The meeting, 6-9 p.m. at the Southside Community Center, 2959 Wyandotte Ave. in Oroville, is one of several such sessions that will be held. And of all of the meetings and hearings and workshops that will be held over the next two years this may be the most important.

A clear process for development of the new plan has been laid out, with the work divided into a series of separate tasks.

Work on each task begins with a workshop in which the general public gets its say. Then, that input is filtered by consultants and a formal citizens advisory committee, before going to the Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors. Ultimately, a final "product" is delivered.

Well, the product being developed now is an identification of the issues the plan should address. The decisions being made now will steer the rest of the planning process. And that's why it's important for the public to have its say.

Frankly, some of the planners probably would rather not have many folks show up on Thursday. When the public gets involved in anything, it becomes so much more complicated. Anyone who's ever watched a Chico City Council session can understand that.

But that public input is critical to see that the planners stay on track. They operate in a somewhat different world than the rest of us, and without advice from grounded folks, we can end up with ... well, back-in parking spaces at City Plaza.

Sure, the county has created its citizens advisory committee to theoretically provide that input. But the problem with a formal committee is that as the process moves along, committee members stop being ordinary citizens. As they're immersed in the process, they become insiders, with a lot of time and energy invested in the product. That can lead to looking at proposals and issues with a less critical, less objective eye.

People who show up for Thursday night's meeting will get an update on what's been accomplished so far -- mainly, an assessment of existing conditions. They'll be able to speak to their issues, and what they say will guide the next part of the process: preparing alternative land-use strategies.

A preferred strategy will be picked, and the rest of the plan will be built on that. In other words, at that point you'll be stuck with whatever's been decided. That's why it's important to have your say early.

We've been impressed with the steps county Development Services Director Tim Snellings has taken thus far to gather varied opinions. Actually we're impressed that any steps have been taken, since his last three predecessors couldn't seem to get the update started.

Among those steps are the "General Plan 2030" Web site -- www.buttegeneralplan.net -- which provides a way for people who can't get to Oroville to make their concerns known. Use it. Often. Let them know what you want, or you'll get what they give you.