Board Notes 011712
Board Notes 011712
The Sierra County Board of Supervisors met in continued regular session in Loyalton Tuesday 17 January 2012. Adams, Goicoechea, Huebner, Nunes, and Schlefstein were all present.
The Board turned toward a wrinkled cloth hanging from a stick in the corner of the room and spoke holy words to it, and said the name of God. The purpose was to swear subservience to the federal government. Having invoked both the creator and the sovereign, they set about to work.
Marla Stock, standing in for Stan Hardeman, told the board there would be a meeting on February 7th at 6:00 PM to inform the people of Governor Brown’s decision to screw the schools if the legislature doesn’t give what he wants in new taxes, (not her words).
Tim Beals, Director of Public Works, told the board that there would be an extensive workshop on the Sierra Brooks water system on February 21st at the Board of Supervisors meeting in Loyalton. He also said that a terrorist act at the post office in Verdi might cost the community its post office.
Mr. Beals reported from a conference call on the Stampede Dam project, which is looking more and more like bullshit, not his words. It seems increasingly unlikely anything will happen on the project, and if it does, it will be against the will of Sierra County, and other counties.
The Board voted to back the firesafe council in its bid to get a grant to do much needed hazard fuel removal projects on the West side of the county. The amount for use on the project was $350,000.
Mr. Beals mentioned that he and some board members are concerned about all the water projects in the county. There is almost no way the county can keep track of the different projects and new requirements for water in the county, including Perazzo Meadows which seems to have harmed some ag people, and the water master fee problem, and Carmen Valley, and many other issues and events dealing with water. The supervisors discussed the loss of Brian Morris, who performed a valuable function in keeping the county abreast of water issues at least in the Feather watershed. The board needs someone to watch for the best interests of the county and its residents. The Sierra County Firesafe and IRWMP Council has a watershed coordinator who is full time for three years at a total of $167,000. However, the supervisors affirmed that the position should answer to the Board, and the watershed coordinator answers to a non-profit corporation, and not the county, and further, working under a Department of Conservation Grant, the position work plan is often at odds with what many see as the best interests of the county, since one of its primary goals is to “educate” the people of the county with the state approved attitude, essentially making sure we’re on board with what’s going to happen to us. It is specifically not the role of that position to watch for all the interests in the county, and the work plan, not surprisingly, has a decided “pro-fish” bent, with no provision for oversight by county residents and no control by the Board over what kind of propaganda is spread. Instead, the Board needs to find and appoint someone who will look for the people of the county first, someone to keep an eye on the “grant funders” and notify the board when a project is afoot. Supervisor Nunes suggested the county might seek a grant, but such a grant seems very unlikely. Supervisor Goicoechea spoke of the “inevitable grasping for grants” and pointed out that the Sierra Valley Resource Conservation District is a destitute organization now, but is still trying to get grant funding for the Forest Service to do work on public land. He mentioned that several Plumas County supervisors are concerned about water projects and suggested the two counties might coordinate on a position. He suggested that the board might contact the various funding agencies such as Sierra Nevada Conservancy and the various Integrated Regional Water Management groups and ask them to stop funding projects in the county without including the county itself. The board resolved to pursue the idea of having a professional answer to the board.
Director Beals spoke to the board about the county landfill site, and the need to move now to prepare for an assault by the state which will require far higher costs. He said that the landfill life has been steadily shrinking not because of the landfill itself but because of increasing regulation and state scrutiny of the site. He estimated it could be closed in as little as four years, and said the county was being required to create yet more funds for closure and post closure costs. He said that the solid waste fee on parcels and other fees would have to increase significantly. The county might have to try to purchase land from the City of Santa Clara because of landfill encroachment. Our dump isn’t looking good.
That’s the most of it.
Good Luck!
