Forrest and Gage Fowler loading clay into wheelbarrow at the Clarks Island natural building project Clearlake Oaks, Calif. Photo by Miguel Lanigan.

The first phase of the project included making adobe bricks for a gateway and wall with arches and island signage.

The project was initiated by District 3 Supervisor Denise Rushing in January. Rushing envisioned it as a small project with a big visual impact using natural building materials.

Part of the thrust of this project is to show kids and young adults they can participate in community actions in their own community.

The county hired natural builder Massey Burke to lead the work for the Clarks Island Sustainability Initiative.

Burke, who also oversaw the building of an award-winning covered bench and curved wall at Lucerne Creek Park, recently completed a project for West Coast Green at Fort Mason in San Francisco.

Massey Burke, project manager, and District 3 Supervisor Denise Rushing do stone work at the Clarks Island entrance in Clearlake Oaks, Calif. Photo by Miguel Lanigan.

Copper Cross Vineyards donated clay for the Clarks Island project, and Clay and Margarita Shannon of Shannon Ridge Winery gave the necessary straw.

Clearlake Oaks County Water District installed a hose bib for the project and Carlé Continuation High School students participated in the adobe making effort.

Both red and black clay is being used for visual contrast.

The total cost estimate presented to the Board of Supervisors was $6,000. The Lake County Redevelopment Agency put in $4,500, with the balance – $1,500 – being donated by community members, local businesses and local organizations.

Six to eight students from the San Francisco University's Architect and Design Program are planning to come to work next weekend.

A crumbling break-wall at the entrance to the bridge leading onto Clarks Island has been removed and the embankment graded.

A floating Island will be anchored to the lakebed with planted tules, as part of the effort to hamper the growth of algae in the canals.

A tule revegetation project is planned at the island this coming weekend. For more information visit http://sites.google.com/site/konoctitrails/clarks-island/tule-revegetation.

Miguel Lanigan contributed to this report.

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Seth Wachtel, University of San Francisco's director of Architecture and Community Design Program and his son Elliot, share the mud at Clarks Island in Clearlake Oaks, Calif. Photo by Miguel Lanigan.

The California Department of Education and local educators expressed surprise at a 50-percent cut to the local child care planning council budgets, retroactive to July 1.

The Lake County Child Care Planning Council and its fiscal agent, the Lake County Office of Education, are now attempting to develop a workable budget and strategic plan for the year that will be effective, given what council staff say is a “dramatic” reduction.

“The collaboration and work that takes place through the Planning Council is critical to ongoing availability of quality, affordable child care in Lake County,” said council staffer Shelly Mascari.

The council has supported Lake County since 1991, providing a myriad of important services and supports to child care providers, families and other agencies.

Legislation provided that each county in California create a Local Planning Council to work toward availability and affordability of high quality child care.

The local council reports jointly to the Board of Supervisors and the superintendent of schools. Its work includes conducting a countywide child care needs assessment that is used by grant writers and other agencies to secure increased funding for Lake County programs, a strategic plan for child care in Lake County, data collection and tracking to determine where we have child care shortages, and how we can improve the quality and availability of child care.

Lake County Child Care Planning Council collaborators include representation from Head Start, North Coast Opportunities Resource and Referral and Alternative Payment, Lake County Child Care Planning Council, Easter Seals Northern California, First 5, Family Child Care Association, State Child Development Contractors, Mendocino Community College, Yuba Community College, Lake County Office of Education, and Department of Social Services.

Over the past decade the council has organized and collaborated to bring nearly 2,000 hours of professional growth opportunities to Lake County child care providers, which has had a significant impact on the quality of care children receive, Mascari said.

Other projects that resulted from these collaborations included the countywide Lake County Cares for Our Kids advocacy efforts, which includes participation from a large number of agencies and organizations to raise awareness on child abuse prevention and the importance of quality early care and education.

