Committee forwards ordinance to bar fossil-fuel extraction leases on city land; CEQA language added

The Land Use and Transportation Committee voted to forward an ordinance that would prohibit the city from entering into or extending leases for fossil-fuel extraction on city-owned land and require inspections and evaluations of such property.

Jeremy Pollock, legislative aide to Supervisor Matt Haney (item sponsor credited in the packet as Supervisor Avalos), told the committee the item had been before the full Board the prior week and that Planning inadvertently omitted a required California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) finding. The amendment before the committee adds a finding that the amendment is categorically exempt from CEQA and references Planning’s findings.

Supervisor Paskin asked several budget and process questions, including whether the sale of an 800-acre property subject to deed restrictions would return to the Board and how the city derived a $1,000-per-acre solar revenue estimate. A representative from the Department of Real Estate said any sale or deed form would return to the Board under Chapter 23 of the Administrative Code. John Scarpullo of the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) said the PUC would provide solar comparables, including Kern County figures, to substantiate the revenue estimate for the full-board hearing.

There was no public comment on the item. Supervisor Paskin moved to forward the ordinance to the full Board as a committee report; the motion passed without objection.

The ordinance will be considered next by the full Board of Supervisors; staff indicated they would supply the requested supporting solar revenue comparables prior to that hearing.