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https://www.ledger.news/news/city-of-plymouth-selects-a-new-mayor-for-2022/article_b73df202-7a44-11ec-bcc9-6f6128865ce7.html

City of Plymouth selects a new Mayor for 2022

  • By Craig Baracco For Ledger Dispatch
  • Jan 21, 2022 Updated Jan 31, 2022

Valerie Klinefelter.

 COURTESY PHOTO

A divided Plymouth City Council selected its Mayor for the year and discussed, but did not approve, the awarding of a contract for the environmental review of the proposed Greilich Ranch Development at its first meeting of the new year on Thursday, January 13.

In the selection of a new Mayor for 2022, outgoing Mayor Keith White first nominated Peter Amoruso as a candidate, but the motion died without a second. Then Councilmember Douglas Sim nominated Valerie Klinefelter for the office and the Council approved on a 3-2 vote with Sim, Klinefelter and Marianne Akerland in favor, with White and Amoruso opposed. Akerland was then selected as Vice-Mayor on a unanimous vote.

Klinefelter then chaired the remainder of the meeting. The Council discussed, but did not vote on, the consultant to conduct an Environmental Impact report (EIR) on the Greilich Ranch development application. The project proposal includes 234 new single-family homes and a large expansion of the 49er Village RV Park that would add 214 RVs and several other buildings in the area between the Zinfandel Ridge subdivision and the existing RV park.

Under California law, such a project requires an EIR, a detailed look at the potential impacts of a project, such as traffic, visual impacts and use of city services such as water, sewer and fire protection. The Council had split 2-2 during consideration of the meeting agenda whether to even have the decision on a consultant on the agenda, before working out a compromise that allowed for the discussion, but would continue the item for a final decision at a later meeting. Councilmember Sim must recuse himself due to his living close to the project site and having a potential conflict of interest.

The city received four bids for the EIR, with staff recommending that Ascent Environmental be awarded the contract. The draft contract priced conducting the EIR at $335,684, which the Greilich Ranch developers would be responsible for reimbursing the city for. The Council is expected to take up discussion of the contract at its next meeting on January 27.