AND SEE THE BANNERS [CALL TO ORDER] [00:00:06] IT IS TUESDAY, JUNE 30TH. THE TIME IS 8:30 A.M. WE HAVE FOUR MEMBERS PRESENT WITH MEMBER AUDETTE ABSENT ALONG WITH CEO DAVE RICKERT. IN HIS STEAD IS DEPUTY CEO STEWART BUETTELL, AND WE ALSO HAVE COUNCIL LARMER AND FROM THE CLERK OF THE BOARD STAFF IN THE FOYER WE HAVE IS LISA, WHO'S OUT THERE RIGHT NOW. ANYBODY? KRISTEN IS OUT THERE RIGHT NOW. KRISTEN GULLING-SMITH IT'S GULLING NOT GOOLING. CORRECT. WE ENCOURAGE THOSE WISHING TO PARTICIPATE IN PUBLIC COMMENT FOR SPEAKER REQUEST CARDS, SUBMIT TO THE CLERK OF THE FOYER. SPEAKER REQUESTS CARDS MUST BE SUBMITTED TO THE CLERK BEFORE PUBLIC COMMENT BEGINS. WITH THAT. MS. BLANKENSHIP, DO WE HAVE ANY ITEMS PULLED FROM CONSENT OR ANY REQUESTS TO SPEAK FOR PUBLIC COMMENT OPEN TIME? YES, CHAIR, WE HAVE ONE REQUEST TO PULL ITEM C1. THAT IS FROM MEMBER LONG AND IN REGARDS TO A REQUEST TO SPEAK FOR PUBLIC COMMENT OPEN TIME, WE DON'T HAVE ANY. OKAY, WELL I GUESS WE'LL MOVE STRAIGHT TO C1. [C1 Take the following actions: (1) Adopt a resolution which repeals APCB Resolution No. 2014-03 and revises the policies for the operation and conduct of business for the Air Pollution Control Board; and (2) adopt a resolution which designates authority to the Shasta County Executive Officer to execute agreements, contracts, amendments, and related instruments on behalf of the Air Pollution Control Board, subject to the same terms, conditions, and monetary limits as apply to agreements executed on behalf of the County of Shasta under existing Board delegations.] SIR WE DO HAVE YOU UNDER C1 BUT IT'S PULLED FOR. SO WE'LL TAKE PUBLIC COMMENT ON THAT SEPARATELY. OKAY OKAY. PULL THE MIC. THE MIC DOWN. PULL THE MIC DOWN. THERE YOU GO. [LAUGHTER]. I'D HAVE TO STAND UP FOR THAT ONE. OKAY. THANK YOU, BRYCE, FOR BEING HERE TODAY AND BEING WILLING TO DISCUSS THIS ISSUE. SO THIS ISSUE C1. REFERENCES AUTHORITY TO SIGN CONTRACTS RESTING WITH THE CEO AND NOT THE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT DIRECTOR. AND SO I JUST WANTED TO HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT THAT AND WHERE WE TAKE THAT GOING FORWARD. AND THERE ARE A LOT OF ITEMS CONTAINED IN HERE. ONE OF WHICH IS THIS ISSUE WITH THE AUTHORITY LINES FOR AN INDEPENDENT AIR POLLUTION CONTROL AGENCY ENTITY AND THE AUTONOMY THAT IT SHOULD HAVE. YEAH. SO GOOD MORNING. BOARD, BRYCE RITCHIE SENIOR ADMINISTRATIVE ANALYST, COUNTY ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE. THE IMPETUS FOR THIS WAS REALLY TO JUST BRING IT IN LINE SOME OF OUR OTHER PRACTICES, WE ALREADY DESIGNATED AUTHORITY TO THE CEO TO SIGN AGREEMENTS THAT HE WOULD FOR THE BOARD, FOR THE WATER AGENCY, FOR THE IHSS BOARD AND FOR THE HOUSING AUTHORITY BOARD. IT WAS ACTUALLY IN 6101 FOR THE AIR POLLUTION CONTROL BOARD, BUT WANTING TO RECOGNIZE IT AND HAVE THIS BOARD APPROVE IT. THAT'S THE DIRECTION WE WENT. IN TALKING WITH THE AIR POLLUTION