Hoping that the recently hired Chief Administrative Officer will
bring stability to the county government when she enters the post
next month, supervisors are holding off for now on reviewing, and
possibly amending, the county’s general plan.
Hollister – Hoping that the recently hired Chief Administrative Officer will bring stability to the county government when she enters the post next month, supervisors are holding off for now on reviewing, and possibly amending, the county’s general plan.
The Board of Supervisors has informally discussed the general plan – a long-term guide to county policy on in everything from transportation and land use to economic development and job growth – but likely won’t review it until the CAO-designate Susan Thompson begins work next month, according to Supervisor Anthony Botelho.
“I think most importantly we have to get a CAO in place and see where we’re at in the county,” he said.
Thompson was the long-time Fresno County administrator. She starts work July 7.
Botelho said he’d also like to see key positions in the planning department filled before the board takes any action on the plan, which he said hasn’t received a full review for nearly two decades.
“To take a task like a general plan amendment without having filled those positions I think is too much to ask,” he said. “I hope we have an experienced planner coming in … that would really give a good guiding light.”
Last month long-time Planning Department Director Rob Mendiola was abruptly fired after holding the post for more than 20 years. Less than two weeks later, Fred Goodrich, second in command at the planning department, quit to work for the City of Los Banos. Michael Bethke currently serves as interim planning director.
Board Chairman Reb Monaco agrees that the board should hold off on working on the general plan until Thompson gets up to speed.
According to Monaco, the board will probably not scrap the existing general plan and start from scratch; it will most likely be a process of “amending and modifying” the existing plan.
“We don’t want to throw the baby out with the bath water,” he said.
Monaco also said that once the board begins reviewing the plan, he wants to give the public a chance to participate in suggesting changes.
“The board is serious about having a lot of public input,” he said.
Monaco declined to comment about specific areas where he thinks the current plan needs to be changed.
Botelho did have a few suggestions for change, such as possibly rezoning agricultural land along highways for commercial use, and rezoning land along railroads for industrial use.
He said he’d also like to look into transportation in the county.
“There are issues about how to move traffic in and around Hollister,’ he said. “I don’t think the city of Hollister and the county have made a cohesive effort for more roads.”
Luke Roney covers politics and agriculture for the Free Lance. Reach him at 831-637-5566 ext. 335 or at lr****@fr***********.com
