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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
Following a closed session held during the course of Tuesday’s special board meeting, the supervisors voted to hire Mary V. Darby.
Darby has nearly three decades of experience in planning, consulting and coaching.
Johanna DeLong, assistant clerk of the board, said Supervisor EJ Crandell moved to appoint Darby at salary step three, with Supervisor Moke Simon seconding and the board voting 5-0.
The county did not report on what pay range is included in salary step three, but the entire pay range for the job is $102,668.80 to $124,779.20 annually, according to the county’s website.
Darby’s appointment is effective Oct. 4.
“I am overflowing with excitement and joy for the great opportunity afforded me to serve the leaders, residents, businesses and tourists of Lake County,” Darby said in a statement released by the county. “Since leaving California, it has always been my dream to return as a well-rounded, educated and trained community development leader, with experience in many facets of the field.”
Her written statement added, “I am super delighted my return to California will begin, and end, in the county of Lake, and look forward to providing Lake County with professionalism, loyalty and a high standard of customer service. Our team will operate with one main goal in mind … Successful results!”
The county has been looking for stability and leadership for the Community Development Department, which in the last several years has seen several directors come and go.
Darby will be the sixth person to head the department on either a permanent or temporary basis since the start of 2016.
The department has been challenged by turnover, rebuilding in the wake of the county’s devastating fires and working to process hundreds of projects proposed as part of the burgeoning cannabis industry.
In early 2020, the Board of Supervisors combined the Community Development Department with the departments of Public Works and Water Resources, headed by Scott De Leon.
However, in May, the board voted to separate the Community Development director’s job from Water Resources and Public Works with a view to beginning a recruitment for a new director.
At the time, Board Chair Bruno Sabatier noted Community Development is vital to Lake County's our economic well-being and said it also was one of the most difficult departments to manage.
The board subsequently appointed County Administrative Officer Carol Huchingson as interim Community Development director while the county search for a permanent director took place.
Huchingson, her staff and a consultant have overseen the department since then.
“Lake County is on its way up, and this hire is another sign we are building a bright future,” Huchingson said in a written statement. “We are working to make it easier for people to invest in Lake County, to build businesses here, develop housing that we desperately need. Mary Darby will help us take our next steps, and we could not be more pleased to have her aboard.”
Three decades of experience
County officials said Darby’s selection comes as the result of a nationwide search.
Darby is a University of California, San Diego graduate who also holds a Master of Arts degree in city planning from the Georgia Institute of Technology. County officials said she has strong knowledge of National Environmental Policy Act and the California Environmental Quality Act requirements, and is a current American Institute of Certified Planners candidate.
Her resume includes three years as the managing principal of Smart Planning Connections LLC, during which time she has acted as a zoning administrator for municipalities.
She’s also been a planner and a principal planner for the city of Atlanta, acting as project manager for the city’s zoning ordinance updates, and led Atlanta’s Office of Zoning & Development Regulatory Reform Team.
Darby’s professional experience also includes acting as director of planning and zoning for the city of Covington, Georgia; working as transportation environmental planner associate for the Georgia Department of Transportation; community outreach manager for the Georgia Conservancy; zoning administrator for the county of Fulton, Georgia; and membership on the planning board for the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games in Atlanta.
She also has an interest in young people. The Smart Planning Connections website said she launched the "Kid's University" Business & Planning School in 2018, and she’s also the founder of the nonprofit Eagle Heirs International youth program that works with inner city youth.
“It is truly exciting to bring someone with Mary’s depth and breadth of experience to Lake County,” said District 5 Supervisor Jessica Pyska, a member of an ad hoc committee that has been working with the Community Development Department on solving some of its challenges.
Pyska said Darby has proved herself to be a skilled planner, manager and zoning administrator.
Simon, who also sits on the Community Development Department Ad Hoc Committee, said that in Lake County, “We expect department heads to roll their sleeves up, and bring a well-rounded skill set to the table. Mary is ready to do that. She will be a fantastic support to our Community Development staff that has already shown tremendous growth in recent months.”
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- Written by: Lake County News reports
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Lakeport Police Department said one of its department veterans has completed a challenging program in leadership and development for law enforcement.
The agency publicly congratulated Sgt. Michael Sobieraj on his successful completion of and graduation from The Sherman Block Supervisory Leadership Institute on Aug. 13.
In April, the Clearlake Police Department said one of its sergeants, Elvis Cook, graduated from the institute.
The Sherman Block Supervisory Leadership Institute is a program designed to stimulate personal growth, leadership and ethical decision-making in California law enforcement front-line supervisors.
The institute is an intense program based on experiential learning techniques. Students are challenged to learn new ways to resolve issues through group and individual work.
The 10-month-long curriculum — which includes sessions three days each month — takes students through an analysis of management, including planning, organizing and directing, as well as aspects of leadership such as inspiring, challenging and developing staff.
Students also look at how management and leadership complement each other.
The course progresses from self-evaluation, to interpersonal evaluation, to organizational relationships.
“It is a remarkably valuable course that requires a lot of dedication and self-motivation,” the Lakeport Police Department said.
