LAKE COUNTY ? Garbage pick-up rates were raised and an agreement was reached between the county and the Big Valley Rancheria of Pomo Indians to take care of certain county roads at the July 1 Lake County Board of Supervisors meeting.
The Rancheria worked with a consultant to identify certain roads leading to and serving the Rancheria that the tribe can help the county maintain using federal funds as part of the Indian Reservation Roads (IRR) program, according to Lake County Public Works Director Brent Siemer. After some debate, the board unanimously approved a memorandum of understanding with the Big Valley Rancheria and the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
“There are roads on here that are miles away from the reservation that don”t lead to the reservation,” Supervisor Rob Brown said. “I don”t want to look a gift horse in the mouth if we”re going to get roads repaired that need it, regardless of the funding, but what strings are attached?” Brown asked Siemer.
“There are no strings. The county will still own, operate, maintain, direct. What we will have is an opportunity ? if they have funding available, and we see a road having need, and we know that we are unable to take care of our needs ? they can bring those monies to bear,” Siemer said.
Federal money is used commonly in county road projects, according to Siemer, and the additional environmental review that comes with the funding is commonplace.
“Without speaking to the tribe, I would only assume ? and it may not be a proper assertion ? that some of these roads, maybe they believe that whether they”re arteries or direct lines to the tribal lands or the casino, that there might be some cultural aspects or heritage aspects to these ? I don”t know ? in terms of fisheries or botanicals, or for basket weaving purposes,” Supervisor Anthony Farrington said.
“Some of these roads could lead out of county, and would be their traditional paths, or something like that,” Siemer said.
n In other supervisor business, the board adopted a garbage pick-up rate increase based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and on rising price of gasoline.
“As anybody who”s filled up their tank lately knows, we”re being hit majorly with fuel increases, and so are our franchise haulers. We can”t expect them to absorb those costs without passing them on to the ratepayer in order to keep them in business,” Public Services Director Kim Clymire said.
The increase to residential services in the county”s unincorporated areas include a 3.51 percent CPI increase and a $1.03 increase per customer for the cost of fuel. For commercial customers, the increase depends on the franchise hauler and location.
Clymire wrote in a memo to the board that between June 1, 2007 and May 31, 2008, Lake County Waste Solutions saw an increase of fuel costs of $266,344. Southlake Refuse and Recycling saw an expense increase of $84,035 in the same 12-month period.
Contact Tiffany Revelle at trevelle@record-bee.com.
