The Amador County Local Agency Formation Commission received some interesting numbers last week in an update to the recent county-wide Municipal Services Review. The MSR, which is mandated by the State, was presented to the County on July 14. The research and documentation contained in the MSR is no laughing matter, as it serves to provide LAFCO with information on the management of the County’s economic resources. It is the responsibility of LAFCO to create policy that regulates and resolves issues pertaining to spheres of influence between incorporated City lands and unincorporated County land, including annexation. In a County with a variegated history on the subject of entitlement to resources, issues and disputes surrounding property management and spheres of influence are often complex. Since the release of the MSR, the company who prepared the document, Burr Consulting, has been collecting comments from various agencies and government entities, which are, in turn, incorporated into the MSR’s content. LAFCO heard a presentation Thursday from research associate Jennifer Stephenson on the comments that have “impacted the document the most.” For example, as per request for more information from Councilwoman Pat Fordyce, a Fire Service Section was included in the MSR’s section on Plymouth. The added information included the fact that Plymouth currently pays a yearly rate of 22 dollars per capita for fire service to the Amador Fire Protection District. Stephenson noted that this is well below the county average; most Amador County cities pay between 35-48 dollars per capita for fire service. The Fire sales-tax initiative, which will be on the November Ballot, would add a total of approximately $53 dollars per capita county-wide for fire services, which is still well below the state average of $116 per capita. The LAFCO Board took no action on the commentary, but praised Burr Consulting, as well as LAFCO Executive Director Rosanne Chamberlain for their work in the preparation of the MSR. The Amador County LAFCO Board is also headed to Los Angeles for the State LAFCO Convention a week from Wednesday. For more information on LAFCO or the MSR, visit www.co.amador.ca.us/LAFCO.
Wednesday, 27 August 2008 02:25
Updated MSR Presented at LAFCO
The Amador County Local Agency Formation Commission received some interesting numbers last week in an update to the recent county-wide Municipal Services Review. The MSR, which is mandated by the State, was presented to the County on July 14. The research and documentation contained in the MSR is no laughing matter, as it serves to provide LAFCO with information on the management of the County’s economic resources. It is the responsibility of LAFCO to create policy that regulates and resolves issues pertaining to spheres of influence between incorporated City lands and unincorporated County land, including annexation. In a County with a variegated history on the subject of entitlement to resources, issues and disputes surrounding property management and spheres of influence are often complex. Since the release of the MSR, the company who prepared the document, Burr Consulting, has been collecting comments from various agencies and government entities, which are, in turn, incorporated into the MSR’s content. LAFCO heard a presentation Thursday from research associate Jennifer Stephenson on the comments that have “impacted the document the most.” For example, as per request for more information from Councilwoman Pat Fordyce, a Fire Service Section was included in the MSR’s section on Plymouth. The added information included the fact that Plymouth currently pays a yearly rate of 22 dollars per capita for fire service to the Amador Fire Protection District. Stephenson noted that this is well below the county average; most Amador County cities pay between 35-48 dollars per capita for fire service. The Fire sales-tax initiative, which will be on the November Ballot, would add a total of approximately $53 dollars per capita county-wide for fire services, which is still well below the state average of $116 per capita. The LAFCO Board took no action on the commentary, but praised Burr Consulting, as well as LAFCO Executive Director Rosanne Chamberlain for their work in the preparation of the MSR. The Amador County LAFCO Board is also headed to Los Angeles for the State LAFCO Convention a week from Wednesday. For more information on LAFCO or the MSR, visit www.co.amador.ca.us/LAFCO.
