Kentfield sub-station located in the Kentfield Fire Protection District station at College Avenue and Sir Francis Drake Boulevard. The Sheriff's Office provides patrol service to open space preserves, crime prevention, investigation, and other specialized services. The Sheriff's Office also operates the County's Office of Emergency Services, including its agreement to coordinate the emergency response plans of other agencies. The County Communications Center provides dispatch services to the Sheriff's Office, the County Emergency Medical Services Program, and to 15 other fire and police agencies in Marin County. The Communications Division assigns a total of 45.5 full- time equivalent positions to its functions and budgets total expenditures of approximately $3.8 million. The Marin County Major Crimes Task Force provides a centralized investigative unit to assist local law enforcement agencies primarily in drug-related activity that no single jurisdiction can effectively deal with alone. The County Sheriff's Office, the California Highway Patrol, and cities in Marin County are members of this Task Force, which is organized as a joint exercise of powers agreement funded by contributions of member agencies, grants and asset forfeitures. 1. Government Structure Options Ross Valley Area Service Review & 56 April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update City and town police departments in the Ross Valley area currently provide police services to approximately 72 percent of the population of the study area, with the County Sheriff’s Office providing service to Kentfield and other unincorporated areas. City police also respond to calls for emergency service in unincorporated areas within their spheres of influence on a “first in” basis as needed. County Sheriff’s Office personnel also respond in support of city and town police when requested. Organizational alternatives to the existing service arrangements are not available beyond eventual annexation of unincorporated areas to the cities and expansion of contractual service relationships, such as the Twin Cities Police joint powers agreement. The towns of Fairfax and San Anselmo are studying methods of consolidating their police departments with the aid of Police Officers Standards and Training, which released its preliminary report to the towns in January 2007 (see Attachment B). The report estimates potential cost savings sufficient to merit further action12 and recommends that the towns organize a facilitated workshop for elected officials to determine if there is sufficient support for additional study. The study does not define (or assume) specific service levels to be provided or the form of contract under which services would be instituted. Further study will be necessary if San Anselmo and Fairfax wish to proceed. 2. Infrastructure Needs or Deficiencies The facility where the San Anselmo Police Department is housed was built in the 1970s and does not meet current building code standards. It is located in a flood plain and requires a major retrofit to comply with current earthquake and flood standards for a public safety facility. The main Twin Cities police facility is located in the City of Larkspur at the entrance to Piper Park on Doherty Drive. There is an annex located approximately 75 yards to the rear of the main station. Another facility is located in Corte Madera that is used for the police crime lab and storage. Twin Cities’ current police facilities are inadequate due to insufficient electrical capacity and other limitations. Corte Madera and Larkspur are developing a proposal to build a new 14,820-square-foot police facility on the existing site. The funding mechanism for the new facility will require a bond measure that will be presented to the voters in 2007. The Fairfax Police Department offices are currently under renovation. Building 12 Management restructuring and enhanced control of overtime costs could result in savings of up to $425,000 per year. Ross Valley Area Service Review & 57 April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update renovations for the Ross Police Department are also pending approval by the Town Council. 3. Growth and Population Projections for the Affected Area According to the Marin County Community Development Agency, the Ross Valley planning area had a population of 59,980 in 2000, with a projected average growth of less than 1 percent per year. This projected population growth will create moderate increases in demand for local law enforcement services. The County Sheriff’s Office and cities in Ross Valley area have the capacity to continue to provide police services to current residents plus forecasted population growth. 4. Financing Constraints and Opportunities The towns of San Anselmo and Fairfax are both experiencing problems with budget shortfalls that affect the overall service levels of the towns. San Anselmo unsuccessfully sought voter approval of revenue enhancement measures in 2005. The Town continues its efforts to cut costs while preserving service levels. San Anselmo and Fairfax are studying consolidation of their police departments in an effort to reduce management costs and maximize service. With the passage of Measure F, the Town of Fairfax has gained parcel tax revenues of $465,000 per year to augment its general revenues. The proceeds of the tax will be used at the discretion of the Town Council for Town facilities and services, including police services. In 2007, the Town of Corte Madera and City of Larkspur plan to place a funding measure on the ballot for a new facility to house the Twin Cities Police Authority. 5. Cost Avoidance Opportunities Changes to local government boundaries or organization or other activity undertaken by LAFCO. The cities continue to investigate cost savings available from functional consolidation of existing police departments, such as the current effort undertaken by Fairfax and San Anselmo described in Section 1 above. 6. Opportunities for Rate Restructuring Police service in the Ross Valley area is not funded by user fees or other rates that could be restructured to have an impact on service functions paid from general purpose revenues. Ross Valley Area Service Review & 58 April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update 7. Opportunities for Shared Facilities The San Anselmo Police Department currently provides 24-hour-a-day, 365-day-a-year police dispatch services for the Marin Community College District Police Department. This contract has been in effect for several years and is currently in the process of being renewed. The San Anselmo Police Department also received grant funding to provide eight zero-emission, electric-powered vehicles to five different police agencies within Marin County to be used in parking enforcement. The police departments receiving these vehicles are San Anselmo, Fairfax, Ross, Sausalito, and the Marin Community College District. Police departments within Ross Valley work cooperatively with other police agencies in the county on such programs as the "Avoid the 13" campaign against drunk driving, the "Safe Routes to School" program, and numerous other community-wide programs. Staff has identified no additional opportunities for shared facilities in this service function. 8. Evaluation of Management Efficiencies The budget processes and budget documents adopted by Ross Valley cities are generally informative on the nature of city services, allocation of resources to those services, performance measures, and projections; the documents are written in plain language for a general audience. In addition, city police departments develop and maintain management information to evaluate department operations and tracking of service information by type and beat area or reporting district. The cities and the County maintain an effective cooperative working relationship, especially with regard to law enforcement information. The County Sheriff's Office and city departments have not yet adapted their data collection and reporting methods to work with the emerging MarinMap geographic information system. Geographic information technology and the participation of cities and the County in development of MarinMap may eventually benefit law enforcement agencies in the Ross Valley area. The County and Ross Valley cities currently maintain geographic data through computer-assisted dispatch systems. 9. Local Accountability and Governance Information on services provided by the police departments in the Ross Valley study area is clearly communicated to the public through City Council meetings, a well- developed budget process with annual audits, and web sites operated by the cities. Ross Valley Area Service Review & 59 April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update Public accountability for service provided by the Marin County Sheriff is applied over a much broader geographic area and a much larger organization compared to a city police department. The County Sheriff is an elected official. The Sheriff is directly accountable to the public for the activities of the Sheriff’s Office within the budget set by the County Board of Supervisors. The Sheriff’s Office publishes an annual report and periodically conducts surveys of the public’s satisfaction with the services it provides. G. STREET AND LANDSCAPE MAINTENANCE The public works departments in the Ross Valley area perform maintenance on streets, sidewalks, publicly owned landscaped areas, parks, and storm drainage system infrastructure. Table 15 summarizes street and landscape maintenance responsibilities of the Ross Valley public works departments. Table 15. Street and Landscape Maintenance Responsibilities – Ross Valley Town/City Street Lane Number of Park Acreage Street Medians Miles Traffic Signals Corte Madera 27 13 36.5 acres 1.6 miles San Anselmo 57 12 N/A 36,000 square feet Fairfax 28.5 3 8.4 acres 1.5 acres Larkspur 10 7 120.3 acres N/A Ross 11.2 2.5 12 N/A The Marin County Department of Public Works (DPW) maintains a total of 840 lane miles of road, assigning a total of 56 full-time equivalent positions and a total budget of $12 million. The County DPW operates two corporation yards in San Rafael and Nicasio. Local street and road needs are divided into two categories: 1) pavement, which includes rehabilitation or reconstruction of existing roads, plus preventive maintenance to extend pavement life; and 2) non-pavement, which includes related roadway maintenance or features such as storm drains, traffic lights, pedestrian walkways, retaining walls, storm damage, or curb cuts for wheelchair access. Despite the approval of Proposition 42 funding for road maintenance activity in 2002, the Governor and Legislature invoked emergency provisions allowing the suspension Ross Valley Area Service Review & 60 April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update of its provisions, thereby preventing adequate funding for street maintenance for several years. Since then, significant preventative maintenance projects have not been a part of the County’s road maintenance program, resulting in a backlog of deferred maintenance projects currently estimated at $150 million. The more recent passage of Proposition 1A compels the State to fully allocate gas tax revenues to city and county road funds except during declared emergencies. Gas tax revenue will be fully restored beginning in Fiscal Year 2007-08. The State may eventually “pay back” funds “borrowed” from gas tax revenues as required by Proposition 1A. Restoration of customary funding for road maintenance will remain insufficient to fully provide for long-term service needs. Cities and counties may appropriate additional funds for road maintenance from general sources of revenue, but rarely do so due to service demands in other program areas (e.g., public safety and social services). The County has appropriated $20 million from various revenue sources over five years to increase road maintenance programs. New State infrastructure bond funding proposed by the Governor may or may not add new funding for road maintenance. In Marin County, Measure A passed in the November 2004 election and increased sales tax by ½ percent beginning April 1, 2005. Measure A will fully fund and accelerate completion of the Highway 101 Carpool Lane Gap Closure Project through San Rafael. Measure A will also fund local transit, roadway and highway projects as well as maintenance and improvement of bikeways, sidewalks, and pathways. The following projects in the Ross Valley area are sponsored by the Transportation Authority of Marin (TAM) and funded by Regional Measure 2, a $1.00 increase in bridge tolls on the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge that was approved by voters in 2004. • Greenbrae Corridor Improvement Project. The Greenbrae Corridor Improvement Project was proposed to address transportation problems and traffic congestion along the Highway 101 corridor from south of Tamalpais Drive to north of Sir Francis Drake Boulevard in central Marin County. TAM is currently in the process of retaining a consulting firm to initiate