At its October study and business meeting, the Marin County Board of Supervisors approved a series of personnel and administrative actions, including commission appointments, certification to hire a retired communications dispatcher, and the appointment of Christopher Blanc as director of Public Works.

Key actions and votes

- Assessment Appeals Board appointments: The board interviewed five candidates and voted to appoint Karina Rollins (assigned to Board 1) and Mary Jo Walker (assigned to Board 2) to the Marin County Assessment Appeals Board. The board appointed the two finalists by roll call vote with all five supervisors voting yes.

- First 5 Marin Children and Families Commission: The board appointed Sandra Rosenblum to a two‑year term on the First 5 Marin Children and Families Commission by voice vote.

- Sheriff’s communications contingent hire: The board certified the necessity to appoint retired county employee Gina Clark to a contingent, limited‑duration appointment (up to 960 hours annually) to support the Sheriff’s Office communications center. Captain Ryan Peterson told the board the communications center was critically understaffed and the rehire would cover mandatory shifts and training while recruitment continues. The motion passed on a unanimous roll call.

- Public Works director appointment: After a nationwide search and a multi‑stage interview process, the board appointed Christopher (Chris) Blanc as the county’s Public Works director, effective Oct. 12, 2025. County Executive David Johnson (reporting to the board) summarized Blanc’s qualifications (licensed professional engineer, prior Novato public‑works director, 11 years at Caltrans). Blanc said he was “humbled” by the appointment and acknowledged the public‑works staff who carry out daily operations. The board approved the appointment by unanimous roll call.

- Consent calendars: The board adopted Consent Calendar A (with one item removed for separate consideration) and Consent Calendar B by roll‑call votes. Consent items included routine contracts, grants and administrative changes; District Attorney Laurie Fagoli also commented in support of staffing items moving forward to bolster investigative and legal support capacity.

Votes and formal motions (summary)

Each formal action below was recorded in the meeting minutes and adopted by the board. Vote tallies and recorded yes votes are included where the roll call was taken.

Ending

The board recessed into closed session after approvals and returned to open session in the afternoon with no reportable action from closed session. Supervisors noted the county’s continuing recruitment needs (public‑safety dispatchers and other positions) and thanked staff for moving the various administrative and personnel items forward.