City staff explain Regional Plan 2045 ballot, stress it's a policy guide not a zoning mandate

Sarah Dector, the city's comprehensive and neighborhood planning manager, briefed the Housing Commission on the Regional Plan 2045 ratification process and content, explaining how the vote will affect land-use decisions if ratified.

Dector said ballots were mailed to city voters and that the May 19 mail-in election is city-only; county residents do not receive a city ballot. She said ballots can be dropped at listed drop boxes until 7 p.m. on May 19, and recommended voters who do not receive a ballot request a replacement through the recorder's offices.

Dector described the regional plan as a policy guide for land-use decision-making across the region, not a zoning ordinance and not an automatic change to the city budget or capital improvements plan. She said the plan cannot require a specific land use for a property; instead it establishes policy guidance and a parcel-level future growth illustration to inform future zoning or annexation requests.

Comparing the proposed 2045 plan with the existing 2030 plan, Dector said 2045 sets 14 goals, 89 policies and six priorities (with housing attainability/equity and climate action as core priorities), consolidates and clarifies land-use guidance, and lists 18 high-priority action items. She said the plan will be monitored annually and staff aim to develop an online dashboard to track metrics if voters ratify 2045.

Dector also addressed misinformation circulating on some platforms, telling commissioners that the plan does not mandate development nor replace the city's zoning code; it is intended to offer clearer guidance and options for future amendments. She encouraged commissioners to use the plan navigation tools on the city website and to point community members to the plan's chapters and the ballot information.

Why it matters: a city vote to ratify the regional plan determines which plan (2030 or 2045) will guide future zoning and annexation decisions. Commissioners were reminded of public engagement resources, upcoming plan chats, and the schedule for ballots and drop-box returns.

Next steps: staff will continue outreach, answer community questions in planned regional plan chats and, if 2045 is ratified, begin work on monitoring and an implementation dashboard.