Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout74-37 2 4 $ 6 ? 8 9 10 11 12 13 16 17 18 19 2O 21 22 23 25 26 27 28 29 3O 31 82 RESOLUTION NO. ~/- %fX RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF UKIAH AMENDING RESOLUTION NO. 73-41 SO AS TO CONFORM THE GUIDELINES FOR IMPLEMENTA- TION OF THE CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT OF 1970 THEREIN SET FORTH TO STATE OF CALIFORNIA REQUIREMENTS Whereas, the City Council of the City of Ukiah previously adopted Resolu- tion No. 73-35 implementing the Environmental Quality Act of 1970; and Whereas, said Act, as recently amended, requires that Local Agencies adopt guidelines which are consistent with those guidelines adopted by the State Secretary of Resources; and Whereas, the City Council of the City of Ukiah adopted Resolution No. 73-41 adopting guidelines consistent with State of California guidelines; and Whereas, the State of California guidelines, as developed by the State Secretary of Resources, have been amended therefore requiring amendment of the guidelines found in City of Ukiah Resolution No. 73-41. Now, Therefore, It Is Hereby Resolved that the City Council of the City of Ukiah adopts the following amended sections so that the local guidelines are consistent with State of California guidelines, as amended. ARTICLE I Section 4(a) Applicant. Applicant means a person who proposes to carry out a project which needs a lease, permit, license, certificate, or other entitlement to use or financial assistance from one or more public agencies when that person applies for the govern- mental approval or assistance. Section 4(a) of Resolution No. 73-41 becomes Section 4(a)(1). Section 4(f) is amended to read as follows: Emer~e~cz. Emergency means a sudden, unexpected occurrence demanding immediate action to prevent or mitigate loss or damage to life, health, property, or essential public services. Section 4(g)(1) Environmental Documents. Environmental documents means Draft and Final EIR's, Initial Studies, Negative Declarations, Notices of Completion, and Notices of Determination. -1- ? 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 2O 21 22 23 25 26 27 28 29 3O 31 82 Section 4(h)(2) is amended by deleting the "and" between the numbers "3 and 4" found in the first sentence of said section; substituting a comma therefore and adding "and 5" after the number "4". Section 4(j)(1) Initial Study. Initial study means a preliminary analysis prepared by the lead agency pursuant to Article 2, Section 1 to determine whether an EIR or a Negative Declaration must be pre- pared. Section 4(k) is amended to read as follows: ~ead Agency. Lead Agency means the public agency which has the principal responsibility for preparing environmental documents and for carrying out or approving a project which m~y have a significant effect on the environment. Section 4(1) is amended by adding to that section, within the definition of Local Agency, districts and school districts. Section 4(n) ~e~ative Declaration. Negative declaration means a statement by the lead agency briefly presenting the reasons that the project, although not otherwise exempt, would not have a significant effect on the environment and therefore does not require an EIR. Section 4(r)(3) The term "project" refers to the underlying activity and not to the governmental approval process. Section 4(t) Responsible Agency. Responsible agency means a public agency which proposes to undertake or approve a project, but is not the lead agency for the project. It includes all public agencies other than the lead agency which have approval power over the project. Section 6(a) is amended by deleting therefrom the period and adding the phrase "unless the project is otherwise exempted by these Guidelines." Section 6(b) is amended by deleting the period from the 4th sentence of said section and adding the phrase "or Negative Declaration. -2- " Said 6 16 17 18 19 2O 21 22 23 25 26 27 28 29 3O 31 32 Section (9) section is further amended by deleting the term "EIR" from the last sentence of said section and substituting therefore the term "environmental document." A further amendment of Section 6(b) is to add thereto and after the 3rd sentence of said section the following: · "If information is provided in the form of a draft EIR, the City may not use the draft EIR as its own without independent evalua- tion and analysis. The draft EIR which is sent out for public review must reflect the independent judgment of the City. The City should require an applicant to specify to the best of his knowledge which other public agencies will have approval author- ity over the project. -3- Lead Agency Principle. Where a project is to be carried out or approved by more than one public agency (only one public agency shall be responsible for preparation of environmental documents) and it will be the Lead Agency. Such environmental documents will be prepared by the Lead Agency in consultation with all other responsible agencies. The Lead Agency's environmental documents shall be the environmental documentation for all re- sponsible agencies. Such responsible agencies shall consider the Lead Agency's EIR or negative declaration prior to acting upon or approving the projects, and they shall certify that their decision-making bodies have reviewed and considered the informa- tion contained in them. Section (10)(d) is amended to read as follows: Where the provisions of subsections (a), (b), and (c) leave two or more public agencies with an equal claim to be the lead agency the public agencies may by agreement designate which agency will be the lead agency. 