Memorandum
Date: November 10, 2026
To: The Honorable Brad Rasmussen, Chair, Lake County Board of Supervisors
From: Robin Borre, Special Districts Administrator
Subject: Adopt Resolution authorizing and designating Special Districts Administrator, or authorized designee, to sign and submit a funding agreement and any amendments for funding under the State Water Resources Control Board for the upgrades to the Southeast Wastewater Collection System Project.
Executive Summary:
The County of Lake was allocated $2,500,000 in Assembly Bill 113 (Budget Act of 2026, Chapter 248, Statutes of 2026), signed by the Governor on September 18 of 2026, to be administered by the State Water Resources Control Board for upgrades to the Southeast Wastewater Collection System in Clearlake, in response to the Robin Lane sewage spill.
The funding was facilitated by Senator Mike McGuire. These funds have been made available after months of co-advocacy from Lake County Special Districts Administrator, Robin Borre (and staff, including Allen Miller, Lori Baca and Chris Becker), County Administrative Officer, Susan Parker, Assistant County Administrative Officer, Stephen Carter, and Chief Deputy County Administrative Officer and Legislative Coordinator, Matthew Rothstein, Brad Rasmussen, Chair of the Lake County Board of Supervisors, and District 2 Supervisor, Bruno Sabatier.
The funds will be used to advance approved Capital Improvement Projects in the Southeast system. These projects include the Southeast Treatment Plant Headworks Upgrades and Pipe Relocations, Southeast Dump Station Construction, Southeast Treatment Plant - Headworks Mechanical Screen projects and if funding is remaining the design of the Southeast Treatment - Vallejo Lift Station.
The Headworks project is already in pre-liminary design and will include separation of the three force main pipes coming into the headworks. The pipes from Lift Station #1 (the 10” and 16”) will remain in the existing headworks. The 14” pipe from Lift Station #4 and the new dump station will be rerouted to a new headworks adjacent to the existing system. The current headworks have been determined that there is no capacity to separate the pipes and accommodate the increased flows during high flows. This project will improve flows and remove backups as well as build redundancy. There will be piping and valves installed to allow all flows during emergencies or maintenance to be diverted to one or the other headwork systems. Additional valves will be installed for redundancy in case of any future failures or when maintenance or replacements are needed in difference pipe sections. The installation of the new dump station system will be installed, improving revenues and septic hauler access. The mechanical screens at the existing headworks will be rehabilitated.
Prior to the State Water Resources Control Board's executing a funding agreement, County of Lake Special Districts is required to adopt a resolution authorizing an agent, or representative, to sign the funding agreement, amendments, and requests for disbursement on behalf of County of Lake Special Districts, and to carry out other necessary Project-related activities.
Staff is requesting your Board approve the resolution to authorize the Special Districts Administrator or designee to submit a funding agreement and accept the $2.5 million for the Southeast Wastewater Collection System Project on behalf of County of Lake, Special Districts.
Upon receipt of the grant funds, Special Districts will return to the Board to allocate the additional funding and expenditures to complete the budget amendment.
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Recommended Action: Adopt Resolution authorizing and designating Special Districts Administrator, or authorized designee, to sign and submit a funding agreement and any amendments for funding under the State Water Resources Control Board for the upgrades to the Southeast Wastewater Collection System Project.