further studies and begin the development of improvement alternatives. • East Sir Francis Drake Boulevard Improvements. The East Sir Francis Drake Boulevard Project provides an additional westbound through lane that extends under Highway 101 and east for approximately 500 feet. Construction began in fall 2005 and was completed in July 2006. Ross Valley Area Service Review & 61 April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update • Cal Park Hill Tunnel Rehabilitation and Pathway Improvements. This project will create a mile-long Class 1 pedestrian and bicycle pathway connecting southern San Rafael and northern Larkspur through a rehabilitated railroad tunnel within California Park Hill. • Central Marin Ferry Connection. This proposed project will create a pedestrian and bicycle pathway beginning at Wornum Drive heading north up and over Corte Madera Creek, providing access to the Larkspur Ferry Terminal and the Cal Park Hill project. In Fairfax, Measure F was approved in June 2005, which has helped improve the financial situation of the Town. This measure was an increase in parcel tax for continued levels of police and fire service, matching funds for public works grant projects, public works safety improvements, and reinstatement of the after-school youth program. It is a 5-year tax that offsets the fiscal shortfall that the Town has experienced from State funding reallocations and increases in pension costs, health care, and other insurance. Measure F added $465,000 to the 2005/06 budget. However, Measure F is a flat tax and will not increase over time, and it is considered a short-term benefit to the budget. In spring 2006, Caltrans awarded the Town of Fairfax grant funding in the amount of $132,200 for installation of a high-visibility crosswalk, safety lighting, warning signs, and pavement marking across the intersection of Sir Francis Drake Boulevard and Marin Road-Oak Tree Lane. The grant funds come from the Caltrans’ Hazard Elimination Safety Program. The need for this improvement was identified by the Fairfax Safe Routes to School committee as a part of the longer-term vision of providing sidewalks along Sir Francis Drake Boulevard, installing a pedestrian bridge adjacent to the Marin Road auto bridge, and implementing traffic calming methods at the intersection to slow vehicular speeds and reduce pedestrian crossing distances. 1. Government Structure Options Organizational alternatives for street maintenance and related facility maintenance service provided by the cities and the County in Ross Valley are not available beyond eventual annexation of unincorporated areas to the cities and possible city/County contractual relationships for maximizing efficient use of maintenance facilities such as corporation yards or specialized equipment. City annexations in Ross Valley have been rare in the past 20 years and have affected fewer than 25 acres total. LAFCO is not involved in contractual arrangements for services between public agencies. 2. Infrastructure Needs or Deficiencies Ross Valley Area Service Review & 62 April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update Ross Valley cities require substantial investment in their roadway systems to address deferred maintenance due to past and present funding allocation shortfalls. Deferred maintenance has contributed to the decline of driving conditions in the entire area and could significantly increase future maintenance costs. Flooding in December 2005 had created significant problems with infrastructure in many areas of Ross Valley. In the Town of Ross, there is now a need for flood control infrastructure improvements. Also, damage to Sir Francis Drake Boulevard due to heavy rains and floods has created a need for repairs to improve traffic flow and increase bicycle/pedestrian safety. 3. Growth and Population Projections for the Affected Area According to the Marin County Community Development Agency, the Ross Valley planning area had a population of 59,980 in 2000, with a projected average growth of less than 1 percent per year. The cities of Ross Valley have the capacity to continue to provide additional street and landscape maintenance to current residents plus low- level population growth at current (insufficient) service levels. 4. Financing Constraints and Opportunities See general discussion of maintenance service above. 5. Cost Avoidance Opportunities Staff has not identified cost avoidance opportunities in the maintenance of streets or other public facilities in the Ross Valley area that would be either enhanced or inhibited by LAFCO actions. 6. Opportunities for Rate Restructuring This criterion is not applicable to maintenance of roads and other public facilities, as these services are not supported by fees subject to restructuring. 7. Opportunities for Shared Facilities Staff has not identified opportunities for shared facilities for road maintenance in the Ross Valley study area. The only road maintenance facilities subject to sharing would be the corporation yards operated by the cities. Consolidation or sharing of corporation yard facilities may offer limited cost savings or operational advantages. The Town of Ross Valley Area Service Review & 63 April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update Corte Madera and City of Larkspur have conducted related studies of public works facilities. 8. Evaluation of Management Efficiencies As described earlier in this chapter, both the cities and the County operate a variety of mechanisms for the managing reserves, training staff, and communicating programs and priorities with the public. The management process specific to road maintenance is the operation of “pavement management systems” (PMS) for evaluating road condition and maximizing the effectiveness of road maintenance expenditures during each fiscal year. All of the cities and the County use PMS processes. 9. Local Accountability and Governance Information on services provided by public works departments in the Ross Valley study area is clearly communicated to the public through governing board meetings, a well-developed budget process with annual audits, and web sites operated by each city and the County. Ross Valley Area Service Review & 64 April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update H. PARKS AND RECREATION The Marin County Open Space District was created in 1972 and was given the power to levy a tax of up to 10¢ per $100 of assessed property value to acquire and maintain open space, park and recreational lands. The Marin County Department of Parks, Open Space and Cultural Services and the Open Space District provide large amounts of public open space (4,855 acres in ten preserves) for hiking, equestrian, and passive recreational use, but very limited facilities for sports, leisure education, and cultural enrichment. This is typical of county governments in California, which most often serve dispersed rural or suburban populations. Residents of more rural areas of Marin County have greater access to different types of recreational opportunities (such as hiking, boating, and equestrian activities) that are a part of living outside urbanized areas. The particular geography of Marin County assures that residents of cities have unusually broad access to natural areas and passive recreation opportunities. An extensive collection of open space preserves is located in and around the Ross Valley area. Owned and maintained by the Marin County Open Space District, these areas provide for the preservation and restoration of natural resources, particularly in the ridge lands, and their related habitats. There are 11 open space preserves in and adjacent to the Ross Valley area (see Map 5): • Blithedale Summit • Camino Alto • Alto Bowl • Tiburon Ridge • Ring Mountain • Cascade Canyon • Loma Alto • White Hill • Bald Hill • King Mountain • Baltimore Canyon Recreational services in the Ross Valley area are facilitated through a number of programs offered by the various departments, with most programs being self-funded through user fees. Programs offered by the departments include youth and adult sport leagues, summer camps, child care, senior programs, and special events. Ross Valley Area Service Review & 65 April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update The current budget situation in San Anselmo has resulted in a diminished service level for park maintenance, as has been the case with other departments within the Town. Much of the park maintenance and clean-up is performed by volunteer groups, and both Lansdale Station Park and Millennium Playground at Memorial Park were built by volunteer teams using donations from neighbors, contractors, and local businesses. Tables 16 through 20 list park and recreational facilities for each of the cities in the study area. Table 16. Town of Corte Madera Parks and Recreational Facilities PARK SITE SIZE PARK FACILITIES (ACRES) Town Park 22.7 Picnic area, softball and soccer fields, tennis courts, basketball courts, playground, skate park, restrooms and parking lot. Primarily Town-owned. Joint use agreement (JUA) with Larkspur School District for small portions of playfields. San Clemente Park 8.5 Softball field, picnic area, volleyball area, restroom and parking lot. Larkspur School District owns site; JUA with Town for park use expires in 2017. Granada Park 0.5 Tennis court, picnic area and parking area. Reed School District owns site; JUA with Town for park use expired in 2005. Skunk Hollow Mini- 0.25 Playground and picnic area. On-street parking Park required. Town-owned. Menke Park 1.0 Picnic area, bandstand/pavilion, parking lot. County owns old transportation right-of way; Town owns remainder of site. Bayside Trail Park 2.75 Hiking trail area in linear park. Caltrans owns site, with JUA with Town. Higgins Landing 0.1 Small boat house, dock. On-street parking required. Town-owned. Shorebird Marsh Park N/A Marsh area situated between Highway 101 and Ecological Preserve designated park. Ross Valley Area Service Review & 66 April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update Table 17. City of Larkspur Parks and Recreational Facilities PARK SITE SIZE PARK FACILITIES (ACRES) Bon Air Landing Park 0.75 Fishing dock, sitting area, and picnic facilities. Dolliver Park 2.5 Tot lot equipment, picnic facilities, and rest rooms. Hamilton Park 0.33 Sitting area and picnic facilities. Heatherwood Park 0.75 Play equipment and picnic facilities. Neighborhood Park 2.0 Picnic tables. Remillard Cooperative Day Care Center is also located here. Remillard Park 7.0 Fresh water marsh, wildlife sanctuary, picnic tables, beach, and bay fishing. Miwok Park 8.0 Tubb Lake, a valued fresh water pond, is located here. A biological study is needed. The park is undeveloped. Larkspur-Corte Madera 5.0 Tennis courts, hard court, mini-basketball facilities, School picnic tables, and a Little League baseball field. Also children's play apparatus owned by private school tenant. Greenbrae School Park 1.5 Tot lot, mini-basketball facilities, and benches. Niven Park 1.5 Planned improvements include a tot lot, turf area, a walkway, and benches. Piper Park 22.0 Tennis courts, picnic facilities, softball and soccer/cricket fields, volleyball facilities, a fitness course, a fishing dock, horseshoe pits, rest rooms, a community garden, and a dog park. Parking is also available on-site. Hall Middle School 9.0 Basketball court and asphalt and turf play area. Redwood High School 60.0 A gymnasium, football field, two baseball fields, a swimming pool, a court games facility, and a tennis courts have restricted access; 17 acres consisting of a baseball field, three softball fields, and a soccer field are conditionally available for public use. Ross Valley Area Service Review & 67 April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update Table 18. Town of San Anselmo Parks and Recreational Facilities PARK SITE SIZE PARK FACILITIES (ACRES) Memorial Park 5.0 3 baseball/softball diamonds, soccer field, 4 tennis courts, paved basketball court, picnic and BBQ areas, Millennium Playground, Elders’ Garden. Parks office, Recreation office, pre-school facility, multi-purpose room with kitchen. Lansdale Station Park 0.25 Small pocket park toddler playground. Robson-Harrington Park 3.0 1906 house, meeting space, offices, classrooms, BBQ picnic area, community gardens, after school program. Town Hall Plaza 0.25 Benches, shade arbor, lawns. Creek Park 3.0 Creek decks, picnic area, lawn area. Sorich Ranch Open 64.0 Passive use area with picnic tables, shade arbor, 3- Space Park mile loop trail. Faude Park 14.5 Open space, passive use area, views, no facilities. Hawthorne Canyon 24.0 Passive use, no facilities, one trail. Open Space Park Table 19. Town of Fairfax Parks and Recreational Facilities PARK SITE SIZE PARK FACILITIES (ACRES) Bolinas Park 0.85 Benches. Peri Park 0.75 Bocce court, horse shoe pits, picnic tables, and benches. Peri Park Playground 0.10 Children and tot lot play structures with available bathroom in Youth Center. Peri Park Tennis Courts 0.40 Tennis court facilities (owned by school district, maintained by town). Doc Edger Park 0.37 Benches. Ross Valley Area Service Review & 68 April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update Table 20. Town of Ross Parks and Recreational Facilities PARK SITE SIZE (ACRES) Natalie Coffin Greene Park 30.0 (4.0 maintained) Ross Common Park 4.0 Post Office Park 1.5 Allen Park 2.0 Corner of Lagunitas & Sir 0.5 Francis Drake Ross Valley Area Service Review & 69 April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update The National Park and Recreation Association publishes standards for various types of regional, community, and neighborhood facilities. Those standards specify numbers of ball fields, courts, swimming pools, and other facilities theoretically required to provide adequate service per 1,000 persons. None of the five Ross Valley cities has adopted these standards, and only the Town of Corte Madera has adopted facility standards of its own. All five cities work with local school districts to make school grounds available for public use outside of school activities. The area’s topography and shortage of available land for standard sports activities, coupled with small family size and an aging population, also partly explain this condition. Expansion of recreational facilities elsewhere in the state is most often funded through exactions on new development. This mechanism is not available in low-growth areas such as Ross Valley. 