Course Correction #1 for General Plan Alternatives – Combining Meeting Series #2 and 3 <updated 2007-09-04>

At the beginning of the General Plan 2030 process, I presented the analogy that writing a new General Plan is similar to a sailing adventure.  In sailing, one thing is clear...due to so many unknowns, the trip will require some adjustments to keep the journey on course.  Such is the case with this first 'course correction' to Butte County's General Plan process.

As originally planned, a total of three Meeting Series (each consisting of a Public Workshop, a Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) Meeting, a Planning Commission Study Session, and a Board of Supervisor Study Session) would be devoted to the identification of Assets/Issues and the creation of Policy Issue and Geographic General Plan Alternatives.  In coordination with the General Plan consultant, Design, Community & Environment and in consultation with the Board of Supervisors, Development Services staff has restructured this phase of the General Plan 2030 update to combine Meeting Series #2 and #3. This change will result in the combined Meeting Series #2/3 being devoted to the creation and finalization of the three General Plan Alternatives.

The reason for this change is due, in part, to the success of Meeting Series #1, which was devoted to the creation of a comprehensive list of county-wide issues. Meeting Series #1 effectively replaced the need for further information gathering, which was proposed for Meeting Series #2.  In addition to the success of Meeting Series #1, the Area-Wide Workshops and Community Meetings that have taken place throughout the County during this time have garnered large amounts of valuable information that will help to shape the alternative selection process. 

Meeting Series #2/3 began with a Public Workshop (Meeting 2/3-1) on 2007-05-17. It was followed up with a CAC meeting on 2007-05-31.  This was continued to a second CAC meeting in this series (Meeting 2/3-2B) to 2007-08-02 and a third CAC meeting (Meeting2/3-2C) on Thursday, 2007-09-06.  It will conclude with a Planning Commission Study Session on Friday, September 28, 2007, and a Board of Supervisors Special Study Session on Tuesday, October 16, 2007, during which further discussion and comment on the three chosen alternatives will take place.  This Meeting Series will result in the finalization of three General Plan Alternatives for each Policy Issue and Geographic area that will be studied and used to create a Preferred Alternative during Meeting Series #4 (starting at the end of January 2008).

Staff believes that this change will keep participants engaged and focused on the development of General Plan Alternatives, while increasing the efficiency of the General Plan 2030 process overall.  In summary, we will arrive at the originally planned destination at the conclusion of Workshop Series #2/3 with the originally desired product, we will just get there in a little different manner.