LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Board of Supervisors is set to hold a discussion about sending letters to state and federal agencies regarding their policies for changing geographic names, which is a response to a request from community members for the board to reconsider its letter in support of changing the name of Kelseyville.

The‌ ‌board will meet beginning ‌at‌ ‌9‌ ‌a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 4, 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 ‌at‌ ‌https://countyoflake.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx‌‌ 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 1 p.m., the board will consider letters to the United States Board on Geographic Names’ Domestic Names Committee and the California Advisory Committee on Geographic Names, recommending changes to the Board on Geographic Names’ principles, policies and practices, in light of the Jan. 20 Presidential Executive Order, “Restoring Names That Honor American Greatness.”

District 5 Supervisor Jessica Pyska is presenting the items to the board.

Retired Supervisor Rob Brown asked the board last month to reconsider its letter to the Board of Geographic Names, approved in December, in support of Citizens for Healing’s application to change the name of Kelseyville to Konocti.

The supervisors took that action following the defeat of advisory Meaure U on the Nov. 5 ballot. Measure U asked if the town’s name should be changed, with 70.58% voting “no” and 29.42% voting “yes.”

After the agenda was released late last week, Brown said the agendized discussion wasn’t what he asked the board to do.

Rachel White, a leader of the Save Kelseyville group, also had asked the board to reconsider its letter in support of the name change, and she wrote to Pyska and new District 4 Supervisor Brad Rasmussen over the weekend to voice her concerns, noting that the Tuesday agenda item didn’t address her request.

“My position remains clear: this should be brought back to the Board of Supervisors for discussion and action to reverse the recommendation to support the name change. This is a new item with new information, including a newly confirmed Secretary of the Interior, Doug Burgum. I did not ask you to address Measure U, though nearly 18,000 votes against the name change are undeniable. Please do not deflect again,” White wrote.

She also submitted an eComment on the item on the board’s website. “I am deeply disappointed by this supplemental letter from the Board of Supervisors. What has been done to Kelseyville over the past year is nothing short of betrayal. The hurt caused by this endless cycle of inaction by our Supervisor cannot be overstated. Ambiguity in policy language is not an excuse—it never was—for the lack of leadership, the silence, and the refusal to make a clear stand for our community. The time for action was last year when you could have sent a definitive letter putting this matter to rest. Instead, we were left to fend for ourselves, our name questioned, and our town dragged through the mud.”

In other business, at 9:07 a.m. the board will present a proclamation honoring Phil Kirby for his years of service in education and at 9:30 a.m. will discuss midyear budget adjustments.

The full agenda follows.

CONSENT AGENDA

5.1: Adopt proclamation designating the month of February 2025 Black History Month and celebrating Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday.

5.2: Adopt proclamation honoring Phil Kirby on 51 eventful years in education – 47 in Lake County.

5.3: Approve travel of over 1,500 miles for Lake County District 2 and District 5 supervisors to attend the NACo Annual Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C., from February 27, 2025, through March 5, 2025.

5.4: Adopt resolution approving amended Agreement No. 24-0132-016-SF with the State of California, Department of Food and Agriculture to provide reimbursement for the insect trapping program in the amount of $41,312 for FY 24-25.

5.5: Approve Board of Supervisors meeting minutes from Dec. 10, 2024, and Jan. 7, 2025.

5.6: (a) Waive the formal bidding process, pursuant to Lake County Code Section 2-38.4, Cooperative Purchases, and (b) authorize the IT director to issue a purchase order to Dell Marketing L.P. for Microsoft 365 G3 ‘Step up’ licenses in the amount of $18,537.75.

5.7: (A) Approve the FY 2024 Homeland Security application in the amount of $127,354, (B) authorize Sheriff Luke Bingham to sign the grant subaward face sheet, the authorized agent document, and the subrecipient grants management assessment form; (c) authorize County Administrative Officer Susan Parker to act as the authorized agent on behalf of the county to sign the standard assurances and initial each page and the FFATA Financial Disclosure document, and (D) authorize the chairperson of the Board of Supervisors to sign the certification of the governing body resolution

5.8: Approve agreement with GovEase Auction LLC for property tax sale auction services, with the associated costs of the auction paid by the winning bidder, and authorize the chair to sign

5.9: Addendum, approve Amendment One to the agreement with KNN Public Finance for municipal advisor services related to the Sheriff Facility Project financing for an increase of $112,500, and authorize the department head to sign.

TIMED ITEMS

6.2, 9:03 a.m.: Pet of the Week.

6.3, 9:05 a.m.: Presentation of proclamation designating the month of February 2025 Black History Month and celebrating Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday

6.4, 9:07 a.m.: Presentation of proclamation honoring Phil Kirby on 51 eventful years in education – 47 in Lake County.

6.5, 9:30 a.m.: Consideration of (a) a resolution amending Resolution No. 2024-99 to amend the FY 2024-25 adopted budget by adjusting reserves, fund balance carryover, revenues, and appropriations; and (b) a resolution amending Resolution 2024-100 to amend the position allocations for FY 2024-25 to conform to the mid-year budget adjustments

6.6, 10 a.m.: Consideration and discussion of the Broadband Implementation Plan and update on broadband initiatives.

6.7, 11 a.m.: Hearing, consideration of request for post-abatement hearing on account and proposed assessment of summary abatement, 6439 Fifteenth Avenue, Lucerne, CA / APN#034-212-10

6.8, 1 p.m.: Consideration of letters to (a) the United States Board on Geographic Names’ Domestic Names Committee and (b) the California Advisory Committee on Geographic Names, recommending changes to the Board on Geographic Names’ Principles, Policies, and Practices, in light of the January 20, 2025, Presidential Executive Order, “Restoring Names That Honor American Greatness.”

UNTIMED ITEMS

7.2: (a) Consideration of a letter of support for the “Cumulative Health Impacts of Cascading Environmental Hazards on Rural Communities Project,” and (b) consideration of the Chief Climate Resiliency Officer and Tribal Liaison serving on the Community Advisory Board of the project.

7.3: Consideration of a letter of support for the Lake-Napa private, public, community-based organization, and tribal government collaborative forest health project.

7.4: Consideration of the following Advisory Board appointments: Big Valley Advisory Council, Emergency Medical Care Council, Fish and Wildlife Advisory Committee, Lake County Resource Conservation District, Middletown Area Town Hall and Middletown Cemetery District.

7.5: Consideration of (a) proposed reorganization and renaming of the Drought Workgroup; (b) establishment of an ad hoc committee; (c) transference of lead agency to the Community Development Department; and presentation of SB 552 compliance and project updates.

CLOSED SESSION

8.1: Public employee evaluation: Agricultural Commissioner Katherine VanDerWall.

8.2: Public employee evaluation: Special Districts Administrator Robin Borre.

8.3: Public employee evaluation: Water Resources Director Pawan Upadhyay.

8.4: Conference with legal counsel: Significant exposure to litigation pursuant to Gov. Code section 54956.9(d)(2), (e)(1) – One potential case.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, and on Bluesky, @erlarson.bsky.social. Find Lake County News on the following platforms: Facebook, @LakeCoNews; X, @LakeCoNews; Threads, @lakeconews, and on Bluesky, @lakeconews.bsky.social.