We are seeking volunteers to serve on a committee to help develop our next General Plan for the City of Ventura (GPAC). The General Plan guides the City’s vision, goals, policies, and actions for the next 25 years!
The GPAC will consist of 10-15 community representatives to collaborate and provide guidance throughout the General Plan Update process. The GPAC members have an important role in this process.
They will:
- Serve as an ambassador for the community
- Be a community advocate for the General Plan Update
- Provide insight as to how to reach multiple populations
- Provide insight and advice on potentially controversial issues
- Understand sensitive community needs
Requirements for GPAC
Prospective members should be aware of the following criteria which will be used in evaluating candidates. It is critical that each person appointed to the GPAC be willing to perform all required duties for the duration of the planning process, which is anticipated to last through Spring 2023 and will include approximately 18 GPAC meetings.
GPAC members are volunteers and receive no payment for their work. Appointed or elected officials may not concurrently serve on GPAC.
A GPAC member must:
- Be a City of Ventura resident.
- Commit the time that is necessary to carry out the duties of a GPAC member. This includes time to learn about and stay abreast of General Plan issues, to attend committee meetings, and perform committee assignments.
- Be genuinely interested in General Plan related matters and understand the importance of a General Plan to reflect and advance the needs of the community.
- Understand the local community, its social and cultural needs, and be willing to communicate those needs to the committee.
- Be able to work with others to reach a common goal.
- Be open-minded, intellectually curious, and respectful of the opinions of others.
- Have the courage to plan creatively and direct the effective implementation of those plans.
- Be able to withstand pressures and prejudice that would restrict or prevent equal service to all.
- File a Form 700 Conflict of Interest
The General Plan is the embodiment of the community’s vision for the future of Ventura. It is the City’s comprehensive framework of guiding policies on land use, housing, roads, recreation, historical and natural resources, balance of adequate water supply infrastructure, public safety services, and noise, and serves as a basis for decisions that affect all aspects of our everyday lives from where we live and work to how we move about. It is implemented by decisions that direct the allocation of public resources and that shape private development.
The 2005 General Plan was adopted August 8, 2005 and evolved from the 2000 Ventura Vision strategies reflecting the planning objectives and smart growth principles of the community. The Vision strategies set the framework for the General Plan.
