Civic Issues
Topics getting the most attention in Lassen County public meetings, ranked by how frequently they are discussed.
50 issues with medium priority
Herlong Recreation and Park District formation
Herlong could get its own recreation and park district. The Board was asked to start the LAFCo application process, which would include a plan for services and a five-year financial plan.
OHV grant funding for Sheriff's Department
The Sheriff's Office secured $23,880 from the state OHV grant program for deputy and sergeant overtime, training, and equipment to patrol off-highway vehicle areas. Supervisors also asked staff to look into future funding for patrolling hiking trails, possibly using e-bikes.
Water transfer to Southern California
The board wants to oppose a plan to transfer Sacramento Valley water south, arguing it should recharge Lassen-area groundwater instead.
El Niño local emergency declaration
Supervisors declared a local emergency before any flooding, hoping to speed permits and qualify for grants if a wet winter brings debris flows and clogged culverts.
Ambulance service and EOA contract
SEMSA's ambulance contract runs through May 30, and a new entity backed by Plumas District Hospital is lined up to take over. The board got a status report on the RFP and transition.
Travel Stop tax revenue agreements
Resident Jim Barry raised concerns about the proposed 24-hour truck stop near Susanville: traffic through the Skyline/36 intersection, security and human trafficking risk, 7,000–9,000 gallons of water use per day, and noise and light impacts for Sierra Road residents.
Senior lunch program expansion
After four years, Meals on Wheels and senior congregate lunches resumed this week — supervisors and social services staff were visibly emotional about it.
Wildlife overcrossing on Highway 395
The Lassen County Transportation Commission is leading a $6 million, fully grant-funded effort to build wildlife crossings; Red Rock has become problematic due to BLM delays, so Bass Hill may be designed instead to 65% engineering by March.
Standish-Buntingville Road project close-out
The road rehab is done — the board approved the Notice of Completion so the county can collect state reimbursement and avoid losing money already spent.
Public Health records contract renewal
Public Health hired Metopio Inc. to build a three-year Community Health Improvement Plan; supervisors noted the prison population skews the county's health statistics, including high suicide and overdose rates.
IT infrastructure costs and cybersecurity
A $680,000 server replacement was approved after a debate over hardware costs that have doubled in a year — some components up 700%. Details were redacted from the public agenda for cybersecurity reasons.
Electric school buses and PG&E programs
Supervisor Albaugh pressed PG&E on electric school buses that can't handle cold weather and hills, and on red tape holding up a Westwood co-generation project. PG&E also pitched its advisory program and rate discounts for income-qualified customers.
PERS Unfunded Liability and Insurance Cost Increases
The Auditor reported CalPERS unfunded accrued liability rates jumped sharply this year — a 23% increase — driving up every department's budget, along with higher workers' comp and cybersecurity insurance costs.
Veterans Service Office Relocation and CalVet Billing
The county is exploring moving the VSO office into the ADA-compliant HSS building, with plans to boost CalVet reimbursement revenue and provide veterans warm handoffs to services.
Fairgrounds Budget and Revenue Plan
The fairgrounds gets its first middle-management position so operations continue when the Fair Manager is away. There's also a long deferred-maintenance list being worked down with cleanup after the Christmas storm.
Cemetery Program Reorganization
Cemetery duties are moving from Public Works to Planning and Building Services because the County Surveyor now handles cemetery staking. A new cemetery ordinance is being drafted, and staff plan to digitize old paper plot records.
Westwood road rehabilitation
Supervisor Scanlan said he's been pressing for Pine Town Road paving in Westwood, but it hasn't happened yet and residents want answers.
Honey Lake TV signal problems and budget
The nonprofit got five rare FCC broadcast licenses and will add channels for Doyle, Milford and maybe Westwood — without raising the $25-per-home fee. The board adopted its $146,752 budget unanimously.
Livestreaming public meetings
The county sits below the population threshold requiring livestreaming under the Brown Act, but working residents can't attend daytime meetings. A majority agreed to expand streaming to Planning Commission and Solid Waste meetings; two supervisors pushed back, saying staff time isn't worth it.
Waterworks District I board vacancies
Two seats on the Lassen County Waterworks District I board were vacant, and the county had to sort out who legally appoints members under Government Code 55301. The Board confirmed the sitting members and appointed Cindy Harbert.
Animal dumping and spay/neuter funding
A resident flagged dumped kittens and puppies across the county and said a funded free spay-and-neuter program is sitting unused. She wants the county to release the money and clarify enforcement options for dumping.
Youth wrestling use of fairgrounds at reduced fee
A new standardized application and fee schedule for short-term fairgrounds rentals — mirroring the Veterans Memorial Hall process — was tabled so the California Fair Services Association and county counsel can review it first.
Indigent defense income screening and cost recovery
DA Rios told the board defendants earning up to $93,000 a year are getting court-appointed lawyers because judges just ask if they can afford one, and the county can no longer recoup costs. She suggested the board agendize the issue before budget hearings.
Dyer's Woad declared a public nuisance
The board made it official: keeping the invasive noxious weed Dyer's Woad is now a public nuisance subject to county enforcement, with discussion of how abatement, private property rights, and pesticide use fit together.
Pine Town road project finally starts
Scanlan announced the long-delayed Pine Town road project starts August 3 — he expects his constituent phone calls to drop by two-thirds.
