House of
Representatives
HB 2294
cooperative forestry fund; gifts
(NOW: regional water planning)
Sponsors: Representative O'Halleran
DPAS/E |
Committee on Natural Resources and Agriculture |
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DPA |
Caucus and COW |
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X |
As Engrossed and As Passed the House |
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HB 2294 requires additional information to be included in the water resources element of a general development plan for cities, towns and counties. Requires the Department of Water Resources to identify groundwater basins for priority planning purposes and outlines the process for the local jurisdictions to develop a regional plan.
History
Growing Smarter legislation was passed in 1998. The purpose of the Growing Smarter Act was to assist communities in developing strategies for dealing with population growth. The Act also created a Growing Smarter Commission to consider additional proposals to manage growth and preserve open space. In 2000 Growing Smarter Plus legislation was passed based on recommendations from the commission.
The Growing Smarter and Growing Smarter Plus legislation requires cities and towns to adopt a general plan. All city and town plans must address land use and circulation. Additionally, depending on population, some city and town plans must include elements relating to open space, growth areas, environmental planning, cost of development and water resources. The water resources element of the plan addresses the known legally and physically available surface and groundwater as well as the effluent supply. The future demand of water must also be addressed, along with an analysis of how current water sources will supply that demand or how additional water will be obtained. The Growing Smarter Act requires each city and town to complete a general plan every ten years.
The Growing Smarter Act requires all counties to prepare a comprehensive plan that addresses land use and circulation. The Act also requires counties with a population of more than 125,000 people to include information on planning for land use, circulation and water resources. Finally, counties with a population of more than 200,000 people must provide additional information on acquisition of open space and planning for growth areas. The county comprehensive plans do not overlap with the cities and towns general plans and include only non-incorporated areas. County comprehensive plans are effective for up to ten years from the original date of adoption. On or before the ten year anniversary of the plan, the county board of supervisors must adopt a new plan or readopt the current plan.
Provisions
Water element of development plans
· Modifies the information that is required to be included in the water element of a city’s or county’s long term development plan by requiring information on current and committed water supplies as well as the future demand projected over ten years.
· Modifies the criteria that determines whether a county must include a water resources element in the comprehensive plan. Current law establishes a trigger population of 125,000 or more. The strike everything amendment establishes a trigger based on whether a city within the county is required to include a water resources element in the general plan.
Practicality of regional integration
· Requires certain jurisdictions to consider the practicality of regional integration and coordination with all other jurisdictions within the same groundwater basin. This applies to cities and towns that are within a groundwater basin that has been identified by the Arizona Department of Water Resources as a priority planning area.
Requirements to amend development plans
· Establishes a deadline of December 31, 2008 for any jurisdiction that is required to amend their growth management plans as a result of the changes prescribed by this legislation. This applies to cities, towns and counties.
Regional priority planning
· Establishes a procedure for the Arizona Department of Water Resources to identify groundwater basins for priority planning purposes, based on considerations of population, hydrologic and geologic conditions, the water budget and current planning and management efforts.
· Requires ADWR to issue a report by December 31, 2006 that identifies groundwater basins for priority planning purposes and provide copies of the report to the chairs of the Senate and House natural resources committees, the board of supervisors where the groundwater basin is located, and the governing body of each city and town that receives municipal supplies from the basin.
· Requires the county board of supervisors to convene a regional groundwater task force to develop a regional groundwater plan that considers the unique regional water needs of the area. Membership of the task force and issues to be addressed are outlined. The task force has 18 months to prepare the plan, including any recommended statutory changes and provide the plan to the Legislature.
· Requires the task force to establish a regional stakeholders outreach advisory committee to provide input and suggestions during the development of the regional groundwater plan.
· Allows each city, town and county that participates in the task force to modify its development plan. Each city, town and county will be able to adopt all or part of the plan as part of the water resources element of its development plan.
· Requires the Auditor General to evaluate the program every five years, beginning in 2011.
· Provides for the regional groundwater task force to reconvene in 2013 to review the plans, as applied to current conditions.
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Forty-seventh Legislature
Second Regular Session 2 March 1, 2006
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