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Home My WebLink About2026-03-12; Local Agency Formation Commission Municipal Service Reviews Update (Districts -All); Gomez, PazTo the members of th~: {city of Carlsbad CITY COUNCIL Date3l12./2L. CA v CCV r:M JACM L1)CM (3 )\L Ccarlsbad Municipal Water District Memo ID# 2026009 Council/CMWD Board Memorandum March l~, 2026 To: From: Via: Re: Honorable Mayor Blackburn and Members of the City Council CMWD Board President Blackburn and Members of the Board Paz Gomez, Deputy City Manager, Public~vy;y~ / Sheila Cobian, Assistant City Manager ~ Local Agency Formation Commission Municipal Service Reviews Update (Districts -All) This memorandum provides an update to a previous City Council/CMWD Board Memorandum dated September 23, 2021 (Attachment A}, on ongoing San Diego Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) municipal service reviews (MSRs) for the city and Carlsbad Municipal Water District (CMWD). Background Local Agency Formation Commissions (LAFCOs) were created by the California State Legislature in 1963 to manage the growth of California cities following World War II. They were established in all 58 counties. San Diego LAFCO is composed of two members from the Board of Supervisors, one representative from the City of San Diego, two members who represent the other cities in San Diego County, two members who represent special districts and one public member. According to the California Association of Local Formation Commissions, LAFCOs are responsible for coordinating logical and timely changes in local governmental boundaries, conducting special studies that review ways to reorganize, simplify, and streamline governmental structure and preparing a sphere of influence for each city and special district within each county. To better inform itself and the community as it seeks to exercise its charge, each LAFCO must conduct service reviews to evaluate the provision of municipal services within each county. LAFCOs inform their regulatory actions through two central planning responsibilities: (a) making sphere of influence determinations and (b) preparing MSRs. Legislature mandates all sphere changes be accompanied by preceding MSRs to help ensure LAFCOs are effectively aligning governmental services with current and anticipated community needs. MSRs serve as a centerpiece to the comprehensive rewrite to LAFCO law effective in 2001, known as the Cortese-Knox-Hertzberg Local Government Reorganization Act of 2000, and represent comprehensive studies of the level, range, and performance of governmental services provided within defined geographic areas. LAFCOs generally prepare MSRs to explicitly inform subsequent sphere determinations. LAFCOs also prepare MSRs irrespective of making any Public Works Branch 1635 Faraday Avenue I Carlsbad, CA 92008 I 442-339-2730 t Council/CMWD Board Memo -LAFCO Municipal Service Reviews Update (Districts -All) March 12, 2026 Page 2 specific sphere determinations in order to obtain and furnish information to contribute to the overall orderly development of local communities. MSRs vary in scope and can focus on a particular agency or governmental service. LAFCOs may use the information generated from MSRs to initiate other actions under their authority, such as forming, consolidating, or dissolving one or more local agencies. All MSRs, regardless of their intended purpose, culminate with LAFCOs preparing written statements addressing seven specific service factors listed under Government Code Section 56430. This includes, most notably, infrastructure needs or deficiencies, growth and population trends, and financial standing. On December 15, 2020, the City Council/CMWD Board received an informational report from the San Diego County LAFCO on the upcoming MS Rs of the city and the CMWD. On February 11, 2021, staff received notification from the LAFCO that their review would be postponed to fiscal year 2025-26. On September 20, 2021, LAFCO staff informed the city/CMWD that they would be contacting staff in the coming weeks, including providing information on the Agency Profile that would help inform the Themes and Recommendations of their study. No further updates occurred until late 2024. Discussion On December 16, 2024, LAFCO staff met with city staff and informed the city that LAFCO planned to reinitiate the MSR process for the city/CMWD including multiple requests for data and information. City staff worked closely with LAFCO staff and consultants in responding to their requests. Staff spent most of the past year working with LAFCO representatives and city staff across the organization. On May 13, 2025, the LAFCO Executive Officer informed the City Manager that LAFCO staff would be sending a draft MSR for review before June 30, 2025, which staff received on July 10, 2025. LAFCO staff also sent a draft agency profile for CMWD on July 14, 2025. In November 2025, LAFCO staff began sharing preliminary draft sections and allowed city staff to provide feedback before January 18, 2026. On January 5, 2026, LAFCO sent a draft CMWD MSR with a due date of March 6, 2026. City/CMWD staff have been working closely with LAFCO staff on reviewing the draft MSRs for the past several months. Council/CMWD Board Memo -LAFCO Municipal Service Reviews Update (Districts -All) March 12, 2026 Page 3 LAFCO staff initially scheduled a presentation on the city MSR for March 2, 2026, however, they continued the item to allow for more conversations with city staff on the most recent draft as the city had sent over a significant number of comments and edits they needed time to review. City Manager Geoff Patnoe attended the LAFCO meeting held at the County Administration Building in San Diego and thanked LAFCO staff for their collaboration