LAKEPORT – The Board of Supervisors' Tuesday agenda is a fairly brief one, with the board scheduled to part of its morning in closed session interviews for a new pollution control officer before conducting a site visit at a proposed riding academy.

The meeting begins at 9 a.m. in the board chambers at the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes, Lakeport. TV Channel 8 will television the public portions of the meeting.

Air Pollution Control Officer Bob Reynolds is due to retire later this summer, so the board will hold a closed session beginning at 10:30 a.m. to interview applicants for the position.

Before going into closed session, the board will hold a public hearing at 9:15 a.m., in which Appelbaum-Bakersfield LLC will appeal the Planning Commission's approval of a lot line adjustment with a condition that a public right-of-way be created prior to recording the adjustment. The project is located at 8200 and 8250 Orchard Drive and 1895 Eastlake Drive, Kelseyville.

Lakeport Police Chief Kevin Burke will make a presentation to the board at 10 a.m. about his department's school resource officer program, which serves the Lakeport Unified School District. He'll ask the county to consider assisting in funding the program in the 2008-09 fiscal year.

During a joint meeting last month between the Lakeport City Council and the Board of Supervisors, city officials asked the county to consider allocating funds to the program, which they said serves students from outside of the city limits.

The county invited Burke to make a presentation to the board about the program so it can formally consider the request.

At 10:15 a.m., Lake County Tobacco Control representatives will present a report to the board.

Under untimed items, the board will consider the Public Works Department's request to approve a memorandum of understanding between the county and the Big Valley Band of Pomo Indians and the Bureau of Indian affairs, which would place certain designated county roads and bridges in the Indian Reservation Road program.

Public Works is taking a second untimed request to the board, asking it to consider awarding a bid for construction of the second phase of drainage improvements at Lampson Field.

During the afternoon session, the board is scheduled to do a site visit at 1:30 p.m. at John and Joanne Van Eck's property at 4965 Steelhead Drive in Kelseyville.

The Van Ecks want to have a riding academy for physically challenged children at the property, which the Planning Commission approved in February.

Under the terms of the minor use permit the commission approved, the Van Ecks can operate a riding academy for a maximum of 15 students per week along with a nine-stall commercial stable and construct a 2,276-square-foot clubhouse facility with a 2,200-square-foot open air, walled garden, which can be used for up to three approved special events annually. Already on the 76-acre property is a 14,000-square-foot riding arena moved there from the Middletown area.

Neighbors, led by James Clement, are appealing the project's approval, citing concerns about noise, traffic on Steelhead – which they say already has degraded the quality of the road – and concerns that the Van Ecks have an eye to eventually turning the academy into a full-blown major events center.

Planning officials have pointed to old zoning that allowed agriculture to exist alongside a subdivision as the root of the disagreement between the neighbors.

After touring the facility, the board will return to the chambers at the courthouse at 2:30 p.m. to hold a public hearing on Clements' appeal.

Supervisor Anthony Farrington has recused himself from considering the issue because he lives close to the Van Ecks' property.

The issue first went to the board May 13, at which time they decided to have a site visit before making a decision. It was scheduled to be on last week's agenda but Clement asked for a one-week continuance.

E-mail Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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