1. Government Structure Options No alternatives for the recreation and park function were identified that could be expected to expand funding or improve service levels. The formation of a new park and recreation istrict overlaying cities and/or unincorporated areas would not result in expanded sources of revenue or wider availability of recreation services. Fairfax already uses San Anselmo’s administrative services for recreation programs and both San Anselmo and Larkspur have worked out JPAs with the school districts to provide recreation facilities and programs as forms of cost savings. 2. Infrastructure Needs or Deficiencies Management staff generally identifies infrastructure needs, set priorities, and make recommendations to City/Town Councils for budget approval or emergency expenditure. Due to a variety of funding constraints, local governments will face increasing challenges in providing adequate funding for public safety and other “essential” services. Levels of service for “non-essential” services such as recreation and parks are expected to decline temporarily as general fund monies are increasingly stretched. Ross Valley cities work with private independent instructors and coaches to provide programs and classes funded entirely on a fee-for-service basis. This practice is self-sustaining and will not be affected by more pressing demands of other city service responsibilities. 3. Growth and Population Projections for the Affected Area According to the Marin County Community Development Agency, the Ross Valley planning area had a population of 59,980 in 2000, with a projected average growth of less than 1 percent per year. The towns of the Ross Valley area have the capacity to Ross Valley Area Service Review & 70 April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update continue to provide recreation facilities and programs to current residents plus population from moderate new development at current service levels. 4. Financing Constraints and Opportunities The towns of San Anselmo and Fairfax are both experiencing problems with budget shortfalls that affect the overall service levels of the towns as described in previous sections of this report. 5. Cost Avoidance Opportunities Staff has not identified significant cost avoidance opportunities in park and recreation services in the Ross Valley study area that could result from annexations anticipated by adopted spheres of influence or other changes in the relationships between local agencies. 6. Opportunities for Rate Restructuring Increases in user fees may assist in managing increases in the cost of recreational programs but will not affect underlying fiscal problems of the cities in Ross Valley. 7. Opportunities for Shared Facilities As mentioned below in Section 9, the Town of San Anselmo administers the recreation programs of both San Anselmo and Fairfax by agreement. When recreation programs are conducted at Fairfax facilities, the Town of San Anselmo pays the cost of the program and retains 85 percent of all fees generated. The Town of San Anselmo is part of a JPA with the Ross Valley School District and the Tamalpais Union High School District. This JPA is developing a park on school district property that will feature an athletic field and dog park. The City of Larkspur currently uses Hall Middle School, Bacich School, and Kent Middle School for city recreational facilities. The City of Larkspur has a joint use agreement with the Kentfield School District to provide recreation programs and with the Larkspur School District to provide day care. Ross Valley Area Service Review & 71 April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update 8. Evaluation of Management Efficiencies The budget processes and budget documents adopted by Ross Valley cities are generally informative on the nature of city services, allocation of resources to those services, performance measures, and projections. The documents are written in plain language for a general audience. 9. Local Accountability and Governance Park and recreation programs in four of the five towns in Ross Valley are governed by appointed park and recreation commissions that meet on a monthly or semi-monthly basis. Commission members receive stipends of $0 to $99 per month for their service. The Town of Fairfax does not have a parks and recreation department and relies on the administrative services of the Town of San Anselmo for administration of recreation programs. CHAPTER III. SPHERES OF INFLUENCE A. FACTORS AFFECTING SPHERE OF INFLUENCE DETERMINATIONS The revised definition of sphere of influence in the Cortese-Knox-Hertzberg Act from “…. ultimate boundary and service area” to “…. probable boundary and service area” is one of several changes that have occurred since the 1980s that raise a fundamental question for this review: How probable is the annexation of such large areas and populations to these cities? Should the spheres of influence of Larkspur exclude Kentfield or San Anselmo exclude Sleepy Hollow in the expectation that these communities will remain unincorporated indefinitely? In the course of reviewing existing spheres of influence, LAFCO may carefully consider the logic of potential annexation of each unincorporated area based on a variety of factors, including the geographic association or proximity of each area to a city and the service impacts of annexation on both the city and the County. For example, some unincorporated areas are very closely associated to a neighboring city through contiguous or surrounding boundaries and through reliance on the city for street access and local commercial services. Other areas presently within city spheres are more distant and do not share contiguous boundaries, street access, or local shopping facilities with cities; these areas have a stronger identity as separate, unincorporated communities. Some unincorporated areas may be gradually annexed to a city without significant impacts on the services provided by either the city or the County. Special district or County services in other areas may require that the entire area be annexed at one time, creating large proportional impacts on a city’s population and demand for services. Each unincorporated area and special district sphere of influence will be discussed separately in subsequent sections of this report. In general, currently adopted city spheres of influence have all been affected by the following trends since 1982: • Fiscal Stress on Cities. Since the passage of Proposition 13 in 1978, the ability of property tax revenue to fund the extension of city services to developed communities has been impaired. Even in Marin County, where assessed values have kept pace and sometimes exceeded inflation in the cost of municipal services, a developed community would need to contain significant sales tax-generating land uses to prevent its annexation from creating a fiscal burden for the annexing city. State legislative policies continue to favor annexation of unincorporated communities to cities, but fiscal disincentives persist. In recent years and for the short-term future, policies encouraging city annexation are undermined to the extent that the Legislature re-directs or “borrows” revenue intended to support local services (including property tax, vehicle license fees, and gas tax) to resolve Ross Valley Area Service Review & 74 April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update funding shortfalls at the state level. • Increased Recognition of Role of Special Districts. The previous language of the Cortese-Knox-Hertzberg Act gave primacy to the role of cities in the provision of urban services. The revised text recognizes the fact that special districts may fill a vital role in the efficient provision of urban services in some cases. In cases where cities are small, regional special districts (serving more than one city) may provide greater efficiencies than could be achieved by small cities each providing the widest possible range of services. Water sewer and fire services may be examples of this trend in southern Marin County. • Stronger County Planning Regulations. The County of Marin has tightened development regulations since the mid 1980s so that permitted development densities in unincorporated areas are generally equal to or less than those available from an annexing city. Annexation of unincorporated territory to cities is no longer required to assure appropriate development density. • Closer City/County Planning Coordination. The Community Facilities Element of the Marin Countywide Plan designates Urban Service Areas (USAs) within city spheres of influence adopted by LAFCO.13 USAs are areas adjacent to city boundaries where services are available and development is likely to occur. When the County receives an application for development within an adopted USA, the application is referred to the adjacent city. That city is offered a “right of first refusal.” That is, if the developing area is contiguous to the city boundary and the city wishes to annex and oversee development, the County ceases processing the application and requires the applicant to seek development approvals from the city. In areas that LAFCO has removed from city spheres of influence, the County continues to voluntarily consult with that city on development applications (rezonings and general plan amendments), as it would be required to if the area remained in the city’s sphere of influence. These areas are designated as “spheres of interest” in the Countywide Plan. • Acquisition of Public Open Space Surrounding and Defining the Outward Growth of City Boundaries. Large areas of open space are now permanently preserved in their present uses, restricting the outward expansion of urban land uses and reducing the potential demand for urban services in undeveloped, unincorporated 13 “Urban service areas” are defined differently in the Cortese-Knox-Hertzberg Act. Such areas are adopted by LAFCO in recognition of the inclusion of unincorporated areas in city spheres of influence and city infrastructure investments in those areas. When adopted by LAFCO, city annexation proposals within USAs may not be denied when annexation is sought by the city. Ross Valley Area Service Review & 75 April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update areas surrounding the communities of Ross Valley. The Countywide Plan continues to include policies for the acquisition of open space, particularly areas designated as upland greenbelt or community separators to define and limit the extent of urbanization within the eastern urban corridor. Bearing in mind the definition of sphere of influence as “… a plan for the probable boundary and service area of a local government agency,” LAFCO’s action to adopt such a plan can take one of several different forms. In every case, the Commission acts by adoption of a resolution that includes a statement of determinations. The resolution will describe the future boundary of the city or district with or without reference to an attached map. The statement of determinations gives the Commission’s response to the four factors that it must consider in adopting a sphere of influence specified by Section 56133 of the Government Code: • The present and planned land uses in the area, including agricultural and open space lands. • The present and probable need for public facilities and services in the area. • The present capacity of public facilities and adequacy of public services which the agency provides or is authorized to provide. • The existence of any social or economic communities of interest in the area if the commission determines that they are relevant to the agency. A sphere of influence usually designates a planned