Kern County Supervisors have finished their interviews for the Resource Management Agency Director position. But they haven't picked a new head for one of the county's most influential departments.

Supervisor Jon McQuiston said he will be reporting that deliberations over the appointment will continue after today's 2 p.m. board session. McQuiston said he wasn't sure if the board would pick a new department head today.

There were five candidates interviewed.

We've reported that Planning Director Ted James, Engineering and Survey Services Director Chuck Lackey and Roads Director Craig Pope are in the running.

The rumor mill has a couple other names...but we're waiting on confirmation. We'll let you know when we have it.

The gavel just went down on the Board of Supervisors' morning meeting.

Tops on the agenda is a resolution honoring retiring KUZZ news director Mark Howell for 21 years of work in the community.

Congratulations Mark. It was an honor working in the same biz as you.

KC the Bull was here for the annual declaration of Kern County Fair days in Kern County.

KC was jaunty as ever with plenty of thumbs up for everyone.

We're on to a report about online county pay stubs that county employees can view online - it eliminates paper pay stubs.

We're on at the Kern County Planning Commission.

Tejon Mountain Village is the one big item on tonight's agenda - and could be the only item if nothing else gets pulled off the consent agenda.

The chambers are about 80 percent full and we've got our friends from Channel 23, KUZZ and the Mountain Enterprise here to cover the meeting.

Tejon Mountain Ranch would be an exclusive "enclave" of high dollar homes, recreation areas, golf courses and a hotel or two.

Staff is in support of the 26,417 acre project, of which 21,335 acres will be excluded from development and remain as ranch land.

Big concerns are fire protection (Kern County Fire Chief Nick Dunn is here - never seen a chief at a Plan Comm meet before), water resources, the California Condor, air quality, traffic and community access to the project.

Sen. Dean Florez will push back SB250 — his Pet Responsibility Act — to January's legislative session to give the measure time to gain critical support in the Assembly.

With just a little over half of the Assembly voting against the bill earlier this week, before it was saved by a reconsideration decision, Florez's work will be cut out for him.

A previous dog and cat spay-neuter bill by Assemblyman Lloyd Levine also was pushed back in 2007 to a future session and was then gutted before it was given a token pass.

Florez's bill could face a similar challenge.

Both Assemblywoman Jean Fuller and Assemblyman Danny Gilmore voted against the bill.

Here's florez's football-themed press release on the delay:

SACRAMENTO – Senate Majority Leader Dean Florez, D-Shafter, announced today that his measure to reduce pet overpopulation and needless euthanasia will be put on hold until January, as supporters use this “halftime” to engage in negotiations to garner the 13 votes necessary for passage in the California State Assembly.
 
Senate Bill 250, The Pet Responsibility Act, encourages pet owners to license their pets in an effort to reduce the $250 million spent in this state each year to house and kill unwanted pets in already overburdened local shelters.  Owners who choose to keep an unaltered dog would need to obtain an unaltered license and abide by existing local animal control ordinances; licensing is already required for all dogs in the state.  SB 250 also requires that cats which are allowed to roam freely be altered.
 
Florez is excited that SB 250 has made it further in the legislative process than previous attempts to encourage responsible pet ownership, some of which mandated spaying and neutering and usurped local control – measures he opposed.  He is hopeful that additional time to clarify the bill’s intent and explain to members how it differs from past legislation will allow it to move forward to the Governor’s desk in January.
 
Exceptions have already been made in SB 250 for service dogs, hunting dogs and dogs working in law enforcement.  The bill would not affect current law which protects owners from being cited at private events on private property, such as dog shows.  Florez has pledged to continue working with members to address their concerns, so long as the intent of the bill remains intact.
 
“Opponents have falsely labeled this bill as mandatory spay and neuter, and many of the untruths being spread have given members pause.  I look forward to sitting down with those members over the recess so the true intent of this bill can be made clear, and we can get to the business of improving life for our pets and saving taxpayers from the enormous expense of cleaning up after irresponsible folks who over-run our shelters with their cast-offs,” Florez said.
 
“No responsible pet owner has to worry that the ‘puppy police’ will come knocking at their door. No one is going to force you to get your dog fixed if it gets out of the yard once.  This bill is a tool for local animal control to use in dealing with irresponsible pet owners whose chronic disregard for the law is taking a financial and emotional toll on taxpayers, pet lovers and shelter workers,” added Florez.
 
SB 250 passed the Senate by a vote of 21-16.  It has 28 votes so far in the Assembly.
 

 

A three-judge panel of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals delivered a major victory to Kern County Wednesday in its battle with Los Angeles and Orange County over sewage sludge.

The judges overturned a ruling by District Court Judge Gary Feess that said Measure E ban on sludge spreading violated interstate commerce laws.

Since the only remaining challenges to Measure E are state-level legal issues, said Kern County attorney Steve Schuett, the appeals court overturned Feess judgement against Measure E and ordered him to consider whether any federal jurisdiction of the case remains. If not, the case might have to be refiled against Kern in state courts to resolve a couple of remaining challenges involving recycling rules and police powers, Schuett said.

Treated human and industrial waste — called biosolids by companies that recycle it — from the southland is spread on Kern County farmland. County voters approved Measure E in 2006 that banned the spreading practice on county land (though local cities can and do spread the stuff on land inside their own boundaries).

Senator Dean Florez's Pet Responsibility Act - a spay-neuter bill aimed at the animals of owners who violate license, leash or animal cruelty laws, is in trouble as the California Assembly struggles through its legislation-packed final week in session.

The bill went down on Tuesday with a wide margin of loss - about 34.5 percent support and 51.8 percent opposition with 11 members absent or not voting and one seat vacant.

Here's the official vote

AYES  28. NOES  42

Bill supporter Judie Mancuso is calling for supporters to lobby heavily to change some members minds but she's got an up hill task. Members of the legislature are under heavy time pressure to resolve water, energy and prisons bills before Friday — when they adjorn from session. SB250 may get lost in the thunder of that legislative deadline.

Almost everything passed on consent,...which is good because with Watson and Rubio out today we only have three board members here.

The only thing we're dealing with is a violation by the Sim Sanitation, Inc. business in Tehachapi. Owner Peter Simunovich, county code enforcement officials say, has been keeping construction demolition waste roll-off bins on properties on Clover Spring Road and Castle Gate Road in violation of county ordinance codes.

They're asking for a $5,000 fine against Simunovich as well as a $500 per-day penalty until he cleans up.

Engineering and Survey Services Director Chuck Lackey said Simunovich is protesting a new county ordinance, accusing the county of not doing enforcement against other similar businesses and asking to be grandfathered into the old ordinance.

We're up for some intriging morning action.

There will be a report on the H1N1 influenza (Swine Flu for the general public) outbreak's impact in Kern County.

Right now supervisors are accepting some baklava from the folks over at the Greek Orthodox Church after announcing the church's annual festival. (Um...Yum)

Before that was the announcement of Sept. 12 as Responsible Dog Ownership Day.

Supes came out of closed session and announced the settlement of a workers compensation claim by park ranger Michael Pope for $84,145.91.

Fire Chief Nick Dunn is talking about National Disaster Preparedness month.

He's riffing off the southern California fires.

He's encouraging residents to prepare for disasters such as the fires — know how you're going to save pets, have emergency supplies, escape routes and a family communication plan.