Memorandum
Date: January 13, 2026
To: Lake County Board of Supervisors
From: Lake County Board of Supervisors Ad-Hoc Committee for Public Works
Subject: Consideration of Consolidation of Public Works and Public Services Departments
Executive Summary
Staff recommend that the Board of Supervisors consider and approve an organizational consolidation of the Public Works Department and the Public Services Department into a single, integrated department.
As a related action, staff recommend appointing the current Public Services Director and Interim Public Works Director, Lars Ewing, as Interim Director of the consolidated department, pending establishment and Board approval of the permanent job classification and compensation package.
Staff further request Board direction to move forward with the administrative, budgetary, and organizational actions necessary to implement the consolidation, with the intent of preparing the Fiscal Year 2026-27 budget under a unified departmental structure.
Discussion
In mid-2025, the Board of Supervisors implemented an interim leadership structure for the Public Works Department in response to executive-level transitions, ultimately appointing Public Services Director Lars Ewing as Interim Public Works Director. This interim arrangement was intended to maintain operational stability while longer-term organizational needs were evaluated.
In October 2025, the Board established an ad-hoc committee comprised of two Board members, the County Administrative Officer, Assistant County Administrative Officer, and the Interim Public Works Director. The committee was tasked with evaluating the organization structure of Public Works, identifying opportunities for improvement, and assessing long-term leadership and operational needs.
Through the review process, the ad-hoc committee identified consolidation of Public Works and Public Services as the preferred long-term organizational model.
Departments and Functions
The Public Works Depart...
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