Justin Bond, veteran and CEO/Founder of Our Heroes’ Dreams. Photos by R.V. Scheide.
Since taking office last January, Shasta County District 4 Supervisor Matt Plummer has been singularly focused on homelessness, in particular the more than 80 homeless veterans currently living in encampments scattered across the county, sleeping in their cars, waking up in jail, or worse.
Plummer’s ambitious plan to sign the county up in the national Built to Zero movement, which has demonstrated significant success helping get veterans off the streets, hasn’t come to pass—yet. But at Wednesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting, his efforts nonetheless bore fruit as the board voted unanimously to approve nearly $200,000 and a new alcohol and drug counselor position for the Veteran Homeless Collaboration Project.
The project includes the Health and Human Services Agency, headed by Christy Coleman, the Veteran’s Service Office, headed by Troy Payne, and two local groups helping homeless veterans, Our Heroes’ Dreams and Nation’s Finest. For the past several months, they’ve been working weekly developing a plan to connect homeless veterans to the agencies and services they need to get back on their feet.
HHSA acting Director Christy Coleman and VSO Director Troy Payne. Photos by R.V. Scheide.
“The needs that have been identified in these meetings are mental health treatment, substance use treatment, housing, job help, and reunification with family,” Coleman explained in her presentation. “So let’s talk about this plan to help homeless veterans. When someone sees a homeless veteran, they should call the veterans service office.”
(The Veterans Service Office phone number is (530) 225-5616.)
The SVO will serve as the hub, steering veterans toward the help they need.
“There are many needs that must be addressed, and in order to help resolve these needs, our plan starts with a call to the veteran service office,” Coleman said.
“The VSO will do an intake form and will be able to verify the veteran’s status. Based on the needs of the veteran, the VSO will reach out to a local veteran agency, Our Heroes’ Dreams or Nation’s Finest.”
Those agencies will meet the veteran where they are, including the jail, which notifies the VSO whenever a veteran is incarcerated there. If the veteran needs substance abuse or medical treatment, they’ll determine if the vet qualifies for VA care or Medi-Cal. Housing resources include housing vouchers, including rapid rehousing motel vouchers, and case management to help people complete rental applications, pay for application fees, rental security deposits and back utility bills.
“I think that the plan that we have developed going forward is the best for Shasta County,” said Payne, the VSO director.
“Not everybody would fit into this, but after a lot of collaboration with past homeless veterans, current homeless veterans and the organizations involved with homeless veterans, I think we have put together the best plan forward to deal with the veterans that are here in Shasta County that are experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness.”
Combat Vet and Our Heroes’ Dream volunteer Tucker Zimmerman.
That Our Heroes’ Dreams and Nation’s Finest have helped pull veterans back from the brink was made clear by a half-dozen vets who testified before the board.
Tucker Zimmerman is a retired Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant who served five combat tours during his tenure. He didn’t know it when he signed up, but he basically agreed “to have my life algorithm changed to support the Constitution of the United States.”
He’s currently working the Green Fire north of Redding—Our Heroes’ Dreams also helps first responders; many former vets gravitate to firefighting and police work. Zimmerman also volunteers for Our Heroes’ Dreams.
“I have three firefighters that I personally have befriended on the fire, and I was called for a suicide that was going to happen at 3.30 in the morning, not even 24 hours ago,” Zimmerman told the board.
“I woke up next to that man and to see him smile and have love back instilled in his heart because he just needed to be loved is very vital to me. As board members, as citizens, Our Heroes’ Dream, we are here.”
Army combat veteran Jonathan Small.
“I’ve been blown up more times than most humans should survive,” said Jonathan Small, a former Army Sergeant and decorated combat veteran including the Purple Heart.
“For a while, I even started tallying the blasts on my arm. But I stopped because I realized I didn’t like that game.”
“War didn’t just wound me,” Smalls reflected. “It followed me home. My world turned gray. I wasn’t trying to die, but I couldn’t find a reason to live either. I lost my family, my sense of self and the fight in my spirit. I was too strong to quit, but too broken to take the next steps. Until our Heroes’ Dreams stepped in for me.”
Now he’s working on a Ph.D. in psychology and helping other veterans.
Our Heroes’ Dream founder and CEO Justin Bond thanked Plummer for steering a homeless vet in his agency’s direction, months ago when Plummer’s journey began.
