LAKE COUNTY — The Lake County Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to withdraw from CalPERS health coverage in order to save money.
Starting in 2011, county employees, except those in the Lake County Deputy Sheriff”s Association, will be covered by CSAC EIA. The board unanimously passed a number of resolutions on the issue.
The county”s Group Insurance Committee recommended the county withdraw from CalPERS health benefits and transfer to similar coverage at lower rates with EIA, Human Resources director Kathy Ferguson said. With the new insurance, the county will have more control over the plans.
Ferguson recommended the Lake County Deputy Sheriff”s Association remain on CalPERS because as the employees are members of the Peace Officers Research Association of California, that helps pay for their health plan with CalPERS.
Mike Powers, a law enforcement retiree, questioned which plan he would fall under.
Ferguson said since he was management, he will be under the new plan.
Board members discussed a number of issues Tuesday during the meeting in the County Courthouse in Lakeport.
The board passed the consent agenda, with the exception of one item that supervisors and staff discussed.
Supervisors voted to approve the pulled item, a resolution to authorize a contract with the California Department of Food and Agriculture for a hydrilla dredging project.
Water Resources director Scott DeLeon said the state hydrilla effort uses herbicides to kill the invasive plant, which takes four to seven years for each plant.
The test program would evaluate a limited area to see whether the spot dredging is effective. Staff will attain permits before moving forward with the dredging to address such environmental issues as mercury.
Cheri Holden of the Sierra Club Lake Group said she thinks it”s a good pilot project.
Supervisors awarded the bid for the Lucerne Third Avenue Plaza Project to KAT Construction for $788,983.
The board voted unanimously to offer a resolution approving the submittal of a Homeland Security grant application for $227,000 to improve communication infrastructure, give first response training and update information technology systems.
Sheriff Rod Mitchell said the Office of Emergency Services, which he directs, the Department of Health Services, police departments and fire districts coordinated to develop priorities for the funding to benefit all the departments.
Supervisor Rob Brown said he thinks it”s important the public knows the grant will fund things that are more realistic to Lake County rather than something to combat al-Qaida.
Supervisor Denise Rushing presented a proclamation designating Sunday to Saturday as National Community Health Center Week in Lake County.
Board members unanimously offered the second reading of an ordinance amending the charges and fees of the County Service Area Kono Tayee.
The board continued an appeal by the El Dorado Hotel owner regarding the conversion of the hotel to permanent living and transient occupancy. The public hearing on the issue was rescheduled for 1:30 p.m. Sept. 14.
Supervisors voted to name an existing road as Baylis Cove Road. It is off Point Lakeview Road in the Lower Lake area.
Holden presented a short film from the inaugural film festival We Love the Tules. The film was named after the festival and discussed how tules help Clear Lake.
“One thing I noticed about the lake is where there are tules there”s not hydrilla and there”s not algae,” Holden said.
Contact Katy Sweeny at kdsweeny@gmail.com or call her directly at 263-5636, ext. 37.
