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Local Guidelines for Implementing the California Environmental Quality Act (2019) LEAD AND RESPONSIBLE AGENCIES 2019 City of Santa Ana Local Guidelines 2-4 ©Best Best & Krieger LLP those project activities that are within the City’s area of expertise or are required to be carried out or approved by the City or are subject to the City’s powers. As a Responsible Agency, the City may identify significant environmental effects of a project for which mitigation is necessary. As a Responsible Agency, the City may submit to the Lead Agency proposed mitigation measures that would address those significant environmental effects. If mitigation measures are required, the City should submit to the Lead Agency complete and detailed performance objectives for such mitigation measures that would address the significant environmental effects identified, or refer the Lead Agency to appropriate, readily available guidelines or reference documents. Any mitigation measures submitted to the Lead Agency by the City, when acting as a Responsible Agency, shall be limited to measures that mitigate impacts to resources that are within the City’s authority. For private projects, the City, as a Responsible Agency, may require the project proponent to provide such information as may be required and to reimburse the City for all costs incurred by it in reporting to the Lead Agency. 2.07 RESPONSE TO NOTICE OF PREPARATION BY RESPONSIBLE AGENCIES. Within thirty (30) days of receipt of a Notice of Preparation of an EIR, the City, as a Responsible Agency, shall specify to the Lead Agency the scope and content of the environmental information related to the City’s area of statutory responsibility in connection with the proposed project. At a minimum, the response shall identify the significant environmental issues and possible alternatives and mitigation that the City, as a Responsible Agency, will need to have explored in the Draft EIR. Such information shall be specified in writing, shall be as specific as possible, and shall be communicated to the Lead Agency, by certified mail or any other method of transmittal that provides it with a record that the response was received. The Lead Agency shall incorporate this information into the EIR. 2.08 USE OF FINAL EIR OR NEGATIVE DECLARATION BY RESPONSIBLE AGENCIES. The City, as a Responsible Agency, shall consider the Lead Agency’s Final EIR or Negative Declaration before acting upon or approving a proposed project. As a Responsible Agency, the City must independently review and consider the adequacy of the Lead Agency’s environmental documents prior to approving any portion of the proposed project. In certain instances, the City, in its role as a Responsible Agency, may require that a Subsequent EIR or a Supplemental EIR be prepared to fully address those aspects of the project over which the City has approval authority. Mitigation measures and alternatives deemed feasible and relevant to the City’s role in carrying out the project shall be adopted. Findings that are relevant to the City’s role as a Responsible Agency shall be made. After the City decides to approve or carry out part of a project for which an EIR or negative declaration has previously been prepared by the Lead Agency, the City, as Responsible Agency, should file a Notice of Determination with the County Clerk within five (5) days of approval, but need not state that the Lead Agency’s EIR or Negative Declaration complies with CEQA. The City, as Responsible Agency, should state that it considered the EIR or Negative Declaration as prepared by a Lead Agency.