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WEEKEND AUGUST 20-21, 2011 Breaking news at: www.redbluffdailynews.com Spice up fall wardrobes See Inside USA Weekend RED BLUFF 49ers camp Sports 1B Weather forecast 10B Sunny 95/62 By TANG LOR DN Staff Writer How will Tehama County deal with the influx of prisoners that will now fall under the responsibility of local authori- ties? Law enforcement, county officials and representatives from the legal system met Thursday during the first meet- ing of the Community Correc- tions Partnership to develop a DAILYNEWS TEHAMACOUNTY DAILY 50¢ T H E V O I C E O F T E H A M A C O U N T Y S I N C E 1 8 8 5 Leaders develop prisoner influx plan plan. The goal of the partnership is to come up with a plan on how the county will implement the public safety realignment bill, AB 109. The new state law will go into effect Oct. 1, bringing hun- dreds of state prisoners back to county jails. Also, offenders who are now just going through the court process would be pre- vented from being sent to state prison and would have to serve their sentences in county jail. In both cases — those already committed to prison and those facing commitment — the rule applies only to offenders who are convicted of non-sexual, non-serious and non-violent crimes. Felons who do not fall under the category, which law enforcement officials commonly refer to as the "non- non-non" offenders, would still be housed in state prisons. About 154 "non-non-non" offenders already in prison will return to Tehama County once the law goes into effect. Not all of them will be com- ing at once though, said Tehama County Chief Probation Officer Richard Muench, whose proba- tion department will be in charge of providing post release community supervision. "It's not like it immediately takes place and you get a whole bunch of folks at once," he said. Eleven prisoners will return Restoration continues in October, 17 in November and nine more in December. The state will continue to inform the county of the prisoners being released. But how those prisoners will be handled once released is up to each county to decide. Muench, chairman of the partnership, offered ideas that range from county jail to lower supervision facilities, such as See PLAN, page 9A Committees have open positions By ANDREA WAGNER DN Staff Writer Of more than 100 Tehama County commissions and committees, many have ongoing vacant or expired member positions, or are simply defunct. Some county supervisors agree it's time to take a look and clean up the records. "It's just a continual process," said Chairman Gregg Avil- la. One roster for the Heritage and Historical Records Com- mission lists an incumbent that has been on the roster since 1977. Her term was renewed once again earlier this year, extending it until 2014. The Shasta College I-5 Technology Center Site Selection Committee, established in 2002, hasn't been updated since 2005, which is not surprising since the campus is complete- ly built and opened in Red Bluff in 2009. The Cone Grove Park Committee, established Oct. 5, 1953, hasn't met formally in at least 14 years, said Angela Ford, assistant clerk of the board. Some committees stop meeting, change members or sim- ply neglect to let the county know when volunteer members have past away or moved on, Ford said. At least four volunteer positions have remained vacant and just keep getting moved forward on agendas because there is simply no one ready to fill them, she said. Supervisor Dennis Garton, the newest member of the board, has an idea that might help. The county should have one meeting a year with each committee and commission to see how things are going with it, as far as membership and administration, Garton said. Committees and commissions play the role of conduit between the supervisors and certain departments or facilities. Some are formed for a specific purpose and are only tem- porary, such as the Shasta College site selection group, while others provide ongoing advice in certain areas, such as the Planning Commission. Each one has specifications on the members' terms and requirements. Daily News photo by Julie Zeeb City Councilwoman and Corning Community Foundation Secretary Darlene Dickison shows off one of five tables the foundation bought with a Tehama County Arts Council grant. Pic- tured with Dickison are Corning Community Foundation Treasurer Kyle Lauderdale, President Jaimie Walberg and Walberg's son Bobby Mac Walberg. By JULIE ZEEB DN Staff Writer The Corning Community Foundation, the non-profit group spearheading the restoration of the Rodgers Theatre, has received a $500 grant to help carry out its work. In July, the