Amador County – The Ione Planning Commission will take public comment today on the city’s draft General Plan and its Environmental Impact Report. The comment period on the draft EIR closes on July 27th, and the public has until then to comment on the documents. The meeting at 6 p.m. today gives a chance for the public to comment in person before the Ione Planning Commission. The Ione Planning Department announced the meeting Monday. On June 10th, the Ione City Council and staff released the draft Environmental Impact Report for the city’s draft General Plan. The public can comment on the DEIR by attending the Planning Commission meeting beginning at 6 p.m. today, that is Tuesday, July 14th, in the council chambers at City Hall. Material for the meeting is available at Ione City Hall and on the General Plan Web site, at www.ionegeneralplan. com. The draft EIR is required by state law and analyzes the potential environmental impacts of the General Plan. Once the document is certified, it will become the primary environmental document to evaluate planning and permitting actions associated with projects in the city. The public comment period closes 5 p.m. Monday, July 27th. Planning staff, Pacific Municipal Consulting, said this was “an important opportunity for residents to share their views and give insight on how to maintain Ione’s quality of life while planning for a thriving and enriching future.” There are additional ways for the public to provide the city with comments on the draft EIR. They can e-mail comments to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., or post comments by U.S. mail to the City Planning Department, Ione City Hall, P.O. Box 398, Ione, CA 95640. The announcement reminded the public to include their name and contact information on any comments they provide, so that city staff may respond. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.