JIM SADRO, CITY MANAGER
By: Chris Schaefer, Senior Planner
SUBJECT:
CONSIDER THE ANNUAL REPORT ON THE CITY OF LA HABRA GENERAL PLAN FOR CALENDAR YEAR 2020
RECOMMENDATION:
That the City Council receive and file the Annual Report on the City of La Habra General Plan accomplishments for calendar year 2020, and authorize the Director of Community and Economic Development to forward the document to the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research and the Department of Housing and Community Development per Government Code Section 65400(b)(1).
DISCUSSION:
Pursuant to Government Code Section 65400 (b) (1), all cities and counties in California must submit to their legislative bodies an annual report on the progress made in the implementation of the goals and policies contained within the General Plan. This includes progress toward meeting its share of the Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA) unit numbers to the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research and the Department of Housing and Community Development.
Policy decisions made by the City Council and Planning Commission are required to be consistent with the goals and policies contained within the General Plan. For example, all zoning, subdivision, land use approvals, public works projects and the City’s Capital Improvement Program must be consistent with the General Plan.
This Annual Report is intended to be used as a tool for the City Council to gauge how well the established goals, policies, and programs are being implemented. This Annual Report covers the 2020 calendar year and demonstrates progress toward implementation of the “La Habra General Plan 2035,” which was adopted by the City Council on January 21, 2014, by Resolution No. 5611 (see Annual Report, Attachment 1).
Implementation Manual
The Implementation Manual (Chapter 8) of the General Plan provides a framework for the implementation of the General Plan’s goals and policies. These goals and policies are arranged into sections that are based on timing of when they should be considered for implementation. These sections include “Near Term Implementation” (to be done within five years), “Annual Implementation” (to be done yearly), “Continuing Implementation” (done continuously), “Periodic Implementation” (done based on specified timelines), and “Mid- to Long-Term Implementation” (done after five years).
Near Term Implementation
Section B “Near Term Implementation” includes 13 programs, which were prioritized to be implemented within 5 years of the General Plan adoption. Under the 5-year period (which ended in 2019) the following items were scheduled:
A1. General Plan Monitoring System
Establish a comprehensive development tracking system building on existing tools and procedures that incorporates reporting metrics to ensure consistency with the 2035 General Plan’s goals and policies.
Status – Completed
B1. Zoning Ordinance
The City of La Habra shall thoroughly review and amend the Zoning Code’s (Municipal Code, Title 18) standards and regulations for consistency with the General Plan’s Land Use Plan Diagram.
Status – Completed
B2. Specific Plans
The City shall amend the La Habra Boulevard Specific Plan for consistency with the 2035 General Plan land use plan map diagram and corresponding land use classifications.
Status – Completed
B3. Subdivision Ordinance
The City shall review Title 17 of the Municipal Code which regulates and controls the division of land within the City in accordance with the Subdivision Map Act and Government Code §66411.
Status – Completed
B4. Building and Construction Code
On adoption of the 2035 General Plan, the Code shall be reviewed and amended where necessary to ensure consistency with its goals and policies.
Status – Completed
B5. Climate Action Plan
Adopt and implement the goals, policies, and implementation programs contained in the La Habra Climate Action Plan (CAP).
Status – Completed
B8. Transportation Demand Management Plan (TDM)
The City shall develop and implement a Transportation Demand Management (TDM) Program that applies strategies to reduce travel demand (specifically that of single occupancy private vehicles), or to redistribute this demand in space or in time.
Status - Completed / Ongoing
B9. Economic Development Strategy
The City shall develop and implement an Economic Development Strategy whose objective is to attract and retain quality businesses to the City of La Habra that offer job opportunities for local residents, contribute revenue to support City services, and creates an environment of robust innovation and economic vitality.
Status – Staff is preparing a draft for Council consideration
B11. Inclusionary Housing Ordinance
The City will consider adopting an inclusionary housing ordinance.
Status – Draft tabled for future Council consideration
D4. Transportation Services and Management
Maintain and improve the Traffic Operations Center and a citywide interconnected network to convert key intersections and roadways into a coordinated traffic management system.
Status – Ongoing
G1. Municipal Procedures and Operations
La Habra’s municipal procedures and operations will be reviewed and revised, as necessary, for consistency with the 2035 General Plan’s policies.
