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From Butte County General Plan

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Economic Trends: Recent trends that contribute to the agricultural economy in Butte County have been the introduction of innovative and new approaches to farming, such as trellised olives for mechanized harvesting and specialty crops like botanicals and organics. As of 2008, Butte County ranked 10th in organic farm production out of the 58 California counties. Another industry has been developing around agricultural tourism. By promoting certain aspects of farming as a tourist attraction, agriculturalists educate the public about agricultural land and farming practices, while marketing a variety of retail products. 


 

Goal ED-1: “Improve the local economy by diversifying the economy, reducing the unemployment rate, increasing business revenues to the County, and increasing wages.”

 

Applicable Policies for Goal ED-1 

 

• ED-P1.1 The County’s priority for future growth is creating sustainable jobs and providing a living wage to families to reduce poverty.”

  • Trinity & Butte County have almost identical poverty rates.

 

• ED-P1.2 The County shall encourage a full range of commercial services at the regional, community and neighborhood levels. “ Having services that everyone can afford. Food, entertainment...

 

• ED-P1.4 Products and services for County operations should be purchased from locally-owned businesses whenever possible. 

 

• ED-P1.5 The County supports education and job training for those county residents currently employed, dislocated, or unemployed in order to enhance existing skill levels and provide for job advancement, and supports removal of impediments to gainful employment for county residents. 

 

 

Actions for Policies

 

• ED-A1.1 Maintain a Regional Economic Development Strategy with the goals of growing existing businesses, ensuring Butte County is a competitive location for new investment, creating a sustainable business friendly reputation for the county, and improving the coordination of regional economic development resources and efforts.

 

• ED-A1.2 Create a countywide strategy to support the local manufacturing, office, and commercial sectors by improving infrastructure that supports manufacturing, office and commercial development, and promotes airport, highway, and rail development

 

• ED-A1.4 Establish a program for regional coordination of economic development to: focus on jobs creation and expansion; establish written agreements with local jurisdictions, economic development corporations and chambers of commerce; and maintain organizational ties to the Board of Supervisors.

 

*There is no listed action for policy for ED-P1.5

 

 

Goal ED-2: “Promote and support the local agricultural economic sector.”

 

Applicable Policies for Goal ED-2

 

• ED-P2.1 The County shall create and support opportunities to promote and market agricultural products grown or processed within the County (such as a Farmers’ Market). 

 

• ED-P2.2 The County shall encourage development of food processing and other facilities that could support production of “value-added” agriculture products from the County. 

 

• ED-P2.3 The County shall promote agritourism, such as through special events and themed “farm trails” and routes within Butte County’s agricultural areas. 

 

• ED-P2.4 The County will support a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program if one is developed. 

  • At least one CSA exist in Trinity already (Trinity acres farm)

 

• ED-P2.5 The County supports existing grower cooperatives in Butte County. 

 

• ED-P2.6 The County supports programs and projects that would help Butte County farmers provide carbon offsets, if and when new regulations require industries to provide carbon offsets.

 

• ED-P2.7 The County supports programs and projects that utilize agricultural by-products for “green” building material production and/or renewable energy production, such as using straw bales for building or converting rice straw to bio-fuels.

 

 

Actions for Policies

 

• ED-A2.1 Review and update the list of sites suitable for the development of a regionally focused agricultural center. 

 

• ED-A2.2 Include agricultural marketing in the Countywide Economic Strategy to coordinate private and public initiatives and integrate them with County business attraction efforts.

 

• ED-A2.3 Support opportunities to promote agricultural products that are grown or processed in Butte County and including support for “brand recognition” for these products. 

 

• There are no listed actions for policies ED-P2.3 - ED-P2.7

 

 

Goal ED-3: “Improve the County’s fiscal health.”

 

Policies

 

• ED-P3.1 The County shall utilize developer agreements as a tool to implement public facilities financing plans and to secure various benefits from significant new development projects. 

 

• ED-P3.2 Projects that are consistent with the General Plan 2030 land use designation and are located in areas where the County receives above-average property tax share, relative to property tax shares that the County receives elsewhere in the unincorporated area, shall receive priority through a permit streamlining process. 

 

• ED-P3.3 Major mixed use development projects shall develop nonresidential uses concurrent with housing so that revenue- and job generating uses do not appreciably lag residential development. Each phase of housing shall be accompanied by balanced revenue and job-generating development. 

 

• ED-P3.4 Reductions and exceptions to development impact fees shall be allowed only when an applicant can demonstrate that the reduction will result in a clear economic development benefit to the County. If the County elects to charge impact fees that are less than what is necessary to completely fund new development’s share of projected countywide costs, County resources to “backfill” the foregone revenues shall be clearly identified and committed so that the impact fee program remains “whole.” 

 

• ED-P3.5 When County redevelopment project areas generate tax increment funds, these funds shall be used to pay for existing development’s share of public improvement costs when other financing options do not exist. 

 

• ED-P3.6 Formation of Redevelopment Project Areas or Infrastructure Financing Districts shall be explored where such mechanisms can provide financing tools to help pay for existing development’s share of new public improvement costs. 

 

 

Actions

 

• ED-A3.1 Coordinate with each municipality whereby the municipalities would adopt impact fees benefitting the County for all new development in their jurisdiction that generates demand for Countywide services. At a minimum, this coordination shall take place for new annexation proceedings. 

 

• There are no listed actions for policies ED-P3.2 - ED-P3.6