LAKEPORT, Calif. – In a brief meeting Tuesday, the Board of Supervisors took up fire recovery-related items including the extension of a local health emergency and the need to increase landfill fees for the thousands of tons of wildland fire debris coming into the facility.
The board, which usually does not meet on the fifth Tuesdays of the month, held a special meeting this week to discuss several matters, including issues related to the Clayton fire recovery.
Board Chair Rob Brown was absent from the meeting due to needing to meet Tuesday morning with state and federal officials about Clayton fire recovery issues. Supervisor Jeff Smith was out of town.
The board's consideration of sending the state a letter relinquishing a $20 million grant to expand the jail was held over due to Brown's absence.
Supervisors Jim Comstock, Anthony Farrington and Jim Steele met for just over 40 minutes, unanimously approving or giving consensus to the agenda items.
Dr. Karen Tait, the county's health officer, asked for – and received – support for continuing the proclamation of a local health emergency due to the wildland fires, an action that she said has to be taken every two weeks.
In this case, the continuation is for the debris removal program, Tait said.
The major discussion item at Tuesday's meeting related to wildland fire debris tipping fees at the Eastlake Landfill.
Public Services Director Lars Ewing brought the discussion to the board, citing the need to raise the fees in order for the landfill to maintain its operations.
“It's something that was already on the table to be discussed,” said Ewing, but it's become more important as more debris is making its way into the landfill now that the Clayton fire cleanup effort has begun.
He said there is a need to look at charging a specific rate for the fire debris. “The idea is, that fire debris specifically has additional operation and reserve costs above and beyond a per-ton proportionate increase,” Ewing explained.
Ewing said the fire debris has additional handling requirements, as it's essentially handled twice because it's first moved to a temporary location in the lined portion of the landfill before final disposal, which involves processing it safely both for the sake of the staff and the environment.
He said that it's estimated that debris from the Clayton fire will total about 34,000 tons, which is about 11 percent of the remaining space in the landfill. Based on figures given during the discussion, that amount is 6,000 tons short of the total amount of waste generated by the entire county in a year.
The debris cleanup tonnage at the current gate fee of $51.12 per ton will generate about $1.7 million. However that falls short of the $2.2 million need for additional operation and reserve costs, Ewing said.
Those additional costs include overtime, extra help, heavy equipment maintenance, plus the $1.40 per ton the county has to pay to the state Board of Equalization, according to Ewing.
He said CalRecycle also requires the county to have financial assurance reserves for eventually closing the landfill, long-term post-closure maintenance costs and corrective action costs if there is a flood, fire or another issue after the closure. Ewing said those reserves need to be increased.
In order to make up the $500,000 deficit, Ewing said he wanted to establish a fire debris gate fee of $65 per ton. However, he said finalizing the proposal will require more work by the county's Solid Waste Task Force, as well as presenting an ordinance to the board.
Farrington asked if some of the reconstruction debris is being diverted. Ewing said some of it is going to be recycled. He suggested they may want to track that debris specifically.
The board reached consensus to direct Ewing to move forward on the work necessary to return with an ordinance to update debris gate fees.
Also on Tuesday, the board approved adding an extra item requested by the Lake County Sheriff's Office to apply for a grant to cover the county's hazard mitigation plan, which is due in the middle of next year, according to Undersheriff Chris Macedo.
Macedo said the plan is necessary for the county to obtain state and federal funding for ongoing emergency operations and reimbursements.
“This plan takes quite a bit of time in order for it to get completed and done,” Macedo said.
The $75,000 grant requires a $25,000 match, said Macedo. He said that if the county receives the grant, the goal is to hire someone to write the plan.
Farrington asked about the source of funds. County Administrative Officer Carol Huchingson said the general fund is the source of the money.
“Good luck with that,” said Farrington, who added that he had hoped the money might come from a reserve or other fund.
He asked how important the grant is on a scale of one to 10. Macedo said 10, explaining that, without it, the county would be ineligible for reimbursement during an emergency.
Farrington responded that the general fund is depleted, but Huchingson said the money already is budgeted in the recommended budget she plans to bring before the board in September.
In other business, the board approved appointing Harry Chase to the Lower Lake Cemetery District Board of Trustees.
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Supervisors extend health emergency, discuss landfill fees for fire debris
- Elizabeth Larson