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Clerk proposes central oversight of advisory committees; Wawona and other communities push back
Summary
Clerk Danielle Bonshu proposed moving oversight of county advisory committees into the Clerk of the Board's office to improve Brown Act compliance and records-keeping; the idea drew extensive public comment — especially from Wawona and Fish Camp residents who urged retaining local town planning advisory committees.
The Mariposa County Clerk of the Board proposed on Jan. 21 that oversight of the county’s many advisory committees be centralized under the Clerk’s office to ensure consistent agendas, permanent minutes and Brown Act compliance. The proposal included dissolving or merging some low‑activity groups and placing others into a dormant status while the board considers charter updates and sunset dates.
Clerk Danielle Bonshu told supervisors that committee administration is time‑consuming for departments across the county and that a single point of oversight could reduce duplicated staff time, standardize procedures and preserve records in compliance with state law. She asked the board to direct staff to return with a packet of recommended dissolutions, proposed mergers and a process to review remaining committees’ purposes and timelines.
The item produced lengthy public comment. Wawona property owners, including Rick Jacobson and Ed Mee, urged the board not to dissolve the Wawona Town Planning Advisory Committee, saying it represents a unique jurisdictional relationship with the National Park Service and that the committee preserves local voice on planning and land‑use matters. Fish Camp and Merced River Trail advocates also urged retention of their advisory bodies, citing ongoing projects and limited local access to county staff.
Bonshu and CAO Joe Lynch said an alternative could be to retain certain committees but revise their charters, set firm sunset dates and require a scope‑of‑work with timelines so boards and staff can evaluate progress; the board asked staff to bring back a package that includes cost estimates, comparisons with other counties and a proposed staffing plan (Clerk’s office plus one additional FTE) to take on oversight duties.
What happens next: staff will prepare a follow‑up packet with a recommended list of committees proposed for dissolution, draft procedures for public input (town halls, evening workshops) to replace some PAC functions, a cost estimate for an added Clerk‑office staff person and a proposed timeline for rollout. No committees were dissolved at the meeting.
