Sharing Information | Encouraging Engagement
My, how time flies. The end of 2024 marks the halfway point of my four-year term and the end of my role as Chair of the Trinity County Board of Supervisors. This “year in review” update is framed by the focus areas I emphasized during my campaign, encapsulated in the acronym – R.E.S.P.E.C.T.
Residential Property Rights | Economic Development | Services | Planning | Engagement | Communication | Transparency
Residential Property Rights
The phrase “slow and steady wins the race” seems to apply well to this subject. We are making progress… it just never feels like it’s happening quickly enough.
In addition to our Placemaking Action Plan, we now have drafts for our new General Plan, eight Community Plans, Housing Element, and Zoning Ordinance. County staff and our consulting team have conducted dozens of public workshops to gather input. There will be more opportunities for public input as the process continues. The board recently approved an extension (and increase in consultant fees) to ensure that the public has ample opportunity for input as we move toward the adoption of the General Plan and related components.
This year, the board addressed three petition-based opt-out requests that had been on file with the county for years. The process resulted in one additional cannabis opt-out zone in Lewiston. From my perspective, the most important outcome was that these three communities had the opportunity to be heard.
There will be many more opportunities in 2025 for residents and business owners to shape updates to our new General Plan, Community Plans, Housing Element, and Zoning Ordinance – all essential for defining expectations and safeguarding residential property rights in Trinity County’s future.
Economic Development
This is another area where progress always seems to take longer than we would like. Still, progress is being made.
Cannabis, regardless of your feelings about it, is an impactful part of our economy. Over the last few years, the board of supervisors has taken several steps to support this industry – while also seeking to balance the interests of those who are concerned about the impact of the industry on their quality of life. Regulatory challenges prevented the opening of a Cannabis Distribution Center in Weaverville. I hope a new location can be found for this operation, as a distribution center could dramatically increase revenues and profitability for the hundreds of cultivation-focused small businesses in Trinity County – which, in turn, translates into more tax revenues and more money being poured back into our economy.
From temporarily reducing the cannabis tax to providing program funding when the program was rebooting after new requirements were put in place, to reducing General Plan fees associated with cannabis permits, to conducting more than a dozen hours of public workshops to gather input regarding cannabis-related ordinances… the board has stepped up to support this aspect of our economy. We currently have well over 300 active commercial cannabis permits and one active retail operation in Weaverville.
The California Jobs First program will soon funnel millions of dollars into Northern California projects. Trinity County is actively participating in this initiative, including having two representatives on the steering committee. Catalyst funding (for fleshing out project plans) will be awarded in January. Competition for implementation funds will begin in 2025. Trinity County will benefit from one or more initiatives funded through this program.
Tourism continues to play a significant role in the economy of Trinity County. This year, the board introduced a new process for awarding funds to support tourism promotion. This process involved presentations from organizations regarding their tourism-focused proposals. Funding decisions will support many promising initiatives, including those proposed by the recently launched Lewiston Community Association and research into launching a Tourism Investment District (TID). A TID in Trinity County could generate significantly more funding to support tourism.
The Trinity County Community Development Corporation (TCDC) continues to work behind the scenes on several economic development initiatives. This Fall, we tested out a shuttle service that could support tourism focused on mountain biking in our area… and more.
I was sad to hear that Cafe on Main was closing their doors. It seems that we hear this kind of news too often. While I hope we can improve on that record, I think it’s worth remembering that this is not something unique to Trinity County. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, around 20% of small businesses fail within their first two years of operation, with the failure rate increasing to roughly 45% within five years and 65% within ten years. I think it’s also important to recognize the Trinity County success stories.
The Lewiston Hotel, Weaverville Hotel, Theater, Rustic Crumble, and the 49’er in Weaverville all reflect the kind of investment and reinvention that create wonderful experiences for residents and visitors alike. Lewiston Stamps has evolved from an in-home venture to a thriving business on Main Street. J&J’s made their mark across Trinity County and beyond… and they continue to raise the bar. The Yellow Jacket in Trinity Center, the Up North Confectionery, Rustic Crumble, Trinity County Brewery, and Ah Home Chocolates in Weaverville brought new life into our communities. My apologies in advance, as I’m sure that I’ve missed many new-ish small businesses… and I haven’t mentioned any of the long-standing businesses that have been with us for many, many years.
