LAKEPORT — The Lake County Board of Supervisors (BOS) discussed issues related to the maintenance of county vehicles, including the possibility of contracting out fleet management services, during Tuesday”s regular meeting.
Two representatives from Automotive Resources International (ARI), a private vehicle service provider, gave a presentation about their company”s practices.
The BOS heard that ARI could supplement the county”s current management practices with a range of services, including new asset acquisition, data analysis, driver training and vehicle maintenance. The company would typically contract maintenance work to local automotive shops, the ARI representatives said.
ARI manages more than 755,000 vehicles in North America and has several government clients in other states, but none in California.
District 4 Supervisor Anthony Farrington said the county should analyze its fleet management practices, and ARI”s services could benefit the county, taxpayers and local businesses.
Farrington asked the BOS to consider a pilot program that would allow ARI to provide fleet management and maintenance services for the Lake County Sheriff”s Office (LCSO) and the Department of Social Services.
Those two departments manage their own vehicles and have the ability to choose whether to receive maintenance from private shops or the county”s central garage, operated by the Public Works Department.
Departments that manage their own vehicles, rather than lease vehicles from the Public Works fleet, are charged rates for maintenance work completed at the central garage, similar to what is done at a private shop; however the BOS discussed that some service costs may be higher at the central garage.
Public Works Director Scott De Leon told the BOS that he would give a presentation at a future meeting to explain the operations of the central garage, including the overhead costs that are factored into hourly service rates.
Rather than proceeding with a pilot program with ARI, the BOS directed staff to analyze current fleet management practices and explore all viable options for improvements, which could include utilizing ARI services.
County Administrator Kelly Cox said a legal issue could prevent the county from contracting with ARI.
State law specifies what services general law countries can contract to private companies, and the county has received several legal opinions concluding that vehicle management services would not qualify, Cox said.
In other business, District 3 Supervisor Denise Rushing led a discussion about District 5 Supervisor Rob Brown”s desire to remove himself as a member of the Sheriff”s Office of Quality Assurance Exploratory Committee.
The BOS created the exploratory committee earlier this year to develop the guidelines by which a standing committee could be formed to provide citizen oversight for the LCSO.
Brown and Rushing were appointed as exploratory committee members along with several citizens and county officials.
“I don”t want to be involved in it,” Brown said Tuesday, citing a lack of clear committee objectives and organization as well as poor communication with Sheriff Frank Rivero.
Rivero, who did not participate in the BOS discussion, described recent communication between himself and Brown regarding the exploratory committee as “very good.”
Brown said he found the lead-up to the first scheduled meeting particularly problematic. A committee meeting had been scheduled for today, but a final agenda was not completed until Tuesday morning.
County Counsel Anita Grant said the meeting would need to be rescheduled to allow for proper advertising and posting of the agenda, as required by the Brown Act.
Rushing asked Brown to consider staying on the committee because his experience observing law enforcement as a professional bail bondsman could lend vital insights.
Brown declined further participation and no other Supervisor expressed interest in joining the committee. The BOS decided the exploratory committee should hold meetings with only one BOS member.
Lake County Redevelopment Agency (RDA) staff presented the five-year implementation plan for the Northshore Project Area, which consists of nearly 4,000 acres in Clearlake Oaks, Glenhaven, Lucerne, Nice and Upper Lake.
State law requires local RDAs to adopt such plans every five years, according to deputy redevelopment director Eric Seely, who said action Tuesday “may be an exercise in futility” because of the uncertain status of redevelopment in the still-unapproved 2011-12 state budget.
The plan describes RDA objectives, proposed programs and projected revenues and expenditures for July 2011 through June 2016.
Projects and programs discussed in the plan include the Lucerne Hotel, the Clearlake Oaks Senior Center, Highway 20 traffic calming, a business fa?ade improvement program and an affordable housing plan.
The BOS, sitting as the RDA Board of Directors, passed a resolution approving and adopting the plan.
Special Districts Administrator Mark Dellinger described a proposed Lake County Sanitation District (LACOSAN) project that would create a new 1,570-gallon-per-minute lift station and install nearly 4.9 miles of sewer pipeline, a majority of which would run through Clearlake city streets.
The project would increase capacity and prevent future spills caused by wet weather, Dellinger said.
The BOS, sitting as the LACOSAN Board of Directors, voted to issue a mitigated negative declaration and pass a resolution approving the Southeast Regional Wastewater Collection System project.
The BOS carried over the annual report from the Clear Lake Advisory Committee, which requested the presentation be rescheduled to June 28.
Contact Jeremy Walsh at jwalsh@record-bee.com or call him at 263-5636, ext. 37.