CONTROL OFFICER SEAN EWING QUESTIONS CAME UP ABOUT NEEDING TO MAYBE REVIEW THE MOU AS WELL TO BETTER CLEARLY DEFINE SOME ROLES. AND SO IF THERE ARE CONCERNS OVER THAT DELEGATION OF AUTHORITY, ALL I WOULD ASK IS THAT WE APPROVE THE POLICY CHANGES TODAY, BUT DEFER THE POLICY OR DEFER THE RESOLUTION ON DELEGATING AUTHORITY TO ANOTHER DAY TO GIVE MYSELF AND COUNCIL TIME TO REVIEW THAT. NO, I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S A WISE MOVE. AND I THINK SOME OF THE OTHER AGENCIES REFERENCED IHSS AND WATER. THEY ARE A LITTLE BIT MORE DEPENDENT ON THE COUNTY FOR THEIR OPERATION, WHERE THE AIR POLLUTION TENDS TO BE A STANDALONE ENTITY, VERY INDEPENDENT. SO I THINK IT'S WISE TO REVIEW THE MOU TO SEE IF THAT COULD HELP CLARIFY IT SO. WHAT WOULD WE DO WITH THIS? COUNCIL WOULD, WOULD I MAKE A MOTION THEN TO SEPARATE OUT THE MOU AND WE COULD APPROVE THE REST OF CONSENT AND? OKAY, SO I WILL MAKE A MOTION THAT WE APPROVE THE REMAINDER OF C1 AND WE SEPARATE OUT THE ISSUE OF AUTHORITY FOR CONTRACTS TO A LATER DATE WHERE WE CAN HAVE A SUFFICIENT REVIEW OF THE MOU GOVERNING THAT. I'LL SECOND FOR DISCUSSION. ARE YOU GOOD SUPERVISOR OR MEMBER LONG? YES, I WAS GOING TO CALL BRYCE. SEAN COULD I HAVE YOU COME FORWARD? I JUST ASKED A QUESTION BEFORE WE MOVE ON I GOT IT, I GOT IT. YEAH GO FOR IT. THE BOTTOM. THE BOTTOM ONE FOR THE MIC. OH. THERE YOU GO. [00:05:06] BOARD WHEN WE HAVE THE CEO DOING ALL THE SIGNING? NO, IT JUST GRANTS HIM, I WOULD SAY, ADDITIONAL AUTHORITY. SO AGREEMENTS UNDER A CERTAIN LIMIT WOULDN'T HAVE TO COME TO THE BOARD. THE AUTHORITIES WOULD STILL APPLY WITH THIS BOARD FOR BUDGET AND EVERYTHING ELSE. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. SEAN THANK YOU FOR WEIGHING IN ON THIS. I THINK IT'S AN IMPORTANT DISCUSSION. AND YOU HEAR WHERE THE BOARD MAY BE GOING. SECONDED MOTION FOR DISCUSSION PURPOSES ONLY. AND I'M NOT SURE WHAT THE FINAL VOTE OF THE BOARD WOULD BE. BUT ARE YOU IN CONCURRENCE WITH THE THOUGHT PROCESS THAT WE BRING THIS BACK AT A FUTURE TIME AFTER THE MOU HAS BEEN RESEARCHED TO FIGURE OUT IF THIS AIR POLLUTION BOARD OR CONTROL. OR CONTROL AGENCY IS ACTUALLY DIFFERENT THAN SOME OF THE OTHER AGENCIES, AND MAYBE A LITTLE MORE INDEPENDENT AUTONOMOUS? YEAH. MY GENERAL. I'M SORRY. SEAN EWING AIR POLLUTION CONTROL OFFICER. GOOD MORNING. MY GENERAL THOUGHT IS JUST THE FACT THAT THE AIR DISTRICT IS A STANDALONE DISTRICT, AND IT HAS AN MOU WITH THE COUNTY. AND MY SUGGESTION RECOMMENDATION WOULD JUST BE TO REVIEW THAT MOU, POTENTIALLY CLEAN IT UP TO MEMORIALIZE THAT RELATIONSHIP WITH THE COUNTY. AND I THINK SOME SORT OF SIGNING AUTHORITY, I THINK IS APPROPRIATE. I THINK THAT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL TO NOT HAVE TO BRING EVERYTHING TO THE BOARD EVERY TIME, WHETHER THAT'S WITH THE AIR POLLUTION CONTROL OFFICER OR WITH THE COUNTY CEO. I THINK EITHER ONE IS REASONABLE. I WOULD JUST RECOMMEND UPDATING THE MOU