May 16, 2023 — Kings County Board of Supervisors
Documented by Josef Sibala
Here’s what you need to know:
- During the meeting, the Kings County Board of Supervisors approved the agreement with Heluna Health for contracted staff to provide epidemiology, laboratory and informatics services to the Kings County Department of Public Health, effective upon execution through July 31, 2023.
- Public Health Director Rose Mary Rahn said that $11.58 million was allocated to Kings County for the Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity for Prevention and Control grant program.
- The board (4-1) authorized the public works director to sign the amendment with Mark Thomas and Co., Inc., to prepare plans, specifications and an estimate package for the Kettleman City Pedestrian Bridge Project. Robinson voted no.
- The board (4-1) approved the second amendment with the CrisCom Co. for state legislative lobbying services from July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024. Verboon voted no. The annual cost of the agreement is $54,000, which is $4,500 monthly.
Follow-up questions:
- How will the board update the master fee schedule?
- When will the Kettleman City Pedestrian Bridge Project be completed?
- How will the agreement with Heluna Health affect residents?
The Scene
According to its website, Kings County is a “general law” county, meaning the state constitution and 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 in a nonpartisan manner 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, May 16, 2023, the meeting was held at 9 a.m. in the board chambers at 1400 West Lacey Blvd. in Administration Building No. 1 in Hanford.
Kings County County Board of Supervisors Members present:
- Joe Neves, District 1 (Lemoore and Stratford)
- Richard Valle, District 2 (Avenal, Corcoran, Home Garden, and Kettleman City)
- Doug Verboon, District 3 (North Hanford, Island District, and North Lemoore)
- Rusty Robinson, District 4 (Armona & Hanford)
- Richard Fagundes, District 5 (Hanford and Burris Park)
Others Present:
- Assessor/Clerk/Recorder Kristine Lee
- Public Health Director Rose Mary Rahn
- County Counsel Diane Freeman
- Human Resources Director Carolyn Leist
- Human Services Director Wendy Osikafo
- Deputy Director Monica Connor
- Sheriff David Robinson
- Sheriff’s Commander Rick Bradford
- Deputy County Administrative Officer Kyria Martinez
- Administrative Analyst Domingo Cruz
- Administrative Analyst Matthew Boyett
- Diane Badasci
- Jay Wood
- Christine Olvera
- Tyler Pepe
- John Bsmajian Criscom
- Heather Silva
- Chanda Jackson
- Monica Connor
- Sheriff Robinson
- N. Rencher
- Sarah Hacker
- Melissa Kevorkian
- Sergio Rubio
- Sarah Harp
- Cassie Bakker
- T. Hommerding
- Topazio Guzman
- J. Eckles
- Evelyn from Valley Voices
- Sarah Poots
- Blake Zante
Discussions/Actions
Brandon Sanders from PG&E updated the board on the situation in the Tulare Lake Basin, reporting that their team is removing poles and equipment from the water.
Rosemary Rahn said that the transition from Covid is ongoing. At the end of the year, free testing will end. She recommends those 65 years old and older get bivalent boosters.
Sarah Hacker from the District Attorney’s Office mentioned that they lost a deputy district attorney transferred to Riverside County. She urged the board to have competitive salaries.
A. The board (5-0) approved the minutes from the regular meeting for May 2, 2023.
In the consent calendar, the board (5-0) unanimously approved items as follows:
A. Assessor/Clerk/Recorder (reported by Assessor Kristine Lee)
1. The board approved the purchase of a used vehicle from the Human Services Agency.
Assessor Kristine Lee said that the fiscal year 2022-23 assessor/clerk/recorder budget included funds to purchase a used vehicle coming out of service with another department.
Those funds were inadvertently placed in an account line that will not permit the purchase of a capital asset. The assessor requested permission to move those appropriations, enabling the department to finally acquire the preapproved purchase of a used 2014 Camry Hybrid from the Human Services Agency.
This vehicle will not be replaced with fleet funds in the future.
B. County Counsel (reported by County Counsel Diane Freeman)
1. The board approved the advanced step hire of Michael J. Elizondo, deputy county counsel II, Range 245.5, Step 4, $46.34 per hour, effective on the hire date.
