Fullerton officials are looking to sidestep state law by hosting more events on city hall’s lawn in an attempt to avoid replacing its natural grass with a high-cost artificial turf installation.
It comes after city council members unanimously voted during a meeting last month to keep and repair the irrigation and plumbing system for the lawn and fountain outside city hall.
The motion was presented to comply with a new state bill before the end of 2026 — one that emphasizes water conservation and the preservation of natural grass.
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The bill prohibits the use of clean water for “nonfunctional turf” — grass not commonly used for recreation — which would include Fullerton City Hall’s front lawn.
Fullerton can face fines of up to $1,000 for each day the lawn continues to use clean water for its irrigation system.
To avoid this, officials are looking to host more events in order to classify the lawn as functional turf.
The solution proposed by Water Quality Specialist Delaney Felix would sidestep this bill by hosting at least three events on the lawn per year.
This will allow the city hall’s lawn to function more like a city park, allowing the grass and current irrigation system to remain.
“If we had one or two more events for the city, whether it’s city-sponsored or community-led, we can consider [the lawn] functional at the time and self-certify that it’s functional,” Felix said during the meeting on March 3.
The alternative option would be to replace the entirety of the lawn with artificial grass, a motion that would cost Fullerton between $370,000 and $600,000.
It comes soon after Fullerton’s leaders discovered their budget is in worse shape than they realized — city staff told them they erroneously accounted for over $10 million in reserves that was actually money already spent or allocated.
City staff is now warning council members that without major budget cuts, their reserves could be almost empty by the end of next summer.
[Read: How Cooked is Fullerton’s Budget?]
The council’s vote in early March also approved the repair of leaks in the fountain’s plumbing system.
As an important place of gathering to its residents and visitors, the agenda item brought in many residential public comments recommending their suggestions on the aesthetics of Fullerton’s city hall.
These public comment proposals included the diversification of plants on the lawn and even utilizing this motion as an opportunity for community engagement.
One resident, Jensen Hallstrom, noted that there needs to be shade in front of city hall.
“Planting trees on the southern side of the area will cast a northern afternoon shadow,” Hallstrom said. “A canopy for people when they do want to gather here, especially on hot days.”
Other public commenters, like Jason Philips, noted this is a perfect opportunity to get the Fullerton’s residents involved.
“This could be a process that engages the community so they can co-create what that area can look like,” Philips said.
City council members supported moving forward with the project, including Councilmember Nicholas Dunlap.
“We have this beautiful building, we need the landscape and the design out front to complement it,” Dunlap said.
Councilmember Jamie Valencia agreed.
“I enjoy the open space,” Valencia said. “I would like to keep it as is — low cost.”
The council’s action moves forward with preserving the grass area, but it will still need repairs for the fountains outside of city hall, which will cost approximately $200,000.
According to the agenda report, the city must comply with the state bill before Jan. 1, 2027. With the approved motion, the city will soon have to deem the lawn functional by hosting most events or activities.