How to resolve AdBlock issue? Supervisors approve urgency conservation restrictions for Mt. Hannah water district, extend drought emergency
LAKEPORT, Calif. – Water – or, the lack of it – was among the main topics at the Tuesday Board of Supervisors meeting, at which time emergency restrictions for the Mt. Hannah water district were approved and an emergency countywide drought declaration was extended once more.
Special Districts staff went to the board to ask for the passage of an urgency ordinance to establish conservation restrictions for the 36-customer Mt. Hannah water district on Cobb, which the board approved unanimously at the end of a brief public hearing.
“It is probably, right now, our hardest-hit water system as far as the drought is concerned,” said Special Districts Compliance Coordinator Jan Coppinger.
Coppinger said the district's static well level has dropped 73 percent as of this week, with the district now reaching a point where it can only pump water for 30 minutes before having to shut down for a few hours.
She described Mt. Hannah's water situation as “very precarious.”
Mt. Hannah's customers have had extraordinary conservation in place already, and the urgency ordinance would not reduce what they could use but would give Special District recourse to deal with large water consumption issues that might result from summer visitors, Coppinger said.
Only two customers would need to make slight reductions in order to stay within the urgency ordinance's usage limits; everyone else already is within the guidelines, she said.
“Their usage is not the problem. The well is the problem,” said Coppinger.
Coppinger said Special Districts has applied to the state for emergency funds to drill a new well, has received bids and collected the necessary information for the process. The agency intends to move as rapidly as it can and wants to get a permanent solution in place.
“We do know there's water there, it's just a matter of going deeper with the well,” she said.
Special Districts Administrator Mark Dellinger added that the well's depleted nature also is causing turbidity problems.
Supervisor Jim Comstock asked about the well's depth. Dellinger replied that it's 120 feet.
Two Mt. Hannah district residents spoke to the board about concerns regarding potential costs for upgrading the well and the possible impact on water supply due to nearby vineyards.
Regarding the former, Coppinger said Special Districts officials were confident they would be able to drill the new well without passing costs on to ratepayers.
As to the latter issue of vineyards and water supply, some of the board members pointed out that Mt. Hannah and other water districts with shortages have other factors impacting water supply outside of vineyards. Such is the case for Paradise Valley, Supervisor Jeff Smith pointed out.
The board approved the ordinance unanimously.
Also on Tuesday morning, the board voted to extend once more an emergency declaration due to drought that it initially passed on March 4. It must reconsider the emergency every 30 days, and previously had extended it on April 8.
During the discussion, Coppinger noted that last week she attended an Association of California Water Agencies meeting, at which point the association was pushing water agencies to present a united message regarding statewide water issues to the public.
“This is a statewide problem,” she said. “It's an emergency for everyone.”
Coppinger pointed out that the governor has asked all Californians to reduce their water usage by 20 percent.
County Emergency Services Manager Marisa Chilafoe told the board that the Lake County Office of Emergency Services – at the request of the state's Office of Emergency Services – formed a drought task force along with Special Districts, the Department of Public Works, Cal OES Coastal Region and the California Department of Public Health to monitor the drought situation and propose fixes.
Retired firefighter Greg Scott of Lakeport urged the board to focus on a public education campaign about the drought.
“You've got to change people’s minds out there,” he said.
Also on Tuesday, the board voted to approve an agreement for architecture and engineering services with Kappe+Du for the for Child Support Services Offices at Gard Street School, at a cost of $77,000.
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VIDEO: Assessor-recorder candidates participate in forum
LAKEPORT, Calif. – The candidates for assessor-recorder appeared last week for their first group forum of the campaign season.
Richard Ford, Sorhna Li Jordan and Logan Weiper answered questions of the community and each other during a nearly hour-and-a-half-long forum, held last Thursday, May 8, at the Lake County Courthouse in Lakeport.
The three candidates are racing to succeed longtime Assessor-Recorder Doug Wacker, who announced he will retire when his term ends in December.
The primary takes place June 3. In the event that one candidate does not get 50 percent of the vote plus one, a runoff will take place in November between the top two vote getters.
