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The Rossmoor Community Services District (RCSD)FORMATION OF A COMMUNITY SERVICES DISTRICT
Excerpts from a publication entitled "Focus on the Community Services District: Choices for the Unincorporated Community, under Government Code, Tit. 6, Div. 3, Secs. 61000-61800:
A CSD is relatively flexible in both legal powers and financing provisions. It is second only to a public utility district in the number of public services it can provide, and enjoys more fiscal discretion than any other type of independent district.
A CSD can provide all of the services authorized by state statute. Often, however, citizens choose to limit the services at formation time to one or two which seem most pressing, with the intention of adding others later as circumstances warrant and capabilities permit. "Latent powers" – those authorized by statute but not exercised at the time of formation – can be added subject to a majority vote of district qualified voters.
The CSD’s characteristics of broad services authority, fiscal flexibility, and home rule through a locally elected board have earned it the term "junior city." Among the many district options available, the term is apt and fiscal features contribute to its continued practicability as a post-13 choice. A CSD leads district choices in its ability to meet demands for services, revenues to support those services, local control and consolidation. Although the CSD has seldom been tapped to its full potential as an alternative for the unincorporated community, this in no way diminishes its utility as a choice; no matter how limited the initial aims of concerned citizens and officials, a CSD’s latent powers offer a long list of possible future activities, ready to be activated should the community so desire.
When an unincorporated community’s concerns include new or improved services, adequately supported by nonproperty tax revenues, consolidated in a cost-effective manner, and delivered under local control, the community services district offers features which make it a practical alternative to municipal incorporation or annexation.
HISTORY OF ROSSMOOR AND THE ROSSMOOR COMMUNITY SERVICES DISTRICT
In 1951, developer Ross Cortese formed the Rossmoor Corporation and purchased 677 acres from the Fred Bixby Ranch Co. In July 1956, the land was subdivided and developed into a 3500 tract of homes known as Rossmoor. Land planning as well as the layout of streets was directed toward creating neighborhoods with maximum appeal, safety and home values. Rossmoor was originally promoted as a subdivision of Los Alamitos. Later, it was advertised as Long Beach’s smartest new suburb despite the fact that Long Beach was in neighboring Los Angeles County. In 1958, the Rossmoor Homeowners Association was formed to answer the challenge by some residents to incorporate with a neighboring city or form its own city. The result was the majority of residents chose to remain unincorporated; therefore, upon final completion of the subdivision, a Maintenance District was formed to provide the community with street sweeping, parkway tree maintenance and maintenance of the common areas including median along Rossmoor Way and the Rossmoor wall. All other services were provided through existing departments within the County of Orange.
In 1974, the undeveloped Wilson school site was declared surplus by the school district. For many years, the site had served as an unofficial park. The Rossmoor Homeowners Association proposed purchase of the site and the voters of Rossmoor agreed, assessing themselves to acquire and further develop the site into what is known today as Rossmoor Park. As required by law, the Maintenance District was dissolved into Rossmoor County Service Area No. 21 (CSA21), assuming all the services of the Maintenance District plus street lighting and maintenance of the new public recreation facilities and services. The assessment was levied for several years until 50% of the purchase price was met. Several state grants and federal revenue sharing were used to pay the remainder and also develop the park and add tennis courts.
Prop 13: its immediate effect was to reduce all special County Service Area taxes by 50%. The County supplemented the Districts’ loss through Special District Augmentation Funds but, in 1982, the Orange County Grand Jury issued a report declaring their actions illegal and demanding that all County Service Areas become self-supporting. In 1985, the County informed the Rossmoor Homeowners Association, which acted as an Advisory Board to CSA21, that the annual costs of CSA21 were exceeding annual revenues and this translated into curtailment of service or a tax increase.
An alternative was suggested by the County: formation of a Community Services District which would be eligible to receive State augmentation funds of $385,000 per year that would enable our community to not only maintain but enhance its current level of service. Supervisor Harriet Weider formed an Advisory Board that was comprised of two representatives from the Rossmoor Homeowners Association and the Rossmoor Womans Club and some at-large members who had been active in local issues. Some of the delegates included Bob Meeker, President of the RHA, John Hunt, RHA Board member, Helene Fromlath from the Rossmoor Woman’s Club and Paul Erskine, Del Clark and Margarit Kendrick who were active in local issues. Contrary to folklore, RHA Board member Gus Brickman was not a member of the Advisory Board though he became very active in promoting passage of the proposition through the RHA and served as the first President of the RCSD.
