Divided supervisors pick a new board chair and vice chair
OROVILLE » If there was any prospect for the Butte County Board of Supervisors to begin a new era governing with more unity and nonpartisanship, it quickly diminished in the opening minutes of Tuesday’s meeting.
The board, made up of supervisors Bill Connelly, Debra Lucero, Tami Ritter, Doug Teeter, and recently sworn-in supervisor Tod Kimmelshue, who replaced Steve Lambert upon his retirement, was tasked with picking a new chair of the board and vice chair at the beginning of the meeting. On a 3-2 vote, Connelly was elected as the new chair and Kimmelshue, despite having the least experience on the board, was picked as vice chair.
Ahead of the meeting, Lucero had suggested adopting a rotational policy for the two positions annually in the interest of fairness and balance, beginning with District 1 and 2 and moving in sequential order — with the exception of newly- elected supervisors. Lucero noted the chair has either represented District 1 or District 4 in a combined 15 of the last 20 years. In a survey of 19 of the 22 counties north of Sacramento, Lucero found each of them already rotate the positions in a similar fashion.
onnelly said he favored the status quo.
“I think to be chair you have to have consensus and support of the board. That’s the way we’ve done it, and I think we should continue doing it the same way,” he said.
Lucero responded, “the fact that this is a nonpartisan office and the fact that the majority of 58 counties (in the state) do a rotational basis, I just don’t understand why Butte County wouldn’t consider the same thing.
“I find it interesting that with new supervisors, Supervisor Connelly, you’re saying you have to have support. How do you know you have support when you have a brand new supervisor who just came in? …” Lucero added, referring to Kimmelshue. “In the democracy we live in and the way this was set up in the counties, it was simply to have representation in each district, which should be rotational in terms of the chair.”
Without any further comments from the supervisors,
Teeter led the motion for Connelly and Kimmelshue as chair and vice chair, respectively. The three voted in favor of the motion, while Lucero and Ritter were against it.
“So much for democracy,” Lucero said after the vote.
County Counsel Bruce Alpert then clarified that the agenda item was to adopt a resolution for a rotational policy, so it would be sensical for the board to vote on that. Ritter made the motion to adopt the resolution, adding, “it would be the most democratic process, it would demonstrate the nonpartisanship of this board, and it would allow districts that have never represented this board to have representation.”
Lucero seconded the motion, but the voting breakdown did not change from the first vote, which confirmed Connelly and Kimmelshue were elected to their respective positions.
The early proceedings seemed to set the tone for a handful of votes on the next item on the agenda, appointing board members to committees, including the vacant assignments Lambert previously held.
There was disagreement among the board on several of the committees, particularly ones concerning water, irrigation and flood control, that require a majority vote for a board member to be appointed to.
The most glaring example was for the Vina Groundwater Sustainability Agency, which Lucero already serves on as an alternate member. Kimmelshue suggested he begin serving as a regular member and Lucero remain as an alternate.
“That’s in my district and I would really like to serve in my district as you are
serving in your district, sir,” Lucero said, to which Kimmelshue responded that the area also encompasses part of District 4.
Teeter motioned for Kimmelshue and Lucero as the regular member and alternate, respectively, which passed on a 3-2 vote, with Ritter and Lucero dissenting.
dditionally, Lucero was nominated to be a regular committee member on the Northern California Water Association and The Butte Local Agency Formation Commission, but Connelly, Kimmelshue and Teeter voted against. Those positions ultimately went to Kimmelshue by the same 3-2 vote.
Kimmelshue also joined Connelly on the Oroville Dam Citizens Advisory Commission, Wyandotte Creek Groundwater Sustainability Agency and Sutter Butte Flood Control Agency, the latter two of which Kimmelshue expressed interest in serving on and succeeding Lambert as the District 4 representative.
Other business
The board voted in favor of item 4.03 on the regular agenda, authorizing the county to participate in the No Place Like Home Program and apply for additional funding as the county’s Department of Behavioral Health is applying for the third round of funds.
The funds the department is applying for, anticipated to total approximately $2.73 million, would go toward a low-income housing project in Oroville to serve individuals with mental health disabilities who are also homeless or at risk of homelessness.
Butte County Behavioral Health Director Scott Kennelly presented the proposal to the board. The apartment complex would be called the Prospect View Apartments on a threeacre site on Nelson Avenue owned by Pacific West Communities. The 40-unit gated complex is slated to include 15 one- bedroom units for tenants eligible under the No Place Like Home program.
Elsewhere, the board voted unanimously to repeal and replace a portion of the Butte County Code with an Accessory Dwelling Unit and Junior Accessory Dwelling Unit ordinance, coming into compliance with state legislation that took effect at the beginning of 2020.
Among other things the ordinance outlines regulations for the location of ADU and JADU, such as densities, impact fees, types and sizes, setbacks, parking, fire sprinklers, drainage, rental term, and deed restrictions. It also eliminates provisions for Temporary Mobile Homes — also referred to as “Aunt Minnies.”
The Butte County Planning Commission first unanimously approved these code updates in October.