1 2 4 6 ? 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 2O 21 22 23 2/ 25 26 27 28 29 3O 31 82 Section (10)(1) is added to read as follows: Designation of Lead A~ency ~y Office of Plannin~ and Research. (a) In the event that the designation of a Lead Agency is in dis- pute, the following criteria shall apply: (1) Public agencies should consult with each other in an effort to resolve the dispute prior to submitting it to OPR. (2) If an agreement cannot be reached, any public agency involved m.~y submit the dispute to the OPR for resolu- tion. (b) Regulations adopted by OPR for resolving lead agency disputes may include the following: (1) Submission of written statements to OPR and other dis- puting public agencies; (2)Certification by OPR that a Lead Agency dispute exists; (3) Publication of notice that a dispute has been submitted to OPR: (4) Determination of the dispute on the basis of written statements or by a hearing. (c) Designation of a Lead Agency by OPR shall be based on con- sideration of the criteria in Section 10 as well as the capacity of the agency to adequately fulfill the requirements of CEQA. Section (ll)(b) is amended by deleting the period from the last section of said sentence and adding the phrase "or Negative Declaration." Section (ll)(d) is amended to read as follows: "After completing the draft EIR or Negative Declaration, the Lead Agency shall also consult with other Public agencies having jurisdiction by law and shall consult with persons having Special expertise in the area of concern." -4- 1 2 4 $ 6 ? 8 9 10 11 12 18 14 15 16 17 18 19 2O 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 $0 81 82 ARTICLE 2 Section (2)(c) is amended by deleting therefrom the phrase "include the follow- ing'' and substituting therefore the phrase "include a change that". Section (2)(c)(9) is amended to read as follows: "Could expose people or structures to major geologic hazards." Section (4)(a) is amended to read as follows: ~egative Declaration. A Negative Declaration shall be prepared for a project which could potentially have a significant effect on the environment, but which the lead agency finds on the basis of an Initial Study will not have a significant effect on the en- vironment. (a) A Negative Declaration must include a brief description of the project as proposed, a finding that the project will not have a significant effect on the environment, a brief state- ment of reasons to support the findings, and a statement in- dicating who prepared the initial study and where a copy of it may be obtained. The Negative Declaration should normally not exceed one page in length. (b) The Negative Declaration shall be made available to the public with sufficient time before the project is approved to provide an opportunity for members of the public to re- spond to the finding. (c) After making a decision to carry out or approve the project, the lead agency shall file a Notice of Determination with a copy of the 'Negative Declaration attached. The Notice of Determination shall include the decision of the agency to approve or disapprove the project, the determination of the agency whether the project will have a significant effect on the environment, and a statement that no EIR has been prepared pursuant to the provisions of CEQA. -5- 1 2 4 5 6 ? 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 2O 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 (1) If the lead agency is a state agency, the Notice of Determination shall be filed with the Secretary for Resources. (2) If the lead agency is a local agency, the Notice of Determination shall be filed with the county clerk of the county or counties in which the project will be located. Section (5)(a) is amended by inserting the phrase "draft and" following the word its in the last sentence of said section. Section (6)(b) is amended by deleting the phrase "article 9" from the 1st sentence thereof and substituting the phrase "article 4". Said section is further amended by deleting "Sections 15141, 15142, and 15143" and substituting "sections 2, 3 and 4 of Article 4". Said section is further amended by adding thereto the following: "Where the EIR will be reviewed through the state review process handled by the State Clearinghouse, a Notice of Intent will be completed and filed with the State Clearinghouse. The Notice of Intent will serve as the Notice of Completion, and no Notice of Completion need be sent to the Resources Agency. Section (6)(f) is amended to read as follows: The final EIR shall be presented to the decision-making body of the lead agency. The lead agency shall certify that the final EIR has been completed in compliance with CEQA and the state guidelines and t'hat the decision-making body or administrative official having final approval authority over the project has re- viewed and considered the information contained in the EIR. Section (6)(g) is amended to read as follows: After making a decision on the project, the lead agency shall file a notice of action taken on the project. This notice shall be referred to as a Notice of Determination. Such notice shall -6- 1 4 $ ? 