The Mariposa County Board of Supervisors voted Nov. 3, to dissolve 12 board-appointed committees, commissions, boards, and task forces. The decision followed an initial discussion at the board’s Oct. 13 meeting, where the coard considered the committees’ activities, effectiveness, and administrative costs.

The review, led by the Clerk of the Board’s Office in coordination with County departments, identifiedcommittees that had not met in years, had never convened, had fulfilled their original purpose, or struggled to maintain membership.

“First and foremost, the intent is not to hinder voices. Instead, our goal is to find better ways to engage the public and eachcommunity to participate in issues that concern them,” said Danielle Bondshu, Mariposa County Clerk of the Board, at theNov. 3 meeting.

Bondshu explained that the County often sees greater public participation at town halls and community engagement meetings than at formal committee meetings.

Several committees slated for dissolution had little or no recent activity, including the Greeley Hill Planning AdvisoryCommittee, which last met in 2020; the El Portal Planning Advisory Committee, which last met in 2022; and the SurfaceMining Reclamation Act Advisory Committee, which had not met in decades. The Childcare Task Force, Central Sierra Broadband Utility Zone Consortium, and Mariposa Advisory Task Force had never held meetings.

A More Effective Approach to Public Engagement

The County believes town halls, stakeholder meetings, and other community engagement opportunities can provide moreaccessible and meaningful ways for residents to participate. These gatherings allow residents to discuss specific issuesdirectly with County staff, supervisors, and other agencies without the ongoing administrative structure required of aformal advisory committee.

“Committees are recommending and advisory bodies meant to make recommendations to the Board to better assist them in making decision. But a committee without recommendations

to the board is tax dollars being spent without an outcome,” Bondshu said.

District II Supervisor Shannon Poe also emphasized the importance of evaluating County spending and directinglimited resources toward essential services.

“We really need to look at every single penny that this County spends and make an effort to try to cut costs anywhere and everywhere that we can,” Poe said, noting the County must balance spending with critical community needs, including public safety and road maintenance.

Poe also addressed the dissolution of the Code Compliance Advisory Committee, recognizing the work its memberscontributed over the past five years. He shared that Development Services Director Greg Thompson committed tobringing a proposed code compliance policy to the Board within six months, incorporating the committee’srecommendations and providing an opportunity for further public discussion.

Dissolving the committees does not eliminate residents’ opportunities to bring concerns forward. Residents cancontinue contacting their district supervisors, attending Board of Supervisors meetings, and participating incommunity meetings. The County can also work with residents to establish stakeholder groups, informal workinggroups, or new advisory committees when a specific community need warrants one.

Committees Dissolved November 3

The Board approved the dissolution of the following 12 committees, effective immediately:

• Catheys Valley Community Planning Advisory Committee
• Coulterville Planning Advisory Committee
• Code Compliance Advisory Committee
• Fish Camp Town Planning Advisory Committee
• Housing Program Advisory Committee
• Mariposa Advisory Task Force
• Central Sierra Broadband Utility Zone Consortium
• Childcare Task Force
• El Portal Planning Advisory Committee
• Greeley HillPlanning Advisory Committee
• Surface Mining Technical Advisory Committee
• Yosemite West Planning Advisory Committee

The County thanks the residents who have contributed their time and knowledge to these advisory bodies andreminds the community that these changes are intended to make better use of County resources while creatingmore effective opportunities for community involvement.