MENTAL HEALTH FACILITY

TRUST FUND 312

Funds available as of 5/10/16:

$1.5 million

Also an additional $500,000 is available to use

Health and Human Services has had this $2,000,000 sitting in a Lassen County Trust Fund for over 8 years. Each time the Board of Supervisors is presented with a project, it is voted down.

The most recent effort, May 10, 2016,  also failed.

The Lassen County Supervisors approved a "Feasibility Study" to look into finding property to house people with chronic mental illnesses.   At the May 10, 2016 Board of Supervisors meeting, the Health and Human Services Department presented a service contract to the Board of Supervisors (Housing Tools) to proceed with evaluating the "Gables" property in Johnstonville.  The 2015 Housing Tools "Study" suggested the best location in Lassen County would be a property in Johnstonville, the Gables (see photo below).

The new Housing Tools contract ( for $24,467)would cover this company facilitating agreements for the selected property for the facility. This would be a three year contract for Housing tools.

Health and Human Services Director Melody Brawley nor Jenna Aguilera knew the asking price of this property, but wanted the Housing Tools contract to be approved by the Supervisors. With $2,000,000 to spend maybe the cost of the property didn't matter.

The unknowns:

Who would be eligible to take out the CDBG "Home" loan

How much would it cost to remodel this property to Code.

When will the next "FLOOD" hit this property

???????????

However:

The residents of Johnstonville were upset that they had not been informed about this project.

On May 5, 2016, Johnstonville residents had a Town Hall meeting at the Honey Lake Valley Grange on Johnstonville Road. District 3 Supervisor Jeff Hemphill told the residents that he would not vote for this new "Study" on May 10, 2016 and urged the people to contact the other Supervisors and express their opinions.

Video: District 3 Town Hall Meeting at the Honey Lake Valley Grange

Grange Officer Penny Artz introduces Supervisor Hemphill

Residents came early and the room was filled to standing room only by the time the meeting started

only to be told untruths and half-truths

It was a whole different story at the Board of Supervisors meeting

a few days later on May 10, 2016

Video: May 10, 2016 Board of Supervisors Meeting

The more than 75 people that attended the Town Hall meeting at the Grange were told that the funds restricted the facility to only the unincorporated parts of Lassen County. (Susanville is the only incorporated city in Lassen County)