The Board of Supervisors meeting this day was brief and non-controversial. The primary focus was on assistance for those affected by the Clover Fire in Happy Valley/Igo. Supervisor Leonard Moty announced a Local Assistance Center, open Wednesday, September 25 and Thursday, September 26, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. in the County Building at 1450 Court Street, Room 137. The Assistance Center will provide state and local departments and agencies that may provide assistance to those who have suffered losses. Agencies present will include the Contractors State License Board, the Department of Insurance, the Department of Motor Vehicles, local health and human services and housing and community development department., The Franchise Tax Board, Board of Equalization and local assessor’s office will be present, along with other department and local non-profits.
The Board adopted an emergency ordinance that will waive the application of some building and zoning requirements for the reconstruction or replacement of some buildings and manufactured/mobile homes. The purpose is to permit “legal nonconforming buildings” to be repaired or replaced, as long as basic health and safety standards are met. These are buildings that were legal at the time they were built but would no longer meet density or use standards. For example, some land parcels have second dwellings or a business in an area that is now zoned for a single dwelling or a residential use only. Landowners can now replace such a structure. The emergency ordinance would also permit the use of a temporary residence such as a mobile home or travel trailer immediately, even before specific plans or permits to rebuild the destroyed residence. These new provisions are limited to owners of record at the time of the fire. In addition, temporary electrical permits will be issues for up to 120 days to permit the use of electricity for clean-up purposes. The emergency ordinance does not waive the cost of permits. Such costs may be waived in a future action if the state makes emergency resources available to the county.
The Board approved a letter to Dignity Health North State and Mercy Medical Center to thank them for funding that will assist all five current locations of the Shasta Senior Nutrition Program. The Senior Program lost significant funding through the 2013 federal budget sequestration. The resulting cut-backs would have affected 2,000 seniors who would have received fewer meals and transportation trips. The support from Dignity Health and Mercy will continue through the federal fiscal year 2014 and will include fundraising throughout the community.
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.
