LAKEPORT, Calif. – Citing fiscal constraints, the county administrative officer is asking the Board of Supervisors this week to consider temporarily reducing public office hours for county offices in and around the Lake County Courthouse in Lakeport.
The board will meet beginning at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 28, 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 and online at https://countyoflake.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx . Accompanying board documents, the agenda and archived board meeting videos also are available at that link.
County Administrative Officer Carol Huchingson is asking the board to set the alternative office hours.
She notes in her written report for the meeting that the board is “very aware that the County’s already dire financial condition continues to worsen, and thus far, we have been unsuccessful in our pursuit of new revenue streams. The rising Minimum Wage and employee salaries currently estimated at 75% of those of comparable counties, continued slow recovery of our property and transient occupancy tax bases and uncertainty surrounding federal geothermal royalties historically provided to Counties are but a few examples of coming challenges.”
Huchingson’s report continued, “We are also still relatively early in the 2018 wildfire season, and the Ranch, River and Pawnee Fires have ravaged County lands. Since 2015, well over half of our landmass has burned, and nearly 5.5 percent of Lake County’s housing supply, a severe assault to our property tax revenues. Unfortunately, conditions conducive to wildfire remain.”
Noting, “Business as usual is no longer an option,” Huchingson said departments are operating with an average 20-percent staff vacancy rate, low morale and repeated disasters , adding, “the time is now to implement alternative business practices.”
Huchingson is taking to the board a resolution that proposes temporary public hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and excluding holidays, for all county offices in the Lake County Courthouse building in Lakeport, where the board meets, and select surrounding and satellite offices of the county of Lake, for the period of Sept. 11 through March 10.
“As you know, there is precedent for local governments taking such a measure within our County’s borders. The Cities of Clearlake and Lakeport both brought forth Friday closures during tough financial times, and elected to maintain Monday-Thursday public availability in spite of successfully obtaining new revenue streams,” Huchingson wrote in her report.
She said the six-month period will serve as a pilot for the board’s consideration of appropriate hours for county offices moving forward.
“If a permanent change becomes desirable or necessary at some time in the future, your Board would make that change by amending your Office Hours Ordinance,” Huchingson wrote.
Huchingson added, “Because the intention is to allow departments as much focused time as possible to address already extremely heavy workloads, staff requests that your Board not impose additional reporting requirements. Standard departmental performance measures will allow appropriate insight into the effects of these Friday public closures, and my office will seek input from Department Heads before this matter is revisited by your Board in March.”
In other business, at 9:09 a.m. the board will consider continuing a proclamation of a local health emergency by the Lake County health officer due to the Pawnee fire incident and at 9:10 a.m. will consider continuing a proclamation of a local health emergency by the Lake County health officer due to the Mendocino Complex fire and get a status report on the complex.
The full agenda follows.
CONTRACT CHANGE ORDERS
5.1: Consideration of Contract Change Orders 1-7 for the Clearlake Oaks Intertie Control Valve Project SD17-03.
CONSENT AGENDA
6.1: (a) Consideration of advanced salary step appointment of Pamela Nichols to HR Director; (b) consideration of waiver of applicant interview travel policy to enable reimbursement to Pamela Nichols; and (c) consideration of waiver of new employee relocation policy to enable reimbursement to Pamela Nichols, up to $2,000 for eligible moving expenses.
6.2: Approve extended leave of absence for Deputy Assessor-Recorder III Marilyn Higgins.
6.3: Adopt resolution authorizing the assessor to apply for the state supplementation for county assessors' program.
6.4: (a) Waive the formal bidding process, pursuant to Lake County Code Section 38.2, as it is not in the public interest due to the unique nature of goods or services; and (b) approve the agreement between the county of Lake and Vista Pacifica Enterprises Inc. for adult residential support services and specialty mental health services for Fiscal Year 2018-19 for the amount of $50,000 and authorize the board chair to sign the agreement.
