REQUEST FOR CITY COUNCIL ACTION
DATE: 05/01/2024
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Planning & Development Department
SUBJECT:
Title
RESOLUTION ADOPTING THE 2024 LOCAL GUIDELINES FOR IMPLEMENTING THE CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
This staff report asks the City Council to adopt the State California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines for the Year 2024. The 2024 Local Guidelines for Implementing CEQA for the City of Corona reflect recent changes in the law.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Recommended action
That the City Council adopt Resolution No. 2024-023 approving the 2024 Local Guidelines for Implementing the California Environmental Quality Act for the City of Corona.
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BACKGROUND & HISTORY:
California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) is California's comprehensive environmental law codified in Public Resources Code Section 21000, et seq. CEQA is used by public agencies to evaluate the environmental effects of its actions before they are taken. Actions normally involving decisions on new developments, capital improvement projects, public works projects, transportation projects, and certain regulatory agreements require an evaluation according to CEQA.
CEQA aims to prevent significant environmental effects from occurring because of actions from a public agency by requiring the agency to avoid or reduce, when feasible, the significant environmental impacts of its 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 the public agency.
ANALYSIS:
The City's Local CEQA Guidelines reflect recent changes in the law and provide instructions and forms for preparing all environmental documents required by CEQA. The following is a summary of some noteworthy changes to the Guidelines due to the adoption of recently enacted state legislation.
SB 96
Amended Public...
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