Calaveras supervisors approve staffing appointment, air‑pollution rule change, wildfire grant and unbind supervisor pay

The Calaveras County Board of Supervisors on Aug. 12 adopted several routine but consequential items, including a proclamation recognizing longtime county archivist Shannon Van Zandt, appointment of Marcos Muñoz as public guardian and director of social services, an Air Pollution Control District rule amendment to remove certain emergency defenses, authorization to pursue a Cal Fire wildfire‑prevention grant for the Buckeye Gulch project, and an ordinance to formally decouple supervisors’ pay from other elected officials.

Those actions were presented and approved during the board’s public meeting in San Andreas. The board acted on the consent calendar and then took separate votes on the items listed above; most passed unanimously or by voice vote. The board did not take any controversial policy changes or long substantive debates on the items.

The proclamation: The board read and adopted a proclamation recognizing Shannon Van Zandt for 21 years of service as the county archivist. The proclamation language read in open session thanked Van Zandt for “preserving regional heritage” and was followed by public comment from local historians who praised her work.

Appointment of public guardian and director of social services: The board approved a resolution appointing Marcos Muñoz as Calaveras County public guardian and director of social services after County Executive Office action had already placed him as HHSA director. The board vote was recorded as passing “4 0 1.” Muñoz told the board he was “excited” to return to health and human services.

Air Pollution Control District rule amendment: Acting as the Air Pollution Control District board, supervisors opened a public hearing and adopted an amendment rescinding emergency‑provision language the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and courts had found impermissible. District staff said the county currently has no Title V facilities, so the change “impacts nobody” locally and was to align local rules with federal requirements. No public comments were received before the board closed the hearing and adopted the change by voice vote.

Cal Fire grant authorization (Mokelumne Hill Buckeye Gulch): The board authorized the county to serve as fiscal agent and to submit and, if awarded, accept a Cal Fire Wildfire Prevention Grant for a vegetation‑management project in the Buckeye Gulch/Mokelumne Hill area. County staff described the request as fiscal‑agent approval for a roughly $450,000 project and said the county will assist with CEQA and grant administration. The motion passed 4‑0‑1.

Uncoupling supervisor salaries from other elected salaries: The board introduced and waived first reading of an ordinance repealing and replacing Ordinance 2908 to unbind supervisors’ hourly rates from the formula that ties them to other elected department heads. County counsel advised that, without a placeholder ordinance, supervisors would temporarily lack a salary reference after decoupling; the ordinance preserves the current pay rates as a status quo pending a multi‑step review process. The motion to retain status quo pay while decoupling was approved by voice vote.

Votes at a glance (items and outcomes): - Proclamation honoring Shannon Van Zandt (item 1): adopted; public commendations included (no recorded roll‑call vote beyond adoption). - Consent calendar (remaining items after pulls): approved, recorded as “Passes 4 0 0 1.” - Item 15 — Resolution appointing Marcos Muñoz as public guardian/director of social services: passed 4 0 1. - Item 24 — APCD rule amendment to rescind emergency provisions: adopted after a public hearing (no separate roll‑call beyond unanimous voice vote recorded). - Item 27 — Authorization to submit/accept Cal Fire wildfire prevention grant (Buckeye Gulch): approved 4 0 1. - Item 28 — Introduce and waive reading of ordinance to untie supervisor salaries and keep current/hourly rates as interim: motion passed by voice vote.

The board moved on after each vote without extensive debate; several items were framed by staff as compliance or administrative housekeeping (federal rule alignment, grant fiscal‑agent acceptance) rather than discretionary policy changes.

The board also received information presentations (not votes) on PG&E wildfire‑safety programs and an organizational review of the Health & Human Services Agency.

The board adjourned to closed session at the end of the meeting and reported no reportable action on pending litigation.

Ending: The votes clear a path for the county to move forward on the grant application and the HHSA leadership transition while maintaining current supervisor pay until a broader compensation policy is developed.