TO CLARIFY THAT RELATIONSHIP. OKAY. AND WOULD YOU BE PART OF THIS REVIEW PROCESS THEN FOR THE MOU FOR THE AIR POLLUTION? I WOULD HOPE SO. I WOULD HOPE THAT WE WOULD BE WORKING WITH THE CEOS. I THINK THAT WOULD BE WISE TO HAVE CEOS OFFICE WORKING WITH YOU BECAUSE YOU ARE THE DESIGNATED CONTRACT SIGNER UNDER THE MOU IS MY UNDERSTANDING? THE WAY THAT IT'S CURRENTLY ESTABLISHED IS THE AIR POLLUTION CONTROL OFFICER FOR THE AIR POLLUTION CONTROL BOARD IS THE EXECUTIVE OFFICER UNDER RESOLUTION. AND THEN AS FAR AS MOU WITH THE COUNTY, THE COUNTY PROVIDES VARIOUS SUPPORT FUNCTIONS TO THE DISTRICT. CORRECT LIKE COUNCIL AND THINGS, SOME OF THOSE FUNCTIONS. OKAY. THANK YOU, SEAN. MEMBER MUNNS. HAS THERE BEEN. HAS THERE BEEN ANY CHALLENGES WITH YOU SIGNING THINGS BEFORE? THE WHY WE'RE BRINGING IT. GENERALLY, I THINK WHERE THIS CAME UP IS WE WERE LOOKING TO ENTER INTO AN AGREEMENT FOR A PUBLIC NOTICES OR I BELIEVE. AND THAT'S WHAT KIND OF RAISED THE QUESTION, AT LEAST IN OUR EYES, AS DISTRICT STAFF IS THE FACT THAT, YOU KNOW, THE COUNTY ADMIN POLICY THAT AUTHORIZES THOSE AGREEMENTS UNDER THE CEO'S AUTHORITY HAVEN'T SPECIFICALLY BEEN ADOPTED BY THE AIR POLLUTION CONTROL BOARD. AND SO IT KIND OF CREATED A CHALLENGE FOR US. AND SO WE EXPEDITED TO BRING IT TO THE AIR POLLUTION CONTROL BOARD. SO I THINK IT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL TO HAVE SOMETHING IN PLACE. IF THAT ANSWERS YOUR QUESTION. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. WE HAVE ONE PUBLIC COMMENTER, MS. BLANKENSHIP. WE DO. FIRST UP IS CHAD PETERSON. AND ACTUALLY THAT'S OUR ONLY SPEAKER CHAIR. WELCOME. THANK YOU, CHAD PETERSON. I AM AN EMPLOYEE. GOOD MORNING CHAIR. GOOD MORNING BOARD. I AM AN EMPLOYEE WITH THE SHASTA COUNTY AIR QUALITY MANAGEMENT DISTRICT. I'M HERE MY OWN TIME AND THESE ARE MY COMMENTS. I'M NOT REPRESENTING THE DISTRICT. GIVEN WHAT'S JUST OCCURRED AND WE'VE TABLED THE ACTION. I THINK. THERE'S A MOTION TO TABLE IT. GOT IT. OKAY. THEN I'LL JUST. I'LL MOVE FORWARD. I'M SPEAKING TODAY REGARDING AGENDA ITEM C1, WHICH DESIGNATES AUTHORITY TO THE SHASTA COUNTY EXECUTIVE OFFICER TO EXECUTE AGREEMENTS, CONTRACTS, AMENDMENTS AND RELATED INSTRUMENTS ON BEHALF OF THE AIR POLLUTION CONTROL BOARD. THE STAFF. THE STAFF REPORT DESCRIBES THESE CHANGES AS ADMINISTRATIVE EFFICIENCIES INTENDED TO ALIGN BOARD OPERATIONS MORE CLOSELY WITH THE COUNTY AGENCIES. HOWEVER, THE SHASTA COUNTY AIR QUALITY MANAGEMENT DISTRICT IS NOT A COUNTY DEPARTMENT OR AGENCY. IT IS A STATUTORILY CREATED AIR QUALITY MANAGEMENT DISTRICT OPERATING UNDER ITS OWN LEGAL FRAMEWORK IN CALIFORNIA LAW, AND IS AN INDEPENDENT DISTRICT THAT OPERATES UNDER AN MOU WITH THE COUNTY OF SHASTA FOR STAFFING AND ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES. BECAUSE OF THAT STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE DECISIONS AFFECTING THE DISTRICT CANNOT BE EVALUATED SOLELY THROUGH THE LENS OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATIVE EFFICIENCIES. THEY MUST ALSO BE EVALUATED IN TERMS OF HOW THEY AFFECT THE INDEPENDENCE AND STATUTORY AUTHORITY OF THE DISTRICT. THE REPORT DOES NOT ADDRESS THAT DISTINCTION. IT DOES NOT EXPLAIN HOW THESE PROPOSED CHANGES AFFECT THE LEGAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE BOARD AND THE AIR POLLUTION CONTROL OFFICER. [00:10:01] NOR DOES IT ANALYZE WHY TREATING THE DISTRICT AS OPERATIONALLY COMPARABLE TO COUNTY DEPARTMENTS IS APPROPRIATE, GIVEN ITS INDEPENDENT LEGAL STATUS AS AN AIR QUALITY MANAGEMENT DISTRICT. THE BOARD IS BEING ASKED TO TRANSFER AUTHORITY FROM THE ESTABLISHED INDEPENDENT STRUCTURE OF THE SHASTA COUNTY AIR QUALITY MANAGEMENT DISTRICT TO THE COUNTY OF SHASTA. CHANGE OF THIS MAGNITUDE DESERVE CAREFUL AND DELIBERATE CONSIDERATIONS, NOT SIMPLY BECAUSE THEY IMPROVE ADMINISTRATIVE EFFICIENCIES, BUT BECAUSE THEY MAY AFFECT THE INDEPENDENCE AND STATUTORY STRUCTURE OF THE SHASTA COUNTY AIR QUALITY MANAGEMENT DISTRICT. FOR THOSE REASONS, I RESPECTFULLY ASK THIS BOARD TO CONSIDER WHETHER THIS PROPOSAL SHOULD BE REVIEWED MORE THOROUGHLY WITH INPUT FROM THE APCO BEFORE ANY ACTION IS TAKEN. THANK YOU. CHAIR. CHAIR, COULD I? GO AHEAD. NO, I WAS STILL UP THERE OKAY. SUPERVISOR. MEMBER, COMMITTEE. [LAUGHTER] IT'S ALL SOMETHING. YOU TRY TO FIGURE THAT OUT. TENS OF PEOPLE ON CHANNEL 9 ARE GOING TO BE CONFUSED. I'M GOING TO AMEND MY MOTION SO IT HAS A LITTLE MORE CLARITY. SO I WILL MOVE THAT. WE APPROVE NUMBER 1 IN C1. AND WE DEFER NUMBER 2 TILL A LATER DATE. OKAY. SO I'LL AMEND MY SECOND AND MOVE TO DISCUSSION. OKAY. QUICK QUESTION. SO STEWART. SORRY TO INTERRUPT YOU. HEY, IF YOU GOT A SECOND. SO LIKE, WAS THIS SOMETHING THE CEOS OR CEOS OFFICE MOVED TOWARDS OR? SO I BELIEVE I. GOOD MORNING BOARD STEWART BUETTELL, DEPUTY CEO SITTING IN FOR DAVE RICKERT WHO'S OUT AT A CONFERENCE THIS WEEK. I BELIEVE AND BRYCE, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, I BELIEVE THIS STARTED AS DIRECTOR EWING MENTIONED. THERE'S A DISCREPANCY AS IT RELATES TO COUNTY POLICY APPLYING TO THE APCB OR TO THE AIR POLLUTION OR THE AIR QUALITY CONTROL DISTRICT. AND SO WE'RE TRYING TO ALIGN CONSISTENTLY WITH HOW THE BOARD HAS DELEGATED THAT SIGNING AUTHORITY. SO I THINK I BELIEVE THAT'S ALL IT IS. I DON'T THINK I DON'T THINK IT'S ANY MORE COMPLICATED THAN THAT. AND WE'RE MORE THAN HAPPY TO TAKE A LOOK AT IT. AND OF COURSE, THE ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE WILL WORK WITH DIRECTOR EWING IN RESOLVING THIS CONCERN. SO WHEN TIMEFRAME WISE, STEPHANIE, WHEN'S OUR NEXT? WHEN'S OUR NEXT AIR POLLUTION MEETING? I CAN CHECK. YOU DON'T HAVE IT MEMORIZED? I DON'T. IT'LL ALL BE IN MY REPORT. I MEAN, SO MR. EWING, IS THERE IS THERE A TIME FRAME ON THIS? LIKE, IT HAS TO COME BACK BY. NOT REALLY. IT'S JUST PRETTY OPEN ENDED. I DON'T BELIEVE THAT THERE'S A SPECIFIC TIME FRAME. OBVIOUSLY WE'LL MAKE IT A