R10919City Council Meeting: 10-27-2015
Santa Monica, California
RESOLUTION NUMBER 1096(CCS)
(City Council Series)
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA
UPDATING THE SANTA MONICA WATER -EFFICIENT LANDSCAPE AND
IRRIGATION STANDARDS
WHEREAS, in recent years there has been both worldwide and local concerns
raised about escalating water costs and the effects of global warming; and
WHEREAS, the State of California, including the City of Santa Monica, suffers from
recurring severe drought conditions and even during non -drought periods water is a
scarce resource throughout Southern California; and
WHEREAS, the City of Santa Monica receives on average less than 15 inches of
precipitation annually and in some years precipitation can be as little as 3 inches; and
WHEREAS, in recent years the City of Santa Monica has relied almost exclusively
on water imported from Northern California or from the Colorado River to meet its water
needs; and
WHEREAS, the imported water supply from Northern California and from the
Colorado River cannot be reliably depended upon by the City of Santa Monica due to
reoccurring drought conditions throughout the western United States, and due.to federal
and state regulations limiting such water for urban uses; and
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WHEREAS, conservation of water is critically important if the City of Santa Monica
is to sustain itself, survive drought as well as emergencies and natural disasters; and
WHEREAS, water shortage conditions within the State of California and within the
City of Santa Monica can arise on short notice as a result of drought, natural disaster, or
other emergency events that critically impact the availability of water. As a result, the
residents and business operators of the City of Santa Monica live under an almost
constant threat of water shortage, and
WHEREAS, inefficient irrigation devices and watering practices, particularly
related to maintenance of landscapes, result in the waste of ever scarcer water resources,
and
WHEREAS, high water -demanding plant materials represent enormous drains on
the City's already limited water resources; and
WHEREAS, the City is committed to reducing inefficient use of water resources for
irrigation so as to maximize the availability of potable water for essential residential and
business uses; and
WHEREAS, the standards and requirements set forth in these regulations are
consistent in principle with the goals, objectives, policies, land uses and programs
specified in the adopted General Plan and the proposed updates to Chapter 8.180,
Subpart A of the Santa Monica Municipal Code; and
WHEREAS, Government Code Section 65595 mandates the creation of an
updated state-wide model water efficient landscape ordinance, which would apply to all
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municipalities in California, unless a local agency adopted a local water efficient
landscape ordinance that is, based on evidence in the record, at least as effective in
conserving water as the state-wide model ordinance; and
WHEREAS, in light of the ongoing drought in the State of California, in July 2015,
the State of California updated its state-wide model water efficient landscape ordinance
and its California Green Buildings Code to implement additional water conservation
measures; and
WHEREAS, the City of Santa Monica has a long standing commitment to
leadership in water and other resource conservation; and
WHEREAS, the City of Santa Monica is committed to exceeding the standards set
out in the state model water efficient landscape ordinance; and
WHEREAS, requiring prescriptive landscape measures in lieu of a water budget
meets and, in some instances, exceeds the State Model Water Efficient Landscape
Ordinance's conservation targets; and
WHEREAS, prohibiting inefficient irrigation devices, such as overhead sprinklers,
will conserve potable water resources and prevents unnecessary urban runoff; and
WHEREAS, prohibiting high water using turf grass on commercial properties and
on public street medians will also serve to conserve potable water resources.
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NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA
DOES HEREBY RESOLVE AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. The Water -Efficient Landscape and Irrigation Standards, as set forth
in Attachment A, are hereby adopted.
SECTION 2. Any other resolution adopting, amending, or relating to the Water -
Efficient Landscape and Irrigation Standards authorized by Chapter 3.103, Subpart A, is
hereby repealed in its entirety.
SECTION 3, The City Clerk shall certify to the adoption of this Resolution and
thenceforth and thereafter the same shall be in full force and effect.
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
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Adopted and approved this 27th day of October, 2015.
L- -wL .
Kevin McKeown, Mayor
I, Sarah P. Gorman, City Clerk of the City of Santa Monica, do hereby certify that
the foregoing Resolution No. 10919 (CCS) was duly adopted at a meeting of the Santa
Monica City Council held on the 27th day of October, 2015, by the following vote:
AYES: Councilmembers: Davis, Himmelrich, O'Connor, Winterer
Mayor McKeown, Mayor Pro Tem Vazquez
NOES: Councilmember: None
ABSENT: Councilmember: O'Day
ATTEST:
Sarah P. Gorman, City Clerk