Camarillo City Council
AGENDA REPORT
Date: October 22, 2025
To: Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers
From: Greg Ramirez, City Manager
Submitted by: Philip Lanzafame, Interim Director of Community Development Subject: Engagement Plan for General Plan Update
BACKGROUND
On July 9, 2025, the City Council approved a professional services agreement with Dyett and Bhatia Urban and Regional Planners (“Dyett and Bhatia”) to assist with the preparation of a comprehensive General Plan update. The update is currently underway, and Dyett and Bhatia have prepared a robust Engagement Plan (Attachment 1) to ensure that the community has ample opportunities to provide input on the update of the General Plan throughout the process.
DISCUSSION
The outreach strategies in Dyett and Bhatia’s Engagement Plan include:
Hosting community workshops throughout the update process; Conducting pop-up outreach at local venues and events where community members gather (e.g., events at local food and beverage establishments, open studio events at museums and art centers, city events, the Camarillo Farmers Market, etc.);
Use of online surveys to poll the community on values and priorities; Messaging via text, newsletters, news media, and digital and social media outreach specifically tailored to engage all demographics; Conducting one-on-one and group interviews with community members and stakeholders to inform policy development;
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Publishing an online speaker series on key issues for the General Plan, such as real estate market trends, open space planning, and placemaking strategies; Creation of a dedicated website for the update that will be linked directly to the City’s website that includes tailored project branding and ongoing communication with the public regarding project status, upcoming outreach events, and draft documents as they become available;
Formation of technical advisory groups composed of city staff and local agencies, including, but not limited to, Pleasant Valley Recreation and Park District, Ventura County Airports, Pleasant Valley Historical Society, Oxnard Union High School District, Pleasant Valley School District, Naval Base Ventura County, Ventura County Transportation Commission, California State University Channel Islands, Ventura County Fire Department, Camrosa Water District, West Ventura County Business Alliance, and Ventura County Sheriff’s Department, to provide expert input on infrastructure, planning, and environmental elements to ensure feasibility and alignment with city goals; and
Formation of a General Plan Advisory Committee (“GPAC”) to serve as community ambassadors for the project ensure that a broad cross-section of perspectives and opinions are considered and incorporated into the update. GPAC members will work closely with staff to promote community participation and review and provide input on draft documents.
The Engagement Plan serves as a flexible framework, offering a menu of outreach strategies and tools to engage a broad and diverse range of stakeholders. The strategies outlined are not exhaustive or prescriptive, and may be adjusted or supplemented as the process moves forward to respond to emerging needs, community feedback, and opportunities for deeper engagement.
GPAC
The GPAC is intended to provide a space for public discussion throughout the General Plan update process. GPAC members can offer insight into local priorities and preferences and provide historical perspective on issues and conditions in the community. GPAC members may also play a role in refining and implementing the engagement strategy for the project, including helping to encourage participation in the community and among harder to reach segments of the population.
The size of the GPAC is sized to represent a variety of voices and perspectives and to allow for meaningful, constructive discussions among members. Staff recommends a GPAC size of fifteen members that represents different interests in the community, including, but not limited to the following sectors of Camarillo’s community: business, development, arts, environmental sustainability, health and wellness, representatives from Leisure Village, the local student population, and Visit Camarillo.
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A member selection approach through an open application and interview process is recommended. An ideal candidate will meet the GPAC composition listed above, be willing to actively participate in a collaborative group setting, engage in respectful dialogue, and seek consensus and compromise when appropriate.
The GPAC will operate under an informal advisory body allowing for flexibility in scheduling and running meetings, which can more readily be structured to facilitate small group discussions, candid feedback, interactive brainstorming activities, and round table discussions, as appropriate for the subject matter. In order to provide transparency throughout the process, all meetings of the GPAC will be publicly noticed and all members of the public will be welcome to attend. Agendas and meeting notes from each meeting will be published on the General Plan update website.
The GPAC is anticipated to meet up to eight times (see Pages 5-6 of Attachment 1 for the GPAC meeting schedule) over the course of the update. City staff and Dyett and Bhatia will facilitate each meeting, including the preparation of meeting agendas, logistics, organization, content, and structure. Staff will seek input from the GPAC on key priorities and issues, outreach strategies, and draft documents as they become available, such as the vision and guiding principles for the update, preliminary alternatives for land use, circulation, and quality of life, preferred alternatives and key strategies, and the goals, policies, and implementation actions for the draft General Plan prior to public release of these documents.
The GPAC is only one of the multitude of ways that the public can participate in the General Plan update. Other public engagement opportunities include: attend a workshop or pop-up outreach event, participate in an online survey, and visit the project website to sign up to receive emails, review draft documents, and provide input to staff. The website will feature interactive engagement tools designed to gather community perspectives on a variety of topics. Participants may identify aspects of the city they value, amenities or community features they would like to see enhanced or expanded, and locations where they perceive safety concerns, as well as flag areas or issues that could improve. This input will inform community priorities and guide the development of goals and policies for the update.
FISCAL IMPACT
Funds for the preparation and implementation of the Engagement Plan for the General Plan update are included in the General Fund, Community Development Administration budget, Account No. 101-1701-417.32-01. Any additional funds will be budgeted in future years, as needed.
CITY COUNCIL STRATEGIC PLAN FY 2025/26
This report supports the City Council’s Strategic Plan Goal No. 2 for community Engagement Plan for General Plan Update
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enrichment to provide a safe and enriched environment where people can live, work, and play and Goal No. 4 for land use, transportation, transit, and community development to plan appropriate land uses, transportation network, and transit systems and provide opportunities to redevelop and develop commercial, industrial, and residential areas to improve services, businesses, and housing, and to deter and alleviate blight. This report also supports Goal No. 9 for community relations to strengthen community engagement through open communication, effective outreach, and enhanced opportunities for connection between the city and community members.
CEQA DETERMINATIONS
City staff has determined, in accordance with Section 15061(b)(3) of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines, that the preparation and implementation of an Engagement Plan for the General Plan update is not subject to CEQA review because it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the Engagement Plan may have a significant effect on the environment.
RECOMMENDATION
1. Find that the Engagement Plan for the General Plan update is not subject to California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3), because it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the Engagement Plan will have a significant effect on the environment.
2. Receive and file the Engagement Plan that was prepared for the General Plan update.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Engagement Plan for the General Plan update dated September 24, 2025 REFERENCE MATERIALS – AVAILABLE FOR REVIEW AT CITY HALL None