boundary in the form of a map showing a geographic area smaller than, equal to, or larger than the existing boundary of the city or special district. Mapped spheres of influence are adopted in the form of a resolution, with the map included as an attachment. In other instances, an adopted sphere of influence may take verbal form in the text of the resolution. For example, a “status quo” sphere of influence designation indicates no change from a previous adopted sphere of influence. A “coterminous” sphere of influence means that the present and planned boundaries of the agency are the same. A zero sphere of influence contains no territory and indicates that the agency for which it is adopted should be dissolved and its service responsibilities assumed by another agency. Some of the spheres previously adopted for sanitary and fire districts in southern Marin are called “interim” spheres of influence, indicating that the planned boundary for the agency shown on a map will define an area that may annex to the district until that district is consolidated with another similar special district. The “interim” designation also provides for the assumption of the districts service responsibilities by a city or another special district through a reorganization process. Ross Valley Area Service Review & 76 April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update When spheres of influence were originally adopted for local agencies in the Ross Valley area, City and County general plans anticipated more growth than present general plans allow and the definition of “sphere of influence” was much more open- ended. Since 1982, those plans have been revised to reduce anticipated growth and changes to State law have altered the definition of “sphere of influence” from “a plan for the ultimate boundary and service area of a local government agency” to “a plan for the probable boundary and service area of a local government agency.” This key change will be most noticeably reflected in this report’s recommendations for amendments to the sphere of influence for local agencies in the Ross Valley area. Ross Valley Area Service Review & 77 April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update B. CITY SPHERES OF INFLUENCE Map 1 shows the recommended sphere of influence for the towns of the Ross Valley area derived from the detailed discussion of individual unincorporated areas below and the current definition and criteria of spheres of influence in the Cortese-Knox- Hertzberg Act. The recommended spheres of the towns and cities include unincorporated areas that: • Are partly or completely surrounded by Ross Valley’s present boundaries; • Derive access partly or completely from Town/City streets; • Share common drainage or other land features with Town/City areas; • Are isolated from other unincorporated territory and difficult for the County to serve efficiently; • Can be logically and conveniently served by the Town/City; • Require or are likely to require urban services; and • Are planned to include or already include water and sewer facilities. Unincorporated areas within the recommended sphere of influence are also within the County-designated urban service area for Upper Ross Valley (page 3-227) and for Lower Ross Valley (page 3-229) in the Built Environment Element of the draft Marin Countywide Plan. The Countywide Plan designates these areas to identify land of importance to the general plans of incorporated cities, where public facilities and infrastructure are available and where development could be most readily accommodated in the next 20 years. These criteria are similar to LAFCO criteria for the designation of spheres of influence. The recommended Ross Valley area local agency spheres exclude areas that do not reflect the probable physical boundary and service area of the area for the following reasons: • Areas to which a city or district is unable to efficiently provide services at the same level as other incorporated areas; • Areas that contain large tracts of open space that will not require city services; • Areas excluded from the city’s general plan; • Areas where alternative providers of urban services are available; • Areas with street access independent of city streets or without access to city streets; or • Areas that are not surrounded by or do not share common drainage or other landforms with incorporated areas of the city. Statutory requirements mandate periodic review of adopted spheres of influence every Ross Valley Area Service Review & 78 April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update five years so that boundary plans adopted by LAFCO reflect changes in service agreements and other local conditions 1. Town of Corte Madera a. Existing Sphere of Influence The Sphere of Influence of the Town of Corte Madera includes all lands within the incorporated Town limits, as well as additional lands just beyond the Town limit line (See Map 2 on page 4). There are only three such areas in the Sphere of Influence: • A large area within San Francisco Bay; • Lands just beyond the southern Town limit near Tiburon and the Ring Mountain Open Space Preserve; and • The area encompassed by the Greenbrae Boardwalk area at the north edge of the Town near Highway 101 and the northern edge of the Corte Madera Marsh Ecological Reserve. The Town has not identified plans to annex any of these lands in the foreseeable future. Greenbrae Boardwalk is an unincorporated area located in the northwest portion of north Corte Madera, east of Highway 101. This neighborhood is bordered on the north by Corte Madera Creek, on the west by the Northwestern Pacific Railroad (NWPRR) right-of-way, and on the south by the Corte Madera Marsh Ecological Reserve. Its only access point from land is from Larkspur, and the homes along it can only be reached by foot from a common parking area. There are approximately 71 units in the neighborhood with a future potential of five additional units. The Greenbrae Boardwalk is an unusual collection of homes on piers or arks that were located there as early as 1920. Others were moved to this location from Bon Air in 1946. b. Service Relationships The sources of municipal services in the Corte Madera area and areas within its Sphere of Influence are shown in Table 21. The Town provides all municipal services except for water and sewage treatment. The Town maintains the sewage collection system within its boundaries through its Department of Public Works and pumps the sewage to the Central Marin Sanitation Agency for treatment and disposal. The Town’s sewage collection function is carried out by its subsidiary district, Sanitary District #2, governed by the Town Council. Service is also provided to an unincorporated area along Paradise Drive north of Trestle Glen Boulevard. Ross Valley Area Service Review & 79 April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update City recreational services are available to unincorporated area residents within its sphere of influence and emergency service personnel respond to emergency calls as needed. There is a County branch library located in Corte Madera that provides services to unincorporated area residents as well. Corte Madera receives police services from Twin Cities Police, which is administered under joint powers authority and provides service to Corte Madera and the City of Larkspur. The Town of Corte Madera Fire Department maintains close working relationships with all other emergency service agencies in central Marin, including participation in the Ross Valley Paramedic Authority, a joint powers agency. Table 21. Sources of Service – Town of Corte Madera Sphere of Influence Service Incorporated Town Greenbrae Boardwalk of Corte Madera Police Twin Cities Police joint County powers authority Sheriff Fire/Emergency Town County Service Area #31 Medical Water Marin Municipal Water Marin Municipal Water District District Sewer Sanitary District #2 Sanitary District #2 Solid Waste Mill Valley Refuse Mill Valley Refuse Community Town County Development Street Maintenance Town N/A Parks & Recreation Town Town/ County Library County Town/ County Ross Valley Area Service Review & 80 April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update c. Need/Demand for Services Table 22 shows existing and potential housing units and population for Corte Madera. Table 22. Estimated Population and Development Potential – Town of Corte Madera 2005 2030 Existing Buildout Estimated % Potential City Land Area 2000 Housing Housing Maximum Population (acres) Population Units Units Population Increase Incorporated Area 2,432 9,100 3,973 4,468 10,624 16.75% Greenbrae Boardwalk 24 142 71 76 17214 1.89% Total Sphere of Influence 2,456 9,242 4,044 4,544 10,796 18.64% The Town of Corte Madera provides all municipal services except for water and sewage treatment to a slowly expanding population within its current boundaries. According to the Marin County Community Development Agency, remaining development potential in Corte Madera is approximately 495 units. An average of 13 units per year were added to the Town’s housing stock between 1990 and 2000 (see Table 7). The Greenbrae Boardwalk neighborhood currently receives paramedic services through the Ross Valley Paramedic Authority, fire protection services through County Service Area #31, and sewer services through Sanitary District #2. There is a remaining development potential of 5 additional units and a maximum potential population of 172. If Greenbrae Boardwalk were to be annexed, it would add an additional 2% to Corte Madera’s population. The Marin County Sheriff’s Office is responsible for law enforcement services in the Greenbrae Boardwalk neighborhood except for traffic enforcement, traffic complaints, vehicle accidents, and auto theft investigations, which are handled by the California Highway Patrol in unincorporated areas. The Twin Cities Police Authority responds to emergencies in these areas as needed. 14 The County used an average of ABAG’s 2030 projected persons per household for the Towns to come up with a projected persons per household for the unincorporated Ross Valley areas (2.26). This number is multiplied by the potential units to formulate the projected population for the unincorporated areas. Ross Valley Area Service Review & 81 April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update d. Ability to Extend Services Projected demand for services extended to new population within the Town’s existing boundaries would not require significant changes to Town services or facilities. Town departments should be able to continue to extend services to existing and projected population at existing levels of service. Potential future development in the Greenbrae Boardwalk area is very limited due to the nature of this area. The County projects that there is potential of only 5 additional units with population potential of 30 additional people. The operating departments and public facilities of the Town of Corte Madera are adequate to provide city services to the Greenbrae Boardwalk area. This area may be more efficiently served by the Town rather than the County, especially for public safety and emergency services. e. City and County General Plans The Corte Madera General Plan (1989) has a policy stating that a study should be performed to determine if it is feasible to shift Greenbrae Boardwalk from Corte Madera’s to Larkspur’s sphere of influence. This shift would be made if the area were ever to request annexation to the Town. The General Plan states that Larkspur rather than Corte Madera would be a logical provider of urban services because it is contiguous with the Boardwalk and therefore the area could be more efficiently served by Larkspur. The draft Marin Countywide Plan (2005) states that islands of unincorporated territory exist in most Marin cities and can create problems for the provision of some public services. Emergency vehicles must travel through cities to provide sheriff, fire, and other services, and confusion may arise in determining which agency has jurisdiction. f. Recommendation Staff believes that a portion of the currently adopted sphere of influence of the Town of Corte Madera is not consistent with the revised definition of sphere of influence in the Cortese-Knox-Hertzberg Act because some of the unincorporated area within the sphere is unlikely to be annexed to the Town in the foreseeable future. Staff recommends that the unincorporated portions of Ring Mountain in public ownership be removed from the Town’s sphere of influence as they will clearly not require urban services provided by the Town. Staff’s recommendation is shown on Map 7. Ross Valley Area Service Review & 82 April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update Ross Valley Area Service Review & 83 April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update 2. Town of Fairfax a. Existing Sphere of Influence The Town’s current Sphere of Influence contains the currently incorporated area and extensive unincorporated areas to the east, south, and west of the Town’s boundary. Unincorporated Fairfax includes privately