By Tim Garman

Failed Shasta County CEO candidate Chriss Street.
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I want to take a moment to share my thoughts about the county signing a contract with Chriss Street to be a Shasta County healthcare consultant.
The first thing that comes to mind is wondering if perhaps this appointment is a case of quid pro quo. After all, Shasta County Public Health staff are more than capable of doing all of the work that Street was supposedly hired to do. So that begs the question, why did the county hire Street?
During today’s Shasta County Board of Supervisors meeting, CEO David Rickert announced the county’s hiring of Street, who will earn $40,000 in compensation.
Believe it or not, the CEO is a very intelligent man. He’s smart enough to mind his p’s and q’s, and act reasonably. That’s why I believe that there is NO CHANCE that Rickert made the decision on his own to waste $40,000 of taxpayer money by making Street a healthcare consultant. My guess is that Rickert has had multiple conversations about this hire with others. I am also guessing that CEO Rickert has spoken with the District Attorney and county counsel, as he is cautious enough to seek protection from potential legal liability.
I find it very interesting that the number was $40,000, because that is a number that District 1 Supervisor Kevin Crye has mentioned before.
Perhaps Crye owes Street $40,000. Perhaps Street has done some work for Crye, or maybe a favor, though it’s unknown what kind of work or favors. The fact is that Crye has been trying to get Street a job with the county since even before Crye was elected as a supervisor.
It is my belief that there are those on the board who want Street hired as the director of Shasta County’s Health and Human Services Agency. To accomplish that goal, I believe they will either fire or force current HHSA Director Laura Burch out. Last year the former CFO of HHSA was let go, and afterward he made a whistleblower report to the state. At the time, our CEO and board chairman were dead silent about the item, and did not show an iota of support for Director Burch and others in HHSA. They did not put out a public statement until I sent a scathing email to the CEO and others. During the next board meeting I mentioned in my board report that I suspected this was an end run to bring Street on board.
I also believe there are multiple (as in plural) county department heads who see Street’s appointment as quid pro quo, something that should be fully investigated. So far, the department heads have chosen to stay silent, and who could blame them. Their jobs aren’t worth a plugged nickel if they speak, and they know it. It’s a heck of a thing to work under those types of conditions. I just hope it is only their jobs that have been threatened, and not their lives. I pray that at some point they will have the courage to stand up for what is right, and reveal what they know. It has to be harder and harder by the day to look themselves in the mirror and still be OK with what is happening to our county. Maybe if it’s true that Street’s contract is a case of quid pro quo, that this situation will be enough for them to finally say, “I can’t do this anymore.”
Maybe, just maybe.
Now that a contract has been signed between Shasta County and Chriss Street, I believe a crime has been committed with quid pro quo. This can no longer be overlooked, and needs to be fully investigated by the District Attorney’s office, and anyone else who is interested.
If this type of governance is allowed to continue for two more years, our beloved Shasta County will be in a dark, dark place. It will take decades to undo the damage that is being done.
The only chance we have now is for the CEO to show some decency, and say, “No more.” If he can show the character and morals that he says he has, he will pick up the phone, and he could end this chaos once and for all.
Unfortunately, I don’t see that happening. So far he has shown poor leadership, with no moral character whatsoever. But you never know. He, too, must look in the mirror everyday. Maybe one morning those Christian values he espouses will stare back at him, and he will do the right thing.
The only other way out is if District 3 Supervisor Harmon wakes up and realizes that Crye and Kelstrom are not good people; that they only care about themselves. So far, Harmon has been voting right along with Crye, and he’s following Crye’s every lead, so the odds aren’t great here, either. However, I have talked to numerous people who know Supervisor Harmon. They claim Harmon is a decent guy, and they believe he will have the courage to break away from Crye.
Supervisor Harmon, if you are reading this, then I urge you to be the decent guy who you, and others say you are. Supervisor Harmon, you are going to have an opportunity to define your legacy and what you mean to Shasta County. Please have the courage to do the right thing.
I was hoping to just stay behind the scenes for a while and see where Supervisor Harmon went with things. It appears that he has sold out 100% to Crye, so I just can’t sit back any longer and hope things will be OK. I felt that I had to share my opinions with others. We cannot be idle, and let our county deteriorate.
Stay tuned and see where Chriss Street ends up. I believe this is only the beginning.
Sincerely, Tim Garman
Former District 2 Supervisor