- Lake County Board of Supervisors
Local Government
LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Board of Supervisors on Tuesday got an update on the effort to lobby for a statewide emergency relating to invasive mussels.
In August, the board passed a resolution urging the governor to declare a statewide emergency because of the appearance of invasive mussels – in particular, the quagga and zebra – in Southern California waters, as Lake County News has reported.
Since then, Supervisor Anthony Farrington and Supervisor Denise Rushing have met with state officials, and other jurisdictions – including the cities of Lakeport and Clearlake – have passed similar ordinances supporting a gubernatorial emergency declaration.
Farrington said Tuesday that they’ve had “very positive response” from other counties, including San Luis Obispo, San Benito, Yolo, Madera and Riverside. He said Sonoma also is considering such a resolution.
“We've had a lot of traction with the other counties following suit,” he said.
Farrington and Rushing are scheduled to meet on Thursday with state Secretary for Natural Resources John Laird and California Department of Fish and Game Director Chuck Bonham to discuss the proposal. Farrington thanked Assemblywoman Fiona Ma for her assistance in facilitating that meeting.
Another goal is to get a legislator on board to craft supporting legislation. Farrington said they are seeking a response on that request from state Sen. Noreen Evans, Assemblyman Wes Chesbro and Assemblywoman Mariko Yamada, who will represent Lake County after 2013 due to state redistricting.
Rushing added that they’re also still seeking an audience with the governor.
Melissa Fulton, chair of the Clear Lake Advisory Committee, said they want to see the emergency move forward as quickly as possible.
“This is a threat, as we know, to the entire state,” she said, adding that invasive mussels are becoming more of a top of mind concern for people in California and elsewhere.
To keep the process rolling, Farrington told the board he wanted to send out a second round of letters to counties that haven’t responded to Lake’s request to support the resolution.
The board voted unanimously to continue moving forward with the efforts that Farrington and Rushing are spearheading.
Rushing also had asked for a discussion on a work plan from the Clear Lake Advisory Committee. Fulton said the group is planning to meet soon to discuss the 2012 work plan.
Rushing said the board needed specifics from the committee due to the level of complexity surrounding lake protection.
She said different committee members will come to the board with long lists of things that need to be done. “The only way we are going to get ourselves out of this is to put some structure to it.”
Betsy Cawn, the committee’s secretary, told the board that there are very poor communications between the committee and county staff.
Rushing said the goal was to improve communications, and asked for a short list of goals. Cawn protested, stating that the committee already had given the board such a list in June.
Farrington responded that it was the Clear Lake Advisory Committee’s job to advise the board, not set policy. He recounted bringing lake-related issued to the board previously – including an algae harvester – and getting pushback from the committee.
“Ultimately, we set the policy,” he said, adding that the supervisors needed specifics if they were to address the shortcomings in the interactions between the committee and board that Cawn said existed.
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- Elizabeth Larson
Council postpones public access television funding ordinance
TV8, Lake County's Public, Education and Government – or PEG – channel has asked the county and the cities of Clearlake and Lakeport to support a 1-percent pass-through fee that Mediacom is willing to place on customers' bills to raise funds for the station.
Earlier this year the Board of Supervisors indicated it would only support the measure if both cities did.
The Clearlake City Council has voted for the fee but the city of Lakeport still needed to come on board. Previous Lakeport councils have not supported giving the station financial support, citing the city's tight finances.
During a presentation last month, Joyce Overton – mayor of Clearlake and a member of PEG's governing board – told the Lakeport City Council that the cost on the average customer's bill would be less than $1 a month, and that most people wouldn't notice the fee.
At that time the council had supported bringing the matter back for a public hearing, but on Tuesday the council didn't embrace the measure, which City Manager Margaret Silveira told council members is expected to raise about $55,000 a year for the station.
Councilman Bob Rumfelt said he left Mediacom because it seemed like the company was raising its fees every other month due to things in which he had no say, and he didn't support doing something similar to Lakeport residents.
Councilman Roy Parmentier also took issue with the fee, and said the city should send out a letter with water bills to city residents to gauge their opinion.
“Personally I have no desire to vote for it,” said Parmentier.
There was some discussion about whether or not there was time to bring the matter back, as City Clerk Janel Chapman said the station had wanted the pass-through fee in place by the start of the year.
