VCWD No. 16 Sphere of Influence Review

Agenda Item 14 VENTURA LOCAL AGENCY FORMATION COMMISSION STAFF REPORT Meeting Date: January 21, 2026 TO: LAFCo Commissioners FROM: Andrea Ozdy, Deputy Executive Officer SUBJECT: Sphere of Influence Review: LAFCo 26-05S Ventura County Waterworks District No. 16 Recommendation: Adopt Resolution LAFCo 26-05S (Attachment 2) making determinations and reviewing the sphere of influence for Ventura County Waterworks District No. 16 (VCWD 16 or District) pursuant to Government Code Section 56425(g), including that a sphere of influence update is not necessary. District Information: VCWD 16 is a dependent special district formed in 1972 that, through the Water and Sanitation Department of the Ventura County Public Works Agency, is authorized to provide wastewater collection and treatment service throughout its service area within the unincorporated area of Piru. All other services are considered to be latent.1 The Ventura County Board of Supervisors is the governing body of the District. VCWD 16’s sphere of influence covers approximately 493 acres (about 0.77 square miles), and its jurisdictional area totals about 358 acres (approximately 0.56 square miles) (Attachment 1). Background: Pursuant to the Cortese-Knox-Hertzberg Local Government Reorganization Act of 2000 (Government Code Section 56000 et seq.), the Commission was required to determine and adopt a sphere of influence (or “sphere”) for each city and special district on or before January 1, 2008. A sphere of influence is defined in Government Code Section 56076 as the probable 1 Pursuant to Government Code Section 56050.5, “‘Latent service or power’ means those services, facilities, functions, or powers authorized by the principal act under which the district is formed, but that are not being exercised, as determined by the commission pursuant to subdivision (i) of Section 56425.” COMMISSIONERS AND STAFF COUNTY CITY DISTRICT PUBLIC Jeff Gorell Jenny Crosswhite Raul Avila, Chair Gene Talmadge Janice S. Parvin, Vice-Chair Bert E. Perello Chris Stephens Alternate Alternate Alternate Alternate Matt LaVere Susan Santangelo Mohammed A. Hasan Joe Piechowski Executive Officer Deputy Executive Officer Office Manager/Clerk Legal Counsel Kai Luoma Andrea Ozdy Richelle Beltran Jeffrey Barnes physical boundary and service area of a local agency, as determined by the Commission. Every five years thereafter, the Commission must, as necessary, review and update each sphere of influence (Government Code Section 56425(g)). In compliance with Government Code Section 56425(g), the Commission accepted a municipal service review (MSR) report for VCWD 16 first on December 12, 2003, and again on May 18, 2022. Both MSRs are available on the LAFCo website. LAFCo’s past sphere of influence reviews resulted in the following: (1) an update (i.e., modifications) of the sphere in 2004, (2) a review (i.e., no changes) of the sphere in 2009, 2014, and 2022. The update in 2004 reflected an expansion of the sphere to include approximately 338.6 acres that are outside the District’s jurisdictional area. This area, located north and south of Center Street, had in the late 1980s been detached from the District and removed from its sphere based on information available at that time demonstrating that the District did not provide service within this area. When LAFCo reviewed the District’s sphere in 2004, it recognized that its prior actions were based on faulty information, and expanded the sphere to once again include territory that had been continuously served by the District and where the District operates facilities (i.e., a sewer line in Center Street). Discussion: Sphere of Influence Evaluation Based on the work plan established by the Commission, an evaluation of the District’s sphere of influence is to be initiated in 2026. LAFCo staff consulted with District staff to discuss the District’s sphere of influence, and to determine: (1) if the District has experienced any changes to its service needs or areas since LAFCo’s most recent evaluation of its sphere of influence, and (2) if District staff anticipates any service changes that would warrant adjustment of the sphere boundaries. As explained in the analysis below, it appears that the existing sphere of influence boundary continues to reflect the District’s current and probable service area, consistent with the MSR report accepted by the Commission in 2022 (which demonstrates that the District has the ability to provide services at acceptable levels). Therefore, no changes to the sphere of influence for the District are recommended. The sphere of influence review involving no changes is not subject to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) because it “will not result in a direct or reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment” (CEQA Guidelines Section 15060(c)(2)). Staff Report – Sphere of Influence Review LAFCo 26-05S – Ventura County Waterworks District No. 16 January 21, 2026 Page 2 of 4 Written Determinations Government Code Section 56425(e) requires that, in determining the sphere of influence of an agency, the Commission consider and prepare a written statement of its determinations with respect to each of the