Citywide Policy Documents

City Charter
The City of San Luis Obispo changed from a General Law City to a Charter City on May 1, 1876. Under the state constitution, charter cities have more independence than general law cities in managing their municipal affairs. The Charter is the City’s “constitution,” and the starting point for all other regulations.
For more information, contact the City Clerk Department.

Municipal Code
The Municipal Code contains all of the regulatory, penal, and administrative ordinances of the City of San Luis Obispo, codified according to the Government Code of the State of California.
For more information, contact the City Clerk Department.

Council Policies and Procedures Manual
This manual establishes guidelines for the conduct of Council meetings. It also sets forth other policies and procedures related to the Council such as appointments to advisory bodies, Council compensation, and Council/staff relationships.
For more information, contact the City Clerk Department.

Advisory Body Handbook
This handbook provides an overview of the City’s advisory bodies, why they were established, and how they function within the overall governmental framework. The handbook defines the role and charge of each body and outlines the responsibilities of individual advisory body members.
For more information, contact the City Clerk Department.

City Code of Ethics
The purpose of this code is to establish and communicate City standards for ethical conduct. Containing examples, it addresses conflicts-of-interest (real and perceived), public confidence, acceptance of favors, use of confidential information, use of City facilities, contracts, outside employment personal investments, and each individual employee’s personal responsibility for ethical behavior.
For more information, contact the Department of Human Resources.

General Plan
A General Plan is the blueprint of a community’s future addressing land use, transportation, housing, open space preservation, conservation of resources, public safety, and noise. In addition to these mandated topics, called elements, San Luis Obispo’s General Plan also addresses energy conservation, park and recreational facility development, water, and wastewater treatment facilities.
For more information, contact the Community Development Department.

Zoning Regulations
These set forth the City’s planning zones, allowed uses and development standards.
For more information, contact the Community Development Department.

A Conceptual Physical Plan for the City’s Center
The City’s downtown business and shopping area is over 100 years old and is rich in historical, cultural, and social significance. This plan guides development and change in the central business district by providing design concepts and policies for this key area of the City.
For more information, contact the Community Development Department.

Facilities Master Plan: 1988-2010
This report consolidates the findings of previous consultant and staff reports, census and economic data, field investigations, staff interviews and data from city-wide office workspace studies. The Master Plan examines potential solutions to existing and projected facility needs.
For more information, contact the Public Works Department.

Utilities

Urban Water Management Plan Utilities
This policy document provides a strategic plan for the continued development of the City’s water resources and its treatment and delivery systems.
For more information, contact the Utilities Department.

Wastewater Management Plan Utilities
Wastewater is another critical resource consideration for the City. Recent upgrades to the water reclamation facility and other large capital requirements required to modernize the entire infrastructure will significantly influence financial planning for many years to come. Like the Urban Water Management Plan, this document is a policy instrument that defines and analyzes the key wastewater issues facing the City and recommends solutions.
For more information, contact the Utilities Department.

Transportation

Short Range Transit Plan
This plan outlines five year goals and objectives for transit system operation and objectives.
For more information, contact the Public Works Department.

Neighborhood Traffic Management Guidelines
These guidelines set forth various alternatives for managing traffic in neighborhood areas, and provides a process for neighborhoods to follow in implementing them.
For more information, contact the Public Works Department.

Draft Parking and Downtown Access Plan
This draft plan addressees parking issues throughout the City. However, these issues are primarily focused in the downtown where the City provides the highest level of parking management. The City wants to maintain an attractive and vibrant downtown. This will require that a broad range of transportation alternatives be available to those wishing access to the downtown. The draft plan defines how downtown parking demand will be met using a combination of parking demand reduction, parking management and parking expansion. It is consistent with the City’s long-term vision for the downtown as set forth in the adopted A Conceptual Physical Plan the City’s Center. It is also consistent with the City’s General Plan Circulation Element, and is supported the Short Range Transit and Bicycle Plans.
For more information, contact the Public Works Department.

Pavement Management Plan
The City maintains over 100 miles of streets representing a significant community investment in infrastructure and rights-of-way. The Plan’s objectives are to establish design and maintenance standards, prioritize maintenance actions, schedule long term maintenance activities to obtain maximum pavement life, and protect the investment made in pavement systems.
For more information, contact the Public Works Department.

Bicycle Transportation Plan
This plan identifies projects and programs that encourage and enhance bicycling in San Luis Obispo. A key element of this plan is the recommended network of bikeways (on-street lanes and routes and off-street paths) that extend throughout the community and connect neighborhoods with activity centers.
For more information, contact the Public Works Department.

Flood Management Policy
There are several natural waterways, feeder streams, and catch basins within the City which are critical drainage channels as well as sensitive resource areas. The objectives of the policy include maintaining creeks in a natural state to the maximum extent feasible and preventing the loss of life and minimizing property damage from flooding. Additionally, the policy establishes design capabilities, development guidelines, flood management standards and priorities, and an action plan.
For more information, contact the Public Works Department.

Administrative

Information Technology Master Plan
Effectively using information technology is a key component of the City’s overall strategy to improve productivity, customer service and public access to City information. This plan sets forth a strategy for acquiring and supporting information technology resources through 1999.
For more information, contact the Finance Department.

