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Board approves $40,000 health-care study contract despite opposition; supervisor Long votes no
Summary
The Shasta County Board of Supervisors voted 4-1 on Feb. 4 to hire consultant Chris Street for a $40,000 study intended to produce a "shovel-ready" plan to address local shortages of medical providers. The vote followed extended public comment and questions about the procurement process and the consultant's prior scrutiny by county officials.
The Shasta County Board of Supervisors approved a $40,000 contract on Feb. 4 to retain consultant Chris Street to develop options for expanding local health-care capacity and producing a shovel-ready plan for the board’s consideration. The motion passed 4-1, with Supervisor Alan Long opposed.
Scope and selection: CEO Dave Rickert told the board he solicited nine prospective consultants and that six declined, citing the budget and short turnaround; two candidates were willing to work within the $40,000 budget. Rickert recommended Chris Street, a county resident with experience in health-care business management and governmental finance. Rickert described Street’s background in restructuring health-care entities, managing finance and operations, and noted his willingness to use existing local data.
Opposition and public comment: Supervisor Long pressed for a formal RFP, questioned whether the consultant’s credentials matched expectations for recruiting primary-care physicians and raised concerns about a prior employment offer to Street that, according to the transcript, had been rescinded. Long said the consultant selection process had been an informal solicitation rather than a competitive RFP, and argued the county should “slow this down” and form an ad hoc committee.
Public commenters delivered lengthy criticism and support. Jeff Gorder said the consultant’s plan—building a medical school and an inpatient facility—would not meet the board’s stated near-term goals of increasing primary-care access and life expectancy. Others, including Steve Kahn and Nick Gardner, urged the board to move ahead and praised Street’s private-sector record. Margaret Hanson and other residents asked for the consultant proposals to be released to the public for review.
Board direction and vote: Supervisor Matt Plummer (who led board coordination on the project) said he would work closely with the consultant if approved; he also asked that the contract materials be released to the public. The board approved the contract and instructed staff and the appointed supervisor to oversee the consultant’s work. The roll-call vote was 4-1; Long was the lone dissent.
Why it matters: County officials said the study is intended to identify feasible, funded options—potentially including residency expansion, facility partnerships or other models—to increase the number of providers and reduce premature mortality. Supporters said a focused consultant could produce executable recommendations quickly; critics said the contract amount was too small to guarantee results and that the process should have used an open RFP.
Action details: The board approved the contract (4-1). CEO Rickert and the board will proceed with contract finalization through risk management and county counsel and return status updates to the board.
