LAKE COUNTY – The Board of Supervisors decided Tuesday to let stand an ordinance passed last month that requires manufactured home dealers give legal rights disclosures to homebuyers. {sidebar id=29}

The board passed the ordinance Oct. 2, which calls for dealers to give buyers a one-page disclosure about their legal rights prior to signing a final purchase agreement or closing escrow.

Local manufactured homebuyers brought the issue to the board, citing their own difficulties with proper installation and faulty home construction, as Lake County News has reported.

The state's Department of Housing and Community Development's Division of Codes and Standards notified the county in a letter dated Oct. 15 that they believe the ordinance is invalid because state law governs manufactured housing sales and disclosures.

The board put off a decision at its Nov. 7 meeting until this week, when Supervisor Rob Brown – previously absent – would be back to weigh in.

Supervisor Denise Rushing, who brought the disclosure ordinance to the board originally, said despite the state's claims about legal ramifications, she still wants to make sure homebuyers have a clear, concise document in their hands at the right time.

During a recent meeting with state Sen. Patricia Wiggins, the ordinance came up, and she said Wiggins said if the county didn't agree with the state's stance they should challenge it.

Rushing said she's trying to set up a meeting with state officials to discuss the ordinance, on which she wasn't willing to give up. “I still maintain we should keep the ordinance that we have.”

She also supported accepting a new resolution drafted by County Counsel Anita Grant that directs the county's chief building official to give a one-page legal rights disclosure to the owner of a manufactured home when they apply for an installation permit.

“I don't think one would preclude the other,” she said.

Supervisor Ed Robey agreed. “I think we should leave the ordinance in place. I think we should pass the resolution, too.”

He said the only flaw in the ordinance it that it only applies to dealers in the county. Robey, like Rushing, said he wanted to pursue the matter at the state level.

As he did last week, Robert Angel, president of the California Manufactured Housing Institute board, spoke against the ordinance. Angel's company, Angel and Associates, is the second largest manufactured housing retailer in the state, with two locations in Lake County, Lake County Manufactured Homes in Lower Lake and Modern Manufactured Homes in Lakeport.

He said dealers and manufacturers already have many restrictions and disclosures to ensure performance.

Angel said the new resolution before the board Tuesday was a “step in the right direction.” However, he added, “It's still unfair to the manufactured housing industry,” and should be extended to other housing as well.

Supervisor Anthony Farrington asked Angel why he considered the disclosure a burden to retailers. Angel replied that dealers already have 20 disclosures they're required to make, and he feels that information is already being disclosed.

Besides, if rules are set up on a county by county basis, he said, it becomes more difficult for companies operating across larger areas.

The California Manufactured Housing Institute is advocating on these issues, and is currently adding two new disclosures to those required for manufactured homes, said Angel. He said the institute may be willing to take on this issue as part of its advocacy, but said the county's ordinance wasn't being taken up in the right forum.

Brown disagreed with the contention of a burden for dealers. “This is not additional, it's just clearer,” he said.

Angel maintained that it's discriminatory against local dealers. Brown replied, as a consumer, he would prefer plain talk from a local dealer. He added, he didn't have a problem giving a disclosure for any building permit, whether it was for a manufactured home installation or a stick-built home.

Angel said that, at last week's board meeting, he offered the board an example of a disclosure that the California Manufactured Housing Institute is doing that is more inclusive than the county's ordinance.

“I'm not against disclosure by any means,” he said.

Janis Paris of the Lake County Manufactured Housing Citizens Group showed the board a standard contract for buying a manufactured home, four pages of small type that buyers have to read in the last hour before signing all of their paperwork.

“Buyers are again and again surprised that they don't have any representative in this transaction except the county,” said Paris, who is one of several local homebuyers engaged in a lawsuit against several manufactured home dealers, including Angel's company.

Rodney Usher, president of Baughn and Cameron Manufactured Homes – which has offices in Ukiah and Lower Lake – spoke to the board about the need for uniformity. Usher said he had a problem trying to comply with two sets of rules – those from the state and those from the county.

