Article 7 - District Directors

California Public Resources Code — §§ 9301-9317

Sections (18)

Amended by Stats. 1991, Ch. 831, Sec. 10.

(a)The board of directors shall consist of five, seven, or nine directors. The number of directors may be changed by resolution adopted by a majority of the members of the board of directors after publication of notice of the intended change at least once in a newspaper of general circulation published in each county in which the district is located.

(b)If the number of directors is increased, the new positions shall be treated as vacancies and shall be filled as provided in Section 9317, except that if the board of directors is appointed as provided in subdivision (b) of Section 9314, then the new positions shall be filled in the same manner pursuant to Section 9316. If the number of directors is decreased, the terms of the directors in office on the date of the resolution adopted pursuant to subdivision (a) shall not be reduced.

(c)The directors first elected shall take office immediately upon qualifying.

§ 9301.1

Amended by Stats. 2006, Ch. 172, Sec. 14. Effective January 1, 2007.

(a)Notwithstanding Section 9301, the local agency formation commission, in approving either a consolidation of districts or the reorganization of two or more districts into a single resource conservation district may, pursuant to subdivisions (k) and (n) of Section 56886 of the Government Code, increase the number of directors to serve on the board of directors of the consolidated or reorganized district to 7, 9, or 11, who shall be members of the board of directors of the districts to be consolidated or reorganized as of the effective date of the consolidation or reorganization.

(b)Upon the expiration of the terms of the members of the board of directors of the consolidated district, or a district reorganized as described in subdivision (a), whose terms first expire following the effective date of the consolidation or reorganization, the total number of members on the board of directors shall be reduced until the number equals the number of members permitted by the principal act of the consolidated or reorganized district, or any larger number as may be specified by the local agency formation commission in approving the consolidation or reorganization.

(c)In addition to the powers granted under Section 1780 of the Government Code, in the event of a vacancy on the board of directors of the consolidated district or a district reorganized as described in subdivision (a) at which time the total number of directors is greater than five, the board of directors may, by majority vote of the remaining members of the board, choose not to fill the vacancy. In that event, the total membership of the board of directors shall be reduced by one board member. Upon making the determination not to fill a vacancy, the board of directors shall notify the board of supervisors of its decision.

(d)For the purposes of this section: “consolidation” means consolidation, as defined in Section 56030 of the Government Code; “district” or “special district” means district or special district, as defined in Section 56036 of the Government Code; and “reorganization” means reorganization, as defined in Section 56073 of the Government Code.

§ 9302

Added by Stats. 1975, Ch. 513.

Each director shall take the oath of office.

§ 9303

Amended by Stats. 2005, Ch. 700, Sec. 21. Effective January 1, 2006.

The directors shall receive no compensation for their services as such, but each shall be allowed reasonable and necessary expenses incurred in attendance at meetings of the directors or when otherwise engaged in the work of the district at the direction of the board of directors. The directors shall fix the amount allowed for necessary expenses, but no director shall be appointed to any position for which he or she would receive compensation as a salaried officer or employee of the district. Reimbursement for these expenses is subject to Sections 53232.2 and 53232.3 of the Government Code.

§ 9304

Added by Stats. 1975, Ch. 513.

No director or other officer of the district shall be interested directly or indirectly in the sale of equipment, materials, or services to the district.

§ 9305

Added by Stats. 1975, Ch. 513.

After all have qualified the directors first elected shall meet and classify themselves by lot into two classes as nearly equal in number as possible. The term of office of those in the class having the least number shall expire at noon on the last Friday in November of the next even-numbered year after the year in which the meeting is held. The term of office of those in the other class shall expire at noon on the last Friday in November of the second even-numbered year after the year in which the meeting is held.

§ 9306

Added by Stats. 1975, Ch. 513.

After such classification the directors shall organize and elect a president from their number who shall serve as such at the pleasure of the directors.

§ 9307

Added by Stats. 1975, Ch. 513.

The directors shall appoint a secretary who shall serve at the pleasure of, and whose compensation shall be fixed by, the directors.

§ 9308

Added by Stats. 1975, Ch. 513.

The directors shall select a date, time, and place at which regular monthly meetings of the directors shall be held. Upon the completion of all the foregoing determinations by the directors, the district shall be declared to be organized.

