LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Board of Supervisors this week will discuss the effort to recruit a new Public Health officer and a proposal for a mentor program that could help keep the job filled.
The board will meet beginning at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 8, 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.
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The meeting ID is 959 8172 9679, pass code 624933. The meeting also can be accessed via one tap mobile at +16699006833,,95981729679#,,,,*624933#.
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At 1 p.m., the board will get the Public Health officer recruitment update from staff and consider a proposal to create a Public Health officer mentor program.
The written report to the board from County Administrative Officer Susan Parker said the county contracted with recruiter Mosaic Public Partners, which opened a recruitment on Aug. 8. Despite nationwide advertising, there was only one candidate who did not meet the minimum qualifications.
Despite Mosaic identifying more than 110 potential candidates across California, none of them have expressed interest in the job, Parker said.
However, in the midst of the recruitment effort, Parker said the county has connected with Dr. Noemi Doohan, the former Mendocino County Public Health officer, now working in Santa Barbara.
Parker said Doohan isn’t interested in the job but she “shared valuable insight into the challenges in recruiting for the role and suggestions on how to improve the attractiveness of the position in the medical community but also on how to ensure the long-term success and viability of whomever serves as the next Public Health Officer.”
Parker said Doohan said “public health doctors are afraid of the political nature of these positions, especially in counties where there has been turnover in the position. She communicated that the prevailing thought in the medical community is that Public Health Officers are frequently terminated by elected boards, not for misconduct or poor performance, but for the political aspects of decisions related to public health.”
Doohan has told the county that public health officer positions can be attractive to physicians if proper support is offered. “In her view, proper support includes not only administrative support, but mentoring for those new to the public arena, as well as education for various county officials on how to best utilize all that a Public Health Officer can do for a county.
Parker added, “Dr. Doohan shares this perspective because, as the new Public Health Officer for Mendocino County, she was provided a mentor who was invaluable to her in navigating the new role — especially in the early days of the pandemic. She added that before she accepted the position, ‘no one would take the job’ in Mendocino County and it was the mentorship arrangement that convinced her to accept it.”
County staff is recommending a mentorship program in which it would pay Doohan a consulting rate of $250 per hour for three to six months, with a not-to-exceed amount of $25,000. This structure is similar to the one made available to Doohan in Mendocino County.
Parker said Doohan would have Lake County access to her substantial network of public health colleagues, “but wants to ensure that any candidate from her network will be successful and have good support,” thus the proposed mentorship program.
The board on Tuesday also is scheduled to have a closed session to interview Public Health officer candidates and potentially make an appointment.
Also on Tuesday, the board will present proclamations in honor of Native American Heritage Month, set for 9:07 a.m., and the Military Funeral Honors Team at 9:09 a.m.
The full agenda follows.
CONSENT AGENDA
5.1: Adopt proclamation designating the month of November 2022 as Native American Heritage Month.
5.2: Approve submission of request for funding through the U.S. Department of the Treasury for Local Assistance and Tribal Consistency Fund funding in the amount of $3,060,750.78 split evenly between fiscal years 2022 and 2023.
5.3: Adopt resolution approving the amended memorandum of understanding between county of Lake and Lake County Resource Conservation District for management of goat’s rue in Lake County for FY 2021-2023 in the amount of $25,427.50.
5.4: Adopt resolution approving amended Agreement #20-1108-000-SG with California Department of Food and Agriculture for Noxious Weed Program for the period of May 1, 2021 through March 31, 2023 in the amount of $32,000.
5.5: Approve Amendment No. 2 to the agreement between county of Lake and Resource Development Associates for consultation and support in the Community Program Planning process and the evaluation of the Whole Person Care Grant Project in the amount of $269,053.75 for fiscal years 2021-22 and 2022-23 and authorize the board chair to sign.
5.6: Adopt resolution appointing directors of certain special district boards in lieu of holding a general district election on Nov. 8, 2022.
5.7: Adopt resolution approving the franchise agreement assignment from South Lake Refuse Company LLC to Waste Connections Inc.
5.8: (a) Waive the formal bidding process, pursuant to Lake County Code Section 38.3, as it is not in the public interest due to the determination that competitive bidding would produce no economic benefit, and (b) approve the agreement between the county of Lake and Mountain G. Enterprises Inc. for consulting services related to the development of a hazardous tree removal project for the purpose of submitting an application to the state for grant funds, and authorize the chair to sign the agreement.
TIMED ITEMS
6.2, 9:07 a.m.: Presentation of proclamation designating the month of November 2022 as Native American Heritage Month.
6.3, 9:08 a.m.: a) Consideration of proclamation commending the Military Funeral Honors Team of Lake County; and b) consideration of participating in Operation Greenlight.
6.4, 9:09 a.m.: Presentation of proclamation commending the Military Funeral Honors Team of Lake County for their endless and thankless support of our military veterans and their families.
6.5, 9:30 a.m.: Public hearing, continued from Oct. 18, hearing of appeal of notice of violation and notice of nuisance and order to abate. Property owner: Thomas Carter; Location: 1622 Hunter Point Road, Upper Lake (APN 022-001-05).
6.6, 9:45 a.m.: Public hearing, consideration of appeal of Planning Commission's denial of major use permit (UP 20-90) and initial study (IS 20-109) for 1.18 acres of mixed-light cannabis cultivation. Applicant: Cresta Properties LLC, 6267 Kelsey Creek Drive and 6245 Gold Dust Drive, Kelseyville (APNs 007-013-22 and -23).
6.7, 10:30 a.m.: Public hearing, continued from Oct. 25, consideration of proposed rezone (RZ 22-01) and general plan amendment (GPA 22-01). Applicant Is Valerie Peng. Project located at 11377 Highway 29, Lower Lake (APN: 049-300-02).
6.8, 11:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m.: Break.
6.9, 1 p.m.: a) Consideration of Public Health officer recruitment update; and b) consideration of the Lake County Public Health Officer Mentor Program.
UNTIMED ITEMS
7.2: Consideration of the following Advisory Board Appointment: Spring Valley CSA No. 2 Advisory Board.
CLOSED SESSION
8.1: Public employee appointment pursuant to Gov. Code Section 54957(b)(1): Interviews for Public Health officer; appointment of Public Health officer.
8.2: Conference with legal counsel: Existing litigation pursuant to Gov. Code Sec. 5456.9(d)(1) – City of Clearlake v. County of Lake, et al.
8.3: Conference with legal counsel: Existing litigation pursuant to Gov. Code Sec. 5456.9(d)(1) – Flesch v. County of Lake.
8.4: Conference with legal counsel: Existing litigation pursuant to Gov. Code Sec. 54956.9(d)(1) – Sabalone v. County of Lake.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
Supervisors to discuss Public Health officer recruitment efforts and mentorship program
- Elizabeth Larson