How to resolve AdBlock issue? LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Board of Supervisors this week will tackle major issues within county government, including the Community Development Department’s budget deficit and loan repayment, proposed changes to the county’s purchasing rules that could expand staff authority, and a possible merger of two large county departments.
The board will meet beginning at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 13, 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 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.
At 2 p.m., the board will return to a discussion of the Community Development Department’s, or CDD’s, budget deficit – reported less than two months after the board approved a “balanced” budget in September – and plans to repay a $390,000 county loan approved in November to meet payroll.
It will be the board’s third discussion on this matter, following board meetings on Nov. 18 and Dec. 9.
At the December meeting, CDD staff said the deficit stemmed from “a slow and steady trend of reserve spending,” with the Building Division’s reserves used to cover operations in the Code Enforcement and Planning divisions within the department.
“Over the past three years, about $1.1 million has been transferred as contributions to those divisions, while just over a million was for salaries,” Deputy County Administrative Officer Casey Moreno said at that meeting.
This week, CDD and County Administrative Office staff are expected to provide further financial analysis for all CDD divisions, a summary of nonrevenue generating activities for each division, an overview of loan repayment options and timelines, and a high-level fee analysis, according to the staff memo.
County Counsel will also provide input on the legal guidance on fee adoption and use of collected permitting fees.
At 11:30 a.m., the board will hold a public hearing on the County Administrative Officer’s request to amend the county’s “purchasing ordinance” which governs bidding and purchasing process for public projects.
This item was continued from the Dec. 9 meeting.
Key changes proposed include allowing staff to approve bidding exemptions for contracts up to $100,000 and removing the Board of Supervisors from decisions to exempt projects from competitive bidding when it is deemed not in the public interest.
The staff memo said these changes will improve “efficiency and clarify purchasing for further transparency.”
In the untimed items, the board will be asked to consider and approve combining the Public Works and Public Services departments into “a single, integrated department.”
Staff recommend appointing Lars Ewing, who is both the current Public Services Director and Interim Public Works director, as interim director of the consolidated department, according to the staff memo.
Consolidation may allow the departments to share standards and expertise and better coordinate capital projects and administrative processes, the memo said.
While the memo also cites fiscal and staffing benefits, the budget figures included in the memo do not reflect any reduction.
Public Works is currently allocated 60 full-time equivalent positions with an annual budget in the range of $40–45 million, while Public Services has 51 positions and a $30–35 million budget.
Under the proposal, “the combined department would include approximately 110 FTE positions and a total annual operating budget in the range of $70-$80 million,” according to the memo – reflecting the sum of the two departments rather than a downsizing of staff or spending.
The full agenda follows.
CONSENT AGENDA
5.1: Approve continuation of emergency proclamation declaring a shelter crisis in the County of Lake.
5.2: Approve continuation of proclamation of the existence of a local emergency due to pervasive tree mortality.
5.3: Approve continuation of proclamation declaring a Clear Lake Hitch emergency.
5.4: (a) Approve proclamation of the Lake County Board of Supervisors commending public officials for exemplary service in public safety; and (b) authorize staff to add the names of honorees and the Chair to sign and issue each completed proclamation for the corresponding honoree at the awards ceremony.
5.5: Approve out-of-state travel for District 5 Supervisor Jessica Pyska and District 2 Supervisor Bruno Sabatier to attend the National Association of Counties (NACo) annual Legislative Conference in Washington D.C. from February 20 to February 25, 2026.
5.6: Approve amendment No. 1 to agreement between the County of Lake and Lake County Resource Conservation District for services under the Adaptation Planning Grant Program Agreement with the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research and authorize the Chair to sign.
5.7: Approve side letter to Lake County Deputy Sheriff Association Unit 16 July 1, 2025 – June 30, 2028, MOU.
5.8: Approve Board of Supervisors meeting minutes December 9, 2025.
5.9: (Second reading) Adopt ordinance amending Chapter 5 of the Lake County Code and adopting by reference the 2025 California Building Standards Code, including Title 24 Parts 1–12, Wildland-Urban Interface, and International Property Maintenance Code.
