Attachment 3Community Engagement
Overview
TOWN COUNCIL / PLANNING COMMISSION
Presented October 1, 2018
ATTACHMENT 3
In Person Engageme nt Activities ...................................................................................................................................................... 1
Community Wo rkshop s ................................................................................................................................................................................................. 1
Community Ev ent B ooths............................................................................................................................................................................................ 2
GPAC Meet ings ................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 2
Presentations to Local Service Clubs, Sc hools, and Other Commun ity Organi zations ................................................. 3
Presentations to Town Boards , Committees, an d Commissions .................................................................................................... 3
Town Council/Planning Commission Stud y Sessions, Meetings , and Hear ings ................................................................ 3
Online Engage ment T ools ................................................................................................................................................................... 4
General Plan Update Webs ite: losgatos 2040.c om ................................................................................................................................... 4
Engageme ntHQ .................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 4
Translat ion .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 4
Outreach Tool s ......................................................................................................................................................................................... 5
Outreach Matrix ........................................................................................................................................................................................ 5
General Plan Upda te Newsle tters ................................................................................................................................................... 5
Branding ...................................................................................................................................................................................................... 6
COMMUNITY ENGAGE MENT OVERVIEW | 1
This document details the outreach methods to be used throughou t the Los Gatos General Plan update process. It
describes how the engagement will be structured to provide ampl e opportunities for community engagement.
IN PERSON ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES
Community Workshops
The following is a list of comm unity workshops that will be a p art of the General Plan update process. For each
workshop, a preliminary descript ion of the event is provided. The actual activities at each workshop may change.
These workshops will be held at d ifferent locations throughout Town.
Community Workshop #1 – Update Initiation: Community Workshop #1 will prov ide an overview of the key
steps in the General Plan update process, the purpose and scope of the update, and community engagement
opportunities. The community will be asked to identify issues and opportunities that should be addressed as part
of the General Plan update.
Community Workshop #2 – Issues and Opportunities Refinement: Community Workshop #2 will have three
major components: (1) An overvi ew of the existing conditions a nd trends that will influence the future of the
community; (2) Interactive exerci ses to obtain input on issues and opportunities identified by Town Council,
Planning Commission, General Pl an Update Advisory Committee (GP AC), first Community Workshop, and other
outreach activities; and (3) Sma ll group discussions on unique features of Los Gatos, pla ces they like to take out‐
of‐town visitors, places they co nsider “public‐places” (i.e., p laces where people gather), and natural or manmade
features that make the community special.
Community Workshop #3 – Vision and Guiding Principles: Community Workshop #3 will include several
interactive visioning exercises that encourage community partic ipation and dialogue about the future of Los
Gatos.
Community Workshop #4 – Alternative Choices: Community Workshop #4 will focu s on identifying land use and
policy choices based on previou s Town Council direction and com munity input. For example, policy alternatives
could address transportation options, healthy community updates , public facility choices, and so forth.
Community Workshop #5 – Draft General Plan: Community Workshop #5 will include an open house to present
the Draft General Plan to the co mmunity. The open house could be set up in the format where residents can visit
stations or “booths” focused on e ach element of the General Pla n.
Scoping Meeting : The scoping meeting is associat ed with the release of the No tice of Preparation (NOP) for the
Environmental Impact Report (EIR). The Scoping Meeting will be held during the 30‐day NOP period to introduce
the community to the EIR proce ss and obtain input on the Progra m EIR scope of work. It will include a brief
presentation by the consultant, followed by public comment and input from meeting attendees. The consultants
will prepare a summary of all input gathered, which will be inc luded in the Draft Program EIR along with any
written public comments received during the NOP comment period.
2 | COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT OVERVIEW
Community Event Booths
To broaden the reach of engagem ent, Town staff will set up “pop ‐up” booths at several community events in Los
Gatos.
Booth Content
The booth will feature display boards and hand‐outs that provid e an overview of the General Plan update,
information on opportunities to ge t involved, and activities to obtain community input relevant to the current
planning effort. The activities may be similar to the exercise s from the most recent co mmunity workshop. Display
boards will also be provided to support the events.
