Board approves MOU making county lead agency for SMARA project in county jurisdiction
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Summary
Supervisors approved a memorandum of understanding designating Siskiyou County as the lead agency under SMARA for a project primarily in county jurisdiction; the MOU does not create a cost-sharing obligation with the city.
The Siskiyou County Board of Supervisors voted to approve a memorandum of understanding that designates the county as the lead agency under the Surface Mining and Reclamation Act (SMARA) for a project that lies within county jurisdiction.
Hailey Lane, planning director, told the board that SMARA allows only one lead agency to manage a mine and that the MOU formalizes the county’s role because the project falls in county jurisdiction. Lane said the county will keep open communication with the neighboring city but, by "all intents and purposes," this will be a county-managed project and fees collected will be deposited with the county planning department.
A supervisor asked whether costs would be shared with the city. Lane said the MOU itself includes no cost-share provision and that the county intends to handle the project in its entirety; "the project pays for itself," she said.
The board approved the consent-item MOU by roll-call voice vote. No separate cost-sharing agreement with the city was included in the MOU.