Notice of Public Hearing

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Sonoma Local Agency Formation Commission will conduct a public hearing at or after 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, August 5, 2020, in the Sonoma County Administration Building, 575 Administration Drive, Room 102A, Santa Rosa, California, at which time all interested persons may be heard on the following item: 

File No. 2020-04: Dissolution of the Palm Drive Health Care District

(Due to public health regulations, this meeting may be conducted using a video conferencing system.  Please refer to the Commission website for details regarding meeting logistics.)

The Board of Directors of the Palm Drive Health Care District (“District”) have applied to LAFCO by resolution seeking dissolution of the District.  The County of Sonoma will be named as the successor agency, tasked with winding down the affairs of the District, which primarily involves continued collection of taxes to be used to pay existing District bankruptcy and debt obligations.

It should be noted that the District no longer provides medical services, having sold its hospital facility and transferred operating licenses to a private entity in 2019.

The Cortese Knox Hertzberg Act compels the Commission to approve dissolution, though the Commission may impose conditions. The Act also indicates that approval is not subject to protest proceedings or electoral approval by registered voters within the District’s territory.

At the hearing, LAFCO will consider any relevant oral or written testimony and evidence presented or filed regarding the proposed dissolution of the District.

The proposed action has been determined to be exempt from the State of California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) under provisions of Section 15061(b)(3) and Section 15320.

Copies of all documents relating to the actions may be reviewed at the Sonoma Local Agency Formation Commission office, 111 Santa Rosa Avenue, Suite 240, Santa Rosa, California, 95404, (707) 565-2577. Please direct comments, questions, and requests to the office. In order to be included with hearing materials, written comments must be received by July 28, 2020. Written comments received after that date will be provided to the Commission at the public hearing.

ALL INTERESTED PERSONS ARE HEREBY INVITED TO BE PRESENT AND HEARD ON THE MATTERS DESCRIBED IN THIS NOTICE.

If you challenge the actions of the Sonoma Local Agency Formation Commission on the sphere of influence amendment in court, you may be limited to raising only those issues raised at the public hearings described in this notice or in written correspondence delivered to the Sonoma Local Agency Formation Commission at, or prior to, the hearings.

By: Mark Bramfitt, Executive Officer

Date: July 1, 2020