Freeman said that appointing a candidate to an advanced step hire, above the third step within a salary range, requires the approval of the board (Personnel Rule 13050).
The Human Resources Department has reviewed the application and supports the advanced step hire requested by the department.
C. Community Development Agency (reported by Community Development Director Chuck Kinney)
1. The board authorized the advance step hire of applicant Irene Ford as a Permit Technician II Step 5 position.
D. District Attorney’s Office (reported by District Attorney Sarah Hacker)
1. a. The board authorized the purchase of one Glock model 45 MOS 9mm equipped with a Trijicon RMR red dot optic by retired Kings County District Attorney Investigator Jaime Ramirez for the replacement cost of $1,097.
Jaime Ramirez was a Kings County sheriff’s deputy from February 2008 to August 2015, then he transferred to the Kings County District Attorney’s Office as an investigator from August 2015 to October 2022.
Ramirez was medically retired from county service. As traditionally has occurred, the retiree is requesting to purchase the firearm they carried on duty in recognition of their years of service.
Hacker added that transferring this firearm would follow all legal requirements to ensure no liability would be incurred by Kings County.
b. The board authorized the District Attorney’s Office to purchase one Glock model 45 MOS 9mm equipped with a Trijicon RMR red dot optic to restore appropriate inventory.
2. a. The board authorized the Kings County Deputy Sheriff’s Association to purchase one Glock model 45 MOS 9mm for the replacement cost of $537.
b. The board authorized the district attorney’s office to purchase one Glock model 45 MOS 9mm to restore appropriate inventory.
Patricia Sozinho was a Kings County District Attorney Investigator and member of the Deputy Sheriff Association from December 1994 through May 2023.
Investigator Sozinho will retire from county service in May 2023. The Deputy Sheriff’s Association has requested to purchase her duty firearm and present it to her as a gift.
Transferring this firearm would follow all legal requirements to ensure no liability will be incurred by Kings County.
E. Human Services Agency (reported by Human Services Director Wendy Osikafo)
1. The board approved the first amendment with Kings Community Action Organization to administer the Home Visiting Program (HVP) through June 30, 2024.
Human Services Director Wendy Osikafo stated that HSA offers HVP services to California Work Opportunities and Responsibilities to Kids (CalWORKs) and Child Welfare Services Families.
HVP promotes children’s early development and health by supporting and engaging parents and caretakers utilizing the Parents as Teachers (PAT) evidence-based home visiting model. HVP offers services for families with young children and is framed around four dynamic components: Personal Visits, Group Connections, Child Screening and Resource Networks.
The amendment increases the previous budget for the fiscal year 2022-23 from $350,131 to $371,370.
F. Public Health Department (reported by Public Health Director Rose Mary Rahn)
1. The board approved the agreement with Heluna Health for contracted staff to provide epidemiology, laboratory and informatics services to the Kings County Department of Public Health, effective upon execution through July 31, 2023.
Public Health Director Rose Mary Rahn mentioned that $11.57 million was allocated to Kings County for the Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity for Prevention and Control grant program.
Heluna Health received $774,368 directly from the California Department of Public Health, and $10,796,565 went directly to Kings County.
2. a. The board approved the California Department of Public Health Immunization Branch, Immunization Program Local Assistance Grant Agreement retroactively effective July 1, 2022, through June 30, 2027.
The purpose of this grant is to assist grantees in defraying the program’s costs, which supports the state’s objective to prevent and control vaccine-preventable diseases and continue COVID-19 vaccination efforts.
The recommended action increases Federal Aid – Intergovernmental Revenue, Account 86037, by $440,971 and Special Departmental, Account 92063, by $440,971 in Budget Unit 419600 for fiscal year 2022-23.
G. Sheriff’s Office (reported by Sheriff David Robinson)
1. a. The board authorized the Sheriff’s Office to purchase two vehicles from the Human Services Agency using Kelley Blue Book’s value for the vehicle cost.
