LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Board of Supervisors is set to discuss a response letter to the state over its approval of a syringe exchange program that officials argue did not offer full consideration to county and city agencies.
The board will meet beginning at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 22, in the board chambers on the first floor of the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport.
The meeting can be watched live on Channel 8, online at https://countyoflake.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx and on the county’s Facebook page. Accompanying board documents, the agenda and archived board meeting videos also are available at that link.
To participate in real-time, join the Zoom meeting by clicking this link.
The meeting ID is 961 9237 3616, pass code 578015. The meeting also can be accessed via one tap mobile at +16694449171,,96192373616#,,,,*578015#.
All interested members of the public that do not have internet access or a Mediacom cable subscription are encouraged to call 669-900-6833, and enter the Zoom meeting ID and pass code information above.
In an item timed for 9:15 a.m., the board will consider a request to the California Department of Public Health, or CDPH, to reconsider state approval of Any Positive Change’s application to provide syringe services in Lake County.
The board also will discuss other options in response to the letter and direction to staff.
In a letter to county officials dated Aug. 3, Marisa Ramos, Ph.D., the chief of CDPH’s Office of AIDS, wrote: “After the HIV outbreak in rural Scott County, Indiana, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention conducted an assessment of counties throughout the country to assess their risk for significant increases in hepatitis infections or an HIV outbreak due to injection drug use. Lake County was one of two counties in California identified as being at risk for an outbreak of HIV among people who use drugs. According to data from CDPH’s assessment from 2018, Lake County rated as having a high level of vulnerability to a rapid increase in fatal opioid overdose and a high level of vulnerability to a rapid increase in HIV or viral hepatitis infection related to injection drug use. As shown in the most current Lake County data which was provided to you at the beginning of the consultation process, Lake County is still very much at risk.”
Ramos continued, “CDPH/Office of AIDS has determined that Lake County is at risk for rapid spread of HIV, viral hepatitis, or other blood-borne diseases and that the Any Positive Change meets the state requirements to address this public health need.”
For that reason, as of Aug. 3, Ramos said her office was authorizing Any Positive Change to provide mobile services on Tuesday from 5 to 8 p.m. in front of Lake County Behavioral Health Services at 6302 13th Ave. in Lucerne and on Thursdays from 2 to 5 p.m. on Orchard Street off Highway 53 in Lower Lake.
In addition, Ramos said, “Any Positive Change is authorized to provide home delivery and pick-up, countywide, on Mondays from 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Home delivery and pick-up includes services to individuals in private residences as well as tents, recreational vehicles, and other non-traditional forms of housing occupied by program participants. Services to unhoused
individuals is an essential part of providing services to people with substance use disorder.”
The proposed response letter the board will consider raises concerns about the public not knowing they had a comment period and that there was lack of meaningful consultation with local law enforcement and Public Health, despite the concerns those agencies voiced.
The letter asks CDPH for reconsideration on the decision so that the county and cities may conclude the memorandum of understanding process with Any Positive Change.
It said that CDPH does not need to permit a syringe exchange program in Lake County because one already exists.
“However, our communities expect local leaders to think of the impacts these services may have in our community balanced with the needs to reduce the spread of infectious diseases. It is important that this remain a locally controlled program and not controlled by the state,” the draft letter said.
The full agenda follows.
CONSENT AGENDA
5.1: Approve concession agreement for coffee kiosk services by and between the county of Lake and MIX Lakeport LLC in the amount of $200 per month and authorize the chair to sign.
5.2: (a) Approve partnership agreement between the county of Lake, the Lake County Risk Reduction Authority Joint Powers Authority (RRA), and the Lake County Resource Conservation District (RCD) for the planning for an equitable climate safe lake project, and authorize chair to sign; (b) approve grant agreement between the county of Lake and the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research for work performed under the Adaptation Planning Grant Program, and authorize county administrative officer or designee to act as grant signatories; (c) approve agreement between the county of Lake and the RRA for Services under the Adaptation Planning Grant Program not to exceed $52,083 and authorize the chair to sign; and (d) approve agreement between the county of Lake and the RCD for Services under the Adaptation Planning Grant Program not to exceed $161,183 and authorize the chair to sign.
