Land Use and Transportation

I chose my career in land use and transportation planning because these issues are central to our lives.  How and where we use land is fundamental to our society and the base or source of wealth.  Areas for jobs, housing, services and other business activity are all designated and guided by our Trinity County General Plan and zoning.  Transportation is how we get to and from the places we live, work and play.  The extent and quality of our transportation system underlie the effectiveness and success of our use of land.

The county is leading development of a new general plan and zoning ordinance which will provide an updated vision and guidance for our future.  These documents, however, are only one of three legs on the county development “stool”.  The other two legs are county staff and county officials, which are also fundamental to success.  My focus will be on making sure these other two legs of our development stool are fit to help us move into the future.

The county has adopted a five-year strategic plan intended to guide county actions to help develop budgets and actions that will accomplish the vision of the general plan.  Portions of the strategic plan that I think most relate to my values and priorities have been highlighted in yellow.  View Strategic Plan Here.

Experience and Accountability

My education and experience in land use and transportation give me a strong background to help lead improvement efforts in these areas.  View Resume Here.  Equally important is my commitment to accountability.  During my career, the most common cause I saw for poor decision-making by staff and elected government officials was the failure to hold people accountable for their actions.  Everyone, from the entry level staff person to the chair of the Board of Supervisors, must be held accountable – to each other and to you, the public served.  Fundamental to holding government accountable is for you – the public – to have access to, and understanding of, the rules and regulations that apply to you.  My goal is to make sure this happens.

Other Focus Areas

Brown Act

This act (Government Code § 54950 et seq.) sets minimum requirements for public notice and access to government decision-making.  I will work to make sure the county meets or exceeds all requirements of this act.

California Public Records Act

This act (Government Code § 7920 et seq.) sets requirements to allow public access to public records.  I will work to make sure the county meets or exceeds all requirements of this act.

Taxes

New or higher taxes seem to be discussed during every annual county budget cycle.  I do not support increasing taxes.  I do support increased tax revenues from existing sources based on existing tax rates.  This means building more homes, creating more jobs, opening new businesses – not by making residents pay higher rates on existing taxes or by adding new taxes.

Fire Insurance

Due to the number and size of recent tragic fires in California (including the Camp Fire in my hometown of Paradise) many private insurers are not writing new policies or are canceling existing policies.  The California FAIR Plan provides access to basic fire insurance coverage but is not a complete policy and is really intended for temporary use.  We must find a path to better insurance options if we want our county to thrive.

Development Review Team

Year in and year out, the county has struggled to provide efficient and effective services and staffing in Planning, Building, Environmental Health, and Surveyor.  I will work to create a “Development Review Team” to review projects, processes and services for potential improvement.  The team would consist of retired development professionals (contractor, civil engineer, carpenter, electrician, equipment operator, plumber, etc.) from around the county who are willing to commit time to help our county improve.

You

Serving you, the people of District 1, is what I want to do so I commit to giving you the best I have.  As your representative on the Board of Supervisors, it is my job to do just that – represent you.  You can bring issues of concern to me and expect a response.