Title
SUBJECT: Report on the County Islands within City Limits
REPORT IN BRIEF
Discussion on the County Islands within City Limits and the State Laws that Regulate the Annexation of Those Islands.
RECOMMENDATION
Provide direction to staff on next steps.
Body
DISCUSSION
The Cortese-Knox-Hertzberg Local Government Reorganization Act of 2000 (CKH Act, California Government Code ?56000 et seq.) regulates annexations.
Annexations must be approved by LAFCO.
There are different types of annexations:
* Standard Annexation (annexation to a city or district)
* Annexation to correct boundary anomalies
* Island Annexation (isolated unincorporated areas within a city boundary)
City of Merced has recently considered several standard types of annexations. Except for specific properties surrounding the University of California Campus, most of the annexation projects are located contiguous to the City of Merced jurisdictional boundary.
County islands usually happen because of other annexations that don't include the county developed or undeveloped property. It happens over time, leading to an island of unincorporated land.
The Cortese-Knox-Hertzberg Local Government Reorganization Act (CKH Act) defines an island as: an unincorporated area that is completely surrounded by a city or substantially surrounded such that it could be logically annexed.
An annexation can involve an election or no election. It can also involve a protest hearing under certain circumstances. When LAFCO reviews the annexation proposal state law sets thresholds for triggering a public election:
In an inhabited area, where 12 or more registered voters live within the boundaries of the proposed annexation, written protests may be filed. If 25% to 50% of registered voters-or more than 25% of landowners-submit a protest, an election is required, allowing the annexation to be put to a vote by affected voters. If protests are fewer than 25%, the annexation proceeds without an electio...
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