Additionally, the Early Childhood Educator of the Year Award program is in its third year, and is supported by agencies and organizations throughout our communities. It serves to recognize excellence in educators serving young children through a process of nominations, extensive selection committee work, and final countywide recognition in the media and at the highly anticipated award dinner.

Another important project of the council is the Steps to Leadership program, an intensive leadership development program for early childhood educators that serves to keep committed educators in the field, improve quality and reward ongoing commitment to education by providing a stipend at the end of the year for completion of the program.

This year, 65 applicants were accepted into the program, the council reported.

The council must now reevaluate the Steps to Leadership program and how it can continue to be effective after such significant budget cuts.

“The value of this council and the collaborations that occur cannot be overstated,” said Mascari. “Our main goal is to ensure that nearly 20 years of work are not destroyed in this drastic elimination of funding.”

For more information on the council's work, and how you can support its initiatives, please visit www.lakecountychildcareplanning.com or call 707-994-4795.

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The meeting will begin at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 19, in the board chambers at the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport. TV8 will broadcast the meeting live.

In a matter continued from Sept. 7, the board will consider options for funding improvements to the Southeast Regional Wastewater System, including possible financial participation by the city of Clearlake, and discuss the proposed ordinance amending the charges and fees for Southeast Regional Wastewater System. The matter will be heard at 10:45 a.m.

Clearlake City Administrator Dale Neiman said at last Thursday's Clearlake City Council meeting that he and Mayor Judy Thein met with Supervisor Anthony Farrington and County Administrative Officer Kelly Cox to discuss the sewer system issues.

“No decisions were made,” said Neiman.

Earlier this year the city had been in talks with the county about the system and contributing to the just under $5.5 million in repairs, but the city later pulled out of the discussion. Last month, the board decided to go back and see if the city would contribute to the effort in order to keep the costs down.

In other news, in an untimed item, the board will consider a staff proposal to issue a request for proposals to build and lease a Lake County Mental Health office building on 13^th Avenue in Lucerne.

The board also will hold a closed session in which supervisors will conduct a performance evaluation of Public Works Director Brent Siemer, discuss labor negotiations and consider a case of existing litigation, Lake County Air Quality District v. Bennett.

Other items on the agenda are as 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.

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, consideration of proposed tenant relocation plan for 3700 Country Club Drive and 6607 14th Avenue in Lucerne, in connection with the agency’s acquisition of the historic hotel property known as the “Lucerne Castle.”

9:20 a.m.: Presentation of proclamation recognizing World Polio Day on Oct. 24, 2010.

9:30 a.m.: Presentation of proclamation expressing appreciation of the agricultural benefit of equines to Lake County.

9:35 a.m.: Consideration of request for funding for the 2010-2011 Steps to Leadership Program (providing leadership development, professional growth, educational opportunities and incentives to early childhood educators).

9:50 a.m.: Presentation of proclamation designating the week of Oct. 23-31 as Red Ribbon Week in Lake County.

10:30 a.m.: Consideration of customer protest of LACOSAN rules and regulations and request for exception and refund (property located at 3469 Beach St., Nice – APN 032-253-320 - Adele Barclay).

11:30 a.m.: Assessment appeal hearing, Richard Betti - Application No. 120-2009 - 250 Henderson Drive, Clearlake Oaks, CA – APN 006-027-230-000.

Nontimed items

– Supervisors’ weekly calendar, travel and reports.

– Consideration of proposed resolution appropriating unanticipated revenue to Budget Unit 1781 - Special Projects (accepting a $10,000 grant award from PG&E to assist in funding a Lake County nonprofit energy efficiency project).

– Discussion/consideration of request by the city of Lakeport to install a 90-foot section of drainage pipe behind the sidewalk on the county’s Campbell Lane Corporation Yard and request for board direction regarding compensation for easement and maintenance of drainage system.

– Update on emergency action taken on March 2 regarding the Southeast Regional Wastewater Collection System – Interim Collection System improvements.

