McMillan will be taking over the post formerly occupied by Dr. Marvin Trotter, and will be responsible for all duties of a public health officer as required by the Health and Safety Code.

In addition to his standard duties, McMillan will be working with agency staff to evaluate the role and responsibilities of the health officer position, the county reported. Once a model is developed for the permanent Public Health Officer position, he will assist with recruitment.

McMillan retired from his position as Lake County's health officer in the spring of 2008, and assisted with recruiting his successor, Dr. Karen Tait.

Tait said Wednesday that she got word from McMillan about his appointment that day, and she said she expected they'll be speaking regularly.

McMillan also recently was interim health officer for San Luis Obispo County, where he also helped recruit a permanent health officer.

Mendocino County's Board of Supervisors found that McMillan’s qualifications make him an excellent candidate for the position, as he is a pediatrician with a master's degree in public health, and his areas of expertise include infectious disease and disaster preparedness.

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With city Redevelopment Director Richard Knoll absent from the meeting, City Engineer Scott Harter took to the council the proposed contract between the Lakeport Redevelopment Agency and Quincy Engineering for the Lakeport Boulevard/S. Main Street intersection study.

The proposed contract price was $79,800, Harter said.

Nancy Ruzicka – who owns Ruzicka Engineering along with her husband, Cliff – went before the council to ask them not to approve the contract.

Ruzicka has been outspoken in recent months about the city's and county's need to keep such contracts local.

She said it was time the city of Lakeport stopped sending jobs over the hill to Mendocino County, Santa Rosa and Sacramento.

Ruzicka said her firm proposed to do the job for just over $49,000, $30,000 less than Quincy Engineering's bid.

Just this past week, Ruzicka said her firm went to a four-day week for its employees, and laid off two staffers.

The firm has had its proposals turned down on the last four city projects for which it has submitted bids, she said. The city staff members who sit on the consultant selection committee rated them last out of 12 firms, although Councilman Ron Bertsch, who sits on the group, rated them No. 1, Ruzicka said.

She said she just wanted fairness in the process. “It takes a lot of money and a lot of time to do these proposals.”

Last month, Rau and Associates was approved for a contract to do the engineering for the city's downtown improvement project. The city agreed to pay the firm $316,000 or the work – $60,000 higher than the price Ruzicka Engineering proposed, Ruzicka said.

“You're sending our tax dollars over the hill,” said Ruzicka.

Mayor Jim Irwin told Ruzicka that, at the council's last meeting, they directed staff to make modifications to the city's consultant selection process, and added a 2-percent – or two point – local advantage.

Ruzicka returned to the podium and told Irwin that 2 percent “is nothing.” She asked them to give local contractors a 10-point advantage in the selection process.

Councilman Ron Bertsch asked why they are doing the study now, when the work likely would be two to three years out.

Harter said the agency previously had directed staff to have projects ready to go and on the shelf in case funding became available. He said the Lakeport Boulevard and S. Main Street intersection has been identified as an area that needs assistance, and which has capacity issues.

Councilman Bob Rumfelt asked what would happen if they didn't go forward with the contract.

Harter replied, “You're likely looking at some sort of lawsuit, I'm not sure.”

Council member Suzanne Lyons asked if they could add a local preference to this process. Harter said they couldn't.

Lyons said the council approved a motion last spring to add local preference to the process and it went nowhere.

“It just seems we're not doing what we say we're going to do,” she said.

Harter said City Attorney Steve Brookes currently is working on that local preference policy.

Irwin noted, “This is the kind of thing that would fall under our new policy.”

“We have to have faith that the people who look over these RFPs (requests for proposal) know what they're dong and pick a company that can do it,” said Rumfelt.

At the same time, he said the council has been pounding on city staff to have projects ready to go.

Since the council already had approved Quincy Engineering as the firm for the job, “The way I see it, we're kinda bound by that decision,” said Rumfelt.

The council voted 3-2 – with Lyons and Bertsch voting no – to approve the contract.

