"The county (and other agencies with the county) have changed the rules so many times, altered land use ordinances..."

Dave Varshock has been in real estate for 15 years. In the last 12 years, Mr. Varshock told me he and his wife Heidi have raised $50,000 for various charities, schools and community causes. Mr. Varshock contacted  me and wanted to use his name because he is "fed up".
Mr. Varshock has "gotten into it" with Humboldt Planning Commissioner Ben Shepherd.

He has expressed his frustrations to Supervisor Estelle Fennell. It took him three visits to Supervisor Fennell's office and he was able to get help with some road conditions near his personal property, which is in her district.

As someone who supported HUMCPR, is open about his own conservative views, Mr. Varshock finds himself at odds with many business people and community members he has worked with and who are in positions of power.

Both Ben Shepherd and Mr. Carlton Nielsen ( who said on Facebook that he is married to one of the County's planners) told Mr. Varshock that they disagreed with him and urged him to get more information regarding his complaints.

"I hear nothing from them, unless I went in myself. No one reached out to me. Micheal Baker, from Los Angeles, was my consultant for a project. He never contacted me."

"I have lost investors because the County is dragging their feet on permits. Most of these projects went to Oregon and Washington. On top of that, they charge me $3,200 for a consultant I have never met. "

In addition to what he said to me above, Mr. Varshock sent me the following email:

"As you can see from the time frames and  what I have to show for it, the county has LOST ITS MIND! I watched them take in a quarter million in fees on a single afternoon in Dec 16' and we are being told that they cant process, or keep up with the amount of processing of permit applications received. So much so that they've hire consultants  to help them process but these consultants seem to have no idea they have been hired (See email chain attached) By the way we as applicants have no say in the hiring of, or selection of these so called "consultants." I have a client that I heard educate their "consultant" on more than one occasion just to receive a bill for the phone call later!"

"The county has opted to have Cannabis applicants make application on the same for as one would for any other project through the county. Subdivision, lot line adjustment, building permit, etc... within 30 days from application an applicant is to receive a "punch list." A  list of conditions that need to be met to ensure that an applicant is in compliance with local laws, codes, regulations, etc. Then, an applicant, based on the merits (or lack there of),  costs, permits, licenses, HOOPS, EXACTIONS, RED TAPE, etc they will be required to jump through can make  an informed decisions as to pursue the project or scrap it due to the many constraints and conditions placed on the task."

"I KEPT MY MOUTH SHUT UP TO THIS POINT RIGHT HERE.....

The county (and other agencies with the county) have changed the rules so many  times, altered land use ordinances, modified requests, changed consultants, and just plain lied to people trying the level best to make an honest, LEGAL shot and one of the biggest industries to emerge in decades and what could have been a lifeline to a job stricken and tax based stricken county that they are giving up an leaving! I've been in real estate for over a decade in Humboldt County as a licensed broker and im here to tell you the green rush is OVER! There are properties on the market for a fraction of what they would have. The political back scratching that's yet to be exposed by those that have a few of the sought after real permits must have been MASSIVE! Just wait, follow the money will eventually show the list of county employees, electeds, and officials that have permits already, bet me?"

"When the county was requiring nothing more than they do of standard applicant I told (and lost) many a client to stop whining about what many of them helped get in place to stop the vicious logging industry."

"HOWEVER

Then they started changing the rules mid play! No punch lists, no communications, shady consulting firms being given cred by the county referring them, extraneous fees (and that being really kind), no clear timeframes at all, no return phone calls from the cannabis planner, etc, etc, etc."

"You see, while most applicants chose to use a consulting firm, or attorney, using a corp, non-profit, or some other identify hiding mechanism. Heidi and I chose to do this ourselves.  Under our name, in full light. We have so many clients going through the process and being a PTSD vet and cannabis user myself, a small CBD nursery to help veterans  and perhaps find a hobby that provides into retirement. This would give us firsthand experience in what our clients are experiencing. Having been in the business and knowing my way around both the planning department and  how to navigate access to my political representatives AND STILL GETTING NOWHERE, I can only imagine what those that are not business people are going  through. I've had clients literally in tears, explaining what going on and it sucks, it not right, and now im pissed!"

"Those that work for the county, are appointed by elected officials, or even that choose to volunteer their time in government are public servants. They are not there as some kind of appointed, opinionated, subjective observer. They are there to provide the public with the access to government that is required to accomplish a specific task or set of tasks. They are public servants last time I checked, and as such pretty much work for the public. They should not be applying the law subjectively, or unequally to people or projects that they choose. They are they to help identify the requirements set for by laws, code, or regulation that are relevant to your specific project."

"2. The county issuing provisional permits
        a. Eliminates the neighbors ability to weigh in on a project that could or, likely will affect their property, family, neighborhood, or community. If a permit is issued the permittee will start up, continue or, potentially expand operations creating potential known and unknown safety hazards to the immediate vicinity without ever a notice  being mailed to neighbors or a public hearing held for those affected to voice concern or potentially support of a project if done properly. I  know that this is a slippery slope as I am a property right advocate to my last breathe however, when it could immediately and imminently affect the health and safety of adjacent property owners especially those with children, they need to be secured properly as to avoid the invitation for robbery, theft, loitering, or hazardous traffic conditions."

        "b. This will ensure the counties ability to extort or exact monies from applicants/provisional permit holders to perfect their permits in fear of the county reporting to the state that the permittee is out of compliance with local ordinances and their state license is summarily and immediately suspended or revoked!  This is the TOP REQUIREMENT FROM THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA that an applicant for a state license have evidence  of being in good standing and compliance with the local jurisdiction."

        c. When the fines and fees add up for the "yet to be determined" requirements of many of the applications received and the amount  quickly exceeds the value of the property, people walk away! Then, notice of notice of nuisance is issued. Onced issued, until  removed the land cannot be transferred (sold), encumbered (liened), or pretty much have ANYTHING done with it until the notice(s) or remediated, inspected, signed off on, and removed from the title of the property. Until then, they are "zombie" land scattered throughout our county with a wide range of issues remained for US TO DEAL WITH!