Civic Issues
Topics getting the most attention in Tuolumne County public meetings, ranked by how frequently they are discussed.
50 issues
General Plan Implementation Review
The commission began its required annual look at how the General Plan is working, with recommendations due to the Board in December. Commissioner Kopf's list of planning issues — standardized well, septic, and road requirements — anchors the starting list.
FY 2026-27 road repair and rehabilitation project list
Supervisors want to put roughly $3 million of the budget contingencies toward paving interior neighborhood roads, split among the five districts, with possible sheriff work crews for brushing. Final numbers come back September 22.
FEMA Fire Prevention and Safety Grant acceptance
County Fire asked the Board to accept a FEMA Fire Prevention and Safety Grant of $3,416 to bolster the Fire Fund.
Continued local health emergencies from Dove Fire and TCU Lightning Complex debris
The Board continued both the local state of emergency and the local health emergency tied to the TCU September Lightning Complex Fire, keeping hazardous debris cleanup authority and state assistance in place.
Hunt & Sons cardlock fueling agreement amendment
Public Works sought an amendment to its fueling services agreement with Hunt & Sons, LLC, which keeps county fleet fueling arrangements in place.
Jail food and commissary services contract
The Sheriff's Office sought a contract with Keefe Commissary Network, LLC for jail food and commissary services, capped at $700,000 and already included in the current-year budget.
Navigation Center homeless services at two-year mark
The Navigation Center has served 172 people since opening in 2024, with 63% exiting to stable housing versus a 25% state average. But a speaker described being discharged back to living in her truck, arguing write-up rules push vulnerable people onto the street.
Air Pollution Control District FY 2026/2027 budget hearing
The district's budget grows $151,060 but stays self-funded with no general fund support, with expanded wood stove replacement vouchers and a new engineering consulting contract for permitting.
PG&E 10-Year Electrical Undergrounding Plan support letter
The board wants more undergrounding in Tuolumne County but split over a PG&E-drafted letter asking the CPUC to approve its 10-year plan. Critics worry ratepayers will pay for the most expensive option while PG&E profits; the final letter adds a push for cheaper alternatives.
2026 Primary Election Results
It's election day and turnout was already over 45% by mid-morning, with all ten drop boxes and five vote centers open until 8 p.m. A publisher also challenged the county's 100-foot electioneering boundary measurement.
Supervisor Griefer's social services remarks
Three speakers criticized Griefer's reported comment that social services 'would simply not exist if people made better choices.' Griefer responded that his remarks were taken out of context and said he stood by them, while another supervisor encouraged department tours.
Facility fee waivers for nonprofits and volunteers
A proposal to let nonprofits and volunteer groups use county facilities free or half-price ran into cost worries, prime-weekend conflicts, and confusing language about political groups — continued to November 3 for fixes.
Waste Management collection changes on private roads
A Sonora resident said Waste Management stopped driveway pickup on her private road, forcing residents to haul cans over a mile to Highway 108 for the same price, and asked the county to revisit the franchise.
Deputy Sheriffs' Association 2026-2028 labor agreement
Union and county employees spoke about stalled negotiations, healthcare costs jumping from $65 to $851 a month for one worker, flex days, and a feared county imposition — before a closed-session bargaining session.
2026-2029 Fleet & Roads labor agreement
Road crew turnover has topped 50% for five years because pay sits near the bottom of county scales; the new MOU gives 15% then 3% a year to stabilize staffing.
New Williamson Act enrollment in La Grange
A landowner wants to lock in nearly 972 acres near La Grange as protected agricultural land under a new Williamson Act contract, keeping it in farming with a property tax break. It would expand Amen Agricultural Preserve #134.
Code enforcement capacity
Multiple speakers — including CSERC's Chelsea Lewandowski and Commissioner Kopf — flagged the county's weak code enforcement as an underlying problem: rules without enforcement are meaningless, whether for existing projects or any future data center.
Williamson Act non-renewal near Sonora
Two landowners made opposite moves: the Kowalczyk-Keagy family exited a 200-acre ag preserve near Sonora, while the Moyle family enrolled roughly 971 acres near La Grange. Both passed easily with no opposition.
