A plan for the next 30 years in Nipomo is almost finished, but local leaders still want to hear your voice.
The Nipomo Community Plan is the blueprint for improvements and updates that residents can expect in the town over the next few decades.
Sunday was the fourth and final meeting for residents to voice their opinions about the plan in person.
Stan Williams felt it was crucial to attend the meeting.
“I think all communities need to have a future plan," Williams said. "Not just going like a pinball machine bouncing around and see what happens, you know? I think it's a really good thing. It's worth the effort.”
The last time the Nipomo Community plan was updated was back in 1994.
A draft of the new plan was released to the public ahead of Sunday’s meeting. Maria Gardner has lived in Nipomo for 22 years and said it’s about time the community plan was updated.
“It's been just really nice over the last year and a half or so to be able to participate and see it develop and take community input into account," Gardner said.
Supervisor Jimmy Paulding said the county received 1,400 responses to a survey about the plan.
“All of those metrics are healthy in terms of making sure that we are listening and we're hearing from the community and that this plan ultimately reflects what the community wants to see moving forward," Paulding said.
But before this update can be put into action, it needs to go before the community, planning commission and finally the board of supervisors for approval.
Because of limited resources, Paulding said it’s crucial to hear the community’s top priorities.
“As the representative for Nipomo, I want to make sure that the things that I'm advocating for are the things that have been prioritized by the community," Paulding said.
For residents like Gardner, being part of that process before core decisions are made matters.
“I think it's important that people know what's about to happen before it does, because sometimes things get publicized after the fact and people feel like they didn't have an opportunity for input," Gardner said. "So I've appreciated how much this has been highlighted. We just want to do our part for the community.”
The county still wants to hear residents' comments before the November 30 deadline. If you missed the final meeting, you can submit your opinions on the county's website.
