FOWLER CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL MEETING AGENDA NOVEMBER 5, 2019 5:30 P.M. CITY COUNCIL CHAMBER 128 S. 5TH STREET FOWLER, CA 93625  In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, if you need special assistance to access the Council Chambers or to otherwise participate at this meeting, including auxiliary aids or services, please contact City Clerk Jeannie Davis at (559) 834-3113 ext. 302. Notification at least 48 hours prior to the meeting will enable the City to make reasonable arrangements to ensure accessibility to the Council Any writing or document that is a public record and provided to a majority of the City Council regarding an open session item on the agenda will be made available for public inspection at City Hall, in the City Clerk's office, during normal business hours. In addition, such writings and documents may be posted on  meeting. The City of Fowler is an equal opportunity provider and employer.  the City's website aty www.fowlercitvy.org. 1. Meeting called to order 2. Roll call  3. Public Presentations (This portion of the meeting reserved for persons desiring to address the Council on any matter not described on this agenda. Presentations are limited to 5 minutes per person and no more than 15 minutes per topic.) 4. Workshop: To Consider a Community Report, Stakeholder Feedback Summary, Key Issues Report, and Draft Community Vision in Support of the First Comprenensive  General Plan Update Since 1976  5. Adjourn  CERTIFICATION: 1, Corina Burrola, Deputy City Clerk of the City of Fowler, California, hereby certify that  the foregoing agenda was posted for public review on Friday, November1, 2019.  Cou Po& Corna Burrola Deputy City Clerk    CITY OF FOWLER  PLANNING & COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT  Daliforia  DEPARTMENT  STAFF REPORT: CITY OF FOWLER CITY COUNCIL  To: From: Date: Subject:  City Council  Sara Allinder, AICP, Project Manager Dawn E. Marple, Planning Consultant November 5, 2019  General Plan Update City Council Workshop No. 1-H Key Issues and Vision  I, Recommendation  Staff recommends that the City Council receive the report and presentation and provide feedback on the Key Issues Report and draft Community Vision for the General Plan Update, as  appropriate. II. Discussion  The City is embarking on its first comprehensive update to the General Plan since 1976. The  update process includes six phases, consisting of the following:  Phase 1: Discovering the existing conditions and community profile for the Cily of Fowler. Phase 2: Listening toi the feedback received fromstakeholders, residents, and other interested groups andi identify key issues and a draft vision for the community. Phase 3: Vetting concepts for addressing keyi issues and implementing the vision through Phase 4: Documenting the goals, policies and implementing actions to support the community vision in the draft General Plan and preparing the required Environmental Phase 6: Adopting the General Plan after certifying the EIR through the public hearing Between the months of April and May of 2019, the consultant team for the Cily of Fowler's General Plan Update conducted 14s stakeholder! interviews. As a supplement toi the siokeholderihtemlews, the consultant team also prepared a Community Report, which summarizes existing conditions within the City of Fowler. Together, the stakeholder responses and the Community Report informed the key issues identified that will be considered in the drafting of the General Plan update. The keyi issues provided the basis for the draft community vision statement and willi inform subsequent, goals, policies, and actions included in the final General Plan document. These documents were presented toi the Planning Commission at a public workshop held on October 3, 2019. A summary of these comments will be provided as part of the workshop presentation. These activities have represented work completed under Phase :: Discovering and Phase 2:  goals and policies for the community.  Impact Report (EIR). process.  Phase 5: Presenting the draft materials for public review.  Listening of the work program.  Page 1 of4    City of Fowler City Council  November 5, 2019 Page 20 of4  City Council Workshop No. 1- Key Issues and Vision  Stakeholder Inferviews  The consultant team interviewed stakeholders individually or, in some cases, in groups of two. While there was a standard list of questions prepared to ensure that interviewers touched on particular topics, the questions were not shared with the interviewees. This allowed the meetings tob be conversational and provided an opportunity fori individual concerns to be expressed based on the interviewees' relevant experience with City processes and challenges rather than be limited to pre-determined questions. Interviewees were also informed of the intent to keep individual comments confidential to encourage more frank discussions with the consultant team. Results of the stakeholder interviews are summarized in Aftachment 1: Stakeholder Interview  Summary Memo. Community Report  The Community Report provides usefut background information for future environmental analysis and will inform the General Plan update process. Notably, conditions documented in the Communify Report were used to inform the Key Issues Summary, which identifies keyi issues to be addressed as part of this update. As part of the General Plan process the Community Reportmay  be added to as newi information becomes available or is warranted. The Community Report is included as Aftachment: 2: Fowler Community Report.  