Brief

Councilmembers Imelda Padilla and Bob Blumenfield introduced a motion requiring the Bureau of Street Services (StreetsLA) to evaluate the scope, phased implementation plan, and funding needs for converting city medians and landscaping from turf to compliant drought-resistant plants under California's AB 1572. The motion also directs staff to analyze non-compliance costs and explore increasing turf rebate programs to support the transition. The motion is currently pending in the Energy and Environment Committee and Public Works Committee.

Full summary

California's AB 1572, enacted in 2023, bans the use of potable water to irrigate non-functional turf on most local government properties beginning January 1, 2027. Street medians fall squarely within that prohibition. StreetsLA maintains roughly 10 million square feet of improved landscaped medians citywide, approximately 3.6 million square feet of which contain non-functional turf. This motion, introduced by Councilmember Imelda Padilla and seconded by Bob Blumenfield, responds to that impending deadline by directing StreetsLA and LADWP to jointly plan a citywide median conversion program before the law takes effect. The motion identifies simply shutting off irrigation as a dangerous non-option: many medians have legacy irrigation systems where turf and established trees share the same valves, meaning cutting water to the grass could kill mature trees, collapse canopy cover, and drive up long-term maintenance costs. AB 1572 explicitly preserves irrigation necessary for tree health. The preferred path, as laid out in the motion, is converting non-functional turf to California native or drought-tolerant landscaping, which would simultaneously achieve compliance, reduce water use, protect trees, improve median appearance, and modernize aging irrigation infrastructure. The motion directs StreetsLA and LADWP to report within 30 days on five specific items: the staffing and resources needed to conduct a full conditions assessment of all 10 million square feet of medians; the conversion and ongoing maintenance costs for a phased citywide program; an initial pilot list of conversion candidates with at least one per Council District; a tailored City Median Conversion Program developed with LADWP that addresses how to access turf-conversion rebates, dedicated financing, and advanced lump-sum payments; and the projected costs of inaction, including increased weed removal and dust mitigation expenses if non-compliant medians are simply left dry. The motion also instructs the City Administrative Officer to identify front-funding sources such as the Public Works Trust Fund, Measure M, and state and federal grants, and directs LADWP to consult with the Metropolitan Water District on whether the current turf-replacement rebate of up to $7 per square foot can be increased, given that actual conversion costs average around $25 per square foot. The file was referred to the Energy and Environment Committee and the Public Works Committee on September 16, 2026, and remains pending in both. No hearings have yet been scheduled.

Activity (1)

• 2026-09-16 Motion referred to Energy and Environment Committee; Public Works Committee.

Documents (1)

• 2026-09-16 Motion · motion