In Rare Moment of Confrontation, Harmon Opposes Crye, Kelstrom on Liaison Vote 

Supervisor Kevin Crye’s attempt to remove his fellow supervisor from specific liaison assignments failed this week after a usually predictable ally on the board, Corkey Harmon, voted against him. It’s the first time Harmon has split from Crye and Supervisor Chris Kelstrom on a divisive vote since taking his seat.

During the board’s June 24 meeting, Crye brought forward a simple yet controversial agenda item asking to remove Supervisor Allen Long from his alternate liaison appointments to several groups — including the Rural County Representatives of California, the Golden State Connect Authority and Golden State Finance Authority — and replace him with Supervisor Chris Kelstrom.

As community members Dawn Duckett pointed out during public comment, the board’s staff report and amended liaison list obscured details of the change by failing to mention that Long was the one who was being removed from all three liaison roles. Based on the proposed list, approving the change would have left Long with nine representative liaison positions as compared to Kelstrom’s 17 and Crye’s 12. The staff report also failed to include any reason for the proposed demotion.

Crye emphasized during the board meeting that it was his “right” as board chair to implement such changes unilaterally, a statement that was clearly contradicted by the board’s need to vote on the matter. His motives for the proposed change became more clear during an extended board discussion on the topic during which Crye said he wanted someone to represent Shasta with him that was “rowing the same direction,” especially on topics like a proposed medical school, which Crye has championed.

Long attempted to divert the controversial agenda item before the board could begin discussions, bringing it up during his board report at the beginning of the meeting and asking for the item to be tabled. In response, County Counsel Joseph Larmour and Clerk of the Board Stephanie Blankenship said it wasn’t appropriate for him to suggest tabling an agenda item until it came time for the item to be heard. 

But when it came time to hear the agenda item, neither Larmour nor Crye mentioned Long’s request to table the agenda item. Instead, Crye moved immediately into a call for public comment, followed by his own statements.

Long responded by repeatedly interrupting Crye in an attempt to mention his earlier motion to table the issue before board discussion began, calling on County Counsel Joseph Larmour for help as Crye reprimanded and spoke over him. The attorney hedged, saying there wasn’t currently a motion from Long on this agenda item.

“There is no motion because I’m speaking,” Crye said. “And then when I’m done, you can get in queue.”

In continued statements, Crye said it was important that Kelstrom replace Long as the alternate for the RCRC liaison position in order to ensure that a presentation on a potential medical school that will be given at RCRC this week follows “the game plan” from Dr. Paul Dhanuka, and Simpson University President Norm Hall.

“I am unable to work with Supervisor Long on these types of issues,” Crye said. “I do not, in any way, shape or form, want you representing this county myself, or anything having to do with the medical school.”

So far the board has not voted on any action regarding a proposed Redding medical school, but during presentations on the topic from consultant Chriss Street, Long expressed skepticism about the availability of funding sources and the financial sustainability of such a project. Kelstrom, like Crye, has expressed undivided support for Street’s idea.

Long responded to Crye’s concerns about the RCRC meeting by saying that he had already confirmed with the RCRC chair that Kelstrom would be able to give the medical school presentation on the board’s behalf.

“He can present everything you want him to say,” Long told Crye. “I think you would have been served well to have contacted me up front, because this is an end run and this is a vindictive means (to an end).”

Long also emphasized that he’s “99.9%” on the same page as Crye with the medical school while maintaining that he continues to have questions about funding sources. Crye said Long’s questions show he’s not “all in on” the plan.

“One of the things that [is] very apparent and clear to me,” Crye said, “is I have to make sure that I’m rowing in complete lockstep. And if you said that we’re 99% agreeable on stuff, that I would think you’d support the direction I want to go to make this happen.”

Long asked, “so you’re removing me… because, what, I don’t parrot exactly what you said?” 

Plummer eases tensions

Supervisor Harmon called the situation “very uncomfortable,” saying he feels like all the board members are on the same page with both a proposed medical school and a proposed alternative custody facility, and he doesn’t understand why Long needs to be removed from liaison positions. 

“I’m very respectful to people around me,” Harmon said. “I don’t want to put boxing gloves on. I don’t want to see anybody else do it. I want to see us fully collaborative. I want to see us working together. I want to see everything that all five of us want to see. We all want to see the jail. We all want to see the medical school. And we’re all going to push as hard as we can. We’re not going to put one in front of the other.”

In response, Crye appealed to Harmon to support removing Long as an alternate from the liaison positions, suggesting that Harmon shouldn’t allow Long to “gaslight” him.

In the end, Supervisor Matt Plummer played peacemaker, suggesting the item be tabled and brought back at a later time if there’s a need. Harmon seconded the motion and the vote to indefinitely table the item passed 3-2.

Harmon’s decision prompted a quick rebuke from Crye.

“Big mistake,” he told Harmon.

Here’s what else you need to know 

An analysis by Shasta Scout of votes cast by supervisors from January through May shows the five board members voted unanimously almost 91% of the time, often on routine agenda items including contract renewals and budget adjustments. 

Of the 28 votes that the board has split on over the last five months, a unified board majority made up of Crye, Kelstrom and Harmon voted together 79% of the time, disagreeing mostly on a series of votes that related to next steps on how to address the old courthouse building, which Kelstrom wanted to preserve.

Over the months since becoming a supervisor, Harmon has broken with Crye and Kelstrom’s unified vote only once before, during a January 28 decision on whether to move the order of when a specific agenda item would be discussed.

Naomi Pierce contributed research for this story.

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