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Supervisors to discuss Clearlake Oaks sidewalk project, host swearing-in for new deputies
LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Board of Supervisors this week will have a discussion on concerns raised over a Clearlake Oaks sidewalk project and host a swearing-in ceremony for new deputies.
The board will meet beginning at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 9, 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 and online at http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Boards/Board_of_Supervisors/calendar.htm . Accompanying board documents, the agenda and archived board meeting videos also are available at that link.
At 9:06 a.m. Sheriff Brian Martin will swear in his latest round of new deputy sheriffs.
At 9:30 a.m., the board will discuss concerns raised by the Clearlake Oaks County Water District regarding the Clearlake Oaks Safe Routes to School Sidewalk Project, which the county has been working on since 2016.
Public Works Director Scott De Leon said the water district contacted the county to say that it's opposed to placing sidewalk over its aging water pipes, “and if the project proceeds, the District will be requesting the County to repair any sidewalk damaged by their actions to repair or replace their water lines.”
The board also is get a staff update on the Hoberg's Resort abatement action. The matter had been continued last week after a Middletown Rancheria representative said the tribe had not been allowed to consult on the project.
In another untimed item, the board also will hold a second reading on a proposed cannabis tax measure for the November ballot.
The full agenda follows.
CONSENT AGENDA
7.1: Approve long distance travel for the Animal Care and Control director to attend the animal control conference in Seattle, Wash., Oct. 5 to 8, 2016, in the amount of $1,064.
7.2: Adopt proclamation designating the month of August 2016 as Child Support Awareness Month in Lake County, Calif.
7.3: Approve resolution of the Board of Directors, South Lake Fire Protection District ordering a special election to be consolidated with the Nov. 8, 2016, General Election, for the purpose of establishing a new appropriations limit and authorizing necessary actions in connection therewith, pursuant to the district's Resolution No. 2016-1701.
7.4: Approve long distance travel to Chicago, Ill., for Sherylin Taylor, PHN, Public Health nursing director, Public Health Division to participate in the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s two year Public Health Nurse Leaders Program.
7.5: Approve amendment six to agreement between the county of Lake and Quincy Engineering Inc. for four bridge replacement projects and two bridge rehabilitation projects in Lake County, Calif., for an increase of $21,828.62 and a contract amount not to exceed $1,353,637.10; and authorize the chair to sign.
7.6: Adopt a Revised Resolution declaring intent to vacate an easement for public use, in Glenhaven, county of Lake, state of California.
TIMED ITEMS
8.2, 9:06 a.m.: Swearing-in ceremony for newly appointed deputy sheriffs.
8.3, 9:10 a.m.: Presentation of proclamation designating the month of August 2016 as Child Support Awareness Month in Lake County, Calif.
8.4, 9:15 a.m.: Acceptance of a $20,000 donation from Lake County Tribal Health for the purchase of a child identification system with pop-up tents.
8.5, 9:30 a.m.: Discussion and consideration of direction to staff regarding the Clearlake Oaks Safe Routes to School Sidewalk Project.
UNTIMED ITEMS
9.2: Staff report and update regarding Hoberg's Resort abatement action.
9.3: Consideration of amendment to Lake County Policy and Procedure Manual - Section Fifteen - Travel Policy, Section 4.1.C, Regarding Lodging Expense in Excess of $125 Per Night.
9.4: Consideration of the following appointments: Hartley Cemetery District Board of Trustees, Mental Health Board.
9.5: Consideration of (a) (second reading) - an ordinance establishing a cannabis cultivation tax in the unincorporated areas of the county of Lake; (b) a tax measure, a general purpose local revenue measure for the Nov. 8, 2016, General Election; and (c) approval of a resolution placing the Lake County Cannabis Cultivation Tax Ordinance and the Ballot Measure Statement for the Nov. 8, 2016, Election.
9.6: Consideration of continuing the proclamation of a declaration of a local emergency due to wildfire conditions.
CLOSED SESSION
10.2: Conference with legal counsel: Existing litigation pursuant to Gov. Code sec. 54956.9(d)(1) – Lakeside Height HOA, et al. v. County of Lake.
10.3: Public employee evaluations title: Director of Air Quality.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
Clearlake Oaks town hall to be held Aug. 17
CLEARLAKE OAKS, Calif. – District 3 Lake County Supervisor Jim Steele will host a town hall for the community of Clearlake Oaks on Wednesday, Aug. 17.
The meeting, which is open to the public, will begin at 6 p.m. at the Live Oak Senior Center, 12502 Foothill Blvd.
The meeting agenda is diverse, including updates and an opportunity for public input on a number of important issues, and activities of broad community interest.
Agenda topics include an update on the East Region Town Hall, or EaRTH, a newly formed advisory committee to the Board of Supervisors that the board approved creating in May at Steele's request. Applications for those who would like to join EaRTH will be available.
There also will be updates on items including senior centers, with a proposed meeting set to discuss operational and funding issues at senior centers countywide; the proposed dissolution of the Lower Lake Cemetery District; ongoing water quality issues in the Keys; planned work and discussion of possible solutions for difficult road improvement projects; marijuana regulations; and emergency preparedness and fire season issues.
