Board of Supervisors (2025-10-07)

Board of Supervisors MINUTES 1 October 7, 2025 County of Inyo Board of Supervisors October 7, 2025 The Board of Supervisors of the County of Inyo, State of California, met in regular session at the hour of 8:33 a.m., on October 7, 2025, in the Board of Supervisors Room, County Administrative Center, Independence, with the following Supervisors present: Chairperson Scott Marcellin, presiding, Will Wadelton, Jeff Griffiths, Jennifer Roeser and Trina Orrill. Also present: Acting County Administrator Denelle Carrington, County Counsel John-Carl Vallejo, and Assistant Clerk of the Board Darcy Israel. Closed Session Public Comment The Chairperson asked for public comment related to closed session items and there was no one wishing to speak. Closed Session Chairperson Marcellin recessed open session at 8:33 a.m. to convene in closed session with all Board members present to discuss the following item(s): 2. Conference with County's Labor Negotiators – Pursuant to Government Code §54957.6 – Regarding employee organizations: Deputy Sheriff’s Association (DSA); Inyo County Correctional Officers Association (ICCOA); Inyo County Employees Association (ICEA); Inyo County Probation Peace Officers Association (ICPPOA); IHSS Workers; Law Enforcement Administrators’ Association (LEAA). Unrepresented employees: all. County designated representatives – Administrative Officer Nate Greenberg, Assistant Administrative Officer Denelle Carrington, Assistant Personnel Director Keri Oney, County Counsel John-Carl Vallejo, and Assistant County Counsel Christy Milovich; 3. Public Employment – Pursuant to Government Code §54957 – Title: County Administrator; 4. Public Employee Evaluation – Pursuant to Government Code § 54957 – Title: Acting County Administrative Officer. Open Session Chairperson Marcellin recessed closed session and reconvened the meeting in open session at 10:01 a.m. with all Board members present. Report on Closed Session County Counsel Vallejo reported that the Board met under Item Nos. 2 through 3 and said that no action was taken during closed session that is required to be reported. Pledge of Allegiance County Counsel Vallejo led the Pledge of Allegiance. Public Comment The Chairperson asked for public comment related to items not calendared on the agenda and public comment was received from Sierra Baptist Church Pastor Tracy Weaver, Regional Broadband Coordinator Scott Armstrong, and Southern California Edison Government Relations Manager Matthew Paruolo. Ms. Cindy Freeman requested to speak via Zoom but was unable to unmute her computer or presumably had other technical difficulties that prevented her from doing so. She was advised to try again during the last public comment period at the end of the meeting. County Department Reports Clerk-Recorder-Registrar of Voters Danielle Sexton provided an update on the special election in November, reporting that the County did get reimbursed by the State for the cost of holding the election: $220,000. Clerk of the Board – Approval of Minutes Moved by Supervisor Roeser and seconded by Supervisor Wadelton to approve the minutes from the regular Board of Supervisors meeting of September 23 and the special meeting of September 26. Motion carried unanimously. Fish & Wildlife Commission – Wildcare Eastern Moved by Supervisor Roeser and seconded by Supervisor Wadelton to approve a $5,000 expenditure from the Fiscal Year 2025-2026 Fish and Game Budget to Wildcare Eastern Sierra to reimburse for direct care costs for food, supplies, medicine, and medical supplies.

