Supervisors Honor Retiring Probation Chief, Review Population Gains, and More

QUINCY — Meeting on July 21, the Plumas County Board of Supervisors adopted a resolution recognizing retiring Chief Probation Officer Keevin Allred for years of dedicated service to the county and its residents. Allred has served the county since 2001; he joined the Probation Department in 2009 as Deputy Probation Officer, rising to Chief in 2021. The resolution notes that Allred’s leadership brought important transitions to the department; he “championed professional development...and promoted best practices that enhanced the Department’s ability to serve clients, protect public safety, and support successful rehabilitation,” it says.

The Board also heard a presentation on population, housing and economic development from County Disaster Recovery Coordinator Keli Ward. The presentation was based on a report developed by a consulting firm with funds from a federal Community Development Block Grant to inform planning for long-term recovery from the 2021 Dixie and Beckwourth Complex wildfires. The presentation covered the report’s findings on existing conditions in the county and results of community engagement activities.

Board Chair Mimi Hall and Supervisor Tom McGowan said that a notable finding of the report is that the county’s trend toward declining population appears to have been reversed in recent years. According to data from the American Community Survey, the total county population stood at 19,603 as of 2023--nearly identical to the 2013 population, but 5% greater than the population in 2018. The trend was not uniform across the county, however. While most parts of the county experienced modest population growth over the 10-year period, the Indian Valley and Almanor areas, which were most heavily affected by the 2021 fires, suffered significant losses. In line with that trend, median household income also increased over the period, from $45,794 in 2013 to $64,946 in 2023. The share of county households earning more than $100,000 a year increased to 31%, while the share earning less than $25,000 declined to 16%.

The full report will be posted July 31 on the county’s wildfire recovery web page, and county staff will present recommendations on development and housing strategies in August.

Another informational report from county planning staff and the Lake Almanor Area Chamber of Commerce Director outlined visions for future development of the Chester Town Center.

In other action, the Supervisors, convened as the County Board of Equalization, adopted a plan to hear 20 outstanding property tax appeals beginning September 1 and continuing the 2nd and 3rd of the month, as needed.

During the public comment portion of the meeting, Ken Donnell, representing the Greenville Chamber of Commerce, requested the Board’s help combating overgrown weeds on vacant Greenville lots. Quincy resident Deb Hopkins complained about noise and visual impact from logging operations on the east side of Quincy: “It’s horrible, people are really upset,” she said, and asked the board, “Can you stick up for us?” Planning Director Tracy Ferguson confirmed that the operation is being carried out by Sierra Pacific Industries under a valid timber harvest plan. The public can email the company for information at sierra@spi-ind.com, she added.