LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Board of Supervisors will hold a special meeting next week to consider whether to put the issue of a proposed name change for the Kelseyville area on the November ballot.

The‌ ‌board will meet beginning ‌at‌ ‌9‌ ‌a.m. Tuesday, July 30, 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.

On Tuesday, the supervisors are set to discuss just one item: Whether to ask voters to weigh in on changing Kelseyville’s name to “Konocti,” based on a proposal submitted to the United States Board on Geographic Names, or BGN, in October by a group calling itself Citizens for Healing.

The group wants to change Kelseyville to Konocti because the Kelsey name is connected to the enslavement, physical and sexual abuse, and murder of Wappo and Pomo tribal members by Andrew Kelsey and Charles Stone in the late 1840s, leading to the mens’ killing by tribal members in 1849. Their killings led, in turn, to the Bloody Island massacre near Nice and other retaliatory murders of Indigenous people around the region.

A memo to the board from District 5 Supervisor Jessica Pyska and County Administrative Officer Susan Parker released Friday afternoon explained that both the BGN and the county of Lake have received comments on the proposals.

“The Board of Supervisors is authorized to seek an advisory vote of the people of Lake County. The County may hold an advisory election for the purposes of allowing voters within the jurisdiction, or a portion thereof, to voice their opinions on substantive issues,” the memo said.

Pyska and Parker said county staff is seeking input on two questions: Does the board want to pursue an advisory election to ascertain voter opinion of the proposed name change and, if so, would it be a vote of the entire county or just the Kelseyville area?

The memo is accompanied by two proposed resolutions, one to put the question before all Lake County voters and the second that would be voted on by residents of the Kelseyville Unified School District only.

Pyska and Parker reported that the filing period to get the measure on the ballot is Aug. 9 or, if there is an extension for filing for offices — such as when an incumbent does not file to run — Aug. 14.

Correspondence between BGN to the county from earlier this year that is included in the agenda packet stated that BGN could not predict a time frame for how long it would have the matter under review.

BGN also reported that there isn’t a process for “formally inviting the public to comment” on name change proposals, that the agency doesn’t have the ability or resources to vet public comments for accuracy, that it trusts a county board “will issue a recommendation that represents the opinions of those citizens,” and that it does not have resources to provide to local jurisdictions, although staff is available to respond to questions.

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.