The Sierra County Board of Supervisors held its (cont) regular meeting on Tuesday in Loyalton, and all Supervisors were present. Though department reports were slim, the meeting still produced about an hour and a half of dense open session regarding the state of the county.

After the call to order and Pledge of Allegiance, Supervisor Roen led the room in a brief moment of silence for the lives and homes lost in the Maui fires. Next, the consent agenda was approved. Among the agenda’s items was reimbursement to Supervisor Lee Adams for renting a U-Haul truck to transport historic documents to the California State Archives. Supervisor Adams abstained from the consent agenda vote.

No public comments were made after the consent agenda vote, so the Board moved directly into committee reports. Supervisor Adams had attended a Nor-Cal EMS Board meeting and had nothing significant to report. Chair Sharon Dryden participated in a California Association of Assessors meeting, where she was pleased to learn more about the responsibilities and roles of County Assessors. Supervisor Lila Heuer attended a Planning Commission meeting as a guest, noting being educated on the zoning process.

Department manager reports were next, starting with Rhonda Grandi, Interim Director of Sierra County Public Health. Grandi updated the Board on a grant application for the Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention program that had to be rescinded due to changes in staffing. Grandi assured the Board that no work was completed and no invoices would be submitted to the Board.

As Grandi’s report wrapped up, an audience member’s phone decided to give its own report by playing an unspecified baseball game at full volume. The room wasn’t buying the owner’s claims that it was a work phone and that she “never look[ed] at any of that.” Luckily the phone was turned off before any game spoilers could be heard.

Assistant Personnel Director Judi Behlke then took the podium to give a brief report on a number and open positions, including dispatchers, deputy sheriffs, a sergeant position, custodians, solid waste transfer workers, a senior planner, an epidemiologist, a director and transporters for Health and Human Services, and a plant maintenance position. Belhlki also updated the Board on a safety audit that took place, in which the county received a 99/100 score. The reason for the missing point was not discussed.

Forest Service District Rangers gave their reports for Sierravillle and Beckwourth districts next, reporting minor lightning strike fires that resulted in “mop-up” efforts but were not concerning. For fuel management, mastication was completed along eleven miles of “key-priority” roads near Sierraville, and the Forest Service plans for half of the planned 115 miles of mastication to be done by the end of their fiscal year. A timber sale east of Independence Lake is expected to open in a few weeks, likely around August 28th.

During Beckwourth District Ranger Mike Rahe’s report, Supervisor Paul Roen asked about the status of efforts to restore the Gold Lake boat ramp and clean up garbage in the area. Rahe assured Roen that efforts were underway and that he was aware of the issues but didn’t want to smear any specific company.

Bryan Davey gave a quick report for Public Works, updating the Board and the public that Salmon Lake Road will be closed for approximately 6 hours next Thursday, August 24th, to pour the new deck for the bridge. The department determined that the bridge was too narrow to keep open during the process.

Agenda items covered a wide range of county information, including the following points of interest.

Full-Time Solid Waste Attendant

Bryan Davey proposed a solution to current transfer station staffing issues by creating a full-time benefited position. The employee would split time between the Downieville and Sierra City stations, spending one full day per weekend, one full day during the week, and a split day during the week at each site. In the proposal, Ramshorn would be open Thursday, 9 am to 6 pm, Saturday, 9 am to 4 pm, and Monday, 9 am to 11 am. Sierra City would be open Friday, 11 am to 6 pm, Sunday, 8 am to 4 pm, and Monday, 2 pm to 5 pm. The Board expressed general support for the proposal but thought it best to discuss it again during the next meeting on September 5th in Downieville, allowing locals an opportunity for public comment.

Community Hall Project Woes

Davey, at the podium again, expected to have good news regarding the Downieville Community Hall restoration project; agenda items were listed to modify the budget to accommodate the project and to award the contract to a construction company. However, that company decided to pull their interest, citing too many changes to the original contract parameters, according to Davey.

Supervisor Adams suggested splitting the work into smaller projects, beginning with the roof and siding, hoping contractors might be more inclined to bid. The option will be further explored, and more information will be presented at the next meeting.

Logging Trucks Through Downieville

The Board voted to grant a transportation permit to LegendEra, LLC, allowing logging trucks to pass through Main Street during restricted hours. The permit will allow empty trucks to pass as early as 4 am, with loaded trucks allowed after 5 am. Certain restrictions will be in place, including a 10 mph speed limit, reduced to 5 mph during school hours, and required warning signage. The Board cited positive community response to trucks when a more restrictive permit was granted for 2020/2021 and support for logging as reasons for granting this permit. Logging will occur on Lavezzola Road, approximately 5 miles from Downieville, over an expected three to four-month period.

Resolution of Appreciation for Mayor Jackson

Chair Dryden hands Mayor Jackson a Resolution of Appreciation

A Resolution of Appreciation was given to Loyalton Mayor Sarah Jackson, who announced her retirement. The resolution commends her dedication and professionalism in serving the City of Loyalton and its community. Mayor Jackson took the podium and expressed being honored to serve the citizens of Loyalton. Multiple audience members attended in support, mentioning being grateful for her service and being sad to see her go.