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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Board of Supervisors this week will consider appointing a permanent Public Works director with a substantial pay increase and review updates on commercial cannabis regulations and county energy policy.
The board will meet beginning at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Apr. 7, in the board chambers on the first floor of the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport.
The meeting can be watched live on Channel 8, online at https://countyoflake.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx and on the county’s Facebook page. Accompanying board documents, the agenda and archived board meeting videos also are available at that link.
To participate in real-time, join the Zoom meeting by clicking this link.
The meeting ID is 865 3354 4962, pass code 726865. The meeting also can be accessed via one tap mobile at +16694449171,,86533544962#,,,,*726865#. The meeting can also be accessed via phone at 669 900 6833.
In untimed items, the board will consider reclassifying interim Public Works Director Lars Ewing to Public Works director with a significant raise.
On March 10, the board approved consolidating Public Works and Public Services departments into a single department of 110 employees.
Ewing — who also is Public Services director in addition to serving as interim Public Works director — has remained in the interim role since the consolidation, according to an email from Administrative Analyst Trevor Mockel, who is also a county spokesperson, to Lake County News.
Appointment of a director and any salary adjustments would require board approval, Mockel said.
The staff memo proposes a raise for Ewing of either 15% or 20%, which would increase his annual salary from $185,136 to either $225,576 or $231,204.
That represents an additional $40,440 or $46,068 annually for Ewing.
In his consolidation proposal invoking cost reductions, Ewing said management-level salary savings for the director and deputies would reach $166,000. Mockel later said in his email that the figure is an estimate based on eliminating one director’s position.
The staff memo does not indicate whether the proposed raise would affect the estimated savings from the consolidation.
Since former Public Works Director Glen March was terminated, the county has published a job post for the position, with an annual salary range of $152,316 to $185,136.
At 1:45 p.m., supervisors will receive an update from the county’s energy policy ad hoc committee, which was formed in January to explore alternative energy options after last year’s negotiations with Sonoma Clean Power fell through.
The update follows earlier public criticism over a proposed geothermal project at the Southeast Treatment Plant site, near the Robin Lane sewage spill. In February, some residents argued that moving forward with a specific project before establishing an overall energy policy put “the cart before the horse.”
The ad hoc committee consists of Supervisor Jessica Pyska and Helen Owen, Community Development Director Mireya Turner, Treasurer-Tax Collector Patrick Sullivan, Ewing, and Benjamin Rickelman and Matthew Rothstein of the County Administrative Office.
According to the staff memo, the ad hoc committee has met three times so far, discussing early meetings with multiple energy providers, proposed energy projects and interested companies. A summary of these topics will be presented to the board.
The committee also agreed appointing Rickelman “the initial point of contact for entities looking to develop energy projects,” the memo said.
At 1 p.m., the board will hold a public hearing to continue discussion on the county’s cannabis ordinance, including rules on how close cultivation can be to homes, limits on grow size, operating standards and environmental protections, following the Mar. 10 discussion that lasted about two and half hours.
The staff memo said the proposed changes also address background checks, permit terms, and options for growers to scale back or opt out of production.
Following earlier discussions, the board asked staff to refine several areas, including penalties for missed deadlines, increased site inspections, public access to inspection reports, a permit requirement for cannabis retail in certain commercial zones, and a $5,000 bond for growers.
A major focus is reducing odor impacts on nearby residents. Staff is proposing new setback rules based on the size of cultivation sites, along with the option to allow smaller distances if growers can demonstrate effective odor control. Additional measures include site design considerations, waste management practices and air filtration requirements for indoor operations.
Supervisors are expected to provide direction on these changes and continue the public hearing at a future meeting.
In closed sessions, the board will conduct performance evaluations of three department directors, Mireya Turner of Community Development Department which operates in debt and budget deficit caused by years-long internal reserve transfers; Public Health Officer Robert S. Bernstein who was appointed in June; and Ewing as the interim Public Works director.
Ewing’s evaluation will come after his potential appointment and raise.
The board will also consider approving 11 county contracts included in the consent agenda, worth several million dollars.
The full agenda follows.
CONSENT AGENDA
5.1, Adopt proclamation designating April 2026 as sexual assault awareness month.