Board of Supervisors MINUTES 2 October 7, 2025 Sierra Donation Motion carried unanimously. Risk – Modification to Self-Insured Retention for General Liability Moved by Supervisor Roeser and seconded by Supervisor Wadelton to Authorize an increase in the county's self-insured retention (SIR) for general liability from $250,000 per occurrence, offense, or wrongful act, to $500,000 per occurrence, offense, or wrongful act, starting Fiscal Year 2026-2027, subject to PRISM underwriting approval, per policy established with 2025-454 of the June 24, 2025 meeting of the Board. Motion carried unanimously. Environmental Health – Annual Fee Adjustment Moved by Supervisor Roeser and seconded by Supervisor Wadelton to adopt the revised Environmental Health Fee Schedule for calendar year 2026, reflecting a 3.2% CPI-U/COLA (cost-of-living) adjustment. Motion carried unanimously. PW-Road – Temporary Road Closure (Tinnemaha) Moved by Supervisor Roeser and seconded by Supervisor Wadelton to approve the temporary closure of Tinnemaha Road (Old Highway 395) approximately 6 miles south of Aberdeen with detours between U.S. 395 and Black Rock Springs Road from October 15-18, 2025 for the purpose of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife's annual Sierra Bighorn Sheep monitoring program. Motion carried unanimously. Risk – PRISM Presentation Risk Manager Aaron Holmberg introduced Gina Dean, CEO of the Public Risk Innovation Solutions Management (PRISM), and Kevin Bibler, Senior Vice President of Alliant. Ms. Dean spoke to the value of the County's membership in PRISM and Mr. Bibler gave an overview of the state of the insurance market for public entities. Both were effusive in their praise for the tight ship being run in Inyo County Risk Manager Holmberg, who was recently elected to serve as the President of the PRISM Board. CAO-Economic Development – TFG Legislative Update Deputy County Administrator Meaghan McCamman introduced Jeremiah Van Auken, who is Inyo County’s primary lobbyist in Washington, D.C. from The Ferguson Group (TFG), with which the County contracts for federal advocacy services. She said Mr. Van Auken is making the annual fall trip to Inyo County to meet with department heads and members of the Board of Supervisors on topics and issues of importance to Inyo County and associated funding opportunities. She noted that the feedback he receives now will eventually be incorporated into the County’s 2026 Legislative Platform. Mr. Van Auken provided a review of major legislative developments, including the government shutdown, upcoming negotiations for Fiscal Year 2026 Appropriations Package, and the extension of expanded ACA Tax Credits, pending Continuing Resolution negotiations. CAO-Auditor-TTC – Southern Inyo Hospital Update and Loan Consideration Auditor-Controller Amy Shepherd introduced the agenda item, noting that Southern Inyo Hospital District had reached out to the County to discuss its dire financial situation – with possible bankruptcy looming – and with a request for a loan of $500,000. SIHD CEO Dr. Kevin Flanigan gave the Board a rundown of the current situation and the district’s plans for reaching solvency by 2027, and also discussed the widespread impacts that could result from a hospital closure or even suspended services, including loss of jobs throughout the county, financial hits to local vendors, threats to life resulting from extended hospital transport times to other facilities, the closure of the skilled nursing facility (SNF) and relocation of its residents to out-of-area facilities, and a healthcare desert for Southern Inyo. He said SIHD is confident in its solvency plan and that its future is bright, but there is a lack of funding to keep the hospital running between now and January. He said he anticipates an approximately $1 million increase in reimbursements for filled SNF beds in 2026, along with delayed payments owed by the State expected in 2026 and 2027 (totaling $10 million) and a day rate increase over the $5,000 SIH receives a day for patients staying in hospital after rehabilitative services. Dr. Flanigan also reported that talks have been that employees have voluntarily reduced their hours and pay rates, talks have been initiated with the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power about a contribution, the district was able to negotiate a 10- month paydown for its largest outstanding vendor invoices and is working with insurers on an advance of future payments. The Chairperson asked for public comment, which was provided by Don Gockley, Jr., chair of the Lone Pine Volunteer Fire Department board; Bruce Branson, chair of the SIHD Board of Directors; Mark Lacey, longtime SIHD board member; Michael Cappello, Lone Pine

Board of Supervisors MINUTES 3 October 7, 2025 assistant fire chief; Daniel Smith, new Olancha-Cartago Volunteer Fire Department chief; Rosanne Lampariello, SIHD board member and principal/superintendent of Owens Valley Unified School District; Trevor Warner, Lone Pine business owner; and local resident Andrew Howe. Written comment was submitted by the following SNF residents: Michael Graves, Donald Conde, Shaynie Leal, Dallas Bumpus, Patricia Southey, Kenny Freund, and Cindy Whitney. All commenters echoed the sentiments of Dr. Flanigan about disastrous consequences of a closure, with some providing anecdotal stories about their family emergencies and the fire chiefs predicting response times extended by hours. They noted the consequences would also impact the millions of visitors passing through Southern Inyo each year. Some advocated for a donation rather than a loan. Dr. Flanigan said SIHD is looking for a loan from the County contingent on receiving a requested $3 million emergency contribution from the State. Auditor-Controller Shepherd said staff recommends loan payback in 2027. She also said the Board needed to understand it would be an unsecured loan and if SIHD did declare bankruptcy, the County would be in line with the rest of its creditors with no guarantee of getting any money back. She added that, with authority granted to her position, she did advance SIHD’s special tax assessment payment of approximately $350,000. Supervisors Roeser and Wadelton both said protecting the public health – including ensuring emergency access to medical care – is a responsibility of government. Both advocated for a donation rather than a loan. Supervisor Orrill said she was concerned about gifting public funds and setting a precedent, especially considering Northern Inyo Hospital is also struggling financially. She said it was not a matter of if she supported helping SIHD, but how. Supervisor Griffith noted that a loan would at least preserve the possibility of the County being paid back some of the funding in the event of bankruptcy. He also floated the idea that the loan could be made forgivable in 2027 should SIHD reach its predicted solvency. Board members were amenable to the idea. The Board directed staff to return on October 21 for approval of documents for a loan, with some sort of potential forgiveness built in and possibly certain contingencies. Recess/Reconvene The Chairperson recessed the meeting at 12:32 p.m. for a lunch break and reconvened the meeting at 1:06 p.m. with all Board members present. Planning – USGS Joint Funding Agreement Moved by Supervisor Orrill and seconded by Supervisor Roeser to ratify and approve the Joint Funding Agreement (JFA) with the United States Geological Survey (USGS) for wells and springs monitoring in the Amargosa Desert in the amount of $8,000 for the period of October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026 and authorize the Chairperson to sign. Motion carried unanimously. HHS – Crossroads Recovery Center Contract Moved by Supervisor Roeser and seconded by Supervisor Orrill to ratify and approve the contract between the County of lnyo and Crossroads Recovery Center for the provision of Opioid remediation activities in an amount not to exceed $100,000 for the period of October 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026, and authorize the Health and Human Services Director to sign. Motion carried unanimously. HHS – Community Services Solutions Contract Moved by Supervisor Roeser and seconded by Supervisor Orrill to: A) Declare Community Service Solutions a sole-course provider for In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) Registry, Employer of Record, and Labor Union Negotiations Service; B) Ratify and approve the contract between the County of lnyo and Community Service Solutions for the provision of an IHSS Registry and Employer of Record Services in an amount not to exceed $570,000 for the period of October 1,2025 through June 30, 2028, contingent upon the Board's adoption of future budgets; and C) Authorize the Health and Human Services Director to sign. Motion carried unanimously. HHS – Drug Medi-Cal Services Performance Moved by Supervisor Griffiths and seconded by Supervisor Orrill to ratify and approve the agreement between the County of Inyo and the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS)

