Brief

The Board of Water and Power Commissioners initiated a proposal to authorize the sale of an easement to Inyo County for public roadway purposes. The Energy and Environment Committee approved the item on May 5, 2026, and referred a City Attorney legal opinion to the committee. The file remains open and pending full Council consideration.

Full summary

This file asks the City Council to adopt an ordinance authorizing LADWP to sell a public roadway easement to Inyo County for $1,000, as part of the County's Carroll Creek Road Bridge Replacement Project. The project involves rerouting Carroll Creek Road and replacing County Bridge No. 48C0011, which crosses the Los Angeles Aqueduct in Inyo County and has been deemed functionally obsolete by Caltrans under national bridge standards. The easement deed would convey to the County the right-of-way needed to realign the road to the new bridge crossing. The transaction has two related components. LADWP separately issued a non-objection letter allowing the County to build the new bridge within the Aqueduct right-of-way, which sits on federal land. The easement sale specifically covers the rerouted road corridor on City-owned property. LADWP and the County entered a Right of Entry Agreement on December 17, 2024, allowing construction to begin in advance of formal easement approval, with the County assuming full risk — including potential removal of all improvements — if the easement is ultimately not approved by both the Board and the City Council. In exchange for the easement, the County has agreed to abandon and quitclaim back to the City and LADWP a portion of an older public road easement recorded in 1976 that is no longer needed for County purposes. The Board of Water and Power Commissioners approved the transaction under Resolution 026 205 on April 28, 2026. The City Attorney's office, under City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto, prepared a draft ordinance and transmitted it to Council on May 5, 2026, confirming it was approved as to form and legality. The Energy and Environment Committee approved the item the same day. Environmental review was completed under a Mitigated Negative Declaration adopted by the Inyo County Planning Department in February 2019. The draft ordinance now awaits final adoption by the full City Council.

Activity (6)

• 2026-05-06 City Attorney document(s) referred to Energy and Environment Committee.
• 2026-05-05 Energy and Environment Committee approved item(s) .
• 2026-05-05 Document submitted by City Attorney, dated May 5, 2026.
• 2026-05-01 Energy and Environment Committee scheduled item for committee meeting on May 5, 2026.
• 2026-04-28 Board of Water and Power Commissioners document(s) referred to Energy and Environment Committee.
• 2026-04-28 Document submitted by Board of Water and Power Commissioners, dated April 28, 2026.

Documents (9)

• 2026-05-05 Report from City Attorney · report
• 2026-05-05 Attachment to Report dated 5-05-26 - Draft Ordinance · attachment
• 2026-04-28 Report from Board of Water and Power Commissioners · report
• 2026-04-28 Attachment to Repot dated 4-28-26 - Board Letter · attachment
• 2026-04-28 Attachment to Repot dated 4-28-26 - Resolution · attachment
• 2026-04-28 Attachment to Repot dated 4-28-26 - CAO Report · attachment
• 2026-04-28 Attachment to Repot dated 4-28-26 - Easement Deed - Carroll Creek Bridge Replacement · attachment
• 2026-04-28 Attachment to Repot dated 4-28-26 - Proposed Draft Ordinance · attachment
• 2026-04-28 Attachment to Repot dated 4-28-26 - Map - Carroll Creek Bridge Replacement · attachment