_{Right: Retiring correctional deputy sergeant Gary Potter (middle) received a proclamation celebrating his 24-year career with the county from District 5 Supervisor Dean Wilson (left) and Sheriff Garrett Scott (right). | Capt. Jennifer Campbell}

Among the items discussed at Tuesday’s Del Norte County Board of Supervisors meeting:

Gary Potter: Before he read the proclamation celebrating Gary Potter’s 24 years with Del Norte County, District 5 Supervisor Dean Wilson noted that he had administered the oath of office to the retiring correctional deputy sergeant.

Potter began working for the Del Norte County Sheriff’s Office in 2001. For the past 17 years, Potter has been a correctional deputy sergeant, according to the resolution.

“Potter was an experienced correctional sergeant that kept things running with safety and security in mind,” the resolution states, “he was a real pillar of excellence in our Del Norte County Jail.” 

AB 53: County supervisors approved sending a letter to San Bernardino Assemblyman James Ramos, the author of a bill that in previous iterations had proposed allowing the sale or transfer of conservation lands to tribal nations.

Initially brought up by District 3 Supervisor Chris Howard at the Board’s July 14 meeting, the letter acknowledges the decision to remove the proposed land transfer provision from Assembly Bill 53. However, according to a staff report from Assistant County Administrative Officer Randy Hooper, that language may be reintroduced to Ramos’s legislation.

The county’s letter also states concern that the current version of AB 53 retains “legislative intent language” about streamlining a California Department of Fish and Wildlife process for returning “qualifying lands to federally recognized tribes.”

“If future land-return legislation is pursued, the county requests that it be developed as a separate proposal with meaningful engagement of affected counties, local governments, tribal governments, conservation partners and other stakeholders,” the county’s letter states. 

Howard sent a letter to Ramos on June 19, opposing the land transfer language in the legislation.

AB 53 is currently pending before the Senate Committee on Appropriations, which is scheduled to hear it on Aug. 3, according to Hooper’s staff report.

Aviation Fuel Tax Credit: Del Norte County stands to lose between $44,000-$165,000 in diesel excise tax revenue if state lawmakers approve a proposed Sustainable Aviation Fuel tax credit, according to a staff report from the Community Development Department and County Engineer Jon Olson.

Supervisors unanimously approved asking State Sen. Mike McGuire and Assemblyman Chris Rogers to reject the proposed tax credit, which was included in California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s January budget proposal.

The proposed letter to McGuire and Rogers came from the California State Association of Counties, Olson said.

“The good folks of California have set aside these funds specifically so we can maintain our local roads,” he said. “What the governor is trying to do right now is just take back part of those monies and set it aside for other purposes that are not road-related.”

According to the Legislative Analyst’s Office, Newsom’s proposed tax credit against diesel is meant to incentivize the use of sustainable fuel aviation in California. The Newsom administration estimated that the credit could reduce diesel excise tax revenue by up to $165 million a year initially before increasing to $300 million “annually over time,” according to Olson’s report. 

Juvenile Wards in Humboldt County: Supervisors unanimously approved an agreement with Humboldt County to house Del Norte County’s juvenile offenders in its facility. Under the renewed agreement, Del Norte County will pay Humboldt $227,000 per placed youth per day for detention services.

According to Chief Probation Officer Lonnie Reyman, Humboldt County will provide behavioral health services to Del Norte County wards under the terms of the contract.

Del Norte County also has contracts with Mendocino, Shasta, El Dorado and Sonoma counties to provide detention services for local juvenile offenders.