Board approves final amendment to planning consultant contract to finish General Plan zoning-code phase

The Sierra County Board of Supervisors approved Amendment No. 2 to the county’s consultant agreement for the General Plan and zoning‑code update, increasing the contract by $24,744 to complete phase 1 work on administrative and public‑review drafts.

Planning Director Brandon Hegman told the board that most of the remaining work is completing seven articles of the new zoning code — the primary bulk of the overall update — and said the consulting team estimates the additional funds will be sufficient to finish phase 1. Hegman described a prior complication: the county used Housing and Community Development (HCD) grant money to pay for portions of the safety element and related policies, which required some timing and reformatting work to secure reimbursements.

Hegman said the planning department’s budget contains funds already allocated over multiple fiscal years that cover the amendment and leave funds available to start phase 2. Supervisors approved the amendment and directed staff to continue the process with public workshops and outreach as the draft planning documents are finalized.

Board members said the update has been long in progress and thanked staff and consultants for moving the project forward. Hegman said he expects fall public outreach once the draft code and plan elements are complete and ready for public review.