Here’s what you need to know
- During the September 20, 2022 Kings County Board of Supervisors meeting, the supervisors authorized the use of over $2 million in ARPA funding for projects recommended by the ARPA Committee. The projects include $500,000 for board chamber ADA upgrades, $280,000 for IT security enhancements, and $600,000 for Clerk of the Board record preservation project, which is intended to preserve record books and all actions of the Board of Supervisors from 1893 to 1977.
- County Librarian Natalie Rencher said that Kings County would be awarded $13 million in infrastructure grant funds for the Hanford and Lemoore branches.
- The board approved a response to the Grand Jury report titled Follow Up to Grand Jury 2020-2021 Pedestrian Safety in Kettleman City: A Community’s Long Standing Plea for Improvements. A pedestrian bridge over SR 41 has been proposed with an estimated cost of $7 million. The county has secured $2 million via Assemblymember Salas in SB 119 and an additional $6 million is currently pending in the state budget via AB 179.
- Economic and Workforce Development Director Lance Lippincott said that Kings County Small Business Assistance Program received 340 applications and continues to accept applications.
Follow-up questions
- Is allocating $600,000 for record preservation an appropriate use of ARPA funds? Have other counties had to invest as much to maintain historical records?
- How will the $13 million be spent within the Kings County library system?
- Will a pedestrian bridge be built over SR 41 in Kettleman City?
- What mental health programs can be expected from the grant agreement?
- How can the county accommodate more businesses in the Kings County Small Business Assistance Program?
The Scene
According to its website, Kings County is a “general law” county, which means the state constitution and state general law determine the county’s governmental structure.
The board of supervisors is the governing body for Kings County and many county special districts. Each of the board’s five members is elected non-partisan to a four-year term.
The board sets policies and depends on the county administrator, county officials, and department heads to fulfill its wishes.
The board of supervisors has administrative, legislative, and quasi-judicial duties and responsibilities prescribed by the California State Constitution and Statutes.
On Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2022, the meeting was held at 9 a.m. in the board chambers, located at 1400 West Lacey Boulevard Administration Building No. 1, Hanford, California.
Kings County County Board of Supervisors Members present:
- Joe Neves, District 1 (Lemoore & Stratford)
- Richard Valle, District 2 (Avenal, Corcoran, Home Garden & Kettleman City)
- Craig Pedersen, District 4 (Armona & Hanford)
- Richard Fagundes, District 5 (Hanford & Burris Park)
Kings County County Board of Supervisors Members not present:
- Doug Verboon, District 3 (North Hanford, Island District & North Lemoore)
Others Present:
- Behavioral Health Director Lisa Lewis
- Behavioral Health Deputy Director Katie Arnst
- Finance Director James P. Erb
- Treasury Manager Megan Campbell
- Administrative Officer Edward Hill
- Assistant County Administrative Officer Kyria Martinez
- Administrative Analyst Matthew Boyett
- Administrative Officer Analyst Domingo Cruz
- Economic and Workforce Development Director Lance Lippincott
- Public Works Director Dominic Tyburski
- Chief Engineer Mitchel Cabrera
- Human Service Director Wendy Osikafo
- Deputy Clerk Diane Badasci
- Auditor-Controller Rob Knudson
- Community Development Director Chuck Kinney
- Public Health Emergency Director Abraham Valencia
- County Librarian Natalie Rencher
- Sean Cash
- Jay Wood
- Sarah Harp
- Scott Holwell
- Tyler Pepe
- Garrett K. Jones
- Claire Fitiausi
- Heather Silva
- Monica Connor
- Aaron Reyes
- Mike Marotti
Discussions/Actions
Paulo Ortiz was named Clinical Manager for Adult Care at the Behavioral Department.
Economic and Workforce Development Director Lance Lippincott said that Kings County Small Business Assistance Program received 340 applications and continues to accept applications.
Community Development Director Chuck Kinney announced the annexation of 7 of 8 island areas into the City of Hanford.
County Librarian Natalie Rencher mentioned that Kings County would be awarded $13 million in infrastructure grant funds for the Hanford and Lemoore branches.
The board (4-0) unanimously approved the minutes from the regular meeting for September 13, 2022.
In the consent calendar, the board (4-0) unanimously approved items as follows:
A. Sheriff’s Office:
1. The board approved the agreement with Hanford Joint Union High School District for education services, effective from July 1, 2022, through June 30, 2025.
The educational services are paid through the Sheriff’s Prison Inmate Welfare Fund budget unit 223100. The total cost for the year will not exceed the sum of $63,096.
State revenue generated through the inmates’ Average Daily Attendance (A.D.A.) is deposited into the Inmate Welfare Fund.
