COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT
Greg Plucker, Department Head
Organizational Chart
About the 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 2021-22:
- Water Resources Division staff led the effort to complete the Groundwater Sustainability Plan for the Colusa Sub-basin and it was filed with the State by the January 31, 2022 deadline.
- Supported Supervisor Carter in managing the CGA activities after the departure of the Water Resources Division Manager.
- Facilitated obtaining a $718,750 grant from the State’s Small Community Drought Relief Program for the County’s Emergency Drinking Water Procurement and Distribution Plan and completed an update to this plan.
- Closed out the implementation phase of the Department’s OpenGov permit software system and processed the remaining reimbursement of $53,446.10 from the SB2 grant.
- Successfully processed California Renewable Carbon’s use permit within 6 months for the reuse the Olam processing facility.
- Finalized the comprehensive update to the County’s Development Impact fee and obtained Board approval.
- Finalized the remodel of the plaza building to create the Community Development Department’s one-stop permit center.
- Filled the vacant Environmental Health Specialist position and for the first time in a number of years the Environmental Health Division is fully staffed.
- Developed an implementation strategy to allow for the installation of agricultural and industrial wells where possible while complying with the Governor’s executive order.
Goals & Objectives for Fiscal Year 2022-2023:
- Continue the efforts to fill the vacant Principal Planner vacancy.
- Support the Colusa County Groundwater Commission activities.
- 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.
- 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.
- Provide necessary building and planning support to facilitate the start of construction at the California Renewable Carbon’s reuse of the Olam processing plant.
- Finalize the processing of the Janus Solar EIR and Use permit.
Summary of Major Budget Changes:
- Obtained a $182,275 REAP grant to fund infrastructure studies of targeted low-income areas that were identified by the $65,000 LEAP grant in the Arbuckle, Maxwell, and Princeton areas.
- The Department will be receiving much less revenue (approximate ½) than anticipated from the CGA due to the Water Division Manager no longer performing staffing services. However, the loss of revenue to the Department will be more than made up for by the salary savings.