CHAPTER 3. Officers [6480. - 6501.]

Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC 3.
in effect

Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 6480. Section 6480.

(a) The officers of the district are an assessor and five members of the board. (b) Any member of the legislative body of a city whose territory is encompassed, in whole or in part, by the boundaries of the district is not disqualified from holding office as a member of the board solely because of his membership on such legislative body.

Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 6480.1. Section 6480.1.

(a) Notwithstanding Section 6480, the local agency formation commission, in approving either a consolidation of districts or the reorganization of two or more districts into a single sanitary district may, pursuant to subdivisions (k) and (n) of Section 56886 of the Government Code, increase the number of directors to serve on the board of directors of the consolidated or reorganized district to 7, 9, or 11, who shall be members of the board of directors of the districts to be consolidated or reorganized as of the effective date of the consolidation or reorganization. (b) Upon the expiration of the terms of the members of the board of directors of the consolidated district, or a district reorganized as described in subdivision (a), whose terms first expire following the effective date of the consolidation or reorganization, the total number of members on the board of directors shall be reduced until the number equals the number of members permitted by the principal act of the consolidated or reorganized district, or any larger number as may be specified by the local agency formation commission in approving the consolidation or reorganization. (c) In addition to the powers granted under Section 1780 of the Government Code, in the event of a vacancy on the board of directors of the consolidated district or a district reorganized as described in subdivision (a) at which time the total number of directors is greater than five, the board of directors may, by majority vote of the remaining members of the board, choose not to fill the vacancy. In that event, the total membership of the board of directors shall be reduced by one board member. Upon making the determination not to fill a vacancy, the board of directors shall notify the board of supervisors of its decision. (d) For the purposes of this section: “consolidation” means consolidation, as defined in Section 56030 of the Government Code; “district” or “special district” means district or special district, as defined in Section 56036 of the Government Code; and “reorganization” means reorganization, as defined in Section 56073 of the Government Code.

Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 6480.5. Section 6480.5.

At any time within two years after a sanitary district consolidates with or annexes the territory of a district having powers and functions substantially identical to those of a sanitary district formed pursuant to this part, the board of directors of the sanitary district may, by resolution, increase the number of members of the board from five to seven, and may designate the first two additional members to serve on the enlarged board. If the board is enlarged subsequent to the consolidation with, or the annexation of the territory of, another district, the first two additional directors so designated shall be resident voters of such consolidated or annexed territory. The board shall determine the term of office of each of the new directors so appointed, but in no event shall such term designated by the board be for more than four years. The terms of office thus created shall be determined in such a manner as to keep as nearly equal as practicable the number of directors to be elected at each subsequent general district election. Upon the expiration of such term so designated by the board, the membership shall be filled at the next general district election and general district elections held thereafter for the election of officers of the district. Any references to five members of the board in this part mean seven members as applied to a board increased in size pursuant to this section. In the same manner, references to three members mean four members and to two members mean three members, and references to a four-fifths vote mean a five-sevenths vote, as applied to an enlarged board.

Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 6480.7. Section 6480.7.

If a consolidation involving the Capistrano Beach Sanitary District and the Dana Point Sanitary District is approved, the board of directors of the consolidated district shall initially consist of 10 members who shall be the members of the boards of directors of the two districts as of the effective date of the consolidation. Notwithstanding Section 56844 of the Government Code, those board members shall determine within 60 days from the effective date of the consolidation whether the board of directors shall consist of 5, 7, 9, or 11 members, and they shall further determine within that time the persons who shall thereafter be members of the board of directors. If those board members determine that the board of directors shall consist of 11 members, they shall appoint the eleventh member whose term shall be the same as the terms of the members of the board of directors whose terms will first expire. Upon making those determinations, the members so selected shall notify by resolution the Board of Supervisors and the Registrar of Voters of the County of Orange of the number of members and the names of the persons who have been selected or appointed as members of the board of directors, and of the expiration dates of their terms of office. If that selection and appointment process is not completed within 60 days of the effective date of the consolidation, the Board of Supervisors of the County of Orange shall determine the number of members of the board of directors and shall select the members of the board of directors from among those 10 persons, or call a special election for the election of the directors of the consolidated district on the next available election date. In that event, those 10 persons shall serve as the board of directors until the results of the special election are declared by the board of supervisors.

Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 6482. Section 6482.

Except as to those members of the board who are elected at the election on formation, the term of office of each member of the board is four years and each holds office until the election and qualification of his successors or his resignation or termination of residence within the district.

Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 6484. Section 6484.

The members of the board elected at the election as a result of which the district was organized or, if the district is reorganized under this part, then the five members in office at the time of the reorganization shall, at their first meeting, or as soon thereafter as may be practicable, so classify themselves, by lot, that they shall go out of office as follows: (a) Two shall serve until the election held in the first even-numbered year after the year in which the district is formed or reorganized, and until the election and qualification of their successors. (b) Three shall serve until the second even-numbered year after the district is formed or reorganized, and until the election and qualification of their successors. Notwithstanding any other provision of this part, except in districts that consolidate the election of directors with the direct primary election, the terms of office of members of the board in all districts existing on January 1, 1967, shall be determined as provided in Section 10507 of the Elections Code, and the terms of office of members of the board in all new districts shall be determined as provided in Section 10505 of the Elections Code.

Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 6486. Section 6486.

At its first meeting, or as soon thereafter as may be practicable, the board shall choose one of its members as president, and shall appoint a secretary who may be a member of the board.

Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 6487. Section 6487.

All contracts, deeds, warrants, releases, receipts, and documents shall be signed in the name of the district by its president, and countersigned by its secretary, except that the board may, by resolution, authorize the district manager or other district employees specified by the board to sign contracts, warrants, releases, receipts, and similar documents in the name of the district.

Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 6488. Section 6488.

The board shall hold such meetings, either in the day or in the evening, as may be convenient. In case of the absence or inability of the president or secretary to act, the board shall choose a president pro tem., or secretary pro tem., or both as the case may be.

Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 6489. Section 6489.

(a) Subject to subdivision (b), each of the members of the board shall receive compensation in an amount not to exceed one hundred dollars ($100) per day for each day’s attendance at meetings of the board or for each day’s service rendered as a director by request of the board, not exceeding a total of six days in any calendar month, together with any expenses incident thereto. (b) The district board, by ordinance adopted pursuant to Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 20200) of Division 10 of the Water Code, may increase the compensation received by board members above the amount of one hundred dollars ($100) per day. (c) The secretary of the sanitary board shall receive compensation to be set by the sanitary district board, which compensation shall be in lieu of any other compensation to which he or she may be entitled by reason of attendance at the meeting or meetings of the sanitary board. (d) For purposes of this section, the determination of whether a director’s activities on any specific day are compensable shall be made pursuant to Article 2.3 (commencing with Section 53232) of Chapter 2 of Part 1 of Division 2 of Title 5 of the Government Code. (e) Reimbursement for these expenses is subject to Sections 53232.2 and 53232.3 of the Government Code.

Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 6490. Section 6490.

(a) A general regulation of the board shall be entered in its minutes, and shall be published once in a newspaper published in the district, if there is one, and if not, then it shall be posted for one week in three public places in the district. (b) The publication or posting of general regulations, as required by subdivision (a), may be satisfied by either of the following actions: (1) The board of directors may publish a summary of a proposed regulation or ordinance or proposed amendment to an existing regulation or ordinance. This summary shall be prepared by an official designated by the board. A summary shall be published along with the names of those board members voting for and against the regulation or ordinance or amendment, and a certified copy of the full text of the proposed regulation or ordinance or proposed amendment to same shall be posted in the office of the clerk of the board, along with the names of those board members voting for and against the regulation, ordinance, or amendment. (2) If the official designated by the board determines that it is not feasible to prepare a fair and adequate summary of the regulation or ordinance or amendment to same, and if the board so orders, a display advertisement of at least one-quarter of a page in a newspaper published in the district shall be published. The advertisement shall indicate the general nature of, and provide information about, the regulation, ordinance, or amendment, including information sufficient to enable the public to obtain copies of the complete text of the regulation or ordinance or amendment to same, and the names of those board members voting for and against the regulation, ordinance, or amendment. (c) A subsequent order of the board that publication or posting has been made is conclusive evidence that the publication or posting has been properly made. (d) A general regulation takes effect upon expiration of the week of publication or posting.

Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 6491. Section 6491.

Unless otherwise provided by this part, orders not establishing a general regulation need not be published or posted, but shall be entered in the minutes and shall take effect upon adoption.

Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 6491.1. Section 6491.1.

The district board may, by general regulation, adopt codes or specifications controlling the manner of construction, repair, maintenance and operation of facilities referred to in Sections 6512 and 6522. Such codes or specifications need not be set out in full in such general regulation but may be incorporated therein by reference. Copies of such codes or specifications shall be available for examination in the office of the secretary at all times.

Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 6491.2. Section 6491.2.

The district board may, by general regulation, adopt a code by reference in the same manner as legislative bodies of local agencies are authorized to adopt primary and secondary codes by reference pursuant to Section 50022.1 to 50022.8, inclusive, of the Government Code, and for the purposes of such sections of the Government Code the district board shall be deemed a legislative body and the district shall be deemed a local agency. Any code adopted by the district board, by reference, shall impose restrictions equal to or greater than those imposed by the State Housing Law, Part 1.5 (commencing with Section 17910), Division 13 of this code, and the rules and regulations promulgated pursuant thereto by the Commission of Housing and Community Development. No penalty clauses or sanctions contained in any code adopted by reference pursuant to this section shall be effective. Every person who violates any provision of a general regulation adopted pursuant to this section or of a code adopted by reference in such general regulation is guilty of a misdemeanor.

Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 6491.3. Section 6491.3.

Ordinances of the district may be enacted in the same manner as general regulations of the board and shall have the same force and effect as such general regulations.

Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 6492. Section 6492.

The board may instruct the district attorney of the county to commence and prosecute any or all actions and proceedings necessary or proper to enforce any of its regulations or orders, and may call upon him for advice as to any sanitary subject; and the district attorney shall obey the instructions and give advice when requested by the board.

Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 6492.5. Section 6492.5.

The board may provide, by resolution, that the health officer of the county in which the district is situated shall be the health officer of the district. Upon the adoption of such resolution, it shall be presented to the board of supervisors and, if it is approved by the board of supervisors, such county health officer shall become the ex officio health officer of the district and it shall be his duty to give advice when requested by the board and to aid the district in doing any act necessary or proper to the complete exercise and effect of any of its powers, or for the purposes for which it is formed.

Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 6494. Section 6494.

There shall be an election for assessor in each even-numbered year in which members of the board are elected, and at the same time, place, and manner; provided, however, that if a district board has elected to avail itself of the county assessment roll for district taxation pursuant to Article 6 of Chapter 7 of this part, no assessor shall thereafter be elected until it shall again elect the use of its own tax roll. The assessor holds office for two years, and until the election and qualification of his successor except that the first assessor elected holds office until the election and qualification of his successor. If a vacancy occurs in the office of assessor, the board shall appoint a suitable person to fill the vacancy until the next election at which an assessor may be elected under this part.

Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 6497. Section 6497.

(1) The sanitary board of sanitary districts may classify all the places of employment in or under the district, and in or under all the offices and departments of the district, with reference to the examinations hereinafter provided for. The places so classified by the sanitary board may constitute the classified civil service of the district, and no appointment to any such place shall be made except according to the rules hereinafter mentioned. (2) The sanitary board may make rules to carry out the purposes of this section, and for examinations, appointments, promotions, and removals, and may from time to time make changes in existing rules. All rules and all changes therein shall be forthwith printed for distribution by the sanitary board. (3) The examinations shall be practical in their character, and shall relate to those matters only which will fairly test the relative capacity of the persons examined to discharge the duties of the positions to which they seek to be appointed, and shall include, when appropriate, tests of manual or professional skill. The selection of laborers shall be governed by priority of application as far as may be practicable. No questions in any examination shall relate to political or religious opinions or affiliations. The sanitary board shall control all examinations.

Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 6499. Section 6499.

Any county officer required to act as an officer of the district and perform services for the district by virtue of his office, or any county health officer who becomes the ex officio health officer of the district pursuant to Section 6492.5, shall be entitled to reimbursement from the district for the reasonable and actual expenses incurred by him while acting on behalf of the district, to be paid into the county treasury. The amount of such reimbursement shall not exceed the actual expense which he incurred.

Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 6500. Section 6500.

If a district has a boundary which is contiguous to the boundary of a city and the district has a contract with that city under which the city is responsible for the operation and maintenance of all facilities of the district, the governing board of the district may, by a resolution adopted by a 4 5 vote of the board, declare the board dissolved and thereafter the governing body of the city shall be ex officio the governing board of the district.

Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 6501. Section 6501.

By resolution, the board may change the name of the district. Any name resulting from a change shall include the words “Sanitary District” or shall be a name that is descriptive of the functions of the district. The change of name shall be effective upon recording a certified copy in the office of the county recorder of the county or counties in which the district is situated.
Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026

Starting a business in California? California LLC guide: costs and requirements