General Plan 2025 Update Public Participation Plan (PlanPHX)

This report requests City Council approval of the City of Phoenix General Plan 2025
Update Public Participation Plan, inclusive of the Arizona Revised Statutes required
written procedures as shown in Attachment A.

THIS ITEM IS FOR DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION.

Summary
The Phoenix General Plan was last adopted by the City Council and approved by
voters in 2015. Arizona Revised Statutes (A.R.S.) require the General Plan to be
updated and approved by the City Council and ratified by the voters by 2025.

A.R.S. also require that a municipality’s governing body adopt written procedures that
address public participation in the development and major amendment of general
plans. Attachment A is the proposed General Plan 2025 Update Public Participation
Plan which outlines the written procedures as required by Arizona State Statute (9-461
-06). The written procedures are a general outline of strategies staff will employ to
facilitate public participation as part of a broad General Plan 2025 Update public
process. Approval of the General Plan 2025 Update Public Participation Plan and its
written procedures is a formal step in the process to begin working with the broad
community and stakeholders in developing the next iteration of the General Plan for
the City of Phoenix.

The General Plan provides a powerful medium for residents to strategize on how the
city will grow. Through this General Plan, Phoenix can continue to shape its natural
and built environment in ways that meet the needs of its residents and achieves their
vision for its future. In 2015, Phoenix voters approved an update to the Phoenix
General Plan generally referred to as PlanPHX. The updated General Plan outlined a
new vision for Phoenix focused on creating a more livable and connected city.

As the Planning and Development Department (PDD) and the PlanPHX 2025
Leadership Committee prepare to engage the community through the 2025 General
Plan Update process, the goal is to execute a strategic update of the General Plan that
will provide a foundation for a unified policy framework for the entire city, while


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updating the plan to address the opportunities and challenges we face in the next
decade. Three key outcomes of this process will be to:

1. Building on and refining the General Plan's existing policy framework.
2. Aligning the General Plan's vision and goals with other City Council adopted
initiatives.
3. Outlining what we will be working on to accomplish the goals for the next 10 years.

The following summarizes key aspects of the working procedures as outlined and
further defined in the General Plan 2025 Update Public Participation Plan
(Attachment A).

Outreach Methods and Approach

The PDD will provide opportunities for continuous public participation in the General
Plan update process. Staff will use the ongoing activities listed below to facilitate public
participation through December 2023:

· Media Involvement - Partner to provide notification to a broad constituency of
citizens and stakeholders by employing multiple public communication techniques.
· Events, Meetings and Presentations - Partner with the Mayor and City Council,
attend neighborhood, community and business events and meetings. Partner with
other governmental, nonprofits and associations to reach citizens and stakeholders
“where they are.”
· Youth Engagement - Partner with the Mayor and Council to identify at least one
school per district.
· Leadership Committee - Partner with a Mayor- and Council-appointed Leadership
Committee to hold public meetings to review public comments with staff on the
project.
· PlanPHX Summit - Host a citywide PlanPHX Summit offering a setting for
residents, public officials, and community partners to provide feedback on the draft
General Plan.

Public Review and Approval Process

Following the PlanPHX Summit and at least 60 days before the General Plan is
noticed for action by the Planning Commission, the PDD shall transmit the proposal to
the Planning Commission and shall submit a copy for review and further comment to
the following:



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· Maricopa County Planning Department;
· Each county or municipality that is contiguous to the corporate limits of the
municipality or its area of extraterritorial jurisdiction;
· The regional planning agency within which the municipality is located;
· The Arizona Commerce Authority or any other state agency that is subsequently
designated as the general planning agency for this state;
· The Arizona Department of Water Resources for review and comment on the Water
Resources Element; and
· Any person or entity that requests in writing to receive and review a copy of the
General Plan.

In addition to the review by the agencies listed above, PDD will make the General Plan
available in accordance with the written procedures and will make a series of public
hearing presentations to the 15 Village Planning Committees, the Planning
Commission and the City Council. The proposed schedule calls for the General Plan to
be placed on the November 2024 ballot.

RECOMMENDATION

Staff requests City Council approval of the City of Phoenix General Plan 2025 Update
Public Participation Plan, inclusive of the A.R.S. required Written Procedures as shown
in Attachment A.

Responsible Department
This item is submitted by Deputy City Manager Alan Stephenson and the Planning and
Development Department.




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Report

American Rescue Plan Act Affordable Housing and Community Land Trust
Programs

This report provides an overview of the Housing Department’s Affordable Housing
Program and a Community Land Trust (CLT) Program through American Rescue Plan
Act (ARPA) funds. The Affordable Housing Program provides $12 million in ARPA
funds for affordable housing gap financing. The CLT Program includes procuring a CLT
administrator to provide $5 million in ARPA funds for the acquisition and rehabilitation
of homes to sell to low-income, first-time home buyers and ensure permanent
affordability.

THIS ITEM IS FOR INFORMATION AND DISCUSSION.

Summary
The federal government allocated $396 million to the City of Phoenix through the
American Rescue Plan Act. On June 8, 2021, the City Council approved the ARPA
Strategic Plan that allocated $198 million, the first tranche of funds. On June 7, 2022,
the City Council approved the second tranche of funds of an additional $198 million,
including the allocations for the Affordable Housing and CLT programs. The Treasury
Department released updated guidance about affordable housing eligible uses on July
27, 2022, which helped clarify the use of funds and requirements for how funds could
be disbursed.

Affordable Housing Program
preserve affordable housing by providing gap financing. The Affordable Housing
Program will provide:

· $6 million in funding for the acquisition, rehabilitation, and/or new construction of
affordable housing units to help fill financing gaps and ensure projects stay on track
toward completion, and
· $6 million for The Moreland, a City of Phoenix Housing Department-owned property.

The Moreland, formerly Deck Park Vista, is a 237-unit, two-phase affordable housing
project located in a strategic downtown location at the southeast corner of 3rd and


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Moreland streets. The project is being constructed by Native American Connections,
the City’s co-development partner. Phase I will create 132 new affordable housing
units and include the construction of the project’s parking structure. Currently, there is
a $10 million financing gap for Phase I of the project, which is anticipated to start
construction by June 2023. On Dec. 14, 2022, City Council allocated $4 million in
ARPA funds to help close the gap.

Community Land Trust Program
The City Council allocated $5 million toward a CLT Program with the goal of funding an
all-inclusive CLT. A CLT looks to ensure permanent affordability by holding the land in a
trust and selling the home to an eligible low-income home buyer. The funds will be
used by a selected CLT administrator for the acquisition and rehabilitation of homes
throughout the City.

Procurement Information
The Housing Department would issue Calls for Interest (CFIs) for $6 million in gap
financing and for procurement of the CLT administrator. The funding opportunity would
be made available through the City of Phoenix’s website and a selection committee will
evaluate proposals based on the scoring criteria included in the CFIs. A formal
recommendation for the award(s) will be presented to City Council for approval.

Financial Impact
There is no impact to the General Fund. ARPA is a federally funded program.

Responsible Department
This item is submitted by Deputy City Manager Gina Montes and the Housing
Department.




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