The forum, which can be seen in its entirely above, was cosponsored by the Lake County Chamber of Commerce and Lake County News, with McKenzie Paine of Velocity Video producing the video.
The candidates answered the following questions.
1. Please explain why you are running for the assessor-recorder’s job and what particular skills and qualifications you have for the position. What do you perceive your role will be as county assessor-recorder? (9:26)
2. What are the critical talents needed by the county tax assessor/recorder? (15:50)
3. Have you worked as a supervisor or manager of employees? If so, how many people did you have reporting directly to you? (20:54)
4. Why is a home assessment usually lower than a home appraisal? What support training would you require to be able to do this job? (24:53)
5. Have you ever been fired or laid off from a job? How long have you been working at your present job and what is your job title and job duties? Where are you presently working? (30:07)
6. Have you ever managed or maintained a budget in excess of $1 million? Are you a financially responsible person? (35:30)
7. What will be your goals as county assessor-recorder? (40:11)
8. How do you plan on addressing the budget issues that our county is experiencing and the direct impact it has in terms of staffing issues, public services and carrying out the function of the assessor-recorder? (45:44)
9. What interface with the Board of Supervisors, if any, is necessary in the position of assessor-recorder? (51:19)
10. In the process of running for this office, have you met with the current assessor-recorder and his staff to understand the office's functions and any concerns or challenges they have? (56:06)
11. So far this evening we've focused mostly on the assessor's functions. Explain your understanding of the recorder's functions. (59:59)
12. Please explain your understanding of Proposition 13 for the following: a) base year value; b) factor base year value; c) Proposition 8 review; d) change in ownership; e) new construction. (1:03:06)
The candidates then had a chance to ask each other questions.
13. Weiper asked: Where will you guys think you'll be in 10 years? (1:08:24)
14. Jordan asked: What do you think is your biggest weakness coming into this position? (1:11:03)
15. Ford asked: What exactly is your accounting experience and please expound. (1:13:38)
In addition to viewing the video above, voters who want to know more about the candidates can visit their Web sites and social media pages, or contact them through the email addresses listed below, with the candidates presented in alphabetical order.
– Richard Ford: http://www.fordforassessor.com/ , https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rich-Ford-for-County-of-Lake-Assessor-Recorder/1415123042072601 ; email,
– Sorhna Li Jordan: http://www.votesorhna.com/ , https://www.facebook.com/votesorhna ; email,
– Logan Weiper: https://www.facebook.com/logan.weiper2014 .
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Supervisors to receive drought update, consider contract for Gard Street School project
LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Board of Supervisors this week will get an update on drought conditions in the county and consider an agreement for designing new county offices at a school facility the county is leasing.
The board will meet beginning at 9 a.m. Tuesday, May 13, in the board chambers on the first floor of the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport. TV8 will broadcast the meeting live.
In untimed items, the board will consider the current state of local emergency due to drought conditions in Lake County. The board unanimously passed a local state of emergency due to the dry conditions on March 4, as Lake County News has reported.
The board, in another untimed item, also will consider a proposed agreement for architecture and engineering services for the new Child Support Services Offices at the Gard Street School property in Kelseyville.
In other business on Tuesday, in an item timed for 10 a.m., the board will hold a public hearing to consider a proposed ordinance updating fees for the Auditor-Controller/County Clerk’s Office to reflect state imposed fee increases.
At 10:10 a.m., staff will present to the board health plan design changes related to the Affordable Care Act.
The full agenda follows. Items are now presented in a new order due to a new county agenda program.
CONSENT AGENDA
7.1: Approve Minutes of the Board of Supervisors meeting held on April 22, 2014.
7.2: (a) Adopt proclamation designating May 2014 as Perinatal Depression Awareness Month; (b) adopt proclamation designating May 12-16, 2014, as Police Officers Week; and (c) adopt proclamation designating May 12-16, 2014, as Safe Boating Week.
7.3: Adopt resolution amending Resolution No. 2013-96 establishing position allocations for FY 2013-14, Budget Unit No. 4014, Department of Behavioral Health (delete one Mental Health Medications Support Specialist I/II allocation and one Deputy Director of Behavioral Health - Clinical Services allocation, and add two deputy director of Behavioral Health allocations, as recommended by the Human Resources Department.
