Ledger-Dispatch

- Debbie Dunn=20

Roughly 40 upcountry residents attended = the June=20 19 community council meeting in Pioneer to discuss private = property=20 rights.

Photo by: Courtesy to the Ledger=20 Dispatch
Upcountry residents = continued to file up=20 the walkway to the Veterans' Memorial hall in Pioneer last = Thursday.

They=20 were there for the monthly Upcountry Community Council meeting, one in = which=20 close to 40 locals came to offer input on a developing community plan = for the=20 unincorporated area east of Pine Grove.

The Upcountry Community = Council=20 was formed in October 2006 and formally recognized by the board of = supervisors=20 the following February. District 3 Supervisor Ted Novelli recognized the = daunting task of staying in contact with his constituents when faced = with=20 critical decisions. He found the solution in repeating the success = District 4=20 Supervisor Louis Boitano had received with the Pine Grove Council.=20 "Communication is always the first hurdle and the people are the = government,"=20 Novelli said. "It's my job to be their voice."

The first = half-hour of the=20 June 19 meeting offered the public an opportunity to exchange questions = and=20 information with their District 3 supervisor. Before returning to = Jackson for a=20 Local Agency Formation Commission meeting, Novelli shared his thoughts = on fire=20 and water.

"If you smell smoke, call someone. Call your local = fire=20 department, call Cal Fire or call the sheriff's office, but call = someone," he=20 said.

Regarding a gravity supply line the Amador Water Agency is = looking=20 to install upcountry, Novelli encouraged residents to conserve water = throughout=20 the summer months.

The hottest topic of the evening was the newly = proposed zoning designation that would re-classify residents owning = private=20 property east of Dew Drop as open-high country, or OHC. This designation = is=20 proposed in the land use element of the county general plan update and = states:=20 "Amador County's policy in Open-High Country areas is to fully maintain = and=20 protect the open and recreational character and natural environmental = values of=20 the land. A conditional use permit is required for any residential use = of these=20 lands. (Note: This designation includes recreational residential uses = such as=20 cabins and resorts east of R13E.)"

Great concerns surfaced from = attendees=20 that the county should not be dictating private property usage. After = much=20 debate, the council agreed to put its concerns in writing to the county = within=20 the "window period" the planning department has offered for = considerations of=20 land use in the general plan update.

Two other topics on the = agenda=20 included an update on resolving the highway safety issue at Inspiration = East and=20 establishing an upcountry presence via formal representation within the = county.=20 Through the perseverance of Amador Pines residents Inez Kenison and = Sherry=20 Curtis, the visibility at the corner of Inspiration East and Highway 88 = is soon=20 to be improved. After being contacted, the state Department of = Transportation=20 and the property owner have agreed to clear the east corner of brush and = trees=20 to enhance visibility of oncoming traffic.

The evening concluded = with the=20 council's agreement to investigate opportunities for countywide = representation=20 beyond that which supervisors from districts 3, 4 and 5 currently=20 afford.

The Upcountry Council meets on the third Thursday of the = month, 6=20 p.m. at the Veterans' Memorial Hall in Pioneer Park on Buckhorn Ridge = Road. For=20 additional information, contact Bob Currall at 295-7630 or=20 countrymice@volcano.net, or Debbie Dunn 296-5435 or=20 ddunn@volcano.net.

Debbie Dunn is a member of the Upcountry = Community=20 Council.