BOARD
OF SUPERVISORS
AUGUST
26, 2003
The
Lassen County Board of Supervisors convenes in Regular Session on Tuesday, August
26, 2003, at 9:32 a.m. Present: Supervisors Robert Pyle, Jim Chapman, Lloyd
Keefer, Brian Dahle, and Jack Hanson; County Counsel John Ketelsen, Acting
County Administrative Officer (CAO) Bob Sorvaag and County Clerk Theresa
Nagel. Following the flag salute, the
invocation is offered by Supervisor Chapman.
ANNOUNCEMENT
OF ITEMS DISCUSSED IN CLOSED SESSION
Chairman
Chapman announces that no closed session was held.
AGENDA
APPROVAL, ADDITIONS AND/OR DELETIONS
It is
moved by Supervisor Keefer, seconded by Supervisor Hanson and carried to
approve the agenda as posted.
PUBLIC
COMMENT
Chairman
Chapman asks for public comment and no comments are received.
UNAGENDIZED
BOARD REPORTS
1. Supervisor Dahle announces that he attended
RCRC last week and received information on Indian gaming. There is a County Counsel working group
preparing guidelines for lands in trust and location of casinos. He feels there is a need for such guidelines
and suggests if reasonable agreements cannot be reached with tribes then maybe
gambling should be legalized in California.
He would like Counsel to look into AB1275 and SB930.
2. Supervisor Dahle brings up the issue of fire
agencies not utilizing local people who have received training and have
equipment when fighting local fires. He
notes that people are being brought from out of the area and have to be paid
from the time they leave their home location, while local people are adjacent
to fires and are not being used. CDF Unit Chief Don Posten would need more
information to provide a definitive answer, but he suspects the fires may have
been in Forest Service jurisdiction. He
does note that locals can only be used on first strike and when a fire moves to
the next stage there is a State policy that requires the use of certified
disabled veterans. Supervisor Dahle
states there is a belief that retired CDF employees are the ones getting the
call-outs. He asks Mr. Posten to get him
more information and he will follow-up on it.
3. Supervisor Dahle states the State Budget has
passed but there are lots of trailer bills out there that can have a big
impact. He encourages everyone to check
the CSAC Website to keep updated.
4. Supervisor Pyle attended the second meeting
of the Carson Wandering Skipper Recovery Team.
He is arranging a meeting for the public to provide input into the draft
document.
5. Supervisor Pyle discusses the matter relating
to Clear Creek Water
System
and the possible impact from an adjacent landowner drilling test wells.
6. Supervisor Pyle announces that he and
Supervisor Keefer ran into Congressman Doolittle's Field Representative at the
Rodeo barbecue and talked to him about the PILT Funding reduction.
7. Supervisor Hanson will be attending the West
Patton Village CSD meeting tomorrow. He
also met with a representative from the Bureau of Prisons and received the
following information: construction completion is expected to occur by October
25th; a new warden should be on board by mid-November; majority of employees
hired after the first of the year; opening maybe a year from now.
8. Supervisor Chapman announces the Indian
Elders Council will be operating under the name Lassen Senior Services to
better identify their mission. Their
Worker's Compensation rate will be decreasing.
Executive Director Jackie Musick has taken a position with the Mental
Health Department so they will be looking for a replacement.
9. Supervisor Chapman has been working with
County Counsel John Ketelsen, CAO Whiteman, and Tom Gauthier on the CPS
issues. He really appreciates the work
that Counsel has been doing and feels there is nothing but good that will come
from recommendations that will be coming from Tom Gauthier.
PUBLIC
COMMENT CONT.
Forest
Service Information Officer Heidi Perry presents the signed original copy of
the Collaborative Fuels MOU.
CONSENT
CALENDAR
It is
moved by Supervisor Dahle, seconded by Supervisor Pyle and carried to take the
noted action on the following Consent Calendar items:
COUNTY
CLERK ITEM
Approve
minutes of August 12, 2003 and August 19, 2003.
