In Addition
In addition, there are pockets of County land that are surrounded by a city but are not officially considered islands primarily due to the presence of prime agricultural land within them. These County pockets oftentimes share similar service issues as islands. However, they do not qualify for the streamlined island annexation process. Below is a map of all of these pockets:
It has been the experience of cities and counties throughout California that annexation of County islands have resulted in a more efficient urban service delivery system comprised of sewer; water; trash collection; police protection; fire protection; groundwater recharge; code enforcement; etc. Allowing islands to become part of a city has allowed residents to participate in the decisions that impact not only their immediate neighborhoods, but their communities.
While the City of Napa, the County of Napa, and special districts have historically been able to provide a variety of services to unincorporated islands, services provided by the County in unincorporated areas are more typical of limited services to rural areas and do not cover the full range or level of services that many urban dwellers have come to expect.
Recognizing the problems associated with the proliferation of County islands throughout the State, the California Legislature has enacted special legislation that allows cities to streamline the annexation of County islands (up to 150 acres) without protest or election.