§ 9309

Added by Stats. 1975, Ch. 513.

The directors may, by resolution, change the time or place of regular meeting but no such change shall be effective until after a notice of the change is published pursuant to Section 6061 of the Government Code in the principal county and in each other county in which any portion of the district lies.

§ 9310

Added by Stats. 1975, Ch. 513.

Special meetings of the directors may be held as required when ordered by a majority of the directors. The order shall be entered in the records of the district and five days notice of the meeting shall be given by mail by the secretary to each director not joining in the order.

§ 9311

Added by Stats. 1975, Ch. 513.

The order for a special meeting shall specify the business to be transacted. No other business shall be transacted at a special meeting unless all of the directors are present, in which case matters not specified may be considered by unanimous consent and acted upon.

§ 9312

Added by Stats. 1975, Ch. 513.

A majority of the directors shall constitute a quorum but on all questions requiring a vote there shall be a concurrence of at least the number constituting a quorum, except that a number less than a quorum may adjourn or adjourn to a stated time.

§ 9313

Amended by Stats. 2005, Ch. 158, Sec. 30. Effective January 1, 2006.

(a)All meetings of the directors shall be open to the public. All records of the district shall be open to public inspection during business hours.

(b)A district may destroy a record pursuant to Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 60200) of Division 1 of Title 6 of the Government Code.

§ 9314

Amended by Stats. 1994, Ch. 939, Sec. 19. Effective September 28, 1994. Operative January 1, 1995, by Sec. 29 of Ch. 939.

(a)The term of office of the directors, except those first elected, shall be four years. The expiration of the term of any director does not constitute a vacancy, and the director shall hold office until his or her successor has qualified.

(b)(1) As an alternative to the election of directors, the board of directors may, by a resolution presented to the board of supervisors of the principal county, request the board of supervisors to appoint directors, except those first elected. In any election year, the board of directors shall file its request with the board of supervisors not later than 125 days prior to the election. A copy of the resolution shall be furnished to the official responsible for conducting the election at the time it is presented to the board of supervisors of the principal county. The board of supervisors shall appoint directors, after consultation with the board of supervisors of any other county which contains any part of the district, from those candidates who have filed an application with the board of supervisors, as prescribed by the board of supervisors. If the directors are to be appointed, a notice of election shall not be published, but a notice of vacancy shall be posted pursuant to Section 54974 of the Government Code.

(2)The resolution shall remain in effect until rescinded by the board of directors, or until a petition requesting the rescission is received by the elections official. The petition shall be signed by 5 percent of the registered voters in the district, and shall be received not later than the 120th day before the election. Upon verification by the elections official that the petition contains the requisite number of signatures, the resolution shall be rescinded.

(3)The appointment of directors by the board of supervisors does not affect the status of a district as an independent special district.

(4)If the board of supervisors does not conduct interviews of potential candidates or make an appointment within 60 days after the expiration of the term, the board of directors may make the appointment.

(c)It is the intent of the Legislature to encourage districts to opt for the selection of directors by election, but where directors are appointed pursuant to subdivision (b), it is the intent of the Legislature that the board of supervisors solicit recommendations from within the district, including public, private, and nonprofit entities, and appoint only applicants who are determined by the board of supervisors to have a demonstrated interest in soil and water conservation. In selecting directors pursuant to subdivision (b), the board of supervisors shall endeavor to achieve balanced representation on the board of directors. To avoid undue financial burdens to districts and to thereby promote the objectives of this division, the Legislature hereby encourages counties to waive or minimize the charges for costs of elections conducted pursuant to this division.

§ 9315

Added by Stats. 1975, Ch. 513.

Resignations of directors shall be made in writing to the board of supervisors of the principal county.

§ 9316

Amended by Stats. 1991, Ch. 831, Sec. 12.

In case of a vacancy in the office of director appointed pursuant to Section 9314, the vacancy shall be filled, as provided in Section 9314, by appointment for the unexpired term by the board of supervisors of the principal county.

§ 9317

Added by renumbering Section 9178.5 by Stats. 1976, Ch. 1079.

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a vacancy in the office of a director who has been elected shall be filled pursuant to Section 1780 of the Government Code.