ARTICLE 7. Powers and Duties [5786. - 5786.31.]

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC 7.
in effect

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 5786. Section 5786.

A district may: (a) Organize, promote, conduct, and advertise programs of community recreation, including, but not limited to, parks and open space, parking, transportation, and other related services that improve the community’s quality of life. (b) Establish systems of recreation and recreation facilities, including, but not limited to, parks and open space. (c) Acquire, construct, improve, maintain, and operate recreation facilities, including, but not limited to, parks and open space, both inside and beyond the district’s boundaries.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 5786.1. Section 5786.1.

A district shall have and may exercise all rights and powers, expressed or implied, necessary to carry out the purposes and intent of this chapter, including, but not limited to, the following powers: (a) To sue and be sued. (b) To acquire any real or personal property within or outside the district, to hold, manage, occupy, dispose of, convey and encumber the property, and to create a leasehold interest in the property for the benefit of the district. (c) To acquire any real or personal property by eminent domain within the boundaries of the district, pursuant to Section 5786.5. (d) To appoint necessary employees, to define their qualifications and duties, and to provide a schedule of compensation for performance of their duties. (e) To engage counsel and other professional services. (f) To enter into and perform all necessary contracts pursuant to Article 53.5 (commencing with Section 20815) of Chapter 1 of Part 3 of the Public Contract Code. (g) To borrow money, give security therefor, and purchase on contract, as provided in this chapter. (h) To adopt a seal and alter it at pleasure. (i) To adopt ordinances following the procedures of Article 7 (commencing with Section 25120) of Chapter 1 of Part 2 of Division 2 of Title 3 of the Government Code. (j) To adopt and enforce rules and regulations for the administration, operation, use, and maintenance of the recreation facilities, programs, and services listed in Section 5786. (k) To enter joint powers agreements pursuant to the Joint Exercise of Powers Act, Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 6500) of Division 7 of Title 1 of the Government Code. ( l ) To provide insurance pursuant to Part 6 (commencing with Section 989) of Division 3.6 of Title 1 of the Government Code. (m) To perform any acts necessary to carry out the provisions of this chapter.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 5786.3. Section 5786.3.

When acquiring, improving, or using any real property, a district shall comply with Article 5 (commencing with Section 53090) of Chapter 1 of Part 1 of Division 2 of Title 5 of the Government Code, and Article 7 (commencing with Section 65400) of Chapter 1 of Division 1 of Title 7 of the Government Code.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 5786.5. Section 5786.5.

(a) If a district was formed without the power of eminent domain, the district shall not exercise eminent domain to acquire any real or personal property, except as provided by subdivision (d). (b) If a district was formed with the power to acquire any real or personal property by eminent domain within the boundaries of the district, the district shall comply with the requirements of the Eminent Domain Law, Title 7 (commencing with Section 1230.010) of Part 3 of the Code of Civil Procedure. (c) In addition to the requirements imposed by subdivision (b), before a district may exercise the power of eminent domain, it shall first obtain the approval of the city council if the property is located in incorporated territory or the county board of supervisors if the property is located in unincorporated territory. The district shall notify the property owner of the district’s request to the city council or county board of supervisors. The district shall mail the notice to the property owner at least 20 days before the date on which the city council or county board of supervisors will act on the district’s request. (d) (1) If a district was formed with the power to acquire real or personal property by the power of eminent domain, it shall not exercise that power if a majority of the voters voting upon the question are in favor of the question at a general district or special election. If a district was formed without the power to acquire real or personal property by the power of eminent domain, it may exercise that power if a majority of the voters voting upon the question are in favor of the question at a general district or special election. (2) The board of directors may adopt a resolution placing the question on the ballot. Alternatively, upon receipt of a petition signed by at least 25 percent of the registered voters of the district, the board of directors shall adopt a resolution placing the question on the ballot. (3) If the question is submitted to the voters at a general district election, the notice required by Section 12112 of the Elections Code shall contain a statement of the question to appear on the ballot. If the question is submitted to the voters at a special election, the notice of election and ballot shall contain a statement of the question. (4) Before circulating any petition pursuant to this subdivision, the proponents shall publish a notice of intention which shall include a written statement not to exceed 500 words in length, setting forth the reasons for the proposal. The notice shall be published pursuant to Section 6061 of the Government Code in one or more newspapers of general circulation within the district. If the district is located in more than one county, publication of the notice shall be made in at least one newspaper of general circulation in each county. (5) The notice shall be signed by at least one, but not more than three, proponents and shall be in substantially the following form: “Notice of Intent to Circulate Petition Notice is hereby given of the intention to circulate a petition affecting power of eminent domain of the ______ (name of the district). The petition proposes that ______ (description of the proposal).” (6) Within five days after the date of publication, the proponents shall file with the secretary of the board of directors a copy of the notice together with an affidavit made by a representative of the newspaper in which the notice was published certifying to the fact of publication. After the filing, the petition may be circulated for signatures. (7) Sections 100 and 104 of the Elections Code shall govern the signing of the petition and the format of the petition. A petition may consist of a single instrument or separate counterparts. The proponents shall file the petition, together with all counterparts, with the secretary of the board of directors. The secretary shall not accept a petition for filing unless the signatures have been secured within six months of the date on which the first signature was obtained and the proponents submitted the petition to the secretary for filing within 60 days after the last signature was obtained. (8) Within 30 days after the date of filing a petition, the secretary of the board of directors shall cause the petition to be examined by the county elections official, in accordance with Sections 9113 to 9115, inclusive, of the Elections Code, and shall prepare a certificate of sufficiency indicating whether the petition is signed by the requisite number of signers. (9) If the certificate of the secretary shows the petition to be insufficient, the secretary shall immediately give notice by certified mail of the insufficiency to the proponents. That mailed notice shall state in what amount the petition is insufficient. Within 15 days after the date of the notice of insufficiency, the proponents may file with the secretary a supplemental petition bearing additional signatures. (10) Within 10 days after the date of filing a supplemental petition, the secretary shall examine the supplemental petition and certify the results in writing of his or her examination. (11) The secretary shall sign and date a certificate of sufficiency. That certificate shall also state the minimum signature requirements for a sufficient petition and show the results of the secretary’s examination. The secretary shall mail a copy of the certificate of sufficiency to the proponents. (12) Once the proponents have filed a sufficient petition, the board of directors shall adopt the resolution required by paragraph (2).