District Attorney pay increase
The DA's base pay range rises from 38 to 40 — under an 8% — to keep the office competitive; the cost was already budgeted.
Public health infrastructure funding
The county accepted its annual $272,712 state allocation that keeps about four public health positions afloat. Supervisor Albaugh pressed why Lassen receives less than smaller counties; staff acknowledged under-spending and committed to strategies to raise future allocations.
Behavioral health fiscal officer vacancy
The department has gone nearly two years without a fiscal officer, forcing costly outside contracts for state-mandated cost reports. Supervisor Albaugh pressed on where the recruitment is actually posted.
Fair volunteers and workers' compensation coverage
For the first time, the county fair has a formal volunteer application, policy, and waiver — and volunteers are now officially covered under the fair's workers' compensation policy, protecting the county from lawsuits if a volunteer is hurt.
Environmental health inspector vacancy
A senior environmental health inspector job has gone unfilled after two hires fell through, so the county is paying retired longtime director Doug Ames through a contractor association to keep inspections and landfill expertise going while recruitment continues.
Paperless Knowledge records contract question
Supervisor Albaugh flagged contract language that could be read as allowing $100,000 per year instead of $100,000 total over the five-year electronic records deal, so the board tabled it a week for clarification before the new fiscal year begins.
Tyler/Munis payroll software troubles
Staff reported the county finally passed its audit of past transactions in the troubled Tyler/Munis payroll system and is moving toward employee self-service access — the last major piece. Supervisors praised the auditors, personnel and administration staff who cleaned up years of bad data.
Fair Advisory Board stipend
The board tried to give fair advisory volunteers a $40-per-meeting stipend for the first time since the board was founded in 1978 — partly to clean up gift-of-public-funds issues around complimentary fair tickets. Neely and Ingram wanted $80-$100; the $40 motion failed 2-2, leaving volunteers with no stipend for now.
Herlong off-sale alcohol license
The new owner of the Herlong Market wanted the board to override the state's denial of an off-sale liquor license. The board said no, 4-1, finding no public convenience or necessity — Herlong already has one license and the census tract is at its cap.
Planning and Building Services fee increase
New and higher planning, building, environmental health and surveyor fees were adopted 4-1, boosting county revenue — but making permits a bit pricier for builders and property owners.
Historic Courthouse furniture storage costs
The county keeps paying up to $25,000 a year to store courthouse furniture off-site during renovation litigation, and the contract extension passed 4-1. Supervisor Neely pushed to move the furniture into offices now rather than 'paying twice,' but staff said climate control and warranty protection justify the storage.
Support for forming a new state (AJR 23)
The board backed Assemblyman James Gallagher's resolution exploring whether California could split into a new state. Supervisors admit it's a long shot, but say rural counties pay a high share of land with almost no say in state policy. It gives Lassen County voters a symbolic voice in the movement.
School drug and alcohol prevention grant
Behavioral Health accepted an added ~$450,000 within a $2.7 million state grant for outreach in schools on drug, alcohol and marijuana vaping dangers — with students themselves fronting the campaign.
Whitehead Slough Bridge replacement environmental costs
The county is spending another $54,200 (total $194,714) on biological surveys and monitoring required by state and federal permits for the bridge replacement — money Supervisor Neely questioned.
BearCat armored vehicle lease
The county is leasing a Lenco BearCat armored rescue vehicle for about $558,852 over five years. Supervisors cited a recent Southern California incident where a BearCat absorbed gunfire during a SWAT standoff, protecting officers.
BLM land acquisitions and disposals in Lassen County
The State of California offered to sell the old Armory at 205 Russell Avenue — next to the fairgrounds — back to the county. The Board authorized the CAO to negotiate, seeing potential for fair and health-services uses in the large, sound-roofed building.
Hackstaff Road crossing project delays
The Hat Creek Construction contract amendment was tabled a week because the original agreement date was misprinted and the contractor's schedule slipped — a familiar frustration on county road projects.
Jail medical care feasibility study
The county will spend up to $33,438 on a regional jail medical care feasibility study with the Golden State Finance Authority, aiming to rein in one of the county's biggest and riskiest expenses.
Big Valley Groundwater Basin Advisory Committee quorum fix
The county must file its annual groundwater report with the state by April 1 — a requirement Albaugh blasted as a costly burden and urged fighting if SGMA is ever proposed for other basins.
UPEC General Unit labor agreement
The long-negotiated two-year labor contract for general county employees was finally ratified, with a side letter fixing a missing job classification.
Fredonyer Butte Trail System
A letter of support keeps alive a long-stalled 24.5-mile trail project near Fredonyer Pass, with Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship applying for the Sierra Nevada Conservancy grant.
Online zoning maps (GIS portal)
The county's zoning map books haven't been updated in 25 years; a new ordinance replaces them with an online GIS portal anyone can use from a phone. It should also help emergency services coordinate.
Road Division equipment and staffing
The county bought a ~$194,000 service truck and is training a road equipment operator for his CDL — addressing aging equipment and staffing gaps in road maintenance.
Out-of-county juvenile detention costs
Lassen County pays up to $250,000 a year to house juveniles in other counties' halls since its own facility closed. The probation chief warned state law changes — shorter probation wards, closed DJJ — make juvenile work increasingly hard.
Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan adoption
The updated countywide hazard plan — now mentioning wolves killing livestock and Big Valley groundwater overdraft — keeps the county, Susanville and the Rancheria eligible for FEMA mitigation money.