BILL ANALYSIS �
SENATE TRANSPORTATION & HOUSING COMMITTEE BILL NO: acr 39
SENATOR MARK DESAULNIER, CHAIRMAN AUTHOR: nielsen
VERSION: 3/21/11
Analysis by: Art Bauer FISCAL: NO
Hearing date: June 14, 2011
SUBJECT:
Shasta County Deputy Sheriff Dennis "Skip" Sullivan Memorial
Bridge
DESCRIPTION:
This resolution designates the Bear Creek Bridge on State Route
(SR) 44 in Shasta County as the Deputy Dennis "Skip" Sullivan
Memorial Bridge.
ANALYSIS:
The committee has adopted a policy regarding the naming of state
highways or structures. Under the policy, the committee will
consider only those resolutions that meet all of the following
criteria:
The person being honored must have provided
extraordinary public service or some exemplary contribution
to the public good and have a connection to the community
where the highway is located.
The person being honored must be deceased.
The naming must be done without cost to the state.
Costs for signs and plaques must be paid by local or
private sources.
The author or co-author of the resolution must represent
the district in which the facility is located and the
resolution must identify the specific highway segment or
structure being named.
The segment of highway being named must not exceed five
miles in length.
The proposed designation must reflect a community
AB 39 (NIELSEN) Page 2
consensus and be without local opposition.
The proposed designation may not supersede an existing
designation unless the sponsor can document that a good
faith effort has uncovered no opposition to rescinding the
prior designation.
This resolution designates the Bear Creek Bridge on SR 44 in
Shasta County as the Deputy Dennis "Skip" Sullivan Memorial
Bridge. The resolution further requests the Department of
Transportation (Caltrans) to erect appropriate signs upon
receiving donations from non-state sources to cover the costs.
COMMENTS:
1) Purpose . This resolution is intended to honor Shasta
County Deputy Sheriff Dennis "Skip" Sullivan who lost his
life in a collision with a semi-tractor trailer truck as he
was on responding to a call to negotiate with an armed
woman at Mountain Gate, Shasta County.
2) Summary of Deputy Sheriff Sullivan's life . Dennis
"Skip" Sullivan began his law enforcement career with the
City of South San Francisco Police Department, where he
served eleven years. As a sergeant he supervised the
operations division and the community relations and crime
prevention programs. Among his many accomplishments, he
designed and implemented the South San Francisco Police
department's field training program. In 1981, Deputy
Sullivan joined the Shasta County Sheriff's Office. He
served first as a resident deputy sheriff in the
Shingletown area of Shasta County and then as a patrol
deputy sheriff at the Palo Cedro substation. Deputy
Sullivan easily adapted to the outdoor lifestyle of Shasta
County as he was an avid hunter and fisherman.
Tragically, Deputy Sullivan was killed in a traffic
collision on SR 44, on October 10, 1987, while on his way
to negotiate with a reportedly armed woman barricaded in a
Mountain Gate home. Deputy Sullivan had been performing
duties as a dedicated member of the Sheriff's Office
Hostage Negotiation Team for four years. As Deputy
Sullivan was responding to the report of shots fired,
heading west near Inwood Road, the trailer of an eastbound
truck tipped over onto his vehicle. Witnesses report that
Deputy Sullivan tried to avoid the trailer by moving to the
AB 39 (NIELSEN) Page 3
extreme right of the road. The impact of the collision
sheared off the top of his vehicle and forced it off the
highway onto the north side of SR 44.
3) Consistent with committee's policy . This resolution is
consistent with all of the provisions of the committee's
policy on highway designations, including requiring the
cost of signs designating the name of the highway being
paid for by non-state sources.
Assembly Votes:
Floor: 73-1
Appr: 15-1
Trans: 13-1
POSITIONS: (Communicated to the Committee before noon on
Wednesday,
June 8, 2011)
SUPPORT: None received.
OPPOSED: None received.