Both Rumfelt and Parmentier remained firmly against it, and no one made a motion. With Councilman Tom Engstrom gone there were only four council members, and with two against it Parmentier pointed out the votes weren't there to move the measure forward.
Silveira asked if the council wanted her to send out a letter to residents with the water bill. The indication was yes; Rumfelt added that he wanted to know what people think about the station generally.
In other council business, a planned public hearing on the annexation of 197 acres along South Main Street and Soda Bay Road was put off until December.
Community Development/Redevelopment Director Richard Knoll said that due to research and comments from County Administrative Officer Kelly Cox – who made clear in communications to the city that the county wanted to see an environmental impact report conducted on the plan – city staff realized there was a procedural error in the process. He said a new public notice would be put out and the matter would be brought back.
Based on feedback received from the council during a Sept. 20 workshop, Knoll also took to the council on Tuesday an adjusted scope for the Lakeport Downtown Improvement Project.
The city will continue with plans to widen sidewalks on both sides of the street by two feet, and install grates and patterned concrete, plant street trees and relocate lamp posts, but will cut out some other improvements, like bulbouts, bulbout landscaping and corner monuments to save money.
“The project is essentially on hold” at this time, Knoll told the council.
He said the city's redevelopment agency only has available $1.8 million out of the $3.5 million it thought it had for the project, the total cost of which is $5 million.
The council also approved updating some city speed zones and awarded a bid for the Parallel Drive water main project to Preston Pipelines for $471,909.
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- Lake County News reports
Board of Supervisors seeks advisory board applicants
The Board of Supervisors is seeking applicants to fill the following vacancies; members whose terms are expiring may also apply to be reappointed.
– Animal Control Advisory Board: Two vacancies, Supervisorial District 2 and member-at-large categories.
– Area 1 Developmental Disabilities Board: Two vacancies, two persons with disabilities or the parents or guardians thereof.
– Big Valley Groundwater Management Zone Commission: Three vacancies, one member-at-large, two in water districts category.
– Building Board of Appeals: Two vacancies, Supervisorial Districts 1 and 2.
– Child Care Planning and Development Council: Eight vacancies, one in community representative, two in childcare provider, one in public agency, two in the consumer and two in the discretionary appointee categories.
– Clear Lake Advisory Committee: Two vacancies, one in fishery and one in aquatic plants categories.
– Emergency Medical Care Committee: Seven vacancies, one in the community college district, one emergency room-affiliated medical care coordinator, one paramedic representative, two emergency medical technician representatives, one private ambulance company and one in the consumers -interested group category.
– Fish and Wildlife Advisory Committee: One vacancy in the wildlife/conservation industry.
– Glenbrook Cemetery District: One vacancy.
– Heritage Commission: Two vacancies, Supervisorial Districts 2 and 5.
– In-Home Supportive Services Advisory Committee: Four vacancies, two in the senior consumer category and two in disabled consumer categories.
– Mental Health Advisory Board: Three vacancies, one in consumer and two in general membership categories.
– Section 8 Resident Advisory Board: Two vacancies.
– County Service Area No. 2-Spring Valley: One vacancy.
– Upper Lake Cemetery Board: One vacancy.
Other advisory board seats may currently be vacant. For a comprehensive list, please see the posted roster outside the Clerk of the Board Office.
For applications, or if you have questions regarding a vacancy on one of these advisory boards, please contact the Clerk of the Board at 707-263-2371.
Applications also are available online at www.co.lake.ca.us; at the Lake County Courthouse, Clerk of the Board’s Office, Room 109, 255 North Forbes St., Lakeport; or below.
Please note that all memberships on the above referenced advisory boards are voluntary.
Follow Lake County News on Twitter at http://twitter.com/LakeCoNews, on Tumblr at www.lakeconews.tumblr.com, on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lake-County-News/143156775604?ref=mf and on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/user/LakeCoNews .
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- Elizabeth Larson
Lakeport City Council to discuss annexation plan Tuesday
The council will convene at 5 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 1, for the review of the annual financial report before the regular meeting convenes at 6 p.m. in the council chambers at Lakeport City Hall, 225 Park St.
The council's public hearing will consider the adoption of a mitigated negative declaration of environmental impact on the initial study and environmental review of the proposed 197-acre South Main Street/Soda Bay Road Annexation Project, which includes 54 parcels. The report for the item is posted below; the annexation item begins on page four.
