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Sierra County highlights storm damage, staffing gaps and welcomes incoming public works director
Summary
County staff briefed the board on recent storm damage and PG&E restoration, road closures and green-waste limits, staffing shortfalls in fiscal and public works functions, and announced an MOU with Plumas County for temporary fiscal support; the board also welcomed incoming public works director Josh Handel.
County staff used the March 9 meeting to brief the board on storm response, infrastructure impacts and staffing challenges.
A county manager reported extensive PG&E restoration efforts after recent storms, three red-tagged unoccupied structures, and continued closure of Gold Lake Road; staff noted melting snow and shifting trailhead access. The report thanked road crews for extended work during outages and said equipment and staffing strains persist.
Staff described ongoing staffing shortages in public works and the fiscal office after recent departures. The county said it has drafted an MOU with Plumas County to provide temporary fiscal support while recruitment continues and that a candidate for an interdepartmental fiscal officer may be in place soon.
The board also heard several community-engagement announcements: a March 17 community meeting at Loyalton City Hall to present preliminary FEMA floodplain maps affecting Loyalton and Sierra Valley, and a forthcoming community meeting in Sierra City on a water-system consolidation feasibility study.
Judy Belke, personnel director and risk manager, told the board she is exploring forming a joint health-insurance pool with other Trindell member counties to secure lower rates for employee-plus-spouse and family coverage and said staff will pursue further meetings with Prism and other benefit partners.
The board welcomed Josh Handel, who introduced himself as the incoming public works and transportation director and said he will start March 30. "My family and I are thrilled to join this community and contribute good things to it," Handel said.
No formal actions were taken on these informational items, though supervisors acknowledged the need to continue recruiting and finalize temporary intergovernmental support for fiscal functions.
