AGENDA TITLE:
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Public Hearing to Consider Waiving the First Reading and Introducing an Ordinance Amending Lodi Municipal Code Title 15 (Buildings and Construction) by Adding Chapter 15.69 (Agricultural Mitigation Fee) (Applicant: City of Lodi; CEQA Status: Exempt Pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3) – General Rule Exemption, and Section 15378 – Not a Project) (CD)
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MEETING DATE:
November 18, 2026
PREPARED BY:
Cynthia Marsh, Community Development Deputy Director / City Planner
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recommendation
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Conduct a public hearing and consider waiving the first reading and introducing an ordinance amending Lodi Municipal Code Title 15 (Buildings and Construction) by adding Chapter 15.69 (Agricultural Mitigation Fee).
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BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
On October 21, 2026, the City Council considered the Phase 4 Development Code Amendments, which included proposed Chapter 15.69 (Agricultural Mitigation). In response to concerns raised by the Building Industry Association (BIA) and Lodi Chamber of Commerce, the Council directed staff to separate Chapter 15.69 from the remaining amendments and return on November 4, 2026, for additional discussion.
At the November 4 meeting, staff presented a PowerPoint outlining the City's existing agricultural conservation policies, the distinction between agricultural and habitat mitigation, and the flexibility provided by the proposed ordinance.
Staff explained that the City's General Plan establishes a minimum 1:1 agricultural preservation standard, requiring one acre of farmland to be preserved for each qualifying acre converted to urban use. General Plan Policies C-P11 through C-P15 establish the framework for an agricultural conservation program, including mitigation fees, permanent conservation easements, and preservation of important farmland.
The presentation also clarified that agricultural and habitat mitigation address separate environmental impacts under the California Environmental Quality A...
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