Key Issues  Together, the stakeholder responses and the community report inform the selection of key issues that will be considered in the drafting of the General Plan update (see. Attachment. 3: Key Issues Report). Identifying key issues early in the process allows for the consultant team, City staff, decisionmakers, andi the public toi identify and understand thei issues ofi importance for Fowler. As noted above, the key issues dentified below provided the basis for the draft community vision statement and will inform subsequent, goals, policies, and procedures included in the final Several primary themes emerged from the stakeholder interviews as well as information from the Community Report and represent high-level issues reflective of the most common input heard during the interview process. Keyi issues identified are in response to the chalenges that exist for expansion of City limits and top challenges to businesses and residents in general. The keyi issues Economic Development. Increase the amount of business support services offered by the chamber of commerce. Help the chamber become a "one: stop: shop" for business development for the City and consider pursuing branding efforts to help attract development and increase Local Amenities. Inçrease amenities which help attract and keep residents and businesses in the Growth Coordination. Growth coordination and expansion will be a key focal point of future long- range planning efforts. Conçerns include expanding the Sphere of Influence, LAFCO  General Plan document.  include:  amenities. area.  coordination, envtonmendreguaion. and land use planning.    City of Fowler City Council  November 5, 2019 Page 3of4  Cily Council Workshop No. 1- Key Issues and Vision  Infrastructure Expansion. Infrastructure and City service expansion were considered both opportunities and constraints to future growth. Road infrastructure as well as police, water, and fire services were all cited as being top concerns in the face of expansion of the planning area. Circulation. Connection points, road capacity, design principles, pedestrian enhancements and linking the east and west sides of the City are an existing challenge and will be a keyi issue when Parks and Recreation. Identify opportunities toi increase efficiency of currentj joint use agreements, address maintenance issues, and implement a plan for increased park and recreation facility Community Character. A small-town character was identified as one of Fowler's top assets. Preservation of that community character should be at top priority in future planning efforts. The draft community vision for Fowler is expressed through a vision statement and a series of supporting principles andis a declaration of the kind of community that Fowler wants to become int the future. The community vision establishes the basis for General Plan goals and policies. The vision statement describes the values and aspirations for Fowler in the future. It identifies key characteristics necessary for sustaining what is important to the community and for Fowler to achieve its potential. The vision statement is supported by five supporting principles, statements that together contribute to the larger community vision and provide more specific guidance for Based on the responses identified in stakeholder summaries and additional inputs from the Community Report, the consultant team and City staff has developed the following vision statement and accompanying supporting principles for each of the key issue areas identified.  considering expansion of the pianning area.  demands.  Draft Community Vision  general plan goals and policies.  Staff is seeking feedback on these draft materials.  Vision Statement The City of Fowleri is...  A safe, affordable place to live with a small-town feel. Fowler's community events and thriving schools create a place where you can raise your family and know your neighbors. Fowler fosters a dynamic business-friendly environment, where shared goals and cooperation support local businesses and new economic investment. Thoughtful policies help conserve, natural resources and provide well maintained infrastructure to supportresponsible growth and development while preserving the unique, small towni identity that makes Fowler ag great place tol live, work, and play. The following statements are guiding principles which implement the broader community vision Our Economy Thrives and Businesses Provide Local Amenities. We value and support businesses which bolster the community by providing, jobs, services, goods, and recreational opportunities. Economic development focuses on: supporting business expansion and diversification. Oursmall- town character is preserved while also providing jobs and increased local amenities, ensuring  Supporting Principles  and will inform the goals and policies of the General Plan.  residents the opportunity to live, work, and recreate alli in one place.    