The Special City Council meeting held on January 30, 2024, focused on the concurrent updates to the land use and circulation elements of Glendale's general plan, with a significant emphasis on integrating environmental justice into these updates.

The meeting began with a presentation outlining the new requirements for jurisdictions updating multiple elements simultaneously, which now mandate addressing environmental justice. The city plans to engage with the community to gather input on seven key areas: pollution exposure and air quality, access to equitable public facilities, food access, safe and sanitary homes, physical activity, community engagement, and prioritizing the needs of disadvantaged communities. These topics are outlined in state government code and will form part of Glendale's new environmental justice element.

The city officials expressed enthusiasm for collaborating with the community throughout this process, which will include a multilingual public outreach campaign. This campaign will feature both in-person and online opportunities for public input, starting in the spring of 2024, specifically focusing on environmental justice. The outreach will involve focus group meetings, stakeholder conversations, and public surveys, similar to successful efforts during the housing element update.

Additionally, the city plans to update its transportation impact mitigation fee, which is linked to the future roadway network. The draft elements and a program-level environmental impact report will be prepared and shared with the public and the City Council for review and feedback. A public hearing process will follow, allowing for further community engagement.

In response to questions from council members, it was clarified that the timelines for the circulation and land use elements would align with the environmental justice element, with the first draft expected in the fall of 2024. The meeting concluded with a request for a map of the census tracts identified as disadvantaged in Glendale, indicating ongoing efforts to ensure that the needs of these communities are prioritized in the planning process.

Overall, the meeting highlighted Glendale's commitment to integrating environmental justice into its urban planning efforts while fostering community involvement throughout the process.