Dec 5, 2002 By April Straughters 3 min read

CALIFORNIA – A group of borough residents discussing the strengths and weaknesses of their community gave their input and provided information for use to develop a comprehensive plan for the borough. Approximately 20 residents attended a meeting at the municipal building to discuss their “visions” of the future of California to be considered when developing the plan.

Noting that there is a difference between a vision and a hallucination, Dennis Martinak of Mackin Engineering Co. said, “We want to make sure your vision is something you’re able to achieve.”

Officials from Mackin Engineering, the firm developing the comprehensive plan, gave a presentation Tuesday on what a comprehensive plan is and how they will gather information for its development.

Martinak described a comprehensive plan as a “general guideline for future development.” He said the plan will be used as a policy guide to decision making and adopted as a public vision.

He said characteristics and trends of the borough, land use, economic and residential development, public facilities and services transportation and future land use are some of the areas that will be included in the plan.

Joy Walmsley, also of Mackin, said community input is essential in order to provide a most accurate comprehensive plan.

“We’re really seeking to do everything we can to reach as many people as possible,” Walmsley said.

Walmsley said they have developed campaigns and contests to reach out to the area’s youth and have handouts, surveys and exercises to poll adult residents. She said surveys will be passed out at California United Methodist Church during light-up night in hopes of reaching many people.

During the meeting residents were split into two groups as part of a “SWOT” exercise, where residents listed things in the borough they considered strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, thus “SWOT.”

Some of their listing appeared under more than one of the categories. For example, California University was listed as a strength, weakness, opportunity and a threat.

Some residents viewed the university’s entertainment and faculty and staff members living in the borough as strengths, but viewed the perception of living in a college community as a weakness because they said it may deter people from taking residency in the borough.

Some viewed the graduates and different programs offered by the university as opportunities to the community, but viewed a shrinking tax base, they said caused by the growing university as a threat.

Walmsley said she will mail and distribute surveys in hopes to receive additional input from local residents.