The Del Norte County Board of Supervisors inched forward on adopting its first- ever Strategic Plan, the County road map establishing priorities for the coming fiscal year.
Assistant County Administrative Office Randy Hooper addressed supervisors on framework drafts that identified four focus areas:
• County Staffing and Capacity
• Infrastructure and Economic Development
• Law Justice and Homelessness
• General Governance and Budget
Hooper called the Strategic Plan “ambitious” considering the County has never adopted a Strategic Plan.
The road map moves from the above noted Focus Area to Goals and ultimately Action Items. Hooper identified the Goals in each Focus Area.
County Staffing and Capacity Goals include reducing Vacancy Rates; Improving Recruitment Outcomes and Expediting the Hiring Process; Reducing Employee Turnover and Increase Retention; Improve Access to Housing Opportunities for County Employees.
Infrastructure and Economic Development include Maintain or Improve County Facilities and Infrastructure; Support Countywide Economic Development; Improve Aesthetics of County-owned properties and Facilities.
Law. Justice and Homelessness include Improve Community Indigent Defense; Proactively and Collaboratively Address Community Homelessness; Improve and Expand Opportunities and Upstream Interventions for Justice Involved Youth.
General Governance and Budget include Maintain Core Service Levels; Practice Fiscal Responsibility; Improve Oversight of County Programs and Services; Embed Strategic Planning into County Culture and Budget Process.
Board discussion then became a bit more interesting.
Supervisor Darrin Short motioned to approve the Drafts for adoption. Supervisor Valerie Starkey seconded the motion.
Ambitious indeed was Supervisor Chris Howard’s sentiment. After expressing his concerns for the Plan, “ We’re moving a little too fast, here. There’s a lot on this paper,” Howard stated. Howard continued “ I hesitate strongly to make moves before we understand where that cash (revenue) is coming from.” Howard felt additional study was warranted before next meeting’s Board adoption vote.
Upon listening to Howard’s comments, Starkey withdrew her second.
Supervisor Joey Borges felt opposite. Borges expressed his support for the “ ambitious” Plan. “ Let’s get this going and make things start happening. I’ll make the second.” Chair Wilson concurred, “ All we are doing is approving the action points that we’ve laid out. Nothing has been set in cement.”
The Board then voted 5-0 in accepting the Strategic Plan drafts and direction to staff to prepare the Final 2024-25 Strategic Plan vote at the April 23 meeting .
In other business:
• Supervisors voted unanimously to allocate another $15,000 to the Humboldt-Del Norte Film Commission for a total contribution of $25,000 for the upcoming fiscal year.
• Supervisors also voted to decline to Suspend the Rules in order to reconsider item 29, the Tri-Agency Joint Powers Agreement from the January 23 , 2024 meeting. The vote to decline was 3-1-0, Starkey voting NO and Howard voting to ABSTAIN.
The vote pre-empted items 20 and 21,possible action to reconsider Supervisors vote on partnering with Tri-Agency and the amending of a specific section addressing off-shore generation of wind energy. Both the City and Harbor voted to include wind energy to the Tri-Agency Economic Authority. Today’s decline to Suspend the Rules leaves the Tri-Agency in a state of limbo as the County will not be contributing $70,000 to the Tri-Agency budget for the upcoming year.
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