On April 17th, Matthew Kelley will start as Nevada County’s Code and Cannabis Compliance Director. Kelley has over 15 years of land-use planning and regulatory compliance experience working in the public sector.
“I’m looking forward to working with the community in this new role to problem-solve issues that are important to us all, from the complexities of an emerging industry like cannabis to where code intersects with housing,” said Kelley. “Code Compliance is a regulatory department, but it also provides an opportunity to listen to our property owners and cannabis farmers and work together to understand and support their goals while protecting the environment and ensuring safe housing for residents.”
Matt is a Senior Planner with Nevada County’s Planning Department and leads the Current Planning section. His duties include working on several of the Planning Department’s most difficult and complex planning assignments and development projects, including Quick Quack Car Wash, Higgins Marketplace Fuel Station, and the Rincon del Rio Continuing Care Retirement Community, which have been recently approved. During his transition to Code and Cannabis Compliance Director, Kelley will continue to also serve as the lead for the Proposed Idaho Maryland Mine project.
In addition to serving as a Senior Planner for Nevada County for the past six years, Kelley served as the City Planner with the City of Kenai, Alaska, where he oversaw the Planning and Zoning Division, the City’s Code Enforcement Program, and the successful development of the City’s Cannabis Compliance Ordinance.
“It’s a pleasure to see Matt promote to the Director of Code and Cannabis Compliance position, and I look forward to seeing this team continue to provide critical services to our community. He will be missed in the Planning Department but join another great team of professionals," said Trisha Tillotson, Community Development Agency Director.
Nevada County Code and Cannabis Compliance work with residents to promote and maintain a healthy, safe, and desirable living and working environment. Both divisions help maintain or improve the quality of the community by administering fair and unbiased enforcement to correct violations of State and local codes and ordinances regarding cannabis, property, buildings, and structures.
Kelley has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Geography with a concentration in Planning and Development and a Certificate in Geographic Information Systems Technology (GIS) from California State University, Chico.