Supervisors Approve Settlement with California Air Resources Board and Amended Penalties for Fire Code Violations
Updated: 1 hour ago
Shasta County Board of Supervisors Meeting Recap
Redding, CA - November 10, 2026
The Shasta County Board of Supervisors held its regular meeting with all five members present: Chair Chris Kelstrom, Matt Plummer, Kevin Crye, Corkey Harmon, and Allen Long. The board considered several items, including ratification of a negotiated settlement over greenhouse gas release violations at the West Central Landfill, a proposal to issue a request for proposals (RFP) for spending the county’s opioid settlement funds, and whether to send a letter supporting a U.S. Senate bill that would create a national framework for approving infrastructure projects such as data centers.
The meeting began with recognition of the county employee of the month, Amber Keegan, Nutrition Assistant II in the Health and Human Services Department. Keegan is based in the Anderson community and provides nutritional assistance under the WIC program*, including breastfeeding support. Keegan thanked the board and described WIC’s longstanding role in supporting mothers and children.
Amended Fire Regulations Enforcement Penalties- R2 was brought to the supervisors by Fire Chief Sean O’Hara, who requested the Board vote to approve an amendment to the ordinance for Fire Hazard Regulation and Fireworks of the Shasta County Code. This amendment would allow for more options for penalties, rather than the mandatory arrest and court appearance for a misdemeanor. Currently, the only choice is to charge a violator with a misdemeanor with a required arrest and court appearance. The proposed amendment would allow violations to be considered infractions, with a range of fines that could be resolved without a court appearance and more latitude to assign a penalty suitable to an individual violation. The board voted in favor of the ordinance 5-0.
CEO and Supervisor Reports -
CEO Dave Rickert reminded property owners that November 30th is the last day to file for a review of the taxable value of properties with the Tax Assessor Leslie Morgan’s office.
Matt Plummer (District 4) has been meeting with Rebeca Bear, Economic Development Corporation director, on proactive strategies to improve the economy in Shasta County. They have focused on timber and wood products as an industry to support and met on October 19 with key industry leaders. Plummer presented a motion to bring an agenda item to the board on working with the Economic Development Corporation but did not receive a second on the motion.
Plummer has also been working on a problem in Lakehead at the Antlers Boat Ramp and Sugarloaf Marina with wakes produced by large boats. After meeting with the Sheriff and U.S. Forest Service, it was agreed that the Forest Service would add buoys to the areas and new signage.
Plummer made a motion to bring back an agenda item for discussion to do away with total maximum time caps on public comments and individual caps of 2 minutes for public speakers depending on the number of public speakers. The motion was seconded by Supervisor Long and passed unanimously.
Kevin Crye (District 1) said he has been attending the Airport Land Use Committee meetings, and the last meeting agenda needed to be postponed because the City of Redding didn’t attend the meeting. The current Airport Land Use plan dates back to the 1980s, and he encouraged the public to attend the next meeting.
Crye advocated for the possibility of working with the Shasta County Office of Education on a drug prevention and education program by Rocky Herron, mainly for 7th and 8th graders, and stated that having a liaison in the schools is critical to success. (Rocky Herron is a former DEA agent whose "I Choose My Future" program is a flagship youth drug prevention effort in San Diego County and has been actively bringing that work to Shasta County Schools and SCOE.)
Crye stated the contract with CAL FIRE is a legacy contract that is a “screaming deal” and we shouldn’t risk losing it because if we did, the prices charged would go to fair market value, so there is “only one path forward”.
Appreciation was expressed to the voters by Crye, who voted for the two charter amendments, Measures E and F. (Restricting eminent domain and rules for filling vacant elected positions.)
Corkey Harmon (District 3) attended a certification of the truck scales performed by the County’s Weights and Measures Department, whom he complimented with a “shoutout”. Harmon reported that he met with CEO Rickert on various county issues. He then stated that Rickert’s CPA license is rare for a county CEO. Concerning the wolf issue, the Fish and Game Department canceled and rescheduled an important meeting at a time that conflicted with the County board meeting, but stated that Shasta County Agricultural Commissioner John Ingram would represent the County at the meeting. He said Siskiyou County will be on the cover of National Geographic Magazine for the impacts wolves are having; however, Shasta, Lassen, and Modoc Counties are also facing these issues.
Allen Long (District 2) met with Harmony Communities, the owner of two mobile home parks (Bixby Knolls and Riverland), to negotiate the rent increase they proposed for the owners renting spaces there. He said there is good progress on the issue, with Harmony agreeing to suspend the $300 rent increase and credit until March 1. He also contacted California Assembly member Heather Hadwick’s office regarding AB1482’s loophole, which leaves mobile home owners without protections and limits on rent increases.
Chair Chris Kelstrom (District 5) stated he attended various events in the community and mentioned that an 1878 fire truck is up for sale by the West Valley Volunteer Fire Department. Kelstrom warned that the Anderson Cottonwood Irrigation District wants to assess every property in the district, whether it uses ACID water or not, at a fee of $18.64 per acre, escalating to $21 per acre. There will be a meeting on Thursday, November 12th at 6 p.m. in Anderson on this issue. ACID (Anderson-Cottonwood Irrigation District) Board meetings are held at Anderson City Hall, 1887 Howard Street, Anderson, CA, in the Council Chambers (3rd Floor).
Public Comments -
Nick Gardener questioned the contract for Flock safety cameras, citing broader distrust of government and examples involving Social Security funds, state lottery revenue for schools, and the State’s intervention in Shasta County’s hand-count voting policy.
Steve Kohn and Dawn Duckett commented that they agree with Plummer’s motion to remove limits on public speakers’ time and return to the 3-minute-per-speaker rule. Kohn also hopes the new board, which will be seated in January, will re-impose impact fees on developers/builders. Duckett requested that the board re-evaluate the strategic plan to make fiscal stability a priority.
