Planning staff reports vacancies; chair outlines conference takeaways and offers to host next year

Planning department staff reported multiple recent departures that have left the department with one planner, one building inspector, one code‑enforcement officer and two permit technicians, and said the Board of Supervisors has un‑frozen one position and opened recruitment for an assistant planner.

"Since August, we've had the departure of two associate planners, one senior planner, one principal planner, and one building inspector," an unidentified planning department staff member told the commission, outlining the current staffing mix and recruitment plans. Staff said the Board of Supervisors had un‑frozen the assistant planner position and that recruitment was open with hopes to close at the start of the year.

Chair Wei also presented key takeaways from the California County Planning Commissioners Association conference in Tulare, describing sessions on rural land use, renewable energy, housing innovations (including tiny homes and integrated housing paired with services), and biofuel production. Wei said he was elected incoming president effective Jan. 1 and said he hopes next year’s conference can be held in Hollister to showcase local projects.

The items were informational; no formal action was taken during the meeting. Staff and commissioners discussed scheduling ordinance‑revision work for future agendas and aiming to bring sections forward over the next six months.