In the wake of Sheriff Michael Johnson’s stunning announcement last week that he will not build an alternative custody campus on land in south Redding near the Sacramento River, at least one Shasta County supervisor isn’t certain the right decision was made.
Matt Plummer, whose district does not sit where Johnson wanted to build the campus, told the Record Searchlight on Thursday morning, Aug. 6, that at this time he does not have enough information when asked if he supported Johnson’s decision, going public with his thoughts in a video he posted on his Facebook page.
In the video, Plummer said he is not certain that new site does make more sense.
“I haven’t seen the biological study,” Plummer told the Record Searchlight, referring to one of Johnson’s two main reasons why he decided not to move forward with the project on Eastside Road.
Plummer said obviously the big news from Johnson’s Aug. 5 presentation was his decision to pivot from the Eastside Road site. But Plummer said those who stuck around after the sheriff’s announcement heard about the need for the campus and how the project is designed to minimize the risk to the public.
“I feel and continue to feel this would not be a threat to public safety in any neighboring community,” including at the Eastside Road site, Plummer said, adding that he has talked to concerned neighbors and addressed emails sent to him.
At the Aug. 5 presentation, Johnson told the audience that he decided to pivot from the 90-acre Eastside Road site based on two things: the community’s opposition and a preliminary biological study that was done on the property. Johnson said the biological study “really sealed the deal” for him.
Johnson said River Ranch neighbors and other opponents had concerns about how the campus would affect the environment.
“I knew when I looked at this property those were concerns with me as well,” said Johnson, who told the audience he has a degree in biology and wildlife management. “However, I was unwilling to act on those concerns until I had empirical biological data to either support or deny those fears or those assumptions.”
Plummer and Supervisor Chris Kelstrom were at the Aug. 5 presentation. Plummer said he found out about Johnson’s decision an hour before the start of the meeting. Kelstrom said he found out when Johnson made the announcement to the audience.
Kelstrom, whose district sits where Johnson wanted to build the campus, told the Record Searchlight on Thursday, Aug. 6, that he recently met with the sheriff and told him that after speaking to his constituents in District 5 he could not support the location.
“I support the sheriff 100%, but on that particular item, I could not support the location anymore,” he said.
Kelstrom said he tried to meet with River Ranch residents five times, but the group kept canceling the meetings.
“I set up some of the meetings myself, so it was a little bit frustrating sometimes, accusing me of not wanting to meet with them,” he said.
Kelstrom is running for reelection in November against Anderson City Councilman Mike Gallager.
Gallagher posted on Facebook a day after Johnson’s announcement that the River Ranch neighbors “deserved to be heard before things got this far.”
“The residents of River Ranch showed up and did their part. They asked reasonable questions about what was being proposed in their neighborhood. They deserved answers,” Gallagher wrote.
Both Kelstrom and Gallagher said they support Johnson and his efforts to build the campus.
Search started for new site
Johnson has started looking for a new site. He told the Record Searchlight on Thursday, Aug. 6, that he does not yet have a specific location identified. He first presented his idea for an alternative custody campus to supervisors in January 2025.
“When I find potentially suitable sites, I will bring those forward to the board of supervisors and they will review them and they will make that decision and give me their (approval),” Johnson said of his search for a new site.
While Johnson sees a sense of urgency to find a new location, he said he does not want to “make a rash decision.”
“I want to get things right, get the community maybe more involved earlier and get a buy-in for where we are going to go and what we are going to do,” Johnson said.
Johnson said the controversy surrounding the Eastside Road site has been a learning experience.
The River Ranch neighborhood in February filed a lawsuit. The board of supervisors is scheduled to meet in closed session on Tuesday, Aug. 11, to discuss the lawsuit.
“The reality is I thought we did a pretty decent job of engaging the community and getting the message out there, but obviously that wasn’t the case. So, yeah, definitely lessons I have learned,” Johnson said.
Does county, city still need to have final word?
The city of Redding and county signed an agreement last year for the county to operate the campus on the Eastside Road property rent-free with a future option to buy it for $1.
Does Johnson’s decision automatically terminate the lease?
Johnson said he thinks the matter will go before the board because “I don’t have the authority to cancel the lease.”
County Executive Officer David Rickert did not return an email sent Friday, Aug. 7, or a text message sent Monday, Aug. 10, seeking comment.
The city of Redding’s attorney’s office did not return a phone message left Monday seeking comment.
Redding Mayor Mike Littau said he has asked the same question.
“In the lease there were some benchmarks for performance,” Littau said. “Obviously (the county) is not meeting those benchmarks, so I think the county would send a request” to terminate the lease.
“It seems like it would be most appropriate for the county” to start the process, he added.
David Benda covers business, development and anything else that comes up for the USA TODAY Network in Redding. He also writes the weekly “Buzz on the Street” column. He’s part of a team of dedicated reporters that investigate wrongdoing, cover breaking news and tell other stories about your community. Reach him on Twitter @DavidBenda_RS or by phone at 1-530-338-8323. To support and sustain this work, please subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: Shasta supervisors react to sheriff’s pivot to new location for campus
Reporting by David Benda, Redding Record Searchlight / Redding Record Searchlight
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By David Benda, Redding Record Searchlight | USA TODAY Network