“Last time I was here was when you were presenting,” Bond said, an Army combat veteran who was severely wounded in Iraq. “And I want to tell you that the day before you sent us a veteran. You said, ‘Hey, there’s a homeless veteran out on the street corner,’ Supervisor Plummer. And I want to report to you today that you saved his life. You saved his life.”
“We got him in. We got him into medical. We got him housing. But medical found out that he wasn’t going to last long. Because of that, he’s now getting medical treatments. He’s doing much better. And on top of that, that day that we went out and picked up his tent, picked up all his stuff, was his sobriety date. Since then, he’s led us out to go pick up other veterans. In fact, since that day, as of last night, we’ve taken in 24 new homeless veterans.”
Coleman offered a glimpse of what success for the program might look like.
“Currently, there are 84 self-identified veterans in HMIS, the Homeless Management Information System,” Coleman said. “27 of those 84 are currently working with Nation’s Finest (she may have meant Our Heroes’ Dream, it was unclear). Success isn’t just housing the remaining 57. Success is the veteran becoming successful, successfully housed, meaning they have stayed housed and have become self-sufficient in maintaining their household.”
Coleman and Payne will report their progress in six months.
District 4 Supervisor Matt Plummer is on a roll.
What the Supervisors Did on Summer Break
No doubt many inquiring minds want to know what the supervisors did during the three-week hiatus between meetings. What exactly inspired Supervisors Crye and Plummer to go to Los Angeles with Sheriff Michael Johnson? Adventure touring in Trump-occupied LA LA Land? Turns out it was something much more useful than that.
“Both Supervisor Crye and the Sheriff and I went down to Los Angeles to visit the Amity Foundation, which is a program focused on rehabilitation and reentry of those in the county jails and the prison system,” Plummer said during his board report. “We’ve been talking to them for several months, but this was a really great experience to be able to talk with people who have been through their program, who were basically written off as there being no hope for them, some with life sentences, and had gone through their program and now are working and thriving in society.”
“They’ve actually had a Stanford study done of their program, and for those who are in their program for nine months or more, they saw a 92% reduction in recidivism,” Plummer said.
Impressive.
Plummer and Crye also met with representative from the U.C. Davis Medical School who upon hearing about the proposed medical school approached the county about establishing a branch campus for another residency program in Shasta County. Such a program would bring more doctors to the county without incurring the enormous expense of a medical school.
“They are very interested in expanding this branch campus model, which would basically allow us to partner with them so we don’t have to go through the whole process of accreditation ourselves,” Plummer said. “In fact, we wouldn’t have to get accredited. We would be able to operate under their accreditation and only deliver one or more of the years of medical school initially, so it would be a way to step into it with reduced risk.”
Coincidentally, seeking residency programs was exactly the direction Plummer pointed in after doing his deep dive on the Dr. Paul Dhanuka’s medical school proposal. The lad’s on a roll.
District 5 Supervisor Chris Kelstrom.
Meanwhile, District 5 Supervisor Chris Kelstrom failed to mention the main reason he had to attend Rural County Representatives of California meeting in Alturas last month: to deliver the medical school “presentation” in lieu of the absent Crye, who jetted off to SoCal with Plummer and Johnson. That’s because there was no presentation, as A News Café reported earlier this week.
Instead, Kelstrom talked about the wild horse sanctuary at the old Devil’s Garden and California Department of Fish and Wildlife Director Chuck Bonham’s alleged inability to identify trout. Back home, he attended the Clamper Jamboree in Shingletown, met with McCumber residents concerned about reservoirs being abandoned by PG&E, attended the Shingletown July 4 parade, worked with a Cottonwood couple marketing tiny homes, met with WellPath along with Sheriff Johnson to renew their license to provide healthcare to the jail, hooked up with the aforementioned Veterans Homeless Collaboration Project and rode along with the Sheriff’s Catch a Predator program which he called the “coolest thing I’ve been involved with.”
Translation: Kelstrom hasn’t announced, but it sure sounds like the big man is running.
District 3 Supervisor Corkey Harmon attended another Trucker’s Association meeting which sounded like the typical bitch-fest about CARB regulations. Harmon needs to get out more.
District 1 Supervisor Kevin Crye: Has he turned over a new leaf?
