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I would also like to thank the 50+ community members who attended the hearing, and the 30+ who wrote to LAFCo in response to our Municipal Services Review (MSR).
During the last few weeks and at the hearing last night, I and my fellow Board members, and many of you, have learned a great deal about LAFCo, the MSR process and the role of the District in our community.
We have learned that the MSR is not a process that makes any final determination about the fate of our Water District, rather the 9 determinations are policy findings made by LAFCo (as mandated by the State) which may serve as a basis for a dissolution process, only IF another entity files a petition for dissolution. LAFCo's role is to determine what services an entity provides and where they provide them. The MSR serves to look internally at the District and thus provides both LAFCo, the Board and you, an opportunity to evaluate our performance and help inform improvements to our activities.
We have also learned that any dissolution process must include a vote of the constituents, that the process is a very public process with multiple opportunities for public comment, and has never been initiated by LAFCo in San Mateo County. The Board of Supervisors cannot vote to dissolve us, instead they would be required to file a dissolution application like any other entity, and again this would require a vote of us to approve. We are seeking additional legal advice to fully understand all of the legal mechanisms whereby we could be dissolved. Finally, we have been advised that there appears to be nothing in the government code which prohibits the rebate program. As a result of all this we are reformulating the Board response to LAFCo and will post it when it is finished later this weekend.
I personally take responsibility for putting forth the misunderstandings of the MSR process which alarmed many (or all) of us. I am committed to ensuring the accuracy of future communications so that we all operate from a factual basis.
Please contact me should you have additional questions or concerns.
David Smernoff
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