Residents and commenters urge board to finish energy policy before major project decisions

Public commenters at the Aug. 4 board meeting urged supervisors to defer substantive boundary direction until the county completes its comprehensive energy policy.

Tom Lasik told the board, 'This is not a policy conversation. This is a project conversation,' and pressed officials to explain who would benefit financially from the project. Margo Kambara cited the CAO memo and the ad hoc committee timeline, saying the energy policy draft was due within roughly 60 days and that the feasibility study results should be vetted against a formal policy. An online commenter, Sterling, asked the board to 'pause further discretionary actions on Flashs until Lake County has completed an energy policy in the energy element.'

Board members acknowledged the policy work is underway but said the feasibility study will produce information that helps inform policy choices; several supervisors said they did not want to miss funding opportunities while the policy is drafted.