Shasta County Board of Supervisors Holds Regular Meeting, Advances Rural Probation Services, Proclaims "Week of the Young Child", and Discusses Proposal to Expand Cottonwood Sewer System
- Elisa Ballard
- 19 minutes ago
- 5 min read
REDDING, Calif. — The Shasta County Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday, April 7, 2026, in the Board Chambers at 1450 Court Street featured presentations on innovative community outreach programs, contract approvals for essential county services, and a public hearing on local infrastructure funding, underscoring ongoing efforts to address rural access, public safety, and fiscal responsibilities.
Jordan Setnor, Deputy Sheriff, was awarded the Employee of the Month award for his excellent service to the Lakehead Community.
Sheriff’s Department Volunteers Honored - Sheriff Johnson honored the many volunteers assisting his department (sponsored by Supervisor Corkey Harmon). Johnson spoke about the six chaplains who went out on 28 calls during the year, the Citizen Volunteer Patrol who assists in many areas including conducting proactive patrols, traffic control and meetings with business owners, the Explorer Program for youth 14 - 21 years old, the Reserve Unit who help on patrols, the Asphalt Cowboys organization who assist with special needs and fundraisers, the Search and Rescue Teams with the Community Posse, dive team, mountain rescues, K-9 unit, snow mobile team, and others. In all, there are over 200 volunteers who log many miles and hours for their community, helping to keep Shasta County safe, and they all deserve the community’s deep thanks and gratitude expressed by Sheriff Johnson.
New Mobile Probation Vehicle Launches - A highlight of the meeting was a presentation on the county’s new Mobile Probation Vehicle (MPV) program, which brings probation supervision, assessments, and support services directly to residents in remote and underserved areas. Funded by a $280,566 grant from the Board of State and Community Corrections, the fully equipped van includes office space, treatment areas, and meeting facilities. It aims to serve the approximately 30% of probationers living outside Redding and the 20% experiencing homelessness by overcoming transportation barriers.
“Transportation limitations and geographic distance often create barriers to supervision, compliance, and treatment participation,” said county spokesperson Eric Jones, Assistant Chief Probation Officer. “The goal of the MPV Program is to remove these barriers.” By meeting probationers where they are, officials hope to boost compliance rates, lower recidivism, and enhance public safety. The vehicle is set to begin operations on Wednesday, April 8, with a rotating schedule covering communities such as Shingletown, Burney, Fall River Valley, Shasta Lake, and various rural pockets around Redding.
In other business, the board unanimously approved an amended contract with MEDIKO, Inc., to provide comprehensive medical, mental health, and support services at the Shasta County Jail. The three-year agreement, valued at approximately $25 million, is scheduled to begin July 1, 2026, and run through June 30, 2029. Shasta County Sheriff’s Office officials praised the move as critical for maintaining high-quality inmate healthcare. During public comment, the company's founder and CEO, Dr. Kaveh Ofogh, a physician for 31 years, spoke passionately about delivering quality healthcare and stated that his company operates in seven states, mostly in the mid-Atlantic region.
The supervisors also held a public hearing on a proposed ordinance to establish or increase a capital improvement fee/new connection fee for County Service Area (CSA) 17 in the Cottonwood Sewer District. The fee is intended to help fund roughly $38 million in infrastructure upgrades to expand the sewer system's capacity to meet future needs. The fee applies to any new connections or additional service demand that exceeds the number of household equivalents (HE) already assigned to a parcel. The proposed new Capital Improvement Fee is $28,300 per additional household equivalent. This is a significant increase from the prior CIF (which had been adjusted annually and stood at approximately $6,279 for 2025–2026). Outgoing/retiring Director of Public Works, Troy Bartolomei, spoke to the board about the need, stating that since 2017, when an $8 million upgrade was done to the system, the State has been increasing regulations, using their “no backsliding” principle (imposed by the State Water Resources Control Board). Bartolomei went on to explain that, for communities to qualify for grant funding, the average sewer rate must be 2% of the mean household income. Sewer rates had been 1% of the mean household income and were gradually raised over 5 years to the 2% benchmark. He also stated that the new sewer system regulations imposed by the State can result in fines for treated effluent (plant outflow) “numbers” that were previously considered in compliance. According to Bartolomei, grant funding is usually tied to public health concerns and new sewer systems, not expansions of existing systems. Therefore, he believes there is a need to impose this new fee for connections to ensure funds are available for system expansion when needed.
Supervisor and Board Chair Chris Kelstrom stated that if this proposed fee increase is adopted, it will “kill” a planned development in Cottonwood. There are still a significant number of HEs that have not been used (approximately 300), so the sewer system, in its current state, can handle new connections until that number is reached. At that point, a moratorium on new connections would be imposed if the new fees are not adopted well before then. The Board, after discussing the matter, decided they needed more information on this proposal and voted to bring it back to the agenda in July.
The Board approved the Consent Calendar, which included Item C20, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the UPEC - Professional Bargaining Unit Local 792. This MOU covers the period May 1, 2025, to April 30, 2027, and provides for COLA (Cost of Living Adjustments) to base salaries. A 2% increase will take effect on April 5, 2026, followed by another 2% increase on May 3, 2026. These base salary increases are not retroactive. The prior MOU had expired, and after negotiations, the County declared an impasse on June 13, 2025. Mediation was attempted on July 18, 2025, but was unsuccessful. On March 4, 2026, the County provided a concept proposal outlining its offer, and the UPEC-Professional voted to accept it, reaching a tentative agreement on March 13, 2026. Employees in good standing are eligible for an additional 3% of base pay after 10 years of continuous service. Sign-on bonuses were approved in the amount of $15,000 for Deputy District Attorney I/II/III, Deputy Public Defender I/II/III, and Clinical Psychologist I/II/III.
Other notable items discussed at the meeting included:
April 11 through April 18, 2026, was proclaimed to be the “Week of the Young Child” and First 5 Shasta has many planned events to highlight the importance of the first years in childhood development. To see the schedule, go to:
Supervisor Allen Long announced that a $100,000 grant has been received for fuel reduction on Swasey.
During public comment, Anderson community members expressed concerns that they were not notified of the Family Dynamics Resource Center's plans to apply for BHCIP (Behavioral Health Continuum Infrastructure Program) grant to construct a facility for treating adolescents with mental health issues or substance abuse. Neither the city council nor the Anderson Police Department received prior notification of the proposal.
Several public comments centered on the Manton Solar project permit that was approved at the last Board meeting, stating that the Planning Commission’s official minutes had not been available for the Board of Supervisors to review before making their decision; therefore, the approval should be rescinded because two of the more knowledgeable planning commissioners expressed the need for an environmental review.