owned territory in the Oak Manor area and along the Bolinas Fairfax Road (see Map 2 on page 4). The existing sphere also includes open space areas and water district lands surrounding the privately owned Meadow Club (see Map 5 on page 69). The Town’s Sphere of Influence currently overlaps with the Town of Ross’ sphere in the open space area to the south of unincorporated Fairfax and the north of unincorporated Ross. Unincorporated Fairfax is 3,445 acres in area with a population of 1,163 and a projected maximum population of 1,155. The unincorporated area currently has 455 housing units with a potential of 511 total units. If this area were annexed to Fairfax, it would add approximately 16 percent to the Town’s population. Note: the estimated maximum population is calculated using an estimate of 2.26 for persons per household and using the 2030 buildout units. The 2000 number per household was 2.96 per household. Therefore, the projection for the maximum population is less than the current population although there are more units projected for 2030. b. Service Relationships The sources of municipal services in the Town of Fairfax and areas within its Sphere of Influence are shown in Table 23. The Town provides municipal services except for water and sewer. The Town of Fairfax participates in the Ross Valley Paramedic Authority, a joint powers agency. Fairfax receives fire services from Ross Valley Fire Service, which is administered under joint powers authority made up of Fairfax and San Anselmo. Town recreational services, in partnership with the Town of San Anselmo, are available to unincorporated area residents within the Town’s Sphere of Influence. There is a County branch library located in Fairfax that provides services to the unincorporated area residents as well. Ross Valley Area Service Review & 84 April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update Table 23. Sources of Service – Town of Fairfax Sphere of Influence Service Incorporated Town Unincorporated of Fairfax Fairfax Police Town County Fire/Emergency Ross Valley Fire Marin County Fire Medical Service Department Water Marin Municipal Marin Municipal Water District Water District Sewer Sanitary District #1 Sanitary District #1 Solid Waste Marin Sanitary Service Marin Sanitary Service Community Town County Development Street Maintenance Town County Parks & Recreation Town + San Anselmo Town/County Library County County c. Ability to Extend Services Projected demand for services extended to new population within the Town’s existing Sphere of Influence should not require significant changes to Town services or facilities. Residents of the unincorporated area already receive some of the Town’s services. Town departments should be able to continue to extend services to existing and projected population at existing levels of service. The Town (through Ross Valley Fire Service) is not adequately compensated for fire protection service currently extended to unincorporated areas in County Service Area #31, according to Ross Valley Fire Service officials. d. City and County General Plans Fairfax’s latest General Plan does not state policies regarding the annexation of the unincorporated area of Fairfax. However, it does discuss conservation of open space areas and limitations on development in those areas of its sphere of influence. Ross Valley Area Service Review & 85 April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update e. Need/Demand for Services Table 24 shows existing and potential housing units and population for the Town of Fairfax and the unincorporated areas in its Sphere of Influence. Table 24. Estimated Population and Development Potential – Town of Fairfax 2005 2030 Existing Buildout Estimated % Potential City Land Area 2000 Housing Housing Maximum Population (acres) Population Units Units Population Increase Incorporated Area 1,220 7,319 3,418 3,651 8,144 11.27% Unincorporated Fairfax 3,445 1,163 455 511 1,15515 15.78% Total Sphere of Influence 4,665 8,482 3,873 4,162 9,299 27.05% The unincorporated Fairfax area is currently receiving Town services through the County Service Area #31 for fire protection and sewer service from Sanitary District #1. The Marin County Sheriff’s Office is responsible for law enforcement services in the unincorporated Fairfax area. The exceptions are traffic enforcement, traffic complaints, vehicle accidents, and auto theft investigations handled by the California Highway Patrol in the unincorporated areas. Fairfax’s police department responds to emergencies in unincorporated areas as needed. f. Recommendation Staff believes that the currently adopted Sphere of Influence of the Town of Fairfax is not consistent with the revised definition of sphere of influence in the Cortese-Knox- Hertzberg Act because much of the unincorporated area within the sphere is unlikely to be annexed to the Town in the foreseeable future. Unincorporated areas west and north of the Town of Fairfax are known as “unincorporated Fairfax” and are included in the Town’s Sphere of Influence. Some of this area is privately owned and in residential use. However, most of the area is publicly owned and zoned as Open Space. The inclusion of these large tracts of open space in the Sphere of Influence may stretch the definition of “sphere of influence” beyond the Town’s “probable boundary and service area.” Publicly owned open space lands have little or no development potential, and therefore it would not be necessary 15 See Footnote #14 Ross Valley Area Service Review & 86 April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update to extend services into this area. Because it is unlikely that this area will ever be annexed to the Town, open space areas that surround Fairfax are recommended to be excluded from the Town’s Sphere of Influence. Staff’s recommendation is shown on Map 8. Ross Valley Area Service Review & 87 April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update 3. Town of San Anselmo a. Existing Sphere of Influence The Sphere of Influence of the town of San Anselmo includes the incorporated areas of San Anselmo and the unincorporated neighborhoods of Sleepy Hollow and Lower Sun Valley, as shown on Map 2 on page 4. The unincorporated Sleepy Hollow neighborhood is located north of San Anselmo’s town limits. It is contiguous to San Anselmo, unincorporated Fairfax, Lucas Valley, and San Rafael. It is accessible only from Butterfield Road and San Anselmo’s street network. This neighborhood currently has 918 units and, according to the County, has a potential of 67 additional units. The area features single-family homes on larger lots, with most lots being over an acre in size, including some properties with equestrian facilities. If this area were annexed to San Anselmo, it would add approximately 18 percent to the Town’s present population. The unincorporated Lower Sun Valley neighborhood is located between San Anselmo and the City of San Rafael. The area is accessible from San Anselmo streets (Millbrae Avenue). This neighborhood currently has 8 units with no potential for additional units. If this area were annexed to San Anselmo, it would add only approximately 0.15 percent to the Town’s population. b. Service Relationships Table 25 shows the sources of municipal services in the Town of San Anselmo and areas within its Sphere of Influence. The Town of San Anselmo participates in the Ross Valley Paramedic Authority, a joint powers agency. San Anselmo receives fire services from Ross Valley Fire Service, a joint powers agency composed of the towns of San Anselmo and Fairfax. San Anselmo, in turn, provides fire protection service on a contractual basis to the Sleepy Hollow Fire Protection District and includes that service in its participation in the Ross Valley Fire Service joint powers agency. Town recreational and library services are also available to unincorporated area residents within the Town’s Sphere of Influence. Ross Valley Area Service Review & 88 April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update Table 25. Sources of Service – Town of San Anselmo Sphere of Influence Service Incorporated Town Sleepy Hollow Lower Sun Valley of San Anselmo Police Town County Sheriff County Sheriff Fire/Emergency Ross Valley Fire San Anselmo/Sleepy County Service Area Medical Service Hollow Fire Protection #31 District/Ross Valley Fire Service/County Service Area #31 Water Marin Municipal Marin Municipal Marin Municipal Water District Water District Water District Sewer Sanitary District #1 Sanitary District #1 Sanitary District #1 Solid Waste Marin Sanitary Service Marin Sanitary Service Marin Sanitary Service Community Town County County Development Street Maintenance Town County County Parks & Recreation Town/Fairfax Town/County Town/County Library Town Town/County Town/County c. Need/Demand for Services Existing and potential housing units and population for the Town of San Anselmo and the unincorporated areas in its Sphere of Influence are shown in Table 26. Table 26. Estimated Population and Development Potential – Town of San Anselmo 2005 2030 % Potential Existing Buildout Estimated City Land Area 2000 Housing Housing Maximum Population (acres) Population Units Units Population Increase Incorporated Area 1,412 12,378 5,362 5,524 13,120 6.0% Sleepy Hollow 1,824 2,464 918 985 2,24616 18.15% Lower Sun Valley 148 18 8 8 18 0.15% Total Sphere of Influence 3,384 14,860 6,288 6,517 15,384 24.29% The population of the Sleepy Hollow area is approximately 2,464 within a land area of 16 See Footnote #14. Ross Valley Area Service Review & 89 April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update 1,824 acres. There is future development potential of 67 new units, with maximum population projected to decrease to 2,246 due to a decline in expected household size. The 2000 population of Lower Sun Valley is 18 within a land area of 148 acres. There is no remaining development potential for new units under existing zoning and no increase in population is projected. d. Ability to Extend Services Projected demand for services extended to new population within the Town’s existing boundaries should not require significant changes to San Anselmo’s services or facilities. Town departments should be able to continue to extend services to existing and projected population at existing levels of service. Sleepy Hollow is located close to San Anselmo’s commercial center and municipal facilities. The area is almost exclusively low-density residential. Although Sleepy Hollow residents have some of their own recreational programs and facilities though a private community association, the Sleepy Hollow Homes Association, the Town’s recreational and library programs are also available to Sleepy Hollow residents. The operating departments and public facilities of the Town of San Anselmo are adequate to provide (or continue to provide) Town services to the Sleepy Hollow and Lower Sun Valley areas. The Sleepy Hollow and Lower Sun Valley areas are located so close to Town facilities that the area may already be deemed to benefit them. Ross Valley Area Service Review & 90 April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update e. City and County General Plans San Anselmo’s General Plan provides for annexation of land within the Town’s urban service area and Sphere of Influence. However, the plan offers no specific recommendation for annexation of the Sleepy Hollow or Lower Sun Valley neighborhoods. f. Recommendation Unincorporated areas within the existing San Anselmo Sphere of Influence (Sleepy Hollow and Lower Sun Valley) currently enjoy well-established service relationships with the Town. Access to these areas is exclusively through San Anselmo streets. No additional unincorporated areas contiguous to the Town would benefit from the Town’s services. Staff believes that the existing adopted Sphere of Influence should be reaffirmed without change, as shown on Map 9. Ross Valley Area Service Review & 91 April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update Ross Valley Area Service Review & 92 April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update 4. Town of Ross a. Existing Sphere of Influence The Sphere of Influence of the Town of Ross includes the incorporated area of Ross, unincorporated open space areas to the west, and an unincorporated area just west of Wolfe Grade off of Laurel Grove Avenue known as Del Mesa (see Map 2 on page 4). The sphere currently overlaps with the Town of Fairfax’s sphere in the open space area to the south of unincorporated Fairfax and the north of unincorporated Ross. b. Service Relationships Table 27 shows the sources of municipal services in the Ross area and areas within its Sphere of Influence. The Town provides all municipal services except for water and sewage collection and treatment. The Town of Ross Fire Department maintains close working relationships with all other emergency service agencies in central Marin, including participation in the Ross Valley Paramedic Authority. Table 27. Sources of Service – Town of Ross Sphere of Influence Service Incorporated Town Unincorporated of Ross