SOI Napa County Mosquito Abatement District 2005

LOCAL AGENCY FORMATION COMMISSION OF NAPA COUNTY COMPREHENSIVE STUDY NAPA COUNTY MOSQUITO ABATEMENT DISTRICT SPHERE OF INFLUENCE REVIEW REPORT FEBRUARY 2005 LAFCO of Napa County Daniel Schwarz, Executive Officer Keene Simonds, Analyst Kathy Mabry, Commission Secretary 1700 Second Street, Suite 268 Napa, California 94559 (707) 259-8645 http://napa.lafco.ca.gov MOSQUITO ABATEMENT STUDY: SPHERE REPORT LAFCO OF NAPA COUNTY INTRODUCTION On January 1, 2001, the Cortese-Knox-Hertzberg Local Government Reorganization Act became the governing law of LAFCOs. The Act codifies the duties and powers of LAFCO with respect to the formation of new local government agencies, changes in the organization of existing agencies, and the delivery of municipal services. The Act was the product of a working group created by then Assembly Speaker Robert Hertzberg to evaluate and implement, as appropriate, the recommendations of the Speaker’s Commission on Local Governance in the 21st Century (CLG). Those recommendations are found in the CLG’s report, Growth Within Bounds.1 Significantly, Growth Within Bounds addresses the role of LAFCO and its ability to fulfill its long-standing directive from the Legislature to encourage the orderly formation of local governmental agencies, preserve agricultural lands, and discourage urban sprawl. Among LAFCO’s principal responsibilities is the determination of a sphere of influence for each agency under its jurisdiction. California Government Code §56076 defines a sphere of influence as “a plan for the probable physical boundaries and service area of a local agency, as determined by the Commission.” LAFCO establishes, amends, and reviews spheres of influence to indicate to local agencies and property owners that, at some future date, a particular area will likely require the level of municipal services offered by the subject agency. It also indicates to other potential service providers which agency LAFCO believes to be best situated to offer the services in question. LAFCO is required to review each agency’s sphere of influence every five years. As part of the sphere of influence review process, the Commission is required to consider and make written statements with regard to four factors enumerated under California Government Code §56425(e). These factors are intended to capture the legislative intent of the sphere of influence review process and support the planned and orderly development of each local agency. These factors are identified below. • 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 commission determines that they are relevant to the agency. In addition, when reviewing a sphere of influence for an existing special district, the Commission must also require the following: 1 Several CLG recommendations were later codified into law with the passage of Assembly Bill 2838 (Hertzberg) in 2000. 1 MOSQUITO ABATEMENT STUDY: SPHERE REPORT LAFCO OF NAPA COUNTY • Require the existing district to file a written statement with the Commission specifying the functions or classes of services it provides. • Establish the nature, location, and extent of any functions or classes of services provided by the existing district. To help ensure that the Commission is well-informed when making determinations with respect to adopting or reviewing spheres of influence, LAFCO is required to conduct a service review on the subject agency. The service review, which is required in anticipation or conjunction with a sphere of influence review, is a comprehensive evaluation of the ability of the agency to provide service within its existing jurisdiction and sphere boundaries. Notably, through its evaluation of the capabilities of an agency, the service review offers LAFCO key information to inform the policy determinations necessary to complete a sphere of influence review. Comprehensive Study of the Napa County Mosquito Abatement District In May 2004, LAFCO of Napa County initiated its Comprehensive Study of the Napa County Mosquito Abatement District. This report represents the third and final phase of the study. The earlier phases, referred to as “Phase One” and “Phase Two,” represent the service review portion of the study. These phases included a description and evaluation of the vector control services provided by the District along with written determinations addressing the nine service factors enumerated under California Government Code §56430, respectively. These written determinations were adopted by the Commission at its February 7, 2005 meeting (LAFCO Resolution No. 05-01). “Phase Three” provides a review of the District’s sphere of influence, and presents written statements addressing the four factors enumerated under California Government Code §56425(e). This includes evaluating the District’s sphere of influence as it relates to present and future land uses, present and future service capacities, and any relevant social or economic communities of interest. The preparation of this report and its written statements concerning the District’s sphere of influence is based on information collected and analyzed as part of the service review and is incorporated by reference. The written statements contained in this report were adopted by the Commission at its February 7, 2005 meeting (LAFCO Resolution No. 05-02). 2 MOSQUITO ABATEMENT STUDY: SPHERE REPORT LAFCO OF NAPA COUNTY OVERVIEW The Napa County Mosquito Abatement District was formed in 1925 to provide mosquito control for residents of Napa County. The District recently expanded its operations to include vector control services relating to yellowjackets, ticks, and rodents. The District, which is organized under California Health and Safety Code, is empowered to expand its operations to prevent and control all types of vectors and vector-borne diseases. The District’s sphere of influence was established by the Commission in 1984. The sphere of influence is conterminous with the District’s jurisdictional boundary and includes all unincorporated and incorporated lands within Napa County. The sphere of influence has not been evaluated or reviewed prior to this study. RECOMMENDATION It is recommended that the Commission affirm the existing sphere of influence for the Napa County Mosquito Abatement District. The sphere of influence is conterminous with the jurisdictional boundary of the District and includes all unincorporated and incorporated lands within Napa County. Affirmation of the sphere of influence promotes the orderly development of the District and reflects its capacity to provide effective and cost-efficient vector control services within its jurisdictional boundary. This recommendation is based on the information collected and analyzed as part of the service review portion of the Comprehensive Study of the Napa County Mosquito Abatement District and supported by the statements presented below. SPHERE OF INFLUENCE FACTORS California Government Code §56076 defines a sphere of influence as “a plan for the probable physical boundaries and service area of a local agency, as determined by the Commission.” Government Code §56425 gives purpose to the determination of a sphere by charging the Commission with the responsibility of “planning and shaping the logical and orderly development of local governmental agencies through spheres of influence.” In reviewing a sphere of influence, the Commission must consider and make written statements concerning four specific factors. These factors are discussed below. 1. The present and planned land uses in the area, including agricultural and open- space lands. The present and future land uses of the subject area are planned for in the general plans prepared by the six land use authorities whose jurisdictions overlap the jurisdictional boundary of the Napa County Mosquito Abatement District. These general plans provide for multiple planned land uses, including urban, industrial, open-space, and agriculture. The exercise of the District’s vector control powers, which are needed within both urban and non-urban areas, will not affect the level or type of development identified in the general plans of the land use authorities. 3 MOSQUITO ABATEMENT STUDY: SPHERE REPORT LAFCO OF NAPA COUNTY 2. The present and probable need for public facilities and services in the area. The provision of vector control services in the subject area helps to ensure the public health and safety of residents of Napa County. The need for vector control is greatest in areas characterized by the presence of stagnant water. The need for the District was affirmed by the recent voter-approved assessment expanding the services of the Napa County Mosquito Abatement District. 3. The present capacity of public facilities and adequacy of public services that the agency provides or is authorized to provide. The Napa County Mosquito Abatement District has developed policies, service plans, and revenue streams to provide adequate and effective vector control services for the residents of Napa County. 4. The existence of any social or economic communities of interest in the area if the commission determines that they are relevant to the agency. The social and economic well-being of the subject area is dependent on the effective control of vectors and vector-borne diseases. 4 MOSQUITO ABATEMENT STUDY: SPHERE REPORT LAFCO OF NAPA COUNTY 5