Sierra County Supervisors Meet on Mardi Gras

DOWNIEVILLE — On Tuesday, Sierra County Supervisors met in Downieville under conditions somewhat more festive than usual. The bucket of Mardi Gras beads and serving of “king cake” did not, however, take away from the many important agenda items covered.

New Treasurer/Tax Collector Promoted Pending Maddox Retirement

Jenny Varn will be appointed to the Sierra County Treasurer/Tax Collector position after current Auditor, Treasurer, and Tax Collector Van Maddox retires on June 24th of this year. The position will be separated from the Auditor’s role, for which the county will begin recruiting. She will receive a salary of $140,532.48 annually, which is roughly 87% of Maddox’s current take.

Department Head Terms Extended to Align with General Elections

California’s 2022 Assembly Bill No. 759 states that the offices of county Sheriff and District Attorney should be elected during the presidential election cycle to improve voter turnout. Sierra County Supervisors could not see why the same logic should not apply to all elected county offices. The Assessor, Clerk-Recorder, Auditor, District Attorney/Public Administrator, Sheriff/Coroner, and Treasurer/Tax Collector have all had their terms extended so that elections will occur along with the presidential primary starting in 2028. The idea was discussed at a special meeting of the Board in February, after which staff was directed to bring the item for a formal vote.

General Plan Housing Element Updated

The Board approved an update to the Housing Element of the county’s General Plan, which the State requires to be renewed every five years. The new element says that, despite declining population, Sierra County must plan to add two housing units meeting the criteria for “very low” and “low” income housing. The element is a planning document to aid developers in constructing housing and inform the county about housing needs, but it does not require that any housing actually be built.

The Housing Element document was drafted by Price Consulting Services, which Principal Gary Price represented at the Board meeting. Price explained that the State takes a one-size-fits-all approach, even though many of its requirements are difficult to apply to Sierra County. Planning Director Brandon Pangman explained that the State prefers the construction of high-density housing, such as apartment buildings, which would likely require the construction of sewers and other such amenities in the county’s unincorporated areas.

As Board Chair Lee Adams pointed out, the document provides some useful statistics that the county can use to aid its decision-making moving forward. For example, 54% of housing units within unincorporated county areas are unoccupied and considered seasonal, recreational, or occasional use units. It notes that the rental vacancy rate is 0.41%, suggesting a strong demand for more long-term rental housing.

Price Consulting Services worked on the housing element for both Sierra County and the City of Loyalton to reduce the total cost. Still, the document has been in the works for several years and costs the county a do-not-exceed total of $65,000. In 2023, a competing consulting firm gave a quotation of $200,000.

Though the Board approved the Housing Element and its addition to the General Plan on Tuesday, the State must sign off on the final draft. The State’s blessing is necessary to keep the county in good standing for grants and other state funding.

County Moves Forward on Adopting Cal Fire Maps

The county must approve new fire hazard severity zone maps from Cal Fire in the coming months. The Board took the first step toward that requirement by designating Planning Director Brandon Pangman as a contact person for Cal Fire in the local adoption process. Considerable confusion remains over the specifics of the new maps, with the county seeking to make detailed shapefile maps available on the county’s website. Despite a very small area in Loyalton’s Local Responsibility Area being reclassified as high fire risk, Supervisor Paul Roen says the detailed maps show some concerning effects on properties and that fire insurance prices are already being affected. The Messenger will be closely following local developments.