BILL ANALYSIS
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | SB 263|
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THIRD READING
Bill No: SB 263
Author: Strickland (R)
Amended: 2/24/09
Vote: 21
SENATE LOCAL GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE : 4-0, 5/6/09
AYES: Wiggins, Cox, Kehoe, Wolk
NO VOTE RECORDED: Aanestad
SUBJECT : Local government: community service districts
SOURCE : Author
DIGEST : This bill permits the Santa Rita Hills Community
Services District to limit access to its roads to residents
and landowners of the District.
ANALYSIS :
Existing law, the Community Services District Law,
authorizes the establishment of community services.
A community services district (CSD) is a type of special
district which can deliver 31 different types of service
sand facilities, such as police protection, road
maintenance, and parks and recreation. Most of the state's
325 CSDs perform only a few of these authorized services,
depending on what local residents and property owners are
willing to pay for.
CONTINUED
SB 263
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This bill permits the Santa Rita Hills Community Services
District to limit access to its roads to residents and
landowners of the District.
Comments
The Legislature has granted special powers to individual
CSDs when communities face unique circumstances. For
example, six CSDs can limit access to district roads by
adopting an ordinance. These district roads must be owned
by the CSDs and cannot be officially dedicated to or kept
open for public use. The six CSDs that have this special
power are: (1) Bear Valley CSD, Kern County; (2) Bell
Canyon CSD, Ventura County; (3) Cameron Estates CSD, El
Dorado County; (4) Lake Sherwood CSD, Ventura County; (5)
Saddle Creek CSD, Calaveras County; and (6) Wallace CSD,
Calaveras County.
If approved by the voters on May 5, 2009, the Santa Rita
Hills CSD will have the power to construct and maintain
roads and install underground electrical and communications
facilities for the Lakeview Estates subdivision in Santa
Barbara County. The subdivision contains 35 parcels, each
40 or more acres, and one parcel less than one acre.
Landowners envision a future community of residential farms
and vineyards. However, because the subdivision lacks an
adequate, paved road system, most landowners cannot get
building permits. Furthermore, landowners say they often
cannot get to their property during the winter months
because the dirt roads are impassable after heavy rains.
Lakeview Estates landowners have considered several
different ways to finance and construct a road system in
their subdivision. They agree that forming the Santa Rita
Hills CSD is the most appropriate approach. The CSD will
levy a voter-approved special tax on each lot to fund the
District's services. Because a CSD is a public agency, its
roads are publicly-owned. However, the Lakeview Estates
subdivision is a private community and, for security and
privacy reasons, residents and landowners want to keep the
roads within the subdivision private.
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: No
Local: No
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SUPPORT : (Verified 5/6/09)
Santa Barbara Local Agency Formation Commission
AGB:do 5/6/09 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
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