DATE: 06/17/2026
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Planning and Development Department
2026-218
REQUEST FOR CITY COUNCIL ACTION
SUBJECT:
RESOLUTION ADOPTING THE 2026 LOCAL GUIDELINES FOR IMPLEMENTING THE
CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
This staff report asks the City Council to adopt the 2026 Local Guidelines for Implementing the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) for the City of Corona to reflect recent changes in the law.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
That the City Council adopt Resolution No. 2026-073 approving the 2026 Local Guidelines for Implementing the California Environmental Quality Act for the City of Corona.
BACKGROUND & HISTORY:
CEQA is California’s comprehensive environmental law codified in Public Resources Code Section 21000, et seq. CEQA is used by public agencies to evaluate the environmental effects of its actions before they are taken. Actions normally involving decisions on new developments, capital improvement projects, public works projects, transportation projects, and certain regulatory agreements require an evaluation according to CEQA.
CEQA aims to prevent significant environmental effects from occurring because of actions from a public agency by requiring the agency to avoid or reduce, when feasible, the significant environmental impacts of its decisions. To this end, CEQA requires public agencies to adopt specific objectives, criteria, and procedures for evaluating public and private projects that are undertaken or approved by the public agency.
ANALYSIS:
The City of Corona has prepared an updated set of Local CEQA Guidelines for 2026 in compliance with CEQA’s requirements. These Guidelines reflect recent changes to CEQA and provide instructions and forms for preparing all environmental documents required under CEQA.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
There is no financial impact associated with the approval of recommended actions as amending the City’s Local CEQA Guidelines is administrative in nature.
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS:
This action is categorically exempt pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3) of the Guidelines for the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), which state that project is exempt from CEQA if the activity is covered by the common sense exemption that CEQA applies only to projects that have the protentional for causing a significant effect on the environment.
Where it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment, the activity is not subject to CEQA. This action is to approve the City’s Local CEQA Guidelines and there is no possibility that approval of the recommended actions will have a significant effect on the environment.
Therefore, no environmental analysis is required.
PREPARED BY: DANNY CASTRO, PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR ATTACHMENTS:
1. Exhibit 1 – Resolution No. 2026-073
2. Exhibit 2 – 2026 Local CEQA Guidelines (redline comparison)