The Lakeport Planning Commission approved the annexation's mitigated negative declaration at its Oct. 12 meeting and also voted to recommend to the council that the study and negative declaration be forwarded to the Lake County Local Agency Formation Commission, according to city documents.
The city is getting some pushback on the proposed annexation from the county of Lake, which is asking that a full environmental impact report be completed.
A memorandum to the planning commission from County Administrative Officer Kelly Cox earlier this month said the county's comments and recommendations have been “consistently ignored or brushed aside” by the city, which is the project's lead agency.
“The Lead Agency's willingness to disregard the City's own General Plan brings the entire draft environmental document into question, and begs the question, 'why has this proposed annexation project been given such a high-priority when the land is clearly not required for efficient and timely development?'”
Cox cites a Lake County News article on June 9 about the city's budget hearings, during which it was stated that city staff was proposing the annexation to bring in revenue. The city's 2011-12 budget also states that annexing South Main Street provides an opportunity to enhance the city's revenues.
“It would appear that the Lead Agency's ability to craft an adequate environmental document which addresses all of the proposed project's potentially significant environmental impacts, including inconsistency with the City's General Plan, has been blurred with dollar signs and ultimately is in question,” Cox wrote.
Also on Tuesday, the council will conduct a public hearing on a speed zone ordinance – which will update municipal code with language based on recently completed engineering and traffic surveys performed – and consider a staff proposal to reduce the scope of the Phase 2 Downtown Improvement Project.
City Engineer Scott Harter will take to the council the Parallel Drive water main project and ask for the awarding of the base bid and alternate two to Preston Pipelines Inc. of Milpitas.
In other business, an ordinance will be introduce to add an article to the City of Lakeport Municipal Code to provide support for Public, Educational and Governmental (PEG) cable television access facilities with a pass-through fee on customers' bills. The council also will set a public hearing for the second reading on Tuesday, Dec. 6, at 6 p.m.
The council will make a presentation to members of the Lake County Channel Cats in recognition of their participation in the Zone Champions swim match, and Mayor Suzanne Lyons will present prizes to the winners of the Library Park restroom poster contest.
The council also will hold a closed session to discussion labor negotiations with unrepresented employees; a case of pending litigation, Operating Engineers Local Union No. 3 and Lakeport Police Officers Association v. City of Lakeport; and a case of anticipated litigation.
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LAKEPORT, Calif. – this week the board of supervisors will consider a response to the federal government's attempt to take away geothermal royalties, get up an update on its call for the state to establish a statewide emergency regarding invasive mussels and get a presentation on a new marketing and economic marketing strategic plan.
The meeting will begin at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 1, in the board chambers on the first floor of the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport.
In an untimed item, County Administrative Officer Kelly Cox will take to the board proposed letters to federal representatives over the anticipated loss of royalties for Lake and other counties across the country that produce geothermal resources.
Cox's report to the board explains that the geothermal royalties – which have been under threat for the last few years – are once again under threat, with the Obama administration's deficit reduction plan including the proposal to eliminate all royalties to counties and states.
Thanks to The Geysers geothermal steamfields and other geothermal leases in the county, Lake has been amongst the counties with the top revenue, taking in several million dollars that have been used for projects like the purchase of the Mt. Konocti parklands and other community improvements in the south county.
In other business, at 9:20 p.m., the board will get an update on the lobbying effort that has followed its passage of a resolution this summer calling on the governor to declare a statewide emergency resulting from infestation of Dreissenid mussels into state water bodies. The board also will discuss the Clear Lake Advisory Committee’s progress on the development of a work plan.
At 10:20 a.m., the board will discuss a revised version of a proposed resolution supporting the mandatory labeling of genetically engineered food. The issue was held over from the Oct. 25 meeting.
At 2 p.m., the County Administrative Office will present to the board the Lake County Economic Development Marketing and Economic Marketing Strategic Plan for 2011-2013.
During the discussion, a group of Lake County artists is expected to talk with the board about a strategic plan for art tourism. Local artists are encouraged to attend and find out more information about how they can take part in the art tourism plan.
A full agenda follows.
TIMED ITEMS
9 a.m.: Approval of consent agenda, which includes items that are expected to be routine and noncontroversial, and will be acted upon by the board at one time without discussion; presentation of animals available for adoption at Lake County Animal Care and Control; consideration of items not appearing on the posted agenda, and contract change orders for current construction projects.
