TRUCKEE, Calif. — The Truckee Town Council took several actions Tuesday to strengthen community engagement, advance river revitalization, improve public event safety, update recreation fees, and launch the next cycle of housing planning. Here’s a closer look at the council’s decisions.

Championing Inclusion

The council unanimously adopted the Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility (IDEA) Action Plan, a five-year roadmap designed to make Truckee a more inclusive and accessible community. Developed with input from all town departments and guided by a multi-department steering committee, the plan centers on six focus areas: community engagement; tribal recognition and engagement; external communications; organizational structure and culture; staff education on IDEA; and equitable town processes.

“We become a stronger, smarter community when more people are engaged,” said Mayor Jan Zabriskie. “We want a diversity of views that reflects the diversity of backgrounds in our community, and this plan moves us in that direction.”

The plan incorporates insights from more than 30 stakeholder meetings, discussions with community-based organizations, and a bilingual town-wide survey of 600 participants. Once finalized, it will be professionally formatted, translated into Spanish, and shared online and through local partners.

While all council members welcomed the plan, several expressed the need to proceed with caution. Concerns focused on the plan’s extensive steps and targets, with calls for clear measures of success to track progress and identify areas needing adjustments or additional effort.

“I know we are always adapting and learning from things,” said Councilmember Courtney Henderson. “For now, this is great work, and I’m excited to move forward.”

The council will receive quarterly updates on progress as part of the 2025–2027 Strategic Priorities Work Plan.

Reviving the Truckee River

The council approved the R3 Playbook, the River Revitalization Action Plan, the result of nearly two years of public dialogue, technical analysis, and committee-led planning. It outlines a shared vision for the Truckee River corridor with three core goals: restore, revive, and reimagine.

“What an incredibly beautiful document this is — the graphics, the layout, the flow,” said Councilmember Anna Klovstad. “It’s so reminiscent of our beautiful Truckee River, which you’ve all been emboldened to protect, preserve, and revitalize.”

The plan includes 29 recommendations covering river health, zoning updates, public access improvements, and incentive strategies, accompanied by concept plans and visualizations. Implementation will continue through partnerships with Catalyst Project stakeholders, coordination of priority actions, and annual council updates.

“This is such a great representation of ‘The Truckee Way’ — something the town can truly lead with,” said Councilmember Lindsay Romack. “This will be a living document, and we will add to it as we learn. That’s the goal and intent: to continually form new ideas.”

7th Cycle Housing Element Kickoff

On June 25, 2025, the Town Council approved a contract with Ascent Environmental to provide consulting services for drafting and adopting Truckee’s updated Housing Element. This update is required by state law to ensure compliance with the upcoming 7th planning cycle, which covers 2027–2035.

The Housing Element is a key part of every general plan. It demonstrates how jurisdictions will meet state-mandated housing needs while balancing infrastructure, environmental priorities, and community goals. Without certification by the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD), jurisdictions risk losing eligibility for housing-related grants and local authority over housing projects.

The state recently announced that the 7th cycle begins May 15, 2027, requiring the Town to adopt and certify its updated Housing Element by that date.

With Tuesday’s approval, the council officially kicked off the update. Staff and consultants will now work on the project timeline, site inventories, and public engagement strategies.

“This is a process we have to go through as a community,” said Councilmember Henderson. “We have agencies and partners we can collaborate with and lean on for this.”

Fee Updates

The council unanimously approved updates to subdivision park and recreation fees, also known as Quimby Fees, based on the 2025 Quimby Land Dedication and In-Lieu Fee Study by SCI Consulting Group. The revised fees will apply to new residential subdivisions.

Event Safety Boost

The council authorized the purchase of two 54-unit Pitagone F18 barrier trailer kits from ARX Perimeters LLC., totaling $192,352 plus freight and sales tax. The barriers will be used to enhance safety and traffic control at public events.