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Resident questions county-backed watershed survey, urges audit and transparency
Summary
A Lake County resident raised concerns during public input about a watershed survey produced by SCI Consulting, saying residents feel misled and calling for a budget audit and efficiency review of how the survey was authorized and paid for.
Patrick Ridgill, a Lake County resident, told the Board of Supervisors during public input that he and other residents are concerned about an “official” watershed survey produced by SCI Consulting and distributed to county residents.
Ridgill said he asked three questions about the survey: whether the supervisors knew about it, how much the county paid SCI Consulting, and who approved the effort. He said he found a record indicating the board approved a survey-like effort in 2023 but that he could not believe the board would have approved the content of the survey as written. "Transparency is critical for this kind of issue," Ridgill said.
Ridgill said some residents who received the survey and others who heard about it believe the survey may be a "ploy to shield the board from involvement in raising taxes." He said a group is assembling to perform audits and that he recommends the county undergo a budget audit and an efficiency review to determine whether the survey and related expenditures were appropriate.
Ridgill described prior professional experience conducting audits and efficiency reviews and asked for a frank discussion with the board and follow-up from county staff. He said he sent the board an email with documents and requested feedback; he reported receiving no substantive response other than recent brief acknowledgement.
No county staff or supervisor replied on the record during the public-input segment documented in the transcript. The transcript includes Ridgill’s telephone number for the record but does not record a staff response, a formal motion, or any vote regarding the survey during the meeting.
The transcript indicates Ridgill believes a board action in 2023 authorized work of this type; no dollar amount for the survey, contract number, or specific board minute citation was provided in the public remarks. Ridgill said the auditing group plans to report its findings back to the public but did not supply a timeline.
The Board of Supervisors did not take formal action on the matter during the public-input portion recorded in the transcript. Ridgill asked that the board engage in a transparent discussion and provide details about contract approvals and expenditures connected to the SCI Consulting survey.
The county’s Community Development Department or county administrative offices are the likely owners of procurement records and contract approvals; the transcript does not record any staff presentation, official response, or timeline for follow-up on Ridgill’s request.
