LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Board of Supervisors has begun the process of moving the Lake County Office of Emergency Services back under the auspices of the sheriff's office, a move expected to be finalized with the second reading of an ordinance next week.

The board approved that ordinance's first reading at its Nov. 3 meeting, advancing it to a second and final reading Nov. 17.

The ordinance makes the sheriff director of the Office of Emergency Services, a title currently assigned to the county administrative officer.

In February 2013, the board had voted unanimously to move Lake County OES from the sheriff's office to the County Administrative Office based in part on recommendations in a consultant's report completed following the Wye and Scotts fires of 2012, as Lake County News has reported.

County Administrative Officer Matt Perry told the board that after the recent wildland fires he met with Sheriff Brian Martin; Supervisor Rob Brown, who chairs the county's Disaster Council; Carol Huchingson, the county's Social Services director who is doing double duty as the county recovery officer; and Auditor-Controller Cathy Saderlund about transferring Lake County OES back to the sheriff's office.

Perry said that while he still thinks there is a role for his office – as well as the Auditor-Controller's Office – to play as far as coordinating long-term recovery issues and managing the recovery funding sources from the California Office of Emergency Services and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the sheriff's office has more staff, better training, and more experience in preparing for and responding to emergencies.

In addition, Perry reported that the sheriff's office would manage the Emergency Management Performance Grant and Homeland Security Grant.

As such, he proposed transferring Lake County OES back to the sheriff's office. “Sheriff Martin is agreeable to that.”

The transition of Lake County OES from the County Administrative Office to the sheriff's office would be effective upon hiring an interim manager, Perry said.

Perry said his staff is working with the California Office of Emergency Services to identify candidates – including retirees – qualified for hire as an extra help employee on a contract basis pending a permanent OES manager being hired. He hoped that temporary person would be in place within a few weeks.

“One of the things I think this emergency showed us is that a response is required from the county as a whole,” Martin told the board, explaining that's why every county employee is designated a disaster services worker.

While the ordinance will make him director of of OES and give him a manager, “It truly is a countywide effort,” Martin said.

He said he's grateful for the support he is sure will come his way as he assumes the OES director role, adding he thinks it's good to have Perry maintaining an ongoing role with OES as well. Martin said he looks forward to selecting a person to fill the OES manager role.

Board Chair Anthony Farrington asked if the OES manager job is a civilian position. Martin said yes.

Farrington noted that over the last several years the OES manager job has been moved around from various department – from Public Services to the sheriff's office to the County Administrator's Office.

“It's the best fit” to put it back in the sheriff's office, Farrington said, adding he was glad Martin is willing to take it on, which he said he wasn't sure was the case with the sheriff's office leadership in the past.

Farrington said he believed that the continuity, experience, oversight and leadership from the sheriff's office in managing OES would offer better service to the public in the long run.

Supervisor Jim Steele asked Martin of the new OES manager would be an OES professional, and if they would have duties including planning for emergencies.

Martin said previously the OES manager had been a uniformed sergeant who rotated into the job. He said he hopes to find someone who wants to make a career out of being OES manager, an answer that satisfied Steele, who offered his support for returning OES to the sheriff's office.

Brown explained how that OES started out in the Public Services Department before moving to the sheriff's office. He said previously, with the county having not gone through major disasters like the recent flood and fires, it wasn't a priority for other departments to work cooperatively with the sheriff's office on OES matters, so there was trouble getting information.

Having now gone through the Valley fire, “I think we're going to get full cooperation with other departments and other agencies and throughout the county,” Brown said.

“Now we have leadership that is able to take this on,” he said, adding they have commitments from other departments and involvement from Perry's office that will ensure Martin has what he needs.

“I think the Valley fire really changed our culture here. It made us realize that it's not somebody else's problem. It's not OES' problem, it's not the sheriff's problem or whoever. It's a county problem,” said Martin. “I think, that, unfortunately it took a big tragedy like this to change our culture and I hope that we're able to maintain that culture for many, many years to come.”

Community member Mike Dunlap said he supported moving OES to the sheriff's office, but asked for a commitment from the board and the sheriff to have public involvement in the disaster council, “and that we get busy in putting together a comprehensive disaster response program.”

Brown moved to approve the ordinance, which the board approved and forward to Nov. 17 for the second reading.

The board also unanimously approved a resolution amending the county's salary and classification plan to adjust the salary of the OES manager classification. That action set the monthly entry salary at $5,876.

The Lake County Human Resources Department has listed the OES manager job, which has a salary range of $5,876 to $7,143 per month. Applications are being accepted through 5 p.m. Dec. 4.

In other news, the board also approved reestablishing a lieutenant's job in the sheriff's office to help Martin's staff.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.