ARTICLE 1. Formation [9801. - 9821.]

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC 1.
in effect

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 9801. Section 9801.

For purposes of cooperating with landowners or any other agency or for purposes of cooperating with the United States under provisions of the Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act (Chapter 656, Public Law 566, 83rd Cong., 2nd Session), and all acts amendatory thereof or supplementary thereto, lands which need not be contiguous may be formed into an improvement district for constructing, both in or for the improvement district, one or more of the following: (a) Flood prevention improvements, including structural and land treatment measures. (b) Improvements for the agricultural phases of conservation, development, utilization, drainage disposal, and distribution of water. (c) Improvements for prevention or stabilization of soil erosion.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 9802. Section 9802.

As used in connection with improvement districts: (a) “Improvement” includes operation, maintenance, change, and acquisition of existing works, and the construction, operation, and maintenance of new works. (b) “Construction” includes, but is not limited to, the preparation and execution of plans, maintenance and operation. (c) “Real property” means land only. (d) “Owner of real property” means “owner of land”. (e) “Improvement district” means a resource conservation district improvement district formed pursuant to this chapter. (f) “Land” means land within the improvement district or proposed improvement district.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 9803. Section 9803.

The formation of an improvement district shall be proposed and the petition therefor shall be signed by two-thirds or more in number of the owners of real property in the proposed improvement district.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 9804. Section 9804.

A petition for the formation of an improvement district shall contain all of the following: (a) Statement of the plans of the proposed improvement. (b) Description of the land of the proposed improvement district. (c) Names of the owners of all real property within the proposed improvement district with their last known addresses. (d) Description and assessed value of the real property owned in the proposed improvement district by each owner, which shall be according to the next preceding equalized assessment roll. District owned real property in the proposed improvement district shall be described whether or not it appears on the next preceding assessment roll. (e) Signatures of the petitioners.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 9809. Section 9809.

If the survey shows that the improvements are feasible, the directors shall cause to be prepared the following: (a) Plans and specifications of the improvements proposed to be constructed when the petition proposes the construction of improvements. (b) An estimate of the cost of the proposed improvements, which may include an amount not in excess of 10 percent of the aggregate cost of the proposed improvements to create a reserve fund to be used and applied as additional security for the payment of principal of and interest on any warrants of the improvement district issued against assessments levied for the payment of the cost of the proposed improvements. (c) Statement of the proposed assessment for the cost of the proposed improvements apportioned to each parcel of real property in the proposed improvement district as the parcels appear on the last equalized assessment roll and to district owned real property in the proposed improvement district whether or not it appears on the last equalized assessment roll, which assessments shall be apportioned in accordance with the assessed value of the real property, as such value is shown on the next preceding equalized assessment roll.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 9810. Section 9810.

If there are any, the plans and specifications, estimate of cost, and the statement of the proposed assessment shall be filed with the secretary of the district and may be inspected by all persons interested.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 9811. Section 9811.

After the filing of the formation petition, and if any, the plans and specifications, the estimate of cost, and statement of the proposed assessment, the directors shall give notice of a hearing upon the petition, and if a special assessment is to be levied in the improvement district pursuant to this chapter, the notice shall also state that the hearing is called to determine whether or not the special assessment should be levied.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 9812. Section 9812.

Notice of the hearing shall be given by all of the following: (a) Posting a notice in three public places within the proposed improvement district. (b) Publication of the notice pursuant to Section 6066 of the Government Code in the principal county of the district. (c) Mailing a copy of the notice to the last known address of all of the owners of real property in the proposed improvement district to the addresses appearing in the petition. The notices shall be posted and mailed not less than 20 days prior to the date set for the hearing.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 9813. Section 9813.

At the hearing the directors shall hear any objections coming before it to any of the following: (a) The petition. (b) The formation of the improvement district. (c) The real property to be included within the improvement district. (d) The plans and specifications. (e) The estimate of cost. (f) The proposed assessment. (g) The apportionment of the assessment.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 9814. Section 9814.

At the hearing the directors shall make any changes in reference to the matters set forth in Section 9813 as they consider proper. The directors may exclude any part of the real property described in the petition from the proposed improvement district and may include additional real property.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 9815. Section 9815.

If any additional real property is included in the proposed improvement district, the hearing shall be continued and the owners of the added real property given personal notice of not less than 20 days of the addition of the land to the improvement district.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 9816. Section 9816.

The directors may include in the plans and specifications such terms and conditions as to the respective parcels of real property in the improvement district with respect to tolls, charges, assessments, or the conservation or use of soil and water or any other matters as the directors deem necessary or proper.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 9817. Section 9817.

Regardless of any findings made by the directors if more than one-third in number of the holders of title to the real property within a proposed improvement district object at the hearing to its formation or the levy of the proposed assessment, the directors shall deny the petition, and no further proceedings shall be had on it.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 9818. Section 9818.

If at the hearing the directors find that it would not be for the best interests of the district and the proposed improvement district to form the improvement district the directors shall order the proceedings dismissed without prejudice to their renewal.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 9819. Section 9819.

If the directors find that it would be for the best interests of the district and the proposed improvement district to form the improvement district, they shall make and enter in their minutes a final order: (a) Approving the petition. (b) Forming the improvement district. (c) Levying the assessment if any is provided for and if the assessment is necessary. (d) Apportioning the assessment, if levied, to the real property in the improvement district according to assessed value as shown on the next preceding equalized assessment roll.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 9821. Section 9821.

The secretary shall cause a certified copy of the order creating the improvement district to be recorded in the office of the county recorder in each county in which any land of the improvement district is situated.
Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026

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