News Briefs from the April 9, 2024 Inyo Board of Supervisors Meeting

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

News Briefs from the April 9, 2024 Board of Supervisors Meeting 

EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT STAFF AT EARTH DAY 

As part of its continuing public outreach efforts, Inyo County’s Office of Emergency Management will be participating  in three different Earth Day celebrations this month.

Emergency Services Manager Mikaela Torres told the Board on Tuesday that the Ready Inyo Team will have a  table/booth at the events being hosted by the Bishop, Big Pine, and Lone Pine Tribes. She noted that, in addition to  making preparedness and prevention information available and helping community members sign up for emergency  alerts through CodeRED, they will have educational and fun activities for kids.

The events will be held:

• Big Pine Paiute Tribe – 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, April 20, Alan Spoonhunter Memorial Gym, 451 Butcher  Ln., Big Pine
• Bishop Paiute Tribe – 10:30 a.m.-3 p.m., Sunday, April 21, Owens Valley Paiute Shoshone Cultural Center,  2300 W. Line St., Bishop
• Lone Pine-Paiute Shoshone Tribe – 10 a.m.-noon, Saturday, April 27, Tribal Gymnasium, 1145 E-Sha Rd.,  Lone Pine

In addition to the in-person outreach, Torres also updated the Board on efforts to educate and inform the public  through a brand-new bimonthly newsletter (provided in both English and Spanish) and a relaunched Instagram page  with Inyo County Emergency Management’s brand-new logo. The newsletter should be coming to mailboxes soon,  while the Instagram page can be accessed at https://www.instagram.com/readyinyo/ and the Facebook page can be  seen at https://www.facebook.com/readyinyo/. To sign up for subsequent newsletters, visit  https://forms.office.com/g/nxzqXjZJBP.

INYO BOWS OUT OF CCA 

At the recommendation of Inyo County Treasurer-Tax Collector Alisha McMurtrie, the Board on Tuesday voted to withdraw  from the California Cannabis Authority (CCA).

The CCA was created to produce and manage a statewide data platform that gathers, collects, analyzes, and consolidates  financial information from a myriad of data sources and can be accessed by local governments to assist with entities’  internal auditing processes. The CCA also engages with State and Federal legislators to advocate allowing the cannabis  industry into the federal banking system.

Inyo County, as an early adopter of cannabis regulations, was one of the first local governments in California to join the  CCA’s Joint Powers Agreement in 2018. Of particular interest to Inyo County at the time was access to the financial  platform. However, McMurtrie said Tuesday, Inyo County’s cannabis program has not blossomed as anticipated, with an  especially lackluster performance from the cultivation sector. She explained that with little to no movement in the program, Inyo County essentially has no need to access the data platform, and it’s hard to justify continuing to pay the $28,000  annual membership to CCA. McMurtrie did note that the County can rejoin the CCA at any time in the future.

Supervisor Griffiths, who was involved with McMurtrie in the early formation of the CCA, added that, overall, the effort has  yet to reach its full potential due to a lack of State and Federal cooperation.

90 MEALS A WEEK 

The Environmental Health Department will soon be embarking on a fact-finding and input-gathering mission to help  determine whether Inyo County should allow individuals to sell and serve up to 90 meals per week out of their homes.

Environmental Health Director Jerry Oser sought and received permission from the Board on Tuesday to accept  $34,089.14 in grant funding from the State meant to offset costs associated with exploring the feasibility of and/or  developing a Microenterprise Home Kitchen Operations (MEHKO) program.

MEHKOs were made possible by Assembly Bills 626 and AB 1325, effective January 1, 2019 and July 21, 2023,  respectively. Counties and cities must take formal action to authorize local MEHKO programs before MEHKOs are allowed  to operate in their jurisdictions. Oser said, to date, 13 counties have opted to create local programs, two have taken formal  action to decline authorization, and the rest have yet to take any action, like Inyo and Mono counties.

Osher recommended using the funding to reach out to stakeholders throughout the County over the next 6-8 months to  gather information on the pros and cons of a MEHKO program. He said he would return with the results of the research for  a workshop and a decision from the Board to either approve or deny a MEHKO program.

Potential pros discussed Tuesday were adding to the dining options throughout the county, giving entrepreneurs a way to  test their business availability with less risk, and providing a means of generating additional income (the law caps gross  annual sales to $100,000). Cons include MEHKO operations being exempt from requirements that other types of eateries  are subject to (such as having hand-washing facilities), the increased potential for sewer pipes to clog with fat and grease,  and possible negative impacts on existing restaurants.

Oser noted that accepting the grant funds does not obligate the County to approve a MEHKO program.

SURPLUS AUCTION 

Thirteen SUVs and passenger vehicles are coming to an online auction block courtesy of Inyo County.

The Board of Supervisors on Tuesday declared the baker’s dozen surplus and authorized the Motor Pool division to put  them up for auction on the Public Surplus website. Vehicles include four 2008 Ford Escapes, four 2010 Ford Focuses, two  2013 Ford Focuses, a 2011 Ford Fusion, a 2006 Chevy Colorado, and a 2013 Toyota Rav4. The auction is tentatively  scheduled to take place prior to June 30.

In the meantime, Inyo County is currently auctioning off numerous pieces of heavy equipment, including loaders, a grader,  and several dump trucks. Visit https://www.publicsurplus.com/sms/list/current?orgid=197803 for details.

News Staff