Huntington Park Municipal Code Art. 5 Protection of Public Water Rights

The people of the City of Huntington Park recognize that access to clean and affordable water is a fundamental human right. The purpose of this article is to ensure that public water rights are protected from privatization or permanent transfer without substantial public consent.

(Ord. 2025-07, eff. September 3, 2025)

The following definitions shall apply to this article:

"City"

means the City of Huntington Park.

"Qualified elector"

means a registered voter residing in the City.

"Sale or transfer"

means the conveyance, lease, or assignment of any water right, water utility asset, or water service operation to a private entity or another public agency.

"Water rights"

means any legal entitlement held by the City or its agencies to use or distribute water resources.

(Ord. 2025-07, eff. September 3, 2025)

No water rights, water utility infrastructure, or operations owned or controlled by the City of Huntington Park shall be sold, transferred, leased, or otherwise conveyed to any private entity, corporation, or public agency without:

(a) A duly noticed local ballot measure; and

(b) Approval by not less than a majority of the qualified electors voting in such election.

(Ord. 2025-07, eff. September 3, 2025)

Any water pumped in excess of the needs of the City may be sold, leased, or conveyed to private entities or public agencies without prior qualified elector approval.

(Ord. 2025-07, eff. September 3, 2025)

Nothing in this article shall be interpreted or applied so as to create any requirement, power, or duty in conflict with Federal or State law.

(Ord. 2025-07, eff. September 3, 2025)

If any portion, subsection, sentence, clause, or phrase of this article is for any reason held by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid or unconstitutional, such a decision shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions of this article. The City Council hereby declares that it would have passed this article and each portion or subsection, sentence, clause, and phrase herein, irrespective of the fact that any one or more portions, subsections, sentences, clauses, or phrases be declared invalid or unconstitutional.

(Ord. 2025-07, eff. September 3, 2025)