| ITEM #: 9. DATE: 09/11/2023 AI #:1628 |
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CITY COUNCIL ACTION REPORT
| SUBJECT: | GENERAL PLAN 2035 UPDATE |
| STAFF PRESENTER(S): | Steve Careccia, Planning Manager |
OTHER PRESENTER(S):
Matt Klyszeiko, with Michael Baker International (General Plan Consultant)
SUMMARY
Council will receive an update on the General Plan 2035, including an overview of the 60-day review draft and comments received from outside agencies and stakeholders, and take action to authorize staff to move forward with finalization of the draft General Plan 2035.
STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT
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RECOMMENDATION
Authorize staff to continue finalizing the draft General Plan 2035. (Steve Careccia, Planning Manager)
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no direct budget impact associated with this update. Funding for tasks associated with the General Plan 2035 update have been approved for this fiscal year.
BACKGROUND AND PREVIOUS ACTIONS
Arizona law requires each municipality in the State to adopt a comprehensive, long-range general plan for the development of the municipality (ARS 9-461.05). Pursuant to State law, the General Plan shall include the municipality’s goals and development policies. It shall also include maps, any necessary diagrams and text setting forth objectives, policies and standards, and a set of required elements dependent on population.
A General Plan is effective for up to 10 years. The City’s current General Plan was ratified by voters on November 4, 2014. Therefore, a new General Plan must be adopted/updated by the City and ratified by voters prior to November 2024. As such, the city began the update process in January 2022 and has been working diligently towards a special election to be held in May 2024.
As a General Plan represents the comprehensive and long-range statement of a community’s values and priorities for the development of the community, effective public participation is critical to the process of creating or updating a General Plan. Furthering this objective, the City Council on April 18, 2022: adopted a Community Outreach and Communications Plan, which represented the city’s commitment to public participation and included such outreach efforts as creation of a dedicated website, several rounds of community workshops, media releases and other digital forms of engagement; and established the creation of the General Plan Committee, which is a group of volunteer citizens and stakeholders helping to facilitate the creation of the General Plan update. The Committee held their final meeting on August 9, 2023, and at that meeting, unanimously voted to move forward with finalization of the draft General Plan 2035.
A General Plan is effective for up to 10 years. The City’s current General Plan was ratified by voters on November 4, 2014. Therefore, a new General Plan must be adopted/updated by the City and ratified by voters prior to November 2024. As such, the city began the update process in January 2022 and has been working diligently towards a special election to be held in May 2024.
As a General Plan represents the comprehensive and long-range statement of a community’s values and priorities for the development of the community, effective public participation is critical to the process of creating or updating a General Plan. Furthering this objective, the City Council on April 18, 2022: adopted a Community Outreach and Communications Plan, which represented the city’s commitment to public participation and included such outreach efforts as creation of a dedicated website, several rounds of community workshops, media releases and other digital forms of engagement; and established the creation of the General Plan Committee, which is a group of volunteer citizens and stakeholders helping to facilitate the creation of the General Plan update. The Committee held their final meeting on August 9, 2023, and at that meeting, unanimously voted to move forward with finalization of the draft General Plan 2035.
STAFF ANALYSIS
As previously noted, staff began the process of updating the General Plan in January 2022. To date, extensive public outreach has occurred, including the completion of the formal 60-day review of the draft General Plan 2035, attached hereto, on July 31, 2023. Comments from outside agencies and stakeholders, also attached hereto, have been received in response to the 60-day review and will be addressed with the finalization of the draft General Plan 2035.
With Council authorization, it is anticipated that staff will present the final draft of the General Plan to the Planning & Zoning Commission on October 18 and 25, 2023 and the City Council on November 13, 2023 for public hearing and adoption. Then, upon conclusion of the mandated 180-day waiting period, the General Plan 2035 will be presented to citizens at a special election to be held in May 2024.
With Council authorization, it is anticipated that staff will present the final draft of the General Plan to the Planning & Zoning Commission on October 18 and 25, 2023 and the City Council on November 13, 2023 for public hearing and adoption. Then, upon conclusion of the mandated 180-day waiting period, the General Plan 2035 will be presented to citizens at a special election to be held in May 2024.
Attachments
- 1. General Plan 2035 60-day Review Draft
- 2. General Plan 2035 60-day Review Draft - Agency and Stakeholder Comments
- Staff Presentation