LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Board of Supervisors will take up a community group's proposal to ban medical marijuana dispensaries in Lake County and consider actions to halt the local installation of SmartMeters while legislation offering alternatives goes through the Legislature when it meets this week.
The meeting will begin at 9 a.m. Tuesday, March 8, in the board chambers on the first floor of the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St. TV8 will broadcast the meeting live.
In a 1:30 p.m. item, the board will hear the request to put a ban on marijuana dispensaries in the unincorporated areas of Lake County.
There are currently reported to be 12 dispensaries in unincorporated Lake County, county officials previously reported.
The proposal has been put forward by a community group that has begun the Web site, www.nodispensaries.org, the administrative contact for which is Steve Davis, the retired commander of the Clear Lake California Highway Patrol office.
The effort also has received the support of the Lake County Chamber of Commerce.
An announcement about the group that was sent out late last month by chamber Executive Director Melissa Fulton said the group formed following the Jan. 4 Board of Supervisors meeting, at which time matters relating to a proposed dispensary ordinance were being discussed.
A large number of community members turned out at that meeting to show opposition to dispensaries, and the group subsequently formed to discuss a county ban on all medical marijuana dispensaries, she said.
Additionally, Fulton said that on Feb. 15 the chamber board of directors unanimously approved sending a letter to the Board of Supervisors, supporting a ban of dispensaries in the county.
The group is already receiving strong criticism from the pro-marijuana community, who say that the effort is using misinformation to further its cause, and that it's basically an attack on rights established under Proposition 215, the Compassionate Use Act of 1996.
But the group also is getting support. On Friday afternoon, Mireya Turner, the Board of Supervisors' assistant clerk, was busy tallying stacks of postcards sent to the board from supporters of the ban.
Based on a rough estimate, there appeared to be about 200 of the cards so far.
Both sides also are rallying their supporters to appear to the afternoon discussion.
In other news, at 11 a.m. the board will continue a discussion from last week on Pacific Gas & Electric SmartMeters.
At its March 1 meeting, the board was set to take up the draft of a letter to the state Legislature supporting AB 37, which would require the California Public Utilities Commission to come up with alternatives to SmartMeters by January 2012.
But due to concerns about choice and the fact that installations are moving forward, the board set the discussion for March 8 to also include consideration of proposed moratorium on the installation of SmartMeters in the county's unincorporated areas, as well as possible legal action to enjoin SmartMeter installations if a moratorium doesn't work.
The board also will hold a closed session to discuss labor negotiations.
Other items on the agenda include the following.
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.: 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.: Public hearing, consideration of proposed amendments to the Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) Program Income Reuse Plan (incorporating changes recommended by the California Department of Housing and Community Development).
9:15 a.m.: Presentation of proclamation designating the week of March 13-19 as Mediation Week in Lake County.
9:20 a.m.: Public hearing, appeal of Robert and Becky Parker of the Planning Commission’s allowance of a residential second unit on property owned by Michael Macy; located at 13210 Ridge Road,
Loch Lomond, CA (APN 011-067-42). Continued from Dec. 14 and Jan. 18.
9:45 a.m.: Discussion/consideration of the 2010 California Statewide Local Streets and Roads Needs Assessment Update, California Transportation Funding and its impact on Lake County; and consideration of proposed resolution urging the state Legislature and governor to save transportation funding and supporting the findings of the 2010 California Statewide Local Streets and Roads
Needs Assessment Update.
10:30 a.m.: Discussion/consideration of proposals for the abatement of sunken crane in the waters of Clear Lake at 10951 Lakeshore Drive, Clearlake (APN 036-441-01 – Larry Sibbitt and Virginia Sibbitt); owner of the crane is Martin Scheel, Konocti Marine Construction.
11:45 a.m.: Request to approve lease for an office building at 6302 13th Ave., Lucerne, for the Mental Health Department. Carried over from Feb. 15, Feb. 22 and March 1.
Nontimed items
– Supervisors’ weekly calendar, travel and reports.
– Carried over from March 1: Consideration of appointments to the heritage commission.
– Consideration of proposed letter to state representatives supporting pending legislation (SB 726 Berryhill) temporarily rescinding sprinkler requirements in California.
– Consideration of request to send a letter to state representatives opposing the placement of Proposition 10 funding before the voters.
Consent agenda
– Approve minutes of the Board of Supervisors meeting held on March 1.
– Adopt proclamation designating the week of March 13-19 as Mediation Week in Lake County.
– Adopt resolution adjusting appropriation in general fund contingencies (correcting error in mid-year budget resolution).
– Adopt resolution accepting insurance proceeds and appropriating said funds as unanticipated revenue.
– Approve plans and specifications for Elk Mountain Road MPM 8.6 Storm Damage Repair in Lake County, Bid No. 11-15, and authorize the public works director/assistant purchasing agent to advertise for bids.
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at
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