LAKEPORT, Calif. – A lengthy Tuesday morning Board of Supervisors discussion grew heated when board members and the county’s sheriff disagreed about a county committee’s proposals for options for a Clearlake Oaks substation.
Sheriff Frank Rivero demanded the board respect his authority as the county’s lead law enforcement officer, punctuating some of his comments by pounding his fist on the table as he sat before the board dais.
In turn, some board members accused Rivero of exaggerating the situation for effect, in an attempt to get his way, with Supervisor Anthony Farrington at one point saying Rivero was being hostile.
Earlier this summer, Rivero had gone to the board with a proposal to purchase a property at 12539 Shady Lane in Clearlake Oaks for a new substation in that community. The property’s purchase prices is $325,000, plus an estimated $93,000 in renovations.
The board directed the County Space Committee – which includes Supervisor Jeff Smith, Public Services Director Caroline Chavez and Deputy Administrative Officer Alan Flora – to look at that property as well as alternatives.
Flora presented to the board Tuesday a report outlining the committee’s findings on the Shady Lane property as well as three alternates: the county-owned 12580 Acorn St., which houses a visitor center and which would cost the sheriff’s office nothing to lease but would require $6,000 in renovations; 12594 Acorn St., for sale for $120,000, with $13,000 needed in renovations; and a space in the Big Oak Shopping Center at 13340 E. Highway.
In the case of the shopping center property, the owner is offering it at a lease price of $1 a month for the first year, with $3,500 in renovations needed, the committee reported.
Smith said the matter comes down to how much money the county wants to spend. He said the Big Oak Shopping Center location offered the county an economical opportunity to locate a substation in Clearlake Oaks before taking on a larger purchase.
Board Chair Rob Brown said he’s normally not big on leasing or buying property if there is county-owned land available.
“I think we need a substation in the Oaks,” Brown said.
Brown said there has been a lot of rhetoric spread around about crime going down in the community if a substation locates there, but he thinks it’s only rhetoric. After having spoken with deputies, he said they’ve communicated that it would be a clear benefit. He agreed with Smith about the attractive offer at the shopping center.
John Pavoni with the Clearlake Oaks United Methodist Church told the board that the community needs a substation to help reduce crime.
Brown questioned if a substation really is a deterrent, pointing out to Pavoni that an armed robbery that occurred at Fosters Freeze in Lucerne in July took place within sight distance of the Lucerne substation.
Bob Fash, the Realtor who is the listing agent for the Shady Lane property, told the board that the owner is very motivated and that price will not be an issue. He said that the building will be cheaper than the other alternatives the committee mentioned.
Fash then said that, as a taxpayer, he was concerned about the issues between the sheriff and the supervisors, and said he was offended by a comment he accused Supervisor Jim Comstock of making before the meeting. He said Comstock told him in the courthouse lobby that Rivero was an idiot and that he wasn’t going to let him spend $300,000 on the property.
Comstock adamantly denied making the comments.
Rivero wants to use funds from the Small and Rural Sheriff’s Program, which he said is state money meant to enhance public safety in rural counties.
While each of the board members was elected from a particular district, Rivero said he’s been elected to take care of the entire county’s law enforcement, and he wanted the board to give him deference in the matter, saying the people of the county entrusted law enforcement to him.
He was adamantly against the shopping center location. “You get what you pay for,” he said, adding it was “alarming” to him that the space would be offered for such a small amount. There also is a bar there and a thrift shop with too much debris, and he didn’t want to locate deputies in a strip mall.
Regarding the 12594 Acorn St. building, it’s very small and located behind the Red and White Store, with trucks often unloading groceries there, said Rivero.
The visitor center at 12580 Acorn St. was too small, with two unisex bathrooms that face the Nylander Park. Rivero said that it wouldn’t be appropriate for the community members to have to share the bathrooms with sheriff’s staff.
He said the community garden behind the building would be lost, a comment which upset Smith, who said the garden wouldn’t need to relocate as it was 20 feet from the back of the building.
Rivero said Shady Lane needs work but he needed a permanent location to house his staff.
