LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Board of Supervisors is due this week to consider taking final votes on forming new benefit zones for four Kelseyville communities, an effort meant to address hazardous vegetation in order to reduce the threat of wildland fires.
The board will meet beginning at 9 a.m. Tuesday, April 16, 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.
At 10:30 a.m, the board will hold a public hearing to consider resolutions accepting and confirming ballot tabulation for the establishment of zones of benefit within CSA 23 in the communities of Buckingham, Clear Lake Riviera, Riviera Heights and Riviera West.
The board passed four resolutions of intent to create the zones of benefit on Jan. 29, with the matter then put out to voters under the requirements of Proposition 218.
At the end of protest hearings on March 26, it was confirmed that a majority of the returned ballots favored the benefit zones, as Lake County News has reported.
During the board’s March 26 meeting, a community member opposed to the benefit zones said that the language “Official Ballot Enclosed,” was not printed on the envelopes in which ballots were mailed.
“I and my staff sincerely regret this omission,” County Administrative Officer Carol Huchingson wrote in her report to the board on the item. “However, as your Board may be aware, the purpose of this statute, Government Code Section 53753 (b), is to ensure that property owners are aware of their opportunity to vote to accept or oppose the proposed assessments, and do not unknowingly throw away their ballots.”
Huchingson said that the board may determine whether the ballot measure, as conducted, was in substantial compliance with the noticing requirements of Government Code section 53753.
She then outlined some of the “numerous and substantial efforts” made to inform property owners in the affected areas that they would receive ballots from county, including discussing the matter on four different occasions; Supervisor Rob Brown’s two information town hall-style meetings; county press releases shared on social media; significant local media coverage; and the efforts of homeowners’ associations to do their own outreach.
Huchingson said all envelopes containing mailed ballots were labeled “County of Lake,” and mailed first class, not bulk mail, indicating they were not junk mail, and should not be thrown away.
“Provided your Board finds that these, and/or other factors, substantially fulfill the reasonable objective of Government Code section 53753 (b), staff recommends your Board adopt the attached Resolutions, accepting and confirming ballot tabulation for the four proposed Zones of Benefit,” Huchingson wrote.
Also on the agenda, at 10 a.m. the board will continue a discussion first held last week regarding the Big Valley Band of Pomo Indians’ fee to trust applications with the Bureau of Indian Affairs for 21 tribal-owned parcels.
The full agenda follows.
CONSENT AGENDA
5.1: (a) Waive the formal bidding process, pursuant to the 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 Stephen Bradley, MD to fulfill the responsibilities of the substance use disorder medical director for Fiscal Year 2018-19 for a contract maximum of $48,960 and authorize the chair to sign.
5.2: Sitting as the Lake County Sanitation District Board of Directors, (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 purchase of high strength sodium hypochlorite from Hasa Inc. in an amount not to exceed $122,000 and authorize the Special Districts administrator to issue a purchase order.
5.3: Adopt proclamation designating the week of April 15-19, 2019, as Public Safety Dispatcher Week in Lake County.
5.4: Approve contract between the county of Lake and People Services for yard maintenance in the amount of $9,234.33 annually, terminating June 30, 2021, and authorize the chair to sign.
TIMED ITEMS
6.2, 9:10 a.m.: Presentation of proclamation designating the week of April 15 to 19, 2019, as Public Safety Dispatcher Week.
6.3, 9:15 a.m.: Public hearing, consideration of resolution approving resolutions and capital fire facility and equipment plans submitted by Lake County fire agencies and updating the Lake County Capital Fire Facility and Equipment Plan.
6.4, 9:30 a.m.: Presentation by Adventist Health Community Wellness for the SafeRX vision for a "Leave it Behind" Program.
6.5, 10 a.m.: Continued from April 9, consideration of responses to the Bureau of Indian Affairs invitation to provide comment on the Big Valley Band of Pomo Indians’ land acquisition applications.
6.6, 10:30 a.m.: Public hearing, consideration of resolutions accepting and confirming ballot tabulation for the establishment of zones of benefit within CSA 23 in the following communities: (a) Buckingham; (b) Riviera Heights; (c) Riviera West; and (d) Clearlake Riviera.
6.7, 1 p.m.: Workshop Regarding United States Department of Agriculture Community Development Block Grant and Economic Development Administration funding projects.
UNTIMED ITEMS
7.2: Consideration of long distance travel to Death Valley for Eddie Crandell, District 3, supervisor to attend California's Rural Counties Board of Directors meeting to be held April 30 to May 2.
7.3: Sitting as the Lake County Sanitation District Board of Directors, consideration of the Special Districts administrator’s request to initiate an interim loan in the amount of $493,000 to fund 256.8356.501.80-92, Anderson Springs Sewer, from fund 254.8354.501.80-93, LACOSAN SE, to facilitate payment to contractor K.J. Woods Construction.
7.4: Consideration of Contract Change Order No. 1 for the Lower Lake Parks Maintenance Facility Project, Bid No. 18-17.
CLOSED SESSION
8.1: Public Employee evaluations: Social Services director, information technology director.
8.2: Conference with legal counsel: Existing litigation pursuant to Gov. Code sec. 54956.9(d)(1): County of Lake, et al. v. PG&E, et al.
8.3: Conference with legal counsel: Existing Litigation pursuant to Gov. Code sec. 54956.9 (d)(1): Navarro v. County of Lake.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
Supervisors to consider finalizing zones of benefit formation
- Elizabeth Larson
- Posted On