HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 11172015 - C.63RECOMMENDATION(S):
ACCEPT report and recommendation that the Board consider requests to share costs for annexation feasibility
studies on a case-by-case basis in lieu of developing a County policy on such requests.
FISCAL IMPACT:
No fiscal impact.
BACKGROUND:
On October 20, 2015, the Board of Supervisors referred to the Internal Operations Committee the development of a
policy for Board consideration to guide the sharing of costs between the County and local jurisdictions of annexation
feasibility studies.
Municipal government exists to provide services to urban populations and to regulate them in an orderly fashion. But
an anomalous city development is that cities are ringed with urban populations that receive different or fewer
services. Disparities in cost and quality of urban services between incorporated and unincorporated areas lead
inexorably to incorporation or, in a few cases, to county government on a municipal scale. It is with these urban but
unincorporated communities that annexation may be a solution. Careful study is required to determine whether or not
an annexation is justified and feasible. Annexation feasibility studies typically involve a determination of the study
area and its characteristics, an inventory of current and needed services, the cost of furnishing needed services, and
potential revenue to fund those services. Planning staffs of the involved agencies are usually called to study
annexation proposals, but sometimes commercial planning contractors are hired to conduct these studies.
APPROVE OTHER
RECOMMENDATION OF CNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE
Action of Board On: 11/17/2015 APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED OTHER
Clerks Notes:
VOTE OF SUPERVISORS
AYE:John Gioia, District I Supervisor
Candace Andersen, District II
Supervisor
Mary N. Piepho, District III
Supervisor
Karen Mitchoff, District IV
Supervisor
Federal D. Glover, District V
Supervisor
Contact: Julie DiMaggio Enea
(925) 335-1077
I hereby certify that this is a true and correct copy of an action taken and entered on the minutes of the
Board of Supervisors on the date shown.
ATTESTED: November 17, 2015
, County Administrator and Clerk of the Board of Supervisors
By: Stephanie L. Mello, Deputy
cc: IOC Staff
C. 63
To:Board of Supervisors
From:INTERNAL OPERATIONS COMMITTEE
Date:November 17, 2015
Contra
Costa
County
Subject:REFERRAL ON ANNEXATION STUDY COST SHARING POLICY
BACKGROUND: (CONT'D)
Most annexations are initiated by cities or districts in response to a current or future need and upon a determination
that a fiscal advantage (or at least no fiscal detriment) would accrue from annexation. Consequently, costs for
annexation studies in Contra Costa County have traditionally been borne by the requesting agency. However, that is
not always the case. In the absence of a fiscal advantage to a requesting agency and when the County finds that
annexation would best serve the welfare of a population, it may be appropriate for the County to share in the costs of
the feasibility study.
As a first step, our Committee reviewed remaining unincorporated County areas to determine the likelihood that there
will be future annexations that might meet criteria that would be addressed in a cost-sharing policy. It was evident
from reviewing the unincorporated areas that the circumstances informing annexation decisions were unique and
varied greatly among the different areas. Consequently, at our November 9 meeting, we decided that a general policy
would be impractical and that decisions to share in the costs of annexation feasibility studies should be considered
based on the circumstances of each particular request and proposal. We ask, therefore, that the Board accept this
recommendation and terminate this referral.