What’s Your Jurisdiction?

I consider myself to be a stakeholder of the entire Crescenta Valley. I grew up and lived in Sunland-Tujunga for 36 years. I married, had children and we moved to La Crescenta 22 years ago. I worked in La Cañada Flintridge for seven years. I shop, eat and drive in all of these communities including Montrose and Verdugo City. I am invested in and committed to protecting our valley. To me, it’s golden.

I have served on the steering committee of the Crescenta Valley Community Association (CVCA) for 10 years. During that time, we have had many people come to our neighborhood meetings with concerns. The first question we always ask is, “Where do you live; what is your jurisdiction?” The answer gives us a clue as to which direction to send them for assistance. Our little valley, roughly 11 miles long, has a huge number of governmental entities that service the region. Unsurprisingly, residents don’t always know where to go to get the information they need. Here is a primer.

For the most part, incorporated cities provide services directly to their residents. Sunland-Tujunga, which is part of the City of Los Angeles, has the Los Angeles Dept. of Water and Power (LADWP) as the utility for electricity and water.  The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) and Fire Department (LAFD) are the law enforcement/emergency response agencies and Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) provides education for the local schools. Los Angeles City Planning oversees residential and commercial building projects with the governing body; the Los Angeles City Council has the final ruling. In addition, the Sunland-Tujunga Neighborhood Council (STNC) is an advisory body elected by the community to provide direct input to the councilmember of 7th City Council district.

Although La Cañada Flintridge is an incorporated city, the service providers are a little less straight-forward. The city’s source for power is Southern California Edison (SCE) and water comes from four different companies supplying the Foothill Municipal Water District (FMWD). Emergency response is handled through the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) and Fire Department (LACoFD). La Cañada Unified School District (LCUSD) oversees public education. The City has its own Community Development Department and the La Cañada Flintridge City Council is the governing body.

Even trickier are the towns of La Crescenta, Montrose and Verdugo City where the jurisdictional lines are blurred. If a property falls within boundaries of the City of Glendale, then water and electricity are provided through Glendale Water and Power (GWP), Glendale Police Dept. (GPD) and Fire Department (GFD) are the first responders and children attend schools in Glendale Unified School District (GUSD).  Glendale has its own Community Development Department and the Glendale City Council is the governing body. However, if your property lies within the unincorporated Los Angeles County portion, then electricity comes from SCE and water from the Crescenta Valley Water District (CVWD). In an emergency, LASD and LACoFD will respond and GUSD provides public education. The County Dept. of Regional Planning handles building projects and the LA County Board of Supervisors is the governing body. In addition, the Crescenta Valley Town Council (CVTC) is an advisory board elected by the community to provide direct input to the supervisor of the 5th District.

If all of this seems too complicated and more like alphabet soup, it is. For far too long, these boundaries have caused great distress and heated debate both in the public square and online, the most recent being the Sagebrush issue and the Welcome to Glendale signs. It is time that the Crescenta Valley from Sunland-Tujunga to Hahamongna be united rather than divided. After all, what happens here affects the whole foothill community. We should join together to embrace and protect the life we share: our small towns, our access to nature and our rich history. 

“One Valley, One Voice!”

Susan Bolan

susanbolan710@gmail.com

  Susan BOLAN