6.5; (a) Waive the formal bidding process, pursuant to Lake County Code Section 38.2, as it is not in the public interest due to the unique nature of goods or services; and (b) approve the agreement between the county of Lake and Redwood Community Services Inc. for the Lake County Wrap Program, foster care program and intensive treatment foster care (itfc) program for Fiscal Year 2018-19 for a contract maximum of $550,000 and authorize the board chair to sign the agreement.
6.6: (a) Waive the formal bidding process, pursuant to Lake County Code Section 38.2, as it is not in the public interest due to the unique nature of goods or services; and (b) approve the agreement between the county of Lake and Redwood Community Services Inc. for the MHSA funded Lake County Family Stabilization Program for Fiscal Year 2018-19 for a contract maximum of $141,698 and authorize the board chair to sign the agreement.
6.7: (a) Waive the formal bidding process, pursuant to Lake County Code Section 38.2, as it is not in the public interest due to the unique nature of goods or services; and (b) approve the agreement between the county of Lake and Redwood Community Services Inc. for the MHSA Transitional Age Youth Drop-In Center for Fiscal Year 2018-19 for the amount of $61,200 and authorize the board chair to sign the agreement.
6.8: (a) Waive the formal bidding process, pursuant to Lake County Code Section 38.2, as it is not in the public interest due to the unique nature of goods or services; and (b) approve the agreement between the county of Lake and FIRST 5 Lake Commission for the Mother-Wise Program (Post-Partum Depression Initiative) for Fiscal Year 2018-19 for a contract maximum of $65,000 and authorize the board chair to sign the agreement.
6.9: (a) Waive the formal bidding process, pursuant to Lake County Code Section 38.2, as it is not in the public interest due to the unique nature of goods or services; and (b) approve the agreement between the county of Lake and Ford Street Project for substance use disorder residential and detoxification services for FY 2018-19, for a contract maximum of $50,000 and authorize the board chair to sign the agreement.
6.10: (a) Waive the formal bidding process, pursuant to Lake County Code Section 38.2, as it is not in the public interest due to the unique nature of goods or services; and (b) approve the agreement between the county of Lake and Neuropsychological Associates of California - A Psychological Services Corp. for psychological services for Fiscal Year 2018-19 for a contract maximum of $30,000 and authorize the board chair to sign the agreement.
6.11: (a) Waive the formal bidding process, pursuant to Lake County Code Section 38.2, as it is not in the public interest due to the unique nature of goods or services; and (b) approve the ninth amendment to the agreement between the county of Lake and Cerner Corp. for Anasazi Software and support services for Fiscal Year 2018-19 for a contract maximum of $50,000 and authorize the board chair to sign the amendment.
6.12: (a) Waive the formal bidding process, pursuant to Lake County Code Section 38.2, as it is not in the public interest due to the unique nature of goods or services; and (b) approve the agreement between the county of Lake and Restpadd Inc. for acute inpatient psychiatric hospital services and professional services associated with acute inpatient hospitalizations for Fiscal Year 2018-19 in the amount of $150,000 and authorize the board chair to sign the agreement.
6.13: (a) Waive the formal bidding process, pursuant to Lake County Code Section 38.2, as it is not in the public interest due to the unique nature of goods or services; and (b) approve the agreement between the county of Lake and Hilltop Recovery Services for substance use disorder residential services for FY 2018-19, for a contract maximum of $60,000 and authorize the board chair to sign the agreement.
6.14: (a) Waive the formal bidding process, pursuant to Lake County Code Section 38.2, as it is not in the public interest due to the unique nature of goods or services; and (b) approve the agreement between the county of Lake and Native American Mental Health Services dba North American Mental Health Services for telepsychiatry services for Fiscal Year 2018-19 for a contract maximum of $30,600 and authorize the chair to sign the agreement.
6.15: (a) Approve the district attorney’s equitable sharing agreement and certification for the Fiscal Year July 1, 2017 to June 30, 2018 and authorize the Chair to sign; and (b) Authorize Doris Lankford to electronically submit the report.
6.16: Adopt resolution approving a request for county of Lake Health Services to submit a renewal application and certification statement for the Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health grant with the State of California, Department of Public Health for Fiscal Year 2018 through 2019, in the amount of $269,937 and authorizing the board chair to sign said certification.
