Boards of Supervisors meet Tuesday morning in Shasta and Butte counties. Here’s a review of some of the issues facing local lawmakers:
Shasta County officials will consider a three-year, $7.5 million deal with Prime Healthcare Services and Shasta Regional Medical Center to triage, diagnose and treat those detained following psychiatric outbursts. While county officials don’t expect a cost savings, treatment will be delivered more quickly to psychiatric patients, reducing burdens on local emergency rooms.
Dean True, branch director for Adult Services within the Shasta County Health and Human Services Agency was practically giddy about the opportunities. He said if signed, the deal will vastly improve care. He said currently, mental patients that also have health issues wind up waiting for a slot in a 16-bed facility 150 miles away in Woodland that is frequently full.
Shasta’s board will also likely address a failing well that supplies water to about 62 households and businesses near the community of Lakehead. The board is expected to declare a local emergency, enabling officials to move more expeditiously.
The board will also weigh extending the scope, cost and terms of a contract with an architectural firm tasked with projecting future office space needs of the county.
The Shasta County Board of Supervisors meets at 9 a.m. at 1450 Court Street, Redding.
In Butte County, officials will consider approving boundary modifications for future Groundwater Sustainability Agencies within the county. California’s recent groundwater law, the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA), is supposed to prevent the overdrafting of groundwater by the year 2042. Overdrafting is when more water is pumped up and out, typically by farmers and irrigation districts, than is replenished by annual rains. The process causes the earth to sink, damaging bridges, canals and highways.
Butte County officials will also receive a report on a countywide trail plan. More an inventory of existing trails than a roadmap for new unpaved paths, the project is meant to establish a formal process and a central authority.
The Butte County Board of Supervisors meets at 9 a.m. in the county administrative complex at 25 County Center Drive, Oroville.