Amador County – Sutter Creek City Council on Tuesday approved $1,000 to search for grants to fund “Commons Projects” but denied funds for a related “visioning workshop.”

The council approved paying $1,000 to consultants Rene Chapman and Karen Dickerson to research grants for the “Commons Project,” which would start by creating public gathering areas on and around the new Main Street bridge project.

The council voted 4-0 to approve the funding, and 3-1 to deny a $4,500 funding request for a Commons Project visioning workshop. To start the meeting, the council voted 4-0 (with Councilman Jim Swift absent) to select Linda Rianda as Mayor, and Sandy Anderson as Mayor Pro Tempore, for 2012.

Anderson dissented in the Visioning funding denial, and said she would prefer to hear what the council would get for the $4,500. She noted that the estimate did not include drawings, which would cost $2,500 more.

Rianda and the council directed staff to get details of what the city would get for $4,500, and also to get information from the Commons Project committee on “what you would do with funding toward moving forward with Visioning.”

Councilman Gary Wooten said City Manager Sean Rabe and Councilman Tim Murphy could lead a visioning workshop as well as consultants, the majority agreed they needed to fund the visioning. Anderson said they have “exhausted” the city’s volunteer resources and “used a lot of people” who should be paid for their work. Murphy moved to put the funds toward the committee, but it was agreed such an action was not part of the agenda.

Rabe said he would work with the Commons Project subcommittee, with Anderson and Planning Commissioner Frank Cunha, to discuss a workshop. Rene Chapman said she suggested the Commons Project visioning to connect the city and get community support for the project’s grant.

Cunha said the four-phase project would start with 60 feet of area on either side of the new bridge project, and may include public seating or gathering areas, but the need was to get public input on what the people would want the Commons Project to entail and look like. He said Sutter Creek has a lot of common areas that need to be looked at.

They discussed having a well-promoted Commons Project committee meeting and workshop to discuss what people wanted. Cunha said “we have virtually no outside seating,” and it cannot change over night. He said “that’s why we need a comprehensive master plan for downtown.”

He said “before we go too far, we need public input to see what people want” in public commons areas.

Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.