Two workshops will be held later this month to get input on the update of the Ceres General Plan.

The first workshop is set for 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 25 at the Ceres Community Center, 2701 Fourth Street, and will be in English. The second workshop will be in Spanish and held at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 1 in Spanish.

The meeting is designed to receive alternatives that the Ceres City Council and Ceres Planning Commission considered in November. The council approved three alternative land use plans that represent a range of options for Ceres' future. Feedback and analysis on these alternatives will inform the development of the draft General Plan.

Currently a team formed by the city has been analyzing the three alternative plans based on housing, jobs, transportation, infrastructure and fiscal health.

The city is midway through the two-year process of updating the General Plan which was last adopted in 1997. By state law a city must have a General Plan and include seven elements: land use, open space, conservation, housing, circulation, noise and safety.

Tom Westbrook, the city's Director of Community Development, said the update will "reflect new trends and evaluate the effectiveness of the existing general plan to set what policy direction we want for aesthetics, where we want to grow, utility infrastructure, etc."

Once the General Plan is completed, it will be the foundation for an update of the Zoning Code and the nexus study for Public Facility Fees.

The vision statement and guiding principles were written after community meetings and the joint City Council-Planning Commission workshop.

The draft vision statement is designed to explain how city leaders want Ceres to be by 2035. It reads: "In 2035, Ceres has a continued connection to its agricultural heritage, a balance of housing and retail choices, ample job opportunities, an attractive downtown, rich cultural and community events and an abundance of recreational opportunities. Ceres is a place where families want to raise their children and businesses want to locate and flourish. In Ceres, people enjoy a safe and healthy city with first-rate community amenities and a clean and sustainable environment."