R11226 1
City Council Meeting: February 25, 2020 Santa Monica, California
RESOLUTION NUMBER 11226 (CCS)
(City Council Series)
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA MAKING
FINDINGS REGARDING LOCAL CLIMATIC, GEOLOGICAL, TOPOGRAPHICAL, AND
ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS PURSUANT TO HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE
SECTIONS 17958.7, and 18941.5
WHEREAS, the California State Building Standards Commission approved and
published the 2019 edition of the California Building Standards Code on July 1, 2019, and such
code became effective 180 days thereafter on January 1, 2020; and
WHEREAS, the 2019 California Building Standards Code includes the 2019 California
Green Building Standards Code; and
WHEREAS, California Health and Safety Code Sections 17958.7, and 18941.5 provide
that the City may make changes or modifications to the building standards contained in the
California Building Standards Code based upon express findings that such changes or
modifications are reasonably necessary because of local climatic, geological, or topographical
conditions; and
WHEREAS, Section 101.7.1 of the 2019 California Green Building Standards Code
provides that for the purposes of local amendments to the 2019 California Green Building
Standards Code, local climatic, topographical, or geological conditions include local
environmental conditions as established by the City; and
WHEREAS, on or about September 20, 2016, the State of California enacted Senate Bill
(SB) 32, which added Health and Safety Code Section 38566 to require greenhouse gas
emissions to be reduced to 40 percent below 1990 levels by no later than December 31, 2030;
and
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WHEREAS, the City of Santa Monica is committed to reducing greenhouse gas
emissions in accordance with the United States’ original commitment to the Paris Climate
Accord; and
WHEREAS, consistent with its May 2019 Climate Action & Adaptation Plan (“CAAP”),
the City of Santa Monica is committed to establishing requirements to reduce greenhouse gas
emissions by electrifying the building and transportation sectors, which will also increase the
use of renewable energy; and
WHEREAS, based upon the findings contained in this Resolution, the City Council will
be adopting an ordinance making local amendments to the 2019 California Green Building
Standards Code that are reasonably necessary based upon local climatic, geological, and
environmental conditions;
NOW, THEREFORE, the City of Santa Monica does resolve as follows:
SECTION 1. The City Council makes the following findings regarding local climatic,
geological, topographical, and environmental conditions related to the local amendments to the
2019 California Energy Code and 2019 California Green Building Standards Code described in
Section 2 below:
(a) Santa Monica is situated in Southern California, which has extreme arid conditions
and periods of severe drought. (Climatic and Environmental)
(b) The Master Environmental Assessment (“MEA”) adopted in April 1996, shows that
Santa Monica’s climate is primarily influenced by the Pacific Ocean and is characterized by
infrequent rainfall and winds. The winds originate from the west during the day and from the
north and northeast during the night. Further, intermittent Santa Ana winds conditions occur
from September to March allowing conditions that create the potential for high velocity winds
with high temperatures. In addition, the region is within a climate system capable of producing
major wind, fire, and rain-related disasters, including but not limited to those caused by the
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Santa Ana winds and El Nino (or La Nina) subtropical-like weather. (Climatic and
Environmental)
(c) The greater Los Angeles region, including Santa Monica, is a densely populated area
having buildings constructed within a region where environmental resources are scarce due to
varying and occasional immoderate temperatures and weather conditions. This local condition
also challenges the demand and need for energy resources from the local utilities. (Climatic and
Environmental)
(d) Intermittent, immoderate climatic conditions due to wind, fog, rain, heatwave and
humidity cause a higher demand for energy resources and greater needs (i) for energy
conservation through the construction of building systems and equipment usage and (ii) to
supplement building electrical systems with renewable energy sources. (Climatic and
Environmental)
(e) As set forth in the CAAP, as a result of climate change, extreme heat events in
California and the Los Angeles region are becoming more frequent, more intense, and longer
lasting, with the trend expected to continue as climate change worsens. Extreme heat can
exacerbate heat-related illnesses and deaths, particularly among vulnerable populations such
as the homeless, elderly, infants, and individuals with chronic illnesses, while also affecting
communities indirectly through energy disruption and spikes in energy prices, impacting
affordability. (Climatic and Environmental)
(f) As also set forth in the CAAP, climate change is likely to alter rainfall patterns,
increasing the variability in the already wide swings in precipitation from year to year, with even
wider fluctuations between wet years and dry years, and increased duration and severity of
droughts. As a result, the City of Santa Monica is likely to be subject to more severe weather
events, including droughts as well as more intense storms that increase the risks of wildfire,
erosion, overland local flooding and landslides. (Climatic and Environmental)
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(g) As noted in the December 2018 Sustainable Water Master Plan Update (“SWMP”),
Santa Monica currently receives approximately 70-75% of its water from ground water sources
beneath the City. As noted in the Safety Element of Santa Monica’s General Plan, adopted in
January 1995, subsidence, as well as saltwater intrusion has occurred along coastal areas to
the south of the City, though, to date, no subsidence or saltwater intrusion has been reported
within the City. (Geological and Environmental)
(h) As noted in the SWMP, climate change is expected to test the City’s ability to
sustainably manage its water resources. In particular, if current projections of climate change
caused sea level rise are proven to be accurate, saltwater intrusion may be expected to change
the quality of the shallow groundwater zones immediately adjacent to the coast and those low-
lying areas where wave run-up would likely be higher. Failure to address and significantly
reduce greenhouse gas (“GHG”) emissions could result in exacerbated rises in sea level,
increasing the risk posed by saltwater intrusions to shallow groundwater along the coast and
potentially posing a risk of saltwater intrusion that would affect even the more inland wellfields
from which the city draws the majority of its groundwater. (Climatic and Environmental)
(i) As noted in the CAAP, if current projections of climate change caused sea level rises
are proven to be accurate, miles of transportation and public and private utilities infrastructure,
beaches, homes, and businesses bear some risk from sea level rise and coastal flooding.