Town of Ross Police Town County Fire/Emergency Town Kentfield Fire Medical Protection District/County Service Area #31 Water Marin Municipal Marin Municipal Water Water District District Sewer Sanitary District #1 Sanitary District #1 Solid Waste Marin Sanitary Service Marin Sanitary Service Community Town County Development Street Town County Maintenance Parks & Recreation None/Neighboring County/Neighboring Towns Towns Library None/Neighboring County/Neighboring Towns Towns Ross Valley Area Service Review & 93 April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update c. Need/Demand for Services Table 28 shows existing and potential housing units and population for the Town of Ross and its Sphere of Influence. Table 28. Estimated Population and Development Potential – Town of Ross 2005 2030 Existing Buildout Estimated % Potential City Land Area 2000 Housing Housng Maximum Population (acres) Population Units Units Population Increase Incorporated Area 867 2,329 805 884 2,641 13.4% Unincorporated Ross 1,302 263 112 125 29417 12.6% Total Sphere of Influence 2,169 2,592 917 1,009 2,935 26.0% The unincorporated Ross areas are currently receiving fire protection services through the County Service Area #31 and Kentfield Fire Protection District. The unincorporated residential area receives sewer service from Sanitary District #1, and the open space area does not receive sewer service. The Marin County Sheriff’s Office is responsible for law enforcement services in the unincorporated Ross areas. The exceptions are traffic enforcement, traffic complaints, vehicle accidents, and auto theft investigations. These are all handled by the California Highway Patrol in the unincorporated areas. The Ross Police Department responds to emergencies in these areas as needed. d. Ability to Extend Services The unincorporated Ross open space area is located to the west of the town and adjoins the Town’s boundaries on one side. Access to this area is via Ross residential roads, including Lagunitas Road. This area is not near Town services or facilities. The unincorporated area in Kentfield to the northeast of Ross adjoins the Town’s boundaries on one side. The area has access via Laurel Grove Avenue and various other streets in unincorporated Kentfield. The Town currently does not provide services to this area. Projected demand for services extended to new population within the Town’s existing boundaries should not require significant changes to Town services or facilities. Town departments should be able to continue to extend services to existing and projected population at existing levels of service. 17 See Footnote #14 Ross Valley Area Service Review & 94 April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update e. City and County General Plans According to the Town of Ross General Plan Report Card (January 2005), the Ross General Hospital site was rezoned to allow low-density housing in 1991 after a proposed high- density project raised significant public objections related to environmental impacts, traffic issues, and project design. The 1988 General Plan was amended to reflect the land use change. The area is not within the Town’s Sphere of Influence, but its development would affect arterial traffic on Sir Francis Drake Boulevard. No areas have been annexed to the Town since the 1988 General Plan was adopted. The Report Card makes some suggestions for the General Plan update currently in process. It suggests modifying the Sphere of Influence to remove the former Ross General Hospital site and nearby areas and evaluating other areas for possible addition to the Town’s Sphere of Influence, including a larger portion of the Del Mesa area and lots with access through Kent Woodlands. f. Recommendation Staff believes that the currently adopted Sphere of Influence of the Town of Ross is not consistent with the revised definition of sphere of influence in the Cortese-Knox- Hertzberg Act because much of the unincorporated area within the sphere is unlikely to be annexed to the Town in the foreseeable future. Open space areas in public ownership west of the Town’s current boundary should be excluded from the Sphere of Influence, because this area will not require urban services. The Del Mesa area within the Town’s current Sphere of Influence reflects the boundary of the Ross Elementary School District but has no distinguishing connection to the Town’s incorporated area. Staff recommends that this area also be removed from the Town’s Sphere of Influence, subject to periodic review. The recommended Sphere of Influence for the Town of Ross is coterminous with the Town’s boundary. Staff’s recommendation is shown on Map 10 Ross Valley Area Service Review & 95 April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update Ross Valley Area Service Review & 96 April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update 5. City of Larkspur a. Existing Sphere of Influence Larkspur’s Sphere of Influence includes the unincorporated Kentfield area and the San Quentin Peninsula and State prison facilities (see Map 2 on page 4). The Kentfield area (including Greenbrae) is located northeast of Larkspur and west of Highway 101 and has access from Sir Francis Drake Boulevard and Magnolia Avenue. This area may be considered a separate and distinct community, contiguous to the city limits of Larkspur, Ross, and San Rafael. Kentfield is developed at widely varying residential densities including single-family homes on large lots as well as apartment and condominium buildings. Kentfield also encompasses separate retail commercial shopping areas and the campuses of College of Marin and Marin General Hospital. The Kentfield area has access via the City of Larkspur street system and independently via U.S. Highway 101 and Sir Francis Drake Boulevard. The area currently has a population of 6,375. According to the Marin County Community Development Agency, the maximum population for this area is expected to decrease to 6,276 due to expected reduction in household size. The San Quentin State Prison is approximately 275 acres located on the San Francisco Bay. The site is bounded by Interstate 580 and the City of San Rafael to the north, the City of Larkspur to the west, the bay to the south, and the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge and small community of San Quentin Village to the east. The prison site contains approximately 200 buildings of various ages, construction type and use. San Quentin Village is a small enclave of privately owned houses nestled against the east side of the prison site that contains a mix of single-family and multi-family housing units but no non-residential uses other than a post office. b. Service Relationships Table 29 shows the sources of municipal services in the Larkspur area and areas within its Sphere of Influence. The Town provides all municipal services other than water and sewer. Larkspur provides police services through Twin Cities Police, a joint powers authority serving both Larkspur and Corte Madera. The City of Larkspur Fire Department maintains close working relationships with all other emergency service agencies in central Marin, including participation in the Ross Valley Paramedic Authority, also a joint powers agency. Ross Valley Area Service Review & 97 April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update Town recreational and library services are available to unincorporated area residents within the Town’s Sphere of Influence. In the Kentfield area, County and special district services are provided as shown in Table 29. Within the Kent Woodlands area, County Service Area #17 provides supplemental park facilities and services, bike paths, landscape maintenance, and extended police services. Table 29. Sources of Service – City of Larkspur Sphere of Influence Service Incorporated Kentfield/ San Quentin City of Larkspur Greenbrae Prison/Village Police Twin Cities Police County Sheriff & State/County joint powers County Service Sheriff authority Area #17 Fire/Emergency City Kentfield Fire County Service Medical Protection Area #31 District Water Marin Municipal Marin Municipal Marin Municipal Water District Water District Water District Sewer Sanitary District Sanitary District Sanitary District #1 #1 #1/San Quentin Sewer Maintenance District Solid Waste Marin Sanitary Marin Sanitary Marin Sanitary Service Service Service Community City County State/County Development Street City County State/County Maintenance Parks & City County State/County Recreation Library City County State/County Ross Valley Area Service Review & 98 April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update c. Need/Demand for Services Table 30 shows existing and potential housing units and population for the City of Larkspur and the unincorporated areas in its Sphere of Influence. Table 30. Estimated Population and Development Potential – City of Larkspur 2030 Existing Buildout Estimated % Potential City Land Area 2000 Housing Housing Maximum Population (acres) Population Units Units Population Increase Incorporated Area 1,576 12,014 6,413 6,583 13,763 14.6% Kentfield 2,032 6,351 2,627 2,758 6,27618 52.24% San Quentin Prison/Village 405 6,439 45 55 7,504 62.46% Total Sphere of Influence 4,013 24,804 9,085 9,396 27,543 129.26% As shown in Table 30 above, the Kentfield area currently has 2,627 existing housing units with a potential of an additional 131 units and a maximum potential population of 6,276 under currently adopted general plans of the City and County. If Kentfield were to be annexed, it would add an additional 52.24 percent to Larkspur’s population. The unincorporated San Quentin area is currently receiving supplemental fire protection service from the City through County Service Area #31. This area is currently in the water service area of Marin Municipal Water District, with the prison being one of the top users in the county. San Quentin Village receives sewer service from the San Quentin Sewer Maintenance District and San Quentin Prison receives sewage transmission and treatment services from Sanitary District #1. The Marin County Sheriff’s Office is responsible for law enforcement services in the Kentfield and San Quentin Village neighborhoods except for traffic enforcement, traffic complaints, vehicle accidents, and auto theft investigations, which are handled by the California Highway Patrol in unincorporated areas. The Twin Cities Police Authority responds to emergencies in these areas as needed. Other than water and sewer service, the State prison facility operates independently of local government agencies. Potential demand for service in the San Quentin area is not clear from Table 30 above. Neither the permanence of the State’s use of the site as a prison nor the nature of 18 See Footnote #14 Ross Valley Area Service Review & 99 April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update potential re-use of the site can be known at present. d. Ability to Extend Services Projected demand for services extended to new population within the City’s existing boundaries will require upgrades and expansion of City office and police facilities. City departments should be able to continue to extend services to existing and projected population at existing levels of service. Kentfield (population approximately 6,375) is geographically distinct from the City of Larkspur as a whole. Kentfield residents are provided a high level of services by the County. If the Kentfield area were to wholly or incrementally annex to the City of Larkspur, the City would face significant service issues due to the impact of a large new population (52.24-percent increase) and service area. Unless the State’s use of San Quentin Prison changes, there is no foreseeable demand for City services in this area in the foreseeable future. The City’s ability to extend its services cannot be known without a plan for re-use of the site. The State is currently planning major investment in new Death Row and other facilities at San Quentin, creating the expectation that the prison will continue in operation indefinitely. e. City and County General Plans There are no policies or programs in Larkspur’s General Plan anticipating the annexation of the Kentfield area. The Marin Countywide Plan contains a policy to consider the removal of established unincorporated communities, such as Kentfield, and Kent Woodlands from the urban service areas of Larkspur if so indicated by LAFCO’s actions. Both the Larkspur General Plan and the Countywide Plan have goals and policies that consider the re-use of San Quentin Prison in the event that its current use is discontinued. Those plans do not detail re-use of the area. f. Other Considerations The official link between the residents of the Kentfield community and the Marin County Board of Supervisors is the Kentfield Planning Advisory Board. This Board was appointed by the Board of Supervisors in January 1983. The Board is comprised of seven members (currently four members with three vacancies), including a representative of the business community and a representative of the College of Marin. The Board meets twice