THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CORRECTED REGARDING THE VOTE ON THE ROSSMAN CONTRACT.
LAKEPORT – Tuesday's meeting of the Lake County Board of Supervisors focused on the economy.
Issues ranged from a Social Services Department report on the rising need for public assistance, to higher rates charged by contracted water attorneys Rossmann & Moore, the Vector Control District's request for a benefit assessment vote which would raise about $500,000 and a delay deciding on an agreement with the University of California at Davis to fund a $52,000 historical data analysis of Clear Lake'swater clarity.
County Administrator Kelly Cox reiterated the "buy and hire locally" theme in suggesting the county keep Rossmann & Moore on retainer and look for local attorneys experienced in water issues. The board went ahead and amended the agreement with the lawyers to raise their rate from $300 to $350, with a cap on the total amount spent annually.
Carol Huchingson, Social Services director, said first-time applicants for services like food stamps and medical services have increased by 28 percent so far this year, largely because of lost jobs and homes and depleted savings.
Some applicants are turned down because of conflicting state laws, such as the one that requires CalWORKS applicants not own a car worth more than $4,600.
"Sometimes they need that car to get to work," she said. The state has frozen funding at 2001 cost levels, she said, adding "the state has abdicated its responsibilities."
Board chairwoman Denise Rushing agreed that "the statistics are sobering, and at the state level we have much dysfunction."
She noted that food security has become a major problem, with probably 150 families in need. Between farmers and meal providers, "We ought to be able to feed 150 families."
Supervisor Anthony Farrington suggested the county needs to "reposition to a year-round economy. We've been grappling with this for years."
Board members, department heads and key staff and the public will have a chance should do some more grappling with it in a May 21 afternoon workshop organized by the California Association for Local Economic Development (CALED) and Debra Sommerfield, deputy county administrative officer for economic development.
Sommerfield said Wayne Schell, chief executive officer of CALED, has assembled a team of experts in real estate, investments in infrastructure will make recommendations on county priorities and an action plan to attract investment. The workshop will be at the board chambers.
Study looks at lake clarity
A decision on agreeing to a UC Davis $52,076 proposed historical analysis of 20 years worth of lake studies was postponed for a week. The analysis is intended to determine the pre-European condition of the lake and adapt criteria to determine when the lake is no longer impacted with regard to nutrients and algae blooms, among others.
Public Works Director Brent Siemer suggested the analysis to the Lake County Watershed Protection District. His memo notes that in 2006 the state adopted the Nutrient Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for Clear Lake, over county staff objections. Local staff members said the program did not reflect the improved clarity of Clear Lake since 1991.
Tom Smythe of the Public Works Department told the board Tuesday, "This will never be Lake Tahoe. It's a natural eutrophic lake," nutrient-rich and therefore abundant in plant and animal life.
He added that early reports indicated "phosphorus was the culprit, but the lake is much clearer now" than in the 1970s and 1980s.
Supervisor Rob Brown complained, "There was no baseline study. This is more crap being foisted on us by state law."
Cox suggested looking for local people who could either do the analysis or collaborate with the university.
Vector Control plans benefits assessment ballot
Jamesina Scott, director of the county's Vector Control District, reported on the department's work in identifying and controlling disease-carrying insects and animals. She said, ballots will be mailed in mid-May to the county's 42,000 property owners regarding a benefits assessment of $13.96 per year.
The department has done a survey of about a quarter of the property owners and found that 57.3-percent support the proposed assessment.
She said 100 percent of the funds raised would be used locally and non-redirected to the state. "The department is reaching a critical state. It's had 10 years of neglect of buildings, equipment and vehicles."
The money raised, about $500,000, would allow for increased staff and faster service to the public, she said.
"The nice thing about a benefit assessment is that the money will be controlled by the Vector Control District Board," she said.
Phil Murphy, a local pear grower and regular board-watcher, asked if the assessment would continue or could be rescinded if it were no longer needed. Farrington told him the district board has an opening, so he could apply and help make that decision.
Vector Control has seen an increase in mosquito-breeding grounds in residential swimming pools where houses are unoccupied and for sale, Scott said.
Some of the District's other responsibilities are Clear Lake and black gnats, spiders and watching for West Nile Virus, which was first detected here in 2003. There were no cases in 2008 or so far this year.
County Health Officer Dr. Karen Tait said she and Scott have successfully collaborated since both started work in Lake County about a year ago.
Board denies appeal on business in residential district
Presented with new information about neighborhood litigation and questions about whether drainage equipment had been installed, the board denied Terry Hopkins' appeal of the Lake County Planning Commission's denial of his application for a use permit allowing a home occupation office in a detached building at 1519 McMahon Road, Lakeport.
The issues raised included additional traffic on the dead-end road, encroachment on a driveway and whether the business changed the character of the neighborhood.
Hopkins had recently moved his accounting business from Lakeport's Main Street to the detached building, which was originally built as a collector's garage. He was represented by consultant Mary Jane Fagalde, the county’s former Community Development director.
The public hearing took about an hour of the board's four-hour meeting.
County Counsel Anita Grant told the supervisors because of the lack of facts they could either continue the matter or deny the appeal.
Farrington moved to deny and advised Hopkins to get together with his neighbors and come back with a "game plan" to settle the litigation.
The vote to deny was 3-2, with Brown and Supervisor Jim Comstock voting no.
E-mail Sophie Annan Jensen at
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