PROBATION
DEPARTMENT - JUVENILE HALL ITEM
Authorize
the transfer of $31,855 from Fund 114-5610-3007000 Operating Transfers-Out to
145-0562-2012200 Operating Transfers-In (Fund 114 will be used only for
juvenile justice programs in FY 03-04); and authorize an increase to the daily
bed rate for other counties from $85-$90 per day to $110 per day, effective
September 1, 2003.
MISCELLANEOUS
CORRESPONDENCE ITEMS
Receive
and file the following correspondence:
a. Lassen
County Fair Advisory Board meeting agenda for September 3, 2003, and minutes of
August 12, 2003.
AGRICULTURE
COMMISSIONER
Agriculture
Commissioner Ken Smith reads a report on the Department of Agriculture Weed
Program - Past, Present and Future.
Supervisor
Keefer states that his concern is that Lassen County has no contract with
CalTrans to treat weeds along State Highway right-of-ways.
Mr.
Smith responds the proper equipment to spray along highways is very expensive
and there are many safety issues. His
department helped the Road Department obtain equipment they are using along
county roads. Supervising Agricultural
Biologist Craig Hemphill states he has contracted with Modoc County for highway
spraying because they have an expensive spray rig and it also lowers Lassen
County's liability.
Supervisor
Hanson's big concern is for landowners who are controlling weeds on their
property but there is no control of weeds along road right-of-ways adjacent to
their property. He believes the county
policy for weed control is adequate but implementation needs to occur. He would expect the Road Department to keep
better track of small colonies of White Top and treat them early.
Supervisor
Dahle states no county policy will make a difference - weed control is only as
good as the neighbors treatment. He sees
a real need to get information to the Road Department and Agriculture Commissioner
on the locations of weeds and the need for treatment - not expect them to be
weed police.
Ken
Smith notes they do mark colonies along state highways to help CalTrans.
In
depth discussion is held on the fact that the biggest problem is the need for
public education so landowners work on their own property and work with the
Agriculture Department.
Supervisor
Dahle speaks in defense of the Agriculture Department because Lassen County is
a very large county and they are doing a lot to control weeds. In comparison to many other counties, Lassen
County has a smaller problem.
UNAGENDIZED
BOARD REPORTS CONT.
10. Supervisor Chapman will distribute copies of
a letter he received from past Grand Jury Foremen (also appears in today's
Lassen County Times under "From Where I Stand"). He discusses information he has obtained on
who has served as past Grand Jurors. He
has found three members of past juries that have had direct contact with CPS
and another that works for the department.
INFORMATION
FOR THE BOARD
Interim
CAO Sorvaag announces that George Benesch filed a protest on behalf of Lassen
County relating to the proposed change of point of diversion for municipal
wells in Dry Valley, Washoe County, about one mile from the Lassen County
border.
CORRESPONDENCE
1. Last year's County response to the Grand
Jury's Inquiry about Brown Act Training, is received and filed.
2. A letter from Director Dallas Jones of the
Governor's Office of Emergency Services announcing sign-ups for the Livestock
Assistance Program (LAP) began August 6, 2003 and ends October 24, 2003, is
received and filed.
FIRE
PROTECTION FEES
It is
moved by Supervisor Dahle, seconded by Supervisor Keefer and carried to support
RCRC's position and oppose any fire protection fees in State Responsibility
Areas (SRAs) to generate funding for California Department of Forestry (CDF).
UNAGENDIZED BOARD REPORTS CONT.
11. Supervisor Dahle reminds everyone that RCRC
will be meeting in Lassen County on September 17th and 18th. There will be a tour of High Desert State
Prison on the 17th with a barbecue by the Cattlemen that evening. On the 18th there will be talks relating to
Quincy Library Group, Susanville Ranch Park and Long Valley Groundwater
Management.
12. Supervisor Dahle keeps being asked what he
thinks of the Recall Election and his response is: California is run by special
interests and the Recall is a message that the people are fed up.
There
being no further business, the meeting is adjourned at 11:04 a.m.
__________________________________________
CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
ATTEST:
_______________________________________
THERESA
NAGEL, CLERK OF THE BOARD