REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Action on an Update to the City Council's Public Notification, Outreach & Engagement Policy for all Planning Applications
Report
BACKGROUND
On June 27, 2017, the City Council adopted a policy for public outreach for a wide range of Planning applications with the goal to enhance community engagement and ensure transparency throughout the planning process. The Community Development Department (Department) is responsible for implementing this policy and continually improving public engagement activities. The City of Santa Clara is one of the few cities to have a formal policy in place, whereas most cities follow State law. Either way, the City must, at a minimum, provide the noticing required by State law and by the City Code. In its current 2017 form, the Policy already goes beyond the requirements of both.
The purpose for updating the policy now is due to several factors:
* The pandemic and post-pandemic conditions,
* New State laws for housing applications, and
* Rapid adoption of new technologies to bridge communication gaps
As a result, these factors have significantly impacted how the Department conducts business and processes housing and other applications. These changes have prompted a review and update of the policy.
Efforts to update the policy began in 2022 as initiated by staff, with community meetings held in December 2022 and July 2023. The updates to the policy primarily focus on three key areas:
1) Notification Activities: Enhancing how and when the community is informed about planning applications.
2) Outreach Activities: Improving methods to reach out to the community and gather input.
3) Engagement Activities: Ensuring continuous and meaningful engagement with the community throughout the planning process.
Since 2023, the draft policy has been updated based on public feedback, undergone internal review, and been reviewed by stakeholders. On February 19, 2025, the Planning Commission held a noticed p...
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