LAKEPORT — The Lake County Board of Supervisors (BOS), acting as the Board of Directors for the Lake County Sanitation District, approved a resolution authorizing the use of eminent domain to fill the need for a wastewater sewer pipeline project in the City of Clearlake.
The project was first brought to the board on Dec. 20 by Special Districts Administrator Mark Dellinger. At that meeting, the board approved a resolution of intent to use eminent domain. Dellinger said the project is nearly 30-percent complete.
Dellinger said the property sought to be acquired in the project is necessary to install underground wastewater pipelines. The department is only seeking portions of owner property, such as a fence line and raw land on one property. On another property, located behind the Foods, Etc.-IGA supermarket, the pipelines are being located near existing storm water and sanitary sewer easements already in place.
Dellinger said property owners will be minimally affected. The construction company will be working with the supermarket to ensure business is not affected during construction. He said property owners will be restricted in erecting any sort of structures near the area and may do minimal landscaping.
All affected property owners were contacted to be present at Tuesday”s meeting to speak to the board, but none were present.
Dellinger recommended authorizing the resolution in order to expedite the project. The resolution was approved 4-0.
District 3 Supervisor Denise Rushing was absent from the meeting because of illness.
Reconvening as the BOS, a public hearing on a proposed resolution vacating a portion of Malpas Way in the Blue Lakes Subdivision was continued to Feb. 7 at 10 a.m., because of Rushing”s absence and the desire from the property owner to have a full board present to prevent a deadlocked vote.
In other matters, the supervisors approved an amended contract between the Mental Health Department and Crestwood Behavioral Health, increasing the total maximum compensation from $240,000 to $435,000. Mental Health Director Kristy Kelly stated in her report to the BOS that the department has experienced extremely high utilization of Crestwood facilities for patients requiring a high level of care.
The BOS approved a software licensing and support agreement for the Health Services Department. The agreement is to update software used by the department and the environmental health division to be more cost efficient.
A resolution was approved to appoint retired Chief Probation Officer Steve Buchholz temporarily to acting Chief Probation Officer. Buccholz has been serving as the interim Chief Probation Officer because of a leave of absence. Because Buccholz is retired, the agreement needs to be approved by CalPERS to ensure he does not work more than laws limiting retiree work hours allows.
A vacancy for a medical member on the Air Quality Management District Hearing Board and an alternate for the position were approved by the BOS. Long-time alternate Nancy Perrin was approved to fill the position vacated by Morton Levine, who held the position for 21 years. Mark Burkdoll, who also applied to fill the vacancy, was approved to serve as the position”s alternate.
Kevin N. Hume can be reached at kevin.n.hume@gmail.com or call directly 263-5636 ext. 14.
