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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1224ORDINANCE NO. 1224 (1992 SERIES) AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO ESTABLISHING CHAPTER 13.06 MANDATORY PLUMBING RETROFIT STANDARDS UPON CHANGE OF OWNERSHIP, USE, OR BATHROOM ADDITIONS OR ALTERATION WHEREAS, The City Council acknowledges that water is a limited resource and therefore desires to improve the effectiveness of water use within the City's service area. The City Council hereby finds that: A. The City has adopted and implemented water conservation measures which set standards for the installation of plumbing fixtures in new construction. B. The City has found and determined that it is in the best interest of the City and the inhabitants to provide plumbing retrofit standards for the conservation of potable water supplies. Retrofit of existing plumbing fixtures will lessen consumption of limited potable water resources available to the City. C. The City has determined that the conservation and retrofit effort shall benefit the public good by increasing the availability of potable water by reducing demand. BE IT ORDAINED by the Council of the City of San Luis Obispo as follows: SECTION 1 Chapter 13.06 is added to the San Luis Obispo Municipal Code to read as follows: 13.06.010 DEFINITIONS A. "Change of Ownership" means a transfer of a present interest in real property. Every transfer of property shall qualify as a "Change of Ownership ", except transfer of title from one spouse to another, whether the transfer is voluntary, involuntary, by operation of law, by grant, gift, devise, inheritance, trust, contract of sale, addition or deletion of an owner, property settlement, or any other means. "Change of Ownership" effected other than by a contract of sale shall be deemed to occur at the time of actual transfer of title. A "Change of Ownership" resulting from a contract of sale or similar instrument shall be so regarded only if escrow is opened or a contract of sale is executed, whichever occurs last, on or after the effective date of this ordinance. B. "Change of Use" means change of the occupancy classification as defined in the Uniform Building Code. .C. "Existing Residential Building" means any structure built and intended primarily for the shelter or housing of any person. Retrofit Upon Sale Page 2 D. "Low Water -Use Plumbing Fixtures" means any toilet using a maximum of 1.6 gallons per flush and shower heads designed to emit a maximum of 2.5 gallons per minute (gpm) of water. E. "Retrofit" means the replacement of a conventional plumbing fixture with low - water using plumbing fixtures. F. 'Water Conservation Certificate" means a certificate acknowledging that installation of water conserving plumbing fixtures has been completed. 13.06.020 RETROFIT UPON CHANGE OF USE All existing residential, commercial, industrial, or institutional structures at the time of change of use shall be retrofitted, if not already so equipped, with low water -use plumbing fixtures. These fixtures shall be installed and maintained and shall not be replaced with fixtures which allow greater water use. 13.06.030 RETROFIT UPON EXPANSION OF USE A. All residential, commercial, institutional, and industrial reconstruction, remodels or additions that add or change bathroom plumbing fixtures shall include low water -use plumbing fixture standards for the entire facility, including retrofitting of existing plumbing fixtures, as defined in 13.06.010. B. No release for occupancy shall be issued without documentation confirming compliance with this ordinance. 13.06.040 RETROFIT UPON SALE A. Before the close of escrow for any change of ownership, defined by this ordinance, of real property within the City, the selling owner(s) or an authorized agent shall certify compliance with the retrofit requirements of this ordinance by obtaining a Water Conservation Certificate in accordance with 13.06.050. No property transfer shall be recorded until verification has been received by the City and a Water Conservation Certificate has been issued to the seller. B. Pursuant to the authority vested to the City of San Luis Obispo under Civil Code Section 1102.6a, the City hereby requires disclosure of the retrofit requirements of this chapter, in transaction, transfer, or change in ownership subject to the provisions of this chapter. Retrofit Upon Sale Page 3 C. No liability shall arise, nor any action be brought or maintained against, any agent of any party to a transfer of title, including any person or entity acting in the capacity of an escrow, for any error, inaccuracy, or omission relating to compliance with this section. However, this section does not apply to a licensee, as .defined in Section 10011 of the State Business and Professions Code, where the licensee participates in the making of the certification required to be made pursuant to this section with actual knowledge of the falsity of the certification. . 13.06.050 VERIFICATION A. Upon retrofitting with water conserving plumbing fixtures, the seller, prior to the change of ownership, shall obtain from the Utilities Department a "Water Conservation Certificate ", in accordance with administrative procedures established by the Department, verifying that water conserving plumbing fixtures have been installed. The seller shall allow an inspection of property by City staff. B. "Water Conservation Certificates" shall also be available to those who voluntarily install water conserving plumbing fixtures or have installed water conserving plumbing fixtures prior to the effective date of this chapter. 