Title
Receive a preliminary response to Board Referral Number 2026.02 (Church/Lopez) to rename the County of Monterey Agricultural Commissioner’s Office in Salinas to the County of Monterey Richard Nutter Agricultural Resource Center.
Report
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the Board of Supervisors:
a. Receive a preliminary analysis report in response to Board Referral 2026.02 and;
b. Direct that staff:
i. Continue developing a project to rename the County of Monterey Agricultural Commissioner’s Office in Salinas to the County of Monterey Richard Nutter Agricultural Resource Center, including developing building signage and a plaque as requested in the referral, and return to the Board for final naming approval;
ii. Proceed with completion of referral based on modifications by the Board.
c. Rescind referral.
d. Provide further direction, as appropriate.
PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS:
Background:
On February 26, 2026, Supervisors Church and Lopez submitted Referral 2026.02 - Renaming of County of Monterey Agricultural Commissioner’s Office the current Agricultural Commissioner’s Office should be renamed the “County of Monterey Richard Nutter Agricultural Resource Center” with a plaque that includes: “Dedicated to the Memory and Unmatched Achievements of Richard William Nutter, Monterey County's longest serving Agricultural Commissioner, from 1971 to 1998. His legacy is the preservation of the priceless farmlands of the ‘Salad Bowl of the World’”.
The County owns and operates multiple Agricultural Commissioner facilities at a campus including 1428 and 1432 Abbott Street, Salinas. From 1998 to at least 2003, a conference center on this campus was unofficially referred to as the “Richard Nutter Agricultural Conference Center”.
Public Works, Facilities and Parks (PWFP) was assigned the referral, and staff began development of a scope and cost proposal.
Project Description:
Staff is presenting the Board of Supervisors with several options to find the best fit for the spirit of the referral and implement the Board’s stated goals. As a multiple-address, multiple-facility campus with multiple occupants (Agricultural Commissioner and Cooperative Exchange), implementing a naming designation for the entire campus would face technical and legal obstacles, which could limit the ability to reference the name (Richard Nutter Agricultural Resource Center) in daily use. Naming a specific facility within the campus would promote greater use and clarity. Staff identified two viable options, and two key evaluation factors which inform the recommendation for ideal naming and accompanying signage: (1) Historic Naming, and (2) Public Visibility and Recognition. Design concepts are included with this referral response as Exhibit A.
Option 1: Conference Center
A memorialization name could be assigned to the Conference Center at the Abbott Street Campus. This Conference Center stands alone and is adjacent to the main Agricultural Commissioner’s Office building. The Conference Center is clearly visible from the street and is the focal point while walking down the sidewalk to the campus facilities courtyard. The Conference Center has ideal open space immediately in front of the building, and clear window/wall space for interior signage.
Using the evaluation factors listed above, staff notes the following:
Public Visibility and Recognition: The Conference Center is situated in an ideal location for memorialization signage to be visible to both visitors and passersby. Because there is not existing signage, any memorialization effort would stand out and clearly associate the Conference Center with Richard Nutter.
Historic Naming: The previous designation as the Richard Nutter Agricultural Conference Center, though unofficial, is a noteworthy precedence that makes officially naming the Conference Center consistent with past use and practice.
Option 2: Main Ag Commissioner’s Office
A memorialization name could be assigned to the main Agricultural Commissioner’s Office at the Abbott Street Campus. The Agricultural Commissioner's Office has a designated address of 1428 Abbott Street, Salinas. The building itself is approached via a covered paved courtyard with three existing commemorative plaques recognizing the initial construction of the building in 1994, a 1998 plaque for art installation contributors, and a 2010 dedication for a renovation project. The interior of the public space consists of a central hallway with the Agricultural Commissioner's Office to the right (1428 Abbott Street) and the Cooperative Extension Office to the left (1432 Abbott Street) with extensive signage on the walls.
Staff reviewed the site for an ideal memorialization location which would stand out from existing signage. A likely location is outside the building, to the right of the sidewalk approaching the entrance. Using the evaluation factors, staff notes the following:
Public Visibility and Recognition: The three existing plaques already in the space create the potential for a cluttered look and confusion as to which facility is associated with the Richard Nutter memorialization.
Historic Naming: There is no existing or previous ceremonial naming of the main office.
Option 3: Campus-Wide Naming Designation
At the direction of the Board, staff could evaluate a campus-wide designation. However, potential complications with legal addresses, as well as less opportunity for regular reference and use compared to a building-specific naming assignment would require additional time and effort by staff to develop a feasible concept.
Estimated Project Cost:
The final project cost will depend on the scope of work. Materials, location, and extent of work will impact the project budget. Review of the recent COVID-19 memorial indicates a potential cost for a bronze plaque is around $7,000, not including design, site work and staff time. The Agricultural Commissioner's Office has indicated they may have a small budget (a few thousand dollars) to fund the memorialization effort. Design, site work, staff time and other project costs could range from $2,500 - $25,000 or more depending on required staff time, design, site work and materials. Current PWFP staff time costs are being absorbed in the Facilities and Capital Planning budgets.
Staffing Level Estimate
If approved, PWFP staff will incorporate this project into the annual Facilities Work Plan. The additional project work will impact staff’s capacity to perform other assigned work, but no major delays are anticipated.
Departmental Challenges:
Staff has not identified any significant challenges to completing a renaming project for either the Conference Center or Main Office. A campus-wide renaming effort may present significant legal and logistical challenges which would require additional research. The referral includes memorial language which identifies Richard A. Nutter as the “longest serving Agricultural Commissioner” (1971 - 1998). Preliminary research indicated another former Agricultural Commissioner, Peter A. Kantor (1935 - 1963) may have served longer. Staff is researching County records to confirm the exact length of term.
Proposed Response Date: Within 60 Days
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS STRATEGIC PLAN GOALS:
This Board Referral supports the Strategic Goal of improving Well-Being and Quality of Life by recognizing an individual’s lasting impact on the health and safety of County residents, encouraging civic engagement in future generations.
X Well-Being and Quality of Life
____ Sustainable Infrastructure for the Present and Future
____ Safe and Resilient Communities
____ Diverse and Thriving Economy
Prepared by: John Snively, Administrative Operations Manager (831) 759-6617
Reviewed by: Florence Kabwasa-Green, Chief of Facilities
Reviewed by: Lindsay Lerable, Assistant Director of Public Works, Facilities and Parks
Approved by: Randell Ishii, MS, PE, TE, PTOE
Director of Public Works, Facilities and Parks
The following attachment is on file with the Clerk of the Board:
Attachment A - Design Concepts