The council also voted unanimously to participate in the Subsidized Employment Program, administered by the Lake County Department of Social Services Department, which will reimburse the city for the salaries of workers it places through the program. The program also is supposed to cover training and other associated employments costs.

Community Development Director Mark Brannigan told the council he was going to seek to have full reimbursement for the three positions he's seeking to have filled through the program – a water plant staffer, a mechanic and a clerical position for the Lakeport Redevelopment Agency.

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The commission will meet at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 2, in the council chambers at Clearlake City Hall, 14050 Olympic Drive.

The city of Clearlake is proposing to amend its redevelopment plan, which will lengthen the document's life and, according to City Administrator Dale Neiman, bring millions of dollars into the city.

At a meeting last month three Clearlake City Council members had to disclose potential conflicts of interest because of the plan – all related to the fact that their homes are located within the redevelopment plan area and that they stand to benefit from increased property values, as Lake County News has reported.

Similarly, on Tuesday, planning commissioners will discuss their own potential conflicts, according to the agenda.

Commissioners will then discuss and consider the preliminary report and the environmental document for the proposed redevelopment plan, which Neiman said is a necessary step in the amendment process.

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That was the message that Special District Administrator Mark Dellinger shared with the Board of Supervisors at its meeting last Tuesday, Jan. 26.

District 2 Supervisor Jeff Smith had asked Dellinger for an update on the status of the Southeast Regional Wastewater Collection System before the board last week.

Following that meeting, Dellinger released an explanation of how the sewer system works to the public (See Special Districts administrator offers tips on reducing sewage spills).

“We're paying for our good intentions to a degree,” Dellinger told Lake County News.

The Southeast Regional Wastewater Collection System – which serves Clearlake and is in serious need of upgrade – had a series of spills in the wake of recent storms, with rain getting into the system and causing sewage to push up through manholes, Dellinger reported.

The 11.5 inches of rain that dropped on Lake County from Jan. 19 through 25 resulted in more than 500,000 gallons of sewage needing to be pumped out of the Southeast Regional system to prevent spills, Dellinger said.

There were thousands more gallons of sewage that did spill, however, and Dellinger isn't sure of how the state might react, and what fines may be awaiting the county for those spills.

Dellinger told the board that on Jan. 19 the system had a 4,000 gallon sewage spill and tanker trunks hauled 69,000 gallons to prevent more spills. On Jan. 20, Dellinger said there was a 15,300 gallon spill and 192,000 gallons were hauled.

Another 2,250 gallon spill occurred on the night of Jan. 25, but Dellinger said his staff was “ahead of it” and deployed pumper trucks to haul 315,000 gallons.

Inflow and infiltration are both a challenge for sewer systems, Dellinger said.

Inflow comes from unauthorized connections, such as people placing their downspouts into the gutters or opening up cleanouts in response to flooding, he said. Just one person putting their rain gutter into the system can equate to the equivalent of 50 single family home hookups to the system.

He said many public agencies are now integrating a philosophical change in their approach to the inflow and infiltration equation by offering public education to reduce the load on their systems.

Dellinger added that the agencies trying that approach are seeing success, because once people understand the issues, they tend to cooperate.

Unauthorized connections, he added, are illegal under county ordinance.

Another alternative is to build a combined sewer system, which Dellinger said is a very costly option, although he didn't have a cost estimate.

The county has a sanitary sewer system, which only deals with sewer, he said.

Previous sewer system spills have had a high cost for the the county, said Dellinger.

He told Lake County News that a series of spills in Clearlake five years ago cost the county $120,000. That money went into a state cleanup and abatement fund.

Dellinger has applied to the state for funds from that account but hasn't been successful, although he told the board that private companies often receive funds from it for projects such as removing underground storage tanks.

Smith said that, for what they've paid in spills, they could pay someone to walk door in Clearlake to door to talk to ratepayers.

