July 29, 2008 — District 2 Supervisor Jim Chapman formally resigned from the Lassen County Air Pollution Control District board at the regular meeting of the Lassen County Board of Supervisors on Wednesday, July 23. District 1 Supervisor Bob Pyle volunteered to take Chapman’s place on the board.

Supervisor Lloyd Keefer originally proposed to keep Chapman on the board, to which Chapman replied that his level of frustration with the board was such that he would most likely stop showing up altogether.

“To be completely honest with you, I’d be happy to continue to serve,” Chapman said. “But I’m only going to serve on a board that’s going to get the job done. Unless we restructure it and break it off from the agriculture department, where it’s just kind of grafted on, give it proper staffing, proper budgets and a means to do the state’s expecting. As far as I’m concerned right now the thing is totally dysfunctional.”

Chapman said, he had lost interest in serving on a board that was only pretending to serve the public’s interest, and was in fact not meeting expectations from the state. He said he realized it’s hard for the district’s budget to grow, especially in such difficult economic times, but he didn’t want his name associated with an agency that isn’t designed to function.

Chapman clarified he meant no disrespect to Jim Donnelly, recently appointed agricultural commissioner also assigned to run the air quality control board. He also commended LCAPCD board members and county supervisors Jack Hanson and Lloyd Keefer for continually attending the meetings and asking for the same types of changes of the district, but that still wasn’t going to be enough for him to remain on the board.

Chapman said the state government has said the LCAPCD would be an integral part in introducing more green energy and environmentally friendly ideas into the county, but with its current structure and lack of expertise from both staff and the board members, he didn’t know where that change was going to begin.

Keefer said that he agreed the LCAPCD was in need of changes, and that its board generally didn’t know much about the operation of the district. He asked at a previous LCAPCD meeting for a program review in order for its board to learn more about the district in general. He said the program wasn’t too far removed from being fixed.

District 4 Supervisor Brian Dahle said he agreed with Chapman, and the LCAPCD needs restructuring to run more efficiently as part of the agricultural department.

“The bottom line is that businesses are out there that are getting regulated by the (LCAPCD) board,” Dahle said. “They’re the ones who are eventually going to end up paying the price if we don’t do something.”

Dahle explained that businesses, such as power plants, are among some of the businesses regulated on their pollution byproduct by the LCAPCD.

After the board eventually voted to accept Chapman’s resignation, Bob Pyle volunteered to take his place, telling Chapman that it shouldn’t be about personal feelings, but rather what is in the best interest of the people in Lassen County. Chapman said he was more than willing to let Pyle be part of the necessary restructuring of the department.