Here’s what you need to know
- During the September 27, 2022 meeting, the Kings County Board of Supervisors approved revisions to its organic waste recycling SB 1383 ordinance, which deleted the compostable plastics definition and the annual financial report requirement. It also extends the time when delinquent payment is due from 30 to 60-days.
- Linda and Jeff Martin from Tule Trash Company at the American Refuse expressed concerns that organic waste fees would have “unforeseeable consequences” for disadvantaged communities. Administrative Analyst Matthew Boyett stated that the county applied for census tract waivers, which exempt rural communities from SB 1383 implementation.
- Lupe Villa from the Elections Department provided a brief update on the upcoming November 8, 2022, general election. The locations of the voting centers and ballot drop boxes are the same as the June 2022 primary and are available on the informational guide and Election Department website. She reported that the county has 61,290 registered voters out of a Census estimated total population of 153,443.
Follow-up questions
- How can SB 1383 fees impact residents in Kings County?
- What will be the turnout for the November 2022 general election?
- What outreach activities can residents expect from the Election Department?
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. 27, 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)
- Doug Verboon, District 3 (North Hanford, Island District & North Lemoore)
- Craig Pedersen, District 4 (Armona & Hanford)
- Richard Fagundes, District 5 (Hanford & Burris Park)
Others Present:
- 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
- Fleet Services Superintendent Mel Laningham
- Fiscal Analyst Rhonda Mann
- Human Resources Director Carolyn Leist
- Public Health Director Rose Mary Rahn
- Human Service Director Wendy Osikafo
- Deputy Clerk Diane Badasci
- Auditor-Controller Rob Knudson
- Community Development Director Chuck Kinney
- Public Health Emergency Director Abraham Valencia
- Lupe Villa from Election Department
- Sean Cash
- Sarah Harp
- Tyler Pepe
- Garrett K. Jones
- Monica Connor
- Ruth Lopez
- Anthony Lopez
- Sean Cash
- Melissa Scheffel
- John Criscom
- Linda Martin
- Jeff Martin
- Alex Hernandez
- Kristi Lee
- NRencher
Discussions/Actions
Ruth Lopez from Valley Voices and Anthony Lopez from the City of Avenal urged the board to consider their Request for Proposal (RFP) 2023-10 for Covid preventative services.
Lupe Villa from the Elections Department provided a brief update on the upcoming November 8, 2022, general election:
- As of yesterday, the county has 61,290 registered voters.
- Last weekend, residents started to receive their ballots and voter information guides.
- On October 29, the department will open two 11-day voting centers in his office and the Office of Education in Lemoore.
- On November 5, the department will open five additional voting centers throughout the county.
- On October 7, 11 ballot drop boxes will be available.
- The locations of the voting centers and ballot drop boxes are the same as the June primary and are available on the informational guide and Elections Department website.
- Those who want to be poll workers can call the Elections Department office at (559) 852-4401, submit an online application, or come to the office.
- The department will conduct an open house for people curious about the elections on October 12 in the multi-purpose room.
The board (4-1) unanimously approved the minutes from the regular meeting for September 20, 2022. Supervisor Verboon abstained because he was absent.
In the consent calendar, the board (5-0) unanimously approved items as follows:
A. Agriculture Department:
1. The board approved a MOU with Tulare County for the joint Pesticide Disposal Event on October 5 to 7, 2022.
The Agricultural Commissioner’s pesticide use enforcement division regulates the proper disposal of unusable, unwanted, or expired pesticides.
Tulare County and Kings County are partnering to host an agricultural pesticide collection disposal event in the County of Tulare.
It is anticipated that they will dispose of over 80,000 pounds of hazardous materials from Kings County for the health and safety of the public and the environment.
B. Behavioral Health Department:
1. The board approved the agreement with Evalcorp for the fiscal year 2022-2023 to complete the Mental Health Services Act Three Year Program and Expenditure Plan and the Annual Update for the Fiscal Year 2022-2023 retroactively, effective from July 1, 2022, through June 30, 2024.
