December 19, 2024 Agenda Preview: Final Shasta County Board of Supervisors Meeting of the Year

Welcome to the North State Breakdown with Benjamin Nowain. The upcoming meeting on December 19th, 2024, will be the last Shasta County Board of Supervisors meeting of the year and will begin at 5:30 p.m. at 1450 Court Street. This meeting marks the final session for Supervisors Mary Rickert, Tim Garman, and Patrick Jones, who will step down at the end of their terms. Let's discuss the agenda. R1 are supervisors' reports and legislative platform. The County Executive Officer will provide an update on county issues, and supervisors will report on county-wide matters.

R2 is the recognition of the Sikh Center. Supervisor Kelstrom has sponsored a certificate of recognition to the Sikh Center for their many years of service to Shasta County. Supervisor Kelstrom has also sponsored presenting a certificate of recognition to Kandace Davy for her heroic actions on October 18th, 2024. During a field trip to Hawes Farm, Kandace, a registered nurse at Shasta Regional Medical Center, saved the life of a young mother who had collapsed. Kandace performed CPR for 17 minutes until emergency responders arrived, showcasing extraordinary dedication and skill.

R4 is recognition of John Patrick Kropholler. Supervisor Crye is sponsoring a presentation of a Certificate of Recognition to John Patrick Kropholler for his more than 28 years of service to Shasta County. It is speculated that this recognition is related to Item C21, which involves a budget amendment accommodating a claim status. For context, in 2021, Kropholler was put on leave and has been involved with litigation with Shasta County for a hostile work environment. If the county is truly pursuing a settlement with Kropholler, it would be an admission of a hostile work environment being present in the county.

R5 is United Way's Building Bridges Campaign. Supervisor Rickert is sponsoring a presentation from United Way of Northern California regarding their Building Bridges Campaign. This initiative aims to strengthen community services and collaboration across the county.

R6 is Opioid Litigation Funds. Receive a presentation from the Youth Prevention Committee regarding opioid litigation funds and consider providing direction to staff. This item will focus on how the county intends to allocate these funds to address the ongoing opioid crisis, particularly in prevention efforts targeting youth. This item is an important one to focus on because Supervisor Crye has stated his interest in the matter.

R7 is Body-worn cameras and staffing. The board will consider approving an agreement with Axon Enterprise Inc. for body-worn cameras. This item includes adopting a salary resolution to add one full-time lieutenant and two full-time community service officer positions in the sheriff’s budget. Additionally, it includes a budget amendment increasing appropriations by $1,815,103 and revenue by $1,306,285 in the sheriff’s budget, offset by the use of reserves for contingency.

R9 is Waste Collection Services Charges. The Board will conduct a public hearing to consider adding new waste collection service charges and increasing existing service charges on behalf of the USA Waste of California. In the absence of a majority protest, the Board will adopt a resolution.

R10, Zone Amendment for Small Lot Agriculture. The board will conduct a public hearing to consider Zone Amendment 24-0005, which concerns regulations for small lot agriculture. This includes findings of exemption from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and amendments to Chapter 17.88 of the Shasta County Code.

R11 is also regarding the Zone Amendment. This is for Greg and Nikola Hawes. The board will conduct a public hearing regarding the recreation. This stands to be somewhat controversial, as several of the board members had previously recused themselves from this particular vote.

Update: Agenda item R11 has been postponed per a press release sent by Shasta County. The press release states that the item will be postponed to a future meeting to correct a clerical error in the law. In speaking with individuals from some of the nearby properties, we have learned that they were not properly notified, which does not follow the legal requirements for notifying a property.

Litigation policy direction is an addendum item. Supervisor Crye is sponsoring this item, which seeks direction to staff on how to handle pending or threatened litigation. This item aims to clarify procedural responses and legal strategies for cases involving the county. Given the recent high-profile legal disputes, this discussion could set a significant precedent for how the county approaches such work.

Next up is the Consent Calendar. The Consent Calendar contains a range of routine items requiring board approval. These include contract renewals for various services such as public health, transportation, appointments to advisory boards and commissions, and budget amendments for smaller projects. Additionally, there are allocations to state and federal grants that support county initiatives. Here are some of the highlights:

C1: Comments on the Bartel property application. Approval of a letter to the United States Secretary of the Interior Bureau of Indian Affairs providing comments on the Pitt River Tribe's application to have the Bartel property accepted by the United States of America.

C2 is regarding an audiovisual project for board chambers. This item waives competitive procurement for the Shasta County Administration Center audiovisual project. This is regarding the projection system in the board chambers. For over a year, the public has been unable to present materials to the board using the system.

C3 is a public contract code and minor projects. This is regarding Assembly Bill 2192, aiming for approval of a resolution electing to remain subject to uniform construction accounting procedures and delegating authority to the Facilities Management Division for managing public facilities.

C5 is an Emergency Operations Center expansion. Approval of a $449,587 budget amendment for purchasing and installing a metal building for the Emergency Operations Center. This investment aims to enhance the county's disaster readiness and response capabilities.

C6 is the Medi-Cal Assisted Living Waiver Program expansion. Approval of a letter requesting the Department of Health Care Services to expand the program.

C21 is approved budget amendments. This item increases appropriations and revenue by $2,650,000 in the risk management general liability budget, and by $141,815 in the sheriff’s budget to accommodate a claim settlement. As discussed earlier, this item is likely related to the litigation involving John Patrick Kropholler and reflects ongoing evidence of the impacts of resolving such a problem.

Next up is the closed session. Following the Consent Calendar, the board will enter a closed session to discuss a case regarding the estate of Dorothy P. Scholl. This session is scheduled to last 15 minutes and will take place outside the public's view. If there are any reportable actions to be taken during the session, they will be disclosed.

These meetings demonstrate the importance of community engagement and transparency in local government. Decisions made at the county level have profound impacts on daily life, from infrastructure and public policy to addressing critical legal and governance challenges. It is vital for residents to stay informed and participate in these discussions. Let your voice be heard because active involvement in local governance ensures that your concerns and perspectives are represented. Email the board with your questions and concerns, and make sure you attend the meeting in person.

Together, we can make a difference.

And that's the agenda preview.