To be successful, comprehensive planning must be an ongoing activity. As part of that process, this Plan needs to be regularly monitored with respect to its use and effectiveness. Limited and technical amendments will certainly need to be made in order to keep this document up-to-date, fully viable, and maintained as a respected and regularly used source of guidance for the physical development of the city. More significant amendments may be deemed necessary depending on experience. If goals are not met and/or trends toward achieving trajectory goals are not positive, the Planning Commission and City Council should re-evaluate existing strategies and consider modifications to policies that are necessary to reverse the trend.
The City Council and Planning Commission can review and adopt Comprehensive Plan amendments between major updates to ensure that current community issues continue to be addressed and that the Plan continues to provide clear and realistic direction for future growth. In any case, a comprehensive review and update is strongly recommended at least once every ten years, or as directed by City Council.
The following language outlines the recommended approach for minor and major amendments.
Types of Plan Amendments
Revisions to Online Content and Format
PlanCOS is intended to be made available and used primarily in an online form. Periodic and incremental revisions of online format and delivery are to be expected and will be handled administratively, as long as they do not modify the key adopted language and graphic elements of the Plan, including but not limited to the adopted text of goals, policies, and strategies. Examples of allowable administrative online modifications include the following:
- Text and graphic formatting and grammatical changes that do not alter the intent of substance of the language and graphics as adopted;
- Changes in hyperlinks within the text and to external documents;
- Updates of interactive map layers associated with PlanCOS map graphics (e.g. the updated maps of active neighborhood associations or adopted neighborhood plans that will be interactively associated with the Chapter 2 Vibrant Neighborhoods Framework Map);
- Inclusion or substitution of photos and related images that serve to provide examples for plan recommendations but are not adopted graphic elements; and
- Inclusion or substitution of promotional or descriptive content that may assist individuals in using the Plan (e.g. written or video plan highlights, testimonials or introductions from elected officials, community members or staff; and Plan navigation guides).
Minor Administrative Amendments
Minor changes or revisions to the Plan’s text, figures, or maps, may be processed administratively to reflect updated information or grammatical corrections, provided that these changes do not modify the intent or substantive content of the document, as adopted. Examples include correction of spelling or grammatical errors, updating the base information on maps, and the updating of terms and references to reflect current adopted language or organizational structure (e.g. changing the reference to department or organization if it has been renamed or restructured).
Major Plan Amendments
All other changes to the language and text of the Comprehensive Plan that are not considered revisions to online content or minor administrative amendments, are considered major amendments, and will require a recommendation by the Planning Commission and approval of City Council by ordinance. The type and extent of any associated stakeholder and public process should be determined by Council consistent with the type and nature of the proposed amendments.
Plan Updates
Plan updates provide an opportunity to more systematically evaluate the content of PlanCOS for ongoing relevancy. This update process allows the city to reconfirm the Plan’s vision and direction with the community as recommended by the Planning Commission and directed by City Council. A limited but systematic update is recommended within five (5) years of adoption, or earlier if sufficient need is indicated based on annual reporting and Plan experience. These updates are anticipated to focus primarily on evaluating and refreshing the Plan’s strategies to keep them current with the overall vision and themes. Plan Updates are not expected to alter the overall organization and structure of the Plan. Moreover, periodic updates should serve to prolong the useful and relevant life of this document, and extend the period before which a more comprehensive and complete revamping of the document is deemed necessary.