15.15 as set out herein and as may later be amended.

Former Ch. 15.15 pertained to electric vehicle

charging stations and derived from Ord. No. 622, adopted November 7, 2022. Similar provisions may now be found in Ch. 15.16.

A.

California Government Code Section 65850.5 provides that every city, county, or city and county shall adopt an ordinance that creates an expedited, streamlined permitting process for small residential rooftop solar energy systems.

B.

California Government Code Section 65850.5 provides that in developing an expedited permitting process, the city, county, or city and county shall develop a checklist of all requirements with which small rooftop solar energy systems shall comply to be eligible for expedited review. The building official is hereby authorized and directed to develop such a checklist.

(Ord. No. 652, 12-9-2025, eff. 1-8-2025)

A.

"Small residential rooftop solar energy system" means all of the following:

A solar energy system that is no larger than ten (10) kilowatts alternating current nameplate rating or thirty (30) kilowatts thermal.

A solar energy system that conforms to all applicable state fire, structural, electrical, and other building codes as adopted or amended by the Town and Civil Code Section 714(c)(iii), as such section or subdivision may be amended, renumbered, or redesignated from time to time.

A solar energy system that is installed on a single or duplex family dwelling.

A solar panel or module array that does not exceed the maximum legal building height as defined by the authority having jurisdiction.

B.

"Solar energy system" has the same meaning set forth in Civil Code Section 801.5(a)(1) and (2), as such section or subdivision may be amended, renumbered, or redesignated from time to time.

(Ord. No. 652, 12-9-2025, eff. 1-8-2025)

A.

The checklist shall be published on the town's internet web site. An applicant may submit the permit application and associated documentation to the town's building division in person or mailed together with any required permit processing and inspection fees.

B.

Prior to submitting an application, the applicant shall:

Verify to the applicant's reasonable satisfaction through the use of standard engineering evaluation techniques that the support structure for the small residential rooftop solar energy system is stable and adequate to transfer all wind, seismic, and dead and live loads associated with the installation and the maintenance thereof; and

At the applicant's cost, verify to the applicant's reasonable satisfaction using standard electrical inspection techniques that the existing electrical system including existing line, load, ground and bonding wiring as well as main panel and subpanel sizes are adequately sized, based on the existing electrical system's current use, to carry all new photovoltaic electrical loads,

C.

For a small residential rooftop solar energy system eligible for expedited review, only one inspection shall be required, which shall be done in a timely manner. If a small residential rooftop solar energy system fails inspection, a subsequent inspection is authorized; however, the subsequent inspection need not conform to the requirements of this subsection.

D.

An application that satisfies the information requirements in the checklist, as determined by the building official, shall be deemed complete. Upon receipt of an incomplete application, the building official shall issue a written correction notice detailing all deficiencies in the application and any additional information required to be eligible for expedited permit issuance.

E.

Upon confirmation by the building official of the application and supporting documentation being complete and meeting the requirements of the checklist, the building official shall administratively approve the application and issue all required permits or authorizations. Such approval shall not include any necessary approval or permission by a local utility provider to connect the small residential rooftop energy system to the provider's electricity grid. The applicant is responsible for obtaining such approval or permission from the local utility provider.

(Ord. No. 652, 12-9-2025, eff. 1-8-2025)