Paul Muagan, director of Community Development, presented the City of Greenfield’s 2024 General Plan Implementation and annual performance report at the May 13 meeting, describing housing, business and planning trends and next steps for the city’s housing element and overall general plan.

Muagan said the city has “achieved 100% of our recent numbers in every income category” for housing construction and that, early in the current RHNA cycle, the city has already met its low‑income allocation. He reported a 32% increase in business licenses over five years — from 465 in 2019 to 616 in calendar year 2024 — and said the city is forecasting roughly $2.3 million annually in cannabis tax revenue, a figure that the department sees as stable.

Muagan told the council the city will prepare the next general plan in‑house rather than contracting the full project out, a move he said will save money on a product that can cost “about a million to $2,000,000” and produce a plan more closely tied to local priorities. He noted the housing element is required to be completed first and said staff expect certification by the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) around July. He also said staff have invested about 619 hours so far on the housing element.

Council members asked whether the reported trends — including a decline in planning and building permit applications since 2020 — reflected local conditions or broader economic patterns. Muagan said building‑permit totals require qualification because permit counts mix small work such as water heaters with large commercial permits; overall he described statewide and national construction activity as slowing and said Greenfield was “holding our own.”

Muagan said the city has about 300 acres available for development from recent annexations and that the city remains under contract with a Sacramento broker, Capital Rivers, to market major parcels intended for market‑rate housing. He said the department will shift more emphasis toward attracting market‑rate housing in the current RHNA cycle.

Why it matters: The housing element and general plan shape where and how the city can grow, influence infrastructure needs including wastewater capacity, and affect eligibility for state and federal funding tied to planned projects.

What the council record shows: Muagan’s presentation was accepted for discussion; council members asked clarifying questions about permit counts, the relationship to the wastewater plant, and timeline for the housing element. No formal vote or council directive was recorded on the general‑plan item during the May 13 meeting.