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Consultants urge Lake County to consolidate local services, add behavioral-health advisory group
Summary
Community Solutions Innovators presented focus-group findings and proposed housing local service agencies in one building, creating a Behavioral Health Advisory Group and a County Public Safety Committee to improve access to services and law-enforcement responses to mental-health calls.
Community Solutions Innovators (CSI) presented an economic strategic plan to the Lake County Board of Commissioners on Dec. 2, recommending the county pursue centralized service delivery and new advisory structures to address gaps identified during six focus groups.
CSI consultant Chantal Dugied said consolidating local service agencies into a single building would make services more accessible and easier to navigate. The consultants reported the focus groups identified needs in emergency communications, energy reliability, road infrastructure, and clearer local codes to support enforcement. Dugied also said some water users lacked understanding of their water rights and recommended county website content be expanded for public education.
CSI also suggested creating a Behavioral Health Advisory Group to provide more context to law enforcement when responding to calls involving people with mental-health issues, and proposed a County Public Safety Committee intended to foster community trust. Community Corrections Director Jake Greer pointed CSI to the Lake County Public Safety Coordinating Council, which already meets in Memorial Hall, and invited them to attend.
Commissioners welcomed the feedback. Vice-Chair Barry Shullanberger said the board was already working on many issues raised and that CSI's list would be helpful. Chair Mark Albertson suggested the South Central Oregon Economic Development District and local partners such as the Innovation Hub should be involved; he noted several county partners already share a building and hoped Innovation Hub's participation would boost the plan's impact. Mark Smith of CSI emphasized recruiting young adults into the trades as a workforce priority.
The work session record shows the commissioners asked that CSI share findings with SCOEDD and other regional partners and requested follow-up engagement as the county refines priorities. No formal action was taken during the work session; CSI's recommendations were accepted as information and may inform future agenda items.