The California Board of Corrections requires in its Minimum Standards for Local Detention Facilities Title 15 that the Jail Administrator develop and implement an education program for inmates.
Title 15 recommends working with the local school district to develop a program that meets the needs of inmates.
Statutes about jail education are contained in the California Education Code. Penal Code Section 4025 authorizes using inmate welfare funds for inmate education. The agreement is effective from July 1, 2022, through June 30, 2025.
2. The board approved the purchase of two additional key management modules from Real Time Networks for the Kings County Jail.
In 2019, your Board approved the Kings County Sheriff’s Office to purchase two key management systems from Real Time Networks.
The key management systems were purchased with the anticipation of facility expansion.
As the facility has grown, so needs to store and provide additional key sets. To continue our effort at providing a safe and secure facility, the Kings County Jail requests approval to purchase two additional modules, providing 48 storage spaces.
The Sheriff’s Office expects that we continue to expand and provide additional services and resources for the inmate population and citizens of Kings County. In doing so, the need for additional layers of protection and security is critical.
3. The board approved two maintenance agreements, with varying terms of duration, one retroactively from July 29, 2022, through July 28, 2023, for eight Live Scan machines with IDEMA MorphoTrust USA.
The cost for 24-hour-a-day and seven-day-a-week coverage for the machines at the Kings County Jail and the Kings County Juvenile Center will be $8,320.
The cost for the machines located at the Kings County Sheriff’s Administration Office, Avenal Police Department, Hanford Police Department, Lemoore Police Department, and two machines at the Corcoran Police Department will be $19,782.
Regular agenda items are as follows:
A. Behavioral Health Department – (presented by Behavioral Health Director Lisa Lewis and Deputy Director Katie Arnst)
- The board (4-0) authorized the Director of Behavioral Health to sign the grant Agreement with the California Health Facilities Financing Authority for investment in mental health wellness programs for children and youth retroactively from February 24, 2022, through May 31, 2023.
The proceeds of this grant totaling $227,365, will be used by KCBH to ensure the funding goes toward the investment in the mental health wellness grant program for children and youth.
This allocation will be part of the Fiscal Year 2022-2023 Adopted Budget revenue and expenditure accounts in Budget Unit 422400 Behavioral Health Alcohol and Other Drugs Grants.
Kings County Behavioral Health (KCBH) has been awarded the California Health Facilities Authority.
(CHFFA) Investment in Mental Health Wellness Grant Program for Children and Youth grant. The grant pays for capital start-up costs and one year of personnel costs for KCBH to develop its first community-based Mobile Crisis Support Team (MCST).
This team will focus on children and youth while responding to Kings County schools and Kings County’s Child Welfare Services.
Services will include triage and screening for suicidality, peer support, coordination with physical and mental health care providers, crisis planning, and follow-up.
Deputy Director Katie Arnst clarified that the program generally provides services for youth regardless of insurance status.
B. Department of Finance – (Finance Director James P. Erb and Treasury Manager Megan Campbell)
- The board (4-0) approved the debt management software contract with Tracker, a division of C2, LLC. for County, Special Districts, and School Districts.
The annual cost is $10,000, which is included in the fiscal year 2022/23 approved budget.
The Treasury is responsible for maintaining 30 voter-approved debt obligation bonds and four County bond issues that are paid semi-annually and total $15 million in payments annually.
Within the last five years, we have increased from 29 bonds to 34. The due dates are not consistent and vary throughout the year.
Managing this high volume of debt payments requires more sophisticated software to ensure timely and accurate payments.
Tracker allows us to properly verify payment dates and amounts due for each debt obligation bond and consolidate important bond data and history on one system.
Included in the cost outlined, Tracker offers to set up all the existing bonds into the system and any new ones approved.
Working with Tracker will help ensure correct and timely payments each year as our debt management program grows.
C. Public Works Department (presented by Public Works Director Dominic Tyburski and Chief Engineer Mitchel Cabrera)
- The board (4-0) approved the Tract 931 Jackson Ranch Subdivision Improvement Agreement.
The Kings County Advisory Agency approved Tentative Tract 931 on February 1, 2021. The developer is required to construct improvements for this phase of the subdivision.
Public Works has reviewed and approved the improvement plans.
The developer will provide the required surety guaranteeing the proper construction of the improvements before the approval of the Final Map.
The county will not accept private roads constructed under this agreement for maintenance.
- The board (4-0) approved the agreement letter with Jesus Andrade for a time extension to remove trees encroaching on the county’s right of way, with proof of insurance clause.
Under the Streets and Highway Code Section 1480.5, the Road Commissioner may immediately remove, or by notice may require, the removal of certain encroachments, including those which may cause obstructions or traffic hazards.
