Planning staff proposes short user guide and public outreach tools to explain comprehensive plan

Erica, a city staff member working on the comprehensive plan, presented a proposed user guide intended to help residents and other users navigate the two‑part structure of the 2025 comprehensive plan: policy goals/policies/actions (Part 1) and technical background (Part 2). Erica said the guide’s goal is to offer a concise, public‑facing explanation so someone unfamiliar with planning documents can find relevant sections quickly.

Commissioners liked the idea of a short, graphic‑heavy summary. Commissioner Edwards said the introduction is where many readers begin and recommended folding the guide into the plan’s introduction or providing a short standalone executive summary. Commissioners suggested the public product be no more than a few pages of simple, clearly headed material and include a map or quick links to elements that matter to residents.

Several commissioners and staff recommended a short video or animated piece for online distribution. One commissioner observed that short multimedia content — even a two‑ to three‑minute clip — is more likely to reach a broad audience than a long PDF. Staff agreed to collect examples from other jurisdictions and return with proposals for a concise introduction/user guide and options for digital outreach.

Next steps: staff will compile sample user guides from peer jurisdictions, draft a short user‑guide introduction for the comprehensive plan and propose outreach formats (one‑page executive summary, short explainer video, and in‑page links) for the commission’s review.