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.
Since this article was written before the final election results, I don’t have any comment except that I hope that you all exercised your right to vote. Good luck to those elected in dealing with the many issues we have before us. Appreciation to all of those who stepped up and ran for office, helped others run for office, informed themselves and neighbors, and contributed to decent, civic dialogue about what was on the ballot.
The board hired a CEO and county counsel. The board did extensive, lengthy searches for these two positions. The CEO is Sara Pierce. She has years of experience in the county and is a hard worker and even-keeled. Michael Rossi is the new county counsel. He has 30 years of experience working in the county counsel’s office of Santa Clara. I appreciate that Kit Elliott came out of retirement to fill in as county counsel while this search was ongoing.
The Library Advisory Board came up with a 10-Year Plan for capital improvements for the libraries using Measure O funding. The board approved their plan. This will provide for all the libraries in the county, along with the extensive renovation of the Willits library. We are all fortunate to have dedicated people who have volunteered their time to make libraries the quality pillars they are in our communities.
The General Government Committee received a presentation by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration about the impending Super El Niño. We move so quickly from fires to floods. It is important for individuals, neighborhoods, and governmental agencies to be prepared for power outages, road closures, and lack of communication. The County Office of Emergency Services and local fire departments are preparing for flood events. For more information on preparing for floods, go to Mendoready.org.
At the most recent board meeting, Supervisor Ted Williams and I, acting as the housing ad hoc committee, shared information about current county and state building regulations for residential permits, the history of past amnesty programs and possible future amnesty programs, and potential areas of housing growth. The high cost of septic systems, lack of infrastructure (water and sewer), and the willingness of areas to grow were discussed. The state tells the county to allow for more housing while the options are limited and challenging.
Veterans Day is Nov. 11. Much gratitude for all our veterans, along with the American Legion Posts and other organizations and communities that support the many veterans that we have in Mendocino County. On Tuesday, we honored the 59 veterans who work for the county.
The next Talk with the Supervisor will be on Monday, Nov. 9, from 10:00-11:00 a.m. at Brickhouse Coffee in Willits. You can always contact me at [email protected] or call 707-972-4214.