following: (1) The present and planned land uses in the area, including agricultural and open-space lands. (Section 56425(e)(1)) The District’s sphere of influence consists primarily of urban uses within the Piru community, and includes some surrounding agricultural land, all within the unincorporated County area. Based on the land use designations and characteristics of land within the District’s sphere of influence, land uses within the District’s sphere are expected to remain unchanged. (2) The present and probable need for public facilities and services in the area. (Section 56425(e)(2)) VCWD 16 provides wastewater collection and treatment service. The District’s sphere of influence consists primarily of urban uses within the Piru community, and includes some surrounding agricultural land, all within the unincorporated County area. The existing need for District services will remain, and additional demand for services is expected as a result of eventual community buildout in accordance with the Piru Area Plan. (3) The present capacity of public facilities and adequacy of public services that the agency provides or is authorized to provide. (Section 56425(e)(3)) VCWD 16 provides wastewater collection and treatment service. The District’s sphere of influence consists primarily of urban uses within the Piru community, and includes some surrounding agricultural land, all within the unincorporated County area. While additional development within the Piru community is expected, based on the evaluation contained in the MSR accepted by LAFCo on May 18, 2022, the District has the ability to continue to provide municipal services within its service area and sphere of influence, and additional demands would not adversely impact the present capacity of public facilities and adequacy of public services that the District provides or is authorized to provide. (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. (Section 56425(e)(4)) The District’s sphere of influence includes Piru, a territory known to be a disadvantaged unincorporated community (defined in Government Code Section 56033.5 as communities having an annual median household income that is less than 80 percent of the statewide annual median household income). The Piru community receives fire protection services Staff Report – Sphere of Influence Review LAFCo 26-05S – Ventura County Waterworks District No. 16 January 21, 2026 Page 3 of 4 from the Ventura County Fire Protection District, police protection services from the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office, wastewater collection and treatment services from VCWD 16, and water services from Warring Water Service, Inc., a mutual water company. Therefore, the sphere of influence review would not result in a detrimental impact to any social or economic communities of interest. (5) For an update of a sphere of influence of a city or special district that provides public facilities or services related to sewers, municipal and industrial water, or structural fire protection. . . the present and probable need for those public facilities and services of any disadvantaged unincorporated communities within the existing sphere of influence. (Section 56425(e)(5)) The review of the District’s sphere of influence is not considered an update (i.e., a modification) to the sphere. Notice of Public Hearing This matter has been noticed as a public hearing pursuant to Government Code Section 56427. Additionally, all affected agencies have been notified of the public hearing. Attachments: 1. Existing Sphere of Influence Map for VCWD 16 2. LAFCo 26-05S Resolution LAFCo makes every effort to offer legible map files with the online and printed versions of our reports; however, occasionally the need to reduce oversize original maps and/or other technological/software factors can compromise readability. Original maps are available for viewing at the LAFCo office by request. Staff Report – Sphere of Influence Review LAFCo 26-05S – Ventura County Waterworks District No. 16 January 21, 2026 Page 4 of 4 PIRU CANYON RD ST MAIN CENTERST T S N AI M D R Y E R R O T }þ 126 HOWE RD HOWE RD D R Y E R Legend R O T Sphere of Influence Boundary - 493.45 acres District Boundary - 357.53 acres Ventura County Waterworks District No. 16 / Current as of May 18, 2022 1,750 875 0 1,750 Prepared by County of Ventura - IT Services Department - GIS Division Feet State Plane Coordinate System California Zone V - NAD 83 WARNING: The information contained hereon was created by the Ventura County Geographic Information System (GIS), Copyright 2012 County of Ventura. Design, maps, index and text of this map are copyrighted. This map was compiled from records and computations w no h t i c w h a i r s r a d n e t s t i h g e n e a d c c a u n r d a c o y p e o r f a th te is d i s n o fo le rm ly a fo ti r o n th , e a n co d n n v o e n d i e e c n i c s e io n o f i n th v e o l C vi o n u g n a t y r i a s n k d o f r e e l c a o te n d o m co ic n t l r o a s c s t o e r n p tit h ie y s s . i c a T l h i e n j C ur o y u s n h ty o u d l o d es It is unlawful to copy or reproduce, either in digital or paper form, any part thereof for personal use or resale. be made in reliance thereon.