City of Fowler City Council  November 5, 2019 Page 4of 4  City Council Workshop No. 1- Keyl Issues and Vision  Growth Occurs Thoughtfully and is Shaped by Our Community. A creative growth management strategy allows expansion to occur in a way that aligns economic needs, community vision, and regional goals. There is a strong system in place to guarantee that as the community accommodotesnew. neighbors andnewipbs.iconinue: tor maintain andir improve upon the lives of City residents, ensuring infrastructure and services successfully reach growth areas while continuing to serve established neighborhoods. New development is executed through land use decisions which involve careful research, coordination and community outreach. Our Community is Mobile and Connected. Our circulation system is complete, with amenities which make walking, biking, andi transit use asafe, comfortable, and viable means of gettingfrom. place to place. Roadways are: scaled appropriately for the types of land uses that surround them and provide access to jobs, services, goods, and recreational opportunities. The central commercial core is contiguous, with a wel-maintained streetscape. Our circulation patterns are shaped by urban design principles which value street design as a method of community Parks and Recreation are a Focal Point of Our Community. Our parks and recreation facilities are safe, accessible, and connected to the community they serve. Passive and active recreation opportunities are abundant and coordinated across local facilities and organizations. Protecting our Community's Character. We celebrate Fowler's unique small-town character and balance it with the need: to foster growth both physically and economically. Our commitment to facilitating growth in a way that complements our character is reflected in core planning documents. Growth policies preserve our central commercial core, residential neighborhoods,  connection and plaçemaking.  and support local businesses that contribute to the fabric of our community.  III. Next Steps  Confirmation of the Community Vision by the City Council will inform next steps in the General Over the next six to eight months, the consultant team will define the scope of changes to existing goals and policies in order to support the updated Community Vision, as confirmed by the Cily Council. A review of the existing General Plan relative to state requirements for general plans will also inform identified changes necessary to the General Plan. Alternative development scenarios will be developed for review and consideration by City staff, the Planning Commission, Cily Council, and the public. The conclusion of work under Phase: 3: Vetting will result in the selection of ap preferred land use scenario for inclusion in the General Plan and associated Environmental The aiternative development scenarios willl be presented at a Planning Commission workshop and ap preferred land use scengrio will be confirmed by City Council at a workshop following  Plan update process andi initiate the next phase of work, Phase 3: Vetting.  Impact Report.  consideration of input received on the alternative scenarios.  IV. Attachments  1. Stakeholder Interview Summary Memo 2. Fowler Community Report 3. Key Issues Report    City of Fowler General Plan Update STAKEHOLDER INTERVIEWS  Summary MEMO September 24, 2019 From: To: Subject:  Sara Allinder, Project Manager Dawn E. Marple, Planning Consultant Jeannie Davis, City Manager Fowler General Plan Update STAKEHOLDER INTERVIEWSSummary  During the months of April and May of 2019, the consultant team for the City of Fowler's General Plan Update conducted 14 stakeholder interviews. The interviews were intended to solicit an understanding of issues and challenges the community currently faces, what aspects of the community stakeholders found to be beneficial to residents and local businesses, as well as what issues should be addressed asa  priority in the General Plan Update.  This purpose oft this memo is to provide a summary of these interviews and includes:  The key themes identified, as informed by the feedback collected through the stakeholder  interviews; The list of interviewees; The approach used int the interviews; and, Asummary of the comments received.  The information identified ini this memo willl be considered during the City of Fowler General Plan Update process. Specifically, the inputf fromi the: stakeholders will provide the basis fort the draft Community' Vision for Fowler, which will inform development of the goals, policies, and actionsi included ini the General Plan.  KEY THEMES  The key themesi identified below were derived from feedback received during the stakeholder interviews. These key themes will be combined with issues identified through preparation of a Fowler Community Report and be included in a Key Issues Summary for presentation to the Planning Commission and City  Council.  