Hiring, contracts and more top supervisors’ consent agenda
Appointments, fees and events were just some of the items approved under the Plumas County Board of Supervisors’ consent agenda for Tuesday, Jan. 7.
A request to purchase a new paint striper truck for nearly $480,000 was removed from the consent agenda.
A second request that was left on the consent agenda from the Department of Public Works involved the purchase of fuel and furnace oil delivered from Hunt and Sons not to exceed $600,000.
Bids were received in late October, according to public works Director Bob Perreault. Staff determined the amount needed for the calendar year of 2020.
The contract has the successful bidder delivering fuel and furnace oil to maintenance yards in Beckwourth, Greenville, Chester, Quincy, Graeagle and La Porte. The type of fuel includes clear diesel fuel, gasoline and high sulphur burner fuel.
Prices are based on the price at delivery based on what the seller establishes from time to time based on market value. Costs also include taxes, assessments, fees, duties, tariffs and other charges depending on the fuel.
In a third request, Perreault requested permission to purchase propane fuel not to exceed $17,000 for the calendar year.
The amount was included in the annual budget. Bids were received in late October. The successful bid also went to Hunt and Sons.
Delivery is to tanks in Chester and Graeagle. Those two maintenance yards have 500-gallon tanks. In Quincy the tank size is 1,000 gallons.
Health grant approved
Plumas County Public Health Agency Director Andrew Woodruff asked supervisors to accept a resolution for $255,000 awarded to the Northern Sierra Opioid Safety Coalition. The funding is to run from Jan. 1, 2020, through Aug. 31, 2022, and is awarded by the California Department of Public Health, Injury and Violence Prevention Branch.
According to Woodruff, the state awarded the funding to the public health agency for its efforts in educating and preventing opioid-related issues.
“In 2015, Plumas County had the highest rate of prescription related opiate overdose deaths in the state,” Woodruff reminded supervisors. “Lassen County ranked number three.”
A close analysis of death certificates at that time revealed that the death rate due to opioid-related issues was steadily increasing over the last 10 years. “As the board may recall, the California HealthCare Foundation, an agency that informs policymakers and invests in innovations to create a more responsive, patient-centered health care system, offered one-time funding to support the creation of an Opiate Safety Coalition,” Woodruff said.
Since that time the coalition has been supported by the California Department of Public Health, he said.
Plumas County Public Health Agency isn’t in the fight against opioid abuse alone. The department is supported by hospitals, behavioral health, and law enforcement partners from Sierra, Modoc and Lassen counties. It’s these counties that have joined forces with Plumas to create the coalition.
“The coalition identifies activities within defined priority areas to reduce the number of preventable deaths from opiate overdose and misuse,” Woodruff said.
The nine areas of focus include: translating data into action, expanding medication assisted treatment access, developing and adopting local opioid policies and procedures, promoting public education and awareness, increasing access to care and services for high-risk populations, promoting harm reduction services, increasing access to naloxone (also known as Narcan, that is used to counter opioid overdose), promoting safe prescribing, and implementing drug prevention activities.
“Plumas is the lead agency in this continuing effort,” Woodruff said following the meeting, and with Plumas County’s activities with neighboring rural counties.
“Plumas convenes, guides and provides technical assistance to our partner counties, but does not issue subcontracts with the funding,” he explained about the grant. “This first year of this particular contract, we will initiate a subcontract with an outside evaluator to assess our success in reducing the harms associated with opioid use throughout the region.”
Local Planning Council
As required by law, members of the Board of Supervisors appointed six members to the Local Planning Council known as the Plumas Early Education and Child Care Council. The County Superintendent of Schools appoints additional members.
At the council’s recommendation, supervisors appointed the following members: Debbie Guy of Plumas Rural Services Child Care Resource and Referral, Lucie Kreth of Portola Kids, Inc., Ellen Vieira of First 5 Plumas, Merle Rusky of the Feather River College Early Childhood Education Program, Elisabeth Welch of PRS First 5 IMPACT, and Dorrie Philbeck of Plumas County Public Health’s Family First.
“In the past, the council would wait until January to have each joint authority approve membership,” according to Rachael Brother, council coordinator. “This process is problematic when membership applications have been submitted to the council during the course of the year.”
In the past, the council has voted on the membership and then the new member was added to the roster and included in the quorum. The problem here was that those members hadn’t been officially appoint by one of the joint authorities — either supervisors or the school.
“To alleviate this issue, as members apply throughout the year, the council will be submitting any applicable membership appointments to the County Board of Supervisors for appointment and will not consider the member appointed until the CBS takes action on the appointment,” Brothers explained.
Those also on the council and appointed by CSS are Jennine King, Maria Altamirano, Inge Stock, Kathy Whitaker, Kevin Bean, Erica Bryant and Shelley Miller.
Appointments are from Jan. 1, 2020, to Dec. 31, 2021.
The purpose of the council is to ensure the availability of safe, affordable and high quality childcare, early education and development throughout Plumas County.
According to the council’s web site, it serves as a forum for parents, childcare providers, agencies, educators, employers and the community. This is a state mandated program.
Non-contracted payment
Plumas County Behavioral Health Services Director Tony Hobson requested approval to pay Traditions Behavioral Health for psychiatry fees amounting to $1,550.
The charge was for a medical inpatient mental health stay at a facility Plumas does not contract with. No general fund money was involved in the request.
Position announced
Supervisors also approved the hiring of a behavioral health case management specialist. This position was budgeted for the current fiscal year.
The full-time position became available due to a resignation.
Hamilton Branch election
Supervisors approved a resolution for a mailed ballot election for the Hamilton Branch Fire Protection District. The election is set for May 5.
A two-thirds voter approval is required within the district to levy a special tax of $283 per year per parcel for an indeterminate time and with no predetermined expiration date.
This tax, if approved, would replace the existing special tax of $108 per year per parcel. That fee was approved by voters in 2007.
The special tax proceeds would be used for supplementing emergency medical services and fire protection and prevention.
It would also raise the district’s appropriations limit or spending limit by the amount of the annual proceeds from the special tax, according to the resolution.
Dental contract
New Sheriff Todd Johns requested approval of a contract with Dale Harris, DDS, for jail inmates. The existing contract would increase from $40,000 to $60,000.
This covers check-ups, dental exams, extractions and/or dentures. “Over the course of the past few years, the costs for dental treatment has increased as have the number of inmates requiring dental care,” Johns explained.