Robey said the county would happily rescind its ordinance if the state made its rules clearer. Usher agreed that addressing the rules at the state level was appropriate.

He also said that the rules don't apply to out-of-county dealers, an assertion with which Brown took issue.

Reading from the ordinance, Brown said it applied to anyone operating in the county's unincorporated areas. Usher argued with him on the point, concluding that the subject is a “quagmire.”

Said Rushing, “There's a whole bunch of things that ought to be done, and this is the easiest.”

She said she doesn't understand why dealers aren't already using clearer disclosures. “I don't understand why this isn't already happening,” she said. “I don't know why you wouldn't do this everywhere.”

Usher responded that he supports the idea, but remained concerned about different sets of rules.

Robey offered the new resolution on giving the disclosure at the time of issuing the installation permit, which the board approved 5-0.

The board took no action to rescind the disclosure ordinance, which the state had disputed. As a result, Grant said it will go into effect this month.

The board must next deal with the state, said Board Chair Jeff Smith.

E-mail Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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LAKE COUNTY – Water district managers and operators from around the county are invited to a special meeting later this month for an open discussion on water-related issues. {sidebar id=27}

The Lake County Water Works Association, in its association with the Cobb Area Water District, is hosting the meeting, which will be held from 9:30 a.m. to noon on Friday, Nov. 30, at the Board of Supervisors chambers at the Lake County Courthouse in Lakeport.

The gathering is the idea of Robert Stark, manager for the Cobb Area Water District, who said there used to be a Lake County Water Works Association which hosted regular meetings for local water managers.

Unfortunately, the group “faded into oblivion,” said Stark. But he's working to revive it.

“I got this idea to at least have two big meetings a year and have as many people there as possible, both managers and operators,” said Stark, who added that private water operators also are welcome.

The idea for this upcoming meeting, Stark said, is to have an opportunity to speak with colleagues about last summer, the year's rainfall, well levels, the lake's water quality and many other topics.

Stark said it's important for local water managers to share information, because they're also in the unique position of being able to help each other, whether it be with knowledge or the right sized pipe to make a repair.

The proposal to meet has received positive feedback so far, said Stark. He's also getting questions about tying in continuing education – which plant operators need to keep their license up to date – with the meetings in the future.

“What we want to do is talk to each other,” said Stark, as a prelude to building relationships which don't already exist.

“It just frustrates the heck out of me that we've lost communication with each other,” Stark added.

His hope, he said, is that sharing information and providing a countywide support network will help ease local water managers' workloads and worries.

If it goes well, another meeting will be set up for next spring, Stark said. “There's no way two hours will cover it all.”

Mel Aust, general services manager for the Hidden Valley Lake Community Services District, said he used to attend the Lake County Water Works Association's monthly meetings years ago, which he said were “very beneficial.”

“It was a chance to get together and discuss mutual concerns and network a little bit,” he said.

He said he supports the new effort to bring water managers and operators together once more.

“The concept is great and it does a lot and allows us to share mutual concerns,” he said. “I'm glad Robert's trying to resurrect it.”

Concerns for county water professionals

There are a lot of things for water managers to worry about these days, besides just the looming issue of supply.

On the local level, Aust said there's concern about the accuracy of a groundwater report released last year.

In addition, Lake County is a signatory on a North Coast Intregrated Regional Water Plan, which attempts to take a regional approach to water issues, said Aust.

Not everyone is convinced of the plan's value, said Aust. However, if different water districts can link projects, they may be able to qualify for Proposition 84 funding, approved last year for water projects. Linking projects also could yield cost savings, he said.

Hidden Valley Lake Community Services District's board was the first to sign a memorandum of understanding with the county to participate in the plan, said Aust.

There's also the matter of how the local water agencies are affected by the Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO), said Aust.

At a recent state water meeting he attended, Aust said he emphasized LAFCO's role in dealing with facilities and making sure that, when they annex a new area into a service district, that the decision doesn't cause an agency to run out of resources or money.

Aust said if water shortages can be prevented through better planning, including having LAFCO work with utilities providers, “we owe that to the public.”

