Supes receive overview of 2050 general plan update engagement

The Placer County Board of Supervisors received an overview of the community engagement program for the Placer 2050 General Plan update during its Nov. 5 meeting. The last comprehensive update to the General Plan was nearly 30 years ago in 1994, was envisioned as a 10- to 20-year plan and included projects such as Bickford Ranch, Placer Vineyards and the Placer County Conservation Program. The current update is proposed as a three- to five-year work program with the assistance of consultant, PlaceWorks, Inc., and will serve as the county's vision for the future through 2050 in areas such as land use, housing, conservation and open space. Placer County Planning Director Chris Pahule noted the board's request to make robust and comprehensive community input a priority during the update process, and confirmed county staff has developed a program to engage as many Placer residents and stakeholders as possible. "What we're focusing on here today is an opportunity to re-engage with the community," said Jennifer Byous, principal planner for Placer County. "It's an essential part of this process to connect with the residents and stakeholders to reaffirm our shared values and set new priorities." Byous confirmed one aspect of the engagement plan includes working with the county's Public Information Office to develop consistent branding and clear messaging and remaining flexible throughout the engagement process. The plan also includes remedies to barriers of community participation like providing translation services for materials, ensuring meeting locations are accessible by various modes of travel and providing meetings in person and virtually. "So through this process we will build trust in the community and a transparent process, and the county will work to, again, make sure that we can overcome one of the barriers being the lack of trust in governments," Byous said. Byous' presentation noted targeted audiences will include stakeholders, major employers, agencies and jurisdictions and underrepresented groups like veterans, commuters, small businesses and residents 65 and older. Byous confirmed the strategy has identified hard-to-reach populations in areas such as Kings Beach, Colfax, Foresthill and Sheridan. "The lists are only intended to grow as we learn of more and more stakeholders that want to participate," Byous confirmed, noting staff and the consultant will be tracking participation to ensure success. "... We'll measure participation rates across demographic groups that have already been established. Based on the data that we collect on our strategy, we will make sure to adjust and be flexible if we need to be flexible and make sure our participation is broad." District 1 Supervisor Bonnie Gore suggested having each supervisor's chief of staff look over the list to ensure no community groups are left out of the process. Pahule confirmed staff could send out appendices for additional input. "I think that would be great because we live in the districts and we know the community groups that really have an impact or would be interested in this process," Gore said. Additionally, Byous shared staff's recommendation to form a General Plan Advisory Committee (GPAC) of 15-20 individuals, with appointments made by the board, to provide guidance, establish communication networks with community groups and facilitate two-way conversations between the county and public. Byous confirmed benefits of a GPAC could include representation, increased engagement and communication between stakeholders, whereas challenges could include time constraints, risk of conflict and inclusivity concerns. District 3 Supervisor Jim Holmes cautioned the use of a GPAC, noting the community group for the 1994 General Plan "got very contentious." District 2 Supervisor Shanti Landon noted she was undecided on a GPAC but forming one could be helpful to vet things sooner in the process. Byous confirmed if the board did not want to form a GPAC now, it could change its mind and develop a committee later in the process. District 5 Supervisor Cindy Gustafson shared it was important to integrate the county's Municipal Advisory Councils. "We already have MACs that are Brown Act trained and participating, and I really want to honor their commitments to the county," Gustafson said. The board received five comments with one against the formation of a GPAC and three in favor of utilizing a GPAC. The last comment noted being in favor of using Placer's MACs. Following deliberation, the board confirmed it was leaning toward not forming a GPAC and would instead prefer to have targeted outreach through stakeholder meetings. Gustafson noted she would like to see staff reach out to special districts and see more money put into the county-wide survey. The board took no action on the item, as it was an informational presentation only. According to Byous, next steps include community outreach and the county-wide survey in January to establish the plan's vision and general plan audit. Adoption of Placer 2050 is targeted for early 2028. The Placer 2050 General Plan Update is scheduled to go before the Horseshoe Bar/Penryn MAC on Tuesday, Dec. 3, at 175 Fulweiler Avenue in Auburn. The meeting will begin at 6 p.m., but the program is not time certain.