Mhcsd Pubic Hearing Notice for Incorporation

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING TO CONSIDER ADOPTION OF A NEGATIVE DECLARATION REGARDING THE REORGANIZATION PROPOSAL TO INCLUDE INCORPORATION OF THE PROPOSED CITY OF MOUNTAIN HOUSE AND CORRESPONDING SPHERE OF INFLUENCE (SOI) AMENDMENTS AND CONSIDERATION OF THE INCOPORATION AND CORRESPONDING SOI AMENDMENTS NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that on Thursday, September 14, 2023, at 9:00 A.M. in the Chambers of the Board of Supervisors on the 6th Floor, 44 North San Joaquin Street, Stockton, California, the San Joaquin Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCo) will conduct a Public Hearing to consider a reorganization proposal initiated by the Mountain House Community Services District (MHCSD) to include: • The proposed incorporation of the City of Mountain House (LAFCO Alternative Boundary). LAFCo proposes an alternative boundary to eliminate two (2) islands of unincorporated County land that would occur with incorporation of the existing MHCSD boundary, as proposed. • The existing MHCSD would divest all of its current powers except enforcement of CC&Rs and become a subsidiary district with the new City Council as its Board of Directors. • The Project includes a change in organization; amendments to the San Joaquin County 2035 General Plan (2035 General Plan) Land Use Map, the land use designations, or intensities/densities identified within the General Plan 2035 Land Use Element are not proposed. • The proposed incorporation of the City of Mountain House will not require new or physically altered governmental facilities. • Fire and emergency services for the proposed City of Mountain House will continue be provided bythe Mountain House Fire Department through a contract with the French Camp McKinley Fire District (Mountain House Community Services District Fire Department, 2022). • Police protection services for the proposed City of Mountain House will continue to be provided through contract by the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Department (Mountain House Community Services District, 2022a). • The proposed City of Mountain House is located within the boundaries of the Lammersville Joint UnifiedSchool District. • The Stockton-San Joaquin County Public Library system will continue to operate the Kathleen Buffleben Branch Library within the incorporated City of Mountain House. Pursuant to Government Code Section 56720, et. seq., and other applicable provisions of the Cortese- Knox-Hertzberg Local Government Reorganization Act of 2000 (commencing with Government Code Section 56000), the Commission will review the incorporation for compliance with all applicable factors in making a determination as to approve, conditionally approve or disapprove the application to incorporate as the City of Mountain House. If the reorganization, to include the incorporation, is approved or conditionally approved by the Commission, the proponents may proceed with a ballot measure for the registered voters within the identified incorporation limits to confirm whether the MHCSD should incorporate as the City of Mountain House, together with the other components of the reorganization. The proposal includes the transfer of all current services provided by the MHCSD to the proposed City of Mountain House with the exception of CC&R enforcement, and establishment of the MHCSD as a subsidiary district of the new city. Among the agencies affected by incorporation are the County of San Joaquin (“County”), Tracy Rural Fire Protection District (“Tracy Rural”) and MHCSD. For the most part, if incorporated, the duties of these agencies would shift to the responsibility of the new City, with some notable exceptions. Pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), an initial study found that the incorporation will not have a significant impact upon the environment. Accordingly, a Notice of Intent to Adopt a Negative Declaration was released for public comment for 30 days (05/27/2022 to 06/27/2022) and is now proposed for adoption. A Comprehensive Fiscal Analysis (“CFA”) for the proposed incorporation has been prepared. The purpose of the CFA is to document the anticipated costs, revenues, and effects of the proposed incorporation, as well as present other information as may be necessary. The Commission held a study session on the CFA and incorporation on July 13, 2023. The CFA found that the incorporation of Mountain House is financially feasible. The Initial Study, Notice of Exemption, Negative Declaration, Comprehensive Fiscal Analysis and other Incorporation documents may be found on the LAFCo website at www.sjlafco. org. If you have any questions or need more information, please call the LAFCo office at (209) 468-3198, or email J.D. Hightower, Executive Officer at jhightower@sjgov.org BY ORDER OF THE SAN JOAQUIN LOCAL AGENCY FORMATION COMMISSION Dated: August 16, 2023 J.D. HIGHTOWER, Executive Office