The county and Clearlake Redevelopment Agency are discussing splitting the cost of a $5 million system upgrade that would include a four-mile, 12-inch diameter pipe along Highway 53 from the city's pump station four, which is located by a bridge on the highway, and extending down to the treatment plant on Pond Road, as Lake County News reported last summer.

That option would provide an estimated 3,000 single-family home hookup equivalents, as well as capacity for commercial and development at the Pearce Field airport on Highway 53, according to Dellinger.

He told the board that the county didn't receive stimulus money for the project when it applied six months ago, but he's preparing to submit an application to the state's revolving loan fund.

“We've got to make that investment no matter what happens over the next year,” said Smith.

Dellinger told the board that he budgets hundreds of thousands of dollars annually to pay for septic haulers.

Seeking innovative solutions

Dellinger said he's spent seven years trying to find solutions for inflow and infiltration and their impacts on the county's sewer system. Both are generally ways accounted for ways of water getting into the sewer system.

Infiltration can depend, to a degree, on weather. Dellinger said when the storms hit last month the county was going into its fourth year of drought. When the dry ground finally gets saturated, the water can make its way into manholes or all the way down to gravity lines in the system.

However, the the Southeast Regional system's case, they were seeing sewage surcharges into the system without any saturation.

“This stuff all happened fast, which tells us it was the inflow portion,” he said, and likely is coming from people opening cleanouts and placing downspouts in gutters.

Although education can dramatically reduce spills, Dellinger cautioned, “I won't tell you that we can absolutely eliminate spills,” since every sewer system has a certain amount of inflow and infiltration.

Dellinger suggested to the board last week that the county do comprehensive testing on its system, which would include smoke testing.

Once they identify any problem areas on private property, they'll approach property owners and work to make any needed repairs, which his engineers are telling him is, in itself, a significant educational tool.

If problems at a site persist – such as with people putting large amounts of inflow into the system – they may need to take more serious measures, he said. But that's not the first option.

“I like to see the best in people, not the worst,” he said.

Dellinger has suggested that Special Districts could send out requests for proposals to local businesses to make fixes on the system.

The ultimate goal, Dellinger said, is cooperation with sewer system ratepayers.

As he told the board Jan. 26, “I want to believe the best in people, that once they learn they're going to do the right thing.”

This Tuesday at 11 a.m., Dellinger is scheduled to return to the board to give an update on negotiations with the Clearlake Redevelopment Agency pertaining to the Southeast Regional Wastewater Collection System improvements.

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

At 1:30 p.m., the county's GE Crops Advisory Committee will offer a recommendation regarding how to address growing GE crops in Lake County.

The board also will consider continuing the committee, which began meeting a year ago this month.

In an untimed discussion, the County Administrative Office will present to the board a midyear budget report.

As part of that item, the board will consider a proposed resolution amending the Fiscal Year 2009-10 Final Budget revenue estimates, appropriations and designations

At 11 a.m., the board also will continue a discussion that began at last week's meeting about negotiations with the Clearlake Redevelopment Agency regarding the Southeast Regional Wastewater Collection System improvements.

Other items on the agenda include the following.

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.: Assessment appeal hearing: Michael Raffanelli, 16144 13th St., Clearlake. Continued from Jan. 5.

9:30 a.m.: Hearing, notice of nuisance abatement, Charlotte Figueras, 7127 Morton St., Nice.

9:45 a.m.: Hearing, notice of nuisance abatement, Kenneth Kent, 6534 14th Ave., Lucerne.

10 a.m.: Hearing, notice of nuisance abatement, Kenneth Kent, 6536 14th Ave., Lucerne.

Nontimed items

– Supervisors’ weekly calendar, travel and reports.

– Consideration of applications from members of the public for appointment to miscellaneous Lake County committees, commissions and advisory boards.

– Discussion and consideration of county’s current vehicle purchasing policy. Continued from Jan. 26.

– Discussion and consideration of board direction relative to relocating barges acquired from Vector Control District; and discussion and consideration of repairs to the county's algae boat.

