Organizer proposes $125,000 relocation campaign to repopulate Dixie Fire areas; board asks for formal application and oversight

Samantha, a presenter and local economic-development organizer, asked the Plumas County Board of Supervisors on June 17 to fund a pilot “move-in” relocation campaign using PG&E/Dixie Fire settlement funds to recruit families and small businesses to live in Plumas County, especially in fire-impacted communities.

Her proposal requested $125,000 total in year one: $62,500 for a county-run digital marketing campaign and lead capture system (about $4,500 per month in advertising), $50,000 for direct move-in incentives (10 households at $5,000 each), and $12,500 for administration and compliance (a 10% fee). She also proposed community “incentives” from local businesses (gift cards, memberships) and a paid local concierge to help new residents integrate, with a three-year minimum-stay requirement tied to repayment of the incentive if the household left early.

The program is modeled on established rural recruitment platforms (Samantha cited MakeMyMove.com as a reference model) and on relocations run in other U.S. communities. Samantha said the pilot is expected to recruit roughly 10 households and that the county could recover an estimated $247,500 in local taxes and school funding over time…