Lake County supervisors on Thursday gave staff direction to pursue, in concept, a merger of the county’s Public Works and Public Services departments, after a staff presentation that outlined organizational options and projected operational benefits.

Interim director Lars Ewing told the board the ad hoc committee appointed to study leadership and structure considered three models: restoring a single Public Works department, keeping two separate departments under a single director, or merging the two departments under one director. The committee recommended consolidation. “We would ensure that funding pots remain separate,” Ewing said, while stressing the proposal is preliminary and would not change current services.

Why it matters: Ewing said consolidation could standardize project management, improve maintenance continuity across roads, facilities and parks, and reduce executive-level vacancies. He described Public Works as responsible for transportation infrastructure, the county airport, fleet and engineering (about 60 FTEs and an operating budget he estimated at $40–$45 million), and Public Services as responsible for county facilities, parks, the landfill, solid waste, recreation and museums.

Ewing outlined next steps if the board supports the concept: finalize the merged organizational chart and write job descriptions and classifications; return with staffing recommendations and an analysis of financial and operational impacts along with a formal resolution to merge; and initiate implementation work such as workspace planning, county code revisions and any necessary labor negotiations. “Those three items would come to your board for approval,” he said, describing the formal actions that would follow the concept agreement.

Supervisors pressed for details before a final decision. Supervisor Pysco said succession planning was a central concern and asked which deputies would be prepared to step in if a director position became vacant; Ewing replied deputies for roads, capital projects and solid waste would cover those operational responsibilities. Supervisor Sabatier urged clarity on leadership titles and asked for side-by-side budget figures showing the consolidated structure compared with the status quo and the estimated classification costs that drive salary expense.

A member of the public, Sterling Wellman of Spring Valley, asked whether consolidation could weaken the county’s ability to secure grants for bridges and emergency ingress and egress in outlying communities, and requested outreach to town-hall committees so residents understand the proposed changes. County counsel clarified that the board was being asked only to provide consensus direction to staff and that substantive changes would return to the board for formal action.

Outcome: The board provided consensus to advance the concept and directed staff to develop job classifications, return with staffing and fiscal impact analyses and prepare a formal resolution prior to final budget hearings. No formal vote was taken at the meeting.

The county will present the recommended organizational structure, classification language and financial analysis to the ad hoc committee and then to the full board in the coming months; staff said they aim to bring those materials back prior to the fiscal year 2627 budget process.