Sierra County supervisors approve bridge inspection contract, roadway safety plan and several wildfire, fire‑service and personnel measures

The Sierra County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved a $409,796.88 professional services agreement with Gannett Fleming for construction inspection and materials testing on the Papago Road bridge replacement over Kanaka Creek, adopted a Local Roadway Safety Plan to make the county eligible for federal Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) funds, approved multiple wildfire and fire‑service letters and agreements, and completed a personnel appointment that sets the county’s new director of personnel and risk manager salary at $140,582 effective June 25, 2025.

The actions bundle routine infrastructure contracting with public‑safety and wildfire‑resilience steps that county staff said will help the county compete for outside funding and address local emergency needs.

Public Works Director Brian Davy told the board the Gannett Fleming contract covers the construction management services required for large technical projects and follows a qualifications‑based procurement process for professional services. "This is the construction management piece that's required when you construct a large technical project like this," Davy said. The board voted to approve the agreement as presented.

Transportation planner Kaylon Hall said the county’s Local Roadway Safety Plan (LRSP) is now required to apply for HSIP grants and focuses projects on safety and crash reduction. "This is overall, it should be focusing on the 4 E's of traffic safety," Hall said, listing engineering, enforcement, education and emergency services as priorities. Hall said crash and roadway data in the plan came from the sheriff’s office and the California Highway Patrol; the board approved the…