BOARD OF SUPERVISORS COUNTY OF MADERA Members of the Board , District 1 , District 2 , District 3 , District 4 , District 5 MADERA COUNTY GOVERNMENT CENTER 200 WEST 4TH STREET / MADERA, CALIFORNIA 93637 (559) 675-7700 / FAX (559) 673-3302 / TDD (559) 675-8970 Agendas available: www.MaderaCounty.com June 9, 2020 AGENDA ITEM SUBMITTAL Chairman David Rogers DEPARTMENT Office of Development Services/Community & Economic Development SUBJECT: Resolution delaying vehicle miles traveled requirements of SB 743 STRATEGIC FOCUS AREA(S): Community DEPARTMENT CONTACT Dienel Iniguez REQUIRED VOTE: 3/5 Votes Required AGENDA ITEM 7.e PUBLIC SESSION: DOC. ID NUMBER 6267 DATE REC’D For Clerk of the Board’s Office Use Only Is this item Budgeted? No Will this item require additional personnel? No Previous Relevant Board Actions: PowerPoint/Supporting Documents: Resolution DOCUMENT NO(S). RECOMMENDED ACTIONS: Discussion and consideration to adopt a Resolution delaying vehicle miles traveled requirements of SB 743. DISCUSSION / FISCAL IMPACT / STRATEGIC FOCUS: DISCUSSION: Traffic delay has been a traditional measure of project traffic impacts under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) for several decades, but recent changes to CEQA direct public agencies to no longer use delay as a CEQA impact. The CEQA Guidelines were amended in December 2018 as a result of amendments to the CEQA statute pursuant to Senate Bill 743 (SB 743) of 2013. As amended in 2018, CEQA Guidelines Section 15064.3 describes specific considerations for evaluating a project’s transportation impacts and advises that vehicle miles traveled (VMT) is generally the most appropriate measure of transportation impacts. The amendments to CEQA and the CEQA Guidelines change the way that transportation studies must be conducted for environmental documents. July 1, 2020 is the statewide date by which implementation of VMT or other similar metric must be used for transportation impact analysis. Agencies throughout the State are faced with the July 1, 2020 deadline to incorporate VMT analysis into CEQA review of discretionary projects. The change in how transportation impacts are evaluated under CEQA will create substantial uncertainties Processed by BOS Clerk: Page 1 of 2 BOARD OF SUPERVISORS COUNTY OF MADERA Members of the Board , District 1 , District 2 , District 3 , District 4 , District 5 MADERA COUNTY GOVERNMENT CENTER 200 WEST 4TH STREET / MADERA, CALIFORNIA 93637 (559) 675-7700 / FAX (559) 673-3302 / TDD (559) 675-8970 Agendas available: www.MaderaCounty.com regarding land use planning, development project approvals, and other factors that could constrain or discourage proposals for housing and other important land developments in the County. Such constraints would, among other things, be expected to decrease the availability of housing and increase the affordability of housing within the County. Combined with the recent COVID-19 crises and associated statewide recession, requiring implementation of SB 743 requirement by July 1, 2020 will exacerbate economic challenges in the County. State guidance developed by the Office of Planning and Research (OPR), indicates that agencies should seek to reduce VMT by as much as 15 percent or more as compared to existing VMT. County staff have initiated a process to develop transportation impact study (TIS) guidelines that will define VMT analysis methodologies and thresholds appropriate for Madera County. However, even when finalized, development proposal may be subjected to increased threat of CEQA litigation as a result of the new requirements associated with VMT. Postponing mandatory implementation of VMT analysis requirements, and maintaining the analysis as optional in CEQA documents for up to two years, would provide Madera County and other local agencies a more reasonable timeframe to develop and implement VMT analysis protocols. FISCAL IMPACT: None. ATTACHMENTS 1. Reso Urging Delay of Implementation of VMT Requirements (00761288x7AD00) Processed by BOS Clerk: Page 2 of 2