A representative of the Rural County Representatives of California (RCRC) updated the Siskiyou County Board of Supervisors on a range of initiatives including strategies to file test claims for state mandates, a planned consultant-led study and RFP on jail medical services, large-scale broadband financing and a revised biomass project environmental review.

Why it matters: The RCRC acts on behalf of rural counties to protect local control, pursue funding, and pursue collaborative service models. The matters discussed could affect county costs, service delivery and long-term infrastructure investment.

The presenter said RCRC recently adopted a strategic plan and will dive deeper into recruitment and retention challenges across county workforces and into predator management working with the Department of Fish and Wildlife. On state mandates, RCRC is helping smaller counties identify and file test claims so that mandated costs can become reimbursable once claims are approved.

On jail medical services, the presenter said many counties rely on a single vendor and that vendor recently went through bankruptcy. RCRC plans to issue an RFP for a consultant to evaluate alternatives, including regional procurement or a joint powers approach, and will explore accreditation through the National Association of Correctional Healthcare Administrators.

Entrepreneurial programs described included the Golden State Finance Authority's Assist-to-Own down-payment assistance program for county employees and the Golden State Connect Authority broadband program. The presenter said Golden State Connect pulled down approximately $19 million for engineering and was awarded $185 million for deployment and intended to blend that award with about $100 million in bond financing to support a $285 million construction program to build a publicly owned open-access fiber network.

On biomass, the presenter said the Golden State Natural Resource entity is revising its draft environmental impact report to focus on domestic markets and will target two receiving sites (one in Lassen County and one in Tuolumne County), with possible end uses including alternative fuels or electricity coupled with carbon capture; the revised draft EIR is expected in early 2026.

RCRC also highlighted a Rural Advancement Institute report prepared with UC Santa Barbara on fire and EMS capacity in rural areas; the study identifies volunteer capacity problems and will be used to educate state legislators. The presenter closed by inviting local questions and collaboration on upcoming initiatives.

Board action: This was an informational presentation; no board action was taken at the meeting.

Ending: Supervisors thanked the presenter and emphasized the value of regional collaboration and RCRC services for rural counties.