– Discussion/consideration of proposed Ordinance adding Section 411 to Article IV of Appendix A of The Sewer Use Ordinance of the Lake County Code concerning the transfer of sewer entitlements. Second reading, advanced from Oct. 12.

Consent agenda

– Approve minutes of the Board of Supervisors meeting held on Oct. 12, 2010.

– Adopt proclamation recognizing World Polio Day on Oct. 24, 2010.

– Adopt proclamation expressing appreciation of the agricultural benefit of equines to Lake County.

– Adopt proclamation designating the week of Oct. 23-31 as Red Ribbon Week in Lake County.

– Appoint David McMillen to the Heritage Commission (District 1 category) for a term expiring January 1, 2011.

– Approve agreement between the county of Lake and Adams Ashby Group for Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Labor Standards Coordination Services (for the construction of the Middletown Library and Senior Center), in the amount of $19,000 (funded by CDBG Program Income), and authorize the chair to sign.

– Adopt resolution approving agreement for emergency or nonemergency joint usage of equipment, equipment operators or materials with the city of Lakeport; and adopt resolution approving agreement for emergency or nonemergency joint usage of equipment, equipment operators or materials with the city of Clearlake.

– Approve permit to conduct aeronautical activities at Lampson Field Airport (Newhall Aviation Services), and authorize the chair to sign.

– Approve amendment to agreement between the county of Lake and Southern Folger for the retrofit and installation of facility locks, in the amount of $243.38, and authorize the chair to sign.

– Authorize chair to initial California Emergency Management Agency FY2010 Grant Assurances for the State Domestic Preparedness (Homeland Security) Grant Application (approved by the board on Aug. 10, 2010).

– Approve request for out of state travel for Water Resources director and quagga mussel program assistant Jim Steele to attend level two training of the Aquatic Nuisance Species Project on Nov. 9-10 at Lake Mead, Nevada and Arizona, per Water Resources director memorandum to the board, dated Oct. 6.

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The meeting will begin at 6 p.m. in the council chambers at Lakeport City Hall, 225 Park St.

The majority of items on the meeting agenda are listed on the consent agenda, which usually is acted upon by the council with a single vote, although council members can request items be removed for discussion.

Consent agenda items include the Oct. 15 warrant register, the Oct. 5 council meeting minutes, adoption of a resolution encouraging the Marine Life Protection Act Initiative Blue Ribbon Task Force and California Fish and Game Commission to support and adopt the Regional Stakeholder Group Marine Protected Area Array Proposal, and approval of contract change orders No. 6 and No. 7 for the Forbes Street Overlay Project.

Also on the consent agenda, the council will considering authorizing Mayor Jim Irwin to execute the notice of completion for the Forbes Street Overlay Project and accept the project as complete, and approve the purchase agreement and open escrow for the Green Ranch property.

The last consent agenda item is approval of Application No. 2010-23 for Lakeport Elementary School’s Annual Halloween Parade on Friday, Oct. 29, from 12:30 p.m. to 1:15 p.m.

Citizen input also will be taken during the meeting.

The council will hold a closed session to discuss a case of pending litigation, City of Lakeport v. Vincent (Lake County Superior Court Case No. CV405609).

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Norm Taylor, the association's president, said a lawsuit currently is in the process of being filed against the city.

City Attorney Steve Brookes said the city so far hasn't been served with any suit from the association.

In a 2006 memorandum of understanding with the police officers association, the city agreed to improve the city's 2 percent at age 50 retirement formula to 3 percent at 50, implementing the changes this July, as Lake County News has reported.

However, in a July 20 meeting the council failed to approve the new retirement package, coming back and giving its approval on July 27.

Then, on Aug. 17, with the council needing to hold a public hearing in order to give final approval, it voted down the retirement package upgrade in a 3-2 vote, with Councilmen Bob Rumfelt and Roy Parmentier voting to uphold the agreement.

