REQUEST FOR CITY COUNCIL ACTION
DATE: 08/03/2022
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Planning and Development Department
SUBJECT:
Title
Resolution approving the 2022 Local Guidelines for Implementing the California Environmental Quality Act.
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
The California Environmental Quality Act Guidelines require local agencies to adopt "objectives, criteria and procedures" to implement the requirements of CEQA and the State CEQA Guidelines. (State CEQA Guidelines [14 Cal. Code Regs.] section 15022.) The 2022 Local Guidelines for Implementing the California Environmental Quality Act for the City of Corona reflect recent legal changes to CEQA.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Recommended action
That the City Council adopt Resolution No. 2022-106, approving the 2022 Local Guidelines for Implementing the California Environmental Quality Act. (Pub. Resources Code ?? 21000 et seq.)
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BACKGROUND & HISTORY:
The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), codified at Public Resources Code section 21000 et seq., is California's most comprehensive environmental law. It generally requires public agencies to evaluate the environmental effects of their actions before they are taken. CEQA also aims to prevent significant environmental effects from occurring as a result of agency actions by requiring agencies to avoid or reduce the significant environmental impacts of their decisions.
To this end, CEQA requires public agencies to adopt specific objectives, criteria, and procedures for evaluating public and private projects that are undertaken or approved by such agencies.
ANALYSIS:
The 2022 Local CEQA Guidelines meet CEQA's requirements and provide step-by-step procedures for evaluating projects prior to approval. The Local CEQA Guidelines also provide instructions and forms for preparing environmental documents required under CEQA.
The 2022 Local CEQA Guidelines reflect recent changes in the law that occurred during 2021. The followi...
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