City planning staff asked the council Jan. 14 to review a draft 2025 long-range planning work program and to schedule it for approval on the Jan. 21 consent calendar. Staff said the program was updated after a General Government Committee discussion to bring an urban forestry (tree preservation) ordinance amendment into the 2025 work plan.

Brad Madrid (staff member) said the tree-preservation update replaces a planned review of the multifamily tax exemption (MFTE) program that staff and the committee expect will instead occur in 2026 because the MFTE program expires Dec. 31, 2026. Council member Ralph Hauser said the committee and staff thought prioritizing the tree-preservation ordinance made sense because it has drawn substantial public and council interest.

Brad asked whether the council was ready to move the draft program forward to the Jan. 21 consent calendar; council members expressed consensus and staff indicated it would be scheduled.

The council did not adopt ordinance language at the Jan. 14 work session; staff said the item will be included in the 2025 long-range planning work program for further development and public engagement.