Special Notice / Hearing: None__
Vote Required: Majority
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: Steve Monowitz, Director of Planning and Building
Subject: Informational briefing on the findings, final draft report, implementation dashboard, and next steps for the North Fair Oaks Community Plan Review project
RECOMMENDATION:
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Receive an informational briefing on the North Fair Oaks Community Plan Review project.
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BACKGROUND:
In 2011, the County Board of Supervisors adopted an updated North Fair Oaks Community Plan, replacing the 1979 Community Plan. The updated Community Plan, based on detailed assessment of community conditions and extensive community and stakeholder outreach and input, identified the needs and goals of the community, and established programs and policies to guide the development of North Fair Oaks over the next 25 to 30 years.
In 2022, the County engaged the services of a consulting team, Good City, to assess progress of implementation of the policies and programs in the Community Plan. The goals of the review, at roughly the 10-year mark of plan implementation and approximately halfway through the Plan’s prospective timeline, was to:
• Evaluate the progress made towards implementing the NFO Community Plan
• Prioritize the Plan’s remaining actions and recommend implementation actions that address the highest priorities of North Fair Oaks.
• Summarize Plan implementation progress in an online dashboard to monitor the progress of the Plan’s objectives and facilitate informed decision-making.
The review is now complete, and the final draft report is available, providing the status of existing policies in the Plan, identifying priority policies for future implementation, and providing recommendations to strengthen the ability of the County and its partners to implement the Plan’s remaining work. The final draft assessment is available on the Plan Review website, at <https://www.northfairoaksplanreview.org/plan-assessment>.
DISCUSSION:
Policy and Program Status: The review is divided by chapter/subject area of the Community Plan, in six sections: Land Use; Circulation and Parking; Infrastructure; Health and Wellness; Housing; and Economic Development. Chapter 7 of the Plan, Design Standards and Guidelines, was not evaluated, as these guidelines are advisory and to the extent relevant have been incorporated into various zoning and other regulations.
For each section, policies and programs are categorized as:
• “Complete," referring to policies or implementing programs that have been carried through and have met all requirements or objectives with nothing more that needs to be done.
• "Initiated and partially complete," policies or implementing programs that have been started and some progress made, but still require more effort or time to reach completion.
• "Ongoing" refers to policies or implementing programs that are in progress and are expected to continue regularly on a recurring basis for a period of time, without an anticipated definite endpoint.
• “Not initiated," policies or implementing programs that have not yet begun or started. These may be projects, policies or programs that are inactive for different reasons, including lack of funding or because they are no longer applicable or desired due to changes in state law or local priorities.
Of the 334 policies and programs in the six Plan chapters evaluated, 100 have been completed; 77 have not been initiated; 108 are ongoing; and 49 have been initiated and are partially complete.
Implementation Dashboard: The outcomes of the review are summarized on the Implementation Dashboard by status and subject area, available here: <https://www.northfairoaksplanreview.org/implementation-dashboard>
The dashboard is a tool designed to visualize the progress of policies and strategic initiatives in North Fair Oaks over an extended period. The dashboard helps measure the success of the Plan's objectives by evaluating activities that support Plan implementation since the Plan’s adoption. The dashboard’s progress bars provide a visual representation of the overall progress made towards implementing the Plan’s policies. The dashboard will be updated on a regular basis making it an essential tool for monitoring the progress of the Plan’s objectives and facilitating informed decision-making.
Community and Stakeholder Outreach: Assessment of the Plan was based on extensive community and stakeholder outreach, including approximately 40 interviews with County staff and stakeholders involved in Plan implementation activities, 312 community surveys, 36 Plan implementation stakeholder surveys, 12 pop-up events in North Fair Oaks, mailings to every household in North Fair Oaks, and online engagement through a project website, social media, and project videos. All community engagement was conducted in English and Spanish. The community survey results along with the Plan implementation survey responses were used to inform the recommendations including identifying priority policies, challenges, and opportunities. The input received during the consultations with the community and stakeholders was taken into consideration when developing the recommendations for priority policies and future areas of focus included in the assessment.
Priority Policies: The review also categorizes various policies not yet completed as “Priority Policies,” identified as areas of focus based on community and stakeholder input as well as feasibility. These policies are identified to assist the County and other stakeholders and partners in identifying and allocating resources for future implementation of the Community Plan’s initiatives.
Administrative Recommendations: Additionally, the Plan Review provides a set of administrative recommendations to assist in future implementation of the Plan. These include:
• Establish an interdepartmental team to track and manage implementation of the North Fair Oaks Community Plan.
• Continue to regularly target existing resources to North Fair Oaks residents. Continue to provide and increase marketing and education of programs, resources, and County services to lower income North Fair Oaks residents in multiple languages.
• Track North Fair Oaks utilization of County services and programs. Some examples of tracking of utilization of programs and services might include:
o Programs that support code compliance for lower income households and lower income rental properties such as building code inspections for multifamily rental properties.
o Renter assistance provided by nonprofit partners to North Fair Oaks households such as programs to help prevent evictions, including information on fair housing organizations, tenant assistance organizations.
o Available services and resources to assist with provision of temporary housing, alternative permanent housing, affordable housing resources, financial resources, relocation assistance, and other options for displaced residents.
o Support for providing accessibility modifications (such as ramps, grab-bars in tubs/showers, and other modifications) for seniors and others needing such modifications in their home.
o Financial and other assistance to homeless service providers and utilization of services in or near North Fair Oaks.
o Funds going towards rehab and minor repair programs for lower income households in North Fair Oaks.
• Evaluate effectiveness of programs. Require regular evaluation of effectiveness of programs in supporting lower income residents in North Fair Oaks.
• If programs are not being utilized or are not reaching North Fair Oaks residents, assess adjustments to program delivery to more effectively deliver services to North Fair Oaks residents.
The full North Fair Oaks Community Plan Review, outreach materials and summaries, Implementation Dashboard, record of community and North Fair Oaks Community Council presentations, and other materials are available at: <https://www.northfairoaksplanreview.org/>
ATTACHMENTS
A. North Fair Oaks Community Plan Review, Final Assessment: Executive Summary
B. Implementation Dashboard excerpt