The City will establish a rental housing inspection program to identify blighted, deteriorated, and/or substandard rental housing stock, and to ensure the rehabilitation or elimination of housing that does not meet minimum Municipal and/or State Building/Housing Code standards.
Status – Not Completed / Unfunded program
G15. Programs for the Developmentally Disabled
The City will work with the Regional Center of Orange County (RCOC) to develop and implement an outreach program that informs families within the City on housing and services available for persons with developmental disabilities.
Status - Ongoing
As noted above, the majority of the items were completed within the five-year period; two of the items are in the process and one has not yet been addressed. However, as stated in the beginning of Chapter 8:
“This Implementation Manual is a set of measures to achieve the goals and policies set forth in the La Habra General Plan 2035. There is, in fact, an array of programs, actions, strategies, and processes that will be undertaken to implement the General Plan in the performance of day-to-day City operations. If La Habra’s General Plan is to serve its purpose effectively, it must be reviewed, maintained, and implemented in a systematic and consistent manner. At a minimum, the programs and timeframes described in this chapter should be reviewed and updated at least once every five (5) years to reflect prevailing fiscal resources, community needs, and priorities. Revisions to these shall not constitute an amendment of the General Plan provided that they are consistent with and carry out its goals and policies.”
We have passed the 5-year milestone. On February 18, 2020, the City Council voted to re-institute the General Plan Advisory Committee (GPAC) for the update of the Housing and Safety Elements of the General Plan. The Council may wish to consider having the GPAC also review the programs and time frames in the General Plan and make a recommendation to the City Council as part of the update process.
Annual Implementation
Section C “Annual Implementation” identifies policies that require annual review of their progress in achieving its goals. These include the following:
A2. Annual General Plan Report
The California Government Code §65400(b)(1) requires all cities and counties to submit an annual General Plan Progress Report to their “legislative bodies,” the State Office of Planning and Research (OPR), and the State Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD).
Status – Ongoing
A3. Annual Climate Change Report
Establish a mechanism to monitor and annually report to the City Council the Climate Action’s progress toward achieving the level of GHG emission reduction and require amendment if the plan is not achieving specified levels.
Status – Not Completed / Unfunded
D1. Capital Improvement Programs
The City shall annually review and adopt a City Capital Improvement Program (CIP) that provides funds for capital facilities including arterial highways, local streets, storm drains, park and facility improvements, water and wastewater system.
Status – Ongoing
E1. Fiscal Budgeting
The City will annually provide a portion of its CDBG funding to NeighborWorks of Orange County so that they can operate the owner-occupant, High Risk Revolving Loan Fund.
Status – Ongoing
E4. Housing Affordability and Improvements Funding
The City will annually assist four lower income (up to 80 percent of the median income) single-family homeowners with low interest amortized home rehabilitation loans (up to $20,000) for interior and exterior improvements, subject to the award of competitive grant HOME funds from the State.
Status – Ongoing
G13. Housing Programs
The City will annually provide 10 single-family homeowners with paint and paint accessories as part of the Neighborhood Clean-Up/Paint Program to paint and upgrade their home exteriors.
Status – Not Completed / Unfunded program
G14. Job Training
The City will annually assist 500 individuals with the administration of job training and retraining programs to eligible residents of Orange County cities at a One Stop Center. Programs are available for individuals 14 years of age and over.
Status – Ongoing
I5. Non-Profit and Community Housing Organizations
The City will conduct an annual meeting with nonprofit developers and the La Habra Housing Authority.
