The Plumas County Board of Supervisors pulled $1.5 million in funding for a public safety center planned in Greenville. The center would have housed a fire hall, sheriff’s substation, and emergency medical quarters. The board’s unanimous vote on November 10 ended the county’s partnership with the Indian Valley Community Services District on this project.
The board made the decision in under seven minutes. Now, they plan to build a separate sheriff’s substation on county-owned land to replace the one destroyed in the Dixie Fire.
Katherine Carpenter, office manager for the Indian Valley Community Services District, said the change creates challenges for the district as it works on planning and financing. The public safety center was meant to meet multiple community safety needs. Carpenter confirmed the district still wants to complete the project and is reviewing how the county’s exit affects the size, design, and funding.
The project’s total cost was estimated at $6 million, with only $2.5 million secured. After the county’s withdrawal, funding stands at about $1 million. The county had committed $1.5 million from a settlement with an insurance company. The Indian Valley district pledged $1 million from a state grant secured in 2022.
The plan was to build on State Route 89 near Greenville. The Indian Valley district would own most of the building, while the county would own the sheriff’s office section. County Administrative Officer Dan Pargee recommended pulling out over unresolved issues about operating on land the county did not own. He reviewed concerns about ownership, governance, insurance, and long-term financial responsibility.
Board Chair Mimi Hall cited past problems with county use of partially state-owned buildings, such as the Greenville courthouse that also housed a sheriff’s substation. She said the county learned that promises made by others can be hard to fulfill, especially with leases and insurance. Hall emphasized the public interest in having county services on county-owned land under county control.
Indian Valley district officials plan to start construction by spring 2027 if they secure funding. FEMA recovery funds, about $4.2 million, target rebuilding the fire station and water treatment plant destroyed in the fire. The district has requested FEMA expand its funding to help cover the cost.
