More jousting over Yuba County General Plan

By Ben van der Meer

Appeal-Democrat

Yuba County residents repeated a request for more time to take stock of the county's General Plan update Tuesday, saying they're worried they won't get the chance to offer input before it's enacted.

"The process is moving a little too fast," Oregon House resident Nick Spaulding told the Board of Supervisors.

His request was echoed by Sacramento attorney Tom Eres, who said he'd been approached by a group of county residents who wanted a 60-day extension of the process to complete the plan, though some wanted up to six months.

"These are people who want to participate, they want to give input, and they don't come from one supervisorial district," Eres said.

During the last month, the county hosted a pair of events to introduce the draft version of the plan. But about a half-dozen residents who attended the meetings said they didn't have the chance to offer their input then, and wanted to see a town-hall style format allowing more public discourse.

The county has allowed comments in writing on the draft plan, though the period to do so ended last week.

Spaulding said he was also concerned the plan would be too difficult to amend once enacted, requiring approval from at least four of the five supervisors. And Eres said residents also wanted to see where the update differed from the county's last General Plan in 1996.

County Counsel Angil Morris-Jones said she'd recommend allowing the draft plan to go before the Planning Commission next Wednesday, as planned. Doing so would allow more public input then, and also allow the commission to make a recommendation whether more time is needed, she said.

Yuba County supervisors are scheduled to consider the draft plan in October. But as Supervisor John Nicoletti pointed out, the board won't make a final decision on adoption until November at the soonest, meaning there's still two months when residents can weigh in, both at public meetings and in writing.

He and Supervisor Hal Stocker also pointed out many of those wanting to see the process extended come from the Oregon House/Dobbins area, which is largely unchanged in the draft plan from the 1996 plan.

"The people who don't like this plan the way it is may want changes there, and that may not be what the public wants," Stocker said.

Not all supervisors were opposed to moving more deliberately, though. Supervisor Roger Abe said because of the plan's complexity, it was reasonable to think many residents hadn't fully digested it.

"I don't want to finish it just for the sake of getting it done," he said.

Planning Director Wendy Hartman said a comparison of the 1996 and current draft plan would be part of the Planning Commission's agenda item next week.

She added lengthening the process to approve the plan could add to the county's costs because county planners might have to revise some portions as law and data change.