2018 Staff Workshop

Final Workshop Program. (File is large)

What exactly happens when a Certificate of Completion is sent to the Board of Equalization (BOE)?  What if a boundary change was recorded incorrectly?  All your questions will be answered by BOE representatives. You will also learn about the BOE’s role in boundary changes, latest revisions to fee and mapping requirements, and how the BOE’s recent restructuring may affect LAFCo’s process. Speakers: Anna Marie Price, Research Analyst II, Board of Equalization; Ric Schwarting, Research Manager, Board of Equalization. Moderator: Joe Serrano, Senior Analyst, Monterey LAFCo. 

Join your CALAFCO staff and Legislative Committee leaders to hear all the latest Association news as well as an up-to-the-minute legislative report on all bills of interest to CALAFCO. Speakers: Steve Lucas, Executive Officer, Butte LAFCo; Pamela Miller, Executive Director, CALAFCO; Paul Novak, AICP, Executive Officer, Los Angeles LAFCo; Lou Ann Texeira, Executive Officer, Contra Costa LAFCo. 

There is no presentation for this session.

Do you have an unincorporated area that is the poster child for annexation but lacks shared commitment and interest on the part of the County and City to pursue annexation?  This case study on the North Richmond annexation provides lessons learned in intergovernmental collaboration, outreach and preparation of an annexation fiscal analysis to allow affected agencies and the community to make an informed decision. Speakers: James Edison, Managing Principal, Willdan Financial; Robert Rogers, Office of Supervisor John Gioia, Contra Costa County; LaShonda White, Senior Management Analyst, City of Richmond; Christopher Whitmore, Director of Policy and Strategy, City of Richmond. Moderator: Lou Ann Texeira, Executive Officer, Contra Costa LAFCo. 

Berkeley Hillside Preservation v. City of Berkeley (Case No. S201116) involved a CEQA exemption for a building permit for a single-family home and demonstrated how CEQA litigation is not limited to adequate EIRs or Negative Declarations.  Learn from two expert CEQA attorneys on how to best apply CEQA exemptions and avoid delays or litigation. Speakers: P. Scott Browne, Attorney, General Counsel to Several LAFCos; Holly Whatley, Shareholder, Colantuono, Highsmith & Whatley. Moderator: Kris Berry, AICP, Executive Officer, Placer LAFCo. 

This informative presentation is intended to assist staff members who may be new to LAFCo and the work we do.  Panelists will discuss a number of topics: the authority and purpose of LAFCo, the LAFCo review process, the laws involved in LAFCo decisions, and updating Spheres of Influence and Municipal Service Reviews.  We will share insights on why decisions are made the way they are, and explore why LAFCo is professionally challenging and satisfying.  Join us for this fun and informative session on the LAFCo basics, plus a little more. Speakers: Robert Barry, Chief Analyst, San Diego LAFCo; Roseanne Chamberlain, Executive Officer, Amador LAFCo; Paula Graf, Analyst, Imperial LAFCo; David J. Ruderman, Senior Counsel, Colantuono, Highsmith & Whatley. Moderator: David Church, Executive Officer, San Luis Obispo LAFCo. 

A little less than half of the 58 LAFCos do not have special district representation. In 2017, the Governor signed AB 979 establishing new procedures for Independent Special District Selection Committees including new procedures for when the EO must call and give notice of a meeting of members of the committee.  This session will cover meetings of the Independent Special District Selection Committee generally, the new procedures enacted by AB 979, and LAFCos’ role in appointments to the countywide RDA oversight board. Speakers: Paula Graf, Analyst, Imperial LAFCo; David J. Ruderman, Senior Counsel, Colantuono, Highsmith & Whatley; Anthony Tannehill, Legislative Representative, California Special Districts Association. Moderator: Gary Bell, Senior Counsel, Colantuono, Highsmith & Whatley.

