It should be simpler to save more water, the Sonoma city council has decided.
Wading through formulas regarding the city conforming to the state’s rules on water efficient landscaping, Mayor Steve Barbose admitted he found it all hard to understand.
Under the current process, any private or commercial project subject to the ordinance would have triggered a shower of red tape. “No homeowner should be subjected to this,” Barbose said. “It’s incomprehensible.”
Council member Joanne Sanders agreed. “I don’t want to pass a law that takes a hour of paperwork.”
Instead, the council asked city staff to develop a simple form that spells out irrigation strategies and choices of plants and vegetation to keep water-use at acceptable levels.
City Engineer Toni Bertolero agreed to streamline paperwork at the approval level. She said the current practice of giving applicants information about water-saving equipment allows them more options and flexibility. “The focus is not so much on plants as overall efficiency,” she said.
While the process may become simpler, the council decided to reduce the allowable percentage of plants that need medium to high amounts of water. The current acceptable percentage is 75 — which means only 25 percent of plants or lawn must be low-water.
Mayor Barbose led the call to improve that figure. Citing a recent history of water rationing, ground water intrusion and a limited future supply, he said, “We are facing an impending water crisis. We need to do more that what we’re doing.”
His counter was to limit thirsty plants to just 60 percent of any one project. The figure matches what Santa Rosa has proposed, and is one of the lowest in the state.
As per a 4-1 vote, the ordinance will be updated and put on the agenda of a future meeting. Council members Barbose, Sanders, Laurie Gallian and Ken Brown were in favor of the move. August Sebastiani voted no without comment.
