The Rossmoor Community Services District is now asking the community to “Protect Its Borders.”
When I saw the sign posted on the corner of Katella and Wallingsford, I laughed. Which border?
The north or the south and what weapons shall we use?
This RCSD Board’s weapons of choice are “latent powers.” The Board is hoping that Rossmoorians will get excited by the nonsense they have been using to convince them that latent powers are necessary.
Toward that end, they hired Problosky Research to do an opinion survey. Ostensibly, the survey was to find out how Rossmoorians feel about their community governance. But the hidden agenda behind the questions was to inoculate the citizenry with the idea that annexation was a possibility and that giving the RCSD latent powers would be a preventative.
Folks, they didn’t need to spend the money on a survey to know that Rossmoorians want Rossmoor to remain Rossmoor. They knew that when we rejected their overture for cityhood that was voted down by 75 percent of the people. They wanted you to believe that latent powers was good for us. You must vote for annexation. You cannot vote for latent powers. When I inquired in April at a RCSD Board meeting why the Board was intent on acquiring latent powers the President Jeffrey Ripps said publicly it was a “strategy.”
A strategy to do what?
I did not get an answer.
On June 14, 2011 the Board is hoping to finalize its request for latent powers to the Local Agency Formation Commission.
According to the Sun they are seeking authority to provide the following California Government Code Services 61100 (c) (i) (x), i.e. police enforcement, collection and transfer of solid waste, and animal services.
Google that and you will see that they are biting off a bit too much.
Those powers, pursuant to CSD law may be granted by LAFCO at its sole discretion or when the District makes a formal application which they are in the process of doing. However, Government code 61107(b) clearly states that LAFCO SHALL NOT, after a public hearing called and held for that purpose approve a district’s proposal to exercise a latent power if LAFCO determines that another local agency already provides substantially similar services or facilities to the territory where the district proposes to exercise that latent power.
Additionally, all five county supervisors must agree to giving up animal control.
I believe that LAFCO will deny the proposal because those services are being provided for Rossmoor and the greater majority of us do not want this Board to be more empowered.
Joyce Bloom is a former member of the RCSD Board and a longtime Rossmoor resident.