13.06.060 NOTICE OF CORRECTION Whenever the Utilities Director determines that there is a property where low water - use plumbing fixtures have not been installed as required by this chapter or where such fixtures have been removed since initial installation and replaced with other than low water -use fixtures, the Utilities Director may serve a notice of correction on the owner(s) of the property on which the violation is situated and any other person responsible for the violation. The owner of record shall have ninety (90) days to take corrective action. Failure to take corrective action within ninety (90) days shall constitute a violation of this chapter. 13.06.070 EXEMPTIONS The Utilities Director may exempt facilities from the provisions of this chapter, and impose reasonable conditions in lieu of full compliance herewith, if the Director determines that there are practical difficulties involved in carrying out the provisions of this ordinance. The Director may exempt facilities from the provisions of this chapter when low water -using fixtures are not available to match a historic architectural style. The Director shall require that sufficient evidence or proof be submitted to substantiate any exemption or acceptance of alternatives. Retrofit Upon Sale Page 4 13.06.080 APPEALS A. Content of Appeals - An appeal may be made to an Appeals Board, consisting of representatives from Community Development Department, Finance Department, and Utilities Department, by any person aggrieved by a decision of the Utilities Director pursuant to this chapter. The appellant must specifically state in the notice of appeal: 1. The name and address of the appellant and the appellant's interest in the decision; 2. The nature of the decision appealed from and /or the conditions appealed from; 3. A clear, complete, but brief statement of the reasons why, in the opinion of the appellant, the decision or the conditions imposed were unjustified or inappropriate 4. The specific facts of the matter in sufficient detail to notify the City. The appeal shall not be stated in generalities. B. Acceptance of Appeal - An appeal shall not be accepted by the Board unless it is complete. 13.06.090 PENALTIES - INFRACTION. It is unlawful to fail to comply with the retrofit requirements of this chapter or to alter or replace low water- use plumbing fixtures required by this chapter with fixtures other than low water -use plumbing fixtures. Violation of the provisions of this chapter shall constitute an infraction. Each day any violation of this chapter continues shall be considered a new and separate offense. 13.06.100 CIVIL NUISANCE A. Any building or structure set up, erected, constructed, altered, enlarged, converted, moved, maintained, sold, or the use of which is changed, contrary to the provisions of this chapter, and /or any use of any land, building, or premises, established, conducted, operated, or maintained contrary to the provisions of this chapter, shall be, Retrofit Upon Sale Page 5 and same is hereby declared to be a public nuisance, subject to abatement pursuant to Chapter 8.24. 13.06.110 REMEDIES CUMULATIVE The decision of the City to pursue either a civil or criminal or abatement action against a person violating any provision of this Chapter shall not preclude further relief by use of any other remedy provided herein, or by common law, statute, or ordinance. SECTION 2. SEVERABILITY If any subdivision, paragraph, sentence, clause, or phrase of this ordinance is, for any reason, held to be invalid or unenforceable by a court of competent jurisdiction, such invalidity or unenforceability shall not affect the validity or enforcement of the remaining portions of this ordinance, or any other provisions of the City's rules and regulations. It is the City's express intent that each remaining portion would have been adopted irrespective of the fact that any one or more subdivisions, paragraphs, sentences, clauses, or phrases be declared invalid or unenforceable. SECTION 3. A synopsis of this ordinance, approved by the City Attorney, together with the names of council members voting for and against, shall be published once in full, at least (3) days prior to its final passage, in the Telegram- Tribune, a newspaper published and circulated in this city. This ordinance shall go into effect at the expiration of thirty (30) days after its final passage. INTRODUCED AND PASSED TO PRINT by the Council of the City of San Luis Obispo at its meeting held on the lstday of Sept. , 1992, on motion of Councilmember tRappa seconded by Councilmember Roalman and on the following roll call vote: AYES: Councilmembers Rappa, Roalman, Reiss, and Mayor Dunin NOES: Councilmember Pinard ABSENT: None Retrofit Upon Sale Page 6 L ATTEST: R RON DUNIN CITY CL RK PAM VO �)S APPROVED: CIT*ADM TRATIVE OFFICER i UTI IES DIRECTOR 7 8�4 e�- a(.,-- COMMUNITY DEV L PMENT DIRECTOR SPIN T. . Ordinance No. 1224 (1992 Series) FINALLY PASSED this 15th day of September 1992 on motion of Councilmember Roalman , seconded by Councilmember Rappa , and on the following roll call vote: AYES: Councilmembers Roalman, Rappa, and Pinard NOES: Councilmember Reiss, and Mayor Dunin ABSENT: None �M f � ayor-Ron- n ATTEST: �. ��G� `