City hires De Novo to lead two‑year comprehensive general plan update; contract funded by permit fees

Lede: Antioch city council on Aug. 26 approved a contract with De Novo Planning Group to lead a comprehensive update to the city’s general plan and an associated zoning code revision, a two‑year effort funded by a dedicated general‑plan maintenance fee on building permits. Nut graf: Staff said the update will include robust community outreach, zoning code consistency work, implementation prioritization and near‑term action items; the contract amount of $1,278,174 was drawn from fees collected for general plan maintenance rather than general fund dollars. Body: City principal planner Kevin Scadero told council an RFP issued in April drew three proposals and staff recommended De Novo as the best‑qualified firm. Scadero emphasized that the work will be paid from a general plan maintenance account that collects a fee on building permits and therefore does not draw from general fund reserves. Ben Ritchie, president of De Novo Planning Group, outlined the firm’s approach: a two‑year schedule, layered public outreach (in‑person visioning workshops, online interactive mapping and targeted stakeholder focus groups), and a zoning code update to ensure consistency with the new general plan. Ritchie said the firm has extensive Bay Area experience and will work with the council and staff to tailor outreach, including pop‑up events and targeted engagement to reach residents who do not attend traditional evening meetings. Council members asked about schedule control, state law impacts and how the plan will stay implementable. Ritchie said the team will include a clear implementation chapter with prioritized actions and responsibilities and will work closely with staff and council to avoid overly aspirational recommendations that lack funding or feasibility. Council approved the De Novo contract 4–0 (Council member Wilson absent). Ending: Work will begin under the contract’s timeline and staff said the project team will return to council with a kickoff and early opportunities for public input; council members asked for explicit links between proposed plan actions and implementation timing and likely costs.