The focus of the task force is to try to improve living conditions by identifying farm operators who are not in compliance with state and local regulations that impact the health and safety of farmworkers and their families, according to the county.
County regulations require farm operators to have permits if at least five people are living on-site.
County Executive Mike Callagy said earlier this month that there are 18 such farms in the county, but the number of unpermitted locations has not been determined. The task force will be made up of members of the county's Departments of Planning and Building, Environmental Health, Agriculture/Weights and Measures, County Attorney's Office and the District Attorney's Office.
At its meeting Tuesday, the Board of Supervisors unanimously approved funding from the American Rescue Plan meant to pay for housing for the next year for the 38 people displaced by the shootings, but left half of the estimated one-and-a-half million dollar cost unfunded, with the goal of seeking private donations to cover the rest.
Some of the cost could be mitigated by contributions from the owners of the farms where the shootings took place, as the residences have been red-tagged for code violations.
