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Council moves ahead to streamline general-plan amendment initiation process
Summary
Council introduced an ordinance to remove the initiation/merit hearing step from the city's Title 14 procedures, a staff-led change meant to speed application processing without removing council approval authority or public-noticing and CEQA requirements.
City planning staff presented a proposed amendment to Title 14 that would remove the initiation (merit) hearing and administrative application filing windows from the city's general-plan amendment process. The staff presentation emphasized this change would not alter the final decision authority of the council, public notice requirements, or environmental review under CEQA; instead, it would remove a duplicative administrative step that staff said lengthens processing time without improving outcomes.
"What we're proposing is to take out that mirroring process and let staff get to evaluating the application, get to public notices, neighborhood meetings, and things like that," planning staff (speaker 31) told council. Staff recommended adopting a CEQA resolution and introducing an ordinance with a second reading planned for the next meeting. Council members expressed support for simplifying redundant process steps while reiterating that public hearings and council authority would remain intact. The council approved the motion to introduce the ordinance and CEQA action for second reading.