Data center rules for Tuolumne County
Supervisor Campbell wanted a 45-day emergency moratorium on data centers; the board instead voted 5-0 to have staff draft actual rules covering water, power, siting, and fees for these huge facilities.
Jamestown Mine Site remediation extension to 2041
The county extended its 2006 mine remediation judgment to 2041, paying $120,000 a year while roughly 300 gallons per minute of contaminated groundwater must be evaporated. Supervisors discussed pursuing revenue-generating uses like solar or small data centers on the site.
Sheriff's Office technology upgrade and AI surveillance concerns
A resident presented research urging the Sheriff to reject Axon license plate readers, camera-network software, drones and AI report-writing tools, citing privacy and accuracy concerns. The Sheriff had challenged the public to weigh in.
Dove Fire Local Emergency
The Dove Fire burned about 220 acres near Highway 108 and Stockton Road, forcing around 1,400 evacuations and threatening over 800 structures. Ratifying the emergency keeps the county eligible for state and federal reimbursement, though the cost and structure losses are still being tallied.
East Sonora commercial rezoning (T-Five Ranches)
Leftover bypass parcels near Mono Way and Standard Road were rezoned to General Commercial, opening the door to commercial development in East Sonora.
Vaccination rates in Tuolumne County
County kindergarten vaccination rates sit just below the 95% goal — 27 more vaccinated kids would have hit it — and two measles cases occurred last year, prompting a Health Officer data presentation.
PG&E PSPS event and future shutoff policy
PG&E outlined last week's shutoff that hit 7,255 customers; supervisors Kirk and Brandon pressed for answers on why power was cut on a calm day and want a follow-up agenda item on claims and pre-staging.
Transition from leased to county-owned facilities
The county pays roughly $250,000-$270,000 a year in rent and budgeted $1.5 million to move departments into county buildings, including the historic courthouse with a leaking roof. Supervisors pushed for faster action after a similar plan failed by one vote years ago.
Soulsbyville residential rezone (Sherry Court)
A 0.87-acre rezone to fold existing homes into an adjacent lot passed 3-1 despite HOA objections that it violates Willow Springs CC&Rs — the county says it can't enforce private covenants.
Ambulance services update
Two veteran paramedics said Mercy's new 911 contract is failing: 90 open shifts this month, 16 experienced employees gone, and imported medics housed in hotels. County staff defended the transition and promised a full report soon.
Telepsychiatry services for county behavioral health
A contract with Kings View Behavioral Health would bring remote psychiatric care to county behavioral health clients, costing up to $460,000 a year. It expands access to mental health care in a rural county where recruiting psychiatrists is hard.
County Employee Compensation and Vacancies
Dozens of county employees and union representatives said workers have gone five years without a cost-of-living raise, face an 11% health insurance increase, and may lose 96 personal flex days given in lieu of raises. Supervisors Brandon and Campbell voiced support for a fair contract and asked for a revenue-generation plan.
Columbia viewshed and design guidelines enforcement gap
Supervisors Brandon and Campbell flagged that the disbanded Columbia design review committees left guidelines inconsistently applied; the board directed staff to address a viewshed condition on the Monson rezone project.
Wildfire preparedness grants
The county is becoming a statewide model for making fire country insurable, with talks of a steady 5-to-15-year fuel treatment funding cycle instead of grant-by-grant work, and a possible October convening.
Juvenile facility mental health MOU
The 2026 Healthy Kids Survey shows vaping, drinking, and suicidal ideation dropping significantly since 2021, though Tuolumne County remains above state averages, especially in fifth-grade sadness and bullying.
Electioneering rule in board chambers
A local publisher accused Chair Griefer of falsely invoking the state Electioneering Code to suppress speech in the chambers before the June election, and gave County Counsel Wall until October 6 to produce documentation or move meetings — or face a federal lawsuit threat.
