The following is a column submitted by Mendocino County 3rd District Supervisor John Haschak. The opinions expressed in this column do not necessarily reflect the views of the Mendocino Voice.
At the Feb. 3 meeting, the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors moved forward with developing ordinances for short-term rentals and low intensity camping. Some of the key issues with short-term rentals are that the owner or manager of the property must be readily accessible, rentals on private roads would have a higher level of oversight, and code violations will include fines and after three violations, you’re out of the program.
The state passed a law allowing low-intensity camping, “hipcamps” etc., if a county so chooses. This is for nine or fewer campsites on a property. The board wants to limit this program to no more than 100 permits. People have been using these camping platforms for quite a while with no regulation or fees/taxes collected. The board has sent the proposed ordinance to the Planning Commission before returning to the board for final approval.
In my first years on the board, there was a lot of talk concerning the fiscal health of the Mendocino County Employees pension fund. The unfunded liabilities were high, which required action. The Mendocino County Employees Retirement Association board took action that put the financing on a more solid, conservative approach. The latest actuarial report showed that MCERA fund has over $800 million in assets, the unfunded liabilities are decreasing, and the fund is projected to meet its goals to eliminate the unfunded liability. The next MCERA meeting will be in Willits on Feb. 18 at 8:30 in the Wonacott Room of the Mendocino County Museum.
Ambulance service in the county hangs on as a precarious problem. Of particular concern is outlying areas that might not have enough Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs). Since the entire county’s ambulance service is interconnected, if one goes down, the others must cover. County staff and I held a meeting in Covelo last summer to discuss some of the issues and fixes. We had great collaboration from Coastal Valleys Emergency Medical Services Agency, CalFire and fire departments, ambulance providers, and the community. The situation was dire.
Some of the fixes are that the Round Valley Health Clinic is now receiving low-acuity ambulance patients and an EMT class in Covelo will graduate nine students. Once the graduates receive their course completion certificate, they will be in good standing to take the National Registry exam for final certification. Problems get solved when we work together.
There will be a Talk with the Supervisor on Thursday, February 19, from 10-11 a.m. at Brickhouse Coffee in Willits. You can always contact me at haschakjAt the Feb. 3 meeting, the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors moved forward with developing ordinances for short-term rentals and low intensity camping. Some of the key issues with short-term rentals are that the owner or manager of the property must be readily accessible, rentals on private roads would have a higher level of oversight, and code violations will include fines and after three violations, you’re out of the program.
The state passed a law allowing low-intensity camping, “hipcamps” etc., if a county so chooses. This is for nine or fewer campsites on a property. The board wants to limit this program to no more than 100 permits. People have been using these camping platforms for quite a while with no regulation or fees/taxes collected. The board has sent the proposed ordinance to the Planning Commission before returning to the board for final approval.
In my first years on the board, there was a lot of talk concerning the fiscal health of the Mendocino County Employees pension fund. The unfunded liabilities were high, which required action. The Mendocino County Employees Retirement Association board took action that put the financing on a more solid, conservative approach. The latest actuarial report showed that MCERA fund has over $800 million in assets, the unfunded liabilities are decreasing, and the fund is projected to meet its goals to eliminate the unfunded liability. The next MCERA meeting will be in Willits on Feb. 18 at 8:30 in the Wonacott Room of the Mendocino County Museum.
Ambulance service in the county hangs on as a precarious problem. Of particular concern is outlying areas that might not have enough Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs). Since the entire county’s ambulance service is interconnected, if one goes down, the others must cover. County staff and I held a meeting in Covelo last summer to discuss some of the issues and fixes. We had great collaboration from Coastal Valleys Emergency Medical Services Agency, CalFire and fire departments, ambulance providers, and the community. The situation was dire.
Some of the fixes are that the Round Valley Health Clinic is now receiving low-acuity ambulance patients and an EMT class in Covelo will graduate nine students. Once the graduates receive their course completion certificate, they will be in good standing to take the National Registry exam for final certification. Problems get solved when we work together.
There will be a Talk with the Supervisor on Thursday, February 19, from 10-11 a.m. at Brickhouse Coffee in Willits. You can always contact me at haschakj@mendocinocounty.gov or call 707-972-4214.