September 2019  Page 1 of7    Fowler General Plan Update  STAKEHOLDER INTERVIEWS Summary  Economic Development. Comments on the Chamber of Commerce included the recognition that the organization is still fairly young compared to more established chambers. Suggestions for improvement included a more comprehensive branding for the City, as well as implementation of more coordinated business supportservices. There was a desire to create a' "one: stop: shop" for new businesses wishing to Local Amenities. Lack ofamenities, such as restaurants, shopping and entertainment contributes to low resident retention, which in turn, keeps population low and makes it hard for businesses to thrive. Increasing amenities which attract and keep residents in the area will be a key issue when considering Infrastructure Expansion. Lack of City infrastructure was noted as a major hurdle to successful city expansion to Fowler's west side. Specific services of concern included traffic and road infrastructure capacity, police, water, and fire services. It should ber noted that while service expansion is considereda top challenge, it was also identified as at top benefit of expanding the sphere ofi influence Growth Coordination. While there was a high level of acknowledgement that City expansion was a key necessity in order tos spark economic development, there was also recognition that land use and planning issues needed to be considered carefully. Community involvement in land use decisions, LAFCO coordination, and environmental regulations will be part of the challenges that lie ahead for planned expansion to the west side of the City. Several stakeholders commented on the need for coordination Parks and Recreation. Currently, sports fields and parks operate under a joint use agreement with local school districts. While there was a recognition of a high level of cooperation between the City and the School districts, it was mentioned that these joint use agreements could be executed with more detail paid to maintenance issues and that it should be a priority to increase the number of parks in the Community Character. While there was a high level of recognition that city expansion would be a key driver of economic growth and the backbone of future development within the City, there was also a concern for facilitating that growth in a way that maintains Fowler's key asset: its small-town character. Itwasi identified that Fowler's identity as as smallt town and tight knit community should be considered. and preserved. in the face of expansion. It was also identified as a potential catalyst for branding.  become established within the City.  strategies for economic development and increasing the community's tax base.  and due diligence on these topics prior to implementation.  community to alleviate demand on exiting park and school resources.  INTERVIEWEES  Interviews were conducted with 14 total stakeholders representing diverse interests across the  community, including the following individuals:  Jessie Hudgins, Vice President, Valley Children's Hospital Chelsey Marderosian, Accounting Manager, Bee Sweet Citrus Lori Gonzalez, Interim Superintendent, Fowler Unified School District Veronica Cazares, District Engineer, SKF Community Sanitation District Ben Munoz, General Manager, SKF Community Sanitation District Liz Gomez, Public Sector Representative, Waste Management  David Cardenas, Mayor Leonard Hammer, Mayor Pro Tem  September 2019  Page 2of7    Fowler General Plan Update  STAKEHOLDER INTERVIEWS Summary  Dan Parra, City Councilmember Mark Rodriguez, City Councilmember Karnig Kazarian, City Councilmember Jeannie Davis, City Manager David Peters, City Engineer  Manuel Lopez, Fire Chief/Interim Public Works Director  APPROACH  Provost and Pritchards istaffir Intervlewedstakeholders individuallyo or, ins some cases, in groups of two. While there was a standard list of questions prepared to ensure that interviewers touched on particular topics, the questions were not shared with the interviewees. This allowed the meetings to be more conversational and provided an opportunity for individual concerns to be expressed based on the interviewees' relevant experience with City processes and challenges rather than be limited to pre- determined questions. Interviewees were also informed of the intent to keep individual comments  confidential to encourage more frank discussions with the consultant team.  SUMMARY OF COMMENTS  The following summary of comments reflects individual feedback received during the stakeholder interviews. The summaries are organized by the standard list of questions asked of each interviewee. In analyzing each response for content, it was revealed that many of the interviewees had similar concerns, which were then sorted into major categories. Once sorted, comments were then quantified, revealing thet topt three priority areas for each question. These comments willi inform the keyi issues identified in the 1. WHAT ARE THE TOP THREE ASSETS THAT THE CITY OF FOWLER OFFERS TO ITS RESIDENTS?  Keyl Issues Summary Report.  Stakeholders overall value that the City of Fowler possesses a small-town character, which fosters a sense of community, connection to one's neighbors, safety, and town pride. Small-town character was the most frequent asset listed by interviewees. Safety and location were tied for second place and together make up the second highest ranked asset for the City of Fowler. Respondents referenced the City'sproximity to State Route (SR) 99, stating that easy access to the major transportation route, and larger metropolitan hubs by extension,  TOP 3 ASSETS FOR RESIDENTS  10 8. 