Sonoma County Board of Supervisors
On May 2nd, 2026, Membership & Communications Coordinator Sophia Bianchi attended the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors meeting to provide public comment in support of the Resolution recognizing agriculture as critical infrastructure in Sonoma County.
During her remarks, she emphasized that agriculture is one of the defining pillars of Sonoma County, noting that it is the first of the three tenets represented on the county seal and remains a cornerstone of the region’s identity, economy, and quality of life.
She also thanked the County directors and staff from the Agricultural Commissioner’s Office, Permit Sonoma, UC Cooperative Extension (UCCE), and Ag + Open Space for their dedication and collaborative efforts in developing the resolution. The Sonoma County Farm Bureau expressed its appreciation for the partnership and its commitment to continuing to work alongside county leaders and the agricultural community throughout the implementation process.
On February 4th, 2026, ED Ghirardelli attended the Board of Supervisors meeting to offer comments regarding the certification of the Local Coastal Plan. The BOS accepted and certified the LCP as agreed by the Coastal Commission. ED Ghirardelli expressed the necessity of collaboration with agriculture during the implementation phase.
January 2025
On January 10th, Operations Manager Samantha Piehoff attended a special County Board of Supervisors meeting. This was a listening session where the 2025 County Department/Agency Heads discussed the anticipated challenges and opportunities associated with county services and projects and shared district-specific priorities. OM Piehoff commented publicly on strengthening the County’s Right to Farm ordinance. In the wake of Measure J and the overwhelming support of agriculture, she encouraged the Board and county agencies to prioritize the preservation and protection of agriculture in 2025.
December 2023 SCFB provided comments to the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors regarding the Tree Ordinance. While there are still components of the ordinance that are concerning for agricultural growth on lands, especially for those in existing farming operations, there was the acknowledgment to maintain exemptions for current agricultural practices.
August of 2023 ED Ghirardelli has been appointed by the Board of Supervisors to the Sonoma County Agriculture and Open Space District’s Advisory Committee as the agricultural representative.
On July 31, 2023, SCFB President Doug Beretta wrote a letter to the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors to address the Department of Health Services’ deletion of the 0.50 full-time equivalent Dairy Inspector position allocation. President Beretta argued that this position is critical to the continued success of the dairy industry in our county and that transitioning to a state program could lead to significant delays in service, results, and outcomes. He recognized that swift response and on-site intervention at dairies must be available to ensure smooth commerce and to minimize adverse effects. Such practical and timely responses can only be achieved when managed at a local level, reinforcing the importance of a localized approach to support the industry. Read the letter.
June 2023
A letter was submitted to the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors on June 12th regarding the consequences of improper infrastructure funding. The letter encouraged the Supervisors to support the report and recommendation presented by Johannes Hoevertsz, Director of Sonoma Public Infrastructure, and his staff to increase the General Fund allocation annual adjustment factor percentage from 2% to 5% for the Pavement Preservation Program. The board approved this recommendation.
A letter of encouragement was submitted to the Board of Supervisors to support funding a full-time Administrative Aide for UCCE’s Sonoma County 4-H program. Before the budget discussions, this position was slated to be funded at a .25 position. Our letter and hundreds of others from the 4-H community proved successful as the supervisors approved a full-time position. Read the letter.
April 20, 2023, appearance at Sonoma County Board of Supervisors Meeting. Executive Director Dayna Ghirardelli commented on the Local Coastal Plan (LCP) and the Well Ordinance agenda items. Concerning the LCP, Dayna stated that the current draft needed additional input from landowners and ag stakeholders and requested that the agenda item be continued later (it was). About the Well Ordinance, Dayna thanked the Board for the opportunity to participate in the Policy Working Group, noting that the present version is not perfect. Still, it is commendable that members from all stakeholder groups had input on it. Certain items were flagged as concerns, including the burden on ag users from the metering and monitoring requirements. Dayna commented on the importance of ongoing data collection to update policies based on science and expressed support for staff’s recommendation to seek funding to accommodate data collection in all areas to relieve the burden on non-residential metering, monitoring, and reporting.
March 7, 2023, letter to Chris Coursey, Sonoma County Board of Supervisors Chair. SCFB Executive Director Dayna Ghirardelli and President Doug Beretta submitted a letter to the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors commending the County Administrator’s Office for initiating a management review of the County’s Permit and Resource Management Department (“Permit Sonoma”). While expressing appreciation for SCFB’s relationship with Permit Sonoma, the letter also conveyed frustration with inconsistency and inefficiency that inevitably results in undo expenses to businesses and constituents. The letter further expressed that despite heavy demand for Permit Sonoma’s services, that should not deter or delay deliverables. It was suggested that identifying areas where efficiencies are lacking is imperative for successful improvement and that defining strategies to enact positive change will help to achieve overall goals. Read the letter.