– Discussion and consideration of proposed first amendment to the agreement between the county of Lake and Heritage Schools Inc. for specialty mental health services (not to exceed $23,372).

Consent agenda

– Approve Minutes of the Board of Supervisors meeting held on Jan. 26, 2010.

– Appoint Incumbents Chrissy Pittman, David Fromer, Ronald Nagy and Mary Brown to the Emergency Medical Care Committee for terms expiring on Jan. 1, 2011.

– Appoint Alisha Acker to the Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health Advisory Board for a term expiring on Jan. 1, 2011.

– Adopt Resolution No. _____ declaring county property surplus to the needs of the county and authorizing purchasing agent to sell said property (one 1991 Peterbilt 3-axle Tractor and one 2000 Peterbilt 3-axle tractor).

– Adopt Resolution No. _____ approving the application to apply for grant funds from the Statewide Park Program Grant Funds (for the development and improvements for the eight county parks).

– Approve agreement between the county of Lake and Fast Franks for operation of mobile concession at Lakeside County Park and authorize the chair to sign.

– Adopt Resolution No. _____ approving the application for grant funds from the Habitat Conservation Fund Program (for improvements to amenities for Mt. Konocti).

– Adopt Resolution No. _____ approving final parcel map and the signing of the final parcel map (Poco).

– Adopt Resolution No. _____ regarding Regular Examination of Breasts Extends Lives (R.E.B.E.L.).

– Approve agreement between the county of Lake and the Lake County Redevelopment Agency providing a loan of operating funds from the county to the agency and authorize the chair to sign.

– Approve agreement between the county of Lake and the Lake County Redevelopment Agency providing a loan of operating funds from the county to the agency and authorize the chair to sign.

– Adopt Resolution No. _____ electing to become subject to the Uniform Public Construction Cost Accounting procedures.

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

The agenda and supporting staff reports can be downloaded at http://www.cityoflakeport.com/departments/docs.aspx?deptID=88&catID=102 .

Community Development Director Brannigan will take to the council a request to approve an exemption to the citywide hiring freeze for any vacant or needed position that can be filled and funded through the Subsidized Employment Program, administered by the Lake County Department of Social Services Department.

Brannigan's report to the council explained that Social Services recently received funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). It's using the funds to assist low-income individuals who are unemployed, have been laid off recently or are at risk for layoff in finding work.

His report said that Social Services’ goal is to place about 25 job seekers in subsidized jobs throughout the private and public sectors throughout Lake County.

Through the Subsidized Employment Program, Social Services will reimburse the entire cost to the city of employing job applicants in the program, Brannigan reported. He suggested that the words “limited-term” be added to the job description for any position funded by the program.

In other action, convening jointly as the council and the Lakeport Redevelopment Agency, council members will approve minutes of the Jan. 19 Redevelopment Agency meeting and approve the proposed contract dated Jan. 8 between the Redevelopment Agency and Quincy Engineering for Engineering Services for the Lakeport Boulevard/S. Main Street Intersection Study and authorize interim City Kevin Burke to to execute the contract.

Items on the council's consent agenda – which are expected to be routine and noncontroversial, and are accepted at the start of the meeting – include approval of warrants listed on the warrant register dated Jan. 29; approval of the minutes of the regular Lakeport City Council meeting of Jan. 19; receipt of the annual Local Agency Formation Commission billing report and authorization of payment; approval of Application No. 2010-03 for the Corvettes of Lake County to hold its annual car show on May 30, using Library Park, including the gazebo, Park Street, Second Street, and the city parking lot on Third and Park Streets; and approval of Application No. 2010-04 for the Norcal Aircooled Group to hold its

annual VW car show on June 19 using Park Street between First and Third Streets and Second Street between Main and Park Streets.

The council also will hold a closed session to discuss employee negotiations with the Lakeport Police Officers Association and discuss the selection of a new city manager candidate. The council interviewed four candidates at a special closed session meeting on Jan. 29.

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