An appeal has been filed after a 30-year intergovernmental agreement between Shasta County and Redding Rancheria was ruled illegal by a judge. The impact fee agreement made in July of 2023 was to cover public safety costs in anticipation of the construction of a sprawling casino and entertainment complex next to Interstate 5 south of Bonnyview. When the contract was drafted, county staff compared the numbers with those negotiated by some other counties and tribes, showing that the Shasta County deal fell far short of the others, and could cost the county around $200 Million over the course of the 30 years. Administrative staff recommended rejecting the agreement, as did the Sheriff, the District Attorney, the Fire Chief and the County Counsel. The agreement passed 4 to 1, with Mary Rickert opposing. The California Land Stewardship Council sued and a judge agreed after a lengthy bench trial, ruling the board had broken the law by failing to notify the affected departments, ignoring opposition expressed by those departments and failing to have the agreement reviewed by the County Counsel and risk management. The judge ordered the agreement to be void in a final decision issued on November 25th. An appeal was filed by the county on December 5th.
-Steve Gibson