LOYALTON — The Sierra County Board of Supervisors wrapped up the year by covering a broad range of items on Tuesday, including the following topics.
The Rural County Representatives of California (RCRC) has been concerned that AT&T will abandon its Carrier of Last Resort (COLR) obligation, which requires the company to maintain existing landlines in Sierra County. Although the California Public Utility Commission recently denied AT&T’s request to abandon COLR in the area, RCRC expects attempts to continue and, therefore, has established an advisory committee aiming to “ensure reliable, equitable access to telecommunications services in rural counties.” Sierra County Supervisor Lee Adams serves as Vice Chair on that committee.
The California Department of Health Care Services is awarding Sierra County just north of $1 million over three years to become compliant with new mandates requiring “bridge housing” to be provided to certain people with behavioral health issues, mental illness, and substance abuse disorder. The funding helps cover the CARE Act Court, a new civil process attempting to connect more people to mental health services and treatment. Although Sierra County will retain some funding to cover administrative costs, most will be transferred to Nevada and Plumas Counties, which can provide the necessary housing Sierra County cannot.
The Planning Commission seats of Michael Filippini, Alan Teague, and Liz Fisher were up for renewal. Though multi-time applicants Joseph Marcy and Sandy Sanders again threw their hats in the ring, the Board did not see a reason to unseat any incumbent. Two seats are due for reappointment at the end of 2026, for which Marcy and Sanders will likely reapply.
The Sheriff’s Office has been struggling with radio communications for over a week after its dispatch radio console, purchased in 2007, went down. Radio Technicians from the California Office of Emergency Services are working to rebuild the computer, but this is the third time the console has been rebuilt in six years. With the system down, Sheriffs aren’t able to easily communicate on the east side of the county.
The Sheriff had previously explored an option to implement a “quick fix,” which would cost $50k and likely extend the console’s life for a few years, but Sheriff Fisher decided not to go down that route. Instead, he prefers a replacement, which would cost around $165k in total. Fisher’s office will be looking into grant funding to cover those costs, which may be available from the US Department of Homeland Security. Otherwise, low-interest financing is available so the county’s general fund would not have to pay out the lump sum. The Sheriff will return to the Board with more detailed options.
The Sierra County Sheriff’s Department and Public Works had issues with employees accruing excessive vacation time, which the county may need to pay down. In the case of Public Works, one employee has 250 hours accumulated, which may be paid out upon the person’s possibly imminent retirement.
The Board was not excited about the prospect of writing large checks compensating for vacation time; instead, they kicked the can down the road by extending the employees’ ability to accrue more vacation time for a year. The Board and department heads hope employee vacation time will be sufficiently used up by this time next year.
The Board celebrated First 5 Sierra’s 25 years of service in Sierra County. The organization was established in 1998 and funded by the creation of a tobacco tax. Its mission is to support “all children from birth in having the best first five years of life possible, growing up healthy and happy, in strong and resilient families.” Executive Director Candy Corcoran gave a presentation highlighting First 5’s efforts, including providing free early education, backpacks to preschoolers, and support programs. Supervisor Sharon Dryden presented Corcoran with a Resolution of Appreciation, proclaiming First 5 “an unwavering pillar of support for the community’s youngest members, consistently demonstrating a steadfast commitment to nurturing their growth and development” and “a driving force behind the advancement of early childhood education and development.”