UPDATE!

These papers (approximately 250 of a total of approximately 1,200) finally have been forwarded to adressees on the eve of the March 6th vote.

The question now is, will CAC voting members read and grasp the significance of these documents? If they do, they will have to scrap the CAC Water Subcommittee document and start from scratch to correct all the errors.

You know what PMRD says? "We encourage you to attend and participate at these upcoming meetings where there will be opportunities to participate in and learn more about the [General Plan] Update,"

Uh-huh, right, but if you offer proof that there is no water for yet more water-sucking development projects, you may not be so welcome.

Read this:

Dear Friends,

Tuesday, February 4, 2003 at 4:00 pm the Citizens Advisory Committee Water Subcommittee (CAC) for the General Plan Update will meet at the PRMD building located at 2550 Ventura Avenue in Santa Rosa at the County Administration Complex. The topic is the further discussion of draft water policies. In the past 3 weeks Dr. Steve Carle and I submitted 1,000 pages of documentation to further identify the extent of declining groundwater supplies, what policies the County doesn't have in place, what policies and law the State of California does have in place but isn't being recognized or
implemented here at the County level, etc., etc. All of the documents we submitted clearly state that the information is intended to be fully distributed to all 15 members of the CAC for their consideration prior to final vote. Contract employee Scott Briggs informed me that he is not distributing this information as requested. I'm sure Scott is not responsible for that decision - I blame the Board of Supervisors.

I also now know that the extensive documentation submitted by Dr. Carle and me for the proposed Church has not be delivered to the Board of Zoning Adjustments. I asked Steve Padovan to distribute the letters and documentation, he said he wouldn't.

To add another twist to all of this the City of Rohnert Park is now being sued by the land owners who own the property South of Valley House Drive and North of Railroad Avenue. They are mad because they expected somebody to break the rules 1 home per 20 acres) so they could build intensive commercial development and make a higher return on their investment. By the way, these same property owners owned the land before the Penngrove Specific Plan was adopted, they knew the entire time this land was identified as groundwater recharge areas which was the basis for the restrictive zoning - just like the site where the Church/Commercial Development is proposed.

On Wednesday, February 5, 2003 at 2:00 pm the Members of LAFCO will meet at 2:00 pm in the Board of Supervisors Chambers to discuss the approval of moving the City of Rohnert Park's Sphere of Influence Northward to Valley House Drive, this is the result of the suit filed by the South County Resource Preservation Committee. The suit challenges the Settlement Agreement and the return of Penngrove Lands to the Penngrove Domain,and, the moving of the Sphere of Influence line Northward. Steve Miller who represents the property owners has promised to sue LAFCO if they too approve the withdrawal of the Sphere.

Please attend both meetings if at all possible.

As far as the full CAC not getting the documents are any of you willing to" flex some muscle" and lean on County Supervisors Valerie Brown, Mike Kerns, Tim Smith and Mike Reilly to see to it both the CAC and the Board of Zoning adjustments are provided will all the documentation submitted by Dr. Steve Carle and me - John King? I think it's a waste of time to include Supervisor Paul Kelley in the head count, he doesn't think we have a water problem! If you think it's time to bring in another attorney let's talk.

Two final items for your consideration: A letter submitted to me concerning the church/Commercial Complex by a local resident followed by the Editorial in last Saturday's Press Democrat.