Sample Events for Booths
The following are sample events t hat could be used for the pop‐up booths. Actual events will be posted to the
General Plan update website.
Event Name Date Location
Farmers' Market Sundays (9 a.m. – 1 p.m.) Town Park Plaza,
Downtown Los Gatos
Main Street / N. Santa Cruz Avenue
Los Gatos Music in the Park July through early Au gust Civic Cen ter Lawn
Spring into Green April 2019 Town Plaza Park and a portion of
Main Street,
Downtown Los Gatos
GPAC Meetings
The General Plan Update Advisory Committee (GPAC) has been appo inted by the Town Council to guide the
preparation of the General Pla n update and its associated mater ials. The GPAC will provide technical input and
review of draft documents, incl uding the Background Report, Iss ues and Opportunities Summary, Vision and Guiding
Principles, Alternatives Report, Draft General Plan, and Draft Program EIR. The public will have an opportunity to
provide written comments and/or v erbal testimony at all meeting s.
The members of the GPAC include the Town’s General Plan Committ ee (two Council members, three Planning
Commissioners, and four residents) plus three additional reside nts.
The GPAC is expected to meet mont hly over a two‐year period, al though this may vary. Of the GPAC meetings
programed, six meetings are specifically described below to hig hlight key work items and some work items will likely
require more than one meeting.
GPAC Meeting #1– Introduction to the General Plan Update Proces s and Work Products .
GPAC Meeting #2 – Review Existing Conditions Background Report .
GPAC Meeting #3 – Review Draft I ssues, Opportunities, and Const raints Report .
GPAC Meeting #4 – Review Draft Vision and Guiding Principles .
GPAC Meeting #5 – Review Dr aft Alternatives Report .
GPAC Meeting #6 – Review Draft General Plan .
COMMUNITY ENGAGE MENT OVERVIEW | 3
Presentations to Local Service Clubs, Schools, and Other Community
Organizations
As appropriate throughout the G eneral Plan update process, staf f will be available to make presentations to
local service clubs, schools, a nd community organizations to ob tain additional input and engagement in the
development of the new General Plan.
Presentations to Town Boards, Committees, and Commissions
As appropriate throughout the G eneral Plan update process, staf f will be available to make presentations to the
Town’s Boards, Committees, and Commissions to obtain additional input and engagement in the development
of the new General Plan.
Town Council/Planning Commission Study Sessions, Meetings, and Hearings
Study Sessions
Joint Study Session #1 – Introduction to the General Plan: The purpose of the first joint Town Council and
Planning Commission Study Session is to introduce the consultan t team, review the scope of the effort, identify
the key milestones and products o f the process, describe the st rategy for community engagement, explain
changes in State law and regulat ions since the last update, and discuss other importan t issues affecting the
General Plan update.
Joint Study Session #2 – Review Existing Conditions Report: The Town Council and Planning Commission will
discuss the implications of the report findings on the future o f the community.
Joint Study Session #3 – Review Issues and Opportunities Report : The Town Council and Planning Commission
will discuss the implications of the report findings for new or revised General Plan policies and programs and
solicit input on key issues and opportunities for the update.
Joint Study Session #4 – Vision and Guiding Principles: The purpose of this study sessi on is to gain direction from
the Town Council, based on inputs from the Planning Commission, on the Draft Vision Statement and Guiding
Principles and provide direction on the development of goals, p olicies, and implementation measures in the
General Plan update.
Joint Study Session #5 – Alternatives: The purpose of this study session is to gain direction from the Town
Council, based on inputs from the Planning Commission, on the a lternatives to be studied and to identify a
Preferred Alternative for further evaluation.
Joint Study Session #6 – Draft General Plan: The Town Council and Planning C ommission will discuss the maj or
features of the draft General Plan.
Joint Study Session #7 – Technical Issues: This Study Session will provide inform ation on Vehicle Miles Travele d
(VMT) metric, Climate Action Pla n, and other technical issues a ssociated with the General Plan update.
