The Nevada County Board of Supervisors are scheduled to hold a regular meeting on Tuesday, May 19 with the open public session beginning at 9 a.m. at the Rood Center located at 950 Maidu Avenue in Nevada City.
The board is expected to go into closed session sometime around noon and then adjourn for the day.
39 items appear on the consent agenda which is expected to be routine in nature and noncontroversial. The board will act upon the consent agenda items at one time without discussion. Any board member may request that an item be removed from the consent calendar for discussion.
The 2026 wildfire outlook
An informational presentation from the Nevada County Office of Emergency Services (OES) and CAL FIRE Nevada-Yuba-Placer Unit regarding the 2026 wildfire outlook in Nevada County is expected during the morning session of the meeting.
OES and CAL FIRE have been preparing for the summer fire season with education and outreach among other things.
Educating residents on evacuation routes, encouraging vegetation management guidelines, and providing a free green waste drop off at the McCourtney Road Transfer Station is part of that effort.
48 outreach events have been conducted and the new Nevada County Alerts platform was launched on April 14, 2026.
Certain data migrated from CodeRED and 7,000 sign-ups in 7 days has been the result of their efforts, according to the staff report.
CAL FIRE is expected to inform the public on their aviation program which is on track for implementation of C-130s and S-70i Blackhawks.
At the Grass Valley Air Attack Base, a new fire-retardant mixer has been installed. It is the first mixer of this type to be installed in California and can mix 8,000 gallons of retardant in 10 minutes which is four-times faster than in the past.
Artificial intelligence is a tool used for fire detection, according to the staff report.
“86 cameras at 58 locations,” satellite and other technology uses are expected to be explained during the informational presentation.
The “greatest concern is the lack of competent snow-pack and shielding effect on large down wood debris,” according to the staff report. “Significant fire potential predicted to be above average June –August 2026.”
Dead and down fuels from 2022 and 2023 with additions from 2025 winter storms in 3000 to 4000-foot zone are a real threat, according to the report.
Expanding the impact of county investment
An informational presentation from the Community Foundation of Nevada County on its progress and implementation of contracted services with the Economic Development Office of Nevada County is on the agenda for Tuesday as well.
Currently, the Foundation is establishing relationships with the nonprofit community, and city and county governments, as well as a group of philanthropic individuals, according to the Foundation’s website.
“We are partners with the county,” their website states. “The exec team is working on building a scope of work with the county which will launch our first project- the administration of the Nevada County Relief Fund. It is our intention to have those funds support hiring staff.”
The Foundation claims that “funding opportunities exist — but implementation capacity is limited,” according to the presentation. “Coordination is often the missing piece.”
Behavioral Health Department
May 2026 is expected to be declared as “Mental Health Awareness Month” in Nevada County.
Presentation on activities of the Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Advisory Board is planned, according to Cari Yardley, Acting Behavioral Health Director.
Phebe Bell, the former Director of Behavioral Health resigned recently to take on a new position with the California Mental Health Services Authority.
Each county in California is required to have a Mental Health Advisory Board who are appointed by the board of supervisors and are meant to provide community oversight and input to the Behavioral Health Department.
National Public Works Week
May 17th through May 23rd, 2026 is expected to be proclaimed as National Public Works Week in Nevada County, and information regarding the “unsung heroes that keep Nevada County’s Infrastructure intact” will be presented.
Rise Grass Valley’s effort to reopen gold mine in Grass Valley
The county counsel is requesting a closed session to discuss an existing litigation case: Rise Grass Valley, INC., vs. Board of Supervisors of the County of Nevada.
According to public court documents, a case management conference is set to occur in Department 6 of the Superior Court of California at the courthouse in Nevada City on June 1, 2026 at 9 a.m. and then again on June 8, 2026 at 9 a.m.
In a May 7, 2026 Memorandum Decision and Order, the Court denied Rise Grass Valley’s petition seeking to overturn Nevada County’s unanimous December 2023 decision rejecting the company’s vested rights claim.
Nevada County Superior Court Judge S. Robert Tice-Raskin has ruled against Rise Grass Valley’s claim that it retains vested rights to reopen and operate the Idaho-Maryland Mine in Grass Valley.
Claims DA’s Office used artificial intelligence (AI)
County counsel also requested a closed session to discuss an existing litigation case: Kjoller v. The Superior Court of Nevada County, California Court of Appeals, 3rd District, Case No: C104445.
Kjoller v. Superior Court of Nevada County is a landmark 2025–2026 California appellate case involving allegations that the Nevada County District Attorney’s office submitted briefs containing fabricated, AI-generated legal citations, according to public record.
In November 2025 The Union reported, “Lawyers for Kyle Kjoller, who faced numerous firearms-related charges, said that the errors in each case had the hallmarks of AI hallucinations. They are requesting an investigation and asking for sanctions against the DA’s office.”
To contact Staff Writer Marianne Boll-See, email mboll-see@theunion.com.