LAKEPORT — The Lake County Board of Supervisors (BOS) Tuesday adopted four resolutions to collect delinquent lighting, water and sewer fees for numerous County Service Areas.
Affected County Service Areas were Nos. 1, 2, 6, 7, 13, 16, 18, 20, 21 and 22. One matter was related to delinquent fees within the Kelseyville County Waterworks District No. 3, while the sewer fees were within the Lake County Sanitation District. The BOS adjourned and reconvened as the board of directors for the specific district items.
Special Districts fiscal officer Jan Coppinger said all delinquent notices were mailed out in June to property owners. She said delinquents were given the option of paying in full or setting up a payment plan.
Coppinger said the amount of delinquent fees was about $1 million, with $615,000 belonging to Lake County Sanitation District customers.
In other matters, the BOS unanimously approved drafting letters of support for Assembly Bill 2443, which would establish a statewide boat fee to be used to prevent and control quagga and zebra mussel infestation.
The bill was introduced in the State Legislature in February and is currently being reviewed by the State Senate Standing Committee on Appropriations.
District 4 Supervisor Anthony Farrington recommended drafting the letters of support to five state representatives as well as the Regional Council of Rural Counties and California State Association of Counties.
Farrington said the bill would collect fees from water vessels and go into a revolving fund to distribute to compliant jurisdictions throughout the state. He said there was no guarantee Lake County would receive any money through the proposed bill.
The BOS, acting as the Board of Directors of the Lake County Watershed Protection District, voted to go forward with an exemption to a Municipal Service Review (MSR) of services provided by the district.
The district was recently notified by the Lake Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) that a citizen requested LAFCO to perform the MSR of the district.
Water Resources Director Scott De Leon said the government code allows flood control and water conservation districts to be exempt from these requirements, provided the legislative body of the district apply for an exemption with LAFCO.
De Leon recommended the board file for an exemption, which it voted 4-1 to do. District 3 Supervisor Denise Rushing, who is the current LAFCO Chair, dissented.
Agriculture Commissioner Steven Hajik presented the 2011 Crop Report.
Hajik said the gross value of Lake County agriculture increased from approximately $64.2 million in 2010 to approximately $66.8 million in 2011, an increase of 4 percent.
He said the top four commodities were winegrapes ($39.9 million), pears ($18.9 million), walnuts ($3.1 million) and cattle and calves ($1.8 million).
Winegrapes increased by approximately $4.3 million in 2011 because of increased prices and production, which both grew by 6 percent. Total winegrape acreage was 8,338, a decrease of 44 acres.
Pears decreased in gross value by $109,143. Hajik said production increased, but smaller fruit was produced, resulting in production decreasing by 7,770 tons, or 21 percent, while overall price-per-ton decreased by 18 percent.
Hajik said walnuts increased in value by $247,240, with the price-per-ton increasing by 18 percent. He said walnut production decreased by 106 tons or 8 percent. Walnut acreage increased by 9 percent to 3,525 acres.
Cattle and calf value increased $188,694 or 11 percent because of increasing demand and reduced supply.
Hajik said other production increases were noted in vegetable crops (51 percent), livestock (12 percent), field crops (9 percent) and miscellaneous fruit (3 percent). Decreases in production occurred in forest products (78 percent), nursery production (78 percent) and livestock and poultry products (38 percent).
He said organic production in 2011 was $2.9 million, about 4.5 percent of agricultural production in the county. He said walnuts are the most common organically grown commodity, accounting for 60-percent of walnut production. Approximately 8 percent of vegetables and 4 percent of pears are organically grown, he said.
The BOS accepted the 2011 Crop Report.
The BOS appointed Frank DeHaven to the Glenbrook Cemetery District for a four-year term and Donna White to the Hartley Cemetery District for a four-year term.
