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AAC begins drafting annual work plan; members prioritize housing, water, permitting and market access
Summary
Staff launched a facilitated exercise May 11 asking the Agricultural Advisory Committee to identify two-to-three measurable priorities for the year. Ideas produced included farmworker housing and lower fees, irrigation and water development, streamlined permitting, county produce sourcing, agro‑tourism updates, youth agriculture support and interagency coordination.
The Agricultural Advisory Committee began developing its annual work plan May 11, with staff asking members to propose two or three measurable goals and outcomes. Debbie Shter and Sophie Ner led a brief presentation on how a work plan would be structured and conducted a facilitated brainstorming exercise during which members recorded and shared candidate goals.
Why it matters: The work plan guides the committee’s advisory activities and indicates where it will focus staff time, subcommittees and outreach. Members emphasized items that affect production and farm viability — housing for farm labor, access to irrigation and water, simplifying permitting — as well as county procurement of local produce and agro‑tourism guidance.
Debbie Shter framed the exercise by telling the committee the aim: “the goal is for you all to have a work plan to guide the work that you all do over the course of the year or so.” Members then offered specific proposals: lowering permit fees for farmworker housing, developing policies and partnerships to expand irrigation and water resources, creating a produce‑sourcing goal for county institutions, making permitting easier for rural farms, holding farmer‑led presentations to the AAC, encouraging youth‑agriculture programs, and continuing work on agro‑tourism guidelines.
Staff said the effort would likely span three meetings: an initial brainstorming (this meeting), a draft work plan and potential subcommittees at the next meeting, and then a finalized plan for adoption. Committee members asked staff to categorize the brainstormed items and circulate a consolidated list before the June meeting.
Attribution: Summaries and quotes are drawn from staff presentations and committee brainstorming during the May 11 meeting.
