Plumas Supervisors Decide Not to Act on Resolution Opposing Prop. 50

QUINCY — The agenda for the October 7 meeting of the Plumas County Board of Supervisors included “discussion and possible action” on adopting a resolution opposing Proposition 50—the plan to temporarily redraw California’s congressional districts in response to similar redistricting done recently in Texas. But at the beginning of the meeting, Registrar of Voters Marcy DeMartile explained that state law prohibits “electioneering” inside or within 100 ft of a polling place, and, she said, because the courthouse is a polling place and the special election on Proposition 50 has already started, any discussion within the courthouse by the Board or the public that expressed opinions about Proposition 50 would be illegal electioneering. Chairman Kevin Goss announced that, to comply with the law, discussion of the resolution would be deleted from the agenda and public comments on the matter would not be allowed during the meeting.

In other action, the Board heard extensive comments from the public, County Public Works Director Rob Thorman, and Brian Patterson of the Quincy CHP office about the possibility of closing Quincy’s Court Street to traffic, but voted not to act on the matter for the time being. The Board instructed Director Thorman to work with CalTrans and the CHP to investigate alternatives for addressing concerns about safety at the intersection of Court Street and Highway 70 and report back at a later time.