Challenges ahead for the county

The realities of this dry year are different for various parts of the county, said Stark. While areas like Lower Lake suffered due to its wells being very low, “It wasn't necessarily bad for Cobb,” he said.

The question, he said, is what to do if we have another dry winter.

“What happens long-term in Lake County, as far as development, is going to make a huge impact on the water system,” said Stark.

To be prepared for it, he wants to pursue a grant to do a deep sonic probing of the Cobb area's aquifer to see just how big it is. That will tell him “how many straws” can be put into it.

Just as pressing is the difficulty of finding qualified help, said Stark.

“There is a serious lack of operators,” he said, noting that when you can find them, they want much higher wages than are usually found in Lake County.

In addition, testing requirements keep expanding, said Stark. He expects it won't be many more years before they'll be required to treat groundwater as they do surface water.

“Nobody quite knows where the money is going to come from,” he said.

However, he added, “Right now our main concern is infrastructure.”

Said Stark, “The water system infrastructure in Lake County is similar to the roads in Lake County. It's a mess.”

E-mail Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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LAKEPORT – Sunday was a day to honor veterans of the past, present and future, remember their stories and express gratitude for their service.

Veterans Day in Lake County was filled with fall sunshine and clear skies, which allowed the Avenue of the Flags to fly at cemeteries in Upper Lake, Lower Lake and Lakeport.

The day's central event was the Lake County Veterans Day Ceremony at the Lake County Fairgrounds.

More than 150 people attended the hour-long ceremony which began at 11 a.m. The event featured performances by the Clear Lake High School Jazz Band, which played several patriotic favorites, and Emily Barker, who sang the national anthem.

The United Veterans Council’s Military Funeral Team provided a gun salute and the playing of “Taps” at the ceremony's end.

County Veterans Services Officer Jim Brown told the audience of veterans from World War II, Korea, Vietnam and the Gulf Wars, “This day is about you folks.”

Brown also asked for remembrance for those vets who couldn't attend.

He offered thanks to the many groups who serve veterans year-round, including Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Legion, Vietnam Veterans of America and United Veterans Council. He explained that those groups push the government for more help for veterans, including better benefits and health care.

United Veterans Council, Avenue of the Flags, Operation Tango Mike and Support Our Soldiers also offer support on a local level, Brown explained.

And he thanked his Veterans Service Office team. “Everyday is Veterans Day for them,” he said.

In introducing keynote speaker Supervisor Rob Brown, Jim Brown thanked the Board of Supervisors for its “fantastic support” of veterans, and reported that there is a proposal to dedicate a new bridge in Kelseyville to local veterans.

Rob Brown – whose board colleague Denise Rushing came to hear him speak – said the yearly veterans ceremony held special importance to him this year.

In years past, it was a time to meet up with his friend, Butch Pivniska of Upper Lake, a Vietnam veterans, family man and successful local businessman.

Pivniska, who died in June, spent a year and a half in Vietnam, and loved his country, said Brown.

Honoring the sacrifice of soldiers, said Brown, is important to remember. “There is no doubt that many veterans in the past were not honored and in fact despised.”

And while you can't get yesterday back, Brown said it's important to make sure the young veterans coming home from the current conflict are treated right.

He said that in the war in which the country is now engaged, the enemy uses the media and politicians in its fight to defeat the US.

“But enough about Code Pink,” he quipped.

Brown mentioned the work of Kelseyville resident Ginny Craven, founder of Operation Tango Mike, a group that sends care packages to troops overseas. He called the group's work a “heroic” effort.

He concluded by saying, “Let's honor our veterans of the past by properly honoring our heroes and veterans of the future.”

Following Brown's speech, 4-H members passed out homemade Veterans Day cards to the veterans in attendance.

'Friend of the Veteran' honored for creating awareness

Jim Brown introduced Craven, who spoke briefly about Operation Tango Mike, which she said is military code for “thanks much.”

In 2003, while working locally as a peace officer, two of her co-workers were deployed, Craven explained. She and some friends started sending care packages to the men, who told them that many other guys in the units weren't receiving packages.