organization used the money to purchase a set of five 60-foot banquet tables to be used both at fundraisers for the restoration and at future events once the theater is up and run- ning, said Foundation President Jaimie Walberg. "As soon as we have the build- ing ready we plan to start holding fundraisers," Walberg said. The grant was awarded to the group in May by the Tehama County Arts Council through the California Arts Council Arts Plate Program, she said. The grant is made possible through funding the California Arts Council receives from the Arts License Plate, titled Coast- line, designed by Pop artist Wayne Thiebaud. Work has already been com- pleted on the restoration project for the theater that was built in 1935, Foundation Secretary and Corning City Councilwoman Darlene Dickison said. "The project was about $480,000 and it's over half-way funded through grants, volunteer work and money raised by the foundation," Treasurer Kyle Lauderdale said. "The foundation raised over $50,000." The group started its efforts shortly after the theater closed for the last time in 2007 under the name Friends of the Rodgers Theatre, which morphed into the See THEATRE, page 9A Although some committees stay on the books unneces- sarily and it doesn't do any harm, a clean-up process is in order, Avilla said. However, the process isn't simple. Government code defines what can and can't be done legally with committees and commissions. In fact, government code sections have a process in which the county is mandated to compile annual appointment lists that show what positions are due to expire, with certain accompanying details, said County Counsel William Mur- phy. The county must make sure people know when there is a vacancy, he said. The list must be made available at the public library and to the public at a "reasonable fee," the law states. The 2011 list showed 104 terms expiring throughout the year. Of those, eight were already vacant. "We'd like the people to step up and volunteer," Garton said. For those interested in vacant or expiring positions, they can view the list at the county library in Red Bluff or view it online at co.tehama.ca.us. The list is found by clicking on the clerk of the board page. It is found under the "Links" col- umn. On the list, each committee is different and has specific conditions to membership and lengths of terms. Gerber Community Hall sold for $18,000 By JULIE ZEEB DN Staff Writer The Gerber-Las Flores Community Service Dis- trict (CSD) Board approved Thursday sell- ing the Gerber Communi- ty Hall to a Tehama man for about $18,000. The offer made by Dennis Becker was lower than the $30,000 asking price the CSD put on the building, but that is because of the structural repairs needed, Becker said. The main hall of the building leaned against a concrete wall in the build- ing next door. Becker said he intends to use the space mostly as storage. He may hold an occasional yard sale, he said. District Manager Mike Murphy said he has had a few inquiries on the place, but this was the best received so far. 7 5 8 5 5 1 6 9 0 0 1 9 The motion approved by the board was to sell the building for $18,000 plus other expenses, including escrow. The building was to be sold as is, said Board Member Tom Humphreys. The board also heard a report from Probiotic Solutions Sales Manager J.T. Boyd on the progress from using Bio Energizer at the Waste Water Treat- ment Plant in Gerber for sludge removal. The product, which is a specialized micro carbon complex, is designed to speed sludge removal by energizing bacteria, Boyd said. Bio Energizer helps with settle ability of waste, solids digestion, odor control, grease elim- ination and pathogen con- trol, he said. It was first used in Ger- ber in 2006 when there was 3.5 feet of sludge at the wastewater treatment, however, due to budget cuts, it was reduced to a maintenance level. While that cut the amount coming in, it did nothing to help reduce the level of what had already built up, he said. The product has been increased to more aggres- sively treat the problem starting 30 days ago and will cost about $7,000 a year, Murphy said. Already, there is a big dif- ference, he said. While the product is a bit costly, it's nothing to the $150,00-$200,000 price tag that comes with building a drying bed for the sludge and hauling it out, Murphy said. The process of remov- ing the sludge, which sits between three-and-a-half to four feet, will hopeful- ly take a year with between one and four inches being removed a month, Boyd said. ——— Julie Zeeb can be reached at 527-2153, extension 115 or jzeeb@redbluffdailynews .com. 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