Agenda

Return

C. 54

To:	Board of Supervisors
From:	John Gioia, District I Supervisor
Date:	October 20, 2015

Contra

Costa

County

Subject:

REFERRAL TO INTERNAL OPERATIONS COMMITTEE OF DEVELOPMENT OF COST-SHARING POLICY FOR ANNEXATION STUDIES

APPROVE	OTHER
RECOMMENDATION OF CNTY ADMINISTRATOR	RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE

Action of Board On: 10/20/2015

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:	JOHN GIOIA (510) 231-8686
cc:	County Finance Director IOC Staff

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: October 20, 2015
,

BY:	, Deputy

RECOMMENDATION(S):

REFER 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.

FISCAL IMPACT:

The fiscal impact of sharing costs for annexation studies will vary based on the unique aspects of an annexation request. Costs for past annexation studies have ranged from $25,000 to $150,000.

BACKGROUND:

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.

BACKGROUND: (CONT'D)

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.

Costs for annexation studies in Contra Costa County have traditionally been borne by the requesting agency. However, 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. Therefore, I am recommending that the Internal Operations Committee be directed to prepare a cost-sharing policy for Board of Supervisors consideration.