4  Smalll Town Safety Character  Location School District  made it a convenient place to live and raise at family. The school district was often stated as al key asset, howevert there was little elaboration on whate exact characteristics elicited: sucha al highl level of satisfaction. Other assets which were stated less frequently include high levels of government cooperation with staff  and residents, relatively high home values, and affordability.  September 2019  Page 3of7    Fowler General Plan Update  STAKEHOLDER INTERVIEWS Summary  2. WHAT ARE THE TOP THREE ASSETS THAT THE CITY OF FOWLER OFFERSTOITS  BUSINESSES?  Stakeholders identified several key assets for businesses, with the top three including location, a business-friendly, environment, and economic opportunity. Locational assets mainly relate to the City's proximity to the SR 99 corridor and railroad accessibility, while economic opportunity refers to the high quantity of development opportunities within the City's industrial core. A streamlined, relatively easy permitting process as well as City responsiveness contributed to the  TOP 3 ASSETS FOR BUSINESSES  10  Location  Business Friendly  Economic Opportunities  identification of FoMerashawingabusines-temdyemviromment. Other less frequent responses included  safety, small community, and resident support ofl local businesses.  3. WHAT ARE THE TOP THREE ISSUES OR CHALLENGES THAT THE CITY OF FOWLER SHOULD FOCUS ONTO IMPROVE: SERVICE TO EITHER ITS RESIDENTS OR BUSINESSES?  Stakeholder response to this question. yielded four top responses, with the need for an expanded chamber of commerce and expansion of park services tying for first place. Lack ofamenities and limited housing development and design standards came in third and fourth place, respectively. With regard to the chamber of commerce, it was noted that the chamber and its services were relatively young and limited compared to other more developed chambers. Coordinated branding and the creation of business support services were identified as  TOP 3 CHALLENGES  2  Chamber of Parks & Commerce & Recreation Business Support Services  Amenities Limited Housing  Development & Quality  being two main areas for improvement for the current chamber of commerce. Park services were also identified: as beingat top challenge. Currently, park services are coordinated throughjoint use agreements with local schools. While there is al high level of coordination between the City and the Fowler Unified School District, it was stated that maintenance agreements may need to be coordinated at al higher level. Inaddition, current park facilities are in high demand and may need to be expanded. Housing availability and range of choice were listed as a challenge as well. It was stated that design guidelines for housing quality need to be developed, especially for higher density housing product. In addition to these main responses, other less frequent responses included circulation issues, development streamlining, limited staff resources, limited business ownership, slow economic growth, and small tax base.  September 2019  Page 4of7    Fowler General Plan Update  STAKEHOLDER INTERVIEWS Summary  4. WHAT ARE YOUR TOP PRIORITIES FOR THE CITY IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS? 20 YEARS?  Five-year priorities for the City of Fowler parallel major themes identified within the City's top challenges. Top responses include service expansion, economic improvements. Comments on service circulation issues, including truck routes, Golden State Corridor improvements, as well as connections between east and west Fowler. Downtown improvements included both phystalimprovements, such as façade rehabilitation, as well as coordinated  Five Year Priorities  development, expansion  and  downtown  specifically mentioned  Infrastructure & Service Expansion Development  Economic  Downtown Revitalization & Business Support Services  service improvement which could potentially be provided through the Chamber of Commerce. Twenty-year priorities were much more varied, with no real trends emerging. Overall, comments tended to reference the need to address and keep pace with future growth, although no specific issue was identified as being a top hurdle, challenge, or opportunity. Some topics mentioned include water issues, downtown improvements, branding, circulation, park and public facilities expansion, visioning, and public  infrastructure.  5. WHAT BENEFITS WOULD THERE BE IF THE CITY EXPANDS?  Top! benefits of expansion include increased housing stock, economic development opportunities, and service expansion to the west side. Service expansion to the west L 8 side is recognized as a major facilitator of development in that area. Other economic development benefits include increased commercial opportunities;, including amenities which might help façilitate resident retention. Less frequent responses included a larger tax base, positive impacts to downtown businesses, and additional  Top Benefits of Expansion  7: 6 5  access to SR99.  