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Page 1 of 3 <br />REPORT <br />To the Honorable Mayor and City Council <br />From the City Manager <br /> <br />August 24, 2015 <br /> <br />SUBJECT <br />Ordinance adding a Streamlined Permitting Process for Residential Solar to Chapter 9 <br />(Buildings) of the Municipal Code <br /> <br />RECOMMENDATION <br />1. Waive first reading and introduce an ordinance adding "Streamlined Permitting <br />Process for Small Residential Rooftop Solar Systems" to Chapter 9 (Buildings) of the <br />Redwood City Municipal Code. <br />2. Review and approve the CEQA Exemption Determination. <br /> <br />BACKGROUND <br />In September 2014, the State of California enacted AB 2188 which requires local <br />governments to adopt an ordinance establishing an expedited permit process for small <br />residential rooftop solar energy systems and alters the definition of what is a reasonable <br />restriction on a solar energy system. Specifically, AB 2188 revises the California Solar <br />Rights Act by amending Section 65850.5 of the Government Code and Section 714 of <br />the Civil Code, relating to solar energy. <br />Section 65850.5(a) of the California Government Code provides that it is the policy of <br />the State to promote and encourage the installation and use of solar energy systems by <br />limiting obstacles to their use and by minimizing the permitting costs of such systems. In <br />furtherance of that objective, Section 65850.5(g)(1) of the California Government Code <br />requires that, on or before September 30, 2015, every city, county, or city and county <br />must adopt an ordinance that creates an expedited, streamlined permitting process for <br />small residential rooftop solar energy systems. <br />Section 714 of the Civil Code alters the definition of a reasonable restriction on a solar <br />energy system as it pertains to restrictions that would significantly increase the cost of a <br />system or significantly decrease the efficiency or specified performance. The section <br />now defines “significantly” as an amount exceeding 10% of the cost of the system or <br />decreasing the efficiency of the solar energy system by an amount exceeding 10%, as <br />originally specified and proposed. <br /> <br />6.4.A. - Page 9