STAFF REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
DATE: Regular Meeting of May 12, 2026
TO: Mayor and Members of the City Council
VIA: Patrick Tang, Interim City Manager
SUBMITTED BY: Timothy Rood AICP, Community Development Director SUBJECT: General Plan Advisory Committee At-Large Appointments RECOMMENDED ACTION:
By minute order, appoint five (5) to seven (7) at-large community representatives to the ad-hoc General Plan Advisory Committee to serve until the comprehensive General Plan update is adopted.
BACKGROUND:
On October 14, 2025, the City Council approved a resolution creating an ad-hoc General Plan Advisory Committee (GPAC) to provide guidance throughout the process of updating the City’s General Plan. The GPAC includes representatives of the City’s Planning, Finance, and Community & Library Services Commissions and the Hercules Historical Society, who have been appointed by those bodies to the GPAC. In addition, the GPAC is to have five to seven at-large community representatives to be appointed by the Council.
As detailed in previous reports, the general flow of GPAC meetings will be approximately every two months over a roughly two-year period, and related to the phases of work, as listed below:
Meeting #1: Introduction to the project and the role of the GPAC Meeting #2: Issues, opportunities, community priorities Meeting #3: Focus areas and development vision
Meeting #4 and #5: Land use options
Meeting #6: Preferred land use options
Meeting #7: Land use designation changes and development standards Meetings #8 and #9: Policy development
Meeting #10: Responses to comments on the Public Review Draft Elements and Draft EIR For each GPAC meeting, the consultants will prepare agendas and meeting materials, facilitate the meetings, and provide summary notes. All the meetings will be open to the public and include time for public input and participation. City staff responsibilities will include meeting logistics and communication with GPAC members, identifying meeting spaces, and providing support during the meetings.
The GPAC will provide recommendations to the City Council and is not a decision-making body. Following adoption of the updated General Plan, anticipated for early in 2029, the GPAC will be dissolved.
A call for applications to the GPAC went out in April 2026 and included direct outreach to past applicants to other commissions, news articles on the City website and in the Hercules Herald e-newsletter, and a postcard direct mailing to every home and business in Hercules. Applications were due April 30, 2026.
ANALYSIS:
Eleven (11) applications were received. The Council held a Special Meeting earlier this evening, May 12, 2026, to conduct interviews for all eligible applicants.
By roll call vote, the Council may appoint five (5) to seven (7) community representatives. Any Hercules community member may be appointed to these positions, but the Council may wish to consider appointing representatives reflecting the City’s diverse population, such as seniors, youth, parents, business owners, and representatives of non-profit organizations and other community groups.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no fiscal impact associated with this item.