- Elizabeth Larson
- Posted On
Supervisors to discuss county’s indigent defense services
The board will meet beginning at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 14, 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 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 982 4526 2136, pass code 099773. The meeting also can be accessed via one tap mobile at +16694449171,,98245262136#,,,,*099773#.
All interested members of the public that do not have internet access or a Mediacom cable subscription are encouraged to call 669-900-6833, and enter the Zoom meeting ID and pass code information above.
To submit a written comment on any agenda item visit the county website 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, the board will discuss the organizational analysis of indigent services report entitled “The Right to Counsel in Lake County, California,” completed by Sixth Amendment Center, or 6AC. The organization completed the analysis after the board approved an agreement with it in August 2021.
The report for the meeting explains that 6AC “observed approximately 170 court proceedings, involving indigent representation attorneys in the Lake County Superior Court in all critical stages of an adult trial level criminal case. In addition, 6AC also interviewed stakeholders in the judiciary, indigent defense, prosecution, and law enforcement.”
The result is that 6AC found an overall lack of accountability and oversight in Lake County’s provision of public defender services and funding.
It recommends the county advocate the state to study and make recommendations about how best to fulfill the state’s Sixth and Fourteenth Amendment responsibilities to ensure that each indigent defendant receives effective assistance of counsel; that he supervisors should establish a nonpartisan independent commission to oversee all aspects of indigent representation services and should fund the operations of the commission and the implementation of the methods and standards it adopts; and that an office of indigent representation services be established immediately.
In a followup item, the board will consider initial steps in the county’s ongoing review of the provision of legal services for indigent criminal defendants presented by County Counsel Anita Grant and Deputy County Counsel Carlos Torrez.
Grant and Torrez’s recommendations including reconstitute the Public Defender Advisory Committee; initiating and developing a community-based approach to criminal defense services, utilizing the services of Lake County Behavioral Health, Lake County Social Services and numerous service-based groups in the County; retain the services of a former public defender to assist the county in ensuring the comprehensive provision of indigent defense services; and continue to pursue grant funding to initiate any desired improvements to the indigent defense system.
In timed items on Tuesday, at 9:10 a.m. the supervisors will present aproclamation designating the month of February 2023 as Black History Month and celebrating Martin Luther King's Birthday, and at 9:20 a.m. they will hold a Brown Act “refresher” and related changes in the law effective in 2023.
The full agenda follows.
CONSENT AGENDA
5.1: Approve letter of support for Assembly Bill 297 – “Wildfires: Local Assistance Grant Program: Advance Payments,” and authorize the chair to sign.
5.2: (a) Approve revisions of Personnel Rule 1801, Holidays: Adding Juneteenth as a county paid holiday; (b) approve a side letter to Lake County Correctional Officers Association Oct. 21, 2021, to June 30, 2025 MOU; (c) approve a side letter to Lake County Deputy District Attorney’s Association Oct. 21, 2021, to June 30, 2025 MOU; (d) approve a side letter to Lake County Deputy Sheriff’s Association Oct. 21, 2021, to June 30, 2025 MOU; (e) approve a side letter to Lake County Employees Association Units #3, #4, #5 Oct. 21, 2021, to June 30, 2025 MOU; (f) approve a side letter to Lake County Safety Employees Association Oct. 21, 2021, to June 30, 2025 MOU; (g) approve a side letter to Lake County Sheriff’s Management Association Nov. 1, 2021, to June 30, 2025 MOU; (h) adopt resolution amending Resolution No. 2021-122 establishing salaries and benefits for employees assigned to the Confidential Unit, Section A, for Oct. 21, 2021, to June 30, 2025; (i) adopt resolution amending Resolution No. 2021-123 establishing salaries and benefits for employees assigned to the Confidential Unit, Section B, for Oct. 21, 2021, to June 30, 2025; adopt resolution amending Resolution No.2021-124 establishing salaries and benefits for management employees for the period from Nov. 1, 2021, to June 30, 2025.
5.3: Approve long distance travel for Auditor Controller/Clerk Jenavive Herrington to attend GFOA Advanced Governmental Accounting training in Chicago, Illinois, from March 21 to 23, 2023.
5.4: Adopt proclamation designating the month of February 2023 as Black History Month and celebrating Martin Luther King's Birthday.
5.5: Approve first amendment of agreement between the county of Lake and TruePoint Solutions for as-needed permitting software services for and increase of $19,965.00, and authorize the chair to sign.