The contract amount for the fiscal year 2022-2023 is $189,335 and was included in the Adopted Budget for FY 2022-2023 in Budget Unit 422200 MHSA (Mental Health Services Act), and $160,775 will be added to the FY 2023-2024 budget in Budget Unit 422200 MHSA.
2. The board approved the agreement with Mental Health Systems, Incorporated for Assertive Community Treatment Full Service Partnership services retroactively, effective from June 1, 2022, through June 30, 2023.
The agreement amount for FY 2022-2023 is $1,200,000.
Expenses under this agreement are in the Department’s fiscal year 2022-2023 Approved Budget in Budget Unit 422200 MHSA (Mental Health Services Act).
Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) provides integrated intensive outpatient care for adults. Services are time unlimited and available to participants 24 hours a day.
Treatment is community-based and includes individual and group therapy, peer support, case management, medication support, employment training, education support, community living skills, housing services, crisis intervention, and family education.
Kings County has contracted with Mental Health Systems (MHS) since the Fiscal Year 2018/2019 for the provision of FSP ACT.
ACT is the highest level of outpatient care offered to Medi-Cal beneficiaries and is paid for by the Mental Health Services Act as a Community Services and Supports, Full-Service Partnership (FSP) program.
Through this agreement, MHS will provide ACT FSP services for up to 50 people aged 18 and above at any time.
In the fiscal year 2021/2022, the FSP ACT program supported 27 people in locating housing, and 69 people participated in ACT FSP services.
C. County Counsel Department:
1. The board appointed Beau Howard and reappointed Michael Boyett, Jimmy George, Carlo Wilcox, and Joe Faulkner as trustees of the Cross Creek Flood Control District.
The four-year term of office of the trustees of the Cross Creek Flood Control District (“District”) is expiring. Trustee Peter Reitkerk has resigned.
The district has requested Beau Howard be appointed to take Mr. Reitkerk’s place in serving as a trustee of the district.
The remaining trustees are interested in continuing to serve on the board.
The district board supports and requests these appointments to fill the vacancies.
D. Job Training Office:
1. The board approved the documents to close out the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act Subgrants AA011010 and AA111010.
Subgrant AA011010 and Subgrant AA111010 allocated Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act training funds provided to Kings County for use in the local area.
From July 1, 2020, through June 30, 2022, over 6,811 services consisting of work experience, vocational training, on-the-job training, and other services assisted Kings County residents in obtaining permanent employment.
In addition to enrolled individuals receiving services, the Kings County Job Training Office provided services to more than 600 Kings County businesses.
E. Public Works Department:
1. The board approved the Final Map for Tract 931 Phase One – Jackson Ranch.
This final map is Tract 931 Phase 1 – Jackson Ranch. This tract map subdivides property near Utica Avenue and 25th Avenue in Kings County.
The county will accept the right of way on behalf of the public, but the private streets will be excluded for maintenance.
This map meets all conditions of the Advisory Agency, the Subdivision Map Act, and the Kings County Development Code.
Regular agenda items are as follows:
A. Human Resources Department (presented by Human Resources Director Carolyn Leist)
1. The board (5-0) approved the Lactation Accommodation Policy.
Employees have the right to request reasonable accommodation for lactation under the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”) and the California Labor Code, including having appropriate facilities to accommodate employees who express breastmilk at work for their children.
Employers must create a written lactation accommodation policy that is provided to employees upon hire, included in an employee handbook, and given to any employee who inquires about or requests parental leave.
Human Resources and County Counsel staff drafted a lactation policy to meet FLSA and California Labor Code requirements.
Each bargaining unit also received the drafted policy and request form for review.
Supervisor Verboon asked how the policy would work when it must be in sync with scheduled breaks.
Human Resources Director Carolyn Leist stated that the policy allows flexibility and additional lactation areas.
B. Public Works Department (presented by Public Works Director Dominic Tyburski, Fleet Services Superintendent Mel Laningham, and Fiscal Analyst Rhonda Mann)
1. The board (5-0) approved the purchase orders for 16 vehicles using Sourcewell’s (formerly the National Joint Powers Alliance) purchasing consortium.