Mike Minton of Operating Engineers Local 3 – the union which represents Lakeport's police officers as well as Clearlake's officers and employees, and the Lake County Employees Association – said the first required step in fighting the council's actions is to file a grievance with the city.

He said he did that in mid-September, sending it to City Manager Margaret Silveira. Minton said he didn't get a response back.

However, both Silveira and Brookes characterized it more as a letter than a grievance.

Silveira said the letter essentially demanded that the city fulfill its contract with the police officers.

“We have received nothing other than the letter from Mike,” said Silveira.

Having just come on with the city in the spring, Silveira – who said she's never had to deal with such a situation – is letting Brookes take the lead on it.

The police officers readily gave up a lot of things to get the retirement package, said Minton.

Taylor said Lakeport's police officers agreed to take 1 percent less per year in salary increases as a concession. Those concessions now total nearly half the estimated cost of the retirement increase.

The association also agreed not to offer retiree medical benefits to new officers, with one-third of the city's police force now having no such benefits, Taylor said.

Plus, the city cut two dark police officer positions, which Taylor said the association was told only was done to afford the retirement benefit increase. The two cut positions totaled about $100,000 annually.

Minton said the benefits packages shouldn't even have gone up before the council for a vote, as the contract language was specific and said that the new package “shall” be implemented.

He said the 3 percent at 50 package is now the standard for public safety employees. “If you want to be able to recruit and retain, you have got to maintain the standard.”

Minton, himself a longtime law enforcement officer, explained that people don't hire on for the pay but for the benefits in such work. “The city understood that going in.”

With the police officers' contract coming to an end this December, Minton said the city should have asked the association to come to negotiations and then proposed a two-tier retirement system, honoring the agreement for current employees and suggesting a lesser benefit for future officers.

“Realistically and legally, that's how they should have approached this,” he said.

While some council members – including Councilman Ron Bertsch – said the memorandum of understanding was approved by a previous council and that financial circumstances had changed, Taylor said the entire council had approved an updated version of the agreement in 2009.

Indeed, according to city records, at the council's meeting on May 5, 2009, the current council unanimously approved an updated version of the 27-page memorandum, which stated that the city would amend its retirement plan effective July 31, 2010.

At that meeting, Rumfelt had it pulled from the consent agenda, asking Brookes what it was. Brookes, who presented it to the council, said it was a “comprehensive” and expanded version of the agreement.

His staff report for that meeting said the newer document replaced the earlier agreement “in order to spell out in much more detail the terms now existing between the police bargaining unit and the city.” It also made bereavement leave provisions consistent with those in the “miscellaneous employees” memorandum of understanding.

Rumfelt moved it be approved, it was seconded by Councilman Jim Irwin and approved by the full council, all of whom were present, according to the meeting's minutes.

Minton asked why, if the council had issues with the retirement, that council members didn't bring it up then.

Added Taylor, “They didn't pay any attention.”

Minton and Brookes also have discussed the matter, and Minton said Brookes suggested they wait until after the November election – when two council seats are on the ballot – to decide how to move forward, as the council could change. Brookes confirmed that he made the suggestion.

However, Minton said that wasn't good enough. With at least one Lakeport Police officer who was ready to retire and two others who were considering it, Minton said the situation can't wait, so he turned it over to the union's attorney.

Minton said the suit will allege failure to abide by a contract. “Not only are they now going to have to pay for what they've already negotiated and agreed to, they're going to get stuck paying attorney fees, so the cost is going to go up dramatically.”

He said he also wants to see the city pay additional penalties for its failure to honor the contract.

Brookes explained that there is a legal doctrine that he is evaluating that says a party can argue against implementing a contract if changed circumstances will mean huge costs and other difficulties.

“That's the direction I've been given, is to look at that defense and see if it's viable or not,” he said.

