LAKEPORT, Calif. – Starting next week, a number of county offices primarily based in Lakeport will embark on a pilot program in which public office hours are reduced in order to allow staff to catch up on work backlogs.
The Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the proposal, brought forward in the form of a resolution by County Administrative Officer Carol Huchingson, at its Aug. 28 meeting.
Huchingson’s proposal is for 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.
She proposed it as a pilot project, to run from Sept. 11 to March 10.
In asking the board to take the action, Huchingson pointed out that the cities of Clearlake and Lakeport implemented Friday office closures in the face of fiscal challenges.
Huchingson cited the county’s inability to get new revenue streams and diminishing returns on the current ones, upcoming minimum wage issues, challenges with hiring and the “serious assault” on county property tax from the loss of nearly 2,000 homes over the past three years as reasons to pursue the plan.
The county’s agriculture department may propose a seasonal Friday closure, and the social services and health departments also are looking at adopting a similar schedule, she said.
Huchingson said she had conferred with all of the department heads about the plan, and while District Attorney Don Anderson expressed concern to Huchingson about it, she said all of the other department heads gave it strong support.
Supervisor Tina Scott said the plan would make office hours consistent among departments, some of which already have scaled back their public hours. She emphasized that they are not cutting back on hours for employees, but just giving them a chance to catch up.
During the discussion, Sheriff Brian Martin said he wanted to address the matter in order to let the public know what is going on, “Because we in government are in the business of delivering services.”
He said the 20 percent vacancy in county offices creates challenges in delivering services. His agency’s vacancy rate is higher – 27.8 percent across the board.
“The reality is, I don’t have people,” he said.
Martin said he can’t shut down the dispatch center, but he’s considering reducing office hours during the week.
He said his vacancies include 16 deputies, 18 correctional officers, seven dispatchers and six civilian positions. Deputies are helping cover correctional positions and correctional officers are working in dispatch.
Martin said his department will need to work with the District Attorney’s Office and auditor-controller to make sure the closures don’t impact operations.
Huchingson said the sheriff’s office wasn’t included in the initial pilot program. She also said library and jail hours will remain unchanged.
Martin said that at some point, he may need to shut down a portion of the jail, as with 18 of 49 correctional officer positions unfilled, it’s not sustainable.
Supervisor Rob Brown pointed out that, after October 2019, individuals arrested on misdemeanor charges won’t go to jail at all based on a newly signed state law.
Martin said he believes that new legislation will do what other legislation related to the criminal justice system has done – cause a short-term reduction in the jail population with long-term increases.
Board Chair Jim Steele asked if salary savings from empty positions help. Huchingson said they do in a “perverse sort of way.” While the savings carry over, it doesn’t help county operations in a practical manner, she said.
Special Districts Administrator Jan Coppinger said her department has a lot of funding opportunities for projects but they have a challenge meeting funding deadlines.
She said the county has taken a beating for backlogs, and while she knows what’s behind backlogs Coppinger said she also understands the public’s concern.
Coppinger offered her support for the schedule change, as she said the county departments need to get back up to speed.
Supervisor Jeff Smith questioned if Friday is the best day of the week to close or if it’s Monday.
Brown said he and Huchingson and discussed it, and since Mondays are typically holidays and board meetings are on Tuesdays, it wouldn’t give staff the chance to prepare.
Huchingson added that the public is used to coming into the offices on Mondays, which are the busiest days for her office.
Gail Woodworth, director of Child Support Services, asked that her department – headquartered in Kelseyville – also be included, noting that she’s 30-percent short on case workers and Friday is their slowest day. She said they would leave the lobby open so people can pay at the kiosks.
Brown moved to approve the plan, which the board supported 5-0.
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