By Jim Reece - The Ione City Council and Planning Department hosted a General Plan workshop Monday at the Evalynn Bishop Hall in Ione, with 45 people attending. Daniel Hamilton of Rancho Cordova hosted the meeting with computer program and individual voting clickers for audience members, giving the ability to poll the crowds on the City of Ione regarding the general plan and the future of the city. The live polling asked various questions with results shown. One poll showed the biggest concern for the city was deterioration of downtown, at 34 percent of the crowd, while 18 percent picked development pressure and another 18 percent said shopping or the lack thereof in Ione. Hamilton took public input, with Vice mayor Lee Ard said that Ione does not have businesses in town that the local people will patronize. Instead they go to Martell or El Dorado Hills to shop. Councilman Jim Ulm said it was hard to compete with Martell’s big stores. Another man said the commercial rent downtown was high too. Hamilton said residents would be surprised at how big an impact a general plan can have on attracting businesses to a city. On Transportation, 65 percent of the audience saw a Highway 104 Bypass as the best benefit to Ione, while 28 percent thought new connecting roadways in the community would be better. City Planner Christopher Jordan said the bypass would be part of a larger highway infrastructure for Ione, meant to maintain the commercial area and the retail center of Ione. For foot traffic improvements, 45 percent of the audience saw expansion of the sidewalk system as a high priority, 34 percent preferred building or marking bicycle lanes and 18 percent preferred adding transit routes and times. For helping downtown, 51 percent of the audience supported financial recruitment packages to draw new businesses to town, while 41 percent preferred a building façade improvement program. 741 percent of the group thought downtown Ione should strive to be more like Murphys, with 19 percent not sure.