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 5786.7. Section 5786.7.

Notwithstanding any other provision of law: (a) If a majority of the voters voting on the question at a general district or special district election are in favor, the Parker Dam Recreation and Park District may do all of the following: (1) Purchase or lease electric power from any public agency or private entity for use within the district’s boundaries. (2) Acquire water and water rights and do any act necessary to furnish sufficient water for beneficial use within the district’s boundaries. (3) Sell, dispose of, and distribute water and electric power for use within the district’s boundaries. (4) Provide street lighting facilities and services. (b) Provided that the authority to exercise these powers is approved by the local agency formation commission and conforms to Article XIII C of the California Constitution, the Camp Meeker Recreation and Park District may exercise the powers of a county water district pursuant to: (1) Article 1 (commencing with Section 31000) to Article 9 (commencing with Section 31100), inclusive, of Part 5 of Division 12 of the Water Code. (2) Part 6 (commencing with Section 31300) of Division 12 of the Water Code. (3) Part 7 (commencing with Section 31650) of Division 12 of the Water Code. (c) The Coachella Valley Recreation and Park District and the Hesperia Recreation and Park District may provide street lighting facilities and services. (d) The Lucerne Recreation and Park District may exercise any of the powers, functions, and duties of a fire protection district pursuant to the Fire Protection District Law of 1987, Part 3 (commencing with Section 13800) of Division 12 of the Health and Safety Code. (e) Upon approval of the Siskiyou Local Agency Formation Commission pursuant to Section 56824.14 of the Government Code, the Weed Recreation and Parks District may exercise any of the powers, functions, and duties of a cemetery district pursuant to the Public Cemetery District Law of 2003, Part 4 (commencing with Section 9000) of Division 8 of the Health and Safety Code.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 5786.9. Section 5786.9.

(a) A district shall have perpetual succession. (b) A board of directors may, by a four-fifths vote of its total membership, adopt a resolution to change the name of the district. The resolution shall comply with the requirements of Chapter 23 (commencing with Section 7530) of Division 7 of Title 1 of the Government Code. The board of directors shall not change the name of the district to the name of any living individual. Within 10 days of its adoption, the board of directors shall file a copy of its resolution with the Secretary of State, the county clerk, the board of supervisors, and the local agency formation commission of each county in which the district is located. (c) A district may destroy a record pursuant to Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 60200) of Division 1 of Title 6 of the Government Code.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 5786.11. Section 5786.11.

(a) A district may cooperate with any city, county, special district, school district, state agency, or federal agency to carry out the purposes and intent of this chapter. To that end, a district may enter into agreements with those other public agencies to do any and all things necessary or convenient in carrying out the purposes and intent of this chapter. (b) A district may jointly acquire, construct, improve, maintain, and operate recreation facilities and programs of community recreation with any other public agency. Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to prohibit any joint or cooperative action with other public agencies.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 5786.13. Section 5786.13.

A district may contract with other public agencies to provide recreation facilities and programs of community recreation within the district’s boundaries. A district may contract with other public agencies to provide recreation facilities and programs of community recreation within the boundaries of other public agencies.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 5786.15. Section 5786.15.

