It’s a pleasure to be back at the Board of Supervisors after some travelling. Lucky for me, it was a quiet day at the Board on Tuesday.
Jim Milestone, Whiskeytown National Recreation Area Park Superintendent, reported on Park activities. The summer schedule is full, with Ranger kayak tours, waterfall hikes, gold panning activities, and a full reservoir to tempt your visit. The Whiskeytown Nugget newsletter outlining activities is available at the Visitor Center, or on-line at www.nps.gov/whis.
Milestone especially lauded the Friends of Whiskeytown, which supports the free kayak program, trail improvments, and an artist in residence program, among other activities. Of interest to fans of Whiskeytown is the announcement that the Park is updating its General Management Plan, adopted in 1999.
The Kayak tours are a popular feature at Whiskeytown National Park. National Park Service photo.
Staff has just completed a Foundation Document to plan for the next 10-15 years. The Park intends to release this Document in August for public review and comment. Check the website and local media to find out when this public process will take place.
The Board also considered a request from the County Probation Department to update a resolution authorizing a program to purchase rewards and incentives for people on probation. The wards and incentives reinforce positive behavior by low-level or first time offender adults and minors. The authorization would approve an amount not to exceed $10,000 per fiscal year for the program. No new funds would be required, as this program is an approved expenditure for existing state funding.
The program provides items that remove barriers to employment and successful family living, such as small car repairs, refrigerator or freezer repair, haircuts, tattoo removal, bus passes, used or discount clothing and fees for General Education Development (GED) testing, for example.
The program also authorizes gift certificates for movies, events, fast food, ice cream or other items. Board members found this controversial on a couple of grounds.
Supervisor David Kehoe expressed a desire that probation pursue personal reliance and responsibility in individuals they supervise. Supervisors Les Baugh and Leonard Moty wanted a report on how these funds have been spent in the past.
Supervisor Bill Schappell, who has experience working in a juvenile facility, believes that rewards are an effective tool in changing behavior. In the end, the Board deferred any decision on this request and asked that the Probation Department provide information on how these funds have been spent in the past, and any information on the effect such incentives have on successful outcomes for adults and juveniles on probation.
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.
