Plumas supervisors adopt principles to prioritize Dixie Fire settlement funds, plan public workshop

Plumas County supervisors voted May 6 to adopt a resolution establishing principles and priorities for spending the county's Dixie Fire settlement funds and directed staff to schedule a public workshop for affected communities before the FY 2025-26 budget is finalized.

The measure, advanced by Board President Kevin Goss and Supervisor Mimi Hall, narrows the county's priorities to three items: restore county organizational losses and service capacity; invest in public infrastructure and civic facilities in Dixie Fire-impacted communities (listed in the resolution as Greenville, Canyon Dam, Indian Falls and Warner Valley); and support housing recovery and development in those same communities.

Why it matters: County officials said insurance payouts and federal reimbursements will not fully cover the county's losses, and the principles are intended to focus limited county-controlled settlement dollars on rebuilding public services and facilities in the most-affected places rather than fund projects outside the fire footprint.

County staff emphasized the vote does not allocate specific amounts. "We're not talking about how much money is going where. That is for the budget process and for the public workshop," Supervisor Hall told the board. The supervisors directed staff to hold a public workshop in Indian Valley no later than June 6 so feedback can inform the upcoming budget process.

Public comment at the meeting was lengthy and sometimes heated. Residents and community organizers repeatedly asked for greater transparency about prior distributions of disaster-related funding and for meaningful local participation in future spending decisions. One Zoom caller demanded recusal of a supervisor and full disclosure of property ownership tied to proposed town-center concepts; other speakers asked the board to prioritize housing, schools and library services in the fire-impacted towns.

County staff and volunteers with local recovery groups responded that multiple pots of money have flowed to different entities (for example, a separate district-attorney-led distribution that funded nonprofit programs), and that the county's resolution is aimed specifically at county-controlled funds for public infrastructure. The county auditor and grants staff were cited as sources for existing spreadsheets and status reports that the board intends to make available at the planned workshop.

What the resolution requires: It frames eligible uses to restore county services and infrastructure in the named Dixie Fire communities, avoid duplication with other funding sources, prioritize projects that demonstrate readiness and measurable outcomes, and require transparency and accountability for any awards the county makes. The resolution also notes the county will coordinate with other public and nonprofit partners where appropriate.

Next steps: Supervisors approved the resolution by roll call and instructed staff to prepare a publicly noticed workshop for Indian Valley before the budget adoption deadline. The meeting record shows no dollar allocations were made at the May 6 session; project-level proposals and funding requests will be evaluated in subsequent public meetings and through the county's budget process.

Ending note: Several speakers urged the county to include longtime local residents in planning and to publish line-item records for prior disaster-related receipts and expenditures; county officials said they will make financial information available and incorporate public input in the scheduled workshop.