Robinson announced that the Human Services Agency (HSA) had acquired five new vehicles replacing similar vehicles in its fleet. HSA offers the Sheriff’s Office older vehicles at Kelly Blue Book value. These late-model vehicles have relatively low mileage, making this a value purchase for the county.
The Sheriff’s Office will pay the Kelly Blue Book price of $14,747 and $11,971 for these two vehicles.
2. The board adopted a resolution authorizing participation in the Boating Safety and Enforcement Financial Aid Program.
On Dec. 20, 2022, the board adopted a resolution and authorized the sheriff to sign the Boating Safety and Enforcement Financial Aid Program grant agreement.
The Sheriff’s Office asked to adopt an updated resolution required by the California Department of Parks and Recreation.
The BS&E Financial Aid Program aims to provide state financial aid to local governmental agencies whose waterways have high usage by transient boaters and an insufficient tax base to support a boating safety and enforcement program fully.
The program is intended to augment existing local resources for boating safety and enforcement activities and is not intended to fund BS&E programs fully.
Local participation in the program is entirely voluntary. Any local agency may opt not to participate in the program if they choose to spend their boat taxes on activities other than boating safety and enforcement activities.
The funds will offset the staffing costs associated with patrolling the Kings River. These funds will also reimburse the county for equipment purchases and repairs associated with patrolling the Kings River and its tributaries.
The new agreement is for July 1, 2023-June 30, 2024.
3. The board approved the maintenance agreement with IDEMA MorphoTrust USA for eight Live Scan machines.
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 $7,909.
The cost of 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 is $13,909. They will be funded through the CAL-ID Remote Access Network Board funds.
Live Scan is a digital fingerprinting process that replaces traditional ink fingerprinting.
The annual maintenance agreements for the Live Scan machines located at the Kings County Sheriff’s Administration Office, Avenal Police Department, Corcoran Police Department, Hanford Police Department, Lemoore Police Department, the Kings County Jail and the Kings County Juvenile Center are due for renewal.
The current annual maintenance agreements will expire at various times in 2023. The fiscal year 2023-24 agreements are prorated based on their current expiration date.
The new agreements will provide coverage through June 30, 2024, and will get the maintenance agreement on the same renewal cycle for all eight machines.
Regular agenda items were as follows:
A. Human Services Agency (reported by Human Services Director Wendy Osikafo and Deputy Director Monica Connor)
1. The board (5-0) adopted a resolution proclaiming May 2023 Foster Care Month in Kings County.
The Human Services Agency licenses 129 Relative Resource Family Homes, 94 Non-relative Resource Family Homes and 22 Tribal-Approved Homes.
Furthermore, numerous privately licensed foster family homes in Kings County provide shelter, care and support to one of Kings County’s most vulnerable populations.
B. Public Works Department (reported by Public Works Director Dominic Tyburski and Chief Engineer Mitchel Cabrera)
1. The board (5-0) adopted a resolution containing the projects planned to be constructed in fiscal year 2023-24 utilizing Senate Bill 1 Funding. SB 1 became law in 2017. This is the seventh year this additional funding has been available for much-needed road maintenance.
The project list was constructed during the summer/fall of 2022, including placing hot-mix asphalt concrete overlays and slurry seals. The fiscal year 2023-24 list includes constructing new hot mix asphalt sections over a pulverized base mixed with cement through a process called Full Depth Reclamation (FDR).
FDR consists of pulverizing the existing pavement sections, adding a predetermined percentage of cement and mixing to a predetermined depth to create a durable base for new hot mix asphalt placement.
In addition, hot mix asphalt overlays will be placed at roadway intersections at the Avenal Cutoff Road and the transition area from the Caltrans right-of-way to the beginning of FDR operations (roughly 600 feet).
Road segment selection is based on recommendations from the department’s Pavement Management System (PMS). The maintenance work is based on the age and type of road, the amount of daily traffic and the distress exhibited by the road.
2. The board (5-0) approved the amended agreement with Lakeside Pipeline, LLC, to include an additional 1-mile biogas pipeline to be constructed in the county’s right-of-way.
This project will provide a franchise fee equal to 2% of the total value of natural gas injected into the pipeline annually to the General Fund for the 30-year permitted life of the project.