Board of Supervisors MINUTES 4 October 7, 2025 Contract of Sacramento, CA for the provision of Drug Medi-Cal services for the period of July 1, 2025 through December 31, 2026, and authorize the Health and Human Services Director to sign the Standard Agreement and Contractor Certification Clauses and fill out and sign the Certification Regarding Lobbying Attachment via DocuSign. Motion carried unanimously. Planning – Environmental Justice Element Workshop Senior Planner Danielle Visuano gave a presentation on the draft Environmental Justice Element, which will be proposed for future adoption into the Inyo County General Plan. CAO – UCCE Economic Development Update UC Cooperative Extension Community Economic Development Advisor Aaron Wilcher updated the Board on the work he’s performing locally, focusing on the Eastern Sierra Community Economic Development Workshops being held as part of a fall pilot program from October 2 to November 13. PW-Road – Delegation of Road Closure Authority & Brockman Temporary Weight Limit (Resos. 2025-36 and 2025-37) Public Works Director Mike Errante presented a two-pronged request to the Board: delegate to him the authority to place restrictions on roads and close roads instead of needing Board approval; and approve the temporary lowering of the weight limit on Brockman Lane from U.S. 395 to West Line Street due to bridge damage from large commercial trucks. He explained that the road restriction/closure authority would allow for expediency in emergency situations and when road work needs to be done, and would not apply to closure requests for parades. He also noted that Public Works will be required to notify the Clerk of the Board so the Clerk can then notify the Board of any road closures. Public announcements will depend on the location and duration of road closures. Moved by Supervisor Roeser and seconded by Supervisor Wadelton to: A) Approve Resolution No. 2025-36, titled, "A Resolution of the Board of Supervisors, County of Inyo, State of California, Delegating Authority to the Inyo County Road Commissioner to Close or Restrict the Use of County Highways Pursuant to Streets and Highways Code sections 942.5 and 942.6," and authorize the Chairperson to sign; and B) Approve Resolution No. 2025-37, titled, "A Resolution of the Board of Supervisors, County of Inyo, State of California, Temporarily Lowering the Weight Limit on Brockman Lane from Highway 395 to Highway 168, Line Street, to 10,000 Pounds," and authorize the Chairperson to sign. Motion carried unanimously. Public Comment II Chairperson Marcellin asked for public comment related to items not calendared on the agenda and there was no one wishing to speak. Board Member & Staff Reports County Counsel Vallejo reported he will be attending a meeting of the Indian Wells Valley Groundwater Authority Board in Ridgecrest tomorrow. Supervisor Griffiths said he will be hosting the annual President’s Executive Committee meeting for the California State Association of Counties (CSAC) in Bishop tomorrow and attended the Eastern Sierra Transit Authority (ESTA) yesterday. Chairperson Marcellin said he met with Senator Marie Alvarado-Gil last week, spent a lot of time at the pow wow in Bishop the week before and also attended the Eastern Sierra Cancer Alliance dinner. He announced that October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Supervisor Orrill said she attended an A.I. working group meeting for Inyo County, the ESTA meeting, Southern California Edison’s town hall in Mono County regarding public safety power shutoffs, a tour of Southern Inyo Hospital with Senator Marie Alvarado-Gil, an Eastern Sierra Biomass Utilization meeting, the monthly Eastern Sierra Sustainable Recreation meeting, and the Foundation for Excellence Spooktacular fundraiser. Supervisor Wadelton said he toured Southern Inyo Hospital with Senator Marie Alvarado-Gil, visited Cardinal Village to take in the fall foliage, volunteered at the Wild Wild West Marathon, and attended both the Friends of the Lone Pine Airport open house and the memorial dedication of the Seth Tait Gazebo at Spainhower Park. He added that the Lone Pine Fire Department Open House and Flu Clinic is tonight and a similar event will be held in Olancha

Board of Supervisors MINUTES 5 October 7, 2025 later this week. Adjournment The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 2:33 p.m. to 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, October 21, 2025, in the County Administrative Center in Independence. Chairperson, Inyo County Board of Supervisors Attest: D E N E L L E C A R R I N G T O N A c t i n g C l e r k o f t h e B o a r d by: _____________________________________ Darcy Israel, Assistant