As board chair, District 1 Supervisor Kevin Crye reserves the right to give his board report last. Perhaps because he was still jet-lagged from traveling with CEO David Rickert to Philadelphia for the annual National Association of Counties last weekend, his board report was rather subdued. In a rare moment of humility, he appeared to acknowledge his own hostility.
“So I’m going to make a commitment that as we push forward with some of this stuff, I’m going to try and be a lot more collaborative and not so accusational (sic) or charging,” Crye said. “Like I feel very strongly about the reason we’re in some of these situations, but we’ve got to get this fixed because one thing I realized at NACO is the government is not coming to help us.”
He certainly got that right.
No one is coming to help us.
SCOREBOARD
REGULAR CALENDAR
Board Matters
Sheriff’s Office Supervising Accountant is your Shasta County Employee of the Month.
R1 Adopt a resolution which recognizes Emmy Westlake, Supervising Accountant with the Sheriff’s Office as Shasta County’s Employee of the Month for July 2025.
No Additional General Fund Impact
Simple Majority Vote
Score: 5-0
As per the Board Packet: Emmy Westlake has worked as a Supervising Accountant since being hired with Shasta County in August of 2022, and joined the Sheriff’s Office in March of 2024. Within the Sherriff’s Office, Emmy is known for going above and beyond in every aspect of her role. She exemplifies dedication, leadership and unwavering commitment to the department.
Emmy approaches every interaction with peers and staff across the department with a positive attitude. She is a collaborative team member who consistently supports her colleagues and fosters a positive work environment; readily sharing her knowledge and contributing to a sense of unity within the Accounting Unit. She is also able to remain calm and composed, even during high stress situations.
Her thoughtful and courteous communication makes her approachable and showcases her excellent customer service and professionalism regardless of the situation. This was recently demonstrated during a staffing crisis when she worked extensive overtime to keep the unit running, directly contributing to the unit’s productivity and success.
Emmy is trusted by both colleagues and leadership for her high ethical standards, integrity, transparency, and ability to handle sensitive financial matters. She ensures all accounting processes are conducted accurately, fairly, and in compliance with policy. She also is a self-starter, always taking initiative to complete key projects while maintaining her daily workload. She played a key role in training staff from different areas of the department to support accounting operations.
Emmy truly sets the standard for a what a professional public employee should be, inspiring those around her with a commitment to excellence in public service. For the reasons stated above, the Employee Recognition Committee recommends Emmy Westlake, Supervising Accountant, in the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office be selected as the Employee of the Month for July 2025.
R2 Receive an update from the County Executive Officer on County issues and consider action on specific legislation related to Shasta County’s legislative platform and receive Supervisors’ reports on countywide issues.
No additional General Fund Impact
No Vote
Veterans Services Office
R3 Take the following actions: (1) Receive a presentation from the Veterans Service Office and the Health and Human Services Agency regarding the Veteran Homelessness Collaboration Project in Shasta County; (2) approve budget amendments which increase appropriations and revenue by $94,197 in the Alcohol & Drug Programs Budget (BU 422) and by $94,197 in the CAO Opioid Settlement Budget (BU 430); (3) adopt a salary resolution, effective July 27, 2025, which amends the Position Allocation List to add 1.0 FTE Alcohol and Drug Counselor I/II to the Alcohol & Drug Programs Budget (BU 422); and (4) consider providing direction to staff.
General Fund Impact
4/5 Vote
Score: 5-0
Health and Human Services Agency-Economic Mobility
R4 Conduct a public hearing and adopt a resolution which authorizes the application and approves the Permanent Local Housing Allocation (PLHA) amended Five-Year Plan which adds homeownership opportunities, including, but not limited to, down payment assistance, in an amount not to exceed $1,804,910.
No Additional General Fund Impact
Simple Majority Vote
Score: 5-0
District 3 Supervisor Corkey Harmon.
CONSENT CALENDAR
Supervisor Harmon pulled item C-11, a retroactive agreement with the California Department of State Hospitals to provide state hospital beds that granted signing authority to Health and Human Services. Informed this was normal, Harmon was satisfied and C-11 passed 5-0. The remainder of the Consent Calendar was passed unanimously 5-0.
County Administrative Office
C1 Ratify the County Executive Officer’s signature to the grant agreement with the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection for Greenhouse Gas Reduction funding in an amount not to exceed $999,036.48.
