TranslateNotice of Public Protest Hearing
File No. 2019-19: Sonoma County Fire District Reorganization No. 2019-1 (Russian River, Bodega Bay FPDs)
Published: March 12, 2020
Updated Notice is Hereby Given by the Sonoma Local Agency Formation Commission that the Commission will hold a public hearing on item described below at or after 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, May 6, 2020. The purpose of the hearing is for the Commission to receive written protests filed against the item:
File No. 2019-19: Sonoma County Fire District Reorganization No. 2019-1 (Russian River, Bodega Bay FPDs) Involving Dissolution of the Russian River Fire Protection District and the Bodega Bay Fire Protection District and Annexation of the Same Territories to the Sonoma County Fire District
Pursuant to the Governor’s Executive Orders N-25-20 and N-29-20, which suspend certain provisions of the Ralph M. Brown Act, and the directive of the Health Officer of the County of Sonoma to shelter in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Commission will conduct this meeting entirely by teleconference.
No Physical Location for the Meeting will be Available.
Members of the Public Cannot Attend this Meeting in Person.
Anyone who wishes to provide public comment at the meeting via teleconference should consult the meeting agenda for the call-in telephone number. The agenda will be posted on the Commission’s website at least 72 hours before the scheduled start time of the meeting.
The proposal was initiated by resolution of the boards of directors of the Sonoma County Fire District, Russian River Fire Protection District, and Bodega Bay Fire Protection District. The reason for the reorganization is to achieve greater economy and efficiency in providing fire protection and emergency medical services for the residents of and visitors to the district.
The affected territory includes all territory within the Russian River Fire Protection District, generally located west of the Forestville Fire Protection District and north of the Monte Rio Fire Protection District, and all territory within the Bodega Bay Fire Protection District, generally located along the Sonoma Coast south of the Monte Rio Fire Protection District and west of the Occidental Community Services District. All territory is located in West Sonoma County. A map of the affected territory is available on the Sonoma LAFCO website at http://sonomalafco.org/News/Notices/Attachments/SoCoFPD-Map.
Owners of property annexed to the Sonoma County Fire District would be subject to parcel taxes currently in place for the Sonoma County Fire District. For further information or questions about specific parcels or parcel tax rates, please contact the Sonoma County Fire District at (707) 838-1170.
The Commission approved the reorganization on March 4, 2020, by Resolution No. 2722, which sets forth a full and complete description and the terms and conditions of the Commission’s approval. The Commission found the proposal exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), pursuant to Sections 15061(b)(3) and 15320 of the State CEQA Guidelines.
At the hearing, the Commission will determine the level of written protests filed and not withdrawn to determine whether the reorganization shall be ordered, ordered subject to an election, or terminated.
Filing a Protest
Any registered voter residing within, or owner of land within, the territory proposed to be annexed to the Sonoma County Fire District may file an official protest. Protest forms can be accessed on the Sonoma LAFCO website, www.sonomalafco.org. Use of a protest form is not required, but a protest must meet all of the requirements described in this notice.
Written protests can be mailed to Sonoma LAFCO, 111 Santa Rosa Avenue, Suite 240, Santa Rosa, CA 95404 and must be received by Sonoma LAFCO by the conclusion of the protest hearing on May 6, 2020.
Protests By Email: The original Notice of Public Protest Hearing for the subject proposal was issued on March 12, 2020, the beginning of the official protest period. As a result of the shelter in place requirements under the Governor’s Orders and the Directive of the Health Officer of the County of Sonoma, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the Commission’s subsequent use of teleconferencing to conduct the May 6, 2020, meeting, the Commission will allow protests to be submitted via email to mark.bramfitt@sonoma-county.org until the close of the public hearing.
Any email protests submitted by a registered voter must be signed, dated, and include the name of the voter and the voter’s residence address. Any email protests submitted by a landowner must be signed, dated, and include the name of the landowner, the street address of the land owned within the affected territory, and the Assessor’s Parcel Number or other description to identify the location of the land.
If you are both a registered voter and landowner within the affected territory, you may file both types of protests. Protests are counted in the two categories for the purposes of evaluation. It is not necessary to state a reason for filing a protest. Anyone who has filed a protest may withdraw it at any time before the end of the May 6, 2020, hearing. If sufficient protests are filed within the protest period, confirmation of the reorganization may be placed before registered voters through an election, or the reorganization may be terminated.
Any protest that does not meet the conditions stated in this notice will be considered invalid.
Copies of documents related to the subject proposal can be found on the Sonoma Local Agency Formation Commission website, www.sonomalafco.org. For questions, call Sonoma LAFCO: (707) 565-2577.
