Placer LAFCO Policy 1.1 Service Review

Placer County Local Agency Formation Commission (Placer LAFCO) POLICY MANUAL POLICY 1.1 Service Review Adopted November 5, 2025 PURPOSE This policy serves as a framework for the Commission in conducting Service Reviews with a commitment to a regular review schedule, community and agency engagement, and transparency. In standard LAFCO practices, the Service Reviews are not separated from the Sphere of Influence as the data is codependent for decision making. BACKGROUND The Commission is responsible under State law to inform Sphere of Influence (SOI) updates, SOI amendments, and jurisdictional boundary changes by conducting Service Reviews on the availability and demand of local services within Placer County. Service Reviews may be conducted by service type, region, subregion, or another geographic area appropriate for analyzing the service or services to be reviewed (see California Government Code Section 56430). POLICY 1. Goals and Objectives a. The Commission will use Service Reviews as a principal resource to proactively inform future planning and regulatory actions under its purview and mission to facilitate orderly growth and development or government efficiency and effectiveness. b. The Commission will use Service Reviews to inform the appropriate scope and scale of SOI updates and amendments performed for all local agencies under State law (Government Code Section 56425). c. The Commission will use Service Reviews to help inform proposed jurisdictional changes for local agencies during the 5-year period following the Commission’s adoption of the Service Reviews. d. The Commission will use Service Reviews to establish, amend, and regulate the nature, location, and extent of any functions or classes of services provided by existing cities or districts (Government Code Section 56425(i)). e. The Commission may require a new Service Review to be prepared before considering a proposal requiring one or more SOI amendments or updates and Page 1 of 4 Placer County Local Agency Formation Commission (Placer LAFCO) POLICY MANUAL a jurisdictional boundary change where the subject agency or agencies have not been evaluated in a study over the preceding 5-year period. f. The Commission will consider waivers of the policies set forth in this Service Review Policy on a case-by-case basis based on the recommendation of the Executive Officer or on a motion, duly seconded, by members of the Commission. g. The Commission may undertake studies of special districts for the purpose of examining the potential for efficiencies through reorganization (Government Code § 56378, 56425, or 56430). Districts most likely to be the subject of such studies include those that fall into one or more of the following categories: i. Overlaying districts that provide the potential for service duplication. ii. Inactive districts. iii. Overlaying limited-purpose districts that could be consolidated into a single multipurpose district. iv. Districts that include significant areas where no services are provided. v. Districts which appear to provide an inadequate level of service. vi. Districts which are overlain by a city and may be merged into the city. h. The Commission will manage Service Reviews for Disadvantaged Unincorporated Communities per State guidelines and as noted in Placer LAFCO Policy 1.17: Disadvantaged Unincorporated Communities. 2. Schedule a. The Commission will maintain a Service Review Schedule to provide advance notice of timing to local agencies, the public, and other interested parties and encourage project syncing whenever possible. b. The Commission will consult the Service Review Schedule in initiating specific Service Reviews when adopting the annual Workplan. 3. Funding a. The Commission will fund Service Reviews calendared in the Service Review Schedule and adopted as part of the Annual Workplan. b. Applicants will be responsible for funding Service Reviews per LAFCO’s Fee Schedule (Section 1.13) undertaken outside the five-year study schedule when it is necessary for the Commission to consider proposed SOI updates, amendments, or jurisdictional boundary changes. POLICY 1.1 Service Review Page 2 of 4 Placer County Local Agency Formation Commission (Placer LAFCO) POLICY MANUAL 4. Service Review Study a. The Commission delegates responsibility to the Executive Officer to prepare Service Reviews with related documentation, as appropriate. This responsibility includes approving scopes of work and associated timelines in consultation with the subject agencies. b. The Executive Officer will consult with the subject agencies in establishing appropriate performance measures within the Service Reviews. c. The Executive Officer will prepare a report, in a standardized format for consistency, on the Service Review with recommendations and related determinations that address the factors required for consideration in statute (Government Code Section 56430(a)). 5. Community and Agency Engagement a. The Commission will prioritize budgeting resources to accommodate proactive community and agency engagement as part of the Service Review process and as a direct means to identify community needs. b. The Executive Officer will ensure that the following baseline measures for engagement are practiced in preparing Service Reviews: i. Staff will attend regularly scheduled public meetings of the subject agencies to directly advise their councils or boards and their constituents of the initiation of Service Reviews. ii. Staff will provide formal public review and comment periods of at least 30 days between the draft and final presentations of Service Reviews to the Commission. iii. Staff will post draft Service Reviews on LAFCO’s website and social media accounts during the public comment period. iv. Staff will request that the subject agencies post the draft Service Review on the subject agencies’ websites and social media accounts during the public comment period. c. As appropriate, and as an enhancement to the above baseline measures, the Executive Officer will consider taking any of the following additional outreach efforts for Service Reviews: i. Hold public and agency workshops to engage the affected communities. ii. Solicit opportunities to make staff presentations to subject member agencies and other organized interested parties on the Service Reviews to highlight and receive community input on key topics. POLICY 1.1 Service Review Page 3 of 4 Placer County Local Agency Formation Commission (Placer LAFCO) POLICY MANUAL 6. Commission Actions a. The Commission will consider the final Service Review as part of a scheduled public hearing with the same noticing requirements for a SOI update or amendment. b. The Commission will determine that the final Service Review is adequate and complete pursuant to the requirements of Government Code Section 56430. c. The Commission may adopt or adopt with terms and conditions the final Service Review as it deems necessary or appropriate. 7. Post-Commission Action a. The Executive Officer will provide prompt written notice of the completed Service Review to the subject agencies and request that the completed Service Review study be forwarded to the agencies’ full councils or boards. b. The Executive Officer will request that the subject agencies post the completed Service Review on their websites. c. The Executive Officer will ensure the posting of completed Service Review on LAFCO’s webpage. POLICY 1.1 Service Review Page 4 of 4