ARCHIVE ITEM: Santa Ynez Valley Alliance Hosts Its First Annual Membership Meeting and Elects New Officers (15 July 2007)
Members of the Valley Alliance and the Board of Directors were on hand to adopt a budget, elect new officers for the coming year, and hear planner Stephen Peterson discuss the devolution of the Santa Ynez Community Plan. Past-president Doreen Farr handed over her leadership position to Mark Oliver, a 15-year resident of the Valley and local businessman. Lansing Duncan will serve as Vice-president, Wendy Motta as Secretary, and Gail Marshall as Treasurer.
Visitors heard outgoing President Doreen Farr discuss the many achievements of the Alliance in the past year and the growing influence of the fledgling organization. Incoming President Mark Oliver sincerely thanked Farr for her many contributions and energetic coalition-building to address issues of concern to the community.
The meeting’s special guest speaker was Stephen Peterson, a former planner from the Comprehensive Planning division of the County’s Planning and Development Department, and former Project Manager for the Santa Ynez Valley Community Plan. Peterson detailed the history of the Valley's Community Plan from the over-arching concepts of the Valley Blueprint, the numerous hearings of the General Plan Advisory Committee (GPAC), to the subsequent revisions of the Valley Planning Advisory Committee (VPAC).
Peterson noted the continuing “whittling away” of the Plan that has occurred since Supervisor Firestone took office and lamented the accelerating rate of planners leaving the County, and their replacement with new staff unschooled in planning. Audience questions evidenced the community’s concern regarding the future of the Santa Ynez Valley.
Before enjoying refreshments, visitors expressed their appreciation of the Alliance’s efforts to keep the community informed and the opportunity to network.