AGENDA TITLE:
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Set a Public Hearing for December 4, 2024 to Consider Adopting a Resolution to Amend the General Plan to Adopt the Environmental Justice Element and Amend the Safety and Conservation Elements (CD)
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MEETING DATE:
November 20, 2024
PREPARED BY:
Cynthia Marsh, Deputy Director of Community Development / City Planner
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RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Set a Public Hearing for December 4, 2024 to consider adopting a resolution to amend the General Plan to adopt the Environmental Justice Element and Amend the Safety and Conservation Elements.
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BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
In April 2024, the City of Lodi was one of a few jurisdictions to have its 6th Cycle Housing Element certified by the State within the statutory review period. With the Housing Element update complete, California law requires that the Safety and Conservation Elements of a General Plan be updated as well. State law also requires cities with disadvantaged communities, like Lodi, to identify environmental justice policies whenever two or more elements are adopted or updated concurrently. Since the City of Lodi has updated its Housing Element, triggering Safety Element and Conservation Element updates as part of the Housing Element update process, the City is also adopting a new Environmental Justice Element to be in compliance with State law.
In accordance with State Law, Lodi may change each element of its General Plan four times during each calendar year. The three proposed amendments will be counted as one of the four allowable amendments for the 2024 calendar year.
SAFETY ELEMENT
The Safety Element is one of the required elements of the General Plan. The purpose of the Safety Element is to reduce the risk of death, injuries, property damage, and economic and social dislocation resulting from fires, floods, drought, earthquakes, landslides, climate change, and other potential hazards in the community. The Safety Element identifies potential risks to community safety and establishes policies and programs to protect the community from those risks. Topics addressed in the Safety Element include evacuation routes, flood and fire hazards, emergency shelters, emergency response services, and emergency communication programs.
CONSERVATION ELEMENT
The Conservation Element establishes goals and policies for the preservation, enhancement, and management of a jurisdiction’s natural resources. Lodi’s Conservation Element addresses agricultural and soil resources, biological resources, cultural and historic resources, hydrology and water quality, energy and climate change, and air quality.
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE ELEMENT
Environmental justice is the response to the tendency of low-income and racial minority communities bearing a disproportionate burden of hazardous or degraded environments (e.g., freeways, landfills, hazardous waste facilities, poor working conditions) than the general population. Historically, this is due to a lack of meaningful opportunities for these communities to participate in the planning process, sometimes leading to discriminatory practices, such as redlining, that have segregated communities and pushed low-income and racial minority populations to areas with poor air quality, pollution, and other health hazards. Environmental justice policies and programs work to overcome these trends and undo the effects of discrimination in land use decisions.
In 2016, the California Legislature passed Senate Bill (SB) 1000 requiring cities and counties that have disadvantaged communities to incorporate environmental justice goals, policies, and objectives into their general plans. The purpose of this legislation is to address the “unique or compounded health risks” in disadvantaged communities by decreasing pollution exposure, increasing community assets, and improving overall health. State law requires general plans to address the following topics in disadvantaged communities:
• Pollution exposure (including air quality)
• Public facility access
• Food access
• Safe and sanitary housing
• Physical activity and recreational opportunities
• Unique compounded health risks
• Community engagement in the public-decision making process
Cities and counties can incorporate environmental justice policies into their General Plans either in a standalone Environmental Justice Element or by including relevant environmental justice policies into existing General Plan Elements. As part of the Housing Element and General Plan Updates, the City of Lodi has drafted a standalone Environmental Justice Element.
The location, quality, and affordability of housing play an important role in addressing environmental justice goals and policies and promoting positive health outcomes for disadvantaged communities. Through the Housing Element Update the City has an opportunity to plan housing near transit, public facilities, and recreation, and work to overcome concentrations of lower income populations in areas with hazardous or degraded environmental conditions. Additionally, the Housing Element can address issues faced by disadvantaged communities, such as substandard housing, displacement, and homelessness, through policies and programs that promote safe, secure, and affordable housing for all residents throughout the community.
PUBLIC OUTREACH
Along with the Housing Element update effort, City planning staff worked with the consultants to develop a robust community engagement program tailored to ensure the community and other stakeholders were engaged in the process and given ample opportunities to provide input. The key objective of the community engagement program was to maximize opportunities for everyone interested in the effort to participate. The engagement program included branding, a project website, newsletters and e-blasts, announcements on the City website and social media, community workshops, a survey, Farmer’s Market booths, and Planning Commission and City Council study sessions. The documents were also routed and reviewed by relevant City departments and referred to outside agencies.
The public review draft of the Environmental Justice, Safety, and Conservation Elements were posted on www.planlodi.com <http://www.planlodi.com> in late September 2024. Comments may be submitted via the website comment portal or to the Community Development Department’s Planning Division through October 2024.
STRATEGIC VISION:
4C. Housing: Continued progress towards Regional Housing Needs Assessment goals.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Not applicable.
FUNDING AVAILABLE:
Not applicable.
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John Della Monica
Community Development Director
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Scott R. Carney
City Manager