5.2, Adopt proclamation designating April 2026 as poetry month.
5.3, Adopt proclamation appointing Roy Arthur Blodgett as poet laureate for 2026–2028.
5.4, Adopt proclamation designating April 2026 as child abuse prevention month.
5.5, Approve continuation of emergency proclamation declaring a shelter crisis.
5.6, Approve continuation of proclamation of local emergency due to tree mortality.
5.7, Approve continuation of proclamation declaring a Clear Lake hitch emergency.
5.8, Approve continuation of local health emergency for Clearlake sewage spill.
5.9, Approve continuation of local emergency for 2026 Robin Lane sewer spill.
5.10, Approve out-of-state travel for Supervisors Sabatier and Pyska to attend NACo conference.
5.11, Approve letters of support for CSAC-sponsored county H.R. 1 budget request.
5.12, Appoint Stephen Carter Jr. as interim health services director effective March 24, 2026.
5.13, Adopt resolution approving CDFA agreement for illegal hemp cultivation evaluation and remediation.
5.14, Approve waiver of 900-hour limit for animal control extra-help employees.
5.15, Approve participation agreement with CalMHSA for psychiatric inpatient concurrent review program.
5.16, Approve amendment No. 1 to agreement with North Coast Opportunities for rapid rehousing services.
5.17, Approve agreement with Lake County Office of Education for specialty mental health services.
5.18, Approve BOS meeting minutes for Feb. 24, March 10 and March 17, 2026.
5.19, Approve amendment No. 3 to agreement with PlaceWorks for planning services.
5.20, Adopt proclamation designating April 6–12, 2026 as national public health week.
5.21, Approve amendment No. 3 to agreement with California Forensic Medical Group for jail medical services.
5.22, Adopt resolutions and authorize actions related to state road right-of-way relinquishment.
5.23, Approve plans and specifications for Lampson Field airport east apron rehabilitation project.
5.24, Approve amendment to agreement with Optony for courthouse solar and EV project.
5.25, Approve agreement with One Workplace for sheriff administration facility furnishings.
5.26, Approve purchase of two 2026 Ford Police Interceptor Utility vehicles and waive bidding.
5.27, Approve purchase of two 2026 Dodge Durango vehicles for sheriff’s office.
TIMED ITEMS
6.1, 9:02 a.m.: Public input.
6.2, 9:03 a.m.: Pet of the week.
6.3, 9:05 a.m.: Presentation—sexual assault awareness month proclamation.
6.4, 9:10 a.m.: Presentation—poetry month proclamation.
6.5, 9:15 a.m.: Presentation—poet laureate appointment.
6.6, 9:20 a.m.: Presentation—national public health week proclamation.
6.7, 9:25 a.m.: Presentation—child abuse prevention month proclamation.
6.8, 9:30 a.m.: (Watershed Protection District) Presentation on Clear Lake hitch hydrology study.
6.9, 11 a.m.: Consider agreement with Catholic Charities for safe parking program.
6.10, 1 p.m.: Public hearing—commercial cannabis ordinance amendments (continued).
6.11, 1:45 p.m.: Update from energy policy ad hoc committee.
NON-TIMED ITEMS
7.1, Supervisors’ weekly calendar, travel and reports.
7.2, Consider salary memorandum and reclassification of public works director.
7.3, Consider advisory board appointments (Hartley Cemetery District, RDA Oversight Board).
ASSESSMENT APPEAL HEARINGS (BOARD OF EQUALIZATION)
8.1, 10:00 a.m.: Consider assessment appeal application No. 15-2024, Myers Storage LLC.
CLOSED SESSION
9.1, Public employee evaluation: Interim Public Works director.
9.2, Public employee evaluation: Public health officer.
9.3, Public employee evaluation: Community Development director.
9.4, Public employee discipline/dismissal/release.
9.5, Conference with labor negotiator: Deputy County Counsel Association.
9.6, Conference with legal counsel—Existing litigation, FERC proceeding No. P-77 (Potter Valley Project).
9.7, Conference with legal counsel—Significant exposure to litigation, three potential cases.
Lingzi Chen is a staff reporter at Lake County News and a 2024-2026 California Local News Fellow. Email her at lchen@lakeconews.com.
