On Thursday February 22nd members of the West Ranch Town Council headed to Sacramento for a two day workshop that focused on the incorporation process. The two day seminar was sponsored by California Association of Local Agency Formation Commission (CALAFCO).
The seminar was an education and overview of all aspects of the orderly formation of local governmental agencies. It provided valuable information on incorporation, annexation and community services districts.
The objective of the two day class was to work with and educate affected LAFCO’s; review the major elements and process of changing a governmental status for an effected area; and to discuss the potential risks, problems and benefits of changes in status.
The program stepped the attendees through the entire process of changing an area status and offered up valuable information. Some of the topics covered included timeline and statutory framework; various costs for analysis, engineering, and environmental requirements; basic requirements; perceptions and misperceptions; and vehicle license fees (VLF) were among the topics covered.
LAFCO is responsible for coordinating logical and timely changes in local governmental boundaries, conducting special studies that review ways to reorganize, simplify, and streamline structure, and preparing a sphere of influence for each city and special district within the county. LAFCO’s regulate, through approval and denial, the boundary changes proposed by other agencies and individuals.
West Ranch Council members will be giving an update on the LAFCO class at the next regular Council meeting on Wednesday March 7th at 6:30 PM. The meeting is held at the Southern Oaks community center located on Southern Oaks Drive in Stevenson Ranch.