LAKEPORT – Drought conditions, an appeal by a consultant seeking to get the contract for the Spring Valley water system and a proposed speed limit on Clear Lake will go before the Board of Supervisors at its Tuesday meeting.

The meeting will begin at 9 a.m. in the board chambers at the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St. The meeting will be broadcast live on TV Channel 8. The meeting's agenda can be found at www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Boards/Board_of_Supervisors/BOS_Agendas.htm.

At its Feb. 24, the board approved a resolution to institute voluntary water conservation measures in the water and sewer districts it controls, and to ask other water purveyors to do the same, as Lake County News has reported.

At 3:30 p.m. Tuesday the Public Works and Special Districts departments will update the board on the situation and emphasize the need for more conservation.

A report to the board from Public Works Director Brent Siemer notes that county staff measured the water levels of 84 groundwater wells. “Groundwater levels continue to be below average in nearly all groundwater basins, indicating drought conditions are continuing,” Siemer reported.

Clear Lake is also more than 2 feet below its average level, which Siemer said will restrict the amount of water the Yolo County Flood Control and Water Conservation District – which owns water rights to the lake – will be able to take.

If Yolo Flood takes its full 16,000 acre foot allocation, the lake could be half a foot below Rumsey – the special measure assigned to it – by fall, according to Siemer.

Siemer suggests the board reiterate the need for water conservation in order to maximize its carryover for next year.

Special Districts Adminstrator Mark Dellinger notes in a report on the water situation to the board that his department is developing a drought contingency plan, drought-related ordinances and other planning tools to help the county be prepared for handling water issues for the rest of the year.

Dellinger is asking the board to direct staff to finalize and institute the drought management plan – which would include mandatory water conservation measures – and bring back urgency water ordinances which would institute emergency water conservation restrictions including surcharges for overuse violations.

At 10:30 a.m. supervisors will hear an appeal by CH2MHill of the board's decision two weeks ago to not choose the company for the Spring Valley water system engineering product – as the county's consultant selection board had advised – and instead go with a local company, Ruzika Engineering, whose proposal is to be considered at 10:45 a.m.

The board has voiced its desire to do business with local companies whenever possible.

An April 9 letter from CH2MHill's vice president, Ed Christofferson, notes that the company followed the request for proposal process when submitting its proposal in January, and nowhere was local presence said to have any bearing on selection.

“The County's Consultant Selection Policy states local presence as being a determining factor to be weighed only in the case where two firms are rated equally on a qualification basis,” Christofferson wrote.

He said he was notified by Dellinger on Feb. 16 that CH2MHill had been chosen for the project, and the company agreed to reduce its fee by 11.5 percent, or $39,000. The company's final proposal amount was $302,100.

Ruzicka filed no appeal as required by the consultant selection policy, said Christofferson, nor was it ranked in the top two, it didn't offer a price for construction services and its design services weren't priced the lowest.

Citing the April 7 meeting and the fact that the board approved the selection of another nonlocal firm, Christofferson wrote, “This is inconsistent and patently unfair.”

He asks the board to follow its past practice of of selecting the best qualified consultant and uphold the consultant selection board's choice.

In other business, at 3 p.m. the board will discuss a request from Finley resident Phil Murphy that a speed limit for boats and other vessels using Clear Lake after daylight hours. Supervisor Anthony Farrington is taking the request to the board on Murphy's behalf.

Other items on the Tuesday agenda include the following.

Timed items:

9:15 a.m.: Presentation of Proclamation designating the week of April 19-25 as “National Volunteer Recognition Week in Lake County.

9:30 a.m.: Presentation by the Bureau of Land Management regarding the North Coast California Geotourism Project.

9:45 a.m.: Consideration of recommendation from the Lake County Fish and Wildlife Advisory Committee for the purchase of trout from the Mt. Lassen Hatchery for stocking of Blue Lakes in the

amount of $3,400.

10:15 a.m.: Consideration of proposed memorandum of understanding between the Lake County Watershed Protection District, Napa County Flood Control and Water Conservation District, Colusa

Resource Conservation District, Solano County Water Agency and Water Resources Association of Yolo County for the development of an Integrated Regional Water Management Plan for the Westside Subregion of the Sacramento River Funding Area.

11 a.m.: Public hearing – Appeal of Terry Hopkins of the Planning Commission’s decision to deny a minor modification of a use permit to allow the establishment of home occupation with an oversized detached accessory structure that was approved as a collector’s garage in 2003; project located at

1519 McMahon Road, Lakeport.

11:30 a.m.: Public hearings – consideration of request for authorization to submit a grant application to the U.S. Department of Justice Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program for funding the initiation of a Special Victims/Vulnerable Persons Unit; and consideration of request for authorization to submit a grant application to the U.S. Department of Justice Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program for funding for the hiring of civilian staff in law enforcement and public related agencies (funding to be used for one additional civilian coroner position and to aid the existing civilian coroner).

1:30 p.m.: Update on Code Enforcement activities; request for board direction on current Code Enforcement priorities, as listed in staff memorandum; and request for board direction regarding potential options for amendments to the Zoning Ordinance, as described in staff memorandum.

Nontimed items:

– Discussion/consideration of request to utilize vacant county property (approximately one-quarter acre), adjacent to the South Civic Center for a memorial grove for Lance Corporal Ivan Wilson.

– Consideration of proposed agreement between the county of Lake and FEDCO Construction Inc. for the HES Soda Bay Road Realignment Project in the amount of $409,546.

– Consideration of award of Bid No. 09-32 to Coastline Equipment for the purchase of one 2009 crane truck in the amount of $100,000.

– An ordinance amending Section 2-2 of the Lake County Code, repealing authority for office closures and making other miscellaneous amendments to office hours of county offices. Second reading, advanced from April 14.

– An ordinance amending the Sewer Use Ordinance (Appendix A of the Lake County Code), concerning public sewer connection charges. Second reading, advanced from April 14.

– An ordinance amending the Sewer Use Ordinance (Appendix B of the Lake County Code), concerning fees and charges for permits, inspections and construction. Second reading, advanced from April 14.

– An ordinance establishing fees charged by the county coroner. Second reading, advanced from April 14.

The board also will hold a closed session to discuss labor negotiations and to perform an performance evaluation of Siemer.

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