Platform points
Enhanced Economic and Job Opportunities
We must attract sustainable businesses and job creation that fit our environment and provide goods and services that we need and benefit the economy overall.
Career and technical education should be available to all who want it. I will seek to work with businesses and schools and the colleges on apprentice programs to help this effort.
Infrastructure and Broadband
Many of our roads are narrow and in poor repair. Getting people out in times of emergency is tough and can lead to tragic results as we have recently seen in the disastrous firestorms that swept parts of our county and our neighboring counties.
One pressing need is a second access route for Brooktrails in times of disaster. We also need to improve our access to broadband in the rural areas, especially in times of natural or other disasters.
Emergency Preparedness
The County needs to do a complete review of the Emergency Preparedness systems. We have learned a lot from the Redwood Complex Fire.. Willits was without communication (except for the ham radio operators) for too long. We need redundancy of communication systems and a commitment to look at what can be improved so that we are better prepared next time.
Emergency Preparedness Systems
I commend the women and men who have participated in the CERT (Community Emergency Response Teams) trainings. This is a vital link to taking responsibility for our communities’ well-being in times of emergency. EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS SYSTEMS SHOULD BE COMBINED INTO ONE.
Brooktrails 2nd Access Route
Each and every member of the Brooktrails Township Board has endorsed my candidacy because of my commitment to creating a 2nd access route out of Brooktrails. Our next Supervisor has to be a tenacious supporter of this project, which hasn’t happened in the past. I applaud the Brooktrails Board for looking at all options to get the process on track again. Together we can make it happen.
Protecting our Natural Resources and Parks
Our mountains, forests, open space, rivers and streams and local fisheries are vital to what makes this a special place to live. We must continue to protect them from irresponsible development and unreasonable exploitation. Our visitor base is a large part of our economic well-being in Mendocino County. Protecting the natural beauty of this place enhances that experience and leads to more tax dollars coming in to the County.
Additionally, the Native American community must be respected and its heritage preserved. A diverse population is key to what makes Mendocino a thriving place to live, work and raise families.
Cannabis
This is a time of great economic uncertainty for small cannabis farmers in Mendocino County. Ever since the voters of California passed Prop. 64 in 2016 that legalized cannabis for adult recreational use, the number and size of cannabis farms in the state has grown significantly which has resulted in an oversupply on the market and a steep decline in the price farmers can get for their crops. As cannabis prices have steadily gone down, small farmers can barely earn a living and there is enormous pressure to get bigger, or get out.
While the legal cannabis market in the State of California is beyond the control of the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors, as your Supervisor, there are several ideas I’d like to explore on the Board to help small cannabis farmers adapt to this rapidly changing legal cannabis economy. I believe Mendocino County offers many unique features that position us ideally to take advantage of the burgeoning market for recreational cannabis both in California and worldwide.
The coastal mountains of Northern California provide the perfect climate to cultivate premier quality cannabis that is recognized as the world’s best. As pioneers in the cultivation of high grade cannabis, Mendocino County cannabis farmers have developed the know-how to produce the best cannabis in the world. Our rich history of cannabis cultivation has made the Mendocino appellation into a well established brand that we must vigorously promote.
The natural beauty of California’s North Coast with its clean ocean air, ancient redwood forests, and wild and scenic rivers has long drawn people to Mendocino County to see the sights, eat local foods, drink local wines and stay at local lodgings and spiritual retreats. I believe cannabis can be seamlessly integrated into Mendocino County’s already existing tourism economy. When I think of people traveling to Ojai or Sedona for retreats, healing, and or spiritual growth, I believe that wellness tourism, including cannatourism, can be a key to economic vitality and pride in our communities. Let’s promote Mendocino County as a wellness destination and look at the economic opportunities that will bring.
Moving forward, we need to look at three other options: public banking, direct sales, and co-ops. Let’s explore public banking to possibly help resolve some of the financial problems associated with the cannabis business. There are lots of unknowns about this proposal but we need to look at the potential benefits to our farmers and the County as a whole. Although the Assembly killed the direct sales bill this year, cannabis farmers need to be able to have direct sales, grower to consumer, as a route to economic viability. As your Supervisor, I will work with state elected leaders to continue the push for direct sales. We can also promote co-ops for the certification of cannabis cultivators and cooperative processing and distribution of cannabis should be allowed to alleviate the crushing requirements and expenses on individuals. Together we must work to solve the problems that the small cannabis growers are experiencing.
Overall, we need to help small cannabis farmers come into compliance with the new regulations, be good neighbors, maintain sound environmental farming practices, and contribute as taxpayers to our county and economy. I think our County’s cannabis cultivation ordinance should not be punitive in nature since this is a legal agricultural endeavor. At the same time, the County needs to treat this industry like any other regulated industry. Many of the small cannabis farms in Mendocino County are famous for their permaculture practices that draws people to our area from around the world.
