The Chena Riverfront Commission opened a discussion July 23 on updating the Chena Riverfront Plan, which was last adopted in 2016 and scheduled for a 10‑year review in 2026. Commissioners generally favored forming a subcommittee to work more frequently and to return recommendations to the full commission.

Staff context: Kellen Spellman, community planning director, and Adam Pruitt, floodplain administrator, said the borough’s Comprehensive Plan Fund has limited balance and that staff capacity for a full consultant‑led update may be limited in the next two to three years. Spellman said the fund has been used to hire consultants for other planning efforts and suggested a range of options: (1) a commission-led subcommittee doing an audit and targeted updates, (2) a staff-facilitated update with occasional consultant support, or (3) a full consultant-managed update with public engagement events.

Commission input: Commissioner Julie Jones proposed combining options 1 and 2—forming a subcommittee that meets monthly (or more often than quarterly) to audit the existing plan and prepare targeted updates, then escalating to a consultant-led process if the subcommittee concludes more resources are required. Several commissioners volunteered to participate and Jones said she would ask the mayor to authorize a subcommittee and seek clerks’ guidance on logistics. "I would volunteer to be on that committee," Jones said.

Why it matters: the Chena Riverfront Plan is an adopted element of the borough's comprehensive plan and guides land‑use recommendations, riverfront access, and stewardship actions. Spellman said the plan currently emphasizes policy but could benefit from more geographic mapping and updated data from recent watershed studies.

Next steps: Staff said they will discuss subcommittee logistics with the mayor’s office and the borough clerks and aim to put a subcommittee-formation item on the October 22 regular meeting agenda. Staff also said they can provide administrative support and limited professional services for printing or layout if the commission wants public-facing materials.

Ending: Commissioners asked staff to return to the October meeting with details about forming a subcommittee and a proposed scope/schedule for a plan audit or update.