4 | COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT OVERVIEW
Meetings
At key milestones of the Genera l Plan update, the Town Council will be asked to approve the work products that have
been vetted at community worksho ps, GPAC meetings, and joint To wn Council/Planning Commission Study Sessions,
including the Issues and Opportuni ties Report, the Vision and G uiding Principles, the Alternatives, and the Preferred
Alternative for the new Genera l Plan. The Town Council will al so be asked to accept the Dra ft General Plan document
as the basis for the analysis in the Environmental Impact Repor t, recognizing that the Draft General Plan may have
additional revisions in resp onse to the EIR findings.
Hearings
Planning Commission Hearings a nd Recommendations on the Draft G eneral Plan and Environmental Impact
Report
Town Council Hearings and Consideration of the Draft General Pl an and Environmental Impact Report
ONLINE ENGAGEMENT TOOLS
General Plan Update Website: losgatos2040.com
The Los Gatos General Plan update has a distinct website to fac ilitate access to information, upcoming events, and
online community engagement. The website can be accessed direc tly at losgatos2040.com or through the Town’s
website: www.losgatosca.gov .
The website has the following features:
Overview of the General Plan update
Contact information
Announcements about upcoming meetings
Information on past meetings and events, including key document s and meeting summaries
Links to online community engagement activities (called Engagem ent HQ) and mapping resources
EngagementHQ
EngagementHQ is the platform for online public engagement throu gh surveys, opinion polls, discussion forums, photo
sharing, mapping exercises, and more. It also offers analysis and reporting tools to unders tand who is participating
and summarizes community input on a range of topics. The Engag ement HQ software will be used for active public
engagement for approximately 12‐mo nths during the development o f the General Plan (October 2018 –
October 2019), with the remainde r of the website maintained dur ing the public review portions of the update
(October 2019 – General Plan adoption).
Translation
An important goal of the General Plan update is to ensure that the process is inclusive and accessible to all segments
of the community. The General P lan update website can translat e the content into a variety of languages using an
interactive, automated service b ased on Google Translate. As w ith all machine‐based transl ations, this will be a very
close translation and will likel y lack some nuances of language based on context.
COMMUNITY ENGAGE MENT OVERVIEW | 5
OUTREACH TOOLS
This section outlines the various outreach methods to publicize meetings, events, and the release of important
documents.
Email Announcements/Email Blasts (eblasts)
General Plan Update Website
Social Media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Nextdoor)
Local Print and Television
OUTREACH MATRIX
The following table summarizes when the various outreach method s could be used to effectively inform the
community about upcoming events, meetings, and the release of i mportant documents. As not all methods are
necessary or appropriate for ever y announcement, the table offe rs suggestions based on th e type of information to
be announced.
Em
a
i
l
A
n
n
o
u
n
c
e
m
e
n
t
/
Em
a
i
l
B
l
a
s
t
s
We
b
s
i
t
e
So
c
i
a
l
M
e
d
i
a
Lo
c
a
l
M
e
d
i
a
Town Council and/or Pla nning Commission Meeting
General Plan Update Advisory Committee Meeting
Community Workshop
Release of Document/Work Product
Event Booth
Always When Needed N/A
GENERAL PLAN UPDATE NEWSLETTERS
Newsletters will be used to summa rize key milestones of the Gen eral Plan update process:
Newsletter #1 – General Plan Update Overview: Describes a General Plan, the purpose for the update, the
schedule and process outcomes, a nd community engagement opportu nities.
Newsletter #2 – Existing Conditions Background Report: Summarizes key findings from the Background Report
and initial outreach efforts.
6 | COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT OVERVIEW
Newsletter #3 – Alternatives: Summarizes the land use and po licy alternatives and generates public interest and
attendance for an upcoming community workshop where the public will have an opportuni ty to comment on the
alternatives.
Newsletter# 4 –Draft General Plan: Summarizes the Draft General Pl an that provides highlights of the key
features and changes in the updated General Plan.
BRANDING
The following logos brand the Lo s Gatos General Plan update. T he optional logos will be used depending on the
format of a document and/or slide presentation.
Primary Logo Optional Logo Optional Logo