The total cost of this vehicle purchase request is $909,000.
Funding for these vehicle purchases is included in the adopted the fiscal year 2022-2023 budget within budget Unit 925600.
Sourcewell serves government, education, and nonprofit organizations with a cooperative purchasing program that manages solicitation requirements and offers a network of awarded contracts.
The county has utilized this service for several years, and it complies with the County approved purchasing requirements.
The Fleet Division will purchase 12 Dodge Charger patrol vehicles, one Dodge Ram truck, and three Dodge Durangos for the Sheriff’s Department and Probation Department through the County Fleet Replacement Plan.
The purchase order is for $700,000 for the Chargers, $58,000 for the Ram truck, and $151,000 for the Durangos.
All vehicles are budgeted in 925600, 94010, 94002, and 94003.
2. The board (5-0) authorized the financing of a pruning tower through Community Leasing Partners;
The Division’s current pruning tower is 23 years old and approaching the end of its useful life.
The new tower will be Tier 4 compliant, allowing the division to keep up with routine maintenance and safety pruning more efficiently.
There are no Air Board incentives for replacement and no electric equivalents.
The lease to own a new 25-foot Guardian Pruning Tower is necessary to help keep the park’s maintenance equipment compliant with Air Board standards.
Through Community Lease Partners, the county will enter into a lease-to-own finance contract upon completion, of which the pruning tower will be county property.
The lease-to-own the new pruning tower is $50,896. It will be financed through Community Leasing Partners for six years at a monthly cost of $720, as included in the Parks and Grounds Division’s adopted fiscal year 2022-2023 budget.
C. Administration (presented by Administrative Officer Edward Hill and Administrative Analyst Matthew Boyett)
1. The board (5-0) introduced and waived the first reading of the ordinance to adopt organic waste recycling and edible food recovery requirements under Senate Bill 1383.
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.
These operations will be under the Environmental Health Division.
On September 20, 2022, the board was presented with the initial draft ordinance for introduction and consideration to waive the first reading.
Upon deliberation, the following substantial edits will ensure that the ordinance was a better fit for the county’s current infrastructure via the permitted haulers and Kings Waste and Recycling Authority (KWRA)
- Delete the definition of Compostable Plastic(s)
- Delete the Annual Financial Report requirement
- Extend the time when delinquent payment is due from a notified customer from 30 to 60-days.
Once an account is delinquent for three months, the County will notify the customer of the delinquent account. Once notified, the customer will have 60-days to pay the delinquency before a potential lien is placed on the property.
Other edits are currently under review for legality that would solidify a more traditional understanding of what can be recycled in the blue recycle bin versus what goes into the green compostable bin.
Such an approach to the ordinance will hopefully reduce customer confusion and help reduce contamination in both recycle and compost loads for Kings Waste and Recycling Authority (KWRA) – which would impact their diversion rates.
Linda and Jeff Martin from Tule Trash Company at the American Refuse mentioned that the fees would have “unforeseeable consequences” for ratepayers in disadvantaged communities.
She asked whether KWRA has sufficient staff to ensure compliance with SB 1383. She asked how CalRecycle would access the fines.
Administrative Analyst Matthew Boyett stated that the county applied for census tract waivers, which exempt rural communities from SB 1383 implementation. He said that the county would assess the fines.
The public health department has several illegal dumping grant programs on illegal dumping.
Supervisor Valle expressed concerns about how SB 1383 applies to Kings County.
D. Public Health Department (presented by Public Health Director Rose Mary Rahn)
Public Health Director Rose Mary Rahn said that Covid cases have steadily decreased to 345, while BA-5 remains the dominant variant.
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Kings County is in the “lower green” classification for community transmission.
The Public Health Department recorded 1285 vaccinations in Kings County. An increasing number of families are seeking immunization for their children.
She mentioned that the Bivalent boosters are available in the Public Health Department.
She urged residents to stay home when symptoms occur, wear masks in public places and receive the vaccine.
The closed session includes:
- Personnel Matter: [Govt Code Section 54957]
- Public Employee Appointment: Job Training Office Director
- 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, October 4, 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.