Meanwhile, Taylor said the association is waiting to move forward, and hasn't gotten any answers to questions such as what the city did with the money from the concessions officers gave up. He said they believe that the 4 percent given up from raises has been spent through the years.

Silveira said all city discussions about the negotiations are now taking place with the council in closed session.

With the need to start contract talks for a new police contract soon, Silveira said the city is hoping to sit down the association.

Taylor has written a letter on the association's concerns about the contract dispute. Read it here: Taylor: City broke its promises to police .

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County Administrative Officer Kelly Cox, who also serves as executive director for the Lake County Redevelopment Agency, took to the board a request to waive the normal bidding process to replace half of the building's roof.

The other half had been replaced in recent years by Castlepoint Ministries, which sold the property to the redevelopment agency last month for $1.35 million, as Lake County News has reported.

“We'd like to get those repairs done prior to the rains beginning,” Cox said, noting the rainy season is forecast to begin early this year.

Cox said the county also has a strong interest in making the eight-decade-old building's renovation as much of an economic engine for the area as possible.

He said staff was recommending utilizing an informal bidding process to complete the work in a timely manner.

Every county roofing contractor was contacted by telephone to invite bids, he said.

Two contractors showed up to a prebid site review. Bids were due at 9 a.m. Tuesday, at the same time the board meeting started.

Cox reported that the county received only one bid – a surprise since he had expected both contractors to submit bids – and it was from Lucerne Roofing.

He said county staff was very confident in Lucerne Roofing's abilities. However, the bid came in at $263,000, higher than the anticipated $225,000 based on a building evaluation conducted last year.

Cox said the county could conduct a formal bidding process, which would bring in out-of-county contractors and take more time.

“We're pushing it at this rate even going through the informal process” if the county wanted to see the roof completed before the rains arrived, Cox said.

Cox noted that Redevelopment Deputy Director Eric Seely was meeting with Konocti Conservation Camp representatives at the building at that time to talk about site work, which was why he was absent from the meeting.

Board Chair Anthony Farrington asked if they could negotiate the bid price.

Cox said that there may be ways to reduce costs. A major issue in the bid cost was the need to use a lot of scaffolding, which will have to be rented from an out-of-county firm. If the work were stalled by weather, he said it would create a risk for the company.

Deputy Administrative Officer Jeff Rein told the board he wasn't confident much about the amount could be changed.

Although Cox said, “It's a little bit higher than we originally thought it would be,” he said he thinks they can make it up elsewhere, and the county has enough funding to pay for it.

While the county could go outside for another roofing contractor, he said the last big roofing project they did – which took place last year – went to an out-of-county contractor, and the county is now in litigation over the work. They wouldn't had had such problems with Lucerne Roofing, Cox said.

In addition, Rein told the board, “We've put a rather unusual provision in this contract.”

That provision requires the contractor to guarantee their work – not the materials – for five years, staff said.

Rein said there would be no guarantee that an out-of-county contractor would still be in business for five years, while Lucerne Roofing has been in business for decades and has a stellar reputation.

Supervisor Jim Comstock said he wasn't at all interested in inviting bids from outside firms. “We want this to be done local,” he said, suggesting the county seek a reduction in scaffolding costs.

Cox told the board during the discussion that one of the differences in the projected cost and the actual bid arose from the need to pay prevailing wage for a government job.

Supervisor Denise Rushing suggested that the county could offer to share the risk on the scaffolding rental, but said she didn't want to remove all the risk, which might also reduce the contractor's incentive to move quickly. Cox said it was a good point.

Supervisor Jeff Smith wanted to make sure the materials were top quality so that a reroof wouldn't be needed any time soon. “To have to do this again in 20 years is nuts,” he said, suggesting at least a 35-year shingle.

Cox said that the roofing materials used on the updated half of the roof was really good quality.

At County Counsel Anita Grant's suggestion, Rushing moved to modify the resolution so that it said the job amount would not exceed the $263,000 bid before offering it. The resolution was approved 5-0.

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