SECTIONS 5780-5780.9 - California Statutes

PUBLIC RESOURCES CODE

SECTION 5780-5780.9

5780. (a) This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the
Recreation and Park District Law.
(b) The Legislature finds and declares that recreation, park, and
open-space facilities and services are important to improving and
protecting the quality of life for all Californians. The Legislature
further finds and declares that the provision of recreation, park,
and open-space facilities and services are essential services which
are important to the public peace, health, and welfare of California
residents. Among the ways in which local communities have provided
these facilities and services has been the creation and operation of
recreation and park districts. For at least seven decades, state laws
have authorized recreation and park districts to provide recreation
programs, local parks, and open spaces. Local officials have used
this statutory authority to serve the diversity of California's
communities and residents. In enacting this chapter, it is the intent
of the Legislature to create and continue a broad statutory
authority for a class of special districts that provides community
recreation, park, and open-space facilities and recreation services
within specified boundaries and under local control. It is also the
intent of the Legislature that recreation and park districts
cooperate with other public agencies and private organizations to
deliver those facilities and services. Further, the Legislature
encourages local communities and local officials to adapt the powers
and procedures provided by this chapter to meet the diversity of
their own local circumstances and responsibilities.

5780.1. As used in this chapter:
(a) "Board of directors" means the board of directors of a
district.
(b) "City" means any city whether general law or charter,
including a city and county, and including any city the name of which
includes the word "town."
(c) "Community recreation" means recreation facilities and
services engaged in under the control of a district.
(d) "District" means a recreation and park district created
pursuant to this chapter or any of its statutory predecessors.
(e) "Local agency" means a city, county, city and county, special
district, school district, community college district, community
redevelopment agency, joint powers agency, or any other political
subdivision of the state.
(f) "Principal county" means the county having all or the greater
portion of the entire assessed value, as shown on the last equalized
assessment roll of the county or counties, of all taxable property
within a district.
(g) "Recreation" means any voluntary activity which contributes to
the education, entertainment, or cultural, mental, moral, or
physical development of the individual, group, or community that
attends, observes, or participates. "Recreation" includes, but is not
limited to, any activity in the fields of art, athletics, drama,
habitat conservation, handicrafts, literature, music, nature study,
open-space conservation, science, sports, and any formal or informal
play that includes these activities.
(h) "Recreation facility" means an area, place, structure, or
other facility under the jurisdiction of a public agency that is used
either permanently or temporarily for community recreation, even
though it may be used for other purposes. "Recreation facility"
includes, but is not limited to, an arts and crafts room, auditorium,
beach, camp, community center, golf course, gymnasium, lake, meeting
place, open space, park, parkway, playground, playing court, playing
field, recreational reservoir, river, and swimming pool. A
recreation facility may be owned or operated jointly by a district
and other public agencies.
(i) "Voter" means a voter as defined by Section 359 of the
Elections Code.
(j) "Zone" means a zone formed pursuant to Article 12 (commencing
with Section 5791).

5780.3. (a) This chapter provides the authority for the
organization and powers of recreation and park districts. This
chapter succeeds the former Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 5780)
as added by Chapter 2165 of the Statutes of 1957, as subsequently
amended, and any of its statutory predecessors.
(b) Any recreation and park district organized or reorganized
pursuant to the former Chapter 4 or any of its statutory predecessors
which was in existence on January 1, 2002, shall remain in existence
as if it had been organized pursuant to this part. Any zone of a
recreation and park district formed pursuant to the former Article 10
(commencing with Section 5788) of the former Chapter 4 or any of its
statutory predecessors which was in existence on January 1, 2002,
shall remain in existence as if it had been formed pursuant to this
chapter.
(c) Any general obligation bond, special tax, benefit assessment,
fee, election, ordinance, resolution, regulation, rule, or any other
action of a district taken pursuant to the former Chapter 4 or any of
its statutory predecessors which was taken before January 1, 2002,
shall not be voided solely because of any error, omission,
informality, misnomer, or failure to comply strictly with this
chapter.

5780.5. This chapter is necessary for the public health, safety,
and welfare, and shall be liberally construed to effectuate its
purposes.

5780.7. If any provision of this chapter or the application of any
provision of this chapter in any circumstance or to any person, city,
county, special district, school district, the state, or any agency
or subdivision of the state is held invalid, that invalidity shall
not affect other provisions or applications of this chapter which can
be given effect without the invalid provision or application of the
invalid provision, and to this end the provisions of this chapter are
severable.

5780.9. Any action to determine the validity of the organization of
or of any action of a district shall be brought pursuant to Chapter
9 (commencing with Section 860) of Title 10 of Part 2 of the Code of
Civil Procedure.