5.6: Approve agreement between the county of Lake and Liebert Cassidy Whitmore for training and consultation regarding employee-related matters and authorize the chair to sign.
5.7: Approve late travel claim for Health Services staff Carol Morgan in the amount of $339.87.
5.8: Approve Amendment No. 3 to the agreement between the county of Lake and Management Connections for temporary clerical personnel in the County of Lake Human Resources Office to amend the minimum hourly rate of compensation and authorize chair to sign.
5.9: Approve amendment one to agreement between the county of Lake and Track Group to provide electronic monitoring and associated services for an amount not to exceed $75,000, and authorize the chair to sign.
5.10: Approve purchase orders for the purchase of two vehicles for the Central Garage Fleet at revised prices, and authorize the Public Works director/assistant purchasing agent to sign the purchase orders.
5.11: Approve allocation agreement for the Medi-Cal Health Enrollment Navigators Project between county of Lake, Department of Social Services, and state of California, Department of Health Care Services in the amount of $126,000 for the term of Oct. 1, 2022, through June 30, 2026, and authorize the chair to sign.
5.12: Approve contract between county of Lake and the Regents of the University of California for training services, in the amount of $339,915 from Jan. 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024, and authorize the chair to sign.
TIMED ITEMS
6.2, 9:10 a.m.: Presentation of proclamation designating the month of February 2023 as Black History Month and celebrating Martin Luther King's Birthday.
6.3, 9:20 a.m.: Presentation of a Brown Act “refresher” and related changes in the law effective in 2023.
UNTIMED ITEMS
7.2: 2022-23 Mid-Year Budget: (a) Consideration of resolution amending Resolution No. 2022-118 to amend the FY 2022-23 Adopted Budget by adjusting reserves, fund balance carry over, revenues, and appropriations; (b) consideration of resolution amending Resolution 2022-119 to amend the position allocations for FY 2022-23 to conform to the mid-year budget adjustments; and (c) consideration of resolution amending adopted budget for FY 2022-23 to establish Fund 74-John T. Klaus Park, Budget Unit 7074-John T. Klaus Park.
7.3: Overview and discussion of the organizational analysis of indigent services report entitled “The Right to Counsel in Lake County, California.”
7.4: Presentation of initial steps in the county’s ongoing review of the provision of legal services for indigent criminal defendants.
7.5. Consideration of the following Advisory Board Appointments: Animal Care and Control Advisory Board, Child Care Planning and Development Council, Fish and Wildlife Advisory Committee and Scotts Valley Community Advisory Council.
7.6: Presentation of update on planning services contract between the county of Lake and LACO Associates for processing cannabis-related use permit applications.
7.7: Consideration of the following resolutions to correct benefit language as required by CalPERS: a) resolution amending Resolution 2020-149 and Resolution 2021-122 establishing salary and benefits for Confidential Unit, Section A, for the periods of Oct. 21, 2020, to Oct. 20, 2021, and Oct. 21, 2021, to June 30, 2025; b) resolution amending Resolution 2020-150 and Resolution 2021-123 establishing salary and benefits for Confidential Unit, Section B, for the periods of Oct. 21, 2020, to Oct. 20, 2021, and Oct. 21, 2021, to June 30, 2025; c) resolution amending Resolution 2020-151 and Resolution 2021-124 establishing salary and benefits for management employees for the periods of Nov. 1, 2020, to Oct. 31, 2021, and Nov. 1, 2021, to June 30, 2025; d) resolution amending the memorandum of understanding by and between the Lake County Sheriff’s Management Association and the county of Lake for the periods of Nov. 1, 2020, to Oct. 31, 2021, and Nov. 1, 2021, to June 30, 2025.
7.8: Consideration of conceptual approval for the purchase of real property for a Cobb area community park and appoint a negotiating team.
7.9: Consideration of Lake County Social Services CalFresh & Medi-Cal Program Update.
CLOSED SESSION
8.1: Conference with legal counsel: Existing litigation pursuant to Gov. Code sec. 54956.9(d)(1), Citizens for Environmental Protection and Responsible Planning, et al. v. County of Lake, et al.
8.2: Public employee evaluation: Social Services Director Crystal Markytan.
8.3: Public Employee Evaluation: Air Pollution Control Officer Douglas Gearhart.
8.4: Public Employee Evaluation: Agricultural Commissioner Katherine Vanderwall.
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.