From there, the effort grew, said Craven. Local veterans groups, including Vietnam Veterans of America, found out about it and joined in.

Craven said Operation Tango Mike sends care packages every month. They just shipped 71 Thanksgiving packages and plan to send out more than 100 for Christmas.

“We know that today's troops are tomorrow's vets,” said Craven.

After her brief speech, Craven quickly realized she had been set up. Jim Brown said the reason for getting her up on stage was actually to honor her with this year's Friend of the Veteran Award.

“You've created awareness of veterans,” Brown said.

Supervisor Rob Brown presented the award to Craven on behalf of the Board of Supervisors and the Veterans Services Office.

Following the ceremony, Craven said she estimated that Operation Tango Mike has sent at least 750 care packages this year, most of them to soldiers originally from Lake County.

Veteran of the Year honored for hard work, generosity

It also took a little bit of careful planning to get the Veteran of the Year Award winner to the Sunday ceremony.

United Veterans Council President Frank Parker said it was difficult to choose the winner, with so many deserving veterans.

But the choice of Dean Gotham, president of the local Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter, won resounding approval.

“We didn't know if we could get him here,” said Parker.

Parker lauded Gotham for his work on behalf of veterans. “I wish I had his energy.”

Gotham said he was privileged to work on behalf of his local veterans.

In an interview with Lake County News following the ceremony, Gotham said he served as a sergeant in the Marine Corps in Vietnam from 1967 to 1970 in the Northern I Corps region.

Growing up in San Francisco, Gotham said he was exposed to a lot of different philosophies, but he believed that the Vietnamese people had asked the United States for help, so he chose to enlist rather than wait to be drafted.

“The choice that I made was in defense of freedom,” said Gotham.

Today, Gotham said he realizes that there was a lot of misinformation about the reasons for the Vietnam War.

Would he do it all again?

“Yeah, I probably would,” he said.

He said he's glad that attitudes have changed toward soldiers coming home from war.

“I think they've actually learned to separate the warrior from the war,” he said. “That's absolutely critical.”

Gotham appreciated the recognition, but admitted that, if he hadn't been convinced he should attend, he might not have come to the ceremony. His group oversees the Avenue of the Flags at Hartley Cemetery in Lakeport, where he spent last Veterans Day, and he had planned to stay on watch there.

A young boy told Gotham after the ceremony that he liked his award, which had an eagle atop two American flags. The boy asked how Gotham had gotten it.

Gotham told him his veteran friends had given it to him.

“Cool,” said the boy.

“Out of the mouths of babes,” Gotham said.

E-mail Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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LAKEPORT – Several dozen extremely concerned Lake County citizens gathered in the Board of Supervisors Chambers in Lakeport on the evening of Nov. 8 for a workshop on the quagga mussel (Dreissena rostriformis): what it is, what it does, and what we can do to keep it out of Clear Lake.

The workshop, hosted by the county Fish and Wildlife Advisory Committee in conjunction with the University of California Cooperative Extension and the Lake County Department of Public Works, was led by F&W Chair Greg Giusti, who introduced UC Davis biologist Ted Grosholz, an expert on invasive pest species in both marine and fresh waters.

Dr. Grosholz began his presentation by discussing the immense costs of biological invasives, which all together cost the economy of the United States $128 billion annually.

Just the cleanup and repair expenses related to zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha), which are closely related to the quagga and widely established in the eastern part of the nation, top $100 million every year.

Monetary considerations aside, only habitat loss threatens global biodiversity more grievously than do

invasive alien species.

Native to the Ukraine, quagga mussels entered the Great Lakes in ballast water in 1989 and were discovered in Lakes Mead, Mohave, and Havasu in January 2007; this fall they have also been found in parts of the San Diego county reservoir system entirely unconnected to the Colorado River system, presumably transported by an infested boat.

They breed prolifically, and cause horrific damage in several different ways. Most obviously, they will cover any hard object with shells, thus clogging intake pipes, ruining engines, and crusting pilings and

mooring lines. Recreational enjoyment of infested areas is diminished when their sharp shells cover beaches, and also by their pervasive stench.

