Board approves MOU with Operating Engineers, authorizes $27M behavioral health grant, corrects East Side Road ordinance; terminates local emergency

The Siskiyou County Board of Supervisors took a series of formal actions during the meeting, including labor, capital funding and local-ordinance votes. The following is a concise listing of motions, votes and outcomes recorded on the transcript.

• Operating Engineers Local 3 MOU (Item 8a). Motion: adopt the three-year memorandum of understanding between the County of Siskiyou and Operating Engineers Local 3 (term 10/26/2025–09/23/2028). Key provisions cited by county administration: compensatory time-off language sunsets during the term; the bargaining unit will move off CalPERS health benefits effective December 2026 and onto the Operating Engineers’ health and welfare fund in plan year 2027; three 3% salary increases (one per year) for a total of 9% across the term. Vote: unanimous in favor; outcome: adopted.

• East Side Road speed-limit urgency ordinance (Item 8c). Motion(s) and corrections: the deputy director of public works asked the board to adopt an urgency ordinance reducing the speed limit on East Side Road from 55 to 45 mph. During the meeting a discrepancy was noted between the mileage terminus in the ordinance text (11.74) and the speed survey (ending at milepost 9.72). The board initially voted on an amended motion that struck 11.74 and used milepost 9.72 and recorded a unanimous aye vote. County administration later clarified the agenda and written motion should use Mile Post 11.74, the board voted to rescind the earlier action and then voted on the original recommended motion on the record; final vote: unanimous in favor. Outcome: urgency ordinance adopted (final record shows milepost 11.74 as on the agenda).

• Behavioral health clinic grant authorization (Item 8b). Motion: authorize staff to apply for $27,000,000 in grant funding to build a new behavioral health clinic adjacent to the existing clinic, with a required 10% local match. Funding sources identified for the match included Behavioral Health Services Act funds and opioid settlement funds. Vote: unanimous in favor; outcome: board authorized the application.

• Termination of local emergency regarding large woody debris/dam removal. Motion: terminate the standing local emergency tied to dam removal/large woody debris after discussion about limited traction of the existing declaration and options for future, targeted declarations. Vote: unanimous in favor; outcome: local emergency terminated. Staff noted they can declare a new emergency with targeted authorities and pursue aid (CDAA/FEMA) if necessary.

• Appointments in lieu of election (Item 8f and others). Motion: reappoint several members to local special districts, including Grenada Sanitary District incumbents (Frank Cena, Kenneth Keyes, William Harrs, Darren Joling) as presented in exhibit A; vote: unanimous in favor; outcome: appointments approved. The clerk indicated remaining appointment windows would remain open through Nov. 18 for other districts that had not finalized candidate submissions.

• Minutes and consent votes. The board approved minutes for several entities (Flood Control & Water Conservation District, Siski Power Authority, In-Home Supportive Services Public Authority, and county minutes) and approved a transfer of funds as part of consent calendars; votes were recorded as approved (unanimous).

Several of the motions required clarifications on the record during the meeting (notably the East Side Road milepost language). All recorded formal votes in the transcript were unanimous in favor at the time they were taken; when an error was identified the board rescinded the earlier vote and re-took the vote using the agenda language.

Recorded actions below include the motions as stated in the meeting transcript and the vote tallies as recorded at the time of each vote.