Civil Grand Jury responses
Former 2025-26 grand jurors told the Board its September 1 responses to their reports were aggressive and dismissive, citing 24 deficiencies including missed legal requirements under Penal Code 933.05. Supervisor Brandon pushed back, saying the reports omitted facts he had provided.
Nonconforming uses and ADU ordinance updates
Two zoning ordinance changes were headed for first readings: one limits additions to legal nonconforming structures, the other updates accessory dwelling unit height rules. Both would get final votes October 20 if advanced.
Road funding boost and district allocations
The county's gas-tax funded road plan for next year totals about $6.3 million, including roughly $2 million saved up for paving major collectors like Parrott's Ferry, Rawhide, and Phoenix Lake Road. Supervisors noted Tuolumne gets far less back from the gas tax than it generates. The public will get input later on which roads get the big paving money.
USDA Forest Service Good Neighbor Agreement — $4.14 million
The county nearly put its $1.6M-a-year forest program management contract out to bid, prompting warnings that the YSS collaborative would withdraw support and millions in grant funding would be at risk. The board extended the contract 4-1 with a new 10% cost cap.
Fiscal Year 2026-2027 County Budget adoption
Staff showed the county's CalPERS unfunded liability payment has grown from $4.2 million to $14 million a year since 2018, with about $93 million spent. The Board is weighing how to spend $3.98 million in contingencies — roads, debt paydown, parks — before adopting the budget September 22.
Brandon campaign contribution disclosure (Levine Act)
Supervisor Brandon acknowledged he didn't disclose a $2,200 donation from a Yosemite Rivers Alliance employee before voting to extend that group's no-bid county contract. He says counsel told him it wasn't disqualifying; the Chair said the Board may need to revisit the vote.
Nancy's Hope transitional housing proposal
A Nancy's Hope volunteer asked the county to approve a privately funded 79-bed transitional housing project at the Camp Justice site, hoping to shelter people by next Thanksgiving.
Continuation of Camp Justice homeless encampment
A public commenter alleged the county's encampment resolution fund contract was violated — that funds meant for safe parking with a specific partner were spent elsewhere and that Camp Justice rules broke the agreement's low-barrier requirements, risking a state demand for a refund. A former Camp Justice resident also described being barred from returning and losing possessions.
Station 56 fire station closure dispute
During the elder abuse proclamation, a resident accused the Board of elder abuse for closing Fire Station 56 and mishandling the CDBG grant for the Columbia Fire Station at the Prayer House, a project meant to keep seniors safe. She noted roughly 20% of county residents are elders and asked the Board not to compromise their safety net.
County Workforce Vacancy Crisis and Retention
The county is running a persistent ~16% vacancy rate, lost about 100 employees in 2025 mostly over pay, and faces an 11.2% health premium hike in January. The Sheriff and DA warned of a shrinking candidate pool, and an employee publicly resigned over a contract she called a pay cut.
Behavioral health crisis and addiction treatment contracts
The county's Behavioral Health department was scheduled to sign a services agreement with Windsor Sacramento, LLC worth up to $175,000 a year to house and treat adults with mental health needs.
Transient Occupancy Tax distribution for FY 2026-27
The Board was scheduled to give direction on how the county's next budget gets prepared and what it prioritizes — decisions that shape funding for services residents rely on. Because no record of the meeting was provided, what direction, if any, the Board gave is unknown.
Fire Safety Advisory Committee frequency
Supervisor Griefer proposed cutting the Fire Safety Advisory Committee's meetings from monthly to quarterly. Supporters may see it as efficiency; critics may worry about reduced fire-safety oversight in a high fire-risk county. No outcome is on record.
Behavioral health three-year spending plan
The county's Behavioral Health Services Act plan for FY 2026-27 through 2028-29 was scheduled for approval, setting out three years of mental health programs and funding.
Wet year West Nile warning
The county's first West Nile virus case of the season was confirmed in the 95370 zip code; the health officer urged mosquito precautions.
Suicide prevention week
Behavioral Health and community partners including Stand Up Speak Out and the Hope & Honor Walk asked the county to keep recognizing Suicide Prevention Week; the resolution passed with the consent calendar.