LAFCO raises application hourly fee, amends bylaws and adopts 2026 meeting calendar

At its April 15 meeting the Ventura County LAFCO approved an update to its fee schedule, amended portions of its bylaws and adopted a 2026 meeting calendar that sets July and December as the commission’s "dark months."

Fee schedule: staff recommended increasing the hourly application processing fee from $175 (set in 2023) by 13% to $197.75 to reflect budgetary changes since the fee was established. Commissioners approved the change. "The current fee is $175 an hour... we are recommending an increase of 13% to 197.75," staff said.

Bylaw amendments and calendar: staff proposed two bylaw amendments—one to allow the change in dark months from August/December to July/December and a second to update the LAFCO office address. The commission noted that six affirmative votes were required to amend the bylaws; a motion to adopt the resolution passed. Commissioners then adopted the 2026 meeting calendar consistent with the bylaw change.

Process and next steps: commissioners asked for clarity about attachments and exhibits in the resolution packet; staff explained one attachment shows the proposed corrected text and another shows the current bylaw for reference. Commissioner Talmadge moved the resolution and the commission carried it. The fee change and bylaw amendments take effect as recorded in the adopted resolutions and the commission will publish the updated fee schedule and calendar.

Outcome: fee schedule update approved; bylaws amended to reflect the commission’s preferred dark months and current office address; 2026 meeting calendar adopted.