Displaying some of the most innovative and cost-effective statewide programs, the County of Humboldt earned the trifecta as a recipient of this year’s California State Association of Counties’ (CSAC) Challenge Awards. The county’s Criminal Multi-Casualty Incident Protocol won CSAC’s Innovation Award, Project Trellis, a cannabis business assistance program, won the Merit Award, and the Surveyor’s Library and Online Map Index received the Challenge Award.
CSAC annually honors best practices in county governments in California. This year, CSAC received a record 363 entries with 49 programs from 25 counties being honored throughout California. An independent panel of judges with expertise in county programs selected the award recipients.
“It’s often said that adversity is the mother of innovation, and the 2020 CSAC Challenge Awards celebrate the overwhelming spirit of innovation that abounds in California’s 58 counties,” said Graham Knaus, CSAC Executive Director. “From wildfires and the pandemic to public safety and health services, these ‘best-in-class’ programs reflect the breadth of programs and services provided to our communities by California counties.”
Sheriff’s Office: Criminal Multi-Casualty Incident Protocol
The California Counties Innovation Award is presented to programs that are deemed most innovative and effective. The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office was one of the top three in the state to receive the honor for its Criminal Multi-Casualty Incident Protocol. The program also earned the Challenge Award for Administration of Justice and Public Safety. The CMCI Protocol is a standardized local reference manual and foundation for both response to and training for a Criminal Multi Casualty Incident, like an active shooter or an active assailant. The protocol unites 69 law, fire and EMS agencies throughout the county with common training and standards, allowing them to work collaboratively when a CMCI occurs.
“I am proud of the work that was accomplished by creating the Criminal Multi-Casualty Incident Response Protocol,” Humboldt County Sheriff William Honsal said. “This is a huge achievement and an honor for our community to receive the highest innovation award from CSAC. The CMCI can be modeled throughout the state and country, and demonstrates the success of planning, training and teamwork to make a community safe.”
County Administrative Office - Economic Development: Project Trellis
For CSAC’s Agriculture, Environmental and Natural Resources category, the County Administrative Office - Economic Development Team (Go HumCo), won Merit Award for Project Trellis to help Cannabis Businesses. The three-tier program was developed to support cannabis businesses, individuals and the industry as a whole. The program’s three levels of support include a Micro-grant program, a Local Equity Program and a Marketing and Promotion Program. The Micro-grant program provides cannabis businesses an opportunity to apply for funding to cover business related expenditures. The Local Equity program provides resources to local communities and individuals who have been impacted by the War on Drugs. The Marketing and Promotion component is designed to promote and maintain Humboldt-grown cannabis as a national and industry brand.
“The CAO’s office of Economic Development is extremely pleased to receive recognition for the creation of the Humboldt County Project Trellis program,” said Scott Adair, Director of Economic Development for the County of Humboldt. “This innovative initiative provides critical support to Humboldt’s cannabis community who cannot receive support through federally funded programs, and we hope it helps this important local industry have more success in an extremely competitive marketplace.”
Public Works – Surveyor: Surveyor’s Map Index
For CSAC’s Housing, Land Use and Infrastructure category, the Public Works Department won the award for the County Surveyor’s Library and Online Map Index. The County Surveyor's Library is open to staff and the public and is a source for thousands of unrecorded maps and field notes of surveys done in Humboldt County over the past 150 years. Several of the map collections have been accepted by the Board of Supervisors for inclusion in the library due to their historic significance. It is primarily used by surveyors and other land development professionals. The county Surveyor's Map Index contains thousands of historic recorded and unrecorded maps online. It is a valuable research tool that allows the public and private land development professionals to research property boundaries from their home, office or in the field on their mobile devices.
“We are honored to be recognized by CSAC as this was a cooperative effort that involved county staff and volunteers from the local survey community,” said Humboldt County Surveyor Ron Garton. “I want to give special thanks to the Humboldt Chapter of the California Land Surveyors Association for their ongoing support.”
For more information about the winning entries and the CSAC Challenge Awards, visit the CSAC website.