17.130.020 Authority to initiate an amendment.
A. Initiation of Amendment by the City Council. The council may initiate general plan amendments at any time by directing staff to prepare the necessary analysis and scheduling the proposed amendment for consideration at a hearing, as provided in Section 17.130.030 (Schedule for and Coordination of Amendments).
B. Applications to Initiate Amendments. Any person may request an amendment of the general plan by filing an application with the community development department. Such application shall include:
1. A description of the proposed amendment, including, as may be necessary, additions or modifications to the text and graphics of adopted general plan elements or reports.
2. A statement explaining how the proposed change will better reflect community desires as expressed in general plan goals and policies.
3. If the amendment involves change of a basic goal or policy, why the change is warranted by new information or reevaluation of community needs.
4. An analysis of how the proposed change will beneficially and detrimentally affect adjacent areas or shared resources. This analysis may take the form of a draft environmental impact report.
5. A description of how the amendment of one policy may reinforce or conflict with related policies, including those in other elements.
6. Such other supporting data as the director may require to enable evaluation of the proposal.
7. A fee sufficient to cover the expected costs incurred in processing the application, to be established by resolution of the council.
C. Early Council Consideration of an Application. The director shall have the authority, prior to processing a general plan amendment application in conformance with the provisions of this chapter, to forward any such application to the council for early policy consideration to allow the council to determine whether the proposed amendment is consistent with overall policy direction in the general plan. The council, upon making specific findings in reference to specific general plan provisions, may direct the director to reject the application as inconsistent with overall general plan policy direction. (Ord. 1650 § 3 (Exh. B), 2018)