Shasta County supervisors delayed a proposal to replace District 3 Planning Commissioner Steve Kerns with civil engineer Kevin Butler after controversy over notice and motive. The board unanimously postponed the swap at its Aug.
25 meeting, the Redding Record Searchlight reported. The Planning Commission is involved in county land-use approvals. The postponement means supervisors did not complete Butler's appointment or establish that Kerns had resigned.
Table of Contents
- What did supervisors propose?
- Why did the board postpone the swap?
- How does the gun-range project fit in?
- What should residents watch for next?
What did supervisors propose?
Supervisor Corkey Harmon placed the proposed change on the agenda. The item sought to remove Kerns, declare the District 3 seat vacant and accept Butler's nomination. Butler would then have been appointed through Jan.
15, 2029. Those steps appear in the Shasta County Board of Supervisors agenda record. The sequence matters because a nomination is not the same as an appointment. By postponing the item, supervisors stopped the proposed transition before completing it.
Why did the board postpone the swap?
The immediate concern was whether Kerns received appropriate notice before his proposed removal appeared on the agenda. supervisors questioned the handling of that notice and deferred the decision. Kerns said he learned about the proposal from a community member. He also denied ever indicating that he wanted to leave before his term expires in January 2029, according to Shasta Scout's account.
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Harmon disputed that version. He said Kerns had previously expressed a future desire to leave, and he cited Butler's engineering background as the reason for nominating him. The postponement did not resolve whose account was correct. It gave the board more time to address the notice dispute before attempting a removal or appointment.
How does the gun-range project fit in?
Public commenters alleged that Butler's appointment could benefit former Supervisor Patrick Jones's proposed Millville gun range because Butler performed design work on the project. Jones, Harmon and board Chair Chris Kelstrom denied that the proposed swap was connected to it. The project also faces a separate legal barrier.
A court writ required Shasta County to vacate its 2023 approvals for the High Plains Shooting Sports Center, meaning the project cannot proceed under those approvals, according to the county Planning Commission record. Commission membership would have limited immediate practical effect on that project. Shasta Scout reported that both Kerns and Butler would have to recuse themselves if the gun-range proposal returned to the Planning Commission.
What should residents watch for next?
The current status is a delay, not a rejected nomination, completed appointment or confirmed resignation. The cited reports do not identify a new date for supervisors to reconsider the change. If the proposal returns, residents should check whether it: When evaluating any renewed proposal, confirm the exact action language before treating a nomination as a completed appointment.
- Again seeks Kerns's removal and declares the seat vacant.
- Explains what notice Kerns received before the meeting.
- Addresses the conflicting accounts about whether Kerns wanted to leave.
- Treats Butler's nomination and appointment as separate actions.
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