Amador County – The Plymouth City Council at its meeting today is scheduled to get a report from council members and staff on an early December trip to the city of Yountville in Napa, where the small town thrives with tourism. City Manager Dixon Flynn planned the trip to show the council how the town, with a population of 3,600, has embraced and thrived what he calls agricultural tourism. Flynn said Yountville has “Transient Occupancy Tax” receipts of $3.6 million annually, compared to Plymouth, which Finance Director Jeff Gardner said earns a TOT tax income of $150,000 annually. The Plymouth contingent went to hear about Yountville’s programs and their successes. Making the trip with Flynn were Mayor Patricia Fordyce, Councilman Jon Colburn, City Clerk Gloria Stoddard and Community Development Director Barry Siebe. Flynn talked about the trip after their return in December. He said the trip was “really enlightening.” Yountville has “generated quite a few jobs throughout their community with good salaries,” and have “actually built their reputation for being a culinary destination,” with “5 world-class restaurants.” Flynn said the city has a 65-room hotel, built at a cost of $65 million, or a million dollars a room. He said: “Where are we going to find those kinds of investors?” He said Yountville is “built for rich tourists,” and local residents have to go to Napa to get to a drug store. Yountville officials lived by the credo that “urban growth occurs in urban areas,” and its planning does “not allow restaurants at wineries,” and retail in rural areas. He said Plymouth and the Shenandoah Valley wine country could benefit from that practice, and invite people to come spend money, then go home to Sacramento. He said ag tourism would help create jobs and keep young people from deserting Plymouth and Amador County. Stoddard said it was a worthwhile trip, and the council likely will get a full report, as scheduled on today’s agenda. Stoddard said in a way, Plymouth was better off than Yountville because they are in the middle of wine country, while Plymouth is “the gateway to the wine country.” Yountville is about 9 miles from Napa itself. Flynn is scheduled to give a verbal report of the trip today. The council will also hear a report form consultant Richard Prima on the status of the city water pipeline, attaching Plymouth to the Amador Water Agency plant on Ridge Road in Sutter Creek. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.