and assistance during the MSR process. LAFCO continued the city MSR item until its April 6, 2026, meeting, when LAFCO is expected to release the final draft for public review. Next Steps City and CMWD staff will continue to coordinate with LAFCO staff and attend the LAFCO meeting on April 6, 2026, in which both the city and CMWD MSRs are expected to be presented. Attachment: A. Council/CMWD Board Memorandum dated September 23, 2021 cc: Geoff Patnoe, City Manager/CMWD Executive Manager Cindie McMahon, City Attorney/CMWD General Counsel Laura Rocha, Deputy City Manager, Administrative Services Jeff Murphy, Deputy City Manager, Community Services Michael Calderwood, Fire Chief Amanda Flesse, Utilities Director/CMWD General Manager Zach Korach, Finance Director Kyle Lancaster, Parks & Recreation Director Mandy Mills, Housing & Homeless Services Director Suzanne Smithson, Library & Cultural Arts Director Mike Strong, Community Development Director James Wood, Environmental Sustainability Director Tim Lyons, Assistant City Attorney {city of Carlsbad ATTACHMENT A Ccarlsbad Municipal Water District Memo ID #2021177 Council/CMWD B.oard Memorandum Sept. 23, 2021 To: From: Via: Re: Honorable Mayor Hall and Members of the City Council CMWD Board President Hall and Members of the Board Paz Gomez, Deputy City Manager, Publi~orks Geoff Patnoe, Assistant City Manager ~ Local Agency Formation Commission Municipal Service' Reviews Update (Districts -All) This memorandum provides an update to a previous Council/CMWD Board Memorandum dated Feb. 18, 2021 (Attachment A), on upcoming Local Agency Formation Commission (LA.FCC) municipal service reviews (MSRs) for the city and Carlsbad Municipal Water District (CMWD). Background On Dec. 15, 2020, the City Council/CMWD Board received an informational report from the San Diego County LAFCO on the upcoming MSRs of the city and CMWD. California statute empowers LA.FCOs to regulate and plan the establishment, expansion and realignment (consolidations, mergers, etc.) of cities, most special districts and their municipal services with community needs. The statute similarly entrusts LA.FCOs to achieve appropriate balance in accommodating new growth and development while protecting agricultural and open space resources from their premature conversion. LAFCOs inform their regulatory actions through two central planning responsibilities: (a) making sphere of influence determinations and (b) preparing MSRs. Legislature mandates all sphere chang~s be accompanied by preceding MSRs to help ensure LA.FCOs are effectively aligning governmental services with current and anticipated community needs. On Feb. 11, 2021, staff received notification from the LAFCO that their review will be postponed to this fiscal year. Discussion On Sept. 20, 2021, LAFCO staff informed the city/CMWD that they would be contacting staff in the coming weeks, including providing information on the Agency Profile that will help inform the Themes and Recommendations of their study. Public Works Branch 1635 Faraday Avenue I Carlsbad, CA 92008 I 760-602-2730 t ATTACHMENT A Council/CMWD Board Memo -LAFCO Municipal Service Reviews Update (Districts -All) Sept. 23, 2021 Page 2 Next Steps City and CMWD staff will continue to coordinate with the LAFCO and provide the City Council/CMWD Board an updated timeline once staff receives it from the LAFCO. , Attachments: A. Council/CMWD Board Memorandum dated Feb. 18, 2021 cc: Scott Chadwick, City Manager/CMWD Execuiive Manager Celia Brewer, City Attorney/CMWD General Counsel Laura Rocha, Deputy City Manager, Administrative Services Gary Barberio, Deputy City Manager, Community Services Michael Calderwood, Fire Chief Vicki Quiram, Utilities Director/CMWD General Manager Kyle Lancaster, Parks & Recreation Director Jeff Murphy, Community Development Director Ryan Green, Finance Director Robby Contreras, Assistant City Attorney To the members of the: CITY COUNCIL Oat~/,~ l21-CAL.. CCL CM _ ACM _v!_ DCM (3) ..JL ATTACHMENT A Council/CMWD Board Memorandum Feb. 18,2021 To: Honorable Mayor Hall and Members of the City Council CMWD Board President Hall and Members of the Board From: Paz· Gomez, Deputy City Manager, Public Works ATTACHMENT A {city of Carlsbad Memo ID #2021038 Via: Geoff Patnoe, Assistant City Manager@ • Re: Local Agency Formation Commission Municipal Service Reviews Update (Dist~icts -All) . . This memorandum provides an update on upcoming Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) Municipal Service Reviews (MSR) for the City of Carlsbad and Carlsbad Municipal Water District (CMWD). Background On Dec. 15, 2020, City Council and the CMWD Board received an informational report from the San Diego County LAFCO on the u_pcoming municipal service reviews of the city and CMWD. The proposed timeline of the MS Rs at the time of the presentation was: • Fall 2020 -LAFCO staff's initi~I request for data • Spring 2021-Draft report to the LAFCO • Summer 2021-Final report to the LAFCO Discussion On Feb. 11, 2021, staff received notification from the LAFCO that their reviews will be postponed to the next fiscal year. Next Steps . City and CMWD staff will resume coordination with the LAFCO upon notification that they are ready to proceed. cc: Scott Chadwick, City Manager/CMWD Executive Manage'r Celia Brewer, City Attorney/CMWD General Counsel Vicki Quiram, Utilities Dlrector/CMWD General Manager Laura Rocha, Deputy City Manager, Administrative Services Gary Barberio, Deputy City Manager, Community Services Michael Calderwood, Fire Chief Robby Contreras, Assistant City Attorney Kyle Lancaster, Parks & Recreation Director Jeff Murphy, Community Development Director Ryan Green, Finance Director Public Works Branch 1635 Faraday Avenue I Carlsbad, CA 92008 I 760-602-2730 t