-Thursday night marked the 27th and final General Plan Advisory Committee Meeting, or GPAC. The county and its consultants wrapped up and summarized the ideas from the last meeting.  Additionally, the county provided GPAC and the members of the audience with the results of the surveys that were conducted over the last month. Most of the replies were split down the middle, especially in response to a question regarding Rancho Arroyo Seco.  About half of the respondents think the potential future development in Ione should be included in the General Plan.

Many people had colorful comments, including one that referred to “Nazi environmentalists” that some found funny, and others an insult.  John Carlson, a member of GPAC, found the reference offensive and was “even more insulted that people laughed at it.”  Carlson went on to say that the members of GPAC and the county had worked “very hard” and didn’t deserve that type of comment.  There was some discussion on whether the remark would be stricken from the record. Additionally, the committee expressed some final concerns and comments. 

There was talk of sustainable development, “green” building methods, low impact development in regards to water quality, and watershed overlays. Jeffrey Gibson, President of the Amador Wine Grape Growers Association, says his organization’s official position is “No watershed overlay.”  According to the public survey, many other citizens felt the same way. At the end of the meeting, Supervisors Richard Forster and Ted Novelli both spoke to the committee and thanked everyone for their hard work and dedication.  Indicating that GPAC was only the first step of the process, Forster said, “If anyone thinks that this is over, we are far from it. It’s important we get it right. The next step in the General Plan update process will be a series of public workshops to be held in June.  We’ll keep you updated on those workshops when the dates and locations are announced.