The Marin County Community Development Agency (CDA) asked the Board of Supervisors on Monday to help narrow and prioritize a long list of discretionary initiatives so the agency can focus limited staff and consultant resources on the board's highest priorities.

CDA Director Sarah Jones told supervisors that the agency faces an extensive and rapidly growing pipeline of development applications, alongside state housing mandates, new climate and sea‑level risks and expanding public expectations for economic and community vitality. Jones said existing staffing, a historical pattern of low fee cost‑recovery on some planning work, and growing operational demands leave CDA unable to accomplish the full set of adopted and requested projects without additional resources or clearer direction on trade‑offs.

To respond, CDA presented a new work‑program framework organized around three goals: (1) support communities through change and placemaking, (2) respond to urgent and mandated needs (for example, wastewater and public‑safety related items) and (3) complete required statutory tasks such as the housing element and local coastal plan amendments. The staff recommended a set of initiatives that the agency can accomplish with current resources, plus a set that would need added staffing or consultant funding. Examples of items the agency says could be achieved now include targeted EHS (Environmental Health Services) outreach, initial steps on San Geronimo Valley stream‑conservation ordinance adjustments and further multi‑jurisdictional housing coordination. Items flagged as requiring more resources include a broader community wastewater ordinance, larger town plan efforts and in‑depth placemaking projects.

Supervisors asked staff to provide more detail on timing and costs, to identify items that can be shifted to other county departments, and to prepare a subcommittee process for the board to jointly refine the work program. Several board members emphasized restaurant permitting and existing business supports — including change‑of‑ownership impacts and streamlined small‑business workflows — as short‑term priorities. Others highlighted the need for improved county communications about permitting and a review of fee‑recovery policies. Jones said CDA will work with the county executive and staff to return with a refined work program and costed options for the May budget deliberations.