The foundation for consensus building has been laid. And now,
organizers of a group seeking a common ground between opposing
sides regarding the San Benito County Slow-Growth Initiative will
continue in an effort to structure a future outlook on growth for
the county.
Six weeks after the first consensus building workshop organized
by San Juan Bautista residents Joe and Julie Morris, the group made
up of both sides of the controversial growth issue will meet again.
The follow-up workshop will be held from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on
Sept. 17 at the St. Francis Retreat.
The foundation for consensus building has been laid. And now, organizers of a group seeking a common ground between opposing sides regarding the San Benito County Slow-Growth Initiative will continue in an effort to structure a future outlook on growth for the county.
Six weeks after the first consensus building workshop organized by San Juan Bautista residents Joe and Julie Morris, the group made up of both sides of the controversial growth issue will meet again. The follow-up workshop will be held from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Sept. 17 at the St. Francis Retreat.
“At the end of the last one, people were really enjoying themselves,” Joe Morris said. “They enjoyed the experience of a different political dynamic.”
The issue has become the most heated topic in San Benito County in recent months, while residents await the opportunity to vote on the slow-growth initiative. The measure will be on the March 2 ballot.
The initiative is intended to moderate growth within county by limiting landowners’ ability to develop their properties.
While the first workshop turned out to be a healthy and cooperative forum, Morris said the two sides of the growth issue have not come to an agreement on the future of land use in the county.
“They’re really divided,” Morris said. “They’re still entrenched.”
The group does not have a specific goal, but local leaders at the first workshop agreed on one general ambition, Morris said.
“To not repeat the development (practices) of the past 20 years,” he said.
Additionally, the Morris’ have proposed a Consensus Building Institute for San Benito County made up of 40 selected participants from local civic groups that would regularly meet.
They hope it can meet four times during the course of each year, with each gathering taking place over three-day periods. More details about the institute will be released at the upcoming meeting.
About 60 residents attended the first workshop, along with a conflict resolution specialist. The meeting in September will be open to the public, and the mediator will not be in attendance.
Anyone interested in attending the Sept. 17 workshop, should contact Joe or Julie Morris at 623-2933.