6.17: (a) Waive the formal bidding process, pursuant to Lake County Code Section 38.2, as it is not in the public interest due to the unique nature of goods or services; and (b) authorize the Public Services director / assistant purchasing agent to issue a purchase order to Peterson Tractor Co. in the amount of $151,032.
6.18: a) Waive the formal bidding process, pursuant to Lake County Code Section 38.2, as it is not in the public interest due to the unique nature of goods or services; (b) authorize the Public Works director/assistant purchasing agent to issue a purchase order not to exceed $18,695 to Pape’ Materials for the purchase of a used forklift; and (c) authorize the Public Works director/assistant purchasing agent to issue a purchase order not to exceed $32,620 to Pape’ Machinery for the replacement of a grader transmission.
6.19: Approve agreement between the county of Lake and Kelseyville Unified School District for the assignment of a school resource officer for a base rate of $120,000 from july 1, 2018, through June 30, 2019; and authorize the sheriff to sign.
6.20: Approve agreement between the county of Lake and Konocti Unified School District for the assignment of a school resource officer for a base rate of $120,000 from July 1, 2018, through June 30, 2019; and authorize the sheriff to sign.
6.21: Approve the acceptance of a 1999 Jetcraft patrol boat and 1999 Baker trailer from the Department of Boating and Waterways.
6.22: Approve a grant agreement with the state of California Department of Boating and Waterways in the Amount of $97,727 for the purchase of a new law enforcement patrol boat and trailer; and authorize the sheriff and county administrative officer to sign the contract documents.
6.23: Approve long distance travel for Sheriff Brian L. Martin to attend funeral services for Battalion Chief Matthew Burchett in Utah on Aug. 19, 2018.
6.24: Sitting as Lake County Sanitation District Board of Directors, approve escrow account for 5 percentage retainage on the Anderson Springs Sewer Project construction contract for K.J. Woods Construction Inc.
6.25: Approve recommended change to paid emergency leave policy.
TIMED ITEMS
7.2, 9:09 a.m.: Consideration of continuing a proclamation of a local health emergency by the Lake County health officer due to the Pawnee fire incident.
7.3: 9:10 a.m.: (a) Consideration of continuing a proclamation of a local health emergency by the Lake County health officer due to the Mendocino Complex fire; and (b) status report on Mendocino Complex fire, also known as the River and Ranch fires.
7.4, 9:30 a.m.: Continued from July 24 and June 19, hearing, nuisance abatement hearing for Toby Coleman; 3905 Gaddy Lane, Kelseyville CA, APN: 008-028-34.
7.5, 9:45 a.m.: Public hearing, consideration of Community Development Block Grant funded Comprehensive Recovery Funding Implementation Strategy 2018.
UNTIMED ITEMS
8.2: Consideration of a resolution establishing temporary alternative office hours for county offices located in and surrounding the Lake County Courthouse.
8.3: Consideration of (a) Award of Phase 1 of the design/build contract to PACE Engineering of Redding, Calif., for an amount not to exceed $161,000; and (b) agreement between county of Lake and Pace Engineering for replacement of four redwood water tanks in Soda Bay CSA 20.
CLOSED SESSION
9.1: Public employee appointment pursuant to Gov. Code Section 54957(b)(1): Appointment of interim Public Health officer.
9.2: Conference with legal counsel: Existing litigation pursuant to Gov. Code section 54956.9(d)(1): Navarro v. County of Lake, et al.
9.3: Conference with legal counsel: Existing litigation pursuant to Gov. Code section 54956.9(d)(1): LCCOA v. County of Lake, et al.
9.4: Conference with legal counsel: Decision whether to initiate litigation pursuant to Government Code section 54956.9(d)(4): County of Lake v. United States, Department of Interior .
9.: Conference with legal counsel: Existing litigation pursuant to Gov. Code sec. 54956.9(d)(1): Tabba aka Ward v. Wright, et al.
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Supervisors to consider alternative office hours for county offices at courthouse
- Elizabeth Larson
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