The Local Agency Formation Commission will meet today at 5 p.m. to hear public testimony regarding the possible inclusion of Isla Vista in the Goleta cityhood proposal.

LAFCO Chair Tim Campbell said the meeting will be the last opportunity for community input regarding the final boundaries of the cityhood proposal, which will be placed on the November ballot. LAFCO will probably not vote until May 3, according to Campbell.

“I anticipate [the hearing] will be an information sharing session with the commission and the proponents of the proposal, staff, the county, special districts and the public,” Campbell said.

I.V. has been dead weight to previous Goleta cityhood proposals because Goleta residents see I.V. as a voting bloc that supports different issues than themselves, I.V. resident and property owner Constance Brown said.

“I think fear of the voting bloc will keep us out regardless of the financial benefits of including I.V.,” she said. “They might rather not be a city than include us. But I.V. has really been improving itself, so there’s much less to be feared. We need and deserve to be included. We’ve been ignored for too many years by the county and university, and a local government would get much more accomplished.”

Isla Vista Recreation and Parks District member Diane Conn said I.V. should be included within the new city so it will be able to obtain the services it needs.

“Basically, we want urban services and local control,” said Conn. “The only way that I.V. will get the services it needs is to include the I.V./UCSB parcel within the boundaries of the new city. We want to work with Goleta to provide services and to support appropriate development and land use. But people will have to get out there and tell LAFCO what they want.”

The meeting will begin at 5 p.m. at the Board of Supervisors Hearing Room, located at 105 East Anapamu St.

– Alison Dougherty