Increase Housing Stock  Economic  Infrastructure. &  Development Service Expansion  September 2019  Page 5of7    Fowler General Plan Update  STAKEHOLDER INTERVIEWS Summary  6. WHATI IS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE YOUTHINK THE CITY FACES IF THEY DO EXPAND?  Land use planning and growth coordination was the top concern for stakeholderswith regards to expansion challenges. This concern was mentioned considerably more often than any of the other responses. Concernsint thisareainclude: all aspects of the planning and development process, including Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCo) coordination, California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) review, and land use planning. Lack of existing infrastructure within the expansion area was also cited as a major hurdle.  Top Challenges of Expansion  Branding Growth Infrastructure Lossof  Staff  Coordination & Service Character Resources  Expansion  Although it should be noted that stakeholders also see implementation of service expansion as a top benefit of growth. Loss of small-town character, limited City staff resources, and lack of coordinated branding were all equally represented as potential challenges to expansion. Density challenges, City politics, and competition with other cities were also mentioned, although with less frequency than the  topics identified above.  7. PLEASE LISTT THE FOLLOWING IN ORDER OF PRIORITY. ONE BEING THE TOP PRIORITY AND  FIVE BEING THE LOWEST. Stakeholders were asked to evaluate five topics of concern for the City of Fowler and rank them in order, with one being the top priority and five being the lowest. Topics chosen for rank evaluation included economic development, connecting the east and west sides of Fowler, parks and recreation, walkability, and downtown revitalization. It should be mentioned that walkability and east/west connections were at times identifiedas having the same ranking. In addition,  Top Five Priority Ranking  3  0  Economic Downtown Parks& East/ West Walkability Development Revitalization Recreation Connections  some respondents felt that several of the categories really pertained to the same goal and were ranked equally as a result. For example, connecting the east and west sides of Fowler, downtown revitalization, and economic development were: all identified as serving the samei function and were ranked accordingly. Responses were analyzed by averaging various rankings by category. Economic development was a clear top priority, with downtown revitalization and parks and recreation coming in nearly tied for second and third place, respectively. The east to west connection was identified as the second to last priority, while walkability was identified as the lowest priority out of the five options. Additional priorities identified during the interviews included water rates, the amount of active recreationspace, the need for water and  storm drain master plans, and future water capacity.  September 2019  Page 60 of7    Fowler General Plan Update  STAKEHOLDER INTERVIEWS Summary  ADDITIONAL NOTES, COMMENTS, AND CONCERNS  Several concerns were mentioned throughout the discussion which do not fit into the discussion topics  noted above, including the following:  There is a need for a community center for children. Joint Use Agreements for parks need to address maintenance issues. The City's government offices may need to be relocated. There is a need for a community center and civic center. Truck routes should bei incorporated as part of the Circulation Element. Focus on design guidelines and interface /compatibility guidelines.  Add community events to help draw people into the City. These events can be focused ony youth.  There isa a need for a grocery: store.  September 2019  Page 7of7    CITY OF FOWLER  GENERAL PLAN UPDATE  KEY ISSUES REPORT September 2019    City of Fowler General Plan Update INTRODUCTION  Key Issues Report  The City of Fowler has initiated a comprehensive General Plan Update process. The General Plan, once complete, will be an overarching policy document that guides City actions and provides a blueprint for land use and development within the City. The City adopted its first General Plan in 1976 and adopted subsequent updates for land use, circulation, and economic development in 2009. The remainder of the mandatory General Plan elements have not been updated since the original document was adopted in Update efforts will look ahead to the year. 2040, making adjustments based on current issues and emergent trends, and positioning the City of Fowler for the next 20 years. The update also brings the General Plan into compliance with new laws related to climate adaptation, complete streets, and As part of the update process, the Provost and Pritchard consultant team (consultant team) conducted two distinct tasks to date designedt to solicit input from a cross-section of interests andt toi identify existing conditions that would inform identification of key issues for consideration during the process  1976.  floodplains.  