a month on a regular basis. The Board’s duties are to review Ross Valley Area Service Review & 100 April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update referrals of all planning projects for the County Community Development Department, including master plans, subdivisions, design reviews, rezoning applications, general plan amendments, and environmental review documents. The Board also reviews major public works projects that significantly affect the community. g. Recommendation The Sphere of Influence of the City of Larkspur should exclude the San Quentin area and most of the Kentfield area. As discussed above, these areas are separate and distinct from the City of Larkspur with independent sources of service comparable to services provided by the City. The City’s ability to replace these services in the event of annexation is uncertain without fundamental change to the City’s facilities and operations. No plans for such changes have been formulated. Staff recommends that all unincorporated areas be removed from the City’s sphere with the exception of Greenbrae east of Wolfe Grade, as shown on Map 11. If re-use of the San Quentin Prison facility is permitted by State action, LAFCO would be able to consider demands created by new land uses and the City’s ability to provide service well in advance of physical changes to the area. Ross Valley Area Service Review & 101 April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update Ross Valley Area Service Review & 102 April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update C. SPECIAL DISTRICTS 1. Sanitary District #1 a. Existing Sphere of Influence In February 1985, the Marin Local Agency Formation Commission adopted a sphere of influence study for special districts, including Sanitary District #1. Staff recommended adopting an interim sphere of influence that encompassed the existing district’s jurisdiction, San Quentin Village, and State properties. In 1993, Sanitary District #1 annexed the collection system of the City of Larkspur. The County’s two small sewer maintenance districts at Murray Park and San Quentin Village are now operated by Sanitary District #1 on a contractual basis. As one of the four members of the Central Marin Sanitation Agency (CMSA), Sanitary District #1 continues to participate in studies of consolidation alternatives of the member agencies. b. Service Relationships Sanitary District #1 is one of four collection-only sewer agencies of the Central Marin Sanitation Agency, a joint powers agency that owns and operates a single treatment plant in San Rafael. Three of the four member agencies continue to maintain sewage collection systems, all of which terminate at the CMSA plant. A working group (CMSA, Sanitary District #1, NUTE Engineering, and Winzler & Kelly) planned for the relocation of the Sanitary District #1 administrative facility to the CMSA facility with construction commencing in February 2007. The draft property use agreement includes access and maintenance facility sharing procedures, insurance and indemnification provisions, and a requirement that Sanitary District #1 construct a permanent facility if the JPA member agencies decide not to pursue regionalization or consolidation of member agencies. c. City and County General Plans The draft Marin Countywide Plan (2005) has a policy to promote alternative wastewater systems to enhance water quality and a program to urge sanitary districts to consider volumetric billing, partnering with water districts to reduce the volume of wastewater that must be treated, and employing biological methods to treat sewage. These policies do not bear directly on the District’s boundaries or organization. Ross Valley Area Service Review & 103 April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update d. Ability to Extend Services Sanitary District #1 is a collection-only sewer agency faced with very slow growth in demand for additional service. The District has the ability to provide collection service to its existing customers, to limited growth anticipated within its jurisdiction and to additional areas within its Sphere of Influence. e. Need/Demand for Services Sanitary District #1 provides sewer service to all communities of the Ross Valley area except the Town of Corte Madera. Remaining development potential for these unincorporated areas is approximately 282 units. There are also several parcels in the Redwood High School area that are not in the District’s boundary. f. Recommendation The CMSA governing board is currently pursuing studies on the regionalization of JPA member agencies including Sanitary District #1. Staff recommends that the Commission adopt an interim sphere of influence that includes the District’s current jurisdiction and the Murray Park and San Quentin Village areas to which the District currently provides service. The Commission will review the Sphere of Influence every five years or upon special request as needed to reflect the results of any regionalization efforts. Ross Valley Area Service Review & 104 April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update 2. Sanitary District #2 a. Existing Sphere of Influence In 1982, LAFCO adopted an interim sphere of influence for Sanitary District #2 that includes the District’s current jurisdiction plus the Ring Mountain development area as then proposed off Taylor Road. The Commission’s action also contained an implementation statement to the effect that the District should be reorganized with the other members of CMSA as the Central Marin Sanitation District, combining the four members of the CMSA joint powers agency into a single sanitation district with an appointed governing board. Ross Valley Area Service Review & 105 April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update b. City and County General Plans The Corte Madera General Plan (1989) has a policy that suggests that Sanitary District #2 carry out a maintenance and repair program for its leaking pipes. The Plan also contains a policy to develop and implement a program to reduce infiltration into the sanitary sewer system with a goal to reduce wet weather flow by 20 percent. Although inflow and infiltration remain at significant levels for all members of CMSA, Sanitary District #2 has addressed some of the problems in its collection system since adoption of the Corte Madera General Plan. The draft Marin Countywide Plan (2005) has a policy to promote alternative wastewater systems to enhance water quality and a program to urge sanitary districts to consider volumetric billing, partnering with water districts to reduce the volume of wastewater that must be treated, and employing biological methods to treat sewage. c. Ability to Extend Services Sanitary District #2 is a collection-only sewer agency faced with limited growth in demand for additional service. The District has the ability to provide collection service to its existing customers, to limited growth anticipated within its jurisdiction, and to small additional areas within its Sphere of Influence along Paradise Drive north of Trestle Glen Boulevard. d. Need/Demand for Services Sanitary District #2 provides sewer service to the Town of Corte Madera, including the unincorporated areas of Greenbrae Boardwalk and Paradise Cay. There are also several parcels at the end of Summit Drive that are not in the District, based on the assumption that they continue to use individual septic systems. It is unknown when or whether these parcels will need sewer service in the future. e. Service Relationships Sanitary District #2 is one of four collection-only sewer agencies of the Central Marin Sanitation Agency, a joint powers agency that owns and operates a single treatment plant. Three of the four member agencies continue to maintain a sewage collection system. (Larkspur is a member of CMSA, but no longer operates its collection system.) All member agency collection systems terminate at the CMSA plant. Sanitary District #2 technically has no employees; Town of Corte Madera Public Works Department employees provide services to the District on a part-time basis. These Ross Valley Area Service Review & 106 April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update services are provided by a part-time director (25 percent), a part-time superintendent (15 percent), an assistant superintendent (10 percent), a supervisor (10 percent), and six maintenance workers (1.5 full-time equivalent). Sanitary District #2 relies heavily on outside contractors for engineering, maintenance, and construction work. Map 13. Existing Sphere of Influence, Sanitary District #2 Ross Valley Area Service Review & 107 April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update f. Recommendation The CMSA governing board is currently pursuing studies on the regionalization or consolidation of member agencies including Sanitary Districts #1 and #2. Staff recommends that the Commission adopt an interim sphere of influence coterminous with existing District boundaries. Two small areas in the vicinity of Paradise Drive included in the District’s existing Sphere of Influence shown on the map below are publicly owned open space and tidal parcels that will not require urban services. These parcels should be excluded from the District Sphere of Influence. The Commission will review the Sphere of Influence every five years or upon special request as needed to respond to the results of any regionalization efforts. Ross Valley Area Service Review & 108 April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update 3. Kentfield Fire Protection District a. Existing Sphere of Influence The boundaries of the Kentfield Fire Protection District include all of the unincorporated Kentfield area, including the areas of Kent Woodlands and unincorporated Greenbrae that are not served by other fire protection agencies. The District’s Sphere of Influence includes only the area within its current boundaries (see Map 4 on page 12). b. City and County General Plans The Kentfield/Greenbrae Community Plan (1987) has a policy that discourages changes that would decrease the Kentfield Fire Protection District’s capacity to respond quickly and effectively to emergencies. Neither the Larkspur General Plan nor the draft Marin Countywide Plan (2005) mentions the Kentfield Fire Protection District. c. Ability to Extend Services The District has not identified any long-term issues that would have a detrimental effect on the ability to continue to provide service at the existing levels within its existing boundary. d. Need/Demand for Services The Kentfield area currently has 2,627 existing units, with a remaining development potential of an additional 131 units and a maximum potential population of 6,276 under currently adopted general plans of the City of Larkspur and the County. e. Service Relationships The Kentfield Fire Protection District is responsible for fire protection and emergency medical service, first response to hazardous materials emergencies, fire inspection, and code enforcement. The District has ten safety employees and one full-time administrative secretary. There are 24 volunteer firefighters, including six resident firefighter cadets and two volunteer support personnel. The District shares resources with other Marin fire agencies. It is a member of the Ross Valley Paramedic Authority, Marin County Hazardous Materials Response Team, and Marin Emergency Radio Authority (MERA). Ross Valley Area Service Review & 109 April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update The District is actively participating in the development of a countywide emergency response map. This technology allows emergency responders and the County Dispatch Center to seamlessly integrate digital geographic information to enhance emergency response at the incident scene. Discussions are underway to integrate this information with the County’s common database, the MarinMap Geographic Information System. The District has “boundary drop” agreements with the City of Larkspur and the Town of Ross. These agreements allow the closest agency to the incident to be dispatched and respond, regardless of jurisdiction. f. Recommendation Eventual consolidation efforts could change the existing boundaries and organization of the Kentfield Fire Protection District as discussed in Chapter II. The studies of fire agency consolidation are ongoing and actively pursued by the affected agencies. Staff recommends that the Commission adopt an interim sphere of influence coterminous with existing District boundaries indicating continued support of consolidation efforts. The Commission will review the Sphere of Influence every five years or upon special request as needed to respond to the results of any consolidation effort. 