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Board of Supes 10/8: Appointing Members to BBA; Lights On Afterschool Day; Broadband in CA; Logging and County Credit Cards

Note:  This will be my last column until November 5.  I’m leaving for a grand European odyssey!

The Board of Supervisors meeting on October 8 was brief and business-like.  Last week the Board voted to strengthen the Board of Building Appeals (BBA).  The BBA has three responsibilities, laid out in state law:

  • Determine the suitability of alternate building materials and types of construction;
  • Review, modify, affirm or reverse any decisions by Chief building officials of the county;
  • Make recommendations to the Board of Supervisors on legislation that would help the building and/or business environment.

Last week’s actions amended hearing procedures as a template for the BBA to use.  The BBA has the authority under county ordinance to change the procedures.

At this week’s meeting the Supervisors voted to appoint two members to the Board of Building Appeals:   James Berg, to fill the slot of citizen-at-large, and Donald Cohen, filling the slot of finance.  The selection was made based on a selection process that included applications, informational questions, and review by building department managers from the City of Redding and the City of Anderson.  The new members will join members representing the categories of building design, trade union and contractor.  County Executive Officer Larry Lees also announced that training will be provided to the BBA by the BBA’s independent counsel, Jim Underwood.  The BBA has its first appeal in more than 20 years by Reverge Anselmo and Seven Hills Cattle Company, and the full Board will now be able to proceed with that appeal.

The Supervisors took several other non-controversial actions:

  • Proclaimed October 14 Lights On Afterschool Day, at the request of Project SHARE,  a network of more than 50 after school programs operated by the Shasta County Office of Education in conjunction with participating schools and districts.  There will be activities on October 14, to highlight program accomplishments and activities.  Lights on Afterschool Day is a nationwide activity to celebrate the program and to highlight the fact that many afterschool programs across the country are forced to close and shut off the lights due to funding shortfalls..
  • Approved sending a letter in thanks for the signing into law of SB 740, Senator Alex Padilla.  This bill expands a project of the California Public Utilities Commission, the California Advanced Services Fund (CASF).  This project, funded with a ratepayer surcharge, is designed to promote the development of infrastructure for broad band access in parts of the state that do not have that access.   SB 740 provides additional funds and an expanded list of eligible agencies, to develop that infrastructure.  The goal of this legislation is to assure that 98% of California households  have broadband access by the end of 2015.
  • Approved sending a letter asking for a signature on AB 744, Assembly Member Brian Dahle (signed into law since the Supervisors’ meeting).  Current law exempts certain logging and forestry management activities from requirements that a timber harvest plan be prepared by a registered professional forester and approved by CalFire.  The exemptions include activities that reduce the ignitability and spread of fire.  AB 744 establishes a three-year pilot program in the Sierra Nevada area to increase the scope of exempt activities, and to measure the impact of the pilot program on forest health and fire vulnerability.
  • Approved a County Credit Card program that will be a more efficient method to pay for staff travel and small dollar purchases, by reducing some requisitions and purchase orders, and reducing claims processing and payments.  Supervisor Moty noted that it was a pleasure to bring some county purchasing into the 21st century.

Catherine Camp is currently retired. She served as a Consultant to the California Senate Budget Committee in 2001-02, reviewing Social Services, Employment Development, Aging, Community Services, Alcohol and Drug Programs, Rehabilitation and Child Support budgets. From 1989-2000, Catherine was Executive Director for the California Mental Health Directors Association. During that period, Catherine staffed the county mental health system’s restructuring of public mental health through Realignment of community and long term care programs from the state to the county, transfer of the management of specialty mental health Medi-Cal services to those counties that agreed to provide them, development of risk mechanisms for consortia of small counties, and advocacy and policy analysis for the operation of public mental health programs throughout the state. Her prior experience includes Executive Director to the California-Nevada Community Action Association, Principal Consultant to the Assembly Human Services Policy Committee, and Director of Community Action and Head Start programs in Shasta County.

Catherine Camp

is currently retired. She served as a Consultant to the California Senate Budget Committee in 2001-02, reviewing Social Services, Employment Development, Aging, Community Services, Alcohol and Drug Programs, Rehabilitation and Child Support budgets. From 1989-2000, Catherine was Executive Director for the California Mental Health Directors Association. During that period, Catherine staffed the county mental health system's restructuring of public mental health through Realignment of community and long term care programs from the state to the county, transfer of the management of specialty mental health Medi-Cal services to those counties that agreed to provide them, development of risk mechanisms for consortia of small counties, and advocacy and policy analysis for the operation of public mental health programs throughout the state. Her prior experience includes Executive Director to the California-Nevada Community Action Association, Principal Consultant to the Assembly Human Services Policy Committee, and Director of Community Action and Head Start programs in Shasta County.

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