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Board approves submission of Monterey County CEDS year‑3 update focusing on ag, climate resilience and ag‑tech
Summary
The Board voted to authorize the county to submit its third-year update to the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy, highlighting agriculture, housing, workforce aging and H‑2A labor trends; the report will be sent to the U.S. Economic Development Administration.
Monterey County supervisors on Oct. 8 voted to authorize the county administrative officer or designee to submit the county’s Year‑3 update to its Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) to the U.S. Economic Development Administration.
The update, presented by Richard Vaughn, the county’s economic development manager, and Alyssa Dubetz of Civil Economics, emphasized agriculture and climate resilience as priority areas and examined workforce, wage and housing trends countywide. The presenter said the CEDS update is required every five years to maintain eligibility for EDA funding and that this year’s work focuses on positioning the county for federal investment in ag technology and climate‑resilient agriculture.
Key findings and context: the presentation reported a 2024 county population of about 436,000 and described a net decline of roughly 4,500 residents since 2019. Employment dipped in 2020 and roughly returned to 2019 levels by 2023. Nominal average annual wages rose from about $50,000 to nearly $59,000 between 2019 and 2023; when adjusted for inflation, real wages in 2023 were near 2019 levels.
The agriculture sector was described as vital to the regional economy: 2023 agricultural production was cited at about $4.4 billion and the sector was said to support more than 88,000 jobs when downstream impacts are counted. Presenters and supervisors flagged workforce aging (median age of U.S. agricultural workers cited at 46) and a sharp increase in H‑2A guest worker certifications in Monterey County—from 44 certifications in 2013 to over 8,000 in 2023—underscoring reliance on seasonal and guest labor.
The update identified local challenges including labor shortages exacerbated by immigration enforcement and housing constraints, regulatory burdens for small and mid‑scale farms, technology and training gaps, and water and climate risks such as saltwater intrusion and extreme heat days. Opportunities listed included building an ag‑tech cluster, expanding workforce pathways (career and technical education), demonstration projects for small farms, housing strategies for ag‑tech workers, and agritourism development.
Board action: Supervisor Alejo moved to authorize the county administrative officer to submit the Year‑3 CEDS update to the Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration; Supervisor Church seconded. The motion passed by voice vote without a roll call and was recorded as carried by the board.
What happens next: County staff said they will transmit the update to the federal agency once administrative steps are complete and the federal office is accepting submissions.