5.3: (a) Approve the purchase of an animal control box in the amount of $30,776.15 and (b) authorize the Animal Care and Control director or his designee to issue a purchase order.
5.4: Adopt resolution authorizing the standard agreement between the county of Lake and the Department of Health Care Services for drug Medi-Cal services for the period of July 1, 2023, through June 30, 2027, and authorizing the Behavioral Health director to sign the standard agreement and the contractor certification clause.
5.5: Approve agreement between county of Lake and Community Behavioral Health for Specialty Mental Health Services for fiscal years 2023-24, 2024-25, and 2025-26 in the amount of $600,000.00 and authorize the board chair to sign.
5.6: Approve the continuation of the proclamation declaring a shelter crisis urgency due to the current need for sheltering for those experiencing homelessness during the weather and temperature patterns that the county of lake has been experiencing.
5.7: Approve continuation of proclamation declaring a Clear Lake hitch emergency.
5.8: Approve continuation of proclamation of the existence of a local emergency due to pervasive tree mortality.
5.9: Approve continuation of an emergency declaration for drought conditions.
5.10: Approve continuation of a local emergency by the Lake County Sheriff/OES director for the January 2023 Atmospheric River Event.
5.11: Approve continuation of proclamation of the existence of a local emergency due to low elevation snow and extreme cold.
5.12: Approve Board of Supervisors minutes for Aug. 15, 2023.
5.13: Approve amendment one to engagement letter for investigative services between the county of Lake and Van Dermyden Makus Law Corp.
5.14: Sitting as the Lake County Sanitation District Board of Directors, authorize Special Districts administrator/assistant purchasing agent to issue a purchase order not to exceed $320,000.00 to Giuffre Bros. Cranes, Inc. for the purchase of a Manitex 1970C Crane Truck.
5.15: (a) Waive the competitive bid process per Section 2-38.4, Cooperative Purchases, of the County Code and (b) approve purchase orders for the purchase of three (3) vehicles for Special Districts and authorize the Special Districts administrator/assistant purchasing agent to sign the purchase orders.
5.16: Sitting as the Board of Directors for the Lake County Watershed Protection District, a) approve the purchase and sale agreement with Christine Reck for property within the Middle Creek Flood Damage Reduction and Ecosystem Restoration Project and b) authorize the chair of the board of directors to sign the purchase and sale agreement.
5.17: Sitting as the Board of Directors for the Lake County Watershed Protection District, a) Approve the purchase and sale agreement with Gregory Michael Narvaez for properties within the Middle Creek Flood Damage Reduction and Ecosystem Restoration Project and b) authorize the chair of the board of directors to sign the purchase and sale agreement.
5.18: Sitting as the Board of Directors for the Lake County Watershed Protection District, a) approve purchase and sale agreement with Linda Ruth Chandler for property within the Middle Creek Flood Damage Reduction and Ecosystem Restoration Project and authorize the chair of the board of directors to sign the purchase and sale agreement; and B) approve the Well House easement deed and authorize the chair of the board of directors to sign the Well House easement deed.
TIMED ITEMS
6.2, 9:07 a.m.: Pet of the Week.
6.3, 9:08 a.m.: New and noteworthy at the Library.
6.4, 9:15 a.m.: a) Consideration of letter requesting California Department of Public Health reconsider state approval of Any Positive Change’s application to provide syringe services in Lake County; and b) Discussion of other options in response to letter and direction to staff.
UNTIMED ITEMS
7.2: a) Consideration of delegation to NACo; and b) consideration of delegation to North Coast Opportunities.
7.3: Consideration of appointment to the Buckingham Park Water District Board.
7.4: a) Consideration of approval to revision to (a) Personnel Rule 1503 — Sick Leave; and b) Consideration of approval to revision to Personnel Rule 1504 — Bereavement Leave; and c) Consideration of approval to revision to 14. Family and Medical Leave and California Family Rights Act; and d) Consideration of approval to new pregnancy disability leave policy.
CLOSED SESSION
8.1: Conference with legal counsel: Significant exposure to litigation pursuant to Gov. Code section 54956.9(d)(2), (e)(1) — One potential case.
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Supervisors to consider letter to state over syringe exchange program
- Elizabeth Larson
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