By: Mark Bramfitt, Executive Officer Date: April 15, 2020
Notice is hereby given by the Sonoma Local Agency Formation Commission that the Commission will hold a public hearing on Wednesday, May 6, 2020, at or after 2:00 p.m., in the Sonoma County Administration Building, 575 Administration Drive, Room 102A, Santa Rosa, California.
The purpose of the hearing is for the Commission to receive written protests filed against the following item:
File No. 2019-19: Sonoma County Fire District Reorganization No. 2019-1 (Russian River, Bodega Bay FPDs) Involving Dissolution of the Russian River Fire Protection District and the Bodega Bay Fire Protection District and Annexation of Those Same Territories to the Sonoma County Fire District
The proposal was initiated by resolution of the boards of directors of the Sonoma County Fire District, Russian River Fire Protection District, and Bodega Bay Fire Protection District.
The affected territory includes all territory within the Russian River Fire Protection District, generally located west of the Forestville Fire Protection District and north of the Monte Rio Fire Protection District, and all territory within the Bodega Bay Fire Protection District, generally located along the Sonoma Coast south of the Monte Rio Fire Protection District and west of the Occidental Community Services District. All territory is located in West Sonoma County. A map of the affected territory is available on the Sonoma LAFCO website at http://sonomalafco.org/News/Notices/Attachments/SoCoFPD-Map. (Download)
The reason for the reorganization is to achieve greater economy and efficiency in providing fire protection and emergency medical services for the residents of and visitors to the district.
Owners of property annexed to the Sonoma County Fire District would be subject to parcel taxes currently in place for the Sonoma County Fire District. For further information or questions about specific parcels or parcel tax rates, please contact the Sonoma County Fire District at (707) 838-1170.
The Commission approved the reorganization on March 4, 2020, by Resolution No. 2722, which sets forth a full and complete description and the terms and conditions of the Commission’s approval. The Commission found the proposal exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), pursuant to Sections 15061(b)(3) and 15320 of the State CEQA Guidelines.
How to file a protest
Any registered voter residing within, or owner of land within, the territory proposed to be annexed to the Sonoma County Fire District may file an official protest. All protests must be made in writing and must be received during the official protest period, which begins as of the date of this notice and ends on May 6, 2020, at the close of the protest hearing.
Protests submitted by a registered voter must be signed, dated, and include the name of the voter and the voter’s residence address. Protests submitted by a landowner must be signed, dated, and include the name of the landowner, the street address of the land owned within the affected territory, and the Assessor’s Parcel Number or other description to identify the location of the land.
If you are both a registered voter and landowner within the affected territory, you may file both types of protests. Protests are counted in the two categories for the purposes of evaluation. It is not necessary to state a reason for filing a protest. Anyone who has filed a protest may withdraw it at any time before the end of the May 6, 2020, hearing. If sufficient protests are filed within the protest period, confirmation of the reorganization may be placed before registered voters through an election, or the reorganization may be terminated.
A protest form is attached, should you wish to protest. Use of the protest form is not required, but your protest must meet all of the requirements described in this notice. Protest forms can also be accessed on the Sonoma LAFCO website, www.sonomalafco.org or at the LAFCO office.
Written protests can be mailed to Sonoma LAFCO, 111 Santa Rosa Avenue, Suite 240, Santa Rosa, CA 95404, or delivered in person during business hours Monday through Thursday. Protests can also be submitted at the protest hearing. Protests cannot be accepted by fax or email. All protests must be received by Sonoma LAFCO by the conclusion of the protest hearing on May 6, 2020. Any protest that does not meet the conditions stated in this notice will be considered invalid.
Copies of all related documents are on file and may be reviewed at the office of the Sonoma Local Agency Formation Commission. For questions, call Sonoma LAFCO: (707) 565-2577.
By: Mark Bramfitt, Executive Officer Date: March 12, 2020
Por medio de la presente, Sonoma Local Agency Formation Commission (Comisión de Creación de Agencia Local de Sonoma, LAFCO en inglés) avisa que celebrará una audiencia pública el 6 de mayo del 2020 a las 2:00 pm (o más tarde) en el edificio Sonoma County Administration Building, 575 Administration Drive, Salón 102A, Santa Rosa, California.
El propósito de la audiencia es para que la Comisión reciba protestas por escrito en contra del siguiente artículo:
Expediente número 2019-19: Reorganización número 2019-1 del Distrito de Bomberos del condado de Sonoma (Distritos de Protección Contra Incendios de Russian River y Bodega Bay) que implica la Disolución del Distrito de Protección Contra Incendios de Russian River y Bodega Bay y la incorporación de estos mismos territorios al Distrito de Bomberos del condado de Sonoma.
