Plymouth City Councilman Greg Baldwin stated that gangs from the Modesto and Sacramento areas are coming up to Amador County and an ordinance along these lines will “help preserve our way of life by discouraging gangs from coming to the city of Plymouth”. Baldwin also told the council that Sheriff-Elect Martin Ryan approves of the ordinance and that Sheriff-Elect Ryan had used noise control as a tool to reduce gang activity previously with the Department of Justice. This ordinance was a discussion item only, and as such, could not be voted on by the Council. It will be brought back before them in the future. The council also held a public hearing introducing a newly written tree preservation ordinance. An ordinance that members of the public felt was "constrictive." The ordinance would regulate the removal of trees 20 inches in diameter or 4 ft. 6 inches in height. The ordinance would also require a permit and a professional evaluation of the removal of any questionable trees. Although, the ordinance is intended to preserve the local natural habitat against future growth and pollution, the citizens of Plymouth felt that they would be "constricted and hassled" by the government if the ordinance were in place. Citizens pointed out the time and cost it would take for a simple removal of a dead tree over 20 inches in diameter. The city's legal council, Michael Dean, stated that other cities in Northern California have such ordinances and they are quite effective to control the local landscape. The council decided to hold a special meeting in January to iron out all wrinkles and rough spots in the ordinance and then reevaluate the ordinance’s potential impacts versus positive affects.