By Dianne Jacob

Big step regarding the housing shortage: The Board of Supervisors recently voted to waive county permit and development impact fees over the next five years for property owners wishing to build granny flats on lots with existing homes.

The units can be used for family members or rented out as a source of income for the homeowner. The program could result in thousands of additional homes within the county’s unincorporated areas, on land already zoned for housing.

This is a big step forward for folks in need of affordable options in our region.

Gearing up for another year as chair: The board was pleased to recently welcome two new supervisors at the beginning of January: Nathan Fletcher, representing District 4, and Jim Desmond, District 5.

I was honored to be appointed the 2019 chair of the board.

There is a lot of work to be done and we will most certainly be diving head first into the most pressing issues.

Backcountry biz: I was happy to attend the grand opening of the new Pine Valley Fire Station last month.

This beautiful $8.2 million project has created a large sum of jobs and beefed up fire protection in the backcountry.

I am so thankful for everything that our first responders do for us every day.

—Dianne Jacob is San Diego County Supervisor for District 2. For more District 2 news, visit diannejacob.com or follow her on Facebook and Twitter. For assistance with a county issue, call 619-531-5522 or email [email protected].