City staff updated the Pasco Planning Commission on the city’s periodic comprehensive plan update and three related planning studies during the commission’s May meeting.

The reports covered where consultants and city staff are in each project and outlined near‑term steps that will shape Pasco’s growth, transportation network and climate and energy resilience work through 2026.

City staff said the city selected Framework to lead the periodic comprehensive plan update and held an initial kickoff with the consultant and county jurisdictions in early May. Staff told commissioners that population‑projection models used in earlier updates had overestimated recent growth: a 2018 update projected 79,770 residents for 2020 but actual population was 77,108; a 2024 projection of 88,774 came in at 82,220. Staff said the “medium” forecast model will continue to be used for the next update. A city council kickoff for the comprehensive plan work is scheduled for June 9; the consultant‑led schedule presented to commissioners targets completion around December 2026 and is grant‑driven.

On the transportation system master plan, staff said the city has selected DKS Associates through the RFP process and recently executed a contract; a kickoff meeting is being scheduled and staff expects more detailed work and public outreach to follow.

The regional climate planning and greenhouse‑gas reductions project is a multi‑jurisdiction effort including Pasco, Kennewick, Richland, West Richland and Benton County. Staff said preliminary inventory work shows passenger vehicles account for roughly 37% of local emissions, industrial natural gas about 16% and freight vehicles about 15%. The policy audit reviewed 13 core documents and 33 supporting documents and identified 224 policies; staff reported those coded policies include 177 related to climate resilience, 82 related to greenhouse‑gas reductions and 26 addressing climate equity. Staff said the next steps are a deeper greenhouse‑gas analysis and drafting policy recommendations that may feed into the comprehensive plan update.

The energy resilience and electrical study was awarded to ScottMadden. Staff described that work as a relatively fast project (phase 2 of 3) with an anticipated closeout on a compressed schedule; consultants have issued initial drafts and graphics, are holding stakeholder interviews including with the Port of Pasco and Franklin County PUD, and plan workshops and additional check‑ins before finalizing the study.

Commissioners asked several implementation and outreach questions. Commissioner Pat Jones urged city planners to consider accessible public restrooms for downtown events as part of community‑wellbeing planning; another commissioner noted Peanut Park and Volunteer Park restrooms are open but that access farther south is limited. Commissioners asked whether the planning department has added staff to handle the increased workload from four concurrent projects; staff replied there are no new hires planned but the planning commission will be heavily engaged and consultants will carry much of the technical workload. Commissioners also asked about stakeholder groups for the climate and energy work; staff said the technical advisory group includes members of the agricultural community.

The presentation and discussion ended with staff reiterating the near‑term schedule: additional public outreach ahead for the comp plan update, a June 9 council kickoff, and milestone deadlines driven by grant agreements and state funding timelines.