Unless the context requires otherwise, as used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the following meanings:

(a) “Board” means the county board of supervisors acting as the governing authority of a county service area.

(b) “Commission” or “local agency formation commission” means a local agency formation commission that operates in the county pursuant to the Cortese-Knox-Hertzberg Local Government Reorganization Act of 2000, Division 3 (commencing with Section 56000) of Title 5.

(c) “County service area” means a county service area formed pursuant to this chapter or any of its statutory predecessors.

(d) “Geologic hazard” means an actual or threatened landslide, land subsidence, soil erosion, earthquake, or any other natural or unnatural movement of land or earth.

(e) “Inhabited territory” means territory within which there reside 12 or more registered voters. All other territory shall be deemed “uninhabited.”

(f) “Landowner” or “owner of land” means all of the following:

(1) Any person shown as the owner of land on the county’s most recent assessment roll, except where that person is no longer the owner. Where that person is no longer the owner, the landowner or owner of land is any person entitled to be shown as the owner of land on the next assessment roll.

(2) Where land is subject to a recorded written agreement of sale, any person shown in the agreement as purchaser.

(3) Any public agency owning land, provided that a public agency which owns highways, rights-of-way, easements, waterways, or canals shall not be deemed a landowner or owner of land.

(g) “Latent power” means any service or facility authorized by Article 4 (commencing with Section 25213) that the local agency formation commission has determined, pursuant to subdivision (i) of Section 56425, that the county service area was not authorized to provide prior to January 1, 2009.

(h) “Voter” means a voter as defined by Section 359 of the Elections Code.

(i) “Zone” means a zone formed pursuant to Article 8 (commencing with Section 25217).

(Amended by Stats. 2009, Ch. 332, Sec. 4. (SB 113) Effective January 1, 2010.)