A. 
The county shall carry out its responsibilities for preparing and reviewing environmental documents as expeditiously as possible to avoid unnecessary delays in the processing of projects.
B. 
Pursuant to Section 15100 of the California Government Code, statutory time limitations that require action on a project within a specified period of time beyond which the project is automatically deemed approved do not commence until the application is deemed complete for processing. Pursuant to Sections 15100 and 15203(o), all other planning activities associated with project approval, except public hearings and final approvals, may take place concurrently with CEQA compliance. The actual time required for the CEQA environmental analysis and review phases varies with the complexity and magnitude of the project.
(Ord. 957 § 1, 1995)
Only private projects (not including legislative or adjudicative actions requiring legislative changes, e.g., general plan amendments or zoning changes) are subject to time limits described in the Permit Streamlining Act (California Gov. Code Sections 65920-65960); however, at its discretion the county may also apply such time limits to public projects.
(Ord. 957 § 1, 1995)
The following are the minimum and maximum time periods for private projects necessary for each CEQA requirement.
A. 
Preparation of initial study and decision of whether to prepare a negative declaration or EIR — ten to thirty days from determination that application is complete;
B. 
Preparation of proposed negative declaration — ten to one hundred five days from determination that application is complete;
C. 
Public review of proposed negative declaration — twenty-one days after distribution of a proposed negative declaration without state agency involvement; thirty days with State Clearinghouse distribution;
D. 
Preparation of responses to comments on a negative declaration — ten to thirty days after close of public review period;
E. 
Project approval for projects requiring a negative declaration — three months after adoption of negative declaration;
F. 
Preparation of draft EIR — ten to one hundred eighty days after decision to prepare EIR;
G. 
Public review of draft EIR — thirty days without state agency involvement; forty-five days with State Clearinghouse distribution;
H. 
Preparation of final EIR — ten to thirty days after close of public review period;
I. 
Certification of final EIR — three hundred sixty-five days from determination that application is complete;
J. 
Project determination for projects requiring EIR — six months after EIR is certified.
(Ord. 957 § 1, 1995)
Time extensions may become necessary in any phase or sequence of CEQA processing due to state or federal agency review, unforeseen circumstances, or when the planning commission determines that additional public review is warranted.
(Ord. 957 § 1, 1995)
If a negative declaration or an EIR is prepared by a consultant under contract to the county, the contract shall be executed within forty-five days of the date the county deems the application to be complete.
(Ord. 957 § 1, 1995)
A. 
If an applicant unreasonably delays meeting county requests for additional information necessary to complete the environmental review process, the county may:
1. 
Suspend the running of the time periods and allow the application to "re-enter" the environmental review process after all necessary information has been submitted;
2. 
Obtain from the applicant a one-time, ninety-day extension of the deadline for final action; or
3. 
Schedule the project for hearing and recommend that the project be disapproved without prejudice.
B. 
If requested information is not provided within sixty days from the date an unreasonable delay is first identified, the application shall be deemed withdrawn under this section and all processing fees forfeited.
C. 
No waivers of time beyond those expressly authorized by state law shall be accepted.
(Ord. 957 § 1, 1995)