PINOLE CITY COUNCIL
SPECIAL MEETING AGENDA
CITY COUNCIL
Vincent Salimi, Mayor
Devin Murphy, Mayor Pro Tem
Anthony Tave, Council Member
Maureen Toms, Council Member
Norma Martínez-Rubin, Council Member
TUESDAY
March 22, 2022
6:00 P.M
Please note: HYBRID MEETING FORMAT
Attend in person : PINOLE CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS - 2131 PEAR STREET OR
Attend VIA ZOOM TELECONFERENCE – Details provided below Please note: Updated COVID-19 safety protocols will be posted outside the City Council Chambers. Please review this information before entering the Council Chambers.
How to Submit Public Comments:
In Person: Attend meeting at the Pinole City Council Chambers, fill out a yellow public comment card and submit it to the City Clerk.
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Members of the public may submit a live remote public comment via Zoom video conferencing. Download the Zoom mobile app from the Apple Appstore or Google Play. If you are using a desktop computer, you can test your connection to Zoom by clicking here. Zoom also allows you to join the meeting by phone.
From a PC, Mac, iPad, iPhone or Android:
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Webinar ID: 893 3500 0272
By phone: +1 (669) 900-6833 or +1 (253) 215-8782 or +1 (346) 248-7799 • Speakers will be asked to provide their name and city of residence, although providing this is not required for participation.
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When the Mayor opens the comment period for the item you wish to speak on, please use the “raise hand” feature (or press *9 if connecting via telephone) which will alert staff that you have a comment to provide and press *6 to unmute. To comment with your video enabled, please let the City Clerk know you would like to turn your camera on once you are called to speak.
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City Council
Agenda – March 22, 2022
Written Comments: All comments received before 3:00 pm the day of the meeting will be posted on the City’s website on the agenda page (Agenda Page Link) and provided to the City Council prior to the meeting. Written comments will not be read aloud during the meeting.
Email comments to [email protected] Please indicate which item on the agenda you are commenting on in the subject line of your email.
Please note: Updated COVID-19 safety protocols will be posted outside the City Council Chambers. Please review this information before entering the Council Chambers.
OTHER WAYS TO WATCH THE MEETING
LIVE ON CHANNEL 26. They are retelecast the following Thursday at 6:00 p.m. The Community TV Channel 26 schedule is published on the city’s website at www.ci.pinole.ca.us.
VIDEO-STREAMED LIVE ON THE CITY’S WEBSITE, www.ci.pinole.ca.us. and remain archived on the site for five (5) years.
If none of these options are available to you, or you need assistance with public comment, please contact the City Clerk, Heather Bell at (510) 724-8928 or [email protected] .
Americans With Disabilities Act: In compliance with the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990, if you need special assistance to participate in a City Meeting or you need a copy of the agenda, or the agenda packet in an appropriate alternative format, please contact the City Clerk’s Office at (510) 724-8928. Notification at least 48 hours prior to the meeting or time when services are needed will assist the City staff in assuring that reasonable arrangements can be made to provide accessibility to the meeting or service.
Note: Staff reports are available for inspection on the City Website at www.ci.pinole.ca.us. You may also contact the City Clerk via e-mail at [email protected] .
Ralph M. Brown Act. Gov. Code § 54950. In enacting this chapter, the Legislature finds and declares that the public commissions, boards and councils and the other public agencies in this State exist to aid in the conduct of the people's business. It is the intent of the law that their actions be taken openly and that their deliberations be conducted openly. The people of this State do not yield their sovereignty to the agencies, which serve them. The people, in delegating authority, do not give their public servants the right to decide what is good for the people to know and what is not good for them to know. The people insist on remaining informed so that they may retain control over the instruments they have created.
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Pinole City Council
Agenda –March 22, 2022
1. CALL TO ORDER & PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE IN HONOR OF THE US MILITARY TROOPS
2. LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT
Before we begin, we would like to acknowledge the Ohlone people, who are the traditional custodians of this land. We pay our respects to the Ohlone elders, past, present, and future, who call this place, Ohlone Land, the land that Pinole sits upon, their home. We are proud to continue their tradition of coming together and growing as a community. We thank the Ohlone community for their stewardship and support, and we look forward to strengthening our ties as we continue our relationship of mutual respect and understanding.
