Inyo County California

SHUTDOWN IMPACTS COME TO INYO

Health & Human Services Director Anna Scott announced on Tuesday that the federal government shutdown is expected to impact CalFresh benefits in Inyo County.

According to Scott, should the federal shutdown continue beyond October 23, November CalFresh benefits – a program that serves 2,087 Inyo County residents and their families – may be delayed. Scott said any benefits unspent from previous months will rollover, however benefits for the month of November will be delayed until the shutdown ends. 

CalFresh benefits are funded 100% with federal dollars and there are currently no mechanisms for state and/or local governments to temporarily continue benefits with non-federal funds. 

So far, the impacts are isolated to CalFresh and no other services offered through the HHS Public Assistance and Aging Division. Officials at the state level are encouraging CalFresh clients to seek assistance from local food banks while benefits are on hold. However, that might not be so easy for Inyo County residents. 

“As your board is aware, and many of our community members are aware, there have been significant federal cuts to food bank services nationwide. IMACA (Inyo Mono Association for Community Action), who runs our food bank services in Inyo County, is struggling to meet ends and has had to cut back on distributions,” Scott said. “We’re continuing to look at ways that we can help support from the county level, but we do anticipate there will be some pretty significant impacts from a food security perspective.”

Health & Human Services is currently reaching out to community organizations who support the social safety net in Inyo County to identify alternative resources and opportunities for community support. More information will be shared in the coming weeks. 

WATER TALKS COMING SOON

Water Director Dr. Holly Alpert gave the Board of Supervisors a preview of the upcoming Inyo-L.A. Standing