The Canal Open Space Conservation Agency voted 4-0 at its meeting to grant Southern California Edison (SCE) a utility easement to install and maintain underground electrical transmission equipment on a portion of agency-owned Arroyo Conejo open space and to adopt Resolution 2025-03 authorizing agency staff to execute necessary documents. Director Sullivan was absent.

Staff said the easement covers only a modest area — roughly 230 square feet — to allow trenching and other installation work and that SCE will de-energize and later remove existing overhead lines and poles that cross agency property. Agency staff advised the board that the action is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and from California Code of Regulations, Title 14, sections 15061, 15301 and 15304.

Agency staff presented the utility proposal as a reliability and fire-safety improvement tied to a water-system facility adjacent to agency land. "The installation of the infrastructure necessary to achieve the power connection is anticipated to create only minor temporary impacts of approximately 230 square feet at the project site," said Brian Stark, agency staff. He also said the project will shorten the total length of overhead line on agency property and that decommissioned poles and lines are expected to be removed within about a year after the underground connection is installed, subject to SCE's separate environmental review and scheduling.

The board discussion covered technical and logistical details. Staff said the underground segment will replace about 8,850 linear feet of overhead line in the general corridor that supplies a pressure-regulating station adjacent to the open space, and that the measurement reflects the length of line that will be taken out of service on agency property. Board members asked how the linear-feet total was calculated and whether removal would affect other customers or likelihood of public-safety power shutoffs (PSPS). Staff said the new underground connection is a more direct feed to the pump station and that a project of this scale is unlikely to change the regionwide PSPS patterns discussed recently at the city council.

Staff noted outstanding technical follow-ups before final execution: an updated legal description and a survey-stamped map from SCE so the agency's attorney and surveyor can complete title and mapping review. Staff also said no tree removal is expected and that ground impacts should be limited to the trench footprint; removal of existing poles and lines will follow SCE's environmental process. The board acknowledged that SCE sometimes conducts helicopter-assisted work and that, if needed, the agency may coordinate limited use of agency land for staging or helicopter landing pads.

Action: The board approved the staff recommendation and authorized the agency administrative officer to execute documents in a form approved by the agency attorney. Vote: Yes — Chair Heffer; Vice Chair Newman; Director Engler; Director Nichols. Absent — Director Sullivan. Outcome: approved.

Why this matters: Agency staff and directors said reducing overhead lines on open space can reduce a potential ignition source during high winds and contributes to regional utility efforts to underground infrastructure where feasible. Board members and staff emphasized that the easement covers a small, specific footprint and that SCE must complete its removal and separate environmental review before older infrastructure is fully removed.

Next steps: Staff will return with final deed/legal descriptions and a survey-stamped map for attorney and surveyor review and will coordinate with SCE on the timeline for pole decommissioning and site restoration.