As filter feeders, they remove phytoplankton from the water, thus sapping the food chain from the bottom and starving out higher forms of marine life, and simultaneously causing an unnaturally high

level of water clarity that encourages algae blooms and rampant weed growth.

It is clear that recreational boaters are the likeliest vector of infestation for Clear Lake and other bodies of water in California, and also clear that prevention is the most cost-effective strategy for dealing with these invasives.

The key, said Dr Grosholz, is "identifying high priority pathways and locations for introduction," which in the case of Clear Lake preeminently means bass tournaments.

But since preventive methods can never guarantee complete exclusion, continuing monitoring is also necessary, so that if mussels do enter the ecosystem they can be eradicated as quickly as possible, before the infestation spreads.

A successful eradication of invasive alien mollusks has been recorded on only one occasion, in Australia, and this required an application of such a heavy dose of toxic chemicals that everything in the estuary was wiped out along with the target species. No successful implementation of biological controls has yet occurred.

Pam Francis, deputy director of the Lake County Water Resources Division, then discussed the actions that the county has been taking to fend off these nasty invaders, which are considered "probably the

worst ecological threat" that we face at the present time.

Monitoring of Clear Lake for mussels and their microscopic larvae (called veligers) has been under way since 2004, with happily negative results, Francis reported. But after discovery of quaggas in Southern California early this year the Clear Lake Advisory Subcommittee asked the Board of Supervisors for direction – and money – to establish a preventive program, and immediately received $10,000 for implementation.

This budget is funding an expansion of the ongoing monitoring program, and also an extensive public education campaign involving both the production and distribution of brochures, posters and other literature. Every dock owner, every registered boat owner, and every purchaser of flood insurance is receiving materials describing the mussels, recommending inspection techniques, and providing sources of further information.

Anyone who thinks they may have have found mussels is urged to call the county immediately at 263-2556; a trained inspector will be immediately dispatched to the scene.

The county also requires the organizers of any event subject to a Lakebed Management Permit to obtain a declaration from every participant on the recent whereabouts of their boat, and to inspect those considered to be at high risk. Sarah Ryan, Environmental Director of the Big Valley Band of Pomo Indians, confirmed that she personally conducted this survey at the BoardStock event recently hosted by the rancheria, and found all boats "very clean."

How should we move forward? The task is vast: according to Giusti, the state Department of Agriculture has invested $2 million in six inspection stations in southern California, which inspected nearly 80,000 boats in barely nine months of operation this year. Bilges were drained and chlorinated on 8,600 of them, with adult mussels discovered on 84 of them, primarily clinging to aquatic weeds.

Department of Fish and Game Warden Lynette Shimek announced that the agency had recently received a $100,000 grant to acquire and train mussel-sniffing dogs, two of which would be located in Lake County.

Setting up inspection stations on the roads leading into the county (as was suggested by several individuals attending the workshop) would cost at least $1 million annually, said Francis, with no guarantee of ultimate success. In any case local jurisdictions cannot take effective action on this statewide problem: everyone present acknowledged the desirability of working with our state legislators to craft a powerful coordinated approach.

The idea of establishing a local inspection and decontamination station where boats that have recently been in infested waters could be diverted for examination and cleaning before entering Clear Lake also met general approval.

Fortunately, the state unleashed powerful anti-mussel weaponry a few weeks ago, with the passage of AB1683, legislation providing the Department of Fish and Game with authority to inspect boats and other vehicles that might contain mussels and facilities that use or discharge water; to order watercraft to be drained, dried or decontaminated; to quarantine boats, marinas, launch facilities and infested waters themselves; and to delegate the exercise of these powers to other state departments.

Whether these sweeping powers will suffice to prevent catastrophe only time will tell.

Victoria Brandon is a member of the Fish and Wildlife Committee and chair of the Sierra Club Lake Group.

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CLEARLAKE – The Clearlake City Council told a room filled with young people Thursday that there's no money to repair the skate park, and asked the community for help in finding creative solutions to solve the problem.

