Redlands council asks staff to review South Coast AQMD appliance rules after residents urge opposition

The Redlands City Council asked the city manager to review recent South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) proposals after multiple public commenters urged the council to oppose the rules that would require a transition to zero‑emission home appliances.

The requests came during public comment from Joshua Hall and Dale Broom, who urged the council to send letters of opposition to SCAQMD and to the governor. Council member Angel Tejeda asked the city manager to study SCAQMD rules “11 11 and 11 21” and return to the council with a recommendation on whether to send correspondence; council members agreed to review the item at the next meeting cycle, with one member stating, “We can go a month. We can go, the eighteenth.”

The issue matters because the rules as described by commenters would require homeowners and landlords to replace natural‑gas furnaces and water heaters with electric alternatives when equipment is replaced, potentially triggering widespread retrofits across housing stock. Joshua Hall, a resident who identified himself during public comment, said the rules would pose “a significant financial strain on homeowners, especially those on fixed or limited incomes” and urged the council to “refuse to comply” if the rules are adopted.

Dale Broom, another resident, handed staff paperwork and told the council the measures under consideration are “very draconian” and that widespread retrofits would impose logistical and inspection burdens on local code and building staff. Broom also argued in public comment that natural gas is “one of the cleanest forms of energy” and contested the stated pollution claims in the SCAQMD materials he supplied.

Not all public commenters opposed the rules. Michael Pazner, who spoke after Broom, said that “climate change is real” and supported measures to address greenhouse gas emissions while urging that any implementation schedule be paced and include supports for lower‑income households.

Council member Tejeda’s request to staff asked for a review of the two rules the speakers referenced (referred to in the record as rules “11 11 and 11 21”), and whether it would be appropriate for Redlands to send a formal resolution or letter to SCAQMD or other state officials. Council members did not adopt a resolution or formal motion at the meeting; instead they directed staff to investigate and return with options, timing and a recommended next step.

What happens next: The city manager will review the referenced SCAQMD materials and report back to council at a subsequent meeting; council discussion indicated a target of roughly one month for that follow‑up. The record shows the council requested information to determine whether to send a resolution or other correspondence opposing the rules.

Provenance: First related spoken remarks in the public comment were made by Joshua Hall (public comment beginning at the transcript block starting at 573.19995); the council direction to staff appears later when Council member Tejeda spoke (transcript block starting at 1033.135).