Property Management Manual
This document aims to maximize the productive use of the City’s real property assets by defining property management activities, assigning responsibility for property management to the appropriate City departments, and establishing a process for developing and maintaining a comprehensive inventory and data base of the City’s real property assets.
For more information, contact the Finance Department.

Public Art Policy
Adopted in May of 1990, this policy encourages the creation and placement of public art throughout the community. Implementation components include “percent for art” and matching fund programs.
For more information, contact the Administration.

Fleet Management Program
This policy document establishes fleet management responsibilities including purchasing and disposition, insurance, vehicle utilization, and operations and maintenance.
For more information, contact the Finance Department.

Goals & Objectives Reporting System
The Financial Plan identifies major goals to be accomplished over its two year timeframe. Formal reports are provided to the Council on a periodic basis which report our progress in accomplishing these goals as well as the status of capital improvement plan projects or other key objectives.
For more information, contact the Finance Department.

Personnel Rules and Regulations
As set forth in Section 3.26 of the City’s Municipal Code, the purpose of these is to establish an equitable and uniform procedure for dealing with personnel matters, to attract and retain competent personnel, and to assure that appointments and promotions of employees will be based on merit and fitness.
For more information, contact the Department of Human Resources.

Risk Management Manual
The City’s goals, policies, and procedures regarding risk management activities are provided in this document.
For more information, contact the Department of Human Resources.

Financial

Budget-in-Brief
This “newsletter” style summary of the City’s 1999-01 Financial Plan highlights key budget issues, sets forth major City goals and summarizes key Financial Plan facts.
For more information, contact the Finance Department.

1999-01 Financial Plan
The City uses a two-year budget process in linking the most important, highest priority things the City to accomplish, and the resources necessary to do so. The Financial Plan is prepared based on clearly articulated fiscal policies that are contained in the document itself. In addition to identifying major City goals and other important objectives, the Financial Plan shows projected revenues, operating costs, capital, improvement plan projects and debt service requirements for 1999-01.
For more information, contact the Finance Department.

General Fund Five Year Fiscal Forecast: 1999-2004
The City begins each of its two-year Financial Plans with a detailed forecast of the General Fund’s projected financial position for the next five years. This forecast is provided to the Council in conjunction with the goal-setting process. The forecast looks trends for the past ten years in the consumer price index, population, revenues and expenditures. Based on these past trends as well as economic forecasts prepared for the state and region by the UCLA and UCSB, revenue forecasts prepared by the State Controller’s Office, and other key assumptions prepared by the staff about likely revenue and expenditure factors that will affect the upcoming Financial Plan, the forecast provides an “order of magnitude” feel for the fiscal challenges likely to face the City in preparing the budget.
For more information, contact the Finance Department.

Financial Management Manual
This manual is distributed to key individuals throughout the organization who are involved in managing the financial operations of the City. As indicated by its title, the purpose of this document is to provide a single, up-to-date reference source of the major policies and procedures that guide the administration of the City’s fiscal affairs. Subject areas include internal control concepts, purchasing policies and procedures, travel guidelines, fixed assets and inventory management, budget policies and procedures, accounting policies and procedures, and general administrative policies that affect the City’s fiscal operations.
For more information, contact the Finance Department.

Investment Management Plan
The purpose of this plan is to establish strategies, practices, and procedures to be used in administering the City’s investment portfolio in accordance with the City’s adopted Investment Policy.
For more information, contact the Finance Department.

Revenue Management Manual
This manual is distributed to key individuals throughout the organization who are responsible for managing the financial operations of the City. As indicated by its title, the purpose of this document is to provide a single, up-to-date reference source of the major policies and procedures that guide the administration of the City’s revenue. Subject areas include revenue chart of accounts, revenue sources, cash management, accounts receivable, City fees, employee labor rates, and revenue management policies.
For more information, contact the Finance Department.

Cost Allocation Plan
The cost allocation plan identifies the total cost of providing City services by allocating indirect costs such as accounting, personnel, legal, and facility usage to direct program cost areas. It used in recovering grant program costs, determining enterprise fund reimbursements for services they receive from General Fund, setting user fees, and identifying hourly labor rates. The plan is updated every two years in conjunction with the Financial Plan.
For more information, contact the Finance Department.

Monthly and Quarterly Financial Reports
In addition to providing up-to-date, on-line access to City financial information, the Department of Finance publishes interim financial statements on a monthly and quarterly basis. Monthly reports are distributed to the operating departments at a detailed level for ongoing monitoring and tracking of revenues and expenditures. Formal quarterly reports are prepared for distribution to a broader group of end users that summarize revenues, expenditures, and fund balance, and highlight key trends and issues. The purpose of these reports is to provide meaningful information on an ongoing basis regarding the City’s financial position as well as emerging trends.
For more information, contact the Finance Department.

Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR)
The CAFR includes the City’s audited general purpose financial statements as well as a comprehensive review of the City’s financial operations and statistical information of general interest about the San Luis Obispo community. The City’s commitment to the highest levels of financial reporting is evidenced by its receipt of the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting for all of its CAFR’s issued since 1983-84.
For more information, contact the Finance Department.