LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Board of Supervisors on Tuesday voted unanimously to approve the formation of an advisory group to work on a sales tax proposal for next June's ballot.
Supervisor Anthony Farrington took the proposal to the board, along with a suggestion to create a large advisory board with representatives from numerous groups and organizations.
The sales tax proposal, which would go before voters next June, would raise funds for lake-related projects, including weed and algae abatement, invasive species prevention and water quality.
A similar measure, Measure E, was put on last fall's ballot.
Measure E proposed a half-cent sales tax in the unincorporated area of the county, which would have raised an estimated $2.4 million to benefit Clear Lake.
The measure failed by just a few percentage points to get the necessary number of votes.
Having learned from Measure E, and with more lead time, Farrington told his board colleagues, “We're in a position to where we can put a proposal before the voters with much more input, much more collaboration.”
While Measure E was what Farrington called a “ninth inning effort,” with just a few months to lobby the community, the new sales tax measure would have several months for development and campaigning.
He said Measure E also had bigger obstacles to overcome, including a poor economy, two state proposed sales tax measures, and one sales tax measure in Clearlake, which also failed to get the needed votes.
Even so, he said Measure E did surprisingly well, receiving 63 percent of the vote. It needed 66 percent in order to be able to lock in the use of the funds for the lake, rather than have the money deposited into the general fund with no requirements.
Since Measure E's failure, Farrington said he has been approached by a number of organizations and individuals who asked him to take up the effort again.
Measure E is not a perfect document, but Farrington said it was a good starting point for a new effort.
He proposed the formation of a large advisory group that would include a member of the Board of Supervisors, representatives from the city councils of Lakeport and Clearlake, the Lake County Chamber and Clear Lake Chamber of Commerce, the Sierra Club, the Lake County Farm Bureau, local tribes, the Clear Lake Advisory Committee, nine members of the public, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, California Department of Food and Agriculture and the local board of Realtors.
Farrington was concerned, however, that if the group had to be a Brown Act-compliant organization, it could slow the process down.
Supervisor Rob Brown said the measure needed a specific plan, as that had been part of the downfall of Measure E.
Referring to the large size of the advisory group, Brown said, “It's going to take some time.”
County Counsel Anita Grant cautioned that enough time would be needed to have the measure approved by the state. She didn't have that deadlines available at the meeting on Tuesday.
“Probably the first thing the group should do is sit down and understand what that timeline is,” said Grant, noting it could be easy to pass the deadlines.
Regarding Brown Act requirements, she said that law has expanded its application. As such, if the board creates a committee and designates who it will include, “The Brown Act is going to apply.”
However, if the group is created privately, she said the board can allow staff to take part without the Brown Act requirements.
In offering her recommendation, Supervisor Denise Rushing said, “The goal is to come up with a really good plan that the public will trust enough to vote for and that will work.”
Keeping that goal in mind, Rushing questioned how they could go about coming up with a good plan quickly that also has a transparency that the public will trust. She said such processes can take months and they don't have months.
She suggested holding a series of public workshops where any member of the public with a plan could present it. In addition, Measure E and a plan formed by the Clear Lake Advisory Committee could be used to help create the new measure.
“There should be a small committee, the smaller the better,” she said.
At a minimum, she said they should be able to get all the ideas are on the table.
Farrington said holding workshops is a great idea.
County Water Resources and Public Works Director Scott De Leon didn't have any comments on the plan, but added he was happy to participate in any way the board directed him.
Farrington moved to direct De Leon to create the ad hoc working group to bring forward a proposal – including a detailed expenditure plan – for board consideration for placement on the June 2014 general election ballot.
By consensus, the board also encouraged Farrington to work with the ad hoc working group.
The board approved the motion 5-0.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
How to resolve AdBlock issue? 
