2007 California Food and Agricultural Code Article 7. Consolidation

CA Codes (fac:6270-6276)

6270.  Any two or more districts organized or existing under this
chapter may be consolidated, whether or not the boundaries are
coterminous, and whether or not the districts are located in the same
county.


6271.  The board of directors may adopt a resolution that recites
the fact of receipt and the willingness of the district to
consolidate, and shall then send copies of the resolution to the
board of directors of each of the other districts.  The board shall
send a certified copy of the resolution to the board of supervisors
of the county in which is located the largest area of winegrape
acreage of the proposed consolidated district, and a copy of the
resolution to the board of supervisors of each of the other counties
in which is located any part of the proposed consolidated district.



6272.  The board of supervisors of the county in which is located
the largest area of winegrape acreage of the proposed consolidated
district shall fix a time and place for hearing the proposal.  Notice
shall be given and the hearing conducted in the same manner and with
the same effect as prescribed for the formation of a district
pursuant to Article 2 (commencing with Section 6210).



6273.  If the board of supervisors determines that consolidation is
feasible and in the best interests of the winegrape growers of the
respective districts, it shall, by resolution duly adopted, declare
the districts consolidated into one district, giving the consolidated
district a name that includes the term "consolidated."  Certified
copies of the resolution shall be filed with the Secretary of State
and, for record, with the county recorder of each county in which is
located any part of the consolidated district.  Upon the filing, the
districts are consolidated into a single consolidated district with
all the rights, privileges, and powers of a district.  The
consolidated district shall succeed to all the funds and other
property, and is subject to all the indebtedness, bonded and
otherwise, of the districts consolidated.  Each district that is
included in the consolidated district shall continue in existence for
the purpose of representation on the board of the consolidated
district, and for the purpose of levying, assessing, and collecting
assessments for district purposes.  The board of the consolidated
district is, however, the board of each district that is included in
the consolidated district.



6274.  Upon the adoption of a resolution consolidating two or more
districts, the board of supervisors of the county in which is located
the largest area of winegrape acreage shall immediately appoint a
board of directors of at least five members, including at least one
member from each of the districts that are included in the
consolidated district, and at least two members from each county, if
districts located in more than one county are included in the
consolidated district.  If any of the districts that are included in
the consolidated district includes more than 15,000 acres of
winegrape acreage, the board of directors shall be increased by one
additional director for each 10,000 acres, or fraction of 10,000
acres, in any one district that is included in the consolidated
district.  If the consolidated districts are located in more than two
counties, the board of directors of the consolidated district shall
have at least seven members.


6275.  The board of a consolidated district has all the duties,
powers, purposes, responsibilities, and jurisdiction of the board of
any other district organized pursuant to this chapter.  The members
of the consolidated board shall be appointed in the same manner and
serve for the same term as the directors of any other district
organized pursuant to this chapter.



6276.  Any district that has been included in a consolidated
district may withdraw from the consolidated district and be
reconstituted as a separate district by filing with the board of
directors of the consolidated district a petition for withdrawal that
is signed by the owners of not less than 51 percent, by area, of
winegrape land in the district.  The board of directors of the
consolidated district shall send the original petition to the board
of supervisors of the county in which the withdrawing district is
located, and a copy of the petition to the board of supervisors of
each of the other counties in which is located any part of the
consolidated district.  Upon receipt of a petition for withdrawal,
the board of supervisors of the county in which the withdrawing
district is located shall fix a time and place for hearing the
petition.  Notice shall be given and the hearing conducted in the
same manner and with the same effect as prescribed for the formation
of a district under Article 2 (commencing with Section 6210).  Upon
withdrawal of a district, all moneys collected from the district for
the use of the consolidated district, and all property purchased with
these moneys, shall remain the property of the  consolidated
district.