He asked the board to do a professional appraisal of the Shady Lane property in order to move forward with acquiring a Clearlake Oaks substation.
Rivero said a substation in the town was the “last peg” in decentralizing the sheriff’s office, a process which he said was 50 years behind schedule.
He again asked the board to give him deference on his decision, saying – and again pounding his hand on the table – that he wanted facts to make a reasonable, informed decision.
Brown accused him of once again exaggerating to a point that raises the issue of credibility, and told him not to sit and lie to the board.
Rivero countered that he was appalled by Brown’s behavior every time he appeared in front of him, and pounded his fist on the table again, demanding respect.
“You get every ounce of respect you deserve,” said Brown, adding, “None.”
In reference to Fash’s comments, Farrington said the Realtor had “skin in the game” as the listing agent, and that brought bias to the process.
Farrington said he appreciated Rivero fighting for a project, but suggested they needed to work together. He said he didn’t believe that the Shady Lane property made financial sense.
Farrington added that while supervisors are elected to represent districts, their decisions impact the county as a whole.
He said the Big Oak Shopping Center owner may be offering the low lease price in order to benefit the community, and said a substation would help address issues Rivero raised about the area, including loitering and the presence of a bar.
Comstock said he’s supported having a Clearlake Oaks substation from the beginning, and wanted something that worked best for the taxpayers and citizens.
Smith said originally he had liked the Shady Lane property, but said he had concluded, “It’s way too much money for the taxpayers.”
He said he became irritated about Rivero’s community garden comments because Rivero was using items like that to make the situation look bad. Smith said he wanted to suggest they take a field trip, so everyone could see the properties and things couldn’t be misconstrued in the discussions.
“I’ve been totally honest here,” Smith said. “I agree with you if money wasn’t an issue.”
He also quoted Rivero’s statement about not wanting to put deputies in a strip mall. “That’s not open-minded is it?”
Brown asked Rivero if the community garden was insurmountable. Rivero said no, but it was a problem. Smith said the garden is only an issue if the size of the building is doubled. Rivero said the building was too small.
Supervisor Denise Rushing suggested the shopping center owner was offering the good deal because he wanted law enforcement there. She said the shopping center should be kept on the table, but she didn’t view it as a permanent solution.
Rushing said the county didn’t have the budget for the Shady Lane property. Brown said they did if they wanted to exhaust their resources.
Brown said a substation’s presence could address criminal conduct concerns Rivero had for the area, adding the whole point of the location was to reduce crime, which he suspected would result.
“You suspect wrong,” said Rivero, reporting that building materials have been stolen from the site of the Middletown substation, which is still under renovation.
Brown said there are concessions business owners make to help the community, and he suggested the county should be grateful for a legitimate motive.
The offer for the $1 a month rent is something that shouldn’t be taken lightly, said Brown, adding that if they’re 50 years behind in decentralizing the sheriff’s office then they should get going. He said the Big Oak Shopping Center offer is the best deal they’re going to see for a long time.
Rivero said his office is a professional operation, and asked if the board would be OK if a substation was placed next to a marijuana growing operation or dispensary.
Brown asked if the shopping center location was a deal breaker or not. Rivero said no.
Farrington said he wasn’t going to second guess the motives of the shopping center owner, adding the county can save money and explore options. He said he was tired of being mired down in politics.
Rivero accused Farrington of doing “a 180,” which Farrington denied.
“You’re just hostile,” said Farrington. “There is no reason to be hostile.”
Rushing said the situation “shouldn’t be this hard,” and told Rivero that the total $430,000 purchase and renovation price tag for Shady Lane was a lot of money, and she would only approve of the purchase if the appraisal came in much lower.
Rushing moved to direct staff to move forward with negotiations regarding the Big Oak Shopping Center, with the board also directing staff to bring back a proposed lease agreement for consideration at a future date. Rushing also wanted to keep the Shady Lane property on the table as a future option.
As the board was continuing to discuss particulars of their directions to staff, Rivero got up and walked out of the room.
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