The Siskiyou County Board of Supervisors voted to reopen the 2008-09 budget and to hold a special meeting on Nov. 21 with an eye toward slashing hundreds of thousands of dollars in spending. (It was incorrectly reported last week that the meeting was scheduled for Nov. 25).
County administrative officer Brian McDermott announced that the budget was no longer in balance due to revenue shortfalls from federal and state sources.
The board also voted 5-0 to raise building fees and weights and measures fees in an attempt to recover more of the actual expenses the county incurs in providing services. The decisions were made following public hearings in the county’s latest attempt to deal with the budgetary crisis.
The ordinance to amend building fees was presented by Terry Barber, director of the Public Health and Community Development Department. Michael Crawford, deputy director of the Building Division, assisted her.
Supervisor Marcia Armstrong said she had discussed the fee structure with the Economic Development Council and that she had no objections to the increases “as long as there’s an increase in professionalism and customer service.”
“These increases are not welcome, but if they help avoid delays and other problems, it won’t be too bad,” said supervisor Michael Kobseff.
Barber admitted that the Building Division does not have the resources to operate “as we would like.” She said that, with the budget cuts already put in place, overtime is no longer allowed.
Crawford pointed out that staffing is down by one-third in the Building Division, although building activity is running at about historical levels of 110 to 125 new structures annually.
Barber said the department is looking at possibly cutting services to outlying areas. Building inspectors currently go to the Happy Camp area four days a week. This may be cut to two days a week, she said.
“We need to look at this intelligently,” Armstrong replied, “Economic development, such as building, is a must. This must be a county priority; it needs to be a priority.”
A motion by supervisor Jim Cook to approve the building fee increases passed by a vote of 5-0, followed by a similar vote to increase fees for weights and measures administered by the county’s agricultural commissioner.
Employee of the Month
Leslie Curley, LMFT, a clinician with the Behavioral Health Department’s adult care system, was selected by the county’s employee recognition committee as Employee of the Month. Curley is a therapist and advocate for mental health and addiction treatment.
“The work we do at Behavioral Health is not often recognized,” said director Lauri Hunner, “Leslie’s expertise has enhanced our department and has motivated others to do a better job.”
Curley has spent almost five years working with people who are the most disenfranchised, according to her supervisors. “She unabashedly stands up for the rights of those in recovery.”
“I really love my work,” said Curley. “Behavioral Health is a great agency.”
Deer Management Plan & Town Hall Meeting
Discussion of the draft Siskiyou County Deer Management Plan was continued from Oct. 7, when the plan was first introduced. The board of supervisors authorized development of the plan by the Siskiyou County Fish and Game Commission in 2007.
A link to the 78-page document is now available online by accessing the county’s Web site at www.co.siskiyou.ca.us and clicking on the box located at the bottom of the home page.
Scott Valley farmer Scott Murphy said that he has lost a lot of money over the past five years due to damage done by deer.
“We need to manage the deer not regionally, but herd by herd,” he said. “We don’t manage our cattle herds regionally, we need to look at this hard, as farmers and ranchers.”
Ric Costales, speaking as a private citizen, said he feels that the section of the plan dealing with predators, in particular, mountain lions, needs to be addressed more fully. He pointed out that porcupines, once common in Scott Valley, cannot be found any longer.
With only two speakers prepared to make comments, supervisor Cook said he did not feel that the board had any particular urgency in making a decision at this time.
Supervisor LaVada Erickson said she would also like to have more input.
Board chair Bill Overman pointed out that the plan had not previously been put on the county’s web site nor had it been made generally available. It was decided to make sure the plan was up on the web site within 24 hours and to hold a town hall meeting to discuss it.
The town hall meeting took place Nov. 17, in the administrator’s conference room in Yreka. Results of that meeting were not available at press time.
Barber, of Public Health and Community Development, said the department needs to consider how this plan would translate into policy and strategy implementation in regard, for example, to planning and zoning.
Supervisor Armstrong said she has received numerous comments. Topics she feels the board needs to consider include predator studies, poaching, effects on timber companies, development in Scott Valley, road kills, conflicts in land use policies, and others.
“We commercially manage our lands for conifers, not hardwoods,” she said and added that she is “firmly opposed to conservation easements,” which, she said, “take away the rights of future generations.”
Supervisors Cook and Kobseff will present the plan, which they helped develop, to the Farm Bureau and to the Cattlemen’s Association.
Further discussion and a possible decision on the draft plan were put off until an unspecified date, after the town hall meeting.
New county counsel
The board welcomed new county counsel Tom Guarino, who attended his first regular meeting of the supervisors in his official capacity. Guarino’s appointment to the position became effective Nov. 2.
He came to Siskiyou County from Mariposa County where he served as county counsel since 2004. Prior to that, Guarino was chief deputy attorney for the City of Merced.
An article about Guarino can be found on page B2 of this week’s paper.
Yreka, Calif. —
