You’re a citizen, an advocate for democracy with this first step, paying attention.
Going back to October 28, 2009, this citizen tip covers the very first step in community outreach for the last two years of the General Plan Update (defined below). Since the theatrics of the ugly baby speech by Jerome Stocks, there have been accusations hurled at a whole range of individuals and groups that a grave injustice has been foisted on New Encinitas and the business world.
Before apportioning blame, the following video spells out the overarching strategy to involve the whole community in the General Plan Process as written into the contracts. Watch and learn because these facts have been erased from theGeneral Plan Update; Tuesday is Dues-day council talks in the past six months.
An Acronym and a Definition:
GPAC – General Plan Advisory Committee, 24 member committee to work with consultant and to work with their respective groups.
General Plan Update (definition source)
"General plans are often called a city’s constitution…a statement of who we are and what we value as a community.
The State of California requires all cities to adopt a general plan that includes required elements – Land Use, Housing, Circulation, Resource Management, Noise and Public Safety. The city also included an optional element – Recreation and Public Health is also proposed. The plan also states community goals for how the city should grow (or not grow) in the future.
There’s not been a comprehensive review and update of the General Plan since it was written over 25 years ago. A variety of state laws, court rulings and new issues such as sustainability and climate change have made it difficult to simply “tweak” sections and maintain internally consistent policies throughout the plan."
General Plan Outreach, highlights from the video clip above:
The Responsibilities:
GPAC members were chosen to represent a group or organization. These were people whose primary task was to inform their respective groups;
- Virginia Felker for New Encinitas community (realtor and Planning Commissioner)
- Keith Bathay for the El Camino Real Commercial Interests. .
Has anyone asked them where they believe they fell short? Do we know if Felker and Bathay take any ownership in what has been broadcast far and wide as abject failure?
The Rules:
Community will steer policy, GPAC is there to advise and they can’t override the public workshops direction or findings. Because voting was considered divisive, GPAC operated by consensus. No chair, no voting and no hierarchical organization was deliberate.
The Reality:
You know, democracy is based on this messy, diverse coming together of ranging interests and perspectives Training was demanded in the GPU outline for the early days. First hand accounts say that the process was fun and there was great enthusiasm and respect for the huge task at hand. The community had plans for the GPU to help us fight density bonus, keep sidewalks out of rural neighborhoods and basically make the plan help the city keep its current feel.
SANDAG 2050 Forecast figures are now being protested by community groups, as they should be. Dissent is built into this review process for GPU and for SANDAG. In the Land Use portion, the city misrepresented or confused the public at the workshops about where the direction for growth and growth numbers came from and they need to take the heat.
Fortunately this backlash against the General Plan Update has penetrated into neighborhoods, homes and businesses previously outside the world of Encinitas city government involvement. The large task has always been, waking the populace. Learning the ropes, for anyone who discovers local politics, seems bigger. Hope this helps to break it into bites.
That initial gathering of information is complete. Now the scrutinizing of every one of the draft GPU elements is the task at hand.
The darker, non-democratic aspects of the GPU backlash are spelled out at Our Mayor Stocks blog, “Erase (ERAC) - What is cost? What is lost?”
