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San Benito County planning department faces staffing squeeze as two senior planners depart
Summary
Two long-serving county planners announced departures and commissioners were warned the department will shrink to two planners amid a hiring freeze and tight budget, prompting requests for administrative help and potential service changes.
Victor Tafoya, associate planner with San Benito County, and Ariel Goodspeed, principal planner with San Benito County, were publicly recognized at the Planning Commission meeting on Oct. 15 as they prepare to leave county employment for roles with the city of San Juan Bautista.
The departures were followed by a department update from Abraham, a planning department staff member, who said the personnel changes will leave the department with two planners and a total of seven employees across planning, building, code enforcement, housing and cannabis affairs. Abraham said a county hiring freeze and tight budget mean the department will seek administrative help and may need to change service hours or reduce some in‑person services while it works with Human Resources and county administration to identify options.
The change…
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