Agenda Preview - Board of Supervisors 9-23-2025

The Shasta County Board of Supervisors will meet on Tuesday, September 23, 2025, at 9:00 a.m. at the County Administration Center in Redding. The agenda covers legislative updates, staff recognition, a return of a funding request for the elections office, and consent calendar items that include contracts, ordinances, and agreements. The Board will also move into closed session to discuss litigation and labor negotiations, and convene as the In-Home Supportive Services Public Authority, which is still seeking a fair contract.

R1 – CEO Update and Supervisors’ Reports

The County Executive Officer will provide updates on county operations and may bring forward items tied to Shasta County’s legislative platform. These updates often include recent developments in state or federal policy that could affect local departments.

Following that, each supervisor will give a brief report on activities in their districts or regional and statewide meetings they’ve attended. These reports do not involve a formal vote but can be telling, as supervisors sometimes preview upcoming priorities or signal where they stand on future agenda items.

R2 – Recognition of Isaac J. Lowe

The Board will present a certificate of recognition honoring the lifelong work and accomplishments of Isaac Jefferson Lowe, to be accepted by her grandson, Russell Lowe.

Born in 1921 in Wharton, Texas, Mrs. Lowe was the second youngest of nine children and earned multiple college degrees before moving to California. In 1950, she and her husband Vernon founded the Redding Chapter of the NAACP. Facing discrimination in employment, she built her own catering business before later working 17 years in Shasta County Social Services.

Her leadership extended into public service and civil rights advocacy. She was the first Black woman to serve on the county’s Grand Jury, co-founded Shasta County Citizens Against Racism, and was named Citizen of the Year in 1992. She also successfully pressed the Redding City Council to formally recognize Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a holiday, years after it became federally recognized.

Although she passed away in 2015, her influence remains significant. On September 27, the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Center will dedicate a new monument in her honor. The recognition before the Board comes at the request of Eddie McAllister of the Shasta Beloved Community, with Supervisor Crye sponsoring the item.

R3 – Elections Budget Amendment

The Board will consider a budget amendment for $135,961 to support election administration and registration. Because this money comes directly from the General Fund, the item requires a four-fifths vote to pass.

This request stems from an earlier proposal brought on August 12, when Registrar of Voters Clint Curtis sought $2.6 million to overhaul election operations. That figure was not advanced, as budget amendments require a supermajority and Supervisor Alan Long made clear he would not support spending millions more on elections while the county faces other pressing financial obligations.

While not supporting such an expansive budget, Supervisor Matt Plummer said he would consider a scaled-down request, ultimately setting a ceiling of $125,000, the same amount previously allocated to the District Attorney’s Office earlier in the year. He emphasized that his support depended on due diligence: providing purchase quotes, schematics for the camera setup, and assurances that the plan complied with county IT policies.

When those conditions were not met ahead of the August 19 meeting, the request was delayed. By the following week, Curtis submitted an itemized list of planned purchases, including cell phones to serve as cameras, stands, monitors, and a short-term rental of three tabulators from Hart InterCivic. County IT staff, however, flagged compliance issues and recommended revisions. As a result, Curtis pulled the item from the August 26 agenda.

The revised request now stands at $135,961, over Plummer’s suggested cap of $125,000 . The decision will come down to whether 4 of the 5 supervisors are satisfied that the Elections Office has demonstrated accountability and compliance, and whether they are willing to release additional funds in time for the upcoming election cycle.

Consent Calendar Highlights

• C1: Amendment to the agreement with Nichols-Melburg & Rossetto for architectural services on the Emergency Operations Center expansion at 6550 Lockheed Drive in Redding. The amendment changes consultant responsibilities and increases the maximum compensation for the project.

  
  

• C3: Letter of support for His Ideas, Inc. (Children First) in their application to the state’s Behavioral Health Continuum Infrastructure Program. The proposed Bridge to Wellness Hub would expand local behavioral health resources, and the letter signals the County’s backing for the project.

  
  

• C8: Final enactment of an ordinance amending county code on defensible space requirements for fire protection and prevention. Originally introduced in August, this ordinance strengthens rules for vegetation clearance around homes in high fire-risk areas.

  
  

• C12: Amendment to the agreement with GHD Inc. for construction management, inspection, and materials testing services tied to the Cove Road Storm Damage Slide Repair Project. The amendment increases costs to cover expanded responsibilities during the repair work.

  
  

• C13: Approval of right-of-way contracts with Caltrans for the sale of three permanent drainage easements and one temporary construction easement. This clears the way for state highway drainage improvements while compensating the County for property use.

  
  

• C4: Adoption of the 2025 Community Wildfire Protection Plan, updating countywide fire prevention and response strategies in coordination with local, state, and federal agencies.

  
  

Closed Session

After the regular and consent calendar items, the Board will recess into closed session for two matters.

• R4: Conference with legal counsel regarding existing litigation in the case of Mathew Mello v. Public Employment Relations Board, currently before Shasta County Superior Court.

  
  

• R5: Conference with labor negotiators for the Deputy Sheriffs Association and the Sheriff’s Administrative Association.

  
  

Any reportable action from closed session will be announced before adjournment.

In-Home Supportive Services Public Authority

Following the main Board meeting, the supervisors will reconvene as the IHSS Governing Board. The consent calendar includes approval of minutes from the August 19 meeting.

The central issue lies in closed session, where county negotiators, including CEO David Rickert, HHSA Branch Director Erinn Watts, and labor counsel from Liebert Cassidy Whitmore, will meet with Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 2015. The union represents caregivers and has been out of contract for more than nine months, continuing to press for a fair agreement. I have previously reported on this in a breakdown back in May

These meetings set the course for county government on issues that affect daily life in Shasta County. Each agenda includes time for public comment, giving residents the chance to have their voices heard directly by their elected officials. Residents who want to stay informed or share their views can attend in person at the County Administration Center or watch online through the county’s livestream.

And That’s the Agenda Preview