Stakeholder Interviews, consisting of 14 focused interviews with stakeholders over a 2-month period. Interviews were conducted with stakeholders representing diverse interests across the community, including City Staff, local business owners, City residents, and City Council members. Preparation of a Community Report, which summarizes the existing conditions within the City of Fowler as it relates to a number oft topics that will be addressed in the General Plan Together, the stakeholder responses and the community report inform the key issues that will be considered int the drafting ofthe General Plan update. The Keyl Issues! Summary' willi ini turn provide a basis for the community vision statement and subsequent, goals, policies, and procedures included int the final General Plan document. This summary identifies the key issues that were. identified through the  stakeholderi interviews and preparation of the Fowler Community Report.  Stakeholder Interviews  During the months of April and May of 2019, the consultant team for the City of Fowler's General Plan Update conducted 14 stakeholder interviews. The interviews were intended to solicit an understanding of issues and challenges the community currently faces, what aspects of the community stakeholders found to be beneficial to residents and local businesses, as well as what issues should be addressed asa The consultant team interviewed stakeholdersindwdualy or, in some cases, in groups oftwo. While there was a standard list of questions prepared to ensure that interviewers touched on particular topics, the questions were not shared with the interviewees. This allowed the meetings to be more conversational and provided an opportunity fori individual concerns to be expressed based on the interviewees' relevant experience with City processes and challenges rather than be limited to pre-determined questions.  priorityi in the General Plan Update.  September 2019  Page 1of3    City of Fowler General Plan Update  Keyl Issues Report  Interviewees were also informed of the intent to keep individual comments confidential to encourage See Attachment, A: Stakeholder, Interviews! Summary Memoj for additional details on thei interview process  more frank discussions with the consultant team.  and comments received.  Fowler Community Report  A General Plan update requires as solid knowledge base of existing physical environmental, economic, and social conditions. The Community Report was therefore one of the first major steps in the General Plan update process. It summarizes baseline conditions in Fowler and the surrounding planning area and identifies preliminary planning implications that the update should address going forward. This Report will contribute useful background. material for the environmental analysis that occurs later in the process. The information conveyed in the Community Report will also help community members, City staff, and elected officials make informed decisions throughout the rest of the General Plan update.  KEY ISSUES AND CONSIDERATIONS  Thei following key issues include those topics or considerations' that were derived from feedback received during the stakeholder interviews as well as those considerations that were identified through the  preparation of the Community Report. Key Issues Identified  The following keyi issues arel listedi in no particular order; however, they generally falli in level ofi importance based on stakeholder input. Many of the key issues are specifically related to community identity, economic development needs, local amenities, and other issues related to planning fort future growth. Economic Development. Increase the amount of business support services offered by the chamber of commerce. Help the chamber become a "one stop shop" for business development for the City and consider pursuing branding efforts to help attract development and increase amenities. Local Amenities. Increase amenities which help attract and keep residents and businesses int the area. Growth Coordination. Growth coordination and expansion will be al key focal point of future long-range planning efforts. Concerns include expanding the Sphere of Influence, LAFCO coordination,  environmental regulation, and land use planning.  Infrastructure Expansion. Infrastructure and City service expansion were considered both opportunities and constraints to future growth. Road infrastructure as well as police, water, and fire services were all Circulation. Connection points, road capacity, design principles, pedestrian enhancements and linking the east and west sides oft the City are an existing challenge and will be al keyi issue when considering  cited as being top concerns ini thei face of expansion of the planning area.  expansion oft the planning area. September 2019  Page 2 of3    City of Fowler General Plan Update  Key Issues Report  Parks and Recreation. Identify opportunities to increase efficiency of current joint use agreements, address maintenance issues, and implement a plan fori increased park and recreation facility demands. Community Character. As small-town character was identified as one of Fowler'stop: assets. Preservation  of that community character should be at top priority ini future planning efforts.  September 2019  Page 30 of3