The city’s skate park was closed several weeks ago after city officials discovered it required repairs to its surface, said City Administrator Dale Neiman.

The park, which is not supervised on a regular basis, was designed for skateboarding only, said Neiman, but BMX bike riders are using it as much, if not more so, than the skateboarders.

Neiman said the city has liability issues if the park isn’t repaired; it also requires enforcement to make sure helmets and protective pads are being used.

“The bikes have damaged the surface and it needs to be replaced,” said Neiman.

He estimated it would cost between $6,000 to $8,000 to repair the park, but with serious budget problems – including a growing deficit due to unbudgeted unemployment benefits and new animal control costs – Neiman said the council needed to weigh what it could do.

“We’re suggesting that you wait to make a decision in January when we do a mid-year budget review so we know where we are financially,” said Neiman.

Councilmember Joyce Overton said if the city doesn’t repair the park the skaters will just go elsewhere; she said she already has seen them skating in the shopping center.

Overton said she and Neiman are talking about what it would cost to build a skate park for both bikes and skateboards.

She told the audience, composed mostly of skaters and bikers, “We would have to raise our funds ourselves, you guys.”

Councilman Roy Simons suggested investigating a better surfacing material that would last longer.

Neiman said the park was very inexpensive, and has incurred high maintenance costs.

Councilman Curt Giambruno, who said he has been involved with the skate park since the beginning, agreed that the park was not constructed correctly in the beginning. He said it’s his understanding that the pegs on the bicycles may be gouging the pavement.

Mayor Judy Thein said the council was in a difficult position. “We all want the skate park open. That isn’t the problem. It’s how do we do it.”

She suggested contacting other cities with skate parks to see how they address similar issues.

The city doesn’t have the money to make repairs, said Thein. However, she suggested that with five willing councilmembers, staff and a city of 14,000 people, they should be able to come up with solutions.

Community members appealed to the council to get the park reopened.

“This facility is of the utmost important to our youth and the community,” said community resident Jack Barker.

Without having a water park anymore, the city needs some place for young people to go, and bikes need to be included, said Barker.

Barker pulled out a $1,000 check from Comprehensive Support Systems, a company he works for, and offered it to the city to help the park repairs move forward.

If the city is looking for help with design, Barker suggested, “We don’t have to look too far for experts. They’re right here,” he said, pointing to the young people in the audience.

Ken Savin, a school employee who also works with the Calvary Chapel youth group, said that, since the Clearlake Skate Park has been closed, he has taken young people on weekend trips to the skate parks in Willits and Yuba City.

He said that parks that can accommodate both bikes and skateboards are usually designed specifically for dual use. Savin said he would like to see lights at the park and access for BMX riders.

Despite the desire expressed by community members to keep the park open and have it repaired, members of the council were united it expressing their concerns about the budget crunch.

“I don’t know where right now we would find the money,” said Simons.

He suggested putting the issue aside and creating a construction committee to analyze what needs to be done to the park to keep it safe. Then, the committee can pursue donations.

Giambruno said he would like to have the city go back to the manufacturer of the skate park surface and see if there is a sturdier material. Concrete, he said, is the best way to go but the city hasn’t had the money.

He said that he had found out about the Tony Hawk Foundation, founded for famed skater Tony Hawk, which had helped fund the Willits Skate Park and might help Clearlake since it focuses on assisting small cities.

“As far as dealing with this one tonight, we don’t have the money,” said Giambruno.

He suggested that, when the skate park reopens, the city will have to impose some tough rules and regulations, including keeping it closed during school hours and after dark, and requiring riders to wear helmets and pads.

Overton invited the teens in the audience to a meeting at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 13, at the youth center on Golf Road, to discuss ideas about how to get the park reopened.

Police Chief Allan McClain said he would have staff research approaching the Tony Hawk Foundation for help.

According to the Tony Hawk Foundation Web site, www.tonyhawkfoundation.org, Willits received a $10,000 grant for its park in 2002.

E-mail Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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LAKEPORT – Due to new staffing requirements from state corrections officials, the Lake County Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to add a new position to the Juvenile Hall staff.

