Category: El Dorado County

Re:  1/10/17 Board of Supervisors, Closed Session Item #30, File #17-0025, Appoint of Director of Community Development Agency

Dear Supervisors,

I ask that you do not appoint anyone to the position of Director of Community Development Agency. This Legistar item does not have information or attachments so we are left to assume that the action is to hire a CDA Director. This position is simply an additional layer of management that is not needed to serve the people of El Dorado County.

The #1 and #2 concerns of El Dorado County residents are public safety and road maintenance. The Director does not perform either of those functions.  Additionally, you have made it very clear at the last few Board meetings that you need to cut the budget wherever possible to balance the budget while maintaining critical services.

This is an excellent opportunity to start trimming the fat.

Thank you for your consideration,

Sue Taylor
530-391-2190

Below are some of the suggestions we sent to Don Ashton and Roger Niello after meeting with them on November 14:

1. Eliminate Long Range Planning – it was created recently by CEDAC and has completed its mission of the TGPA/ZOU

2. Eliminate the CDA – too many layers of bureaucracy.

3. Put Environmental Health back under the direction of Health and Human Services to return the checks and balances for development.

4. Put Code Enforcement back under the Building Department.

5. Hire a Director of Transportation who understands the importance of maintenance on our roads, can oversee a crew for that purpose and not be a lobbyist for new growth.

6. Eliminate CEDAC. It lost its way long ago and the Board has suggested several times that it has outlived its usefulness. It has become a divisive force in the County and used for political purposes. At the very minimum Maryann Argyres should be removed from the committee given her lawsuit against the County. Also remove those CEDAC members who have benefited personally and in regards to land use by the actions they have taken while on this committee.

7. Split the Planning and Building departments. They have very separate functions and funding mechanisms.

8. Create an Ad Hoc task force to streamline the permit process. The task force should consist of local users of the County Planning and Building Department Page 2 of 2 System and not stack the task force with those that want to change our General Plan for their own benefit. That is what derailed the attempt 9 years ago. Through this task force, create an easy to read brochure or matrix to assist an applicant through the planning/building process and the Ombudsman position could/should be eliminated. The task force should be disbanded immediately after it completes its task.4

We appreciate your efforts to improve the relationships between the public and the County, and also within the County itself.

Thanks again for your consideration of our concerns,

Sue