LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Board of Supervisors this week will consider closing its meetings to in-person participation due to a rise in COVID-19 cases in Lake County.
The meeting will begin at 9 a.m. Tuesday, July 14.
The supervisors will meet in the board chambers on the first floor of the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport, for a hybrid meeting format which also will include the opportunity for community members to continue to participate virtually.
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, please join the Zoom meeting by clicking this link at 9 a.m. The meeting ID is 982 7061 0716, password 520497.
To submit a written comment on any agenda item please visit https://countyoflake.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx and click on the eComment feature linked to the meeting date. If a comment is submitted after the meeting begins, it may not be read during the meeting but will become a part of the record.
In an untimed item, Board Chair Moke Simon will ask the supervisors to consider closing the board chambers for in-person meetings due to concerns about rising COVID-19 case numbers.
Simon’s memorandum to the board explains that when they made the decision to reopen the chambers for meetings on June 30, countywide cases totaled 41. “Unfortunately, things have changed,” he said.
As of the last Public Health update over the weekend, countywide cases totaled 108.
“Allowing members of the public in the Board Chambers invites the kind of large gatherings we are seeking to avoid, in order to slow the spread of the virus,” said Simon, noting that people have continued to participate remotely through Zoom.
“I believe we were premature in reopening. Continuing to host hybrid meetings, with some people on-site, has the potential to place members of the public, our employees and ourselves at unnecessary and avoidable risk of contracting the virus,” Simon said.
He noted that on July 6 the California State Capitol was closed and the Legislature has been indefinitely delayed following an Assembly member testing positive for the virus. “Rather than waiting for someone to test positive as a result of attending one of our meetings, we should be proactive and close our Chambers until conditions improve.”
He said meetings will continue to be accessible remotely through online platforms or over the phone.
“Bottom line, we can make the public’s business very accessible to the public, without creating unnecessary public health risk. In my opinion, that’s exactly what we should do,” Simon wrote.
In timed items, at 9:02 a.m. the board will get its weekly COVID-19 from Public Health Officer Dr. Gary Pace and at 1 p.m. the board will hold an economic development workshop with county department heads.
The full agenda follows.
CONSENT AGENDA
5.1: Adopt proclamation recognizing Kelseyville High School K-Corps graduating class of 2020.
5.2: Approve minutes of the Board of Supervisors meetings April 3, 2020, June 23, 2020, June 30, 2020.
5.3: Approve the continuation of local health emergency related to the 2019 Coronavirus (COVID-19) as proclaimed by the Lake County Public Health officer.
5.4: Approve the continuation of a local emergency due to the Mendocino Complex Fire Incident (River and Ranch fires).
5.5: Approve the continuation of a local emergency due to the Pawnee fire incident.
5.6: Approve the continuation of a local emergency due to COVID-19.
5.7: Adopt proclamation commending Lyle Thomas for his 26-year career in public service.
5.8: Approve master agreement between the county of Lake and MGE Engineering Inc. for on-call construction management services for various HBP-Funded Bridge Projects in Lake County in the amount not to exceed $2,500,000 and authorize the chair to sign.
5.9: Adopt resolution to establish a list of projects proposed to be funded in FY 2020/2021 pursuant to the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017 (SB1).
5.10: (a) Approve the issuance of a purchase order to ModUCom for a radio dispatch equipment upgrade in the Central Dispatch facility (b) waive the formal bidding process, pursuant to Lake County Code Section 38.5, as the purchase is a patented and proprietary upgrade to existing equipment; and (c) authorize the sheriff or his designee to sign.
5.11: (a) Approve agreement effective 5/1/2020, lowering the scale pricing for the reduction of inmates due to COVID-19; (b) approve agreement effective 5/4/2020 increasing the costs per meal by .06 due to addition of one sandwich and (c) approve agreement effective 8/1/2020 extending the food services agreement with Trinity Services Group Inc., to supervise the preparation and service of meals at the Lake County Jail/Hill Road Facility and authorize the sheriff to sign the letter for the CPI increase.
5.12: Approve contract between county of Lake and Chabot-Las Positas Community College District for Title IV-E Training in the amount of $1,000,000 from July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2021, and authorize the chair to sign.
5.13: Approve fourth amendment to the lease agreement between county of Lake and Lillian Allen Trust for the property located at 1216, 1222 and 1228 South Main St. in Lakeport, for the amount of $19,140 per fiscal year, from July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2021, and authorize the chair to sign.
TIMED ITEMS
6.1, 9:01 a.m.: Public input.
6.2, 9:02 a.m.: Consideration of update on COVID-19.
6.3, 9:15 a.m.: Consideration of continuation of a local health emergency and order prohibiting the endangerment of the community through the unsafe removal, transportation, and disposal of fire debris for the Mendocino Complex Fire.
6.4, 9:30 a.m.: Public hearing, Community Development Block Grant Economic Development Program presentation and consideration of resolution approving applications for funding and the execution of grant agreements and any amendments from the 2019-2020 funding year of the State CDBG Program.
6.5, 10:30 a.m.: (a) Presentation of proclamation commending Lyle Thomas for his 26-year career in public service; and (b) presentation of a proclamation recognizing Kelseyville High School K-Corps graduating class of 2020.
6.6, 1 p.m.: Economic development workshop with county department heads.
UNTIMED ITEMS
7.2: Consideration of closing the Board of Supervisors Chambers for in-person meetings.
7.3: Consideration of update to return to work protocol.
7.4: Discussion and consideration of next steps for filling the Special Districts administrator position upon the retirement of the incumbent.
7.5: Consideration of an update on the County’s COVID-19 interim policy for working remotely.
7.6: Consideration of (a) certification for receipt of funds pursuant to paragraphs (2) or (3) of Subdivision (d) of Control Section 11.90 of the Budget Act of 2020 for the County of Lake, and (b) Certification for Receipt of Funds Pursuant to Provision 3 of Item 9210-110-0001 of the Budget Act of 2020.
CLOSED SESSION
8.1: Conference with legal counsel: Existing litigation pursuant to Gov. Code sec. 54956.9 (d)(1) – FERC Project No. 77, Potter Valley Hydroelectric Project.
8.2: Conference with legal counsel: Significant exposure to litigation pursuant to Government 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, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
Supervisors to consider closing meetings to in-person participation due to COVID-19 case increase
- Elizabeth Larson
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