3. ROLL CALL, CITY CLERK’S REPORT & STATEMENT OF CONFLICT An official who has a conflict must, prior to consideration of the decision: (1) publicly identify in detail the financial interest that causes the conflict; (2) recuse himself /herself from discussing and voting on the matter; and (3) leave the room until after the decision has been made, Cal. Gov't Code § 87105.
4. CITIZENS TO BE HEARD (Public Comments) Citizens may speak under any item not listed on the Agenda. The time limit is 3 minutes for City Council items and is subject to modification by the Mayor. Individuals may not share or offer time to another speaker. Pursuant to provisions of the Brown Act, no action may be taken on a matter unless it is listed on the agenda, or unless certain emergency or special circumstances exist. The City Council may direct staff to investigate and/or schedule certain matters for consideration at a future meeting.
5. STUDY SESSION ITEM
A. Introduction and Discussion of the “Land Use Planning for Pinole” Project [Action: Receive Report, Discuss and Provide Direction]
6. ADJOURNMENT to the Special City Council Meeting of March 29, 2022 in Remembrance of Amber Swartz.
I hereby certify under the laws of the State of California that the foregoing Agenda was posted on the bulletin board at the main entrance of Pinole City Hall, 2131 Pear Street Pinole, CA, on the City’s website, not less than 72 hours prior to the meeting date set forth on this agenda.
POSTED: March 17, 2022 at 4:00 P.M.
_________________________________
Heather Bell, CMC
City Clerk
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CITY COUNCIL 5A
DATE: MARCH 22, 2022
TO: MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS
FROM: LILLY WHALEN, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR
SUBJECT: INTRODUCTION AND DISCUSSION OF THE “LAND USE PLANNING FOR PINOLE” PROJECT
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the City Council receive an introduction to the “Land Use Planning for Pinole” project from consultant team Michael Baker International and provide direction as appropriate.
BACKGROUND
A General Plan is a legally required policy document for all jurisdiction in California and contains the community’s vision for future growth. California law requires each jurisdiction to address seven mandated topics in the General Plan: Land Use, Circulation, Housing, Conservation, Open Space, Noise, and Safety. In Contra Costa County, all jurisdictions are also required to address Growth Management. Cities and counties that have identified disadvantaged communities must also address environmental justice in their General Plans, including air quality. General Plans are organized by topic in what are called “elements.” There is no requirement that a general plan be organized into separate elements; a jurisdiction may organize its General Plan in any format, including consolidated elements, so long as all the relevant statutory issues are addressed and the document is internally consistent.
Under State law, all local governments in California are required to adequately plan to meet the housing needs of the region by adopting a Housing Element as part of the General Plan every eight years. In addition, California has passed many bills in the last few years to ensure that climate adaptation is incorporated into local planning efforts by requiring that the Housing Element update coincide with an update to the Health & Safety Element. Finally, under State law, when jurisdictions update two or more General Plan Elements concurrently the topic of Environmental Justice must be addressed in the General Plan (as a separate Element or through related goals, policies, and objectives within other Elements). Issues of housing, environmental justice, safety and hazard planning and climate change are inextricably linked. Planning for all of these efforts simultaneously will result in a more comprehensive and holistic approach to these issues, as well as efficiencies related to outreach, environmental analysis, and adoption and implementation efforts.
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City Council Report
March 22, 2022 2
REVIEW & ANALYSIS
The “Land Use Planning for Pinole” project consists of updates to two existing elements of the City’s General Plan: the Housing Element and the Health & Safety Element. As a part of the project the City will also consider either adoption of a standalone Environmental Justice Element, or addressing issues of environmental justice within other elements. At the Special Council meeting on March 22, 2022 the consultant team, Michael Baker International, will provide the Council with a comprehensive overview of the project and the regulatory framework behind it. See Attachment A for the PowerPoint slides for the meeting and Attachment B for background information about the scope of each update.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact associated with receiving this report.