Since the RHA was already raising concerns over the County’s management of our urban forest, their willingness to remove any tree at the request of a homeowner with replacement left to the discretion of the homeowner, this factored into consideration of obtaining local control through a Service District. After considerable study, the final recommendation of the Advisory Board was to go to the voters of Rossmoor and ask for approval of the formation of the Rossmoor Community Services District and election of a five member Board to direct the business of the District.
In June, 1986, on the motion of Orange County Supervisor Harriet Weider, a public hearing pursuant to Resolution No. 86-78, dated January 21, 1986, was held regarding the formation of the Rossmoor Community Services District and the concurrent dissolution of the Rossmoor County Service Area No. 21. Subject to confirmation of the voters in November 1986, the reorganization was ordered under specific terms and conditions, some of which are enumerated below:
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The Board of Directors shall consist of five elected members. | ||||||||||
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The Rossmoor Community Services District shall be the successor agency to CSA21 and take over the assets and assume all liabilities and obligations of the county service area. | ||||||||||
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All property tax revenues which would have been allocated to CSA21, had it remained in existence, including any amounts which would have been diverted to the Special District Augmentation Fund, shall be reallocated to the Rossmoor Community Services District commencing the first year such dissolution is effective for property tax purposes as provided in Government Code Section 54902. | ||||||||||
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The County of Orange shall retain sufficient CSA21 funds and authority for expenditures of such in order to provide transitional services previously provided by CSA21. | ||||||||||
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The question of reorganization shall be submitted to the resident voters. Included in such question shall be the establishment of an appropriate limit for the new district of $500,000. | ||||||||||
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The powers
to be granted to the Rossmoor Community Services District
upon its formation are for the following purposes:
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The following
services were identified as latent powers that could be authorized
to be provided by the CSD sometime in the future:
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A number of residents applied for the five open positions of District Director including community activists Del Clark, Vince Celano, Joyce Bloom and a slate consisting of Gus Brickman (President of the RHA), Paul Erskine, Clair Weeks, and Joanne Duffy. Approval of the Rossmoor Community Services District and the new Board occurred in November 4, 1986 and the District became operational on January 1, 1987. The District established its office at Rossmoor Park in what was formerly the office of the Rossmoor Homeowners Association and, assuming the RHA would dissolve with the formation of the RCSD, acquired the phone number and office furnishing of the Association.
The budget for 87/88 was $753,816 including a $150,000 grant to convert the Montecito property from a County Maintenance Building to a community center. The year following the formation of the District, another measure was placed on the ballot to expand the District’s authority over parkway trees to include full maintenance of the trees, including pruning and replacement. An unanswered question is: Did the County allocate additional funds to the RCSD when the District assumed the added cost and responsibility?
The premise behind the formation of the District was Rossmoor property owners could anticipate paying for current services and still save more than $100,000 a year and their predictions were accurate. Improvements undertaken by the District during their early years of operation included the purchase of new playground equipment for Rossmoor Park, more safety lighting on walks and buildings, lighting for the basketball and volleyball courts, additional BBQs and picnic tables, cement walkways and Spring and Summer recreational programs for Rossmoor’s youth. By 1991, the Service District budget had increased to $1,150,000 that $531,000 raised through the issuance of bonds. This amount was used in the purchase of the Rush School site for a park when the School District declared it surplus plus development of the two mini parks. Administratively, the Rossmoor Community Services District appeared to be accomplishing exactly what it was created to do.
In 1993, the State balanced its budget by confiscating money from Cities and Districts and eliminating any future augmentation funds. This effectively placed the community of Rossmoor in the same fiscal position they were in when Supervisor Wieder proposed formation of the District. Since then, the District has survived by laying off its Park Superintendent and reducing the hours of its two part-time park maintenance men, reducing services, postponing maintenance and using down its reserves. Since then, most of the maintenance and improvements within the District have been done by resident volunteers recruited through the RHA Park Volunteer program begun for the express purpose of assisting the RCSD in meeting its obligations to the community.