Cathy Borgell stated that 275 acres of city and county lands drain into the Henderson Ditch and that two parcels the ditch sits on have no ownership records. She emphasized the seriousness of the situation with severe erosion of the ditch in some parts coming within 5 feet of homes.
Laura Hobbs reported that Superior Court Judge Benjamin Hanna sided with the state on the Measure B case, not allowing the defendants to present their case in court based on the merits. Hanna also improperly tied the Katske case with the Measure B case, not granting the defendants their attorney’s fees as is usually the practice of the courts. Hobbs criticized County Counsel Joseph Larmour for taking a position in the Katske case, requesting the judge disallow the granting of attorney fees to the defendants, even though they won the case, and going against the board’s decision to take no position in the cases.
Larry S. expressed relief that the county will return to normalcy after the conservative candidates for supervisor lost their elections and criticized Patrick Jones for wanting to pursue a gun range, who the speaker claimed would be used for an unlawful militia.
No items were pulled from the consent agenda, which was approved by a unanimous vote.
Support for U.S. Senate Bill S5653 - Sponsored by Supervisor Plummer, Plummer said the bill would streamline federal environmental reviews and permitting for infrastructure, including water and wastewater projects, and support certain energy projects such as hydropower and geothermal. The discussion also covered requirements for data centers of 20 megawatts or more, including covering added system costs, providing financial assurances, reporting electricity use, and potentially requiring the data centers to supply their own power. Plummer noted that the Senate voted 74-23 on November 9, 2026, to advance the bill through an expedited process; it was not a vote to pass the bill. Kelstrom opposed the letter, citing constituent opposition to data centers. Supervisor Long abstained, citing insufficient information to weigh environmental concerns against streamlined permitting. The motion to send the support letter passed 3-1, with Kelstrom voting no and Long abstaining.
Opioid Settlement Money - RFP - Supervisor Plummer sponsored this agenda item and requested that staff present a competitive RFP for up to $1.5 million in opioid settlement funds. Deputy County Executive Officer Erin Bertain stated that the projected balance of the opioid fund is $9.2 million at the end of fiscal year 2026-27, accounting for board-approved projects. Prior allocations included substantial support for CORE youth substance-use prevention and funding for the Good News Rescue Mission to bring 75 adult residential treatment beds online. Bertain said that proposals must align with Schedule E allowable uses. She also suggested giving more consideration to proposals that align with high-impact abatement areas. The proposals will be reviewed by an ad hoc committee comprised of county personnel. Counsel Joseph Larmour said that the RFP would not legally prevent the board from considering a separate contract, though using the established process was generally preferable. An additional project requiring a budget amendment would need a four-fifths vote. The motion to issue the RFP and establish a staff review process passed 4-1 with Crye voting no. Proposals will return to the board for final approval.
Emissions at Landfill Triggered Penalties - Director of Public Works, John Heath, presented information on the series of events that led to the California Air Resources Board (CARB) fining the county for greenhouse gas emissions. The West Central Landfill is owned by the county and jointly operated by the county and the City of Redding. The clay cap method of emission control was apparently not sufficient, allowing methane and carbon dioxide to escape rather than be vacuumed to a well and then flared. CARB inspectors found 29 areas of the landfill out of compliance on their unscheduled inspection on June 12, 2025. The county remediated those areas, but on July 16, CARB found 20 areas in violation. By August 29, 2025, all areas were remediated, but CARB sought penalties of $12 million. CARB did not notify the county of the July 16 violations in a timely manner; therefore, county staff were able to negotiate a reduced penalty of $417,000, which will come out of the landfill’s replacement fund, not the county’s general fund. To avoid future violations, a mechanical seal membrane will be used to seal the area around the well. The county will test more often (every two months rather than quarterly), and the consultant that had been doing the testing for the county was replaced by a new consultant who will better align with the methods CARB uses when they test. Heath has consulted with County Counsel Larmour about holding the prior consultant liable for this issue, but no answer has been given yet. A proposal by Supervisor Harmon to use the piped landfill gas to generate electricity was ruled outside the scope of the agenda; it may be brought forward on a future agenda. The board voted unanimously to ratify the settlement agreement.
Public Comments on Closed Session Items
The CEO evaluation items prompted several members of the public to oppose renewing CEO Dave Rickert’s contract, citing unequal treatment in handling employee complaints, election-office monitoring, document-shredding controversies, and employee communications. Arne List called for Rickert's resignation and suggested Deputy CEO Stuart Buttel as a capable alternative.
On labor negotiations with UPEC, a commenter questioned the CEO’s participation on the negotiation team while his performance was under evaluation.
County Counsel Larmour stated that there was no reportable action except that the board voted to defend and appoint outside counsel in the Roger (or Rodger?) Price case.
To view the agenda or the video for the meeting, visit the county’s website:
The next board meeting is tentatively scheduled for Tuesday, November 17, 2026, at 9 a.m. in the board chambers at 1450 Court St., Redding. The “Flock Off - Shasta County” Facebook post indicates that a protest will start at 7:15 a.m., and the agenda may include Sheriff Michael Johnson presenting on why he supports the use of Flock cameras (Automated License Plate Reader systems).
* WIC (Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children) is a federal nutrition program run by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and administered locally through state and county agencies, including Shasta County Health and Human Services.
It serves low-income pregnant, postpartum, and breastfeeding women, as well as infants and children up to age 5 who are at nutritional risk. Benefits typically include:
Supplemental healthy foods (such as milk, eggs, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and infant formula or baby food)
Nutrition education and counseling
Breastfeeding support and education
Referrals to health care and other social services