In order to support local small cannabis farmers, we need to streamline and simplify the application process for farmers to come into legal compliance. Specific measures that I will propose on the Board of Supervisor to streamline the regulations and reduce fees are:
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Eliminate the County’s Track and Trace program since it duplicates the State’s Track and Trace program. Support the non-renewal of the Sipca contract.
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Keep cannabis inspection focused on cannabis ordinance compliance rather than other issues. I don’t want the County’s implementation of its ordinance to be a cause of a farmer not being able to make a living - for example, bringing a residence up to removal of unrelated culverts, etc. - growers seeking permits should get a long holiday from needing to come into compliance.
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Work with Senator McGuire and Assemblymember Wood to reduce the Water Quality Board Tier 1 fees.
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Support the fees based on what is sold, not what is grown, and reduction of renewal license fees.
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Non-cooperation of County towards any federal attempts to prosecute legal growers.
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Align County and State inspections into one so as to not duplicate inspections and fees.
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Work with a wide variety of constituents in assessing the issues surrounding transferability of licenses so that we can find a path forward that works for all.
8. More help from County for training and assistance with licensure and non-governmental organizations to better prepare people for running businesses.
9. Allow for direct sales and Farmers’ Markets in Mendocino County so that cannabis farmers and consumers can meet directly.
10. Amend the tax ordinance to allow monies paid for the State Cultivation Tax to be taken as a deduction on the local gross receipts tax and oppose the mandatory minimum tax.
11. Change the building code to allow for a U-occupancy structure to allow for processing of cannabis.
12. Propose initiative to reduce County cannabis business tax that grows to 10%.
Affordable and Available Housing
We need to encourage affordable and diverse housing through planning, zoning, and investment. This is an issue affecting everyone. When new teachers come to me saying that they never would have moved to Willits (or Mendocino County) had they known how hard it is to find affordable and appropriate housing, it is obvious we need to do something about it. First as your Supervisor I will appoint a commissioner to the Community Development Commission who understands that we need to be proactive in developing affordable housing and that we need to pursue all available funding through federal HUD and state agencies.
Some steps to take are:
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Creating partnerships between the County and cities to find solutions to our housing shortage.
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Preserve Class K housing which promotes creative and innovative housing solutions.
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Encourage more infill housing in developed areas served with infrastructure and services.
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Look at alternatives such as co-housing, and housing trusts, non-profit affordable housing partners.
Homelessness
Mendocino County’s approach to homelessness is not working. As was presented at the Board of Supervisors meeting regarding homelessness, we lack a unified approach to dealing with the problem. We need to come together and develop unified approaches and services instead of duplicating or contradicting the work of various agencies. The housing crisis is affecting our communities at all levels.
With the lack of affordable housing, working people are priced out of appropriate housing. I will fight for a living wage for all employees so that the working men and women of our county can afford housing. I will also work for more truly affordable housing for our teachers, first responders, service workers and others priced out of the community.
Mental Health
Mental Health in Mendocino County requires a cohesive, "hands on" management and policy from county leadership. With one of the only privatized county mental health systems in California we are in a unique position to provide leadership and innovation, or face perils with lack of support and oversight for our county departments and their private delivery service counterparts.
We must ensure that Measure B funding together with existing funding from the state and our county are being spent carefully for quality, cohesive service delivery for the most vulnerable in our county.
I await the recommendation from the Measure B Advisory Board but would certainly encourage locating the inpacient facility in the 3rd district which would create a mental health hub centered in our district. In coordination with our new Howard Hospital, this will provide and improve services as well as provide an opportunity to expand our new branch of Mendocino College.
I will fight to ensure a strong mental health system, resources for our district and financial and technical support from the county and state to ensure a strong, healthy community with broad-based economic and educational opportunities for all.
Our Libraries and County Museum
The County plans to consolidate administration of our library system, County Museum and Parks. While I support the concept of consolidating administrative tasks, this plan is flawed. We voted to fund the libraries with Measure A. We must listen to the Library Advisory Board’s advice on implementing it
We must also listen to the Museum Advisory Board, where similar concerns are expressed. We need to protect these cultural assets and both deserve full-time directors to achieve maximum potential for each department.
County Government, Transparency, Fiscal Management and Citizen Involvement
Our County must be responsive and responsible to its citizens. to manage the budget wisely and fairly and to listen to all who appear before the board carefully and with respect. I pledge to keep an open door, and to revisit the subject of equitable pay scales for all County employees before voting on any raise for Supervisors. It is simply irresponsible for the board to take a nearly 40% pay raise while there is deficit spending.
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