Chriss Street photo by Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg News
Literally hours before the Shasta County Board of Supervisors is due to convene for a special meeting to decide upon the county’s future CEO, controversy and secrecy surrounds one candidate who for weeks now has openly identified himself as the heir apparent to the county’s top leadership position.
Chriss Street is that candidate, and the only name that became public throughout Shasta County out of about 40 prospective CEO candidates for the county’s top position.
Street’s name is now another topic of interest around the North State for a reason unrelated to the possible CEO position; a complaint reported to the Redding Police Department.
Monday afternoon, Redding Police Captain Ron Icely confirmed to A News Cafe that RPD is “looking into” an alleged incident involving Street. Icely said he could not provide more details about the nature of the report, except to acknowledge that Street was involved.
According to a confidential source, the alleged incident involved a teenage female at a Redding business establishment.
A March 14 Shasta County Administrative Office press release stated that a majority of the Board of Supervisors extended a preliminary offer of employment to Street, contingent on the completion of a background check.
Tomorrow, during an 8 a.m. special closed-session board meeting, the supervisors expect to learn the outcome of the formal investigation into Street’s background. At that time, a majority of the supervisors will either proceed with their original offer of employment to Street, or will withdraw the offer based upon the background check results and/or any other findings.
The 9 a.m. the Shasta County Board of Supervisors general meeting will follow the 8 a.m. special closed session.
This new information — that Street is being investigated by the Redding Police Department — is not part of the county’s official background check, but rather, it arose from allegations that surfaced on social media over the weekend. Those comments have since been deleted.
A News Cafe sought comments late Monday night from all five Shasta County Supervisors regarding the Redding Police investigation into the allegations about Street. A News Cafe did not hear back from District 1 Supervisor Kevin Crye, District 4 Supervisor/Chair Patrick Jones, or District 5 Supervisor Chris Kelstrom.
District 2 Supervisor Tim Garman replied that he’d not heard anything about the Redding Police Department’s investigation of Street, and was unable to comment.
District 3 Supervisor Rickert provided A News Cafe with a statement.
Dist. 3 Supervisor Mary Rickert
“I’m concerned about rumors I have heard regarding Mr. Street,” Rickert said. “I have no idea if there is any truth to them, but hopefully there will some sort of investigation to bring clarity for the community.”
A News Cafe’s previous reporting about Street has disclosed the prospective county CEO’s controversial work history, legal troubles and extremist political beliefs. Street’s checkered history ranges from a federal bankruptcy judge who ordered Street pay $7 million for mismanaging a bankruptcy trust, to his vice presidency of New California State, an extremist organization with plans to split California in half to create a 51st state.
The New California State website says it’s exercising its “God Given Rights as declared in the 1776 United States Declaration of Independence and as ratified in the 1789 United States Constitution under Article IV Section 3”.
Street stated on a KCNR radio interview that if hired as Shasta County’s CEO, he will resign from his New California State position.
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