Note: Ordinance No. 3125 c.s., eff. January 16, 2015, repealed Sections 10-3.601 and 10-3.606—10-3.608 and amended and renumbered Sections 10-3.602—10-3.605 to be 10-3.601—10-3.604, consisting of Ordinance No. 2684 c.s., eff. April 17, 1993, as amended by Ordinance No. 2698 c.s., eff. August 19, 1993.
(a) 
One-year time limit. The total time for the preparation and certification of an EIR shall not exceed one year. The time shall begin on the date which the application is deemed to be complete. The time limits established in this subsection may be extended for a reasonable period of time in the event compelling circumstances justify additional time or the project applicant consents to the extension, in accordance with Sections 15108 and 15109 of the CEQA Guidelines.
(b) 
Responsibility for preparing the EIR. The EIR shall be prepared by the City by its own efforts or by contract to a consultant.
(c) 
List of qualified consultants. A list of qualified consultants for the preparation of EIRs for the City shall be established. When the decision-making body determines that an EIR is required for a project, the City shall request proposals to prepare the document from the qualified consulting firms. The selected consultant and City shall enter into an agreement to prepare the EIR prior to the consultant commencing work. Prior to commencement of work on the EIR, the project applicant shall deposit funds with the City equal to the amount in the agreement between the City and consultant to cover the cost of preparation of the EIR.
(d) 
Submittal of proposals. Proposals submitted by consultants for the preparation of an EIR shall be thoroughly evaluated and a consultant selected based on the following criteria:
(1) 
Proposal content;
(2) 
Cost;
(3) 
Ability to perform the scope of work;
(4) 
Previous similar experience; and
(5) 
Time schedule.
(§ 8, Ord. 3125 c.s., eff. January 16, 2015)
A notice of preparation (NOP) of an EIR shall be given as follows:
(a) 
Notice to State Clearinghouse. Ten copies of the NOP shall be sent to the State Clearinghouse unless otherwise specified by the State Clearinghouse or the CEQA Guidelines.
(b) 
Notice to agencies. Consistent with Section 15082 of the CEQA Guidelines, the City shall send to the Office of Planning and Research and each responsible agency and trustee agency a notice pursuant to this section.
(c) 
Notice to regional and municipal fixed-route transit operators. Regional and municipal fixed-route transit operators. Local fixed route bus operators who operate a bus route that passes within one mile of the project and express bus and rail transit operators who operate a route that passes within two miles of the project shall be included in the list of agencies sent the NOP pursuant to subsection (b) of this section. Consistent with Public Resources Code Section 21092.4, for a project of statewide, regional, or areawide significance, the lead agency shall consult with transportation planning agencies and public agencies that have transportation facilities within their jurisdictions that could be affected by the project.
(d) 
Content of notice of preparation. The notice of preparation shall contain the information as prescribed in Section 15082 of the CEQA Guidelines.
(e) 
Review period. Within 30 days after receiving the notice of preparation, each responsible and trustee agency and the Office of Planning and Research shall provide the lead agency with specific detail about the scope and content of the environmental information related to the responsible or trustee agency's area of statutory responsibility that must be included in the draft EIR.
(§ 8, Ord. 3125 c.s., eff. January 16, 2015; § 4, Ord. 3215 c.s., eff. July 20, 2021)
After a DEIR is complete, a notice of availability of a DEIR shall be provided in compliance with Section 15087 of the CEQA Guidelines.
(a) 
Notice to public shall also include at least one of the following.
(1) 
The publication of such notice at least once in a weekly newspaper of general circulation within the South Bay area of Los Angeles County;
(2) 
The posting of such notice in at least one prominent place on or about the project site. In the event the project abuts 200 or more lineal feet of street frontage, or is itself a street project, at least one such notice shall be posted on or about the street line at intervals of not more than 200 lineal feet starting at each end of the project;
(3) 
The mailing of such notice to persons owning property within a 300-foot radius of the project site; and
(4) 
Such notice can be combined with the hearing notice otherwise required for the project, if feasible, and further provided that in the case of amendments to the text provisions of Title 10, not dealing with any specific parcel of land, notification shall be by the method set out in subsection (a)(1) of this section only.
(b) 
Content of notice of availability. The notice of availability shall contain the information as prescribed in Section 15087 of the CEQA Guidelines.
(c) 
Circulation of DEIR to City staff, public information counters, and elected officials. Copies of the DEIR should be transmitted to members of the advisory and decision-making bodies, the City Manager, Directors of appropriate City Departments, City project staff, the applicant, should be made available for review at public library branches within the City, and shall be available at the City Clerk's office or another City office specified in the notice. Any person wishing a personal copy of the EIR shall be charged a fee not to exceed the actual cost of reproduction.
(§ 8, Ord. 3125 c.s., eff. January 16, 2015)
A final environmental impact report shall be certified in compliance with Section 15090 of the CEQA Guidelines, and to the extent applicable the City shall also comply with Section 15091 (Findings), 15093 (Statement of Overriding Considerations), and 15097 (Mitigation Monitoring or Reporting) of the CEQA Guidelines. After certifying an EIR the City shall file a Notice of Determination as provided by Section 15094 of the CEQA Guidelines.
(§ 8, Ord. 3125 c.s., eff. January 16, 2015)