Status – Completed / Ongoing
Continuing Implementation
Section D “Continuing Implementation” identifies programs that are implemented or enforced on a continual basis. There are 49 policies listed within this section and the majority are normal staff functions conducted regularly to run the city in a consistent and efficient manner. This includes the following:
B6. Hazardous Material Ordinance
C1. Development Review and Entitlement
C2. Code Compliance
C3. Consultation
C4. Compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act
C5. Affordable Housing Code Compliance
C6. Affordable Housing Entitlement Process
D1. Capital Improvements
D7. Bicycle Master Plan
D15. Municipal Facilities
D18. Emergency Response Plan
D19. Hazardous Materials Response Plan
E1. Fiscal Budgeting
E2. Development Fees and Exactions
E3. External Financial Resources
G2. Economic Development Program
G3. Parks and Recreation Facilities Programs
G4. Community Programs: Youth, Teens, Young Adults, Seniors, and Families
G5. Community Events and Celebrations
G6. Transportation Services and Management
G7. Transportation Demand Management Program
G8. Parking Management
G9. Public Safety Programs
G10. Waste Management and Recycling Programs
G11. Library Services
G12. Code Enforcement
G13. Housing Programs
H1. School Districts
H2. College and Universities
H3. County of Orange
H4. Regional Agencies
H5. State Agencies
H6. Transportation Agencies
H7. Multi Agencies
H9. Public Safety Organizations
H10. Community Service Providers
I1. Chamber of Commerce
I2. Solid Waste Provider
I3. Union Pacific Railroad
I4. Historic Resources
I5. Non-Profit and Community Housing Organizations
K1. Property Maintenance
K2. Commercial Property Design and Improvements
K3. Economic Development Outreach Media
K4. Environment, Air Quality, and Climate Change
K5. Healthy Communities
K6. Community Safety
K7. Waste and Hazardous Waste Recycling
K8. History and Culture
K9. Housing Density Bonus Ordinance
This section includes policies regarding the provision of housing. In particular, the fifth cycle of the Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA), which runs from October 2013 to October 2021, requires that the City of La Habra to provide four (4) units and a carryover of 76 units from the previous cycle. The 6th cycle of the RHNA, which runs from October 2021 to October 2029, is projected to have a requirement of 804 units for the City.
Periodic Implementation
Section E “Periodic Implementation” identifies programs that would be implemented at intervals established by various legislation. There are 26 policies within this section which includes the following:
A4. General Plan Updates
A5. Housing Element Updates
B2. New Specific Plans
B4. Building and Construction Code
B10. Development Agreements
D2. Integrated Transportation Plans
D5. Neighborhood Traffic Management Plans
D6. Neighborhood Parking Management
D7. Bicycle Master Plan
D8. Safe Routes to School Plan
D9. Truck Route Designations
D10. Infrastructure Master Plans
D11. Community Service Master Plans
D14. Library Facilities
D15. Municipal Facilities
D18. Emergency Response Plan
D19. Hazardous Materials Response Plan
E2. Development Fees and Exactions
E5. Property Improvement Loans and Grants
F1. Economic and Fiscal Studies
F2. Transportation / Mobilities Studies
F7. Historic Resource Surveys
G3. Parks and Recreation Facilities and Programs
G10. Waste Management and Recycling Programs
H1. School Districts
H8. Public and Quasi-Public Utilities
These programs have been implemented on an as needed basis. During this review period the Building Codes were updated and a couple of General Plan amendments were approved.
Mid to Long-Term Implementation
Section F “Mid- to Long-Term Implementation” identifies programs that would be implemented five or more years after the adoption of the General Plan, if priorities change and resources are available. There are 15 policies within this section which includes the following:
B7. Design Guidelines
D3. Public Streets Improvement Plans
D8. Safe Routes to School Plan
D12. Parks and Recreation Master Plan
D13. Union Pacific Railroad Corridor Plan
D16. Neighborhood Identity Plan
D17. Community Signage Program
D20. Urban Forest Management Plan
F3. Alternative Irrigation Source Study
F4. Waste Management Studies
F5. Neighborhood Parks Study
F6. Open Space Acquisition Study
I4 Historic Resource
Staff will implement these programs when directed by City Council to do so. All of these programs would need to be evaluated for priority and available funding.
FISCAL IMPACT/SOURCE OF FUNDING:
The Annual Report is a summary of activities undertaken by the City that relate directly to the goals and policies of General Plan 2035. The preparation of this report has no direct fiscal impact; however, implementation of some policies described previously in this staff report, while not yet begun, may have future fiscal impacts for the City’s General Fund, as well as the City’s Capital Investment Program and various grants, should the City Council decide to adopt them in the future.
GENERAL PLAN RELEVANCE:
On January 21, 2014, the City Council adopted the La Habra General Plan 2035, the 2014-2021 Housing Element Update, and La Habra Climate Action Plan (CAP). Chapter 8, Implementation Manual of the La Habra General Plan 2035, serves as the template for the 2020 Annual Report. The Annual Report provided an opportunity to evaluate actions taken by the City to implement the goals and policy of the plan over the previous year.