Failure to address and significantly reduce GHG emissions could result in exacerbated rises in
sea level that could put even more Santa Monica homes, businesses, and public facilities at risk
from sea level rise and coastal flooding. (Climatic and Environmental)
(i) As noted in the CAAP, in February 2019, the Clean Power Alliance of Southern
California started serving Santa Monica residents with electricity sourced from a higher content
of renewable energy sources, with the result that as of May 2019 Santa Monica residents and
businesses receive a default 100% renewable electricity. (Climatic and Environmental)
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(k) The local amendments to promote the use of all-electric vehicles will encourage the
substitution of all-electric vehicles for vehicles that use non-renewable fuel and emit GHG ,
which will increase the use of renewable energy, promote a lower contribution to GHG
emissions, and increase resilience to ongoing climate change. (Climatic and Environmental)
SECTION 2: The City Council expressly finds that the following modifications and
changes to the 2019 California Green Building Standards Code are reasonably necessary
because of the local geological, climatic, and/or environmental conditions detailed in Section 1
above, which apply to the following modifications and changes to the 2019 California Green
Building Standards Code as follows:
No. Municipal
Code
Section(s)
Amendment Summary Justification
from
Section 1 of
this
Resolution
Local
Conditions
1 8.106.110 In addition to current 2019 California
Green Building Standards Code
requirements:
(a) In new one- and two-family dwellings
and townhouses with all types of parking
facilities, for each dwelling unit for which
a parking space is available, the service
panel must include a 40-amp dedicated
branch circuit and branch circuit
overcurrent protective device;
(b) In new multi-family dwellings: 10% of
total parking spaces (rounded up to the
nearest whole number) must be electric
vehicle (EV) charging spaces equipped
with EV chargers; an additional 20%
must be equipped with electric vehicle
supply equipment (EVSE) capable of
supporting future EV chargers, including
a branch circuit overcurrent protective
device; and all parking spaces not
equipped with EVSE must be provided
with conduit/raceway capable of
providing future access to EVSE;
(c ) In new hotels and motels: 10% of
total parking spaces (rounded up to the
nearest whole number) must be EV
(a) through (l) Climatic,
Geological,
Environmental
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No. Municipal
Code
Section(s)
Amendment Summary Justification
from
Section 1 of
this
Resolution
Local
Conditions
charging spaces equipped with EV
chargers; an additional 30% must be
provided with conduit/raceway capable
of providing future access to EVSE; and
installation of a DC fast charger may
substitute for five EV charging spaces.
(d) Where multiple EV charging spaces
are required, raceways capable of
accommodating 208/240 volt (or 480 volt
for DC fast chargers) dedicated branch
circuits must be installed to enclosures in
close proximity to proposed EV spaces.
2 8.106.120 In addition to current 2019 California
Green Building Standards Code
requirements:
(a) In new non-residential buildings, 10%
of total parking spaces (rounded up to
the nearest whole number) must be EV
charging spaces equipped with EV
chargers and an additional 30% must be
provided with conduit/raceway capable
of providing future access to EVSE;
(b) In new office parking facilities, an
additional 20% of parking spaces must
be equipped with EVSE capable of
supporting future EV chargers, including
a branch circuit overcurrent protective
device.
(c) Installation of a DC fast charger may
substitute for five EV charging spaces.
(a) through
(l),
Climatic,
Geological,
Environmental
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:
________________________
LANE DILG
City Attorney
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Adopted and approved this 25th day of February 2020.
__________________________
Kevin McKeown, Mayor
I, Denise Anderson-Warren, City Clerk of the City of Santa Monica, do hereby
certify that Resolution No. 11226 (CCS) was duly adopted at a meeting of the Santa
Monica City Council held on the 25th day of February 2020, by the following vote:
AYES: Councilmembers Himmelrich, Davis, Jara, Morena Winterer
Mayor Pro Tem O’Day, Mayor McKeown
NOES: None
ABSENT: None
ATTEST:
_____________________________________
Denise Anderson-Warren, City Clerk
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