La propuesta fue iniciada por una resolución de las Juntas Directivas del Distrito de Bomberos del condado de Sonoma, por el Distrito de Protección Contra Incendios de Russian River, y por el Distrito de Protección Contra Incendios de Bodega Bay.
El territorio afectado, el cual abarca todo el territorio dentro del Distrito de Protección Contra Incendios de Russian River, generalmente ubicado al oeste del Distrito de Protección Contra Incendios de Forestville y al norte del Distrito de Protección Contra Incendios de Monte Rio, y todo el territorio dentro del Distrito de Protección Contra Incendios de Bodega Bay, generalmente ubicado a lo largo de la costa de Sonoma al sur del Distrito de Protección Contra Incendios de Monte Rio y al oeste del Distrito de Servicios de la comunidad de Occidental. Todo el territorio se ubica en la parte occidental del condado de Sonoma. Se puede acceder un mapa del territorio afectado en el sitio web de LAFCO de Sonoma en http://sonomalafco.org/News/Notices/Attachments/SoCoFPD-Map.
El motivo de la reorganización es para lograr una mayor economía y eficiencia en la provisión de servicios de protección contra incendios y servicios médicos de urgencia para los residentes y visitas del Distrito.
Los dueños de propiedades anexadas al Distrito de Bomberos del condado de Sonoma estarían sujetos a los actuales impuestos sobre terrenos del Distrito de Protección Contra Incendios del condado de Sonoma. Para más información o si tiene preguntas acerca de los terrenos específicos o de las tazas de impuestos sobre terrenos, por favor comuníquese con el Distrito de Bomberos del condado de Sonoma al (707) 838-1170.
El 4 de marzo del 2020, la Comisión aprobó la reorganización mediante la Resolución número 2722, que establece una descripción plena y completa de los términos y condiciones de la aprobación de la Comisión. Conforme las Secciones 15061(b)(3) y 15320 de las Normas de la Ley de Calidad Ambiental de California, la Comisión determinó que la propuesta está exenta de la misma.
Cómo entablar una protesta
Cualquier votante registrado residente o dueño de propiedad dentro del territorio de la propuesta anexión al Distrito de Bomberos del condado de Sonoma puede entablar una protesta oficial. Todas las protestas deben someterse por escrito y tienen que recibirse durante el período oficial de la protesta el cual comienza a partir de la fecha de esta notificación y termina el 6 de mayo del 2020 al cierre de la audiencia de protesta.
Las protestas sometidas por un votante registrado deben llevar su firma y la fecha e incluir el nombre del votante y la dirección de su domicilio. Las protestas sometidas por un dueño de propiedad deben llevar su nombre, firma, fecha, dirección de la propiedad dentro del territorio afectado y el número de parcela del asesor u otra descripción para identificar la ubicación de la propiedad.
Si usted es tanto votante registrado como dueño de propiedad dentro del territorio afectado, puede entablar ambas protestas. Para fines de evaluación, las protestas se contarán en las dos categorías. No es necesario declarar el motivo de la protesta. Cualquier persona que ha entablado una protesta puede retirarla en cualquier momento antes del final de la audiencia el día del 6 de mayo del 2020. Si se entablan suficientes protestas dentro del período de la misma, se podría traer la confirmación de la reorganización a un voto por medio de una elección o se podría cancelar la reorganización.
Se adjunta un formulario de protesta, si usted desea protestar. Aunque no es requisito usar el formulario de protesta, la misma debe incluir todos los elementos descritos en este aviso. Las formularios de protesta también se pueden acceder en el sitio web de Sonoma LAFCO en www.sonomalafco.org o en la oficina de LAFCO.
Las propuestas escritas pueden enviarse por correo a Sonoma LAFCO, 111 Santa Rosa Avenue, Suite 240, Santa Rosa, CA 95404, o entregadas en persona durante las horas hábiles de lunes a jueves. Las protestas también se pueden presentar durante la audiencia de protesta. No se permite enviarlas por fax o correo electrónico. Todas las protestas deberían recibirse en Sonoma LAFCO en o antes de la conclusión de la protesta el 6 de mayo del 2020. Cualquier protesta que no reúna las condiciones descritas en este aviso será considerada inválida.
Copias de todos los documentos relacionados a este asunto están archivadas y pueden revisarse en la oficina de Sonoma LAFCO. Si tiene preguntas, llame a Sonoma LAFCO al (707) 565-2577.
Por: Mark Bramfitt, Funcionario ejecutivo Fecha: 12 de marzo del 2020