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- Written by: Lake County News reports
In anticipation of the increased traffic that often accompanies a holiday weekend, the California Highway Patrol will implement a maximum enforcement period, or MEP.
The holiday enforcement effort begins Friday, Sept. 3, at 6:01 p.m., and continues through 11:59 p.m. Monday, Sept. 6.
To help keep motorists safe, officers will focus on removing impaired drivers from the road.
Impairment can be caused by more than just alcohol — it also comes from cannabis, illicit drugs, and prescription drugs, or a combination of any of these.
Traffic safety efforts by the CHP during the 2020 Labor Day MEP resulted in more than 900 arrests for driving under the influence.
The CHP said 46 people died in crashes throughout California that weekend — many of whom were not wearing a seat belt.
“Our officers are dedicated to making the roadways safe for all who use them,” said CHP Commissioner Amanda Ray. “Driving sober or designating a sober driver is the responsible choice to keep you, your passengers and other motorists safe.”
All CHP officers and sergeants have received additional training on detecting impaired drivers.
California also has the nation’s highest number of Drug Recognition Experts, or DREs, who are officers specifically trained to identify drug impairment.
During the upcoming holiday weekend, DREs will be on duty throughout the state.
If you suspect that a driver is impaired, keep your distance and call 911. Be prepared to provide the dispatcher with a complete description of the vehicle, license plate number, location and direction of travel. The CHP said that such telephone calls may save someone’s life.
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- Written by: Lake County News reports
Underscoring the FDA’s full approval last week of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for those 16 and older last week, Newsom encouraged unvaccinated Californians to take action to protect themselves and their communities from the Delta variant and do their part to help bring an end to the pandemic by getting vaccinated.
“Getting vaccinated is the key to protecting against COVID-19 and the faster-spreading Delta variant — it’s how we end this thing.” said Newsom. “California has put more shots in arms than any other state. We’ve made incredible progress vaccinating our population in a remarkably short amount of time, and our work continues to close the gap in our most impacted communities.”
California has implemented first-in-the-nation vaccine verification or testing requirements for state workers and school staff, and vaccination requirements for workers in health care settings.
Since first implementing these measures, the state has seen significant progress, with five straight weeks of more than 500,000 vaccines administered.
Last week, California administered over 643,000 vaccinations, marking a 44.7% increase compared to mid-July.
The state continues to lead the nation with 48 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine administered.
California is also encouraging private businesses and local governments across the state to follow the state’s lead and adopt vaccine verification systems for their employees, a move that has been followed by some of the state’s largest public and private employers.
State officials said the vaccination push will allow business owners to worry less about closing their doors due to a COVID-19 outbreak and promote the state’s ongoing economic recovery.
Gov. Newsom on Tuesday also released his latest "On the Record" ethnic media column emphasizing the urgent imperative for unvaccinated individuals to step up and get the shot amid an increase in infections and hospitalizations driven by the Delta variant.
The column, which has been translated into eight additional languages and will be published online and in print by various ethnic media outlets, underscores the safety and efficacy of the lifesaving vaccines and highlights the state’s efforts to address vaccine hesitancy and increase access.
“Unfortunately, many of our most vulnerable communities where we are seeing low vaccination rates are targets of disinformation campaigns, which continue to put lives at risk, including our youngest children who are not yet eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine,” Newsom wrote in the column. “Working with ethnic media, faith-based and community-based organizations, and many unique partners who are trusted messengers has been crucial to dispelling some of the most prevalent myths out there. It’s time to fully embrace the facts that prove vaccines work, are safe, and are free — regardless of immigration status.”
California’s targeted outreach in hard-to-reach communities has included multimedia and multicultural public education campaigns, “Get Out the Vaccine” door-knocking efforts and supporting community and business partnerships for direct outreach and assistance.
The column also notes programs and resources available to Californians struggling with pandemic impacts, including rent relief and the Golden State Stimulus, with a second round of payments being distributed for direct relief to Californians.
Recent measures by California to encourage vaccination and slow the spread of COVID-19 include:
— Vaccine verification for state workers. Requires that all state workers either show proof of full vaccination or be tested at least once per week, and encourages local governments and other employers to adopt a similar protocol. Following California’s announcement, some of the largest California businesses and local governments followed suit, as did the federal government.
— Vaccinations for health care workers. Requires workers in health care settings to be fully vaccinated or receive their second dose by Sept. 30, 2021.
— Vaccine verification for all school staff. Requires that all school staff either show proof of full vaccination or be tested at least once per week. California is the first state in the nation to require all school staff, including at public and private schools, to verify vaccination status or get tested. Education and labor leaders across the state welcomed the announcement.
— Universal masking in K-12 settings. Aligned with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and American Academy of Pediatrics, California was the first state to implement universal masking in school settings to keep students and staff safer while optimizing fully in-person instruction.
— Medi-Cal vaccination incentives. $350 million in incentive payments to help close the vaccination gap between Medi-Cal beneficiaries and Californians as a whole, significantly stepping up outreach in underserved communities.
— Statewide mask recommendation. In response to the spike in COVID-19 hospitalizations and new CDC guidance calling for masking, the state recommended mask use for indoor public settings regardless of vaccination status.