Dear Friends & Neighbors,
It is the beginning of a new year, and that brings the beginning of new responsibilities. This year I am Chair of the Board of Supervisors. The Chair position rotates numerically through the supervisorial districts and District 2 now assumes this position. The Board of Supervisors has been following this policy since the late 1950s after a supervisor in that time served for 24 years on the Board with 20 of those years as Chair.
The responsibilities as Chair include running Board meetings and setting the agenda with staff. The Chair also steps in to handle media inquiries, appears at official functions and represents the Board of Supervisors between meetings, among other things. These responsibilities also add an extra layer of work upon my staff.
Along with being Chair, the usual work of a supervisor must go on as well. That involves meeting with constituents both in my office and in the field. There are other meetings to go to as well. Last year, I served on 28 committees either as the primary or alternate member. There were also three subcommittees that I served on, for a total of 31. Fortunately, not all meet regularly. As an alternate, I don’t need to attend all those meetings either. That is still a lot of committees. I had the bulk of the committee assignments last year compared to the other supervisors. This year, as Chair, I am looking for a slightly lighter load.
Some of these committees, such as the Board of Supervisor Standing or Ad Hoc committees, have just two supervisors. Other committees like the Transportation Agency for Monterey County (TAMC), includes supervisors, mayors of the county’s cities and other representatives from government agencies dealing with transportation. The committee assignments are one of the less publicized responsibilities as a supervisor, but they are highly important to addressing many of our problems.
For example, one of the committees that I serve on is Salinas Valley Recycles (formerly Salinas Valley Solid Waste Authority), where I also serve on the Executive Committee. Upon taking a seat on that agency, I began to explore the opening of a transfer station in North County. North County used to have two dump sites. One was at Lewis Road and the other at Crazy Horse Canyon Road. Both landfills were closed approximately 20 years ago. That meant North County residents now have to go to Salinas or Marina to dispose of rubbish or recyclables. There has also been an uptick in illegal dumping since then. Study after study has shown that lack of accessibility to a landfill or transfer station causes an increase in illegal dumping. With the support of the Board of Salinas Valley Recycles, the Crazy Horse site is now being developed and architectural designs are going forward to turn it into a transfer station. This will be a location that can serve both North County and Salinas. As a bonus, current estimates place the cost for disposing refuse at the transfer station as less than the fees at the Madison Lane transfer station or the landfill in Marina. Let’s hope those preliminary numbers continue to hold.
Many of the committees I serve on affect the entire county or Monterey Bay area. TAMC is the major transportation agency for all of Monterey County. The Monterey Bay Air Resources Board (MBARD) coordinates programs for clean air in the entire tri-county area. The Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments (AMBAG) coordinates policy on infrastructure, housing, transportation and most other matters where there needs to be cooperation between government agencies. Other committees deal with specific issues within Monterey County government like the Parks Commission or Behavioral Health Commission. Some involve specific regional issues, such as the Pajaro Regional Flood Management Agency (PRFMA), a new agency that coordinates maintenance of the Pajaro River levee with Santa Cruz County and Watsonville officials. There are also committees that deal directly with the responsibilities of the Board of Supervisors. These include the Budget Committee, where all items regarding the nearly $2 billion county budget originate. The Board of Supervisors, of course, are responsible for the entire county budget.
Although at times things can get hectic, there is a great deal of satisfaction in being a county supervisor, whether that is helping a single individual with a problem or initiating a major project that will help many people. There are frustrations as well. It takes three votes on the five-member Board to pass ordinances and resolutions that will direct county resources. The other four supervisors have their own districts and needs that sometimes do not align with those in my district, which covers North Salinas to the Santa Cruz County line. That creates a challenge at times. The important lesson that I have learned in my first year is that compromise is not a bad word. Quite often, compromise isn’t needed. Yet there are times where getting just a part of what is needed is still a step in the right direction. Over time, the rest will come.
As always, don't hesitate to reach out to my office for assistance. You can reach us at 831-755-5022 or district2@co.monterey.ca.us.
Sincerely,
Glenn Church
District 2 Supervisor
Comments