Plumas Supes Cover Tourism, Recycling, and Staff Shortages

QUINCY — In another meeting prolonged by the addition of public hearings on three matters to regular business, the Plumas County Board of Supervisors again decided to defer action on renewing the county’s Tourism Marketing District. After hearing comments from several members of the public, the Board seemed inclined to renew support for the District with some changes to the resolution discussed at their last meeting. However, possible amendments concerning the term of the renewal, administrative fees the county might charge, and several other points had not been posted publicly in advance of the hearing, so a decision was postponed to the next Board meeting, scheduled for December 23.

A decision was reached more quickly at a second hearing on new plans for residential recycling in Quincy. In a unanimous vote, the Board approved a plan that will extend curbside recycling service to East Quincy. Beginning January 2026, residents of East Quincy and downtown Quincy with a standard 64-gallon can will pay $43.68/month for garbage and recycling service, with any further rate increase deferred to July 2027.

In the third hearing, the Board considered an appeal from a property owner whose proposal to add a street-facing deck and stairway to a 19th-century house in downtown Quincy had been denied by the county Planning Department. Quincy’s Design Review Committee found that the construction, which had already begun without the required building permit, was incompatible with the architectural style of the house and the surrounding area. The Supervisors advised the owner to obtain a building permit and submit a revised design compatible with architectural guidelines if he wished to continue the project.

In other business, the Directors of the Social Services and Behavioral Health departments reported on persistent difficulties filling critical staff positions. The vacancies hamper the county’s ability to fulfill mandated functions and put programs and funding at risk, they said. The county is facing penalties because it is unable to staff a state-mandated mobile crisis intervention unit, for example. County departments have also been forced to return funds to the state that they were unable to spend due to a lack of appropriate staff.

Recruitments for specialized staff are especially difficult because of low salaries set by the county personnel system, the Directors said. Behavioral Health Director Sharon Souza shared data showing that the county’s pay rates for nurses and therapists are 25% or more below the amounts other local employers pay for similar positions. Acting Social Services Director Jennifer Bromby fears that, because of staffing shortages, the county will struggle to process new paperwork for Medicaid and SNAP programs that will be required next year under the President’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Supervisor McGowan noted that 22% of county residents depend on those federal services.

Supervisor Hall called the shortage of critical health and human services staff “a crisis where we are failing our community members.” It was noted in ensuing discussion that changing the county personnel system can be time-consuming and that a comprehensive review is anticipated after completion of a salary study early next year. The Board voted in favor of motions introduced by Supervisor Hall to direct staff to develop recruitment and retention programs to alleviate staffing problems in the health and human services departments.

Supervisor Hall said by email that she had requested the presentations from Social Services and Behavioral Health so that the Board and the public could see that failure to act on critical staffing needs is “not only is a disservice to our community, but is also throwing away money meant to support basic needs of our residents.” She described recruitment and retention programs as a temporary “stopgap” until permanent changes can be made in the next budget cycle.