Amador County – Ione City Manager Kim Kerr sent a comment letter this week to the Amador County Transportation Commission asking it to change its approach in updating the county Regional Transportation Plan. Kerr said Tuesday that a recent public input meeting raised questions and concerns for staff and the Ione City Council. Kerr wrote on behalf of the council in a letter dated Tuesday to ACTC Commissioners. Kerr said the city understood the commission “is just beginning the process” of updating the Regional Transportation Plan and “Regional Blueprint.” She said the projects “set the stage for extensive transportation improvement projects across the county, including the Ione Bypass,” or “West Ione Roadway Improvement Project.” The letter asked that “work plans for both of the projects include sufficient coordination and input” from “all 5 cities and the county.” She said Ione has concern that ACTC planned that “the primary forum for land use agencies to provide input on the policies and funding priorities would be as part of the two 24-member public stakeholder groups.” Kerr said “Ione is concerned that this process will not lead to effective decision-making and will not provide an appropriate seat at the table for the land use agencies in the county.” Kerr noted that Ione just completed its first General Plan update in 27 years, and similar updates are under way or completed throughout Amador. She said the city council was worried that “stakeholder groups’ decisions will not reflect adopted or pending policies for the various jurisdictions.” She said: “Doing so could create a very negative disconnect between” ACTC’s new documents and “local general Plans, resulting in regional plans that do not reflect the land use and circulation decisions of the local, implementing agencies.” The letter asked if the city would become ineligible for certain funding if the new the Regional Transportation Plan included “policies or improvement projects that are inconsistent with the city’s General Plan.” Kerr said “such a process runs counter to the intent of a general plan as identified in state law.” The letter said “the city is advocating for a process where local land use agency staff assist ACTC staff with the development of the Regional Transportation Plan and Blueprint based on individual land use and circulation decisions.” It also asked that the ACTC direct staff to use the “most recent land use and transportation policies” from cities and the county in the RTP, instead of “simply updating the project list in the 2004 RTP.” Kerr said: “Doing so will help to ensure that the RTP is consistent with the local general plans, and not vice versa.” Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.