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 2O 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 ~2 include (1) the decision of the agency to approve or disap- prove the project, (2) the determination of the agency whether the project will or will not have a significant effect on the environment, and (3) a statement that an EIR has been pre- pared pursuant to the provisions of CEQA. (1) If the lead agency is a state agency, the Notice of Deter- mination shall be filed with the Secretary for Resources. (2) If the lead agency is a local agency, the Notice of Deter- mination shall be filed with the county clerk of the county of counties in which the project would be located. Section (6)(h) is added to read as follows: "Any EIR which has been completed or on which substantial work has been performed on or before February 15, 1974, in compliance with procedures of the City consistent with CEQA and these Guide- lines as adopted, shall be deemed to be in compliance with these Guidelines. ARTICLE 3 Section (2)(f) is amended by deleting therefrom the phrase "where these devices do not have or result in an adverse environmental impact; and substituting a period therefor. Section(5)is amended by inserting following the word vegetation the phrase "which do not involve removal of mature, scenic trees except for forestry and agricultural purpose; Section (5)(b) is amended by deleting the phrase "but not including tree re- moval "and substituting a period therefore. Section (5)(f) is added and reads as follows: "Minor trenching and backfilling where the surface is restored." Section(8) is amended to read as follows: Class 7: Actions by Regulatory Agencies for Protection of Natural Resources. Class 7 consists of actions taken by regu- -7- 1 2 4 5 6 ? 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 2O 21 22 23 25 26 27 28 29 3O 31 32 latory agencies as authorized by state law or local ordinance to assure the maintenance, restoration, or enhancement of a natural resource where the regulatory process involves procedures for protection of the environment. Examples include but are not limited to wildlife preservation activities of the State Depart- ment of Fish and Game. Construction activities are not included in this exemption. Section (9) is amended by adding thereto the following sentence: "Construction activities are not included in this exemption." Section (11) is amended to read as follows: Class 10. Loans. Class 10 consists of loans made by the Depart- ment of Veterans Affairs under the Veterans Farm and Home Pur- chase Act of 1943, mortgages for the purchase of existing structures where the loan will not be used for new construction and the purchase of such mortgages by financial institutions. Class 10 includes but is not limited to the following examples: (a) Loans made by the Department of Veterans Affairs under the Veterans Farm and Home Purchase Act of 1943. (b) Purchases of mortgages from banks and mortgage companies by the Public Employees Retirement System and by the State Teachers Retirement System. Section (12) is amended to read as follows: Class 11: Accessory Structures. Class 11 consists of construc- tion, or placement of minor structures accessory to (appurtenant to) existing commercial, industrial, or institutional facilities including but not limited to: (a) On-premise signs; (b) Small parking lots. Section (13) is amended to read as follows: Class 12. Surplus Government Property Sales, Class 12 consists -8- 1 2 4 $ ? 8 10 11 12 14 15 15 17 18 $2 of sales of surplus government property except for parcels of land located in an area of statewide interest or potential area of critical concern as identified in the Governor's Environmental Goals and Policy Report of June 1, 1973~ Section (14) is amended to read as follows: Relation to Ministerial Proje~t_{s. Section 21080 of the Public Resources Code as added by Chapter 1154, Statutes of 1972, ex- empts all ministerial projects and activities of public agencies from application of the CEQA. The matter of what is or is not a ministerial project is up to the determination of each public agency, based on an examination of the applicable laws and ordinances. Thus, while the Categorical Exemptions listed in this subsection contain classes or examples of projects which in many cases will be ministerial, the inclusion of them is in no way intended to imply any finding here that, in any particular jurisdiction, they are ministerial or discretionary. The ex- emptions, naturally, only apply where the project in question is found to be discretionary. Section (15) is added to read as follows: Exception by Location. Class 3, 4, 5, 6, and 11 are qualified by consideration of where the project is to be located--a project that is ordinarily insignificant in its impact on the environment may in a particularly sensitive environment be significant. Therefore, these classes are considered to apply in all instances EXCEPT where the project may impact on an environmental resource of hazardous or critical concern as may be hereafter designated, precisely mapped, and officially adopted pursuant to law by federal, state or local agencies. Moreover, all exemptions for these classes are inapplicable when the cumulative impact of successive projects of the same type in the same place, over time -9- 1 2 4 $ 6 ? 