4. Sleepy Hollow Fire Protection District a. Existing Sphere of Influence The Sleepy Hollow Fire Protection District is responsible for fire protection and emergency services in the unincorporated area of Sleepy Hollow. During the Special District Sphere of Influence Study in 1984, it was recommended that this district have a zero sphere of influence because it contracts with the Town of San Anselmo (for service through Ross Valley Fire Authority) for fire protection service. The zero sphere designation reflects the District’s role as a “paper district” having no facilities, manpower, or equipment. b. City and County General Plans Neither the San Anselmo General Plan nor the draft Marin Countywide Plan (2005) mentions the Sleepy Hollow Fire Protection District. Sleepy Hollow does not have a community plan. Ross Valley Area Service Review & 110 April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update c. Ability to Extend Services The District has the ability to provide service to its existing customers and limited growth anticipated within its jurisdiction. As an independent fire district pre-dating Proposition 13, the District enjoys relatively sufficient financial capability compared to other fire agencies in the Ross Valley. d. Need/Demand for Services The Sleepy Hollow area currently has 918 existing units with a remaining development potential of an additional 67 units and a maximum potential population of 2,246. Modest growth in potential demand for service is within the District’s service capabilities. e. Service Relationships The Sleepy Hollow Fire Protection District is responsible for fire protection and emergency services in the unincorporated area of Sleepy Hollow. The District contracts with the Town of San Anselmo for these services from the Ross Valley Fire Service (RVFS), a joint powers agency of the Towns of San Anselmo and Fairfax. The District has no staff or facilities. The District has a non-voting member appointed to the RVFS governing board. Eventual expansion of the service area or membership of the RVFS could result in inclusion of the District as a co-equal member agency. See Chapter II, Section E for more discussion of agreements between the Town of San Anselmo and the District. f. Recommendation Staff recommends that the Commission adopt an interim sphere of influence coterminous with existing District boundaries indicating continued support of consolidation efforts. The Commission will review the sphere of influence every five years or upon special request as needed to respond to the results of any consolidation effort. Ross Valley Area Service Review & 111 April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update 5. County Service Areas Alternatives to the current government structure for the County Service Areas (CSAs) are limited given their relatively small size and the limited class of services they provide. No other agencies were identified that would be appropriate successor agencies to the existing CSAs providing service in the Ross Valley area. It remains standard procedure to detach territory from a CSA when that territory is annexed to a city. While CSA boundaries can include areas within a city under special circumstances (provided the city council of the affected city agrees [Government Code Sections 25210.10(a) and 25210.80(a)]), the County Service Area Law requires that when territory is annexed to a city it is automatically excluded from a CSA (Government Code Section 25210.90). a. County Service Area #16 Existing Sphere of Influence CSA #16 provides park and landscape maintenance service to a generally residential area that includes both city and county territory west of Highway 101, bordering San Rafael to the north and Kentfield to the west and including portions of northwest Larkspur. See Map 14 below. CSA #16 has a local advisory board that advises the Board of Supervisors on all matters relating to its services in Greenbrae. CSA #16 contracts with the Greenbrae Property Association to provide these services. In 1984, Marin LAFCO established a zero sphere of influence for CSA #16, assuming that if the area is annexed to the City of Larkspur, the CSA would be dissolved and the City of Larkspur would assume its services. The land is inside Larkspur’s sphere of influence. Need/Demand for Services Demand for CSA #16 services will continue indefinitely, but will not logically expand to any additional area in the Greenbrae area. Recommendation Staff recommends that the Sphere of Influence of CSA #16 remain a zero sphere designation. Ross Valley Area Service Review & 112 April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update Map 14. CSA #16 and CSA #17 b. County Service Area #17 Existing Sphere of Influence CSA #17 provides landscape maintenance and extended police services to incorporated portions of Larkspur, as well as unincorporated areas around Wolfe Grade, Sir Francis Drake Boulevard and the unincorporated Kentfield community. The CSA is currently used for park maintenance of Kentfield Park and police services for the Kent Woodlands community. See Map 15 below. In 1984, Marin LAFCO adopted a zero sphere of influence boundary with recommendations to dissolve the District upon payment of bonds. Need/Demand for Services Demand for services currently provided by CSA #17 will continue indefinitely but will not logically expand to any additional areas in Ross Valley. Recommendation Elsewhere in this report, staff has recommended that the Sphere of Influence of the City of Larkspur exclude the Kentfield area. In the absence of an expectation that the Ross Valley Area Service Review & 113 April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update majority of CSA #17’s service area will annex to the City of Larkspur, staff recommends that the Commission adopt a status quo sphere of influence coterminous with the District’s existing boundaries. Map 15. CSA #27 2 3 1 5 7 6 4 C. County Service Area #27 Existing Sphere of Influence The service area of CSA #27 is made up of seven separate pockets of unincorporated lands west of Highway 101, loosely following Sir Francis Drake Boulevard west (see Map15 above). The unincorporated areas within the CSA, along with the towns of Ross Valley, and unincorporated Kentfield and Sleepy Hollow, receive paramedic services from the Ross Valley Paramedic Authority, a joint powers authority. CSA#27 funds the services of the Ross Valley Paramedic Authority in those small areas that are outside cities and fire districts. The existing sphere of influence of CSA #27 is coterminous with its current boundaries as established by LAFCO in 1984. Ross Valley Area Service Review & 114 April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update Need/Demand for Services Demand for the services funded by CSA #27 will continue indefinitely but will not logically expand to any additional area. Recommendation Staff recommends that the Sphere of Influence of CSA #27 remain coterminous with its current boundaries as adopted in 1984. Ross Valley Area Service Review & 115 April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update GLOSSARY: Common LAFCO and Planning Terms LAFCO Terms Annexation: The inclusion of territory in a city or special district. Change of organization: An alteration of government structure, including city incorporation; district formation/annexation to, or detachment from, a city or district; city disincorporation; district dissolution; city or district consolidation; or merger or establishment of a subsidiary district. Consolidation: The uniting or joining of two or more cities or two or more districts located in the same county into a single new successor city or successor district. Contiguous: In the case of annexation, territory adjacent to an agency to which annexation is proposed. Territory is not contiguous if the only contiguity is based upon a strip of land more than 300 feet long and less than 200 feet wide. Dependent special district: A special district whose board of directors is another legislative body, such as a city council or board of supervisors. Also see “special district.” Detachment: The exclusion of territory from a city or district. Dissolution: The termination of the existence of a district. Formation: The creation of a district. Incorporation: The creation of a city. Independent special district: A special district that has a directly elected board of directors. Also see “special district.” Inhabited territory: Territory within which 12 or more registered voters reside. Initiating petition: A document signed either by registered voters or by landowners that requests LAFCO to consider a change of organization or reorganization. Island: Unincorporated territory substantially surrounded by a city, or territory surrounded by a city on one or more sides and the Pacific Ocean on the remaining sides. Ross Valley Area Service Review & 116 April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update Merger: The termination of the existence of a district, and the assumption of the district’s responsibilities by a city. Reorganization: Two or more changes of organization initiated in a single proposal. Special district: A local governmental agency formed pursuant to general law of the state or special act. Sphere of influence: A plan for the probable physical boundaries and service areas of a city or district. Sphere-of-influence amendment: The changes or updating of an adopted sphere of influence. Sphere-of-influence designations: Common types of sphere of influence designations: 1. Coterminous: For a city or special district, a sphere may be designated that is the same as existing city or district boundaries if there is no anticipated need for services outside the boundaries of the agency, or if there is insufficient information to support inclusion of additional territory within the sphere. 2. Larger than: For a city or special district, a sphere may be designated that is larger than existing city or district boundaries if there is a need for services beyond these boundaries. 3. Smaller than: A sphere may be designated that encompasses less territory than existing city or district boundaries if there is no need for services from the agency in the affected territory, of if the territory is included in the sphere of another agency. 4. Zero: A zero sphere that includes no territory may be designated for an agency, usually a special district. A zero sphere assumes that the public service responsibility and function of the agency should ultimately be reassigned to another agency. 5. Interim Sphere of Influence: A sphere of influence designation adopted by LAFCO describing a projected maximum service area for a special district that will remain in effect until the district’s service area is annexed to a city or until the district is consolidated with another special district that provides the same services. Sphere-of-influence determinations: Written determinations considered and prepared by the Commission in establishing a sphere of influence. The determinations address present and planned land uses, need and capacity of public facilities, and existence of social and economic communities of interest. Ross Valley Area Service Review & 117 April 2007 Sphere of Influence Update Subsidiary district: A district of limited powers for which a city council is designated as the ex officio board of directors of the district. At least 70 percent of the district’s land area and number of registered voters must be within the city limits for a district to become a subsidiary district. Uninhabited territory: Territory within which fewer than 12 registered voters reside. Urban services: Generally those services provided by cities and special districts and required for urban development: water, sewer, fire, police, road maintenance/public works, recreation, and associated services. “Urban services” as used in this context do not include schools or services typically provided on a regional basis by county or state agencies, such as public health and criminal justice (courts). Planning Terms Community plan: A focused planning policy document that is part of a general plan. The community plan addresses a particular region within the overall planning area of an agency and is adopted in the same manner as a general plan. General plan: A document containing a statement of development policies, including a diagram and text setting forth the objections of the plan. The general plan must include certain State-mandated elements related to land use, circulation, housing, conservation, open space, noise, and safety. Pre-zoning: A zoning action taken by a city prior to annexation of unincorporated territory. Pre-zoning is required prior to city annexation in order to identify land use regulations that would apply if annexation is completed. Pre-zoning has no regulatory effect until the property is formally annexed. Also see “zoning.” Specific plan: A policy statement and implementation tool that is used to address a single project or planning problem. Specific plans contain concrete standards and development criteria that supplement those of the general plan. Urban growth boundary or urban limit line: A planning boundary established by a city or county that shows that limits of urban development (i.e., development greater than one residence per acre). Zoning: The primary instrument for implementing the general plan. Zoning divides a community into districts or “zones” that specify permitted and prohibited land uses.