RESOLUTION NO. 2023-16
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF VERNON,
ADOPTING WESTSIDE AMENDMENTS TO THE CITY OF VERNON
GENERAL PLAN AND CERTIFYING THE FINAL PROGRAM
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT STATE CLEARINGHOUSE (SCH)
NO. 2022040458
SECTION 1. Recitals.
A. The City of Vernon (City) is a chartered municipal corporation of the State of California.
B. On December 3, 2007, the City Council of the City of Vernon adopted Resolution No. 9484, as amended by Resolution Nos. 9869, 2013-32 and 2015-15, adopting a General Plan for the City of Vernon.
C. The City is proposing to adopt an amended City of Vernon General Plan (Plan), pursuant to Government Code Section 65358.
D. The City Council of the City of Vernon held a public hearing during its regularly scheduled City Council meeting on July 18, 2023, to consider the proposed Plan.
E. The City Council of the City of Vernon has not created a separate planning commission and performs all of the functions of a planning commission as authorized by Government Code Sections 65100 and 65861.
F. The City Clerk gave the required notice for said hearing for the purpose of considering the adoption of the amended Plan at which public hearing the amended Plan was displayed, discussed and explained.
G. Pursuant to Government Code Sections 65352.3 and 65352.4 and Public Resources Code Section 21080.3.1, the City of Vernon mailed public notice to all California Native American tribes listed by the Native American Heritage Commission and evaluated potential impacts to tribal cultural resources during environmental review.
H. The City Council of the City of Vernon desires to adopt amendments to the Plan.
I. The amended General Plan is included in the agenda report for this resolution for the City Council of the City of Vernon as part of a public meeting held July 18, 2023.
J. Pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) (California Public Resources Section 21000 et seq.) and CEQA Guidelines (California Code Regulations Title 14, Section 15000 et seq.), the City of Vernon is the Lead Agency Responsible for preparing the Final Program Environmental Impact Report for the Westside Amendments Resolution No. 2023-16
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to the General Plan and for the Westside Amendments to Title 17 of the Vernon Municipal Code (collectively Westside Amendments).
K. An Environmental Impact Report (EIR) is a public document used by governmental agencies to analyze the significant environmental impacts of a project. CEQA Guidelines Section 15168 specifies that a Program EIR (PEIR) can be prepared on a series of actions that can be characterized as one part project related either geographically, as logical parts in the chain of contemplated actions, in connection with issuance of rules, regulations, plans, or other general criteria to govern the conduct of a continuing program, or as individual activities carried out under the same authorizing statutory or regulatory authority and having generally similar environmental effects which can be mitigated in similar ways.
L. The PEIR for the Westside amendments is a programmatic document that provides a city-wide assessment of the potential significant environmental effects of implementing the projects, programs and policies included in the Westside Amendments.
M. The City Council of the City of Vernon has determined that the PEIR is appropriate to assess the environmental impacts of the Westside Amendments.
N. The PEIR describes feasible, mitigation measures necessary to avoid or substantially lessen significant impacts from projects contemplated to occur as a result of the Westside Amendments.
O. The City issued a Notice of Preparation (NOP) of the Draft PEIR for the Westside Amendments on April 20, 2022, and circulated the NOP for a period of 30 days pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Sections 15082 (a), 15103, and 15375.
P. Pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 65080 (b) et, seq., the City publicly noticed and held a scoping meeting via video conferencing on May 4, 2022, for the purpose of inviting comments on the scope and content of the environmental information to be addressed in the PEIR.
Q. On March 30, 2023, the City initiated a forty-five (45) day public review and comment period by issuing a Notice of Availability of the Draft PEIR to interested parties and others.
R. During the 45-day public review and comment period, the City noticed and hosted a public workshop on April 27, 2023 via video conferencing.
S. The 45-day public review and comment period ended on May 24, 2023.
T. Two written comment letters on the Draft PEIR were received by the City.
Resolution No. 2023-16
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U. The City evaluated written comments and provided written response to each comment, which are included in the Final PEIR.
V. When making findings pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15091(a)(1), the City must adopt a mitigation monitoring program to ensure compliance with the mitigation measures identified in the PEIR which avoid or substantially lessen significant effects, and which are fully enforceable through permit conditions, agreements or other measures as required by CEQA Guidelines Section 15091(d).
W. Pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15089(a), the City, as the Lead Agency, must prepare and certify a Final PEIR before approving the Westside Amendments.
X. The Final PEIR is included in the agenda report for this resolution for the City Council of the City of Vernon as part of a public meeting held July 18, 2023.
Y. The City Council of the City of Vernon has had the opportunity to review the Final PEIR as well as the staff report related to the Final PEIR, and consideration of the certification of the Final EIR was made by the City Council of the City of Vernon as part of a public meeting held July 18, 2023.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF VERNON AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 2. The City Council of the City of Vernon finds and determines that the above recitals are true and correct.
SECTION 3. The City Council of the City of Vernon finds the Final PEIR for the Westside Amendments has been completed in compliance with CEQA, and hereby adopts the Mitigation Measures contained in the Final PEIR, and certifies the Final PEIR for the Westside Amendments.
SECTION 4. The City Council of the City of Vernon, pursuant to Chapter 3, Title 7 of the Government Code of the State of California, does hereby approve and adopt amendments to the City of Vernon General Plan, including amendments to the Land Use Element covering the principles, objectives and standards which will be used to guide future development in the City of Vernon as more fully described in the Amended General Plan, a copy of which is being presented to the City Council concurrently with this Resolution, and the City Council hereby orders the plan to be received and filed by the City Clerk. The Plan Submitted herewith is incorporated herein by this reference as though fully set forth at length, along with any amendments thereto which have been approved at the public hearing.
SECTION 5. The City Council of the City of Vernon does hereby find and determine that the public interest, convenience and necessity require that the Plan be Resolution No. 2023-16
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adopted as amended as a covering the objectives, principles and standards used as guidelines to develop the City as specific in Article 5 of the Government Code of the State of California, Section 65300, et seq.
SECTION 6. The City Council of the City of Vernon intends that this Resolution supersede any previous General Plan or element which has been adopted.
SECTION 7. The City Clerk shall certify the passage and adoption of this resolution and enter it into the book of original resolutions.
APPROVED AND ADOPTED July 18, 2023.
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CRYSTAL LARIOS, Mayor
ATTEST:
LISA POPE, City Clerk
(seal)
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
ZAYNAH N. MOUSSA, City Attorney