Notice of Public Hearing

Notice of Public Hearing
Hearing Date: Wednesday, February 6, 2019
Time: at or after 2:00 p.m.
Location: Location: Sonoma County Administration Building, 575 Administration Drive, Room 102A, Santa Rosa, California

Notice is hereby given that the Sonoma Local Agency Formation Commission will conduct a public hearing at which time all interested persons may be heard on the following item:

File No. 2018-09: Amendment No. 1 to the Sphere of Influence of the Rincon Valley Fire Protection District.

File No. 2018-14: Roseland Fire Protection District Reorganization No. 18-01 (Roseland FPD) Involving Dissolution of the Roseland Fire Protection District, Annexation of the Portion of the District Outside the City of Santa Rosa to the Rincon Valley Fire Protection District, and Allocation of the Assets of the District, Including Reserves, to the City of Santa Rosa.

The territory that is the subject of the sphere of influence amendment, in the first hearing, consists of two unincorporated areas west of the City of Santa Rosa (City), generally located:

1. south of State Highway 12, north of Ludwig Avenue, east of Llano Road, and west of South Wright Road; and
2. along Yuba Drive, south of Barndance Lane, north of Ludwig Avenue, and east of Stony Point Road.

The reason for the proposed sphere amendment is to allow the two areas to be eligible for annexation to the Rincon Valley Fire Protection District (Rincon Valley FPD), in compliance with LAFCO’s prior approval of annexation of a substantial portion of the territory located within the Roseland Fire Protection District (Roseland FPD) to the City and transfer of service responsibility for the remaining territory in the Roseland FPD to the Rincon Valley FPD, in anticipation of LAFCO consideration of dissolution of the Roseland FPD. In 2018, LAFCO prepared a municipal service review and sphere of influence study of the Rincon Valley FPD, among other agencies.

The proposed action is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3) of the State CEQA Guidelines.

In the second hearing, LAFCO will consider an application initiated by the Roseland FPD board of directors for a reorganization consisting of dissolution of the Roseland FPD, annexation of that portion of the Roseland FPD outside the City to the Rincon Valley FPD, and allocation of the assets of the Roseland FPD, including reserves, to the City. The territory that is the subject of annexation to the Rincon Valley FPD is described in this notice.

The City has provided fire and emergency services to territory within the Roseland FPD, under contract, since 1983. In 2017, LAFCO approved the annexation of much of the territory located within the Roseland FPD to the City. Under the subject proposal, all assets of the Roseland FPD, including reserves, would be allocated to the City to be utilized by the City Fire Department. The remaining territory outside the City is proposed to be annexed to the Rincon Valley FPD as an interim step. It is anticipated that, in a subsequent action, LAFCO will consider dissolution of the Rincon Valley FPD and annexation of its territory to the Windsor Fire Protection District (Windsor FPD). Service levels are anticipated to be maintained as a result of these actions.

Owners of property within the two areas proposed to be annexed to the Rincon Valley FPD would be subject to a parcel tax based on “units of risk.” If, in a subsequent action, LAFCO were to approve the dissolution of the Rincon Valley FPD and annexation of its territory to Windsor FPD, upon annexation, property owners would become subject to special taxes, in the form of assessments that have been established by the Windsor FPD.

Environmental Determination: Exemptions pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3) and Section 15320 of the State California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines.

At the hearings, LAFCO will hear any relevant oral or written testimony and evidence presented or filed regarding the proposed amendment to the Rincon Valley FPD sphere of influence and the reorganization consisting of dissolution of the Roseland FPD, annexation of the portion of the Roseland FPD outside the City to the Rincon Valley FPD, and allocation of the assets of the Roseland FPD, including reserves, to the City.

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 review to the office. In order to be included with hearing materials, written comments must be received by January 28, 2019. 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 describe in this notice..

If you challenge the actions of the Sonoma Local Agency Formation Commission on the sphere of influence amendment or reorganization 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: January 16, 2019