While there is no doubt that tourism plays a big role in the success of these and other businesses in our communities, I hope we all recognize that small businesses like these rely on locals to keep their doors open. The “soft” seasons put a huge financial strain on owners as they strive to provide jobs for their team members and services for those of us who live here year-round. They simply can’t do it without our support.
I also want to give a shout-out to Craig Muir and his family for their important contributions to our economy… including the efforts they recently highlighted in the Trinity Journal.
Services
This is an area in which I feel that we took many steps forward and two big steps back,
Our funding challenges for this fiscal year led to some very tough decisions – including significant reductions in funding for both the Library System and some services provided by the Animal Shelter. Thankfully, two organizations stepped up to fill the voids created by these decisions. The Trinity Animal Shelter Auxiliary and the Friends of the Library deserve our thanks and our support for stepping up in such a big, big way.
At the same time, our CAO, department heads, and staff continue to make the most of available funding. I am impressed and grateful for their dedication and commitment to serving our county. A few examples include the launch of our new website, the implementation of a new platform to support our cannabis program and cannabis tax collections, the reallocation of transportation funds to support transit services… and so much more.
Our Department of Transportation completed major storm-related road repairs in record time this year. This was made possible by acquiring new 
equipment, quick action, and strong partnerships with the organizations involved in planning and implementing projects of this type.
Health and Human Services, Behavioral Health, and our Sheriff’s Department have been collaborating on ways in which we can tap into additional funding sources and enhance jail health services.
The board approved modifications to our strategic plan – including the adoption of being solution-oriented in our approach to addressing opportunities and challenges.
“SOLUTION ORIENTED – We respect the need to work within rules, regulations, policies, and laws while always taking a solution-oriented approach.”
Planning
As mentioned above, we have already made a great deal of progress in this area – through all the work on our new General Plan and related components. Trinity County now has a current Placemaking Action Plan, a new Regional Transportation Plan, and a Strategic Plan that is finally being used to guide our investment of time and resources. The 2024-2025 budget was the first to reflect the priorities established in our strategic plan.
I completed strategic planning work with our regional workforce development organization and began similar work with our regional economic development organization. These strategic planning efforts help to align the board and staff with clearly defined strategies, high-priority initiatives, and measurable success criteria. Most importantly, our work in these areas has already translated into work on enhanced services and support here in Trinity County.
Our new approach to allocating funds to support tourism led to the development and presentation of exciting new plans from many tourism-focused entities. I look forward to seeing the results of their efforts and our investment.
TCDC is actively working on community-based plans, addressing key areas like housing, recreation, small business support, youth career development, and funding opportunities.
Engagement
I continue to believe that strong engagement is crucial to our success. That is why I invest so much time and energy into sharing information and encouraging engagement. 
Engagement comes in many forms. Community events like Art Walks, Farmers Markets, Witches Brigade, Mountain Magic Christmas, Peddlars Faire, Bridge Lighting, Lewiston Community BBQ, and Pancake Breakfasts in the North Lake area (the list goes on) provide fun ways for us to engage – either by pitching in to make them happen or just showing up to enjoy the festivities.
Engagement also comes in the form of participating in public workshops. We’ve had many opportunities for this form of engagement… with much more to come.
Another form of engagement is participation in our public meetings – taking advantage of the Public Comment section of these meetings to share items of interest or concern. A recent example is the small group of seniors who came together during our last board meeting to share health and safety concerns in their small retirement community. Their actions have already led to several site visits and behind-the-scenes collaboration to address the concerns raised.
Tapping into the potential of the people I work with has always been one of my top priorities. Building engagement has always been at the center of my efforts when it comes to achieving this goal. In my role as County Supervisor, my hope is that we can tap into the potential of our residents, businesses, communities, staff, nonprofits, and more. Sometimes, people don’t engage because they don’t believe it will make a difference. When that happens, we lose an opportunity to collaborate on solutions and opportunities.
