LAKE COUNTY— After examining the Lake County Office of Emergency Services, the Civil Grand Jury detailed how community involvement in the Disaster Council is lacking, how the council, currently lead by a supervisor, is not making any formal recommendations to the BOS according to posted meeting minutes and how infrequently the council meets, despite the frequency of disasters impacting the entire county, among other findings in their 2021-22 report.
The Grand Jury reviewed various documents including the Lake County Emergency Operations Plan, the Sheriff’s Office Policy and Procedures and the Lake County annual budget, as well as conducted interviews with the Sheriff/Coroner and pertinent staff, as well as visiting the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and recommends the Disaster Council be reorganized to include community organizations such as both the Lake County Fire Safe Councils, the Firewise communities in the county and the Clear Lake Environmental Research Center, among others.
According to the report, OES has an operational budget of $488,000. A large portion of the budget is financed through various state and federal aid packages and grants. For example, Lake County has mutual aid agreements with neighboring counties in order to assist and request assistance for widespread emergencies that cross county lines. As an advisory body, the Disaster Council serves to lead ongoing efforts to improve preparedness countywide and to provide oversight for critical disaster functions.
The Disaster Council’s current membership includes two supervisors who serve as Chair and Vice Chair to the Council, the Director of Emergency Services, the OES Specialist (a position which is currently vacant), and the Fire Chief of Lake County Fire Protection District, among others. Although open to the public, the Grand Jury found that there is minimal participation in quarterly meetings outside of the Council members. The quarterly meetings of the Council seem primarily to be devoted to the tracking of grant payments from state and federal programs, rather than making recommendations to the BOS.
The report makes reference to the first item mentioned in the Vision 2028: Reimagining Lake County report (vision@lakecountyca.gov) which is:
- Enhance public safety
- Protect our residents and serve them well
- Develop and maintain a high standard of disaster prevention, preparedness and recovery, in collaboration with all community stakeholders.
Other recommendations made in the report include that the Disaster Council be delegated to either the Director of Emergency Services or the Emergency Services Manager “in order to function more effectively as an advisory body to the Board of Supervisors.” The Grand Jury also urged the council to meet monthly, especially during declared disasters and recommended the council report regularly to the BOS with written recommendations and updates.
Pursuant to Penal Code 933(c), responses are required from the BOS within 90 days of the published report and 60 days from the Sheriff/Coroner.
