A reluctance to fully endorse the proposed Sites Reservoir proved the only real point of contention during an otherwise routine and cordial meeting of the Butte County Board of Supervisors Tuesday morning.
Supervisor Larry Wahl implored colleagues to send an official letter endorsing the project to the state water commission. Wahl said the letter could help pressure the commission into approving money for the new reservoir. But support wasn’t universal, at least not yet.
The commission is empowered to allocate money raised by a recent statewide bond issue for water related infrastructure.
Supervisor Bill Connelly said he wouldn’t sign on at this point. Connelly cited a litany of broken promises made regarding recreational and other regional benefits Lake Oroville was supposed to provide. Connelly said they never materialized.
Supervisor Maureen Kirk also demurred. She said Sites hasn’t been proven economically viable and lacks commitments from private investors, noting the state can’t afford it alone. Kirk also hinted at environmental concerns raised by some critics about possible Selenium concentrations. A naturally occurring compound, it can become toxic to wildlife at concentrated levels.
In other action, the board formally accepted a $330,000 bequest to the county library system from the estate of Martha Dunbar, a long-time library patron.
The board also joined counterparts in Sacramento County in recognizing Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. as a “sustainable business of the year.”