(a) Each district shall adopt policies and procedures, including bidding regulations, governing the purchase of supplies and equipment. Each district shall adopt these policies and procedures by rule or regulation pursuant to Article 7 (commencing with Section 54201) of Chapter 5 of Division 2 of Title 5 of the Government Code. (b) A district may request the Department of General Services to make purchases of materials, equipment, or supplies on its behalf pursuant to Section 10324 of the Public Contract Code. (c) A district may request the purchasing agent of the principal county to make purchases of materials, equipment, or supplies on its behalf, pursuant to Article 7 (commencing with Section 25500) of Chapter 5 of Division 2 of Title 3 of the Government Code. (d) A district may request the purchasing agent of the principal county to contract with persons to provide recreation facilities and programs of community recreation, pursuant to Article 7 (commencing with Section 25500) of Chapter 5 of Division 2 of Title 3 of the Government Code. The district shall be responsible for and maintain control over those recreational facilities and programs of community recreation. (e) A district may lease or rent private vehicles or equipment owned by district employees.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 5786.17. Section 5786.17.

(a) Violation of any rule, regulation, or ordinance adopted by a board of directors is a misdemeanor punishable pursuant to Section 19 of the Penal Code. (b) Any citation issued by a district for violation of a rule, regulation, or ordinance adopted by a board of directors may be processed as an infraction pursuant to subdivision (d) of Section 17 of the Penal Code. (c) To protect property and to preserve the peace at recreation facilities and other property owned or managed by a district, the board of directors may confer on designated uniformed district employees the power to issue citations for misdemeanor and infraction violations of state law, city or county ordinances, or district rules, regulations, or ordinances when the violation is committed within a recreation facility and in the presence of the employee issuing the citation. District employees shall issue citations pursuant to Chapter 5C (commencing with Section 853.5) of Title 3 of Part 2 of the Penal Code.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 5786.19. Section 5786.19.

(a) The Meyers-Milias-Brown Act, Chapter 10 (commencing with Section 3500) of Division 4 of Title 1 of the Government Code applies to all districts. (b) A board of directors may adopt an ordinance establishing an employee relations system which may include, but is not limited to, a civil service system or a merit system. (c) With the prior permission of the board of supervisors of the principal county, or in the case of a district which contains no unincorporated territory with the prior permission of the city council, a board of directors may adopt an ordinance that makes the employees of the district subject to the employee relations system of the principal county or that city. The board of directors may adopt an ordinance that withdraws the employees of the district from the employee relations system of the principal county or that city. A district in which the employees of the district are subject to the employee relations system of the principal county or that city shall receive employee relations services at cost from the county or city.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 5786.21. Section 5786.21.

If a county board of supervisors has appointed itself as the board of directors and the county has by ordinance provided a civil service system: (a) A county employee holding a classified civil service position for which eligibility has been established by a competitive examination and certification, and which is similar in grade or class to a district position, shall, at the district’s request, be certified by the county civil service commission as being eligible to transfer to and hold that position in the district with the same status and without further examination. (b) A district employee holding a classified civil service position for which eligibility has been established by a competitive examination and certification, and that is similar in grade or class to a county position, shall, at the county’s request, be certified by the county civil service commission as being eligible to transfer to and hold that position in the county with the same status and without further examination. (c) Any person entitled to participate in promotional examinations for classified civil service positions in either the county or the district shall be entitled to participate in promotional examinations for classified civil service positions for both the county and the district, pursuant to the civil service commission’s rules, and to be certified for those positions by the county civil service commission or board of supervisors, and to be appointed to those positions.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 5786.23. Section 5786.23.

(a) This section shall apply only to a district where all of the following apply: (1) The county board of supervisors has appointed itself as the board of directors. (2) The county has by ordinance provided a civil service system. (3) The county operates under a freeholders’ charter that requires that in the fixing of salaries or wages for county employees subject to the county’s civil service system, the board of supervisors shall provide a salary or wage at least equal to the prevailing salary or wage for the same quality of service rendered to private persons under similar employment, if the prevailing salary or wage can be ascertained. (b) In fixing the salary or wage for district employees subject to the county’s civil service system, the board of directors shall provide a salary or wage equal to the salary or wage paid to county employees for the same quality of service.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 5786.27. Section 5786.27.

A board of directors may provide for any programs for the benefit of its employees and members of the board of directors pursuant to Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 53200) of Part 1 of Division 2 of Title 5 of the Government Code.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 5786.29. Section 5786.29.

A district may authorize the members of its board of directors and its employees to attend professional or vocational meetings and pay their actual and necessary traveling and incidental expenses while on official business.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 5786.31. Section 5786.31.

Whenever the boundaries of a district or a zone change, the district shall comply with Chapter 8 (commencing with Section 54900) of Part 1 of Division 2 of Title 5 of the Government Code.
Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026

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