The Kingsburg City Council voted to introduce an ordinance that adopts the State of California’s Model Water Efficiency Landscape Ordinance (MWELO) by reference and waived the first reading; the ordinance will return for a second reading and adoption at the council meeting on April 2.

City Engineer Dave Peters said the state adopted the model ordinance in 2015 to promote water‑efficient landscaping and irrigation practices for private and public landscaping. Peters told council the city has already been applying many of those standards through development conditions and the city’s improvement standards, but the ordinance would formally codify the requirements.

Peters explained typical MWELO requirements include drought‑tolerant plantings, water‑efficient irrigation (for example, minimizing spray heads that overspray sidewalks), high‑efficiency controllers, and accessible documentation for project plans. Staff recommended adopting the state model by reference and administering the ordinance via the planning and building departments.

Council approved waiving the first reading and introducing ordinance number 22502 (title: adding chapter 15.1, title 15), with a second reading and adoption scheduled for April 2, 2025.