ATTACHMENT
A. PowerPoint Slides
B. Background Information (Housing, Health & Safety, Environmental Justice) 5 of 47
Land Planning for Pinole
Housing * Safety * Health * Environmental Justice
ATTACHMENT A
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Project
Team
City of Pinole:
• Lilly Whalen – Community Development Director
• Dave Hanham – Planning Manager
Michael Baker International
(Consultants)
• Surabhi Barbhaya– Project Manager & Safety Element Lead • Veronica Tam and Associates – Technical Advisors
• Dan Wery and Emily Elliott – Housing Element / Community Engagement • Noelle Steele – Environmental Justice
Lead
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Introduction – Why We’re Meeting
Review the requirements for the 2023 to 2031 Housing Element Requirements for Environmental Justice and Health & Safety Element Recent housing legislation
Schedule
Question and Answer
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Housing Element
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What is the Housing
Element?
• Required element of the City’s General Plan
(updated every 8 years)
• Meet demand for housing at all income levels
• Assess housing needs, constraints, resources
• Sets goals, objectives and policies and commits
to programs
• Zoning and identification of sites to meet the
housing needs of all incomes
• Specific programs to promote fair housing
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5 Housing Element
Overview
• State-mandated update schedule: 8-year cycle (2023- 2031) • Adoption Deadline: January 31,
2023 (120-day grace period through May 31, 2023)
• Review and certified by State
HCD for compliance with State
law
• Plan for accommodating a
jurisdiction’s Regional Housing
Needs Allocation (RHNA)
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Housing Element Contents
• Review of Accomplishments: Evaluation of previous housing element • Needs Assessment: Analysis of existing and projected housing needs • Housing Resources: Inventory of available land, funds, grants and incentives for housing. (RHNA) • Constraints: Anything that deters or increases cost of housing production • Fair Housing: Assessment of fair housing conditions,
commitment to “meaningful actions” that improve fair
housing.
• Implementation Plan: Goals, policies, and implementation programs to meet unmet housing needs, remove constraints, provide zoned capacity, and improve fair housing conditions 7 Constraints
Analysis
Community
Outreach
and
Engagement
Policies
and
Programs
Housing
Sites
Inventory
Housing
Needs
Assessment
Review of Past
Accomplishments
Housing Element
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Key Recent
Housing
Element
Legislation
8 AB 1398 (2021) – Rezone in 1 year (vs 3) if
Housing Element isn’t certified by HCD by May
31, 2023.
AB 215 (2021) – 4.5-month mandatory HCD
and Public Review period
AB 1397 (2018) – More stringent requirements
for eligible RHNA sites
SB 166 (2017) – “No Net Loss” - Cities must
maintain adequate capacity for all income levels
through the cycle
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Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA)
9 State
• Housing & Community Development Dept.
Region
• Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG)
• Housing Methodology Committee (HMC)
Local
Jurisdiction
• Every city and county must plan to accommodate its fair share of the regional housing need.
ABAG region = 441,176 UNITS
City of Pinole = 500 UNITS
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Comparison with previous RHNA
10 297
500
0 100
200
300
400
500
600
PINOLE
PINOLE
RHNA 5 (2015-23) RHNA 6 (2023-31)
20,630
43,942
0 10,000
20,000
30,000
40,000
50,000
CONTRA COSTA
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY
RHNA 5 (2015-23)
RHNA 6 (2023-31)
187,990
441,176
0 100,000
200,000
300,000
400,000
500,000
BAY AREA
BAY AREA
RHNA 5 (2015-23) RHNA 6 (2023-31)
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RHNA Buffer
& No Net
Loss
11 The City must always
maintain enough sites to
meet the RHNA during
the planning period
500-unit RHNA
(190 extremelylow to low
income)
Any site developed at lower density or
different income than was projected
must replace (rezone) the lost capacity
within 6 months
Buffer Sites
Buffers are not mandated by law,
but strongly encouraged by HCD
20% buffer is recommended to
protect the City from continuously
rezoning to replace “lost” units
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Regional Housing Needs Allocation
This table compares the City’s upcoming (2023-2031) RHNA allocation to the 5th Cycle (2015-2023) RHNA allocation. 12 Very-Low
Income Low Income Moderate
Income
Above-Mod
Income Total RHNA
5th Cycle
RHNA 80 48 43 126 297
6th Cycle
RHNA 121 69 87 223 500
6th Cycle +
20% Buffer 145 83 118 302 600
Percent
Change* +51.25% +43.75% +102.33% +76.98% +68.35%
Source:
1. Pinole 5th Cycle Housing
Element
2. Final RHNA Allocation
Report ABAG
* Does not account for buffer
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Regional Housing Needs Allocation
Breakdown
The City’s obligation is to provide sufficient land, zoned appropriately, to accommodate the RHNA.
