DATE: September 10, 2015
TO: Council Sustainability Committee
FROM: Director of Development Services
Director of Utilities and Environmental Services
SUBJECT
Title
State Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance Revision
End
RECOMMENDATION
That the Committee reviews and comments on this report.
Body
BACKGROUND
A water efficient landscape ordinance addresses landscape requirements for new and rehabilitated development projects. The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) adopted the first Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance (State Ordinance) in 1992 with the passing of the Water Conservation in Landscaping Act of 1990 (Assembly Bill 325). The City Council adopted the State Ordinance for use as a local ordinance in the same year. Prompted by the Water Conservation in Landscaping Act of 2006 (Assembly Bill 1881), DWR updated the State Ordinance in 2009. In response, the City Council modified the State Ordinance and subsequently adopted the Bay-Friendly Water Efficient Landscaping Ordinance (Bay-Friendly Ordinance) in 2009 (Attachment I). The Bay-Friendly Ordinance differed slightly from the State Ordinance in that it took a more local, holistic, and sustainable approach to landscaping requirements, which was consistent with the City Council's sustainability goals. The Bay-Friendly Ordinance is enforced by a licensed staff Landscape Architect.
In response to severe drought conditions in recent years, Governor Brown issued Executive Order B-29-15 on April 1, 2015, which directed State agencies to implement immediate measures to save water, increase enforcement against water waste, invest in new technologies and streamline government response to ongoing drought conditions. One of the many actions the State has taken to address the provisions of the Executive Order is the revision of the 2009 State Ordinance. DWR has prepared the amended State Ordinance (Attachment II) through ex...
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