Board of Supervisors Meeting | 1.3.23

Sharing Information | Encouraging Engagement

The special BOS meeting included a number of important items, including a change to the Governance Manual, Cannabis Division funding, Grand Jury report response, and more. Here are the notes I took during the meeting. Please understand that this is not meant to be a comprehensive documentation of discussions and decisions that took place.

COUNTY MATTERS

Board of Supervisors

1.1	Adopt a resolution adopting a revised Governance manual.
	No fiscal impact.

- Board voted to amend the Governance Manual so that a first-year supervisor who (by rotation) would be in line to become chair would instead become vice chair.

Clerk of the Board

1.2	Pursuant to the County Governance Manual, confirm the seating of District 2 Supervisor Jill Cox as Chairman and District 3 Supervisor Liam Gogan as Chair Pro Tem (Vice-Chair).
	No fiscal impact.

- Board voted to approve the amended motion, placing Supervisor Cox as Chair and Supervisor Leutwyler as Vice Chair.

PRESENTATIONS

2.1	Present the outgoing Chairman of the Board of Supervisors with an engraved gavel.
	No fiscal impact.
2.2	Receive a presentation from Teckla Johnson on Trinity Together- Cradle to Career Partnership

Teckla Johnson presented an update regarding Trinity Together. Here is a link to her presentation materials.

Mission – collaborate, as an education-business, and community partnerships to create career pathways for all Trinity County students, as our future workforce
Teckla highlighted a wide variety of impressive initiatives in place to support our youth
There is also a Work Readiness course for adults
Hoping to earn funding through a grant by Mental Health of America CA
Opportunities for the Board to support
- Mentors, Partner Meetings, Representation at events, Support of Mental Health Program if grant funding comes through

PUBLIC COMMENT

Concern raised regarding county response to (lawsuit) settlement offers
Response provided to BOS comments/discussions about the recent Grand Jury Report focused on County Counsel.
Comments were shared regarding the Programmatic EIR that was approved several years ago. Provided notice that a lawsuit related to this has been voluntarily removed/dismissed.
Encouragement offered to the new Chair, new Supervisors, and newly seated Board

REPORTS/ANNOUNCEMENTS

Department Heads

Probation – Ruby Fierro
- Provided a brief overview of services provided – a more comprehensive update to come
- Provided a brief update regarding facilities. Working to ensure that we make the best possible use of facilities and resource under the direction of this department
Planning – Ed Prestley
- Provided “heads up” regarding upcoming items – including filling the vacancy created by the retirement of Jim Santiago
- Working on a review of how Cannabis-related grant funds have been used.
Cannabis – Drew Plabani
- 399 Appendix C’s Received
- 108 Applications Noticed in the paper
- 68 Permits paid for and picked up
CAO
- Minimum wage increase – we will need to determine how this will impact wages
- New Funding – $4.8 million received (similar to previous COVID-related grant) that can be used as we do normal general fund income.
  - Emphasized the importance of approaching the allocation of these funds in a very strategic manner.
- Staff Capacity issues… especially within the Human Resources area.
- Mid-year Budget Review – proposed implementing a more concise approach to this process due to staffing limitations and related deadlines
- Solid Waste – aware of concerns regarding delays in waste collection and transfer station hours of operation.
- Incoming CAO – still working on a press release
- Strategic Plan – meetings scheduled to pick up on progress made during 2022
- Department Head Updates – working with the team to create a schedule that will provide an opportunity for the Board to hear from all department heads

Board Updates

Dan Frasier – nothing to report
Ric Leutwyler
- New Supervisor Institute – completed 1.5 days of training.
- Economic Development Roundtable – initial meetings with this group to identify initiatives, priorities, and potential funding sources
- Strategic Plan – working with Interim CAO Garza
Jill Cox –
- Spoke to the request by the Cannabis Department for a Supervisor to support their efforts in pulling together financial reporting
- Ric Leutwyler was assigned to a (finance oriented) Cannabis Ad Hoc Committee to work with the staff over the next two weeks.
Liam Gogan – nothing to report
Heidi Carpenter-Harris
- New Supervisor Institute – completed 1.5 days of training.

CONSENT CALENDAR

The Board approved all items.

PUBLIC HEARINGS

County Administrative Office

5.1

Continue the public hearing from December 20, 2022 to consider introducing, waiving the reading of and enacting an ordinance amending Trinity County Code Section 2.64.050 regarding various county fees.

Potential increase in revenues in an unknown amount to various county departments.

Board voted to approve the proposed changes to the fee structure – with the amendments (lowering several fees within the Tax Collectors area) made during the prior board meeting.

Clarification was provided that fees collected prior to the implementation of the new fee structure would remain at the rates applied at the time of receipt.

