Community Planning Group Reform

On Sept. 13, 2022, the City Council approved changes to Council Policy 600-24 which defines the roles, responsibilities and standard operating procedures of Planning Groups. These changes focused on improving transparency, records retention, broadening community representation and reflecting Planning Groups' legal status as independent organizations, consistent with the City Charter and require all Planning Groups to apply for City Council recognition.

On May 21, 2024, the City Council adopted clarifying amendments to Council Policy 600-24 that included holding requiring elections for newly-formed, planning groups recognized by City Council, allowing exceptions to the Brown Act to allow planning groups to hold virtual/hybrid meetings without publicly posting members' teleconference locations and setting procedures for the submittal for annual reports and amending operating procedures. City Council's actions also included waiving the recognition application deadline, allowing several planning groups to exceed 20 members to maintain or increase community participation and representation and recognizing 41 independent planning groups that represent community planning areas throughout the City.

• Council Policy 600-24 (Amended)
• Council Policy 600 -24 (Strikeout Version)
• Resolution R-315560 - Approving clarifying amendments to Council Policy 600-24
• Resolution R-315561 - Approving waiver to the application deadline, recognizing independent planning groups and allowing certain planning groups to have 20 or more voting members

Annual Report

Every year planning groups are required to submit an annual report in compliance with Council Policy 600-24.  The annual report includes details about the planning group's members, subcommittees, and summarizes accomplishments, major actions on projects and policy matters covering a calendar year from April through the following month of March. Annual reports shall be submitted to the City within 14 days of the approval of a planning group's March minutes. After planning group recognition, the Annual Report will be updated to allow planning groups to gather certain demographic data on existing and new voting members and the community at-large at the time of elections or other regular periods, to measure inclusion and diversity on the planning group.  The planning group shall compare this data with the demographics of the community at-large as may be available from the City or other agencies and submit it to the City as part of its annual report.

• Annual Report Online Portal
• Community Planning Area Demographic Data (2022 Estimates)

Applicability of the California Open Meeting Law (Brown Act)

On Oct. 27, 2006, the City Attorney issued a memorandum of law advising that Community Planning Groups (CPGs) and the Community Planners Committee (CPC) must comply with California's Open Meeting Law, the Ralph M. Brown Act. The purpose of the act is to ensure the actions and deliberations of public bodies occur openly with public access and input. A summary of Brown Act references within Council Policy 600-24 is provided. For more information, view the presentation on the Brown Act presented at previous Community Planning Group Orientation Workshop or the video below.  The League of California Cities Open and Public Handbook is also mentioned at the end of the training video as a helpful resource related to the Brown Act.

Resources

• Memorandum of Law
• Summary of Brown Act References Within Council Policy 600-24
• Presentation on the Ralph M. Brown Act
• League of California Cities: Open and Public - A Guide to the Ralph M. Brown Act

Workshops and Training

Attendance by all community planning group members at the Annual Planning Group Training is required by City Council Policy 600-24. In order to meet the criteria for indemnification, this training must be completed within 60 days of being elected, and by no later than June 1st of each succeeding year.

The workshop is typically offered once a year following annual elections in March and typically includes review of the City Planning Department Work Program, Council Policy 600-24, development project review process and the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).

Online Alternative Training - NOW AVAILABLE

If a planning group member did not attend the virtual training that was conducted on May 29, 2024, an online alternative to the training can be taken by completing the following (linked below):

1. Watch the May 29, 2024 Annual Planning Group Training Video.

2. Complete the Questionnaire.

3. After reviewing your results, forward a completed copy of your questionnaire that you will receive in your email to SDPlanningGroups@sandiego.gov to receive credit for training this year.

Resources

• Invitation Letter for 2024 Annual Planning Group Training
• Agenda for the 2024 Annual Planning Group Training
• 2024 Training Presentation
• Annual Planning Group Training Video

Community Planning Group Budget Allocations

Since 2015, the City Planning Department’s General Fund budget has included funding for the purpose of supporting Community Planning Group (CPG) operating expenses, such as those related to maintaining CPG websites, printing, and furthering public outreach.

Each CPG is responsible for exercising a strict fiduciary responsibility, ensuring adequate internal controls exist within each group, and requesting reimbursement of eligible expenses prior to the end of each fiscal year.

Resources

• City Planning Department Administrative Guidelines - CPG Budgets
• Reimbursement Request Invoice Template

For more information please email SDPlanningGroups@sandiego.gov.