Tehama County Supervisor Chambers – costaengineers.com
Editor’s note: This column was revised on Saturday at 11:35 p.m. to correct numerical misinformation pertaining to Tehama County Counsel earnings and expenditures. We regret any errors or confusion.
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Hello, ANC readers. I haven’t checked in for a while because there hasn’t been much to report from down here in Tehama County that can even come close to what you folks deal with on the reg in Shasta. Allow me to catch you up on what’s been going on.
On a personal level, I have finally punched my ticket for a one-way trip to Geezerville. Last year, I gave up trying to make cheapo reading glasses work for everything and got prescription progressive lenses. I didn’t even know what that meant, I just liked the name. Now, thanks to too many years of playing in rock bands, I have hearing aids. They arrived last week and will take some getting used to, but already I don’t have to read Seth Meyers’ lips. I think I have only said “What?” to Mr. Standish once or twice, a sharp reduction. Write if you have tips. I know to turn them off for fireworks.
And speaking of fireworks, there were plenty at the Tehama County Public Works Standing Committee meeting this week. Speero Tannous, Engineering Tech III, had some heartfelt words for the Committee and board. A couple of weeks ago, the Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a contract with yet another outside firm, Mark Thomas & Company, for “On-Call Construction Management Services”. The contract was for $5 million over 5 years, maximum. Yes, a million dollars a year.
Speero Tannous – screen grab
Lower level employees at Public Works have been trying to get a raise for some time and have been told “there’s no money”, which is the standard answer. Management are well paid. So for these employees to see $5 million fly out the door to some firm is a slap in the face. The county saves money by not paying benefits, pensions, etc, but do we ever really get our money’s worth from these outside contracts? We just pay the invoices as they come in. Is there oversight?
And what do we lose in employee morale and retention? Plenty is the answer you’re looking for. These loyal, hard working folks don’t mind tightening their belts if the county really can’t afford to pay them more, but when they see $5 million go to a company who has no interest in Tehama County other than that contract, well…how would YOU feel? Unappreciated, not valued, taken for granted, etc…
Tannous called out the current board in no uncertain terms and said, “I don’t care who hears this.” That’s good, because I think everyone should hear it and tell all their friends, too.
This outsourcing business has gotten out of hand. But every time we hire another firm, it normalizes the ones we already have. See how that works? It becomes The Process. How We Do Things.
In 2022, Tehama County entered into contract with Prentice Long. Margaret Long and her firm serve many agencies across the state. Cha-ching.
Margaret Long – prenticelongpc.com
Shasta Supervisor-elect Allen Long
Interesting aside – Margaret Long is married to Shasta County Supervisor-elect Allen Long. Tehama County’s D2 Supervisor-elect Tom Walker is married to Carolyn Walker, who works for Prentice Long. Small world, huh? Excuse me while I add a few thumb tacks and connection strings to my conspiracy theory board.
Tehama Supervisor-elect Tom Walker
Carolyn Walker – prenticelongpc.com
For another example, how about the fiasco of SHN Consulting Engineers being secretly hired without the full board’s knowledge to serve as Interim Planning Director while the application window was still open? Then the board approved back pay for the time they worked without approval. SHN was also contracted by Trinity County. Anybody notice a pattern here? Oh, and then SHN ditched on us because we requested that a rep from the company be present in the office more than one day a week. I guess that was too much to ask.
But back to the meeting. Tannous was eloquent and made his points clearly. He spoke directly to D1 Supervisor-elect Rob Burroughs and advised him not to drink the koolaid that board members are apparently served at their swearing-in party.
Board and Committee Chairman John Leach tried to defend himself by mumbling that after December, he would be out of office, so it’s up to the next board. How Nixonesque. Everyone else in the room could do the math and several of them yelled out “You have 7 months!”
District 5 Supervisor John Leach
District 1 Supervisor-elect Rob Burroughs
District 1 Supervisor Bill Moule
Then Burroughs spoke. (I’m paraphrasing the rest of this meeting’s dialogue, but the intent is accurate.) “I’ve been to several meetings and I’m just going to come out and say it. John, you need to step down now so the county can move forward. Bill Moule (current D1 supe whom Burroughs will replace) also needs to step down. Now. Both of you.”
Leach said, “Bill Moule IS stepping down.”
Burroughs replied, “That’s what he told me weeks ago and it hasn’t happened. We need to get in there now and make decisions. But I’ll be honest with you, (Chief Administrator) Gabe Hydrick is tying my hands because he knows I’m going to make changes and I’m going to be public about that.”
Chief Administrator Gabriel Hydrick
What changes, you may ask? Well, Burroughs has made no secret about his distrust of Hydrick and County Counsel Margaret Long nor his opinion that both of those contracts should be terminated. It would take three out of five supervisors voting yes to accomplish that. As it stands currently, there are only two yeses – Supervisors Nolen and Carlson. If Burroughs was seated now, that would make three.
If we waited until January when Burroughs would normally begin his term, Carlson would be gone and new D2 Supe Tom Walker would take her place. He would need to recuse himself from any vote on Prentice Long because his wife works for the firm. I don’t know how he feels about Hydrick, but he’s been attending meetings and has been learning the ropes and the players, so he’s a solid maybe.
Leach will be replaced in January (or sooner if he steps down) by Greg Jones, who won that election handily. We don’t know where Jones stands on either of those contracts, but he is a smart guy, so let’s mark him down for another maybe.
Greg Jones, District 5 Supervisor-elect
CA Hydrick has stated that he’s “not a numbers guy”, (which is weird because isn’t that, like, his whole job?) But I’m pretty sure he can count to three and the writing is on the wall if Burroughs is sworn in. I would be willing to bet he has been begging Leach and Moule not to resign.
Of course, only Leach and Moule and their families can make that decision. The job is highly stressful and the time commitment is enormous. Both octogenarians suffered serious medical incidents in the past few months and Leach has had other personal trauma that is none of anyone’s business until it affects his job performance. Which it is.
Judging by his statements at the PWSC meeting, Leach has already checked out and is just punching the clock for that measly $1045 a month. As Burroughs pointed out, “You can’t just not do anything for the next 7 months. We need real leadership now.” Ain’t that the truth?
You might be thinking that $1045 a month was a typo. Nope, that’s how much our supes make down here. We’re a charter county and our charter says the board cannot give themselves raises. Only the voters can do that and they have voted against it time and again.
Leach and Moule have our gratitude. Did I agree with everything they did? Far from it, but I admire anyone willing to step into that job for such crappy pay. It’s thankless, time consuming, and soul sucking. Resigning from it for the greater good is even more admirable.
Let’s encourage Leach and Moule to take a long hard look at themselves and discuss their futures with their doctors and families. This is the time they should be enjoying with their grandchildren, making memories, handing down family stories and traditions. Nobody’s last words were ever, “I wish I’d spent more time at the office.”
