Richard Reed Appointed as Deputy to Supervisor Provenza
Yolo County Supervisor Jim Provenza, District 4, today named Richard Reed, Chair of the Yolo County Planning…
Eye on the Courts: Supervisor Rexroad Steps into the War of Words
We have been covering the back and forth between Yolo County DA Jeff Reisig and Judges Kathleen…
Sheriff Prieto Denies Most Serious Allegations in Official Response to GJR
Sheriff Ed Prieto on Thursday responded officially to the Yolo County Grand Jury allegations against himself and…
Yolo County Formally Responds to Grand Jury Allegations Against Sheriff Prieto
In June, the Yolo County Grand Jury came out with a report that alleged that Yolo County…
County Grant Program to Provide For Mental Health Professionals to Accompany Law Enforcement
If the Yolo County Board of Supervisors approves the agreement at today’s meeting, Yolo County would become…
Grand Jury Expresses Concern About Forensic Pathologist Contract
Overall good report, but concern about a contract with Forensic Medical Group for performing autopsies in Yolo…
Board of Supervisors to Supply Emergency Funding to Keep Crisis Nursery Open
After listening to heart-rending stories from community members and first responders about the importance of the Yolo…
Fund Drive Launched to Save Yolo Crisis Nursery
(Editor’s note: the following is a press release from the Friends of Yolo Crisis Nursery) The Friends…
Sierra Club Endorses Norma Alcala for County Supervisor
The Sierra Club today officially endorsed the candidacy of Norma Alcala for Yolo Co. Board of Supervisors…
Governor Brown Appoints Oscar Villegas to Fill McGowan’s Seat
Appointment Sets Up Potential Showdown in June – The Governor’s office announced that it has named West…
Sunday Commentary: One Year Since ‘the Other Davis’… What’s Changed?
It was a year ago, that I wrote “The Other Davis” from, ironically enough, a hotel room…
Yolo Public Officials Speak Out Against the Bay Delta Plan
On Monday, state and federal officials announced the availability of a public draft Bay Delta Conservation Plan…
Sunday Commentary: County Penny Wise, But Pound Foolish on Clerk-Assessor Consolidation Plan
This week, the Yolo County Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 to consolidate the elected Yolo County Clerk-Recorder’s office with the Yolo County Assessor’s office. The majority of three believed that the move would add efficiency, in that there is at least some overlap between a portion of the offices that deal with real property.
The assessor’s office, for example, sets the values of property while the recorder’s office mans the public documents that deal with land transactions, sales, liens, purchases and easements.
McGowan Appointed by Governor to DMV, Leaving BOS in December
Board of Supervisors Also Votes to Combine Assessor with Clerk-Recorder – It has been 20 years that Mike McGowan has served on the Yolo County Board of Supervisors, but he announced on Tuesday that he will be stepping down from his position, following Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr.’s appointment of the Yolo County Supervisor to deputy director of strategic planning and policy at the California Department of Motor Vehicles.
According to a release from Governor Brown, “Mike McGowan, 65, of West Sacramento, has been appointed deputy director of strategic planning and policy at the California Department of Motor Vehicles, effective December 4, 2013.”
Board of Supervisors Votes to Support Water Fluoridation for Davis and Woodland
Supervisor Don Saylor introduced a resolution on Tuesday that called for the Yolo County Board of Supervisors to support water fluoridation in Davis and Woodland. The resolution would pass by a 4-1 vote with only Supervisor Duane Chamberlain dissenting.
Supervisor Saylor told his colleagues, that a number of bodies within Yolo County, along with the Centers for Disease Control, the American Dental Association, the California Dental Association and numerous scientists and public health specialists, support fluoridation in the water.
Critics Question Proposal by LAFCO to Contract Animal Services to UC Davis Koret School
LAFCO (Local Agency Formation Commission) has an initiative to explore alternative models of animal sheltering for Yolo County, following reports and complaints about problems with the current state of the Yolo County Animal Shelter.
A letter from Diane Parro, Deputy to County Supervisor Don Saylor, dated February 15, 2013 indicates, “After the study prepared by Sue Marks Gibbs and Tammie Murrell was presented to all the contracting agencies which includes Yolo County, Davis, West Sacramento, Winters, Woodland and UC Davis, the Yolo Managers group agreed to explore the JPA model.”
Do Speeds Need to Go Up West of Davis on Russell?
Yolo County Public Works staff recommended raising the speed limits in 14 unincorporated areas including Russell Blvd to the west of Davis out near Pedrick Road.
The Board of Supervisors held off increasing the limits to four of the county roads, citing safety concerns and looking toward alternative ways to reduce speeds.
Supervisor Provenza Expresses Concerns About Redistricting Boundaries in the County
Last week, the Vanguard expressed concern that redistricting would result in the loss of commitment for Ag Preservation, as the Board shifted the traditionally rural district represented by Duane Chamberlain to a Woodland-based district.
Davis Supervisor Jim Provenza joined Mr. Chamberlain in opposing the move.
Davis To Retain Two BOS Seats – But at a Cost of Ag Preservation
Under a plan approved on Tuesday, the City of Davis most likely will retain two representatives on the Yolo County Board of Supervisors, but that result comes at a cost of the district that is traditionally reserved for rural Yolo County.
The move drew protests from advocates of farmland preservation and rural interests.
Commentary: Another Brown Act Violation by the Board of Supervisors?
Senator Lois Wolk must have been stunned when she attempted to meet with county staffers, in advance of Tuesday’s meeting that would first rescind the actions of December 17 that approved an agreement over Conaway Ranch, and then reconsider the agreement.
According to her public testimony on Tuesday, she was told the Board, “A week or two ago, we did try to work on the staff level to share our substantive concerns but we were told that there really was no interest in discussing the substance of our concerns, that in fact this was a formal proceeding to deal with the Brown Act issue.”
