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Ventura staff present ordinance to implement state turf ban; commission recommends adoption with phased rules and higher fines
Summary
Staff brought a draft municipal code amendment to align Ventura with Assembly Bill 1572, phasing nonfunctional turf prohibitions from 2027–2031, enumerating exemptions and increasing penalties; the commission unanimously recommended the ordinance be adopted by City Council after feedback on outreach, enforcement and penalties.
Ventura Water staff on June 22 presented a draft ordinance to amend Chapter 22.170 of the Ventura Municipal Code to comply with Assembly Bill 1572, which restricts use of potable water for non-functional turf at commercial, institutional, industrial properties and homeowners association common areas.
Environmental Services Supervisor Steven Glenn said the draft adds definitions for non-functional and functional turf, establishes a phased implementation from 2027 through 2031, lists state-authorized exemptions (tree health, public safety, cemeteries) and proposes a new enforcement and penalty schedule intended to align Ventura’s code with neighboring jurisdictions.
Under the proposed structure staff outlined, enforcement would begin with two warnings, then escalate to a $100 fine for subsequent violations, rising to $300 and $700 for later violations, followed by flow restriction and termination for repeated noncompliance. Glenn said flow restrictors would be installed on domestic service lines and would not be placed on fire service lines to avoid fire-code conflicts; the general manager retains discretion to avoid actions that threaten health and safety.
Commissioners raised practical questions that staff addressed in the meeting record: outreach and education plans (GIS parcel mapping, mailers, bill inserts and direct contact for government accounts), how violations will be identified (public complaints documented by staff with photos and timestamps), potential liability concerns related to flow restrictors (domestic-only, not fire service), proportionality across meter sizes and customer classes (staff considered complexity and prioritized simplicity), and expected water savings (staff said parcel-level reconciliation is ongoing and that robust citywide savings estimates will follow once inventories are verified).
The commission voted unanimously to recommend City Council adopt the proposed ordinance; staff said the item is expected to return to council in October 2026 for formal adoption.