5.10: (a) Adopt resolution authorizing the 2026-2027 Grant Project—Lake County Child Advocacy Center Program; and (b) authorize the Chair to sign the grant subaward certification of assurance of compliance.
5.11: Approve the 2025-2026 Community Corrections Partnership Plan.
5.12: Approve acceptance of $275,000 additional Housing and Disability Advocacy Program (HDAP) funding for FY 26/27.
5.13: Approve task order proposal from on-call engineer, Brelje & Race Consulting Engineers, and allow Special Districts to move forward with design and preparation of a bid package for sewer main lining and lift station lining.
5.14: (Sitting as the Board of Directors Lake County Watershed Protection District) Approve award of contract for consulting services—Sunny Day Flood Scenario and Inundation Map Compliance for Highland Creek and Adobe Creek Dams in the amount of $32,500; and authorize the Chair to sign and the Water Resources Director to execute the contract.
5.15: (Sitting as the Board of Directors Lake County Watershed Protection District) Approve the purchase and sale agreement with Donna Koker for property within the Middle Creek Flood Damage Reduction and Ecosystem Restoration Project and authorize the Chair of the Board of Directors to sign.
TIMED ITEMS
6.1, 9:02 a.m.: Public input.
6.2, 9:03 a.m.: Pet of the week.
6.3, 9:04 a.m.: New and noteworthy at the library.
6.4, 9:15 a.m.: Consideration of presentation giving an update on the Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) derivatives available to the public.
6.5, 9:30 a.m.: Consideration of presentation on the UC Davis Clear Lake Restoration Project.
6.6, 9:45 a.m.: (Sitting as the Lake County Air Quality Management District Board of Directors) Consideration of Air Toxics Hot Spots Report for 2024 presentation and discussion.
6.7, 10:05 a.m.: Public hearing—Consideration of draft resolution adopting the Lake County Climate Adaptation Plan.
6.8, 10:45 a.m.: 2026 Governance Workshop presentation for Probation.
6.9, 11 a.m.: Public hearing (continued from Nov. 18, 2025) – consideration of an ordinance amending Article VIII of Chapter 18 of the Lake County Code to implement a low value property tax exemption.
6.10, 11:15 a.m.: Public hearing – Consideration of resolution approving an application for funding and execution of a grant agreement and any amendments thereto from the 2025 funding year of the State CDBG program.
6.11, 11:30 a.m.: Public hearing (continued from Dec. 9, 2025) – Consideration of an ordinance amending the Purchasing Ordinance: Article X of Chapter Two of the Lake County Code to clarify powers and duties, additional exemptions from competitive bidding, and include increased purchasing limits for public projects.
6.12, 1 p.m.: Consideration of the distribution of excess proceeds in the amount of $663,489.75 from Tax Defaulted Land Sale #162 held May 31, 2024 per R&T §4675.
6.13, 1:15 p.m.: Consideration of a resolution to authorize the California Statewide Communities Development Authority to establish a Community Facilities District for the Guenoc Development.
6.14, 1:30 p.m.: Consideration of proposed findings of fact and decision in the appeal of Maria Kann and Associates (PL-25-198).
6.15, 2 p.m.: Presentation of update on Community Development Department (CDD) loan repayment plan.
NON-TIMED ITEMS
7.1: Supervisors’ weekly calendar, travel and reports.
7.2: Consideration of a supplemental response to the 2024-25 Lake County Civil Grand Jury’s final report.
7.3: Consideration of the following advisory board appointments: Cobb Municipal Advisory Council; Kelseyville Cemetery District; Lake County Ag Advisory Committee; Lower Lake Cemetery District.
7.4: (Second reading) Consideration of ordinance to amend Chapter 21, Articles 4–13, 18, 19, 27 and 68 of the Lake County Zoning Code to implement General Plan Sixth Cycle Housing Element Policies HE-38, HE-59, HE-60, HE-61, HE-71, HE-72 and HE-73.
7.5: Consideration of consolidation of Public Works and Public Services Departments.
7.6: Consideration of letter to the Board of State and Community Corrections (BSCC) regarding proposed juvenile detention regulations.
CLOSED SESSION
8.1, Public employee evaluation: Title—County Counsel.
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