LAKE COUNTY ? A decision to move mental health services from Lakeport to Lucerne saw a 4-1 vote at Tuesday”s Board of Supervisors meeting with Supervisor Anthony Farrington in dissent. Farrington said he was the lone vote because he has been against this proposal from the very beginning. “It will mean 40 to 50 jobs will be moved to the north shore from Lakeport.
“The Ruzicka”s will sell for $2.5 million total (Lakeport), which includes interest and the county would own it. The Lucerne property requires a 20-year lease contract, which will cost a little over $4.3 million in the next 20 years with no equity or ownership. The Ruzicka proposal would result in a savings of over $1.8 million to taxpayers.” Farrington said. “Ruzicka and Brunetti (Lucerne project) are both constituents, I told them was going to make a decision and one of them would not be happy. I”m looking out for my district and for the taxpayers. This doesn”t create new jobs, it just moves them,” Farrington said.
A 5-0 decision was made to terminate the lease agreement for the Sheriff”s sub-station in Middletown. Sheriff/Coroner Frank Rivero asked for support for that and received it. The Lake County Sheriff”s Office is looking for another building for the sub-station.
A request to increase the contract from $100,000 to $200,000 was continued for the New Beginnings program. The board requested information on financial status issues and updates on payroll taxes and if those are current.
Proclamations designating the month of February as Black History Month in Lake County and celebrating Martin Luther King”s birthday, as well as a proclamation commending the Middletown High School Mustangs football team for its 2010 season were presented. NAACP President Rick Mayo and vice-president Jim Swatts accepted the proclamation for Black History Month.
Accepting the proclamation for the Mustangs were Mustangs head coach Bill Foltmer, assistant coaches Moke Simon and Tom Knowles, as well as 14 players.