13 Income Category 2021 Annual Income
4-person household
RHNA
CIty of Los Altos Hills
Very Low Income
< 50% of Median Income $68,500 121 units
Low Income
50 - 80% of Median Income $109,600 69 units
Median Income
Moderate Income: 80-120% of Median Income $125,600 87 units Above Moderate Income
>120% of Median Income $150,700 223 units
TOTAL 500 units
Source:
1. HCD 2021 Income
Limits
2. Final ABAG RHNA
Allocation Report
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Income Levels and Density
• Minimum density to meet Low and Very-Low-income levels is 20 dwelling units per acre (DU/acre).
• May increase to 30 DU/acre, depending on 2020 Census results and HCD interpretation.
14 Income Levels Minimum Density (DU/acre)
Very Low income 20
Low income 20
Moderate income* 12
Above Moderate income N/A
* Not statutory requirement
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Sites Inventory Requirements
Capacity
•Use a “realistic capacity” that accounts for multiple
factors
Size
• Lower Income sites must be between 0.5 and 10 acres.
Infrastructure
• Served by Water, Wastewater, and Dry Utilities
•Above Moderate-Income sites may rely on septic
Developable Land
•Account for Environmental Constraints
Near Term Development Opportunity
•Owner or Developer Interest
• Vacant or Underutilized Land
Further Fair Housing
• The City must demonstrate that the sites further fair housing conditions
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• Terrain
• Flood
• Fire hazard
• Habitat
• Densities
• Little
Vacant
Land
• Parking
• Setbacks
Constraints to Site Capacity and Selection
16 Land Use /
Zoning
Environmental
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California Environmental Quality Act
(CEQA)
The Housing Element requires
evaluation under CEQA
CEQA process will be defined by
RHNA strategy (summer 2022)
17 Rezone?
Yes No
Addendum or
Negative
Declaration
Initial
Study
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Example Housing Program Areas
18 Adequate Sites and Zoning (RHNA Compliance)
Accessory Dwelling Units
Education
Constraint Removal
Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing
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Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH)
• Fair Housing Enforcement and Outreach Capacity
• Segregation and Integration Patterns
• Racially and Ethnically Concentrated Areas of Poverty and Affluence • Disparities in Access to Opportunity
• Disproportionate Housing Needs and Risk of Displacement • Meaningful Goals, Policies, and Actions
• Specific Metrics, Timelines, and Evaluation Criteria
* Government Code 8899.50(a)(1) 19
“Taking meaningful actions, in addition to combating discrimination, that overcome patterns of segregation and foster inclusive communities…” * 24 of 47
Consequence of Non-Compliance
Disqualification from State Funding
Carryover of RHNA Unit Allocation to next cycle (GC 65584.09) Fines and Penalties
Court Receivership/Loss of Local Control
Inability to Deny New Projects
20 HCD recently added a new “Housing Accountability Unit” to proactively enforce state laws. 25 of 47
Community
Outreach Strategy
• Project Website in development: CityofPinoleHousingElement.com • Online Housing Needs Survey (March 22, 2022 – August+) • Stakeholder Focus Groups/Interviews (April-May)
• Community Workshops (2)
• April & June
• Joint Planning Commission and City Council Study Session (July) 21 26 of 47
Tasks Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1
Community Engagement
Community Workshops
Stakeholder Interviews
Online Survey
Housing Element Preparation
Public and HCD Review
CEQA
Adoption and Certification
Housing Element Schedule
22 Q2
2022 2023
120 Day Grace Period
August
Joint PC & CC Study Session
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Health & Safety
Element
23 28 of 47
Required
Health &
Safety
Element
Updates
24 California adopted laws requiring the City to:
Update the Health & Safety Element at the time as the Housing Element update
Identify and update information related to:
• Seismic and geologic hazards
• Evacuation routes
• Military installations
• Peak-load water supply requirements
• Minimum road widths and clearances around structures
• Flood hazards
• Fire hazards
Identify residential developments in any hazard area that do not have at least two evacuation routes
Prepare a climate change vulnerability assessment and develop climate adaptation and resilience strategies
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Evacuation
Routes &
Resiliency
• Identify residential developments or areas that do not have two or more evacuation routes:
• Identification method must include:
• A review of the known evacuation routes, and
the route’s capacity, safety and viability under
a range of emergency scenarios.
