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BACKGROUND Municipal Code Chapter 2.44 Emergency Organization and California Government Code §§8630 et. seq. allows the City Council to proclaim a local emergency and provides that City staff shall return to the City Council approximately every 60 days to update the City Council on the local emergency. On July 8, 2021, the Governor expanded the State's drought emergency proclamation, which called for a 15 percent reduction in water compared to 2020 use by all Californians. The City of Pleasanton, other Tri-Valley retailers, and Zone 7 Water Agency (Zone 7) initially requested customers to conserve 15 percent voluntarily; all agencies fell short of this reduction target. On September 1, 2021, the Zone 7 Board of Directors declared a state of drought emergency within its service area and a Stage 2 water shortage, which included mandatory conservation from their retailers of 15 percent compared to 2020 use. On October 5, 2021, the City Council adopted Urgency Ordinance No. 2225 declaring a Local Drought Emergency and adopted Resolution No. 21-1250 declaring a Stage 2 water shortage and mandating that Pleasanton water customers reduce their potable water usage by 15 percent. Due to the critically reduced water supplies and continued extreme dry weather through 2022, the protection of public health, safety, and welfare supported the declaration of a Local Drought Emergency which provides the needed flexibility to respond quickly to changing situations involving fire safety, water availability for fire service, the flexibility to obtain needed supplies or resources, and the authorization to collaborate with other local agencies on critical drought issues. On March 15, 2022, City Council adopted Resolution No. 221283 activating Stage 2 Drought Rates to achieve the mandatory water conservation target and to offset revenue loss to sustain the City's Water Enterprise. DISCUSSION The heavy rain in early 2023 has significantly helped drought conditions. Since January 2023, the state's drought condition has improved due to multiple storm events that resulted in almost half of the state being removed from the drought category. The April 3, 2023, snow survey conducted by the Department of Water Resources (DWR) showed well above average snow water content. On March 24, 2023, Governor Newsom issued Executive Order N-5-23 which terminated a portion of several prior drought-related executive orders, including ending the voluntary 15 percent statewide water conservation target and the requirement that water suppliers implement Level 2 of their drought contingency plans. On March 24, 2023, DWR also increased the State Water Project (SWP) Table A Allocation from 30 percent to 75 percent due to continued winter storms in March and the high record snowpack in Sierra mountains. Zone 7 will continue to rely on the Tri-Valley's groundwater basin, which holds the imported water Zone 7 stores during wet years to sustain the Tri-Valley during times of drought. On April 19, 2023 (the day after this Council Meeting), the Zone 7 Board of Directors will consider ending its local drought emergency. Staff is recommending that the City Council terminate the local drought emergency, the Stage 2 water shortage, and the Page 2 of 3