The new La Plata County Comprehensive Plan could lay out general guidance for many aspects of infrastructure lacking in the current plan.

The 2001 version of the plan addressed only transportation, while the new version adds goals for water, sewer, utilities and telecommunications, in addition to roads. The next iteration will include goals for trash and recyclables, as well.

County Community Development Director Damian Peduto presented the Planning Commission with maps illustrating the county’s current infrastructure inventory during a meeting Thursday. The maps will help guide the advisory document and will be included in the final version. The purpose of the comprehensive plan is to guide policy decisions in the future.

“We can’t plan for the future without knowing what we’ve got,” he said.

Having an inventory of infrastructure will help the county to see where growth is likely to happen, Peduto said.

A few commissioners expressed views on whether the county should take a role in managing growth through the availability infrastructure.

Commissioner Lucy Baizel suggested that the county encourage growth to happen in hubs near infrastructure because it would be financially responsible. But several commissioners opposed this suggestion.

“Improving the infrastructure in this county is in everybody’s best interest,” said Commissioner Tom Gorton.

Peduto and Chairman Jim Tencza asked the commissioners to save the growth debate for the land-use section of the comp plan.

Telecommunications also rose to the top of the discussion because it is an economic driver. The county can identify where most of the communications towers are, but not all, Peduto said. The county also can’t identify gaps in cell service.

Two residents called on the board to offer incentives to companies to make better Internet and cellphone service available.

Recently, the county has simplified the regulation process for companies to put in more service towers to encourage better coverage, said Jason Meininger, a county planner.

County resident Bliss Bruen said she is paying for far better connectivity than CenturyLink is able to provide and suggested the county do some crowd sourcing to see where the problems are the worst.

mshinn@durangoherald.com