Shasta County Sheriff Michael Johnson has called for a public meeting to discuss a proposed “corrections and rehabilitation campus” project. Shasta County has the highest per capita arrest rate in the state, and a jail that’s usually 90% full, so finding solutions for criminal accountability remains a priority. The planned location of the project off Eastside Road and River Ranch Drive has stirred controversy. The City of Redding has agreed to lease the 90 acre parcel of land to the county. In designating the property as surplus government land, the city decided it was able to bypass an environmental review. The nearby residents of 96 homes, organized as the River Ranch Neighborhood Association, have brought a suit against the city alleging that the claim to an environmental exemption was not legal. During next week’s meeting, project specifics will be presented, concerns will be addressed and a question-and-answer session will take place. The meeting will be next Wednesday at 5:30PM in the Board of Supervisors Chambers.
-Steve Gibson