7.4: Approve agreement between the county of Lake and the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) to participate in the FY 2013/14 Optional Regional Surface Transportation Program (RSTP) Federal Exchange and State Match Program, and authorize chair to sign.
7.5: (a) Award bid to JBR Electric, total amount $79,400 for the purchase of keyless entry system for Social Services buildings; and (b) authorize Social Services director acting as assistant purchasing agent to issue purchase order.
TIMED ITEMS
9 a.m.: Approval of consent agenda, which includes items that are expected to be routine and noncontroversial, and will be acted upon by the board at one time without discussion; presentation of animals available for adoption at Lake County Animal Care and Control; consideration of items not appearing on the posted agenda, and contract change orders for current construction projects.
9:05 a.m., 8.1: Citizen's input. Any person may speak for three minutes about any subject of concern, provided that it is within the jurisdiction of the Board of Supervisors and is not already on the agenda. Prior to this time, speakers must fill out a slip giving name, address and subject (available in the clerk of the board’s office, first floor, courthouse).
9:10 a.m., 8.2: (a) Presentation of proclamation designating May 2014 as Perinatal Depression Awareness Month; (b) presentation of proclamation designating May 12-16, 2014, as Police Officers Week; and (c) presentation of proclamation designating May 12-16, 2014, as Safe Boating Week.
9:30 a.m., 8.3: Public hearing, consideration of proposed urgency ordinance adopting emergency water conservation restrictions for County Service Area No. 22, Mt. Hannah Water.
9:45 a.m., 8.4: Continued from April 22, public hearing, consideration of proposed ordinance amending Chapter 3, Article IV of the Ordinance Code of the county of Lake regarding the Right to Farm Ordinance.
10 a.m., 8.5: Public hearing, consideration of proposed ordinance updating fees for the Auditor-Controller/County Clerk’s Office to reflect state imposed fee increases.
10:10 a.m., 8.6: Presentation of health plan design changes related to the Affordable Care Act.
NONTIMED ITEMS
9.1: Supervisors’ weekly calendar, travel and reports.
9.2: Consideration of proposed agreement for architecture and engineering services for Child Support Services Offices at Gard Street School.
9.3: Consideration of current state of local emergency due to drought conditions in Lake County.
9.4: (a) Consideration of proposed ordinance amending Article I of Chapter 6 of the Lake County Code relating to emergency organization and functions; and (b) consideration of appointment of board member to serve as vice chair of the disaster council.
CLOSED SESSION
10.1. Conference with Labor Negotiator: (a) county negotiators: A. Grant, L. Guintivano, S. Harry, M. Perry, A. Flora and C. Shaver; and (b) employee organizations, Deputy District Attorney's Association, Lake County Deputy Sheriff's Association, Lake County Correctional Officers Association and Lake County Safety Employees Association.
10.2: Conference with legal counsel: Existing litigation pursuant to Gov. Code Section 54956.9 (d)(1): Lakeside Heights HOA, et al. v. County of Lake.
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Clearlake City Council approves candidate forum policy for use of council chambers, TV8
CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Clearlake City Council adopted a policy Thursday regulating use of the council chambers as a location for conducting candidates' forums and use of TV8, the Public Education Government, or PEG, cable access television channel to broadcast such events.
The city may only expend public funds to provide informational material on an election matter in an unbiased manner to the general public. It may not expend public funds toward a political view or purpose, the policy states.
City Manager Joan Phillipe said the city can be held liable for fines and possible litigation if election information is not presented in a fair and unbiased manner and if each candidate is not given equal time on PEG TV8.
According to Phillipe, use of the council chambers and PEG TV8 for candidates' forums qualifies as an expenditure of public funds. Expenditure to support a candidate or their campaign, she said, is illegal and unethical.
The policy allows for use of the council chambers as a candidates' forum location to educate and inform the public on an election if the forum is hosted in an unbiased, fair and impartial manner.
All candidates must be invited to attend and given and equal opportunity to answer questions and explain their positions.
