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Local Guidelines for Implementing the California Environmental Quality Act (2019) GENERAL PROVISIONS, PURPOSE AND POLICY. 2019 City of Santa Ana Local Guidelines 1-1 ©Best Best & Krieger LLP LOCAL GUIDELINES FOR IMPLEMENTING THE CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT (2019) 1. GENERAL PROVISIONS, PURPOSE AND POLICY. 1.01 GENERAL PROVISIONS. These Local Guidelines (“Local Guidelines”) are to assist the City of Santa Ana (“City”) in implementing the provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”). These Local Guidelines are consistent with the Guidelines for the Implementation of CEQA (“State CEQA Guidelines”), which have been promulgated by the California Natural Resources Agency for the guidance of state and local agencies in California. These Local Guidelines have been adopted pursuant to California Public Resources Code Section 21082. 1.02 PURPOSE. The purpose of these Local Guidelines is to help the City accomplish the following basic objectives of CEQA: (a) To enhance and provide long-term protection for the environment, while providing a decent home and satisfying living environment for every Californian; (b) To provide information to governmental decision-makers and the public regarding the potential significant environmental effects of the proposed project; (c) To provide an analysis of the environmental effects of future actions associated with the project to adequately apprise all interested parties of the true scope of the project for intelligent weighing of the environmental consequences of the project; (d) To identify ways that environmental damage can be avoided or significantly reduced; (e) To prevent significant avoidable environmental damage through utilization of feasible project alternatives or mitigation measures; and (f) To disclose and demonstrate to the public the reasons why a governmental agency approved the project in the manner chosen. Public participation is an essential part of the CEQA process. Each public agency should encourage wide public involvement, formal and informal, in order to receive and evaluate public reactions to environmental issues related to a public agency’s activities. Such involvement should include, whenever possible, making environmental information available in electronic format on the Internet, on a web site maintained or utilized by the public agency. 1.03 APPLICABILITY. These Local Guidelines apply to any activity that constitutes a “project,” as defined in Local Guidelines Section 11.57, for which the City is the Lead Agency or a Responsible Agency. These Local Guidelines are also intended to assist the City in determining whether a proposed 3 -17