Stanislaus County supervisors on Tuesday threw their support behind legislation to promote development in the state’s 10 job and housing opportunity zones, including those in Patterson and Modesto.

But supervisors also agreed that the jobs created in these zones probably will not pay the kind of wages needed to buy the homes.

One proposal, AB 437, would give developments in these zones priority for competitive grants.

The other, AB 723, would allow the creation of fee districts in these zones to pay for roads, sewers, water lines and storm drains.

“These are good legislative vehicles in these zones,” said Richard Jantz, the county’s deputy executive officer in charge of economic development.

One is in the vicinity of Kansas Avenue in Modesto, and the other is in west Patterson.

The West Patterson Business Park project includes the proposed 224-acre Keystone Pacific Business Park and the 987-home Patterson Gardens subdivision. The Board of Supervisors is scheduled to vote Tuesday on whether to give the project final approval.

Miguel Donoso, a local activist, told the board that the jobs in these parks will not pay the $15 to $20 an hour that developers claim.

“The illusion we’re going to make $15 an hour is not true,” Donoso said.

He said home in the new development – if priced at $250,000 or above – will be out of reach of low-income people in dire need of affordable housing. He said on Bay Area commuters will be able to afford the homes.

“Who’s going to be able to dream the so-call American dream?” he asked, noting a 32 percent high school dropout rate amount Hispanics in the country.

“We’ll continue to work in the canneries and fields for you,” he said.

Supervisor Paul Caruso told Donoso that the county needs to set its sights on higher-paying jobs and provide education and training that would give valley residents the chance to compete for them.

“If we don’t set the standard higher, we’re never going to achieve it,” he said.

Caruso agreed that there is a shortage of affordable housing in the county. Later in the meeting, supervisors discussed the state’s mandate to provide up to 35,000 new home over the next 10 years.

Supervisor Tom May field suggested prefabricated homes as a way to meet the housing need while also providing jobs.

“If somebody’s going to build 30,000 homes, don’t you think they’d like a spot, and build them here?” Mayfield asked.

Board Chairman Ray Simon agreed with Donoso that low-income residents – many of whom earn $8 an hour or less – will struggle to own homes.

“We need to get a handle on the number of people in the various (income) categories,” Simon said. “There’s no way the people he’s talking about are ever going to afford a house.”

In other business, the board:

Approved the Health Services Agency’s annual report detailing health problems in the county, along with the amount of time and commitment given to emergency preparedness in recent years. The report, to be published Sunday in the Bee and its Spanish-language El Sol, provides updates on child obesity, domestic violence, motor vehicles injuries, violence, motor vehicle injuries, communicable diseases, heart disease and strokes, asthma, and maternal, child and adolescent health issues.

Approved a request by the Community Services Agency for $71,360 – most of which will be paid from state and federal resources – to hire five part-time employees for the agency’s in home services programs. The four nurses and social worker will be available to step in when home health care providers suddenly quit or are fired by clients. The count’s share will be $10,918.

Approved a request by the Health Services Agency to begin recruiting for a full-time assistant health officer. The salary range will be $103,792 to $155,667 annually, but is not expected to affect this year’s budget because of the time needed to recruit applicants. The position will be funded by state grant money

Reprinted by permission of the Modesto Bee.