LAKEPORT — The county board of supervisors adopted a road maintenance fee for construction trucks, extended a cell tower moratorium and heard from citizens at three nuisance abatement hearings at its Tuesday meeting.
Anyone doing construction projects in Lake County with a value of $10,000 or more will be subject to a .5 percent fee for the total value of the project that will go to maintain county roads.
“This is a guide to replenish the pots of money that we anticipate disappearing,” county public works director Gerry Shaul said. Shaul cited findings by HF&H Consultants, LLC of Walnut Creek that show the pavement condition index (CPI) for the county”s paved roads is 51, with 100 representing the best condition. A CPI of 70 or higher is ideal, Shaul said. Based on the average annual building permit value of $76,407,000 between 2001 and 2005, Shaul estimated that the fee would generate $325,000 to maintain the county”s roads annually. According to an HF&H report, the county would need to spend $5.7 million annually to have a PCI of 78 by 2008.
Nuisance abatement issues heard Tuesday brought heated input from citizens. One questioned the board”s authority to conduct a nuisance abatement.
“You”re going to waste the taxpayers” money, you”re going to get slapped down in court and you”re going to learn a hard lesson,” Jeff Thomas Smith, a paralegal residing in Clearlake Oaks, said. He was among several speakers who voiced strong opinions about a seven-year county case involving Lila Bennett. County code enforcement reported structures built on Bennett”s property without permits; the board voted to abate the nuisance and gave the family 60 days to come into compliance. Smith cited several California Supreme Court decisions that suggested that the county should not have the jurisdiction to require the permits.
“I worry about governmental powers, too,” District 3 Supervisor Rushing said. “On the other hand, we all have to live together, and that”s why we have codes.”
The board added an item to decide who would go to a State Senate hearing in Sacramento that started at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday. Chairman Jeff Smith said the board was notified of the hearing two weeks ago, and was unable to address the invitation as a board until Tuesday because no meeting was held last week.
Contact Tiffany Revelle at trevelle@record-bee.com.
