Brawley adopts updated service area plan; council adds direction on Rancho Los Lagos and infrastructure

The City Council voted to adopt updates to Brawley's service area plan, a five-year-required document that lays out long-range infrastructure needs and phasing for growth through 2050. Development Services Director Christian Barajas and consultant Brian Mooney (Rick Engineering) presented the update and said it will be submitted to the Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) with council input incorporated.

Mooney described major topics the plan covers, including wastewater treatment, water storage and distribution, fire protection, parks and library facilities, circulation and financing tools. He said Rancho Los Lagos is a major project in the update (described in the presentation as roughly 486 acres and about 3,465 dwelling units) and will require planning for a wastewater treatment plant, reuse-water opportunities, new fire stations and expanded services. "This identifies the public services, phasing projections, and then financing," Mooney said.

Council members pressed staff and the consultant on specific items: negotiating cost-sharing with the Imperial Irrigation District for undergrounding canals, incorporating traffic-calming and roundabout strategies into future circulation-element amendments, and clarifying reuse-water plans for Rancho Los Lagos. Tom DeBose, representing the Rancho Los Lagos partnership, said the project's wastewater plant would include reuse water for industrial uses and a proposed 18-hole golf course.

Council moved to adopt the plan with the suggested changes and notes; the motion passed by voice vote. Staff will incorporate the council's recommended language and submit the final document to LAFCO.