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Local Guidelines for Implementing the California Environmental Quality Act (2019) CEQA LITIGATION 2019 City of Santa Ana Local Guidelines 10-1 ©Best Best & Krieger LLP 10. CEQA LITIGATION 10.01 TIMELINES. When a CEQA lawsuit is filed, there are numerous and complex time requirements that must be met. Pressing deadlines begin to run in the days immediately after a CEQA lawsuit has been filed with the Court. For example, within ten (10) business days of the public agency being served with a petition or complaint alleging a violation of CEQA, the City, if it was the Lead Agency, must provide the petitioner with a list of Responsible Agencies and public agencies with jurisdiction by law over any natural resource affected by the project at issue. There are a variety of other deadlines that apply in CEQA litigation. If a CEQA lawsuit is filed, CEQA counsel should be contacted immediately in order to ensure that all the applicable deadlines are met. 10.02 MEDIATION AND SETTLEMENT. After Litigation Has Been Filed. The parties in a CEQA lawsuit are required to meet and discuss settlement. Within twenty (20) days of being served with a CEQA legal challenge, the public agency named in the lawsuit must file a notice with the court setting forth the time and place for a settlement meeting. The meeting must be scheduled and held not later than forty-five (45) days from the date of service of the petition or complaint upon the public agency. Usually the main parties to the litigation (such as the Lead Agency, the developer of the project if there is one, and those challenging the project and their respective attorneys) meet to discuss settlement; there is no requirement to hire a professional mediator. The settlement meeting is usually subject to a confidentiality agreement. If the parties in a CEQA lawsuit are in settlement or mediation, that attempt is intended to occur concurrently with the litigation. This means that the respondent public agency will be required to comply with all existing litigation timelines and requirements (for example, preparing and lodging the administrative record discussed below) while simultaneously conducting settlement or mediation, unless the parties enter into an alternate agreement to stay the litigation and that agreement is approved by the court. 10.03 ADMINISTRATIVE RECORD. A. Contents of Administrative Record. When the Lead Agency’s CEQA finding(s) and/or action is challenged in a lawsuit, the Lead Agency must certify the administrative record that formed the basis of the Lead Agency’s decision. To the extent the documents listed below exist and are not subject to a privilege that exempts them from disclosure, the following items should be included in the administrative record: (1) All project application materials; (2) All staff reports and related documents prepared by the public agency with respect to its compliance with the substantive and procedural requirements of CEQA and with respect to the action on the project; 3 -153