LAKEPORT — The Lake County Board of Supervisors (BOS) unanimously approved extending the county state of emergency caused by drought conditions at its meeting Tuesday.
The board is required by state law to review declared emergency statuses every 30 days, according to County Administrative Officer Matt Perry.
Perry said the amount of recent rainfall has not made any significant alleviation from the drought.
However, Water Resources Director Scott De Leon said the county is in good shape as far as groundwater is concerned.
“If we don”t get rain next winter, we may be talking about this again, but, for the present, things look pretty good,” De Leon said.
A public hearing regarding an amendment to the Community Development Block Grant program income re-use plan was also held by the BOS.
The county operates two loan programs, one offered to homeowners for housing rehabilitation and another for businesses to create or retain jobs, Perry said. Both programs are funded by Community Development Block Grants.
Each loan program is required to have re-use plans by the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD), which the amendment addresses, Perry said.
Previously, program income was deposited into the account from which a loan originated, Perry added. The HCD now requires the county to specify the percentage of program income deposited into the accounts.
The board unanimously approved the amendment.
A Civil Rights Certification for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) was also unanimously approved by the BOS.
Lake County is considered a qualified Public Housing Agency (PHA) by the HUD, because less than 550 Section 8 housing vouchers are administered, according to Lake County Housing Commission Executive Director Carol Huchingson. Qualified PHAs are required to approve a Civil Rights Certification annually.
Mental Health Services Act Coordinator Jim Isherwood presented an annual update to the board.
Isherwood said “there are no substantial changes” to programs or funding between the 2013/14 fiscal year and previous years.
The board unanimously approved a resolution adopting the update.
A stakeholder meeting regarding the current Mental Health Services Act three-year plan will be held from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Historic Courthouse Museum, Isherwood said. The museum is located at 255 N. Main St. in Lakeport.
The BOS unanimously approved findings and recommendations from the Classification and Compensation Committee.
Among the recommendations were denying requests from the agricultural commissioner and behavioral health to reclassify incumbent Secretaries II to Secretaries III; denying a request from Animal Care and Control to increase officer salaries 7-percent; and approving a request from the Lake County Sheriff”s Office to modify the job description of Correctional Aide to including booking, inventory control, special assignments and other posts requiring direct verbal and physical contact with inmates.
Herb Gura presented a report regarding nutrient conditions in Clear Lake tributaries.
According to Gura, livestock contributes greatly to sediment buildup in creeks that feed into the lake.
In other business, the board proclaimed April as Child Abuse Awareness Month.
Additionally, this week was proclaimed as National Crime Victims Week and Public Health Week.
J. W. Burch, IV is a staff reporter for Lake County Publishing. Reach him at 263-5636 ext. 39 or at jburch@record-bee.com.