For more information contact Supervisor Steele at 707-295-6198 or
County to put off formation of health and human services agency
LAKEPORT, Calif. – Having completed research and surveys over the last several months regarding whether Lake County should form a health and human services agency out of three departments, county administrative staff on Tuesday urged the Board of Supervisors to delay such a plan until the county is in a better financial shape.
The board ultimately agreed with County Administrative Office Carol Huchingson's suggestion, based on the county's current financial constraints, many of them the result of the long-term recovery process due to last summer's wildland fires.
Huchingson also asked the board to give the go-ahead to recruiting for permanent department heads for the three agencies – Health, Social Services and Behavioral Health – that would be covered by the health and human services agency.
All three have been headed by interim department heads while county staff was conducting the analysis.
Denise Pomeroy has headed Health Services, following Jim Brown's retirement; Kathy Maes was appointed interim head in the Social Services Department, which Huchingson herself had led before being promoted this spring to county administrative officer; and Kevin Thompson has been interim director at Behavioral Health.
The exploration of the “superagency” or health and human services model came during a time of transition for the county's department heads, seven to eight of whom had retired, Huchingson said.
Huchingson told the board that in May she convened the three interim department heads and together they created a survey that would delve into the advantages of the county adopting the superagency model.
“The combined model is used in many California counties,” said Huchingson.
County staff identified 25 small and medium counties using the model, sending out surveys to 12 of them. One third responded, she said.
All of the counties that responded enthusiastically supported the health and human services agency model for a wide variety of reasons, said Huchingson.
She said those included the ability to share budgets, more focused direction of county programs, better ability to respond to federal mandates, uniform case management practices and a potential for combined locations.
Regarding the latter, Huchingson said all three agencies currently are isolated from each other geographically, and it would be nice to be able to offer a mix of services at each of the location.
Other pluses include the ability to respond to clients' needs holistically and the reduction of redundant staffing, said Huchingson.
As part of the analysis, Huchingson said Human Resources Director Kathy Ferguson looked at the salary ranges of 11 counties with the superagency model in order to determine a health and human services director salary range.
Based on Lake County's compensation plan, Huchingson said there is not enough range for a health and human services director, the salary for whom would not come from the general fund, without increasing the highest paid general fund positions.
“Simply put, despite this model being obviously the best way to go, there's no room to insert the health and human services director class in our current compensation plan, particularly at a time when we're facing the most challenging fiscal year in many years, if not ever,” she said, noting not just fiscal costs but morale impacts on other department heads.
While the model appears to be the best for service delivery, Huchingson said she couldn't recommend the county pursue it this year.
She said that establishing the new agency would be a process that would take several years.
The county would look for an experienced health and human services director, create a classification and a complementary number of support staff, task the director with the transition and then initiate it, Huchingson said.
She said county administrative staff will look at the county's ability to implement the new agency at the beginning of every budget cycle.
Board Chair Rob Brown said he appreciated staff's work in the analysis and the objective view that Huchingson offered.
Huchingson thanked the three interim directors, noting that Thompson, Maes and Pomeroy have served in their positions since February, April and July, respectively, juggling incredible workloads.
“It's absolutely time that your board take steps to permanently fill those positions,” Huchingson said.
She advised the board that when they make job offers to the three final director candidates, the county should make it clear that it intends to move forward with the health and human services agency model when feasible, at which time salaries would be changed.
Brown said he wanted the three interim directors to know that, as the board considers going out to an open recruitment, he had no doubt in their abilities.
Supervisor Jim Comstock added that all three are “outstanding,” and he expects – and hopes – all three will apply for the permanent jobs.
At Huchingson's urging, the board wrapped up the discussion by giving staff approval to move forward with an open recruitment for all three positions.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
City of Lakeport to begin enforcing new solicitation ordinance
LAKEPORT, Calif. – An ordinance the Lakeport City Council approved in June to address aggressive panhandling has gone into effect, with city officials planning to begin enforcement.
After final passage and adoption by the Lakeport City Council, City of Lakeport Ordinance 907 (2016) regulating solicitation has been added to the Lakeport Municipal Code, according to Lakeport Police Chief Brad Rasmussen.
The purpose and intent of this ordinance, which is Chapter 5.24 in the Lakeport Municipal Code, is to regulate solicitation in the city to allow residents to protect their peace and tranquility, to allow the free and safe flow of pedestrian and vehicular traffic, and to deter fraud and other criminal behavior, Rasmussen said.
Rasmussen said it's the ordinance's intent to respect the rights of free expression guaranteed under the California and United States Constitutions; to constitute reasonable, content-neutral, time, place and manner restrictions; and to impose the smallest burden on expressive activity necessary to accomplish the objectives of this ordinance.
Religious and political activities are excluded from this ordinance to provide greater protection for such expressive activity as required by previous judicial decisions, he said.
The ordinance will apply to both individuals and groups who wish to solicit in the city of Lakeport, according to Rasmussen.
Prior to conducting any solicitation all persons or groups will be required to obtain a permit through the Lakeport Police Department. Rasmussen said there is no charge for the permit.
The full ordinance can be found at http://www.cityoflakeport.com/docs/907-(2016)-83201680358PM.pdf .
For more information on how to acquire a permit, contact the Lakeport Police Department at 707-263-5491.
