DIRECTOR OF PLANNING AND DIRECTOR OF TRANSPORTATION appointments and adopting the annual salary for both positions at $141,299.88 annually/$11,774.99 monthly was discussed during the Sierra County Board of Supervisors’ meeting May 16th in Loyalton. The proposed action will create a savings to the Road Fund and an increase of $69,558.85 annually to the General Fund. Board Chair Sharon Dryden stated they had a lot of discussion on how to structure the County after the retirement of Tim Beals after 50 years. Both Brandon Pangman and Bryan Davey have accepted the positions. During public comment, from the audience, Mickey Wayne gave an impassioned plea to consider other candidates. She didn’t think Pangman was a good person and hadn’t been good to her. She felt they characterized job requirements toward ADA people as favors and felt she had been in a state of servitude for six years. Wayne wanted the resolution to be suspended until a full investigation was done. She urged the board to have every person who held a permit in the last 10 years to make a statement without fear of reprisal.
Sierra County Assessor and volunteer Solid Waste Fee Administrator, Laura Marshall, addressed the topic stating this was not about the pay and was nothing personal on the two positions selected. She wanted to address disrespect by the Board. Marshall explained Cost Of Living Adjustments (COLA) discussions had been held and for many years staff and mid-management increased in pay while department heads remained the same. A compaction issue happened where a mid-manager started making more than a tier 1 elected official. When this was addressed by Marshall at the finance committee, a comment was made to go back to school if you want more money. Marshall explained the aforementioned positions require less qualification requirements than at least one tier 1 elected official whose salary is $128,844.96. She said she was proud to have that salary. She went to school to become the appraiser and assessor for the County and her position requires a certification to be issued by the State Board of Equalization. She is also the president of the Northern California Assessor’s Association. She asked what matrix did the Board do to come up these salaries. With no comment coming from the Board, Marshall resigned her position as the volunteer Solid Waste Fee Administrator effective immediately and walked out of the meeting. Supervisor Lee Adams said a lot of work was put into this, adding when it comes to setting salaries it’s difficult and we all “bring different tools to the table”. The parodies of Sierra County employees and department managers have had much discussion for decades. He felt this was a good lesson for them to “bite the bullet” and take out money to do a parody survey. Adams stated right or wrong they are the keepers of the county budget and try to do what is right, adding he stood by where they put these positions. He said the transportation director has 24-7 responsibility for a huge crew and the planning department is an area fraught with liability. Adams concluded by stating they didn’t land at these numbers to make anybody feel disrespected. Supervisor Paul Roen said this was hard discussed and they committed to try and rectify improprieties going forward, adding they fully intended to move forward with the rest of the county positions. Dryden remarked many changes happen with one retirement. The Board approved the resolution as presented. It was suggested to put the solid waste fee administrator position on the next agenda to discuss.
A PRESENTATION by Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship (SBTS) on their request for the County to provide snow removal services on Packer Saddle Road prior to the upcoming Downieville Classic bike race to be held July 13 – 16 was given to the Sierra County Board of Supervisors at its regular meeting May 16th in Loyalton. SBTS Executive Director Greg Williams stated it was a big snow year and Downieville and Sierra City are dependent on people getting up to Packer Saddle. He said they bumped the Downieville Classic up to July, trying to get out of the fire season. The last year they had the bike race in July 2011, they had to plow snow. He wanted this to be on the Supervisor’s radar, adding Downieville and Sierra City make more money once that road is open.
He stated they would bring in volunteers to help get that road open. Deputy Transportation Director Bryan Davey reported that snow had been removed on Gold Lake Road up to Windy Point and snow was still 5-6 feet beyond that. Davey anticipated starting on Packer Lake Road in the next couple weeks to get access to bridge project. He said with the historic snow proportions, it would be mid-June before they could get into Packer Lake. Davey explained that removing snow greater than three feet is extremely expensive. Two bridge road projects caused them to try and get in early. Supervisor Lee Adams was frustrated with working on a National Forest road and wanted the Forest Service to weigh in on this. Adams was concerned if there was any damage to the road, they didn’t want the Sierra County taxpayer to front this. Williams stated he just wanted this to be a heads up, adding SBTS paid every dime back to the county in 2011, which he thought was around $10,000. By consensus it was decided to hold this item over to the next meeting on June 6th in Downieville and Adams would contact the Deputy Distict Ranger for the Yuba Ranger District.
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