LAKEPORT — The Lake County Board of Supervisors (BOS) Tuesday approved a contract amendment allowing $25,581 to be paid to the Lake County Community Action Agency (LCCAA) for services rendered during fiscal year 2009/10.
The county had a contract with the LCCAA last fiscal year for a program providing therapeutic counseling to adolescents at New Beginnings Highland High School.
The BOS heard that the LCCAA spent more than the contracted $200,000 on program services. The old contract capped the compensation amount at $200,000 but the state reimbursed the county for a total of $225,581 in claims for the Drug Medi-Cal services provided, according to Mental Health Director Kristy Kelly.
The county would have had to return the extra $25,581 to the state if the money was not awarded to the LCCAA via a contract amendment, Kelly said. “It is our preference to get the money to the people that completed the services,” she said.
Kelly said there is a similar contract in place for the current fiscal year but services are currently on hold.
The LCCAA has furloughed employees and canceled programs amid funding difficulties and revelations last week that the agency is delinquent on payment of more than $100,000 in federal payroll taxes.
The BOS adopted a proclamation earlier in Tuesday”s regular meeting designating February 2011 as Children”s Dental Health Month in Lake County.
“We”re very proud of what we”ve done,” First 5 Lake executive director Tom Jordan told the BOS. “But we”re not ready to declare victory on the war. We still have a long way to go.”
County agencies, the Lake County Wine Alliance and other sources help fund the Dental Disease Prevention Program, which in part offers dental care education to students, according to program coordinator Marta Fuller.
The program offers dental screenings and other events to students throughout the year, according to Fuller. Earlier in the month, Northshore students participated in two “Give Kids a Smile Day” events in honor of Children”s Dental Health Month, one at Lucerne Elementary School and one in Lakeport.
Fuller and Jordan also provided program statistics to the BOS. The program has provided dental screenings to 2,164 children, including 334 preschool kids, and more than 2,200 children, in preschool through high school, have received education or services during the current fiscal year, as of Tuesday.
Fuller said it is imperative for children”s dental health that a dentist examines them by their first birthday.
The BOS also proclaimed Feb. 20 to 26 as National Engineers Week in Lake County. Sixteen local engineers, including Water Resources Director Scott De Leon, stood as fellow engineer District 3 Supervisor Denise Rushing presented the proclamation. The BOS appointed civil engineer and interim Public Works Director G.R. Shaul as Lake County Road Commissioner. The BOS heard that the director”s duties include that of road commissioner and that the state requires a public hearing be held before an individual is appointed road commissioner.
County staff requested two items on Tuesday”s agenda be carried over one week: the consideration of appointments to a Quality Assurance Exploratory Committee for the Lake County Sheriff”s Office and a request to approve the lease of an office building on 13th Avenue in Lucerne for the Mental Health Department. Both items are scheduled for the March 1 regular BOS meeting.