PRIORITY, BUT I WOULD RESPECTFULLY ASK TO NOT BE SET TO A SPECIFIC TIME FRAME. I WOULD. I WOULD EXPECT BEFORE THE YEAR END THAT WE WOULD HIT ONE OF THE FEW. OKAY. SO LIKE IN THE FALL, LIKE AUGUST. SEPTEMBER. YEAH. KIND OF THING. OKAY. YEAH. I DON'T. DOES ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANY? I'LL SECOND WELL THEN. YEAH, I MEAN, I DON'T I DON'T NECESSARILY SEE ANY DRAWBACKS WITHOUT HAVING DAVE HERE AND THEN MEMBER LONG JUST OUT OF CURIOSITY, LIKE IS THIS SOMETHING THAT LIKE, HOW DID THIS BECOME SOMETHING THAT YOU PULLED AND WERE INTERESTED IN? DID SOMEONE LIKE, DID SOMEONE CONTACT YOU OR? I JUST WANT TO UNDERSTAND THE. I MEAN, WELL, I DON'T KNOW THAT I'VE EVER SEEN ANYTHING PULLED OFF, WHICH I DON'T. I THINK IT'S GOOD. I'M JUST I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHERE IT STARTED. WELL, STARTED I'VE TALKED WITH A NUMBER OF PEOPLE THE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT DIRECTOR SEAN. I'VE TALKED WITH BRYCE. I'VE TALKED WITH STEWART. SO I'VE TALKED, I TALKED TO A LOT OF PEOPLE TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THIS IS AND WHAT IT WASN'T. AND I THINK THAT THE AIR POLLUTION AGENCY HAS A DIFFERENT UNIQUE INDEPENDENCE THAT SOME OF THE OTHER AGENCIES THAT BLEND INTO THE COUNTY DO NOT. AND SO I'VE TALKED TO A NUMBER OF PEOPLE AT THIS POINT TO GET ME TO THIS CONCLUSION. OKAY. YEAH, I JUST. I JUST WAS CURIOUS. ALL RIGHT. SO WE HAVE A MOTION BY SUPERVISOR. OR MEMBER LONG SECONDED BY MYSELF. ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? SO JUST TO RESTATE THE MOTION, IT'S GOING TO BE APPROVE NUMBER 1 IN C1 AND NUMBER 2. COUNCIL HARMON IS THAT 2? THAT NEED TO BE 2 MOTIONS OR CAN IT JUST BE 1? OKAY, PERFECT. SO WE'LL TAKE THAT. YEAH. YEAH. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AYE. 4-0. ALL RIGHT, MOVING ON TO THE REGULAR CALENDAR, MS. [R1 Adopt the recommended Fiscal Year 2026-27 Shasta County Air Quality Management District Budget.] BLANKENSHIP, HAS ANYBODY SIGNED UP TO SPEAK FOR R1? NO, CHAIR. OKAY, MR. EWING, WELCOME BACK. MISS YOU. [00:15:03] ALL RIGHT. GOOD MORNING, BOARD SEAN EWING, AIR POLLUTION CONTROL OFFICER. WE'RE HERE WITH THIS ITEM TO RECOMMEND THE ADOPTION OF THE AIR QUALITY MANAGEMENT DISTRICT. DISTRICT RECOMMENDED BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 26-27 AS IT WAS PRESENTED ON JUNE 8TH, 2026, TO THE PUBLIC WHERE NO CHANGES WERE MADE. CERTAINLY CAN ASK. ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS IF THERE ARE ANY. I MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE. I SECOND WE HAVE A SECOND BY MEMBER MUNNS. ANY DISCUSSION? SEEING NONE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AYE. 4-0 BUDGET PASSES. ALL RIGHT, MS. BLANKENSHIP, IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE THAT WE DID NOT COVER? NO, CHAIR. ALL RIGHT. WITH THAT, WE ARE ADJOURNED. * This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.