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Ordinance committee approves private submetering option for adaptive reuse projects
Summary
The committee unanimously forwarded an ordinance allowing private submetering for adaptive reuse projects citywide, aligning water metering rules with the proposed adaptive reuse policy and preserving other conservation requirements; the measure moves to City Council.
The Ordinance Committee unanimously approved a staff recommendation to forward an ordinance to City Council that would permit private submetering for eligible adaptive reuse projects citywide.
Dakota Corey, acting water resources manager, and Katie Munster, water resources specialist, presented the ordinance amendment to Santa Barbara Municipal Code Section 14.08.150. They said the change would allow property owners converting nonresidential buildings to dwelling units under the Community Development adaptive reuse definition to use private submeters for individual dwelling units even when there is not a right‑of‑way constraint that would normally authorize submetering. The city would continue to require separate metering for residential and commercial uses, irrigation meter triggers based on landscape area, and compliance with the city’s water‑efficient landscape standards.
Munster said property owners who use private submetering would keep the existing responsibilities under the municipal code and state law: the property owner remains responsible for private submeter billing, reading, maintenance, and testing, and Senate Bill 7 governs installation, maintenance, reading, billing, and testing of submeters with county weights‑and‑measures oversight.
Water Commission reviewed the proposal on April 17 and recommended allowing private submetering for eligible adaptive reuse projects; water staff said the proposed ordinance aligns water rules with Community Development’s draft adaptive reuse ordinance.
Ben Romo, speaking from his experience on previous downtown conversions, said private submetering materially affects feasibility: he estimated that providing individual city meters for the 14 units at one conversion project would have cost roughly $50,000–$75,000 and said city flexibility on metering helped make that conversion feasible.
Motion and vote: Council Member Mike Jordan moved and Council Member Jen Gutierrez seconded the recommendation to amend Santa Barbara Municipal Code Section 14.08.150 to allow private submetering for adaptive reuse projects. The committee voted unanimously in favor; the ordinance will be forwarded to City Council for introduction and adoption.
Next steps: Water staff said the metering ordinance is intended to follow the same schedule as the Community Development adaptive reuse ordinance, with staff returning to City Council for introduction and possible adoption in September.
