The Board of Supervisors selected the county’s next Director of community development after she declared her resignation from the Lakeport City Council. The supervisors appointed Mireya Turner as the County’s Community Development Department’s permanent Director immediately after 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday.
In a joint statement issued by the county of Lake and the city of Lakeport, Turner said, “I am honored and thrilled by the Board’s vote of confidence in appointing me permanently Director. “It will be an honor to continue to lead this fantastic team of highly skilled and competent employees. Residents of Lake County deserve the most excellent public service possible, and our Department will keep working to uphold that duty.
I’m devoted to encouraging prudent growth and collaborating ingeniously with those seeking to make investments in Lake County. Turner, who has a Master’s in Public Administration, has worked for the county of Lake on several occasions, initially in the County Administrative Office and then for five years as a planner in the Community Development Department.
She subsequently spent the following three years working in planning for the city of Ukiah before coming back to the Lake County Community Development in July as its deputy director and assisting then-Director Mary Darby. Then, on August 16, the Board designated her interim Community Development director. That came after Darby, who had held the position for less than a year, left. Darby resigned in July, thinking she would work for the county until November 4. Darby, though, abruptly left on August 12.
According to the statement released by the city and county, Ms. Turner “understands the specific needs of Lake County” and “has the experience and technical knowledge to assist us in moving forward.” A crucial County Department will benefit from stability and continued expansion if her appointment as Director is made permanent. Our Board looks forward to working with Ms. Turner and her team in a long-lasting and productive way!
Over the past few years, the Community Growth Department, vital to construction and development in the unincorporated county, has battled to retain leadership. Since the beginning of 2016, the Board has appointed seven department heads, with Turner being the latest. Turner, who is serving her second term on the Lakeport City Council, decided to resign from the council at the same time that she accepted the new position. Her resignation will take effect on Tuesday, August 30.
According to Turner, the directorship of community development “would demand a higher commitment of time and attention than any of my previous responsibilities.” “The authority conferred in this post could present possible conflicts with my elected position; hence to avoid that, I must step down from the City Council. Working with my Council colleagues and the fantastic City of Lakeport staff has been a true honor, and I look forward to more chances to do so in my new position.
Turner was praised for her accomplishments as a council member in the joint statement by Lakeport City Manager Kevin Ingram, who added that “as a result of her contributions, Lakeport is a better place to live, work, and invest.” He continued, “We will miss her insights as a member of our council, and we are beyond thrilled to see her work positively impact every Lake County person.”
Turner has represented the council in her capacity as a liaison to the Lakeport Unified School District, Lakefront Park Advisory Ad-Hoc Committee, and Clean Water Program Committee. She sat on the National League of Cities’ Community Economic Development Committee. She was one of the city’s voting delegates to the League of California Cities’ Redwood Empire Division, according to the town of Lakeport.
Turner, who served as mayor pro tempore this year, announced his intention to run for a third term in the summer. She and her councilmate Stacey Mattina were the only candidates that filed for the two open seats. According to Ingram, who spoke to Lake County News on Wednesday, city staff is putting together an item for the Lakeport City Council’s agenda on September 6 that will examine the many options for finding Turner’s replacement.
Ingram said that Mireya’s name would probably appear on the ballot in November; there seems to be a lot of intricacies to go through. She had to formally decline her re-election once certified if she were to win in November, even though her resignation had taken effect right away. If Councilman Michael Green is chosen to succeed Tina Scott on the Board of Supervisors, there could be another vacancy on the council in addition to Turner’s.
Green disclosed to Lake County News that he had submitted an application to the office of Governor Gavin Newsom for the District 4 supervisorial seat. Turner was also thought to be a possibility for that position, although she is prohibited from doing so while serving as the department head for the county.
