Rossmoor Considers a Play for Power

Incorporation didn’t work.

Annexation by Los Alamitos was roundly rejected.

So Rossmoor officials have a plan C.

At the Rossmoor Community Services District meeting today, officials will hold a workshop to gauge community interest in acquiring “latent powers” for the community. Not being an official city, the community must appeal to the county for the authority to oversee policing, animal control and trash hauling.  Under increasing pressure from the county to merge with neighboring Los Alamitos, Rossmoor officials hope to find a way to maintain Rossmoor’s independence while increasing its control over key services.

“Right now, we don’t know what we are up against. I think there is more of a united front at the county board than we assumed in the past,” said Henry Toboada, the district’s general manager. “But we have every right to submit our application for latent powers, assuming we have community support.”

John Moorlach, Rossmoor’s representative on the county board of supervisors, and the Local Agency Formation Commission have indicated an intention to divest the county of its unincorporated islands – especially in Rossmoor, where voters have already rejected cityhood. For Rossmoor, that could mean the eventual annexation by Los Alamitos.

“It’s pretty clear we’re being hit from two sides,” Taboada said. “We’re in a cross-fire.”

Toboada predicts a standoff should the county refuse to grant the community latent powers while pressuring Rossmoor to merge with Los Alamitos.

While Rossmoor may not be able to take latent powers without county approval, the county can’t force the residents to be annexed against their will, he added.

One option would be for Rossmoor to join forces with similarly unincorporated county islands to push back against the county’s agenda, added Taboada.

Rossmoor residents might have a hard time getting approval from LAFCO for latent powers, predicted Moorlach.

There isn’t a precedent for it, he said. It also contradicts the county’s goal of divesting itself of unincorporated islands.

Moorlach has advocated for Rossmoor to merge with its neighboring cities. He also encouraged the community to pool its resources with Los Alamitos to contract for services such as policing – whether through the Los Alamitos Police Department or the Orange County Sheriff’s Department.

It’s the issue of police powers that probably has the community most divided, said Rossmoor resident David Lara.

“It’s a real split. Do they want the sheriff’s department or somebody else,” he asked. “Personally, we favor RCSD having latent powers to contract with Long Beach for animal control services.”

Last month, residents came out in force to a community meeting and almost unanimously opposed the possibility of being annexed by Los Alamitos. However, in 2008, residents voted not to incorporate to make Rossmoor its own city. And this week, LAFCO officials will meet to form a task force to deal with the remaining unincorporated islands such as Rossmoor. It’s a move that signals that the status quo is unlikely to stay the same in Rossmoor.

Tonight's Rossmoor Community Services District meeting will take place at 7 p.m. at the Rush Park auditorium.