'Showdown' Over Planning Groups Expected March 28, Says Dianne Jacob

The future of planning groups in unincorporated San Diego County was one of the topics raised when Supervisor Dianne Jacob came to Ramona for a coffee gathering with constituents last week.

Elected planning groups advise the County on what residents think of projects proposed for their communities. Over the years, some groups have occasionally been criticized for being too contentious or inexperienced in procedures and open meeting law.

But should they be eliminated?

A task force appointed by the County to streamline the review and approval of development permits has recommended that the Board look at eliminating planning groups, taking them out from under the County umbrella, or limiting members' terms. Other options are to provide the groups with legal counsel and Planning Department staff at meetings.

The Board has reviewed the options and will look at them again on March 28.

On Wednesday, Supervisors approved some of the Red Tape Reduction Task Force recommendations, such as making customer service a top priority and looking for ways to give staff performance incentives.

Jacob told Ramona residents at her gathering that March 28 "will be a showdown."

"It takes three votes. Right now, there's only me and the 3rd District Supervisor (Pam Slater-Price)."

Jacob expressed her opposition to eliminating the groups or taking them out from under the County.

"I'm not for it," she said. "I've made that very clear. We need to do some Brown Act training but I will not do anything that will gut that level of input."

The Brown Act is the California legislation that governs public meetings of agencies. It covers issues such as posting of agendas and the circumstances in which groups can go into closed session.

"Planning groups are your grassroots government," Jacob said. "They know your community best. They're elected. I know debates can get intense. Your planning group here is working very effectively."

A member of the public, Sharon Lynch, asked, "Where's our vote in this?" She said having legal counsel at each of the meetings is obviously designed to avoid liability but would be "an organizational nightmare."

Jacob responded that "having legal counsel and staff there would really drive up the costs. That would be the kiss of death."

One task force option suggests maintaining the planning groups and limiting their membership to seven people who would serve no more than two two-year terms in a 10-year period.

Both Ramona Community Planning Group and Mussey Grade Alliance have written letters to the Board of Supervisors registering disapproval of any dismantling of planning groups, as reported in

On Wednesday, Supervisor Ron Roberts said, "I know there's a great fear that somehow bringing this forward there's a great plot of doing away with planning groups or something else. These decisions haven't been made – we'll have further discussions."

Supervisor Pam Slater-Price said her intention in supporting the task force was not to do away with the panels or make other "wholesale changes."

Each Supervisor appointed one member to the Red Tape Reduction Task Force.

Jacob's gathering in Ramona was held Feb. 23 at Guy B. Woodward Museum.

–City News Service contributed to this report.