• Identification of residential developments in
hazard areas that do not have at least two
emergency evacuation routes (Senate Bill 99).
• Identify Climate Change vulnerability and develop
adaptation and resiliency goals and policies.
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Environmental Justice
Element
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Background
• State passed Senate Bill 1000 in 2016 requiring cities and counties with any “disadvantaged communities”
to incorporate Environmental Justice related goals,
policies, and objectives into their general plans.
• CalEPA identifies disadvantaged communities as:
• Uses definition in Section 39711 of the Health and
Safety Code, or
• Low-income area that is disproportionately
affected by environmental pollution and other
hazards that can lead to negative health effects,
exposure or environmental degradation
• Must happen upon adoption or revision of two or
more elements on or after January 1, 2018
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Required Environmental Justice Element
Components
28 Identify disadvantaged communities
within the County’s General Plan
planning area.
** County will use the term:
Environmental Justice Communities
(EJCs)
Identify objectives and policies to reduce
unique or compounded health risks in
EJC. To include 5 EJ Topic Areas:
Pollution Exposure, Public Facilities,
Safety & Sanitary Homes, Food Access,
Physical Fitness
Identify objectives and policies to
promote civic engagement in public
decision making.
Identify objectives and policies to
prioritize improvements and programs
to address the needs of EJC
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CalEnviroScreen
4.0 Analysis
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Proposed
Environment
al Justice
communities
(EJCs)
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What is next for Identifying EJCs?
• Conduct outreach for the current project and the preliminary assessment of EJCs
• Hold additional listening sessions to inform of the process and to provide input
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EJ Topic Areas within Unique or
Compounding Health Risks
32 Pollution Exposure:
Air Quality, Water
Contamination,
Toxic Waste and
Hazardous
Materials
Public Facilities Safe and Sanitary
Homes Food Access Physical Activity
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COMMUNITY
INPUT
YOUR INPUT IS VALUABLE TO
US!
33 Community workshops
Stakeholder Focus Groups
/ Interviews
Social Media Posts
Public Hearings
Videos
Online Surveys
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Question & Answer Session
• Please email additional comments, questions and suggestions. • Please complete the on-line community survey.
35 Please Email Feedback to:
[email protected]
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Thank You!
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Extra Slides
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Zoom Controls - Phone
• Anyone calling in to the meeting via phone is muted
• During the Q&A period, we will set aside time for those on the phone to leave a verbal comment or question
• When it is time for verbal comment, press Star (*) 9 to indicate you would like to speak
• Listen for the message: “The host would like you to
unmute your microphone.” You can press Star (*) 6 to
unmute
• When you are done with your comment, please press Star (*) 6 to re-mute
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Zoom Controls
39 Use Q&A window to
send comments/
questions
Send questions to
all panelists here
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Zoom Controls
40 Access the Q&A
window to send
comments/
questions
First click,
“More”
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ATTACHMENT B
Background Information (Housing, Health & Safety, Environmental Justice)
1. Housing Element
Under State law, all local governments in California are required to adequately plan to meet the housing needs of the region by adopting a Housing Element as part of the General Plan every eight years. The City of Pinole adopted the current Housing Element on May 19, 2015 in compliance with State law as a part of the 5th Cycle (generation) of updates, covering the period 2015-2023. The 6th Cycle will cover the period 2023-2031.
The Housing Element identifies housing conditions, needs, and constraints and establishes goals, policies, and programs to meet the City’s housing needs. State Housing Element law focuses on both the production and geographic distribution of new housing units and requires that each municipality strive to meet their “fair share” of the regional need for low- and moderate-income housing, otherwise known as the Regional Housing Needs Allocation, or RHNA. Each local government must then update the Housing Element of its General Plan to show the locations where housing can be built and the policies and strategies necessary to meet the community’s housing needs, including identifying sites that are zoned with enough capacity to meet the RHNA allocation. The process is complete once the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) reviews and certifies local Housing Elements.
Communities are also required to report their progress to HCD annually, through the Annual Progress Report (APR).
Preparation of a Housing Element is a time-intensive process and requires significant community participation and data analysis. The process also has a firm deadline as the City is statutorily required to adopt and submit the new Housing Element by January 31, 2023, or within a 120-day grace period, to HCD.