Chief Probation Officer Steve Buchholz went before the board to explain that the Corrections Standards Authority found the county's Juvenile Hall out of compliance with its staffing requirements in 2006.

In response, Buchholz said the county approved four new juvenile correctional officer positions for the 40-bed facility in its 2006-07 budget, which was part of a corrective action plan.

Buchholz said he had believed those new positions met the state's requirements, until he received a Sept. 24 letter from the state.

The letter informed him that, based on an Aug. 23 state visit to Juvenile Hall, the facility was again found to be out of compliance, and that the county had been placed on the Corrections Standards Authority board's Nov. 8 agenda. At that meeting, the board was planning to discuss whether or not Lake County's Juvenile Hall was a suitable youth detention facility.

Buchholz was able to convince the state to remove the Juvenile Hall from the agenda, arguing that it was unfair because the state had accepted his department's corrective action plan.

“I think it’s very important we stay off of that agenda for a number of reasons,” Buchholz told the board.

One of those reasons, according to Buchholz's staff report to the board, is that it's an “invitation” for lawsuits against the county by advocacy groups.

His staff report to the board stated that the Corrections Standards Authority “is under intense pressure” from the Prison Law Office, a law firm that has successfully litigated over conditions in adult and juvenile detention facilities.

In order to get off the agenda, Buchholz had to submit a short-term plan to the state by Oct. 26 and a long-term plan by Dec. 18 to address staffing.

Although the Corrections Standards Authority won't give specific staffing directives to the county, Buchholz said they are reevaluating staffing in facilities statewide. In Lake County's case, the authority has redefined the Juvenile Hall as having three separate units, rather than one. The state also is requiring a facility remodel.

Buchholz said his department plans to combine the facility's B and C units into one wing to reduce staffing requirements.

The only question now is if the state fire marshal will approve the plan, said Buchholz.

If the marshal doesn't approve it, they'll have to come up with another course of action, which could include adding more staff or closing down one of the building's wings, he said. The latter option, Buchholz aded, is more likely, considering the “serious problem” of recruitment and retention.

Buchholz said Lake County's problems with the Corrections Standards Authority are minor compared to some other areas. One county just finished building a new youth detention facility and had approved staffing numbers, only to have the state reverse their decision. Another larger county was notified it needed to add 70 staffers.

“This isn’t just Lake County,” said Buchholz. “There’s a movement on statewide to change the way we do business, and unfortunately it’s costing some counties a lot of money.”

Buchholz asked for permission to fill a new senior correctional officer position approved in the 2007-08 budget; the position wasn't to become effective until January. He also asked for a new juvenile correctional officer position.

He didn't ask for additional funds at this time, suggesting instead that adjustments could be made at the mid-year budget review. Buchholz estimated that additional costs due to adding one of the positions will total $35,000 for the fiscal year.

Buchholz told the board, “There is some good news from my point of view.”

Specifically, the problems with the Juvenile Hall and its poor layout, which has been an issue since it opened in June 1982, should help the county get needed grant funding from the state to build a new facility, since the current building can't be easily updated.

A new juvenile hall facility could even become a priority construction project for the state because the current building's design can't be matched to new regulations.

“My best guess is we’re going to be going for a 90-bed facility,” he said.

Buchholz added that he believes he can staff a 90-bed facility with about the same staff they currently have thanks to a better layout.

With the two new positions, the Juvenile Hall now has 18 full-time staffers, plus some part-time help, Buchholz told Lake County News Thursday.

The Probation Department is working with the Criminal Justice Research Foundation, which currently is conducting a full needs assessment to see if a new Juvenile Hall facility is needed, which Buchholz said he is confident is the case.

However, he added, “The new facility is not a guarantee.”

In order to build it, the county must get state grant funding through a competitive process, Buchholz explained.

If the county does get a new facility, Buchholz won't be there to oversee it. He's planning to retire at the end of December, after 31 and a half years with the Probation Department.

The board approved Buchholz's request 4-0, with Supervisor Rob Brown being absent.

E-mail Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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