How to resolve AdBlock issue? LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Board of Supervisors this week will hold a special meeting to review the county’s housing challenges and strategies, consider allocating an additional $1 million to address quality concerns in the Cobb road rehabilitation project, and respond to the unexpected loss of a critical state funding for monitoring invasive mussels in Clear Lake.
The board will meet beginning at 9 a.m. Tuesday, July 29, in the board chambers on the first floor of the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport.
The meeting can be watched live on Channel 8, online at https://countyoflake.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx and on the county’s Facebook page. Accompanying board documents, the agenda and archived board meeting videos also are available at that link.
To participate in real-time, join the Zoom meeting by clicking this link.
The meeting ID is 865 3354 4962, pass code 726865. The meeting also can be accessed via one tap mobile at +16694449171,,86533544962#,,,,*726865#. The meeting can also be accessed via phone at 669 900 6833.
Housing strategy discussion
At 9:01 a.m., the board will review the Lake County Housing Action and Implementation Plan, or HAIP, addressing housing issues in the county.
The HAIP includes analysis of the county’s housing problems, strategies to tackle them and action steps and resources. It will cover the unincorporated area of the county, as well as the cities of Clearlake and Lakeport.
The HAIP report identifies the county’s primary housing challenge as attracting residential developers and maintaining sufficient funding for housing-related programs. According to the report, this issue stems from the series of wildfires over the past decade.
Cobb road project under scrutiny
At 11 a.m., the board will discuss the quality concerns of the ongoing Cobb Area Road Rehabilitation Project. Staff recommends an additional $1 million to be allocated to the project. The board will consider options provided and discuss sources of funding.
On April 8, the county entered into a $5.1 million road construction contract with Argonaut Constructors.
The contract covers pulverization of the existing road surfaces in the Cobb area, followed by a chip seal surface application for many roads and a hot mix asphalt surfacing for other roads, according to the staff memo.
As construction has proceeded, residents raised concerns over the quality and durability of the chip seal surfacing.
To investigate the matter, the county requested the final design report from Nichols Consulting Engineers, or the NCE — the firm contracted by the county to prepare the design for the project.
The NCE’s July 23 report found that former county staff working on the project recommended many roads be surfaced with a double chip seal.
NCE staff will attend the board meeting to answer the board’s questions regarding the decision-making process.
“Concerns remain regarding the long-term durability of the chip sealed roads and the best available investment decisions for County Road Maintenance funds,” the staff memo said.
Staff recommends amending the contract with Argonaut Constructors to include asphalt paving for the problematic roads, which will cost additional $1 million, according to the staff memo.
The memo said that Supervisor Jessica Pyska has expressed willingness to commit $225,000 in Cannabis discretionary funding. “Staff are likewise exploring options for the estimated remaining total of $875,000,” the memo added.
Clear Lake mussel prevention funding loss
At 1 p.m., the board will discuss the state’s unexpected cut on a critical funding for monitoring quagga and zebra mussels in the Clear Lake.
The Lake County Watershed Protection District was recently notified that their 2025 Quagga and Zebra Mussel Infestation Prevention Grant application, facilitated by the California State Parks Division of Boating and Waterways, was not successful.
“This was a $399,520 request to support the Clear Lake Mussel Prevention Project, and the majority of the funding would have gone to support ramp monitor staffing costs,” the staff memo said.
A July 14 email from the state said that the county’s application was “incomplete” because “the applicant did not provide the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) Prevention Plan Acceptance Letter.”
In the staff memo, Water Resources Director Pawan Upadhyay said the application was denied due to a “clerical oversight” of excluding the letter the county received in 2019, not based on “any substantive concern or deficiency.”
The memo indicated that Upadhyay contacted the state’s program staff on July 23, “emphasizing the potentially profound consequences of disruption to this critical funding,” and filed a formal appeal on July 24.
“Should monitoring for Quagga, Zebra and Golden Mussels be suspended, it may just be a matter of time before infestation occurs, due to introduction by vessels visiting Clear Lake,” the staff memo said of potential impact of the funding loss. “This is a significant threat, and loss of Clear Lake as a vibrant fishery and habitat would have dramatic implications for our county and the state.”
Upadhyay is requesting that the board co-sign a letter to Gov. Newsom and state legislators, “strongly encouraging them to interview.” He also requested to partner with Nielsen Merksamer, a policy advocacy firm in urging the state department to reconsider their decision.
To continue ramp monitoring, the department is requesting $341,445.86 in county funds, as interim funding until the department can re-apply for grant funding in the next spring — if the appeal is unsuccessful.
Email staff reporter Lingzi Chen at