The Public Works Department has engaged MAAS Energy Works, Inc., working on behalf of Lakeside Pipeline, LLC and Westside, LLC, regarding an encroachment (occupation of public right of way) since July 2019.
On July 28, 2020, the board agreed with an encroachment permit application for installing biogas pipelines within the right-of-way at various locations throughout the county.
The agreement protects the county, including liability insurance requirements verified annually, an irrevocable line of credit to remove the encroachment if necessary, and an annual franchise (encroachment) fee for using the public right-of-way.
The new biogas pipeline added to this amendment will occupy the right-of-way along Kansas Avenue. Section 2009 of the Streets and Highways Code establishes the Board of Supervisors as the policy-making board for county highway matters.
County Resolution 77-144 describes a nonroutine/dangerous encroachment as “creating a danger of injury to person or property.”
While design precautions help ensure this encroachment does not become a hazard, the potential risk is significant enough that the Public Works Director’s position should be a board decision.
Resolution 77-144 allows the board to confirm that such encroachment is hazardous and order its reduction or removal. The board may also reclassify such an encroachment as other than hazardous, such as a Public Utility Encroachment or Undesirable Encroachment.
3. The board (4-1) authorized the public works director to sign the amendment with Mark Thomas and Co., Inc., to prepare the plans, specifications, and estimate package for the Kettleman City Pedestrian Bridge Project. Robinson voted no since he said the project was not an efficient use of government funds and added that it was “too much for too few.”
The Kettleman City residential district is bisected by State Route 41 (SR41), the primary north-south corridor providing valley residents access to the central coast.
Pedestrians attempting to cross the state highway at this location face high traffic volumes, making passage on foot difficult. This condition challenges many of Kettleman City’s residents, as the elementary school, post office, community center, park and many businesses (including gas and food) are all located west of SR41.
The community has requested a safe method of passage to cross SR41 for residents living east and west of the corridor for several years.
On June 21, 2022, the board approved the fund’s transfer agreement with the California Department of Transportation and Kings County to accept $2 million in SB 170 funds for the proposed SR41 pedestrian crossing facility in Kettleman City.
The Public Works Department issued a request for proposals for interested design firms. On Sept. 30, 2022, Mark Thomas & Co., Inc submitted only one proposal to the department.
4. The board (5-0) adopted a resolution authorizing the installation of a multi-way (all-way) stop at the intersection of 17th Avenue and Idaho Avenue. Nationally accepted standards exist for the installation of multi-way stop traffic control measures.
One of the primary factors these standards, known as “warrants,” consider is collision history.
The traffic safety, or “collision” warrants, require that within a consecutive 12-month period, there should be five or more collisions that would have been correctable with the employment of multi-way stop signs.
Public Works staff prepared a warrant study, including an extensive field review, in April 2023.
5. The board (5-0) adopted a resolution proclaiming May 21-May 27 “National Public Works Week” in Kings County.
C. Sheriff’s Office (reported by Sheriff Robinson and Sheriff’s Commander Rick Bradford)
1. The board adopted a resolution designating May 17 as Peace Officers Memorial Day and May 15-May 21 as Police Week in Kings County, with a Memorial Ceremony to be held on May 17, 2023.
Peace Officers Memorial Day and Police Week is an observance in the U.S. paying tribute to local, state and federal peace officers who have died in the line of duty. Since 1962, the first year of the memorial, every sitting president has proclaimed May 15 Peace Officers Memorial Day and May 15 as Police Week.
A memorial ceremony was to be held at the Kings County Government Center Courtyard on May 17 at 10 a.m.
D. Administration (reported by Deputy County Administrative Officer Kyria Martinez and Administrative Analyst Domingo Cruz)
1. The board (4-1) approved the second amendment with the CrisCom Co. for state legislative lobbying services from July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024. Verboon voted no.
Each year the county contracts for state lobbyist services. On May 5, 2020, the board entered into an agreement with the CrisCom Co. for a term of July 1, 2020, through June 30, 2021.
Since then, the county has re-renewed the agreement for the past three years. This amendment would continue lobbyist services with CrisCom for another year, concluding on June 30, 2024.
