Reducing staff or scaling back complaint-based grading, stormwater inspections, or annual compliance monitoring would weaken enforcement of existing County ordinances and CEQA mitigation requirements. For projects approved with Mitigated Negative Declarations — particularly commercial cannabis cultivation permits — annual compliance monitoring is not optional. It is the mechanism that ensures mitigation measures are effective and enforceable. Without consistent monitoring, the County risks environmental degradation, increased watershed impacts, and potential legal exposure. The cannabis program was designed to be self-sustaining. If monitoring, inspections, and violation enforcement are consistently applied, they can recover costs and generate appropriate revenue — not as a punitive strategy, but as a structured compliance program tied directly to protecting water quality, habitat, and public safety. Rather than reducing transparency tools or shifting focus away from non-revenue services, I respectfully suggest prioritizing full implementation of compliance monitoring and cost recovery mechanisms already built into County ordinances. Protecting environmental resources and ensuring permit compliance should be seen not as overhead, but as core responsibilities — and properly managed, they can support the Department’s financial stability. Thank you for your consideration.