Join a conversation led by the authors of CALAFCO’s recently released White Paper, State of the Art on Agricultural Preservation.  If you are looking to establish or enhance existing policies that preserve ag land while also promoting orderly growth and development, then you will not want to miss this informative session. Speakers: hristine Crawford, AICP, Executive Officer, Yolo LAFCo; Elliot Mulberg, Principal, E Mulberg & Associates; Neelima Palacherla, Executive Officer, Santa Clara LAFCo; Serena Unger, Senior Policy and Planning Manager, American Farmland Trust (California Office).

Hear firsthand from Executive Officers who live to tell the story of strategic planning workshops with their Commissions.  This session is a must attend whether you are considering holding a strategic session for the first time or are in search of ways to improve your strategic planning process.  Discussion will include ideas for structuring an effective strategic workshop, hiring a facilitator and the outcomes and benefits of the completed strategic plan. Speakers: Brendon Freeman, Executive Officer, Napa LAFCo; Dunia Noel, Assistant Executive Officer, Santa Clara LAFCo; Lou Ann Texeira, Executive Officer, Contra Costa LAFCo. Moderator: Samuel Martinez, Assistant Executive Officer, San Bernardino LAFCo.

Given all the transparency requirements for local government these days, do you know what the basic requirements are for your LAFCo?  Do you have best practices in terms of sharing information and for your website? Join this interactive discussion as we cover what LAFCos should be doing in terms of transparency and some best practices.  You will have a chance to see how your LAFCo measures up by using a transparency checklist and creating an action plan for improvement.  We will also share resources available to you to increase your transparency. Speakers: Carolyn Emery, Executive Officer, Orange LAFCo; Pamela Miller, Executive Director, CALAFCO; Kara Ueda, Partner, Best Best & Krieger.

Maps are a powerful graphic tool used by LAFCos to visually represent a change of organization, special study area, boundary discrepancy, sphere amendment or any other project.  This session will highlight how LAFCos effectively use maps, provide examples of different types of maps created by LAFCo, and discuss the benefits of ArcGIS – a mapping program used by several LAFCos around the state.  This is a great opportunity to learn how to successfully implement maps in your next Commission presentation or MSR/SOI study. Speakers: Crystal Craig, Local Government Analyst, Riverside LAFCo; Samuel Martinez, Assistant Executive Officer, San Bernardino LAFCo. Moderator: Darren McBain, Senior Analyst, Monterey LAFCo. 

Presentation coming soon. 

Wildfires, floods, mudslides, and earthquakes – it is not a matter of if but when.  This session will focus on how local agencies are preparing for these natural disasters and other threats.  You will also learn how LAFCo can get involved and see first-hand how LAFCo have played a role in recent disaster preparedness and response. Speakers: Robert Barry, Chief Analyst, San Diego LAFCo; Mark Bramfitt, Executive Officer, Sonoma LAFCo; Steve Lucas, Executive Officer, Butte LAFCo. Moderator: Joe Serrano, Senior Analyst, Monterey LAFCo.

Our long-serving professionals are a fountain of wealth and we interact with them through the list serves, but have we taken the opportunity to really learn from them?  It is easy to assume that we know everything, that we invented “LAFCo,” or that we have experienced all that there is in our careers.   The truth is many of us don't ask our elders nearly enough about their legendary mastery over difficult scenarios or the lessons they learned the hard way.  Part of that process is asking the right questions.  Join us for a lively and enlightening discussion where your professional inquiries (and more) will be addressed.
Speakers: Clark Alsop, Legal Counsel, San Bernardino LAFCo & CALAFCO; Paul Hood, Executive Officer, Santa Barbara LAFCo; Elizabeth Castro Kemper, Retired Executive Officer, Yolo LAFCo; Patrick McCormick, Executive Officer, Santa Cruz LAFCo; George J. Spiliotis, Executive Officer, Riverside LAFCo. Moderator: Kate McKenna, AICP, Executive Officer, Monterey LAFCo.