The annual cost of the agreement is $54,000, which is $4,500 monthly. Contract costs are covered in the administration’s budget in Budget Unit 111000, and these costs have been included in the fiscal year 2023-24 recommended budget.
2. The board received information on the launch of county social media platforms.
Deputy County Administrative Officer Kyria Martinez encouraged interested citizens to visit the county’s website for information.
The website, https://www.countyofkings.com, contains a wide range of information, from detailed schedules for meetings of county boards and agencies to information from and about the various county government departments.
The study session is as follows:
A. Administration (reported by Martinez and Administrative Analyst Matthew Boyett)
1. The board held a study session regarding the county’s master fee schedule biennial update.
State and local governments use charges to help fund certain services.
When these specific services benefit a particular individual or group of individuals, governments often create charges paid for by direct recipients of those that receive these specific benefits from such services rather than using general revenues.
A fee amount can be the cost of providing the service. Instead, the fee amount should be sufficient to recover the service costs and ensure its future sustainability.
Fees are applied on a user-pay basis, so only those who benefit from the service bear the fee.
To maintain transparency and ease of access, the fees have been combined into a master document, the master fee schedule.
The schedule was established by Ordinance 510, adopted in April 1993, stipulating that the adopted fees be reviewed periodically.
In May 1995, the Master Fee Ordinance, 520.1, was merged with several separate ordinances to update the schedule of fees. The current version is Master Fee Ordinance 520.23 and presents the most current fee adjustments the affected county departments proposed.
Reviewing established fees is a critical task for departments to complete, and the county endeavors to review these fees biennially. The revenue generated from established fees supports several public services provided each fiscal year.
Before the passage of Proposition 13 in 1978, most government services were supported by property taxes, whether or not the property owner benefited directly from the service. The passage of Proposition 13 introduced the concept that basic governmental services, such as public safety, should be funded with general revenues. Specialized services delivered to selected persons/businesses or optional services, in terms of the nature of the service provided, became fee-based to support those particular public services.
The last comprehensive review of the fee schedule was done in December 2020.
While the county strives to review each fee every two years, some fees have not been adjusted in several years for various reasons. Any fees not fully recovering the service cost must be subsidized from the department’s other revenue sources – which can often be the general fund.
There are two large categories of fees – those specifically listed in the statute and those considered “annual cost” fees. Statutory fees are specifically set by state law.
Annual cost fees are those for which the county department must calculate the actual cost to provide the specific service. State law allows the county to recover up to, but not more than, the actual cost to provide the service.
Types of fees are as follows:
- New approval fee: fees newly created and not currently charged
- New fee: existing fees are charged but not listed on the current master fee schedule
- Fee deletion: fees that the department will no longer charge
- Fee increase: existing fee proposed to be increased
- Fee decrease: existing fee proposed to be decreased
- Title change: changes in terms of formatting of fees/fee title changes
- No change: no change to the fee, title and description
Closed session includes the following:
- Conference with Labor Negotiator/Meet and Confer: [Govt. Code Section 54957.6] Negotiators: Kyria Martinez, Carolyn Leist, Che Johnson of Liebert Cassidy Whitmore General Unit – CLOCEA
Supervisor’s Unit – CLOCEA
Blue Collar – SEIU
Detention Deputy’s Association
Firefighter’s Association
Deputy Sheriff’s Association
Probation Officer’s Association
Prosecutor’s Association
Unrepresented Management
- Personnel Matter: [Govt Code Section 54957]
Public Employee Appointment: County Administrative Officer
- Personnel Matter: [Govt Code Section 54957]
Public Employee Appointment: Chief Probation Officer
- Workers Compensation: (1 Case) [Govt. Code Section 54956.95]
- Significant exposure to litigation: (1 Case) [Govt. Code Section 54956.9 (d)(2)(e)(1)
The meeting ended at 1 p.m. The next board meeting will be on Tuesday, May 23 at 9 a.m.
If you believe anything in these notes is inaccurate, please email us at fresnodocs@fresnoland.org with “Correction Request” in the subject line.
