Update from Supervisor Debbie Arnold
5th District Supervisor Debbie Arnold.
–I am happy to say that our reservoir levels are on the rise throughout the county as we have been enjoying a rather wet winter. In fact, we had so much rain, the Board of Supervisors (BOS) proclaimed a State of Emergency in January – this streamlines the approval process for obtaining additional State assistance and resources caused by storm damage. To view current rainfall totals and reservoir levels, please visit https://wr.slocountywater.org/home.php.
It’s been a busy first quarter for the board of supervisors. In February, the BOS began the county’s budget process by receiving an update from staff and held a strategic planning meeting. Each department has submitted their budget requests for FY 2017/2018 to our administrative department for analysis in preparation of the upcoming budget hearings scheduled for the second week of June. The BOS budget priorities are as follows: 1) meet State and Federal mandates; 2) meet debt requirements; 3) funding public safety. I’m pleased to announce that this year, the BOS also adopted the maintenance of our County roads as our 4th priority. In addition to the toll our roads took due to the heavy storms from this winter, if we continue to defer the maintenance of our roads due to budgetary constraints, we will experience the exponential costs associated with repairs.
The BOS budget priorities are as follows:
1) Meet state and federal mandates
2) Meet debt requirements
3) Fund public safety
I’m pleased to announce that this year, the BOS also adopted the maintenance of our county roads as our 4th priority. In addition to the toll our roads took due to the heavy storms from this winter, if we continue to defer the maintenance of our roads due to budgetary constraints, we will experience the exponential costs associated with repairs.
Our administrative team recently released the County’s 2016 Annual Report. It is an excellent summary of the various issues that have impacted our county such as water, economy, safety, and upgrades to our public services. The 2016 Annual Report can be found at http://www.slocountyannualreport.com.
With the recent legalization of recreational marijuana in California, the BOS has begun the discussion on a permanent cannabis land use regulation (ordinance) that includes where to allow commercial cultivation in the unincorporated areas of the county. As a reminder, the BOS passed an urgency ordinance for medical marijuana in September of 2016 to stop the proliferation of marijuana cultivation until a permanent ordinance is approved. There are several public meetings scheduled in attempt to seek public input on this issue. For more information and a list of upcoming stakeholder meetings, please visit http://www.slocounty.ca.gov/planning/Cannabis-Cultivation.htm
As I’ve mentioned in the past, I am honored to serve as the chair on the Homeless Services Oversight Committee. The housing first model has proven to be a highly effective approach to helping our homeless population. HUD-VASH is a nationwide collaboration of Housing and Urban Development (and our local housing authority is HASLO) and Veterans Affairs (VASH). Over the last couple of years, HUD-VASH has made housing vouchers available for qualifying homeless veterans. There is a need for landlords to participate in this program. Currently, it’s my understanding that there are 20 veterans with vouchers that need a rental unit. If you have any leads, please contact my office at [email protected] or (805) 781-4339. It is an honor to represent the 5th District.
Fifth District Supervisor Debbie Arnold
