BILL WOULD RESTRICT LAND OUTSIDE CITY.

Byline: Harrison Sheppard Sacramento Bureau

The city of Simi Valley could not be forced to annex unincorporated territory under a bill approved Wednesday by an Assembly committee.

The Ventura County Local Agency Formation Commission is trying to force the city to annex six islands of unincorporated territory as a condition of annexing the 1,600-acre Runkle Canyon project, even though residents of those areas don't want to join the city, according to the bill's sponsor, Assemblyman Keith Richman, R-Granada Hills.

``Oftentimes, these islands are areas where the residents choose not to be annexed,'' Richman said. ``So what LAFCO was requiring as a precondition is something that the people that live in that area may not want.''

His bill would clarify state law to say that LAFCO does not have that ability, although Richman believes such a provision is already implied in current law.

The six areas total about 200 acres and 2,000 residents, according to Simi Valley officials.

The bill is supported by Simi Valley officials, but opposed by the association that represents the state's 58 LAFCOs. An association official said state law that affects all 58 agencies should not be changed simply to resolve a dispute involving one of them.

``We ask you to not to send the message that it's all right for jurisdictions to circumvent the administrative appeals process and come straight to you to resolve their dispute,'' said Dan Schwarz, deputy executive officer of the California Association of LAFCOs.

The Assembly Local Government Committee approved the bill, AB 2306, unanimously.

Harrison Sheppard, [phone]

harrison.sheppard(at)dailynews.com