Furthermore, the passage of Assembly Bill (AB) 686 in 2018 created new requirements for jurisdictions to affirmatively further fair housing. Pursuant to AB 686, affirmatively furthering fair housing means to take “meaningful actions, in addition to combating discrimination, that overcome patterns of segregation and foster inclusive communities free from barriers that restrict access to opportunity based on protected characteristics.” Local jurisdictions must now incorporate fair housing principals into the Housing Element, create land-use and funding opportunities to increase affordable housing in high resource neighborhoods, and bring additional resources to traditionally under-resourced neighborhoods.
2. Health and Safety Element
A Safety Element is a legally mandated chapter of a community’s General Plan. The goal of the Safety Element is to enact land use practices that reduce the potential short and long-term risk of death, injuries, property damage, and economic and social dislocation resulting from fires, floods, droughts, earthquakes, landslides, climate change, and other hazards. State law allows jurisdictions to organize their General Plans in a consolidated 45 of 47
Attachment B:
Background Information (Housing, Health & Safety, Environmental Justice) fashion, and Pinole adopted a Health and Safety Element in 2010, alongside a comprehensive update to the General Plan. Pinole’s Health and Safety Element addresses items statutorily required by the State in a Safety Element, such as risk from hazards (e.g., earthquakes, landslides), in addition to safety issues (e.g., surface and groundwater contamination, the potential release of hazardous materials into the community). In addition, the Health and Safety Element addresses general issues related to police and fire protection services and the significance of health care accessibility and affordability in Pinole.
California has passed many bills in the last few years to ensure that climate adaptation is incorporated into local planning efforts and effects the content and timing of Safety Element updates including:
• SB 379 (2015) requires the Safety Element of a community’s General Plan to address the hazards created or exacerbated by climate change. The Safety Element must include a vulnerability assessment that identifies how climate change is expected to affect hazard conditions in the community. It must also include a set of goals, policies, and measures to adapt and improve resilience to these anticipated changes
• SB 1035 (2018) requires jurisdictions to review and, if necessary, update the Safety Element upon each revision of the Housing Element or Local Hazard Mitigation Plan. This should be done at least once every eight years to identify new information not available during the previous revision relating to flood and fire hazards and climate adaptation and resilience strategies. • SB 1241 (2012) addresses wildfire hazards in the wildland-urban interface and adds mandatory wildfire requirements for jurisdictions in state responsibility areas and very high -Fire Hazard Severity Zone ones in local responsibility areas upon the next Housing Element update.
• AB 747 (2019) requires jurisdictions to, after January 1, 2022, review and update the Safety Element of their General Plan as necessary to identify evacuation routes and evaluate their capacity, safety, and viability under a range of emergency scenarios.
• SB 99 (2019) requires cities, upon the next revision of the Housing Element on or after January 1, 2020, to review and update the Safety Element to include information identifying residential developments in hazard areas that do not have at least two emergency evacuation routes.
• SB1000 (2016) mandates that cities and counties adopt an Environmental Justice Element or integrate environmental justice goals, objectives, and policies into other elements of their General Plans.
The update of the City of Pinole’s Health & Safety Element will include safety considerations in the planning and decision-making process by establishing policies related to future development that will minimize the risk of personal injury, loss of life, property damage, and environmental damage associated with natural and man-made hazards. In addition, the update will address emergency evacuation routes and climate vulnerability and adaptation. If desired by the Council, the scope of the update could be expanded in concert with MBI to include enhanced Health Element-related policies and 46 of 47
Attachment B:
Background Information (Housing, Health & Safety, Environmental Justice) programs associated with promotion of community health and wellness, such as walkable neighborhoods, access to healthy foods, robust transportation systems, and equitable access to quality health care. This topic can be explored during the study session with the Council.
3. Environmental Justice
State law now requires that when a jurisdiction updates two or more General Plan Elements concurrently the topic of Environmental Justice must be addressed in the General Plan (as a separate Element or through related goals, policies, and objectives within other Elements). Low-income communities and communities of color have experienced disproportionate environmental effects, pollution burdens, and related health impacts and, as a result, these communities face barriers to overall health, livelihood, and sustainability. Environmental Justice-related work must disclose and work to reduce the disproportionate health risks, promote civic engagements in the decision-making process, and prioritize improvements that address the needs of identified disadvantaged communities.
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