8 9 10 11 12 13 16 17 18 19 2O 21 22 23 2~ 25 26 27 28 29 3O 31 32 is significant-- for example, annual additions to an existing building under Class 1. ARTICLE 4 Section (2)(c) is amended by deleting the period and adding the phrase "and supporting public service facilities." Section (5)(1) is added to read as follows: "Water Quality!As~. With respect to water quality aspects of the proposed project which have been previously certified by the appropriate state or interstate organization as being in substantial compliance with applicable water quality standards, reference to the certification should be made." Section (7) is added to read as follows: ~e~ree of Specificity. The degree of specificity required in an EIR will correspond to the degree of specificity involved in the underlying activity which is described in the EIR. (a) An EIR on a construction project will necessarily be more de- tailed in the specific effects of the project than will be an EIR on the adoption of a local general plan or comprehensive zoning ordinance because the effects of the construction can be predicted with greater accuracy. (b) An EIR on projects such as the adoption or amendment of a comprehensive zoning ordinance or a local general plan should focus on the secondary effects that can be expected to follow from the adoption, but the EIR need not be as detailed as an EIR on the specific construction projects that might follow. (c) The requirements for an EIR on a local general plan or ele- ment thereof will be satisfied by the general plan or ele- ment document, i.e~, no separate EIR will be required, if: (1) the general plan addresses all the points required to be in an EIR by Article 9 of these guidelines and (2) the -10- 1 2 4 6 ? 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 2O 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 3O 31 82 document contains a special section or a cover sheet identi- fying where the general plan document addresses each of the points required. Article 5 is amended to read as follows: ARTICLE 5. Evaluation of Environmental Impact Reports Section (1) A.dequate Time for Review and Comment. The city shall provide adequate time for other public agencies and members of the public to review and comment on an EIR that it has prepared. (a) At the time the city completes its draft EIR it shall cause to be published, in a newspaper of general circulation, a public notice stating that the document is available for public review. Said notice shall state the review period, said period to be established by the Director of Planning. But in no event shall the review period be less than 30 days nor should it be necessary that the period exceed, except in unusual situations, 90 days. (b) A review period for an EIR does not require a halt in other planning activities related to a project. Planning should continue in conjunction with environmental evaluation. (c) Reviewers should focus on the sufficiency of the EIR in discussing possible impacts upon the environment, ways in which adverse effects might be minimized, and alternatives to the project, in light of the intent of the act to provide decision=makers with useful information about such factors. Section (2) Failure to Comment. If any public agency or person who is con- suited with regard to an EIR fails to comment within a reasonable time as specified by the City, it shall be assumed, absent a re- quest for a specific extension of time, that such agency or person has no comment to make. Section (3) ~e~uests for Environmental Documents. The City, after preparing -11- $ ? 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 2O 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 3O 81 82 1 2 4 Section (4) an EIR or other environmental document described in these Guidelines, is responsible for making such documents avail- able to the public for inspection. Members of the general public requesting copies of the EIR or other environmental document may be charged for the actual reproduction costs. Public Hearing__s. At the time the City holds its regular public hearings relating to the approval or disapproval of a proposed project, a draft EIR shall be considered at the same time. Notice of the regular public hearing shall give notice of the consideration of the draft EIR. PASSED AND ADOPTED this 6th day of February, 1974, followin9 roll call vote- AYES: Councilmen Weinkauf, ?earson, Mayor Simpson NOES: Councilman Buxton ABSENT: Councilman Norgard by the ATTEST: Mayor Cfty Cler~ -12-