How to resolve AdBlock issue? LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Lake County’s Public Works director was dismissed this week after just a year on the job.
On Tuesday afternoon, the Board of Supervisors emerged from closed session to vote to terminate Public Works Director Glen March.
The board appointed March to the job on a limited term basis last June. The goal was for him to work alongside retiring Public Works Director Scott DeLeon in order to facilitate a leadership transition before March’s permanent appointment became effective June 29, as Lake County News has reported.
March came to Lake County after serving three decades in what the county said at the time were “engineering-focused roles in the private and public sectors” in places including the cities of Hollister and East Palo Alto.
Department heads typically have reviews once or, occasionally, twice a year, especially if they are new. More closed session performance evaluations than that during a year are generally a sign that a department head may be about to leave.
Since his hire was announced in May of 2024, March had been evaluated Dec. 3, with the next evaluation set for June 3. Another evaluation followed at the board’s June 10 meeting, with “Public Employee Discipline/Dismissal/Release” included on this week’s agenda under closed.
After the closed door discussion, the board came back into open session, with Supervisor Brad Rasmussen moving to terminate March immediately. The board voted unanimously to approve the motion.
Rasmussen followed up with a second motion, also approved unanimously, to appoint County Administrative Officer Susan Parker and Public Services Director Lars Ewing as interim Public Works directors, effective immediately.
The Public Works director job has typically been one of the county’s more reliably filled department head positions.
Scott De Leon, who retired at the end of June 2024, held the job for 13 years, following Brent Siemer, who had resigned in 2011 after four years on the job because he said he couldn’t meet the board’s expectations.
Board dealing with other recruitment issues
In addition to now having to begin a recruitment to fill the Public Works director position, the supervisors continue to seek a permanent Animal Care and Control director.
Gregory Wilkins, who the board had appointed to head animal control in October, tendered his resignation on Feb. 25, the same day as he had a performance evaluation. His departure was effective May 28.
The supervisors were scheduled to hold a closed session to conduct interviews for an Animal Care and Control director on May 12.
On Tuesday, as part of the regular board consent agenda, the supervisors appointed Assistant County Administrative Officer Stephen Carter Jr. to the post on an interim basis, effective July 1.
This spring, Public Health Officer Dr. Noemi Doohan also resigned.
Earlier this month, the board appointed Robert S. Bernstein, MD, MS, MPH, PhD, to succeed Doohan, effective Sept. 2.
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