LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Board of Supervisors bid farewell to two of its veteran members and welcomed two new supervisors at its first meeting of 2017 on Tuesday.

Tuesday's meeting was the last as elected officials for District 1 Supervisor Jim Comstock and District 4 Supervisor Anthony Farrington.

Both men had decided last year not to seek reelection; Comstock served two terms and Farrington four.

Elected to succeed them in November were Jose “Moke” Simon III for District 1 and Tina Scott for District 4.

Before an audience that was standing room only in the meeting chambers, Comstock and Farrington both fondly recalled their time on the board, and each would receive a standing ovation.

“I love Lake County and I love you people. You're very special. Serving you really, really has been an honor and a privilege,” said Comstock, who added that he always tried to do the right thing for the citizens and the county.

He commended county staff and his fellow board members, noting the particularly challenging times in the last two years due to the wildland fires.

Comstock said he has known Simon all of his life, as well as his father and grandfather. “I am really pleased to step down and have Moke step in here. He will do a great job.”

In turn, his fellow supervisors thanked him for his work, and noted that time had passed quickly.

“This last couple of years has been a tremendous test for all of us,” said Supervisor Rob Brown, referring to the impact of the fires.

Farrington said he considered Comstock a man of integrity, who respected the opinions of others and for whom it was never personal when disagreeing with someone.

Supervisor Jim Steele called Comstock “an absolute gentleman” who says what he means.

In his farewell comments, Farrington called his departure a bittersweet moment. He said he was wearing the suit his late mother bought him for his first swearing-in 16 years ago.

“The journey has been a good one, not always easy,” he said, explaining that after he was unable to pursue a career in the Navy due to health issues, he returned to Lake County where his family has lived for nearly 170 years, beginning his career in public service.

He said the board has accomplished a lot of things that he's proud of, including putting registered sex offenders online before Megan's Law required it and the passage of an ordinance to control the sale of pseudoephedrine in an effort to fight methamphetamine production.

More recently, the board worked as a team to respond to the county's wildland fires, he said.

Looking ahead, Farrington said making Clear Lake a priority is still the No. 1 goal for the county, and he encouraged the board not to give up on the fight.

He also listed cannabis regulation, enforcement of zoning ordinances to prevent resorts from becoming year-round residential facilities, transient occupancy tax collection, working out an agreement with the city of Lakeport regarding a water system upgrade in the South Main Street area that the city wants to annex and structurally balanced budgets as other priorities.

He urged Scott and Simon not to take things personally or to make promises they can't keep, to avoid committing to a decision ahead of board consideration and to be transparent by making their decisions in the public eye.
 
Farrington also was lauded by his colleagues for his service. Steele said Farrington is well known beyond Lake County, particularly among members of the Rural County Representatives of California, an organization that advocates for rural counties like Lake.

Supervisor Jeff Smith read and presented a commendation outlining Farrington's accomplishments, with Steele doing the honors for Comstock.

Registrar of Voters Diane Fridley then came forward to administer the oath to Scott and to Simon, as well as to Brown, who was elected to his fifth term in June.

Afterward, as they went to take their seats, Simon was hugged by Comstock and Farrington embraced Scott before leaving the dais for the final time.

With the new board seated, Brown, in his capacity as outgoing chair, said he could reflect on the past but instead is looking forward to the future, noting, “2017 and beyond has a lot to offer for Lake County.”

He then passed the gavel to Smith in order to nominate Smith as chair for the coming year, with Steele as vice chair. Scott seconded and the board approved the motion unanimously.

The board took a brief break before resuming its meeting, which lasted just under three and a half hours.

The actions the board took during the remainder of the meeting included making committee and advisory board appointments, continuing local emergencies for the wildland fires, adopting a new master fee schedule, getting a report from the county's treasurer-tax collector on plans this year for a tax sale, approving a plan by County Administrative Officer Carol Huchingson for new board member training and new board protocols, and holding over until Jan. 24 a public hearing on a Verizon Wireless cell phone tower project in Kelseyville.

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