We added the value of “Engagement” to our strategic plan this year. I hope that you will give us a chance to demonstrate that together, we can make a difference.
“ENGAGEMENT – We understand the importance of communicating in a clear and timely manner that builds trust and engagement within the county.”
Communication
Just as engagement is key to tapping into our potential, communication is key to engagement. I continue to share information and encourage engagement by posting articles and board meeting notes on my website, sending regular emails, attending community meetings, gathering and sharing survey results, hosting town hall meetings, and more. Over 250 people have signed up to receive my email updates, and many more see them via posts to community-based groups on social media.
I do this because I hope stronger communication will lead to a growing level of trust, understanding, and engagement throughout our communities.
I’m pleased that the county has taken several steps to enhance communications. Our new website is already making it easier to find important information, and the site will continue to evolve. Our new contract for part-time services of a Public Communications Officer (mostly funded outside of the General Fund) has already made huge improvements to the quantity, quality, and timeliness of communications regarding county matters. This, too, will only continue to improve.
One important note for those who already signed up to receive updates from the county. The new website platform does not allow us to import the contact information and preferences of those who signed up on the old website. Everyone who wants to receive updates must sign up on the new site. The good news is that you now have many more options for customizing the types of information you receive. Look for the “Notify Me” icon on the home page, then choose from six different calendar notifications and seven “news flash” categories.
Our new focus on communication and engagement has already led to regular written updates from department heads that provide great insight into all the (often behind-the-scenes) work being done on our behalf. I encourage you to sign up for these updates.
I would also like to highlight the work done by our Fire Safe Council to gather information regarding our challenges with homeowners insurance here in Trinity County. Over 380 people responded to this survey, which provided us with the information we need to help decision-makers understand the unique needs of our residents. The RCRC (organization representing rural counties in California) has already picked up on our efforts and is working with all other rural counties in the state to gather similar information. This will make a huge difference when we reach out to decision-makers (like Insurance Commissioner Lara) to ensure they understand the realities faced by residents of rural counties.
Transparency
Transparency is key to earning and building trust. I hope that by being transparent about my/our discussions, decisions, and actions… we can build trust in county-related business.
The Brown Act is something that attempts to ensure transparency by, in part, limiting discussion of county matters by more than two supervisors to public meetings. This way, the public doesn’t have to worry about things like “deals” being worked out behind the scenes – without public awareness and engagement. The Brown Act does provide for certain matters to be discussed in “closed session.” In layman’s terms, the closed session is for things like sensitive personnel matters, litigation, and negotiations. It’s important to note that the board cannot formally take action during these meetings – they can only provide direction on matters that will eventually become public knowledge.
For example, the board may be asked to provide direction to staff regarding a pending lawsuit. This allows County Counsel and Staff to strategize with the board in private – yet the resolution of the litigation does eventually become public knowledge. Discussing legal strategies in public would give the opposing party an unfair advantage in negotiations and court proceedings. We provide a brief summary of closed-session outcomes during each board meeting.
I hope my sharing of meeting notes, meeting notices, and key agenda items is helping to foster a sense of greater transparency. With public meetings recorded and available on the county’s YouTube channel, we now provide easy access to proceedings. I’m also happy to report that, as of our second meeting of 2024, we caught up on the approval and posting of official minutes for our Board of Supervisor Meetings.
Looking Forward
I consider myself a realistic optimist. This means that recognizing our challenges helps me focus on solutions rather than losing hope about our future.
Being realistic about the difficulties we face helps us understand the true scope of the investment in time, energy, and money that will be required to overcome them. Being optimistic helps us see through the difficulties in a way that focuses energy on finding and implementing solutions… and believing in our ability to overcome any challenge. Being optimistic also helps us see (and support) the momentum building around us… rather than being bogged down by the (often) slow pace of change.
I definitely feel the momentum building around us. And I look forward to building upon that momentum in this coming year.
Serving as your Trinity County Supervisor is an honor, a privilege, and an ongoing commitment to this place we call home. I’m grateful to be a part of this journey with you all. I believe that, together, we can truly make a difference.
Here’s to a great new year for Trinity County!
Sharing Information | Encouraging Engagement
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