The parcel owner, APN 004-161-087 (Jesus Andrade), has requested to defer the removal of trees encroaching into the county right of way until a future date with the condition that the county is indemnified and held harmless for any claims that could arise from the unwanted encroachment.
A county-hired surveyor has verified the right of way and the trees encroaching.
The staff has worked with county counsel to prepare an agreement allowing the property owner a time extension until the end of the 2022 calendar year to remove the trees.
Supervisor Pedersen urged staff to include an insurance clause.
- The board (4-0) approved the lease Amendment No. 7, retroactively effective from January 1, 2022, through December 31, 2024, for an extension to the existing lease for office space in the Agriculture Building.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) currently leases 4,082 rentable square feet of office space in the Agriculture Building.
The previous lease expired in January 2022 and has been operating month-by-month since that time.
The USDA is proposing to leave the terms as they are, with no increase in the lease rate.
In 2016, the rate was increased to about 17 percent based on a lease survey.
The annual amount of $95,519 is based on $23 per square foot for 4,082 rentable square feet.
D. Administration – (presented by Administrative Analyst Edward Hill, Assistant County Administrative Officer Kyria Martinez, and Administrative Analyst Matthew Boyett)
- The board (4-0) authorized the use of American Rescue Plan Act funding for $2,027,769 for projects recommended by the ARPA Committee.
The State and Local Coronavirus Fiscal Recovery Funds legislation, part of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), was signed into law by President Biden on March 11, 2021.
The bill includes $65.1 billion in direct, flexible aid to every county in America. An additional $65.1 billion has been allocated to States, metropolitan cities, and non-entitlement units of local government. Kings County received $29,706,802.
The funds provide support in responding to the impact of COVID- 19 and their efforts to contain COVID-19 in their communities, residents, and businesses.
The American Rescue Plan Act funding for $2,027,769 will consist of:
- $500,000 Additional funds for Board Chambers upgrades.
- $280,000 for the Information Technology department for enhanced security via multi-factor authentication (MFA).
- $600,000 Clerk of the Board Record Preservation project
- $75,000 to enhance the Excelsior-Kings River Resource Conservation District (EKRCD) ability to expand conservation practices in Kings County
- $196,750 to the Finance Department to start the scope of the project to upgrade People Tools and apply the latest PUM Image to the PeopleSoft environments, including migrating and updating the SQL Server to the latest version (2019)
- $100,000 to supplement the Proposition 68 funded shade structure addition and ADA improvements to existing play areas at Hickey and Burris parks
- $144,738 to the Kings County Public works to implement janitorial cleaning within the Kings County jail.
- $35,000 to the Kings County Sheriff’s Office, Coroner division, for a 40-foot storage container on a concrete foundation
- $96,281 to the Kings County Fire Department for a project that would provide the Emergency Dispatch Center the capability of dispatching the closest available fire unit to a request for service or scene of an emergency
Under the Treasury guidance, Fiscal Recovery Funds can be used to cover costs incurred beginning on March 3, 2021, except for some categories, and all funds must be obligated by December 31, 2024.
All funds must be spent and all work completed by December 31, 2026. This period during which recipients can expend funds is considered the “period of performance.”
- The board (4-0) approved the Board of Supervisors’ response to the Grand Jury report titled Follow Up to Grand Jury 2020-2021 Pedestrian Safety in Kettleman City: A Community’s Long Standing Plea for Improvements.
The county has secured $2 million via Assemblymember Salas in Senate Bill (SB) 119, deposited in the County treasury and included in the Fiscal Year 2022-23 Final Budget.
An additional $6 million appropriation is currently included in the state budget (AB 179) via another request from Assemblymember Salas.
However, the budget bill is still in the approval process and has not been passed.
Therefore, the county has yet to receive this allocation. The project was last estimated to cost $7 million, per the required response to this report by Kings County Public Works.
The 2020-2021 Grand Jury initially investigated pedestrian crossing safety concerns in Kettleman City at General Petroleum Avenue and State Route (SR) 41.
The report’s findings included identifying evidence supporting needed improvements for a pedestrian crossing at SR 41 and General Petroleum Avenue and a lack of warning signage for motorists approaching the crosswalk.
They proposed a pedestrian bridge be constructed for long-term safety for the residents of Kettleman City, particularly schoolchildren.
The recommendations from the initial investigation were outlined in the original report titled Pedestrian Safety in Kettleman City: A Community’s Long-Standing Plea for Improvements.
The current Grand Jury is following up on the status of those initial recommendations.
In assessing the status of the Grand Jury’s recommendations from the initial report, they conducted interviews with a County Supervisor, the Director of Public Works, the Superintendent of Reef Sunset School District, a member of the Assembly Ethics Committee, and CalTrans (District 6).
