How to resolve AdBlock issue? Outgoing Board Chair Jeff Smith led the election for the 2018 board chair and vice chair.
Supervisor Moke Simon moved to appoint Jim Steele, which was approved 3-0. Supervisors Tina Scott and Rob Brown were absent for the leadership votes. Brown arrived later in the meeting.
Steele nominated Scott for vice chair, which also was approved in a 3-0 vote.
Smith noted of the past year, “Again, we’ve done more with less,” and weathered another fire disaster.
Smith also nominated Steele as chair and Scott as vice chair of the Lake County Board of Equalization and the In-Home Supportive Services Authority.
In other news, the board continued proclamations of declarations of local emergencies pertaining to the Rocky, Jerusalem, Valley and Clayton fires, and the atmospheric river storm.
Administrative staff also gave the board an update regarding the Valley Fire Debris Insurance Collection Project, which as of Tuesday had collected 351 payments totaling $5,153,194. In the last month alone, it had received 33 payments totaling $579,488. It also has received 326 certifications of noncoverage for those who didn’t have insurance.
In other business, Water Resources Director Phil Moy asked the board for support to expedite the permitting process for the emergency placement of a stone rubble wall at Holiday Island Mobile Home Park.
“Holiday Island Mobile Home Park was severely affected by the Sulphur fire,” said Moy, adding that it wasn’t just the mobile homes that burned but also the park’s wooden retaining walls.
He asked to expedite the county’s permitting process to coincide with permitting process for the US Army Corps of Engineers.
The goal, said Moy, is to get the new wall in place to retain whatever soil, sediment or fill is there, which already is starting to crumble into the lake. That will protect water quality.
The two county departments it impacts in particular are the Community Development Department for permitting and Water Resources for lakebed encroachment, Moy said.
Smith said the wind hits that property particularly hard and erosion can happen in a short amount of time. With rainy weather ahead, it’s a concern and needs to be a priority.
Steele asked about time frame. Moy said there is a meeting scheduled at the site this week, and he’s already contacted the head of the Sacramento US Army Corps of Engineers office, which is expediting the permit under its emergency procedure.
Moy said he didn’t necessarily need board approval but was seeking the board’s confirmation of the intent to move forward quickly on the project.
Smith moved to approve the request that all involved departments expedite the permitting process for the wall’s emergency placement based on findings including that it’s in the best interest of the public for drinking water and water quality to move it forward as fast as possible. County Counsel Anita Grant also suggested the motion include the action was necessary to avoid potential peril to public health.
The board approved the motion 4-0.
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