UCC Takes New Direction towards developing a community plan

Dear UCC Members -

At the last Upcountry Community Council (UCC) meeting the attendees discussed the direction the Council was heading and reviewed what we had accomplished over the last eighteen months since conception in October of 2006. It was agreed that the last year of monthly guest speakers and fact gathering had been beneficial to creating a necessary foundation for the group. Now, armed with some basic knowledge of the County and a solid working council structure the questions arose what will our most effective direction be for the future? Where should we venture out from here?

The creation of our own Upcountry community plan was offered as a possible direction to take. Since the County was currently in the process of updating the general plan, UCC could generate a document that would include Upcountry input for all seven general plan elements; land use, circulation/transportation, housing, conservation, noise and public health & safety. It would be an opportunity to provide our County Supervisors with input unique to the higher elevations of the County and challenges the residents continually face.

It was explained in the meeting that the General Plan Advisory Committee (GPAC) just concluded an eighteen month process reviewing and providing input on all seven elements. GPAC was also asked for input on cultural and biological resources, infrastructure, local economy, hydrology and agriculture. At this time none of those items have been formally identified as general plan elements. The UCC can provide input towards those elements as they deem necessary.

The Council decided that a community plan was the way to go. The attendees Thursday night became the start of a planning committee that will share the leadership of putting this plan together. Any member or upcountry resident who was not able to attend but is interested in participating in the planning process can contact Bob Currall 295-7630 or Inez Kennison 295-7416. Anyone interested in contributing towards the next twenty years of your future as an upcountry resident please attend any of the Council meetings over the next six to eight months. Input will be accepted from any verifiable source; fax, email, snail mail. Just include a contact name and method with your input. A schedule of elements assigned to monthly meeting nights will be developed at the next Council meeting on June 19th and published to all members. Meetings are always held on the third Thursday of the month, 6:00pm at the Veterans Memorial Hall on Buckhorn Ridge Road.

If you are interested in learning about the County General Plan update process on line, please use this link:

http://www.co.amador.ca.us/depts/amadorgeneralplan/

If you are looking for a comprehensive understanding to the County General Plan and the update process before our next Council meeting, please see the information about June workshops below. The County couldn't have been any more timely with this if they had asked us.

Please share all of this information with road or homeowners associations, neighbors and friends. Thanks for taking the time to care!

Debbie Dunn

296-5435