No General Fund Impact
Simple Majority Vote Clerk of the Board
C2 Appoint Charles Chamberlain to the Western Shasta Resource Conservation District to serve the remainder of a 4-year term to November 27, 2026.
No Additional General Fund Impact
Simple Majority Vote
C3 Approve the minutes of the meetings held on June 9, 17, and 24, 2025, as submitted.
No Additional General Fund Impact
Simple Majority Vote
County Counsel
C4 Approve an amendment to the agreement with Liebert Cassidy and Whitmore for legal services which extends the term and increases hourly rates.
General Fund Impact
4/5 Vote
County Fire
C5 Approve a retroactive renewal agreement with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection for the administration of the Shasta County Fire Department in an amount not to exceed $11,398,028.
General Fund Impact
Simple Majority Vote
Health and Human Services Agency-Administration
C6 Approve a retroactive renewal agreement with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection for the administration of the Shasta County Fire Department in an amount not to exceed $11,398,028.
General Fund Impact
Simple Majority Vote
Health and Human Services Agency-Behavioral Health and Social Services
C7 Approve a retroactive renewal agreement with Oscar and Ghislaine Ramasar, dba Crest Home for the Elderly, for residential care facility services in an amount not to exceed $2,500,000.
No General Fund Impact
Simple Majority Vote
C8 Approve a retroactive renewal agreement with Restpadd Health Corp for psychiatric inpatient services for adolescent and adult patients in an amount not to exceed $5,500,000.
No General Fund Impact
Simple Majority Vote
C9 Approve a retroactive renewal agreement with Mountain Valleys Health Centers for outpatient mental health services.
No General Fund Impact
Simple Majority Vote
C10 Approve a retroactive agreement with GHC of Auburn LLC, dba Siena Skilled Nursing Facility, for skilled nursing and rehabilitation services in an amount not to exceed $2,250,000.
No General Fund Impact
Simple Majority Vote
C11 Approve a retroactive renewal agreement with the California Department of State Hospitals for use of state hospital beds and designate authority to the Health and Human Services Agency Director, or their designee, to sign amendments and other documents, including retroactive.
No General Fund Impact
Simple Majority Vote
Health and Human Services Agency-Public Health
C12 Approve a letter of intent for Shasta County to become an Independent Whole Child Model County.
No General Fund Impact
Simple Majority Vote
Information Technology
C13 Take the following actions regarding the Cherwell Replacement Project: (1) Approve an agreement with Network Consulting Services, Inc. (NCSI) for implementation of new line of business software; (2) waive competitive procurement requirements in Administrative Policy 6-101, Shasta County Contracts Manual, and Shasta County Code Section 3.04.020 on the basis of a lengthy and detailed RFI process that identified NCSI by the manufacturer as the County’s recommended and registered Value-Added Reseller for implementation and support; and (3) designate authority to the Chief Information Officer to sign work order authorizations up to the maximum compensation allowed in the agreement.
No Additional General Fund Impact
Simple Majority Vote
Public Works
C14 Approve a contract with Harbert Roofing, Inc., for roofing services at County facilities.
No Additional General Fund Impact
Simple Majority Vote
Sheriff
C15 Adopt a resolution which terminates the proclamation of an emergency in the area of the Breslauer Campus.
No General Fund Impact
Simple Majority Vote
C16 Adopt a resolution which accepts the California Highway Patrol Cannabis Tax Fund Grant Program (Grant) funds in the amount of $413,972.22 for prevention, education, and the enforcement of laws related to impaired driving and designates authority to the County Executive Officer to sign documents specific to the Grant and approve a budget amendment which increases appropriations and revenue in the Sheriff Budget (BU 235) by $413,972.
No Additional General Fund Impact
4/5 Vote Support Services
C17 Approve an agreement with GovernmentJobs.com Inc., dba NEOGOV for web-based subscriptions and designate authority to the County Executive Officer, or their designee, to sign amendments, future-year agreements, and order forms, including retroactive.
No Additional General Fund Impact
Simple Majority Vote
C18 Approve an agreement with PowerDMS by NEOGOV, for web-based PowerTime subscriptions and designate authority to the County Executive Officer, or their designee, to sign amendments and future-year order forms, including retroactive.
No Additional General Fund Impact
Simple Majority Vote
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