However, as was the case during a discussion last month to move the Mental Health Department's administrative offices to Lucerne, the support wasn't unanimous, with Supervisor Anthony Farrington opposing it due to concerns about the impacts of moving county offices out of Lakeport.
Supervisor Rob Brown and County Administrative Officer Kelly Cox submitted a report to the board on the 7.44-acre property, which has an appraisal valued of $990,000.
The Kelseyville Unified School District, which has discussed selling the property in the context of its severe financial issues, split the cost of the appraisal with the county, which budgeted funds for the study in last year's budget, Cox said.
Cox said that, if the county were to buy the property, the school district has expressed interest in continuing to use the bus barn, ball field and tennis courts for another 10 years, which would be deducted from the purchase cost.
He said the county's agriculture and Special Districts departments, and the University of California Cooperative Agriculture Extension has expressed interest in relocating there, and there is also a proposal to move to the site the Kelseyville Waterworks administration.
Cox said the Lakeport Main Street Association has approached the county on numerous occasions – including within the last two months – to encourage the county to move Special Districts from its downtown location on Main Street in order to open the space up for retail.
If the county were to sell the downtown location, that money could go toward the Gard Street School location, Cox said.
Lake County Air Quality Management District, which does not want to move from the city due to its air quality monitoring equipment being located there, has discussed purchasing the agriculture center on Lakeport Boulevard, and those funds also could go toward the Gard Street School purchase, Cox explained.
One of the purchase's benefits is that it would not remove properties from the tax rolls, and in fact might put some back on the tax rolls, Cox said.
If the board was interested in pursuing the purchase, Cox said more evaluation needed to take place, including gathering estimates on costs to remodel the Gard Street site for county use.
“What we're asking for today is to find out if the board is interested in pursuing this further,” Cox said.
Farrington said he didn't want the Gard Street debate to be similar to the one that took place over Mental Health.
He questioned how the space on the fourth floor of the current courthouse – now occupied by courtrooms and facilities – would be used after a new courthouse is built on Lakeport Boulevard, and also wanted to know the job numbers involved in moving the county departments.
Referring to previous statements by fellow board members – specifically Brown – about the county not being in the land buying business, Farrington pointed out that the county is grappling with public safety and infrastructure concerns, and doesn't have enough money to invest in Clear Lake's health.
Brown said the purchase would not mean additional cost to the county if the Special Districts and agriculture facilities were sold. “You're not going to sell Special Districts to cover those costs,” Brown said, referring to infrastructure and lake concerns.
Farrington, in term, suggested selling the buildings and leasing the courthouse's fourth floor, using the money for the infrastructure.
Cox said if the county's situation gets so desperate that they start considering selling buildings, they need to keep in mind they have strong reserves.
Supervisor Denise Rushing said she wanted to see more analysis done, adding she thought the county was going to form a committee to look at property uses.
“We talked about that but I have yet to be invited to that meeting,” said Brown.
“Time is a factor here because there's going to be some changes with the building of the courthouse,” said Rushing, suggesting there would be near-term needs they can't meet without additional space.
James Merriman, acting commander of Kelseyville's American Legion Post – which is located on the property – said the group isn't against the school district selling the property to the county. However, they're concerned because the lease for the post – built in 1927 and 1928 – states that the land is owned by the Kelseyville Park Association, which to their knowledge hasn't disincorporated.
Merriman said they're concerned about who actually owns the land, and noted they're trying to get ownership of the post. “We're looking to protect our little piece of history,” he said, adding they're working to get historical recognition for the post building.
“We believe if you don't own it you can't sell it,” Merriman added.
Carol Hays, executive director of the Lakeport Main Street Association, said their board voted against the move. She said Lakeport already has a lot of vacancies on Main Street, and they would rather see Special District stay in its current location, adding they want the agriculture department to remain, too.
“This comes right on the heels of the Mental Health Services move,” said Hays, questioning the county's objectives. “If it's the county seat, isn't that where county services should be centralized?”
Kelseyville residents and business owners came out strongly in favor of the purchase and the chance to locate county services in the town.
Bill Groody, a 21-year Kelseyville resident, urged the board to consider the proposal. “I think it could be a tremendous benefit to the town of Kelseyville, which is in a very fragile condition right now,” he said.
Myron Holdenried, who owns the Wildhurst tasting room in downtown Kelseyville, said local agriculturalists have training and industry meetings and events, and the multipurpose room at Gard Street School would be an advantage.
Barbara Breunig, the Lakeport Main Street Association president, spoke against moving more services out of Lakeport.
Trena Pauly, president of the Kelseyville Business Association, said Lakeport has had the benefit of Mendocino College and redevelopment funds.
“Kelseyville has never asked for anything,” she said, suggesting the proposal would be a great opportunity for the town.
Suzanne Lyons, speaking on her own behalf and not as Lakeport's mayor, said the last time she appeared before the board last month – to speak against the Mental Health Department move – she was ridiculed for saying it was a county policy to decentralize services. “Apparently it's what you're doing”
Mark Borghesani, whose family owns Kelseyville Lumber, said there was a lot of enthusiasm in Kelseyville for the plan. “This is one of the most important things Kelseyville has seen in a long time.”
Lakeport business owner Nancy Ruzicka said they need to retain jobs in Lakeport. She encouraged Kelseyville to go out and attract new businesses to the town.
She suggested a countywide economic development committee be formed to bring in new businesses, “instead of robbing Peter to pay Paul.”
When the discussion returned to the board, Brown told Farrington, “Believe me, I appreciate exactly where you're coming from.”
He said no one told Lyons at the meeting on Mental Health that Lakeport wouldn't be affected, nor did they ridicule her. Instead he said they clarified a statement she made about county policy decentralizing facilities.
“Everyone is in a fragile position,” said Brown.
He said Lakeport and the Northshore have received a level of subsidy through redevelopment, and Kelseyville has never asked for that. “We would rather do it on our own. This is not a form of subsidy in my opinion.”
Farrington, who lives in Kelseyville, told the board, “I love both communities and this is hard for me.”
He argued that it wasn't a symbiotic fit for an administrative office to locate at a school site. “Bring me some sites that make sense, that are feasible.”
Brown asked if he had a chance to look at the site. “I'm plenty familiar with it,” responded Farrington.
Brown suggested Farrington should tour the facility and look at it in the context of the proposal.
Addressing Farrington's concerns about retrofitting – he had suggested that upgrading the site could cost between $250,000 and $500,000 – Brown noted that new plumbing and asbestos removal had been completed within the last 15 years as part of a modernization project.
Brown also cautioned that the Kelseyville Unified School District Board hadn't discussed it, but was set to do so on Tuesday evening. The board, he said, may not want to go forward with the sale. “My guess is, it's not going to be unanimous,” said Brown.
Supervisor Jeff Smith said of the plan, “I think we would be remiss not to look into it further.”
However, he didn't want his support for further exploration to be misconstrued as support for a purchase.
“We're a long ways away but I think we ought to have a preliminary discussion,” Smith said.
Rushing also was open to the idea of exploration. She said they want to avoid sprawl, should locate in downtowns and have walkable communities. She said Special Districts should be as close to the county seat as possible, but noted they need campus facilities for nonprofits and an agriculture distribution center for food.
She said the purchase of the property needed to be conditional on finding a buyer for the current county offices, adding they needed to be sensitive to the vacancy factor.
Brown moved to have county staff continue exploring the proposal, with Rushing offering the second.
The board voted 4-1, with Farrington voting no.
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at
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