9:05 a.m.: Citizen's input. Any person may speak for three minutes about any subject of concern, provided that it is within the jurisdiction of the Board of Supervisors and is not already on the agenda. Prior to this time, speakers must fill out a slip giving name, address and subject (available in the clerk of the board’s office, first floor, courthouse).
9:15 a.m.: Public hearing, public bid opening to license county of Lake property (at departmental request, this item has been carried over to a future date).
9:20 a.m.: Update regarding Resolution No. 2011-120, requesting the governor declare a statewide emergency resulting from infestation of dreissenid mussels into the water bodies of the state of California; and discussion/consideration of Clear Lake Advisory Committee’s progress on the development of a work plan.
9:45 a.m.: Consideration of staff request for board direction regarding the development of a policy on recovery of overpayment of employee wages.
10 a.m.: Consideration of proposed resolution canceling reserve designation and appropriating funds for CSA No. 2 – Spring Valley Campground ($12,500 for community center roof repair).
10:05 a.m.: Consideration of proposed resolution canceling reserve designation and appropriating funds for CSA No. 2 – Spring Valley ($12,000 for Chalk Mountain Bridge repair).
10:20 a.m.: Discussion/consideration of proposed resolution supporting the mandatory labeling of genetically engineered food. Continued from Oct. 25.
2 p.m.: Presentation of the proposed Lake County Economic Development Marketing and Economic Marketing Strategic Plan for 2011-2013.
NONTIMED ITEMS
– Supervisors’ weekly calendar, travel and reports.
– Closed session: Public Employee Disciplinary Appeal EDA 2011-05, Government Code Section 54957.
– Consideration of board appointment to the Public Defender Oversight Committee.
– Consideration of proposed letters to federal representatives opposing the proposed elimination of geothermal royalty payments to counties.
– Consideration of proposed agreement between the county of Lake and E Center, for fiscal year 2011-12 nutrition education services, in the amount of $150,000 (funding from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education Grant).
– Consideration of proposed resolution adopting the 2011 Lake County Regional Transportation Bikeway Plan.
– Consideration of proposed agreement between the county of Lake and the National Council on Crime and Delinquency for the reporting service subscription for Internet access to Safe Measures, in the amount of $21,000, for a two-year period.
– Consideration of proposed agreement between the Lake County Watershed Protection District and Alameda County Flood Control and Water Conservation District for Right of Way and Relocation services Board of Directors of the Lake (for the Flood Protection Corridor Program), in an amount not to County Watershed Protection exceed $100,000).
– Consideration of request to issue a purchase order for asphalt for Nice-Lucerne Cutoff Roadway repairs (previously approved on Oct. 25).
CLOSED SESSION
– Labor negotiations with the Lake County Employees Association, Lake County Deputy Sheriff's Association, Lake County Correctional Officer's Association and Lake County Deputy District Attorney's Association.
CONSENT AGENDA
– Approve minutes of the Board of Supervisors meeting held on Oct. 25, 2011.
– Adopt resolution establishing new CalWORKS Maintenance of Effort Fund; and revising revenue estimates and appropriations in Social Services Fund 168 and General Welfare Fund 169 to amend the Fiscal Year 2011-12 Adopted Budget.
– Adopt agreement between the county of Lake and the Lake County Chamber of Commerce for fiscal year 2011-12 marketing, economic development and visitor information services, in the amount of $50,000, and authorize the chair to sign.
– Adopt resolution appropriating unanticipated revenue in BU4012 and BU4016 in order to reissue a check to the state of California Department of Public Health, California Tobacco Control Program in the amount of $7,051 (refund of previous overpayment by the state).
– Adopt resolution declaring intent to license county of Lake property (Buckingham Peak), and set public hearing and opening of bids for Tuesday, Dec. 6, at 9:25 a.m.
– Adopt resolution of intention to change the name of an existing road in the county of Lake (Fredericksen Drive) and set public hearing for Tuesday, Dec. 13, at 9:15 a.m.
– Adopt resolution authorizing the director, Public Works Department, to sign a notice of completion for work performed under agreement dated Aug. 16, 2011 (Orchard Shores Subdivision Pavement Rehabilitation, Clearlake Oaks, Bid No. 11-18).
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at
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