Stadium Watch: Environmental Impact Report timeline

SAN DIEGO (KUSI) – By now, most everybody is pretty much confused about whether the Chargers are going to be staying in San Diego or heading up to Carson.

Right now, the two sides are not every talking, let alone negotiating. So the city has gone to the NFL hoping it will convince the team to come back to the bargaining table.

But if negotiations remain at an impasse, the clock will run out.

Should things get back on track, here's the timeline of events for both sides:

On July 28, NFL senior staffers will be in San Diego for an update on progress toward getting a stadium deal.

But a more important meeting comes August 10 in Chicago when San Diego will get its chance to update the NFL Committee on Los Angeles. 

In that time frame, a public review begins on the draft environmental report, or EIR.

The review will continue until late September when the public review ends.

In early October, the final EIR is completed.

It will go to city council for approval October 15th.

The two sides will then craft a ballot measure which will go to the voters in January.

This would be the Chargers timeline:

August 11th, the Chargers and Rams update the owners on the situation in their home markets at a special meeting in Chicago.

It's possible the owners will move up the relocation window for teams wanting to move. 

If a team or teams file, there's 45 days for the NFL to review applications.

After that review, a 3/4th vote of the owners is required to approve a relocation. 

If the window were moved up, a decision could come before the end of the year.

It's been three months since the NFL's relocation executive was in San Diego.

"As yet there hasn't been any proposal that would get everybody on the same page, and that to me is really the next step," said Eric Grubman. "A successful project is built on everyone being enthusiastic about it, and for everyone to be enthusiastic about it it has to be something that can get done."

It doesn't help that negotiations have stalled, or council members being divided on whether to fund the accelerated EIR which drove the Spanos team from the negotiating table. 

This was the council's first stadium vote.

"Now it's the city council on board too, they're on the same page, and that's really, really important," said City Attorney Jan Goldsmith.

Not all are on the same page. Three people voted no.

The Chargers position for now is they will have nothing to do with a ballot measure based on an EIR that's sure to be struck down by the courts.