The committee debated and rejected an amendment that would have required a mailed notice to property owners and occupants before processing and council review of area‑wide rezones. Council member Sacca sponsored the amendment and said mailed notices are a straightforward way to reach residents who otherwise might not see legal notices in trade publications or online.

Central staff and several council members raised questions about implementation costs, responsibility for compiling address lists, and the potential for legal challenges if the city failed to meet the new mailing requirement on time. Staff said OPCD’s outreach budget for the comprehensive plan cycle was about $150,000 and that a citywide mailed campaign comparable to the democracy‑voucher mailer approach could run to about $500,000. The sponsor said the requirement would be flexible (the department keeps discretion) and could be satisfied with a single mailed notice, but opponents warned mailed‑notice rules could create grounds for appeals if the city missed a deadline or used an imperfect mailing list.

Vote: the motion failed on a 3–5 roll call. Opponents included concerns that the new requirement would impose unpredictable costs on OPCD and create vulnerability to procedural appeals. Supporters said mailed notices improve transparency and give more residents a practical opportunity to weigh in on rezones that affect their neighborhoods.

Speakers quoted in this article spoke at the Sept. 18 Select Committee meeting.