Sierra Supervisors Tackle Transfer Station Upgrades, Speed Limits, and New Crime Laws

LOYALTON — The Sierra County Board of Supervisors met in Loyalton on Tuesday. Though Supervisors Roen and Heuer were absent, the three present constituted a quorum for most agenda items.

Public Works to Install Transfer Station Cameras

After discussion at the last meeting of the Board of Supervisors and ongoing input from the community, Public Works Director Bryan Davey will be working to install camera monitoring systems at Sierra City Transfer Station sites. He will begin with a trial at a single site, which is expected to cost around $2,000 in addition to an ongoing fee for Starlink internet service. The current Solid Waste budget is expected to cover those expenses.

Davey plans to make the camera feed available to the public, enabling the monitoring of burn piles in a manner similar to the ALERTCalifornia system, with which many residents are familiar. He also believes that the cameras could help with security issues since transfer sites experience frequent break-ins for what Davey describes as “malicious mischief.” Board Chair Lee Adams suggested Davey also research camera solutions that can broadcast notifications based on motion and subject detection.

Davey returned to the Board later in the meeting for an agenda item that will allow the purchase of a new guard shack at the Ramshorn Transfer Station funded by grant money. The 20-foot office container will cost $24,989.25 and is expected to last much longer than the current shack. The container is 20’ long, fully insulated, has extensive electrical wiring, and has a “really cool camo paint job.”

Caltrans Speed Limit Study Comes for Sierraville

After recently proposed speed limit changes in Sierra City led to heavy community backlash in the last month, the California Department of Transportation has released its studies for Sierraville, which unsurprisingly also propose to increase limits. Though not as disruptive as the changes in Sierra City, the speed limit would be changed from 35 to 40 miles per hour on Highway 49 and 89.

Though Supervisor Paul Roen, who represents Sierraville, was absent from the meeting, present Board members agreed that the same steps should be followed as with the Sierra City study. A public hearing on the county’s east side will be set for a later date.

Dr. Celia Sutton-Pado Receives Appreciation

The Board awarded Dr. Celia Sutton-Pado, Sierra County Public Health Officer until her resignation on December 24th, 2024, with a Resolution of Appreciation. Sutton-Pado served the county for ten years in that position, leading Public Health through several infectious disease threats such as Plague, Hantavirus, Rabies, and COVID-19. She led efforts to distribute COVID-19 vaccines throughout the county via weekly vaccine administration clinics.

Overview of New State Crime Laws

Recent California legislation has toughened its stance on adult crime with support from the public, as demonstrated by the passing of Proposition 36, which increased penalties for drug and theft-related convictions. Several other assembly bills are adding to law enforcement’s bag of tools for dealing with crime, some of which were outlined by Sierra County Probation Chief Chuck Henson.

For juveniles, new bills require increased sealing of records and relax the process of placing children with relatives through the foster care system. Law enforcement is now authorized to refer juveniles to alternative systems such as a peer court, and a “youth bill of rights” has been established, specifying children’s rights to “receive adequate, appropriate, and timely behavioral health services.”

Proposition 36 is now in effect for adults, which allows for or increases prison sentences for specific drug and theft crimes. Another high-profile bill called the “CARE Act” can require adults with mental or behavioral health issues, including drug use, to undergo court-ordered treatment.

Other bills increase the number of days before an inmate must be released after a Board of Parole Hearing, expand the definition of child pornography to include altered images or those generated using artificial intelligence, and harshen punishments for disorderly conduct. Due to time constraints on Tuesday, Henson will present several more legislative changes at the next meeting of the Board of Supervisors in Downieville.