Letters
- Details
- Written by: Curt Giambruno, Mel Gatton, Jim Hill and Chuck Leonard
Earlier this week, a letter about the district written by Mr. Philip Murphy – the district’s newest trustee— was published in this publication. It is unfortunate that he chose the media to advertise his dissatisfaction with the Lake County Vector Control District (LCVCD) instead of bringing his questions to the full board at a public meeting where action could be taken by the LCVCD Board to address any bona fide issues.
Phil Murphy had been on the LCVCD Board for only 22 days when his letter appeared; he was appointed to the LCVCD Board of Trustees on June 2, 2009. He attended his first LCVCD Board meeting on June 10, 2009, and asked no questions about any of the topics that he mentioned in his letter.
We are concerned that Mr. Murphy’s extremely short tenure on the board has not afforded him ample opportunity to understand the district’s routine activities, finances and policies, which are part of the LCVCD Board’s long-term strategic plan that will allow this agency to continue protecting public health and the local economy.
We agree that Lake County property owners should have the correct information before them when they vote on the benefit assessment; unfortunately Mr. Murphy’s letter does not accurately describe the issues that he addresses.
Mr. Murphy, although he is a trustee of the LCVCD, is not authorized to represent the district. His remarks were largely inaccurate and included many facts taken out of context.
For instance, he mentioned that requests for service were down 50-percent over the last two years; he neglected to mention that when our district manager reported on this at the June 10 board meeting, she explained that this was because we have had two consecutive years of low rainfall, and the lake level has left many mosquito sources dry this year.
Mr. Murphy further failed to mention that in 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006 the district responded to 183-percent more services requests than average – mosquito activity is correlated to weather, and while some years are drier than average, other years are much wetter, and create more larval mosquito habitat.
Likely because of his short time on the LCVCD Board, Mr. Murphy also was unaware that responding to service requests – while very important – is only a small part of the LCVCD’s overall responsibility; the district’s certified Vector Control technicians spend much of their time proactively treating for mosquitoes throughout the county.
We have numerous concerns about Mr. Murphy’s letter – not the least of which is his apparent unwillingness to ask his questions in an open and public meeting where some action could be taken by the LCVCD Board.
Nonetheless, Mr. Murphy’s concerns will be addressed by the board at its monthly public meeting at 1:30 p.m. on July 15 at LCVCD’s office at 410 Esplanade, Lakeport, CA 95453.
This meeting – like every other LCVCD Board meeting – is open to the public, and we welcome all members of the public who would like to attend.
In the meantime, if you have any questions, please call the district at 707-263-4770 or email us at
Curt Giambruno is LCVCD Board president; Mel Gatton is LCVCD Board secretary; and Jim Hill and Chuck Leonard are LCVCD trustees.
- Details
- Written by: John E. Mack
DK was wearing an orange helmet, an orange life vest and was in an 8-foot kayak. The man ran him over, lied about it and has only been fined $343.
Channel 4 Seattle asked DK's father how he felt about this Father's Day. Dave Hermanson is very sad about DK's condition and also is concerned that other children on the lake will be hurt since there is no markings or speed limits.
There's a rowing club on the lake that supports local colleges and universities but still no speed limit for the kayaks, canoes, skulls, swimmers, rowboats and DKs!
Spread the word that if you want to speed your boat as fast as you can with no regard for others come to Lakewood, Wash., near Tacoma and run over as many as you can with little or no penalty from the Lakewood prosecuter because there are no laws regarding this matter.
Please help us introduce and pass the DK Ross law to zone speed limits on all recreational lakes.
John E. Mack lives in Tacoma, Wash.
- Details
- Written by: Philip Murphy
Lake County Vector Control has nine employees (seven full- and two part-time). In the 2008-09 fiscal year it budgeted $871,000 for salary and benefits, and the average employee received nearly $100,000 in compensation. The office manager is paid more than our county supervisors while the director is now paid $103,690 in salary alone. In the same time period requests for service dropped by almost 50 percent.
Vector Control spent roughly 7 percent of its entire 2008-09 budget to spray rice paddies in Tule Lake and the reclamation area with over 13 tons of pesticides, over $90,000 was spent on the pesticide and crop duster alone, at no charge to the growers.
Vector Control owns 12 road vehicles including a new GMC Yukon SUV, the only Vector Control vehicle without the Vector Control logo on its side. Vector Control owns 10 acres of unused land in the reclamation area, several more acres at its facility on Todd road and several more parcels in downtown Lakeport.
While the lab facility on Esplanade is in need of some improvements, the office (located behind the lab), is very modern and spacious, with a nicely appointed board room that has an outstanding view of the lake and Mt. Konocti, and which also overlooks the large and elaborate dock featuring a covered electric boat lift. Vector Control also owns four large motorized barges, which have been virtually unused since 1975.
Vector Control's 2008-09 fiscal year budget was $1,348,030 (an increase of 75 percent over the 2004-05 budget), but it has no Web site though public outreach/education is one of its main stated goals. It has no computerized record keeping for bookkeeping or research, in spite of accounting software being very affordable.
Budget reserves for 2008-09 are $358,432, and over $126,000 was spent on the assessment proposal.
This isn't the same picture promoted by Vector Control in the local media, where residents were warned that if the assessment failed to pass it would result in staff reductions and reduced service.
Vector Control has not made any serious attempt to deal with any potential cuts other than asking property owners for a permanent assessment, which is likely to increase by 3 percent every year – forever.
The Vector Control director has been made aware of multiple significant misstatements in the media regarding Vector Control, but has chosen not to correct them.
One of these misstatements is that Vector Control relies entirely on "environmentally friendly" methods including mosquito fish to control mosquitoes. Such methods are employed, but so are three toxic pesticides, two of which kill fish and another which kills bees.
Vector Control has a capable, hardworking and experienced staff that performs an important function, yet it fails in several respects. It has failed to show proper fiscal restraint and oversight, in part due to it's primitive bookkeeping methods.
It has failed to properly inform the public, due in part to its lack of a Web site and also due to the failure of its director to correct misinformation in the media and Vector Control literature.
Vector Control has failed to explore other means of reducing costs before asking for the assessment, and failed to properly utilize existing assets.
Ballots are due for the proposed assessments by June 30 and many people have already voted.
However, in view of the fact that so little correct information has been available to the public about this issue I will personally collect requests from voters wanting to change their vote and submit those requests to the board.
Please contact me at 279-9836 or
As Vector Control's newest trustee I look forward to helping correct the deficiencies I have mentioned, regardless of whether or not the tax measure passes.
Philip Murphy lives in Finley.
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- Written by: Bette Mueller
Regarding the June 19 "Cost Cutting Measures" announcement by Sen. Wiggins to cut small parts of her state-issued car allowance and annual per diem: This is just one example of state tax abuse in my opinion.
When I worked for the state in San Francisco and Sacramento (and commuted from Fairfield), no one gave me per diem or a state-issued car of any sort. Nor did I have per diem (per diem meaning per day expenses). I paid for my own food, own gas. I always paid my way to work, had to work all year long, and 40 hours a week.
I got no special retirement or insurance benefits and no workshop weekends out of town. Why? I was simply a legal secretary and a legal analyst (paralegal).
Politicians are not kings and queens! And what about their plump vacations, fancy offices, special furniture and state-issued clerical help? The unimportant people are lucky to get a salary that can equal the "average annual per diem of $35,000" per year for senators who decide their own salary and benefits. That $35,000 per diem for many state employees does not include, of course, their salary and retirement.
I believe that only police, fire or some hospital employees need special consideration.
Bette Mueller lives in Kelseyville.
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