Community Development Block Grant Funds: The Board
of Supervisors has approved an application for federal Community Development Block Grant
Funds (CDBG) in the amount of $500,000 for 2006-2007. If approved, about $142,000 would go
to continue Pacific West Food Works (commercial kitchen business incubator) project at the
Economic Development Council building in Yreka. Around $260,000 would go to support
continued workshops and trainings from Jefferson Economic Development Institute (JEDI.)
Almost $60,000 would be available for small business loans.
In my last column, I briefly touched on the services being offered to
county residents by JEDI, including entrepreneurial business training, financial literacy
training and technical assistance. In addition, JEDI has just been selected to participate
in a new E-Bay “pilot project.” Past reports of their success show that they
served 124 low income people in a 12 month period. Out of this effort, 19 businesses were
started, 39 businesses were expanded and 49 jobs were created at a cost of $2,063 per job. It is
reported that $1,445,118 in annual sales are generated by these businesses, making JEDI a highly successful economic asset for Siskiyou County. My
only disappointment is that most of JEDI’s clients (72%) seem to come form the I-5
corridor, while District 5 in the West has only 13% and the eastern portion of the county
had only 15% participation. http://www.e-jedi.org/
or call 926-6670 for more information.
Indian Creek: Downriver in Happy Camp, Indian Creek has been
eroding land under some of the adjacent houses and exposed a portion of the community
sewer lines. Potential rupture posed a serious threat to water quality and fish habitat.
After the local Community Services District had exhausted its funds trying to stabilize
the situation, Siskiyou County stepped in to assist. CalTrans also stepped in to do
considerable mitigation and repair work. We have received word that the state Office of
Emergency Services has authorized the declaration of a local emergency and will be able to
provide funding assistance to local governments for necessary work.
Dog Barking Ordinance: A resident of the unincorporated area of Mt. Shasta
has come to the Board of Supervisors requesting that we pass an ordinance regulating dog
barking as a public nuisance, punishable as an infraction of the law. Currently, an
individual may pursue issues of nuisance dog barking privately through court by obtaining
a temporary restraining order or by contacting the Ag department or sheriff with a
complaint. They try and handle the matter by dialoguing with the dog owner. There are also
zoning limitations on where large numbers of dogs may be located. As a proponent of
limited government, I oppose such regulation. The Board, however, has referred the matter
to staff for further development.
After School: After-school
programs should be up and running in most of the county’s K-8 schools by the end of
January. State criteria has limited funding to schools where 50% or more of the students
are qualified for free or reduced meals or for those schools that do not currently have
programs in their communities. Past after school programs demonstrated that they were very
effective in increasing children’s success in school and in reducing discipline
problems. There will be more information on the programs on the County Office of Education
and local district websites: http://www.sisnet.ssku.k12.ca.us/
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