COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT

The purpose of the Community Development Department is serve the County's citizens and businesses with the highest level of development services to ensure the public’s safety while providing for orderly growth and development. The Community Development Department carries out the County's planning, building, environmental health, and water resources functions in a common sense approach while supporting economic development and preserving the County's agricultural heritage and its quality of life.

Significant Accomplishments for Fiscal Year 2020-21:

1. Implemented the Community Development Department’s OpenGov on-line permit system.
2. Completed the draft update to County’s Development Impact Fee study and anticipate bringing the draft to the Board for overall direction prior to the end of the fiscal year.
3. Successfully completed and obtained HCD approval for the 2020-2028 Housing Element update.
4. Successfully designed and implemented the County’s Coronavirus Relief Small Business Assistance Grant Program which awarded over $796,000 in 86 grants to 55 businesses.
5. Successfully completed the initial cross-training of the new Code Compliance Officer to perform basic building inspection services as a back-up to the Department’s Building Inspector.
6. Successfully implemented the environmental health specialist training program with the Division’s last remaining trainee who passed the State’s Registered Environmental Health Specialist (REHS) exam. The success rate of passing the REHS exam statewide is approximately 67%. However, due to the success of the Division’s training program, the last 4 trainees have passed the exam on their first attempt.
7. Water Resources Division’s staff was elected Chair of the Northern Sacramento Valley Integrated Regional Water Management group (NSV IRWM) Technical Advisory Committee (TAC), leading coordination and agenda development for both the NSV IRWM TAC and Board.
8. Made significant progress on the development of the Groundwater Sustainability Plan for the Colusa Subbasin to keep the plan on track to be completed and submitted to the State in January, 2022.

Goals & Objectives for Fiscal Year 2021-2022:

1. Continue to lead the planning and implementation of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) in Colusa County and the Colusa Subbasin, including completing and submitting the Groundwater Sustainability Plan for the Colusa Subbasin by the January 31, 2022 deadline.
2. Guide the Colusa County Groundwater Commission activities, especially public outreach efforts and coordination with the Colusa Groundwater Authority.
3. Coordinate locally and regionally on local water management activities.
4. Finalize the completion of County’s Development Impact fee update.
5. Make progress on the update to the application fee schedule for the Community Development Department.
6. Continue to cross-train the Code Compliance Officer to perform moderately complex building inspection services to serve as a back-up to the Department’s Building Inspector.
7. Continue to refine the Department’s OpenGov permit software system to improve the overall usability, functionality, and efficiency of the system. Reach out to other Departments that could benefit from the system to improve the processing of their applications.
8. Help facilitate and provide necessary support to ensure the successful remodel of the plaza building to create the Community Development Department’s one-stop permit center to improve the overall customer experience.
9. Help facilitate and pursue community and economic development opportunities throughout the County.
10. Fill the vacant Environmental Health Specialist position to allow the Division’s inspectors to be crossed trained in all programs to provide the best possible customer service.

Summary of Major Budget Changes:

1. Obtained a $65,000 LEAP grant to perform income surveys in Arbuckle, Maxwell, and Princeton to define qualifying low-income areas where infrastructure studies and grants could be targeted to facilitate new residential evelopment.
2. With respect to the $160,000 SB2 grant for the OpenGov permit system, $105,311 in software reimbursement was submitted on 2/3/2021 and is supposed to be received by 6/1/2021. The remaining reimbursement for the software of $25,969 has been delayed to FY 21-22 due to State reimbursement requirements and processing delays. The purchase of $28,500 in hardware, and its subsequent reimbursement, has been delayed until FY 21-22 to ensure no reimbursement issues.