The policy states the council chambers and PEG TV8 cannot be used to present a forum if it is available to certain candidates and not conducted in a manner to ensure that public funds are used solely to provide impartial and unbiased information regarding the election to the general public.
All references, such as nameplates and photographs, to council members will be removed from council chambers in order to maintain neutrality, according to the policy.
In its only other item of business, the council refrained from taking a position, or any action, pertaining to a request for support of a commercial property tax reform campaign launched by Evolve, A Community Organization, and aimed at Proposition 13.
The campaign seeks to ensure “commercial property pays its fair share.”
It would require nonresidential commercial properties to be reassessed regularly while maintaining Proposition 13 protections for residential property and small business owners.
Phillipe said it was difficult to determine from the materials submitted by Evolve exactly what the city was being asked to support other than amendments to Proposition 13 as it regards to commercial properties.
Phillipe said while the proposed resolution indicates that small businesses would not be affected by any amendment, there is nothing in the material provided that offers how that assurance will be fulfilled.
“In Clearlake, amendments that might ultimately affect small businesses could be extremely detrimental,” Phillipe said. “However, there is no way to know that today without a much better idea of exactly what the proposed amendment to the proposition is going to be.”
Phillipe said the League of California Cities has not taken a position on Evolve's request and is advising cities to wait until such time as the actual language for the proposed changes is submitted.
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Registrar of Voters Office mails out absentee ballots; data shows most county residents vote absentee
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – This week the Registrar of Voters Office mailed out absentee ballots to thousands of Lake County voters for the June 3 primary election.
Interim Registrar of Voters Maria Valadez said the vote-by-mail ballots can go out at the earliest on May 5, and so this past Monday they were delivered to the post office.
This June Lake County voters have a number of races to decide, including the assessor-recorder, District 2 and 3 seats on the Board of Supervisors, district attorney and sheriff.
Valadez reported that the Registrar of Voters Office will begin processing the absentee ballots that come in beginning at 8 a.m. next Monday, May 12. That processing will continue through election day on Tuesday, June 3, and through the official canvass.
Although they will begin processing the ballots next week, results of absentee ballot voting will not be released publicly until after the polls close at 8 p.m. June 3, election officials reported.
Although new or updated voter registrations are continuing to come in, as of Thursday Valadez told Lake County News that there are 33,366 registered voters in Lake County.
Of those, 1,766 are mail precinct voters, who have to vote by mail because there is no physical precinct for voting activities. There also are 219 permanent absentees for military of overseas voters, she said.
Altogether, there are 18,606 absentee voters in Lake County, compared to 12,775 precinct voters, Valadez said.
Over the last several years, the number of absentee voters in Lake County has grown to surpass the number of people who report to precincts to cast their votes.
In the November 2012 election, there were 34,938 registered voters, with 10,215 ballots (or 29.2 percent) cast at precincts and 13,470 ballots (38.6 percent) cast by mail, according to county election records.
At the time of the November 2010 election, the county had 32,554 registered voters, with 9,124 ballots, or 28 percent, cast at precincts and 12,363, or 28 percent, of ballots submitted by mail, county records showed.
Once the election night count is done on June 3, the official canvass will being at 9 a.m. Wednesday, June 4, and continue – excluding weekends and holidays – until completed, according to the Registrar of Voters Office.
Valadez reported that observers are invited to view the processing and counting of the ballots, but they are not allowed to interfere with the election process.
Meanwhile, as they prepare for election day, Valadez said she and her staff are continuing to process voter registrations.
The last day to register – or reregister if a person has moved to a new address, changed their mailing address within the county or changed their name – is May 19.
Registration forms are available at the Registrar of Voters Office, as well as at most local post offices, libraries, city offices and chamber of commerce offices.
Completed voter registration forms must be either personally delivered to the Registrar of Voters Office – located in Room 209 on the second floor of the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St. in Lakeport – on or before May 19; or postmarked on or before May 19 and received by mail by the Registrar of Voters Office.
Voter registration also is available online at http://registertovote.ca.gov/ .
The Registrar of Voters Office can be reached at 707-263-2372.
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