It was described to Nevada County Supervisors as a bit of a different way to think about economic development. The Board recently received a presentation from Valley Vision, a civic leadership organization dedicated to improving liveability in the Sacramento region. They’re the convener for what’s called the Comprehensive Economic Resiliency Fund, or “CERF”. Sourced from the State General Fund, the CERF will distribute 600-million dollars across 13 California regions. Nevada County is part of an eight-county region. Valley Vision CEO Evan Schmidt told the Board how the county will fit well into finding long-term solutions that will improve people’s lives…

click to listen to Evan Schmidt

Schmidt said the CERF program will focus on those who have often been left out of traditional strategies. That includes high-quality jobs and inclusive pathways into those jobs, as well as strategies that will support the transition to a carbon-neutral future. Supervisor Ed Scofield had already attended a recent meeting with Valley Vision and also noted that the county’s Economic Resource Council is coordinating with the organization…

click to listen to Ed Scofield

Schmidt said the goal is to implement a plan in the next 18 months that will include specific enough high-impact projects that will attract a greater variety of funding sources.