Update on County Matters | 8.27.2023

by | Aug 28, 2023 | Economic Development, Get Involved, Stay Informed, Trinity Resources, Your Opinion Matters

Sharing Information  |  Encouraging Engagement

 

This is an executive summary of my efforts on behalf of the county.  Each supervisor is asked to provide a verbal update during the board meeting.  I am using this template to also submit a (more comprehensive) written update that is available to the public.

UPCOMING BOARD MEETINGS

  • Board of Supervisors Meeting – Tuesday, 9.6.2023 at 9:00 AM
  • Our agenda has not yet been released. Items that could be on the agenda include revisiting the decision about county-provided snow maintenance in front of volunteer fire stations and discussion about how to handle situations in which the county has both an application for cannabis cultivation and an opt-out request for the same area.
  • The agenda should be posted by the end of this week. Click here to access current and past agendas

OUT-OF-COUNTY TRAVEL

  • I was in Anderson last week for a NoRTEC Board Meeting.  NoRTEC is an organization focused on workforce development.
  • I was in Redding the prior week for the SCEDD Board Meeting.  SCEDD is an organization focused on economic development.

COMMITTEE UPDATES

  • Airport Advisory Committee
    • DOT Director Panos Kokkas hosted our first committee meeting of the year at the Redding Rancheria location in Weaverville.  We had a good turnout for the meeting, though we are missing representatives from several districts. Input from those in attendance is to get back on a regular schedule of quarterly meetings. Committee members (and members of the public) provided input regarding airport project priorities and shared input on how best to handle security issues at the Trinity Center Airport.
  • Trinity County Commission On Aging
    • No activity.
  • Trinity County Fire Chiefs Association
  • This group met on Monday, August 14th.  There were a number of important updates and discussion items.  Representatives offered strong support for a fireworks related ordinance and for revisiting the decision about snow maintenance at volunteer fire stations.  At this time, only the Coffee Creek VFD is requesting this support.
  • Representative also shared plans for submitting requests for Title III funding.  These requests will come before the board of supervisors in the near future. Funds received under Title III are used to:
    • carry out activities under the Firewise Communities program
    • reimburse the participating county for search and rescue and other emergency services, including firefighting and law enforcement patrols
    • cover training costs and equipment purchases directly related to the emergency service
    • develop and carry out community wildfire protection plans.
    • provide or expand access to broadband telecommunications services
  • Northern Rural Training And Employment Consortium (N0RTEC)
    • This organization held its board meeting last week – 8.24.23. I shared recommendations from the work the ad hoc committee had been doing since the last board meeting. I was asked to continue leading this ad hoc committee and to facilitate a strategic planning session with the board during our next regularly scheduled meeting.
    • The Smart Workforce Center works closely with NoRTEC as the service provider for Trinity County.  This organization provides a lot of great services that we can take advantage of here in Trinity County.
  • Remote Access Network Board (RAN Board)
    • Nothing new to report 
  • Superior California Economic Development District (SCEDD)
    • This organization held its board meeting on 8.17.23 in Redding. We discussed vacancies, funding opportunities and the value of establishing a performance scorecard for the organization.  Representatives also invest time in sharing updates regarding developments, challenges, and opportunities within their counties.  We received positive feedback regarding the progress we have made with regarding to tourism and economic development.
    • We will be updating the CEDS (comprehensive economic development strategy) in place for our region.  I volunteered to work with other representatives in this effort.
  • Sierra Nevada Conservancy 
    • This organization will hold its board meeting on 9.7.23.  I will be participating in a pre-board meeting in which I will be able to provide input to the voting board member that represents county input to this organization.

Secondary Representative Role

  • Child Abuse Prevention Council (CAPC)
    • Nothing to report
  • Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO)
    • Nothing to report.
  • National Association Of Counties (NACO)
    • Nothing to report
  • North Coast Resource Partnership (NCIRWMP)
    •  I passed along all of my notes from the meeting I attended to our two primary representatives (Heidi Carpenter-Harris and Liam Gogan).  I will remain as an alternate for this organization.

OTHER BOARD ASSIGNMENTS

  • Economic Development Ad Hoc Committee
    • Work continues on many fronts.  I recently shared two economic development updates that provide a quick overview of initiatives underway.
    • Efforts to rollout the CERF (Community Economic Resilience Fund) program continue. We are now expecting a regional plan (covering the north state region) this Fall.  This will provide the basis for nomination and selection of projects for funding.  We continue to prepare for the opportunity to share our project ideas.  The updates mentioned above include a link to the list of projects shared by community members to-date.
  • Homeowners Insurance Ad Hoc Committee  – Complete
  • Strategic Plan Ad Hoc Committee – Complete
  • Cannabis Division Financials Ad Hoc Committee – Complete

OTHER ITEMS

  • Fire Season
    • We currently have two US Forest Service incident management teams in Trinity County. I have participated in Forest Service-led incident command briefings, cooperator’s meetings, and two town hall meetings (one in Weaverville, the other in Trinity Center).  I am impressed with the commitment to suppression of fires in our national forests… and the tireless efforts on our behalf.  I also greatly appreciate the efforts to keep community members informed. The town hall meetings mentioned above have been hosted by Tara Jones and representatives from the incident management teams at the end of very long days dealing with the fires.
  • Trinity Lake & River Releases
    • I hosted two town hall meetings regarding this subject – one in Lewiston and another in Trinity Center – both were very well attended.  The recently-formed Trinity River Watershed Alliance has been invited to participate in “interested parties” meetings.  You can reach representatives of this group regarding their efforts via this email address – trinityriverwatershedalliance@gmail.com
    • The reconsultation process continues.  I will let you know when I have details regarding opportunities for public input and/or key developments.  Click here if you would like to see a document with questions and answers regarding water matters.  
    • The Trinity River Restoration Program is hosting a presentation “Winter Flow Variability: What we’ve learned about the influence of flow on river ecology” – during an informal gathering at the Indian Creek Lodge on Wednesday, 9.6.23.  Click here for more information about this informative event. Please Note – this is not a town hall meeting.  It is an opportunity for TRRP representatives to share information with the community.
  • Constituent Engagement
    • I enjoyed meeting members of the Poker Bar community this morning at one of their property owners association meetings. I came away with a much better understanding of this community’s priorities, challenges, ideas, and opportunities… and a few more items on my to-do list.

BOARD AGENDA & MINUTES – click here to access current and past agendas and minutes.  Note – work is underway to get current with the formal approval and publishing of minutes from board meetings.

BOARD VIDEO RECORDINGS – click here to access video recordings of board meetings.

I hope you find these updates of value.  Please feel free to reach out if you have questions, concerns, or suggestions. You can keep up with board-related matters using the link below.

 

Sharing Information  |  Encouraging Engagement

 

Please use this form to let me know if you would like to be added to the distribution list for updates. Check the box next to the type of updates you would like to receive.