These follow-up interviews resulted in four findings and four recommendations.
Public Works and the Board were provided with the Follow-Up to Grand Jury 2020-2021 Pedestrian Safety in Kettleman City: A Community’s Long-Standing Plea for Improvements report on June 28, 2022.
The Board is responding under California Penal Code Sections 933 and 933.5 and must officially respond by September 26, 2022.
- a. The board (4-0) approved the Master Agreement with Ernst and Young to audit accounting records of the California Department of Water Resources retroactively effective for the term of July 1, 2022, to June 30, 2027, on behalf of Kings County and its State Water Project contract;
b. The board (4-0) retroactively approved the Statement of Work for the twelve-month audit period from July 1, 2022, to June 30, 2023.
Ernst and Young, acting as independent auditors, has been examining the capital and operating costs of the state water facilities appearing in the accounting records of the California Department of Water Resources on behalf of numerous State Water Project contractors for many years.
This audit occurs through a five-year master agreement and an annual statement of work for each term.
This master agreement is a contract between Ernst and Young and several other State Water Project contractors – in Kings County.
Accompanying the five-year master agreement is the annual scope of work for the fiscal year 2022-23.
- The board (4-0) introduced and waived the first reading of the Ordinance to adopt organic waste recycling and edible food recovery requirements under Senate Bill 1383.
In 2016, the State of California adopted Senate Bill (SB) 1383, the state’s response to addressing the climate crisis.
According to the state, scientists have identified that greenhouse gasses caused by human-like activities are causing climate change. Such activities are collecting food and yard waste in landfills across the state.
By passing SB 1383, the state aims to reduce 50% of organic waste generated at 2014 levels by 2020 and 75 percent by 2025.
SB 1383 is the most comprehensive recycling bill the state has passed and mandated recently and is a multi-pronged effort.
The county must comply with all SB 1383 for the unincorporated areas that do not fall within the jurisdiction of a community service district and those areas which have not already been exempted from compliance by CalRecycle for having low population density.
The cost to implement SB 1383 in the first year is estimated to be $298,000, which includes 2.0 full-time equivalents (FTE), office renovations, and needed equipment and supplies for staff.
Depending on a fee structure developed and adopted in the County’s Master Fee Schedule update, county expenses will be charged back to generators.
If county expenses were even across all generators, each generator would pay about $115 per year in addition to any other hauling fees or services paid to a permitted hauler or Kings Waste and Recycling Authority (KWRA) for those electing to self-haul.
However, it is anticipated that those electing to self-haul will see a larger cost-share than those electing to procure service from a permitted hauler of their choice since many of the County resources are anticipated to ensure compliance with self-haulers.
The County’s Master Fee Schedule update in county departments will determine that exact ratio.
To properly meet the targets and goals of SB 1383, regulations and state enforcement went into effect on January 1, 2022.
The state mandates that waste be separated into three primary categories: compost (green waste), landfill (regular trash), and recycling. In addition to this separation, all food waste must be composted and green waste (yard waste).
No longer can food waste be disposed of along with regular trash (landfill). Another critical component of the state’s new recycling mandate is a requirement for certain businesses to recycle unused food that is still able to be safely consumed.
Such unused food is to be sent to edible food recovery organizations that will re-purpose the food back into the community. The County is responsible for all generators within the unincorporated area that fall outside the boundary of any community service districts.
Staff worked with CalRecycle to get many Census tract exemptions for tracts that have populations of less than 75 people per square mile, mostly in rural parts of the county.
What is left is a generator total of just about 2,600, primarily focused around the Grangeville area, the Lemoore fringe, and the Corcoran fringe.
On May 10, 2022, the Board heard a study session on SB 1383 requirements enforced upon the County by the state.
During the study session, the Board presented two options for implementation: a franchise zone or a free-market model.
The Board directed staff to implement SB 1383 via the free market model, opting to give the constituents free choice of whether they want to procure hauling services from a permitted hauler of their choice or elect to self-haul their source-separated waste to KWRA.
With the Board’s direction, staff began to work towards crafting the necessary ordinance to fit the free-market model and ensure the County’s compliance with all requirements of SB 1383.
The closing session includes:
- Workers Compensation: (1 Case) [Govt. Code Section 54956.95] Litigation initiated formally: Title: Waggle v. County of Kings, et al. 21C-0282 [Govt. Code Section 54956.9 (d)(1)]
The meeting lasted until 1 p.m. The next board meeting will be on Tuesday, September 27, 2022, at 9 a.m.
If you believe anything in these notes is inaccurate, please email us at Documenters-admin@fresnoland.org with “Correction Request” in the subject line.
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