LAKEPORT — More than halfway through the 2019-2020 fiscal year, the Lake County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved a list of mid-year budget alterations that include routine changes alongside some significant one-time costs and revenues.
The board approved the receipt of $7.7 million in revenues that go beyond those budgeted for at the beginning of this fiscal year, including about $200,000 that has gone into the county’s general fund. The board also approved roughly $4 million in allocations, including nearly $700,000 from the general fund.
The county received $4 million for “wildfire relief” and split it in two, placing $2 million into general reserves and the remaining $2 million on hold pending a potential financial audit as a result of the county’s repeated claiming of such funds, many of which come from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
“Although we’re not anticipating (an audit), we recommend putting that money there and waiting a couple years,” County Administrative Officer Carol Huchingson said.
Following the Pacific Gas and Electric Company’s massive deliberate blackouts last year, the California Office of Emergency Services has made almost $370,000 available to Lake County for the government’s shutoff-related expenses. With only about $30,000 of that funding spoken for as the county noted it during the budget adjustments, Huchingson called for a “full conversation” at some future date about how to spend the money.
With the results of a study that could change salaries and benefits for employees across the County of Lake still pending, some county departments included predictive changes to their budgets during the countywide mid-year budget adjustment. The county recorder anticipated about $9,000 in potential increases due to the study, which examining the “classification and compensation” of county staff. The county assessor’s office anticipated about $32,000 for the same kinds of changes.
On Tuesday, Huchingson said the classification and compensation study “hasn’t finalized yet” but is expected to take effect with the start of the coming 2020-2021 fiscal year on July 1.
$90,000 previously set aside for the county’s involvement in an ad hoc committee currently drafting a plan to adopt the Potter Valley Project—an energy and water diversion facility that includes Scott Dam—had become moot since that committee last year refused to include Lake County as a member. Huchingson suggested to the board that those funds could be transferred to the agriculture department to hire and pay the salary of a hemp inspector. This notion was deferred for a later discussion but received vocal support from District 2 Supervisor Bruno Sabatier, who asked for a “continuous” rather than a one-time allocation for such a position.
$200,000 was approved to be freed up in preparation for hiring consultants to assist county staff in reviewing plans for the Guenoc Valley Project, a large resort development slotted for south county.
Community Development Interim Director Scott De Leon said the Guenoc Valley Project’s size—the property it is planned to be created on is about 16,000 acres—has made it likely that existing staff will need extra help to review it.
“This is…a very large project and we’re going to need some help in reviewing the plans for its construction,” De Leon said. “They have a very fast timeline, they want to get moving, and we want to help facilitate that and get those plans reviewed as quickly as possible.”