COUNTY MATTERS

Building and Development Services

6.1

Continued from December 29, 2022 to consideration to take the following actions regarding the establishment of County Code Section 15.26 – Electric Vehicle Charging Station Permit Expediting:

Unknown fiscal impact.

Presentation – Skylar Fisher provided an update regarding this item… including an explanation of the regulations related to the proposed ordinance
- Health & Safety concerns are the only matters that can be considered for applying for additional permit requirements
- The state considers these as ”accessory” items within established zoning
Public Comment
- Concerns were raised regarding the limitations this places on land use control
- Discussed the possibility of requiring a “will serve” letter as part of the process
- This means there would have to be a letter from the provider of power to the site saying that they will provide service as needed to support the permitted installation
Board Discussion
- Considered options of approving as and then asking the Planning Commission to review/advise, or the option of not approving as is and asking the Planning Commission to review/advise.
Board voted to send this matter to the Planning Commission for recommendation on appropriate zoning for commercial installations.

Cannabis

6.2	Continue to January 17, 2023 the item continued from December 29, 2022 to discuss the current status of the Cannabis Department’s budget, give direction to staff regarding providing a general fund contribution or advance, and authorize the CAO and Auditor to sign any budget adjustments necessary based on the direction given.
	$1,018,154 from the General Fund in the form of a contribution or advance based on BOS direction.

Drew Plebani requested that the Board approve the reallocation of funding from the grant funds at this time – while waiting to vote on the decision regarding additional funding.
Drew Plebani also suggested that we postpone our decision regarding additional funding until we receive the results of a pending grant modification request.
Board voted to adopt as presented – identified the 2nd BOS meeting of January as the timing of reviewing this again.

Clerk of the Board

6.3	Appoint Supervisors represent the County on various Boards, Commissions, Committees and Task Forces for the next year.
	No fiscal impact. The Board approved committee assignments – details will be shared at a later time. Each Supervisor has an average of 12 committee assignments.
6.4	Set the Board of Supervisors meeting schedule for calendar year 2023.
	No fiscal impact. Board approved a meeting schedule that includes the following: Moving meetings that would normally fall the day after a holiday out one day to allow sufficient time for preparations, questions of staff, etc. Eliminate July 5th meeting and November 21st – anticipating that special meetings may be required to address time-sensitive business.
6.5	Acknowledge receipt of and assign a Supervisor to draft a response to Grand Jury Report (DER: 2022-001) Abandoned Vehicle Abatement Report
	No fiscal impact.

- Chair Cox assigned herself to handle this matter.

Human Resources

6.6

Take the following actions effective January 1, 2023:

Approve the job description, set the salary range and add to the alphabetical listing of classifications and allocate to the County Administraive Office – Grant’s Division a Housing Case Manager at range G197; and

Delete the allocation for one Grants Coordinator I/II.

The approximate cost in salary and benefits per month for a Housing Case Manager at A step is $6,408.

Board approved this matter as presented. Note – this position is grant funded.

Planning and Zoning

6.7	Conduct an appeal hearing to consider upholding, modifying or overturning the Planning Commission’s determination that application P-22-19 was complete with the submittal of vesting deeds and proof of legal access to Parcel C for the submitted exhibit. The appeal includes a request that a new application submission be found automatically complete.
	No fiscal impact.

Presentation – Skylar Fisher presented background information

- Historical perspective provided regarding this matter
- Determined to be a major lot line adjustment
  - Minor lot line adjustment has a streamlined approval process
- Error in notifying surveyor vs applicant meant official notice did not take place within the established 30-day period
- Planning Commission reviewed this matter – determined that the project would be deemed complete when outstanding items were provided by the applicant
- The applicant proposed an option that would make this qualify as a minor lot line adjustment
- Internal discussion led to the decision that the attempt to notify within the 30-day timeframe is sufficient to support the decision that the application is not deemed automatically complete.
- Ongoing concern regarding legal access to one of the parcels involved
- There is a documented requirement to give notice at Post Offices – this practice has been halted due to difficulty obtaining approval from the Post Office to post notices of this nature.
- Still believes that a qualitative review is required for the revised proposal
- Environmental Health does still require a site visit
Appellant Input
- Concerns were raised that Interim Director is not authorized to make “planning decisions” that he has made regarding this manner
- Detailed presentation delivered

Public Comment
- Comments in support of moving this forward
Board voted to approve this project based on conditions documented and added during the discussion

Transportation

6.8	Take the following actions regarding APN 014-350-56
	Unknown fiscal impact.

Presentation
- Property purchased in 2007
- Replaced an existing structure with a new on in the same area
- Taxes paid for improvements made on the part of the property that has since been determined to be outside the legal parcel owned