In the past five years, the Agricultural Department has experienced a series of Departmental Head turnover. Vince Guise was the County’s Agricultural Commissioner/Sealer of Weights and Measures from March 31, 2008 through March 1, 2012. Upon retirement, he returned to serve on a temporary basis from March 1, 2012 through October 3, 2014.
In June of 2014, the County Administrator hired Chad Godoy as the new Agricultural Commissioner / Sealer of Weights and Measures. Mr. Godoy left County employment on September 30, 2016.
Finding a qualified individual to serve as the Agricultural Commissioner/Sealer of Weights and Measures has been difficult due to the extensive requirements for State licenses. Consequently, to meet the mandated responsibilities of this office, the County entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (Attachment 1) with Alameda County to authorize the Alameda County Agricultural Commissioner/Sealer of Weights and Measures (Mr. Humberto Izquierdo) to act in his licensed capacity as the Contra Costa County Agricultural Commissioner/Sealer of Weights and Measures.
Mr. Izquierdo’s responsibilities include the ministerial and regulatory duties of the office such as signing of Notice of Proposed Actions; signing agreements with the California Department of Pesticide Regulations (DPR) or the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA); and submitting Official requests to the CDFA, DPR, and other local, state, or federal government agencies; and guiding staff on issues of policy limited to the regulatory responsibilities of an Agricultural Commissioner/Sealer of Weights and Measures. However, the eight hours per week work schedule does not permit Mr. Izquierdo to exercise authority over any budgetary or human resources functions, which remain the responsibility of Contra Costa staff. Chief Assistant County Administrator Eric Angstadt has assumed administrative oversight of the department. Assistant Agricultural Commissioner Matt Slattengren manages the day to day activities of the office. The County Administrator’s Office plans to continue the MOU for the next several years.
At the April 2015 Internal Operations meeting, CAO Staff recommended and stated that, “In view of the recent department head appointment, this might be the perfect opportunity to refresh and update the Board of Supervisors (BOS) charge to and expectations for this committee. Revisiting the Committee’s charge could help focus the annual work plan and activities on those agricultural-related policy issues in Contra Costa County on which the BOS searches for advice. Attention also needs to be given to developing a regular meeting schedule, annual work plan or mission statement, and publicly posting committee agendas and meeting notices, unless the BOS wishes to consider sun-setting this committee or merging it with another body.”
The Committee had concurred with the staff recommendation to have the recently hired Agriculture Director (Mr. Godoy) review the charge, work efforts and structure of the Agricultural Task Force and provide the County Administrator’s Office (CAO) with recommendations for any changes.
On April 19, 2016, the Board of Supervisors, upon the IOC’s recommendation, reconstituted the Agricultural Advisory Task Force (Attachment 2) and approved an updated mission statement, seat configuration and bylaws (Attachment 3).
In July 2016, a Media Advisory (Attachment 4) was released seeking individuals who are interested in serving on the County’s Agricultural Advisory Task Force. The Clerk of the Board received eight applications for the task force, all of which were received last summer (July and August 2016). At that time, the applications were forwarded to Mr. Godoy and the Board staff person, in the case of a district seat applicant.
Applicant Seat
Shawn Lipetzky – Concord Voting Seat (District IV)
John Ginochio – Walnut Creek Not indicated
Mark Dwelly – Oakley Voting Member
Patrick Johnson-Brentwood Voting Member
John Viano- Martinez Not indicated
Clayton Wiedemann-Pleasant Not indicated
Rebecca Courchesne- Brentwood District II
Janet Caprile-Pleasant Hill UC Cooperative Extension Seat
Since the time Mr. Godoy left County employment, no further action has been taken to re-establish the Agricultural Advisory Task Force. |
At the December 20, 2016 Board of Supervisors meeting, the Board authorized the Department of Conservation and Development, in consultation with the Agricultural Advisory Task Force and local agricultural stakeholders, to review existing land use regulations (e.g., General Plan policies and zoning) and identify for future Board consideration specific actions the County could take to further promote and incentivize agricultural sustainability and economic vitality. The Board also approved the expenditure of up to $150,000 from the Livable Communities Trust (District III Portion) for this purpose. (Attachment 5)
Conservation and Development Director John Kopchik confirmed that DCD has some Reform Land Use Zoning Policies that relate to agriculture and would like to be able to have them reviewed by the Agricultural Advisory Task Force.
The Clerk of the Board has started the process for the next triennial advisory body review, and is surveying those committees/commissions/task force designated in the first phase of the review, including the Agricultural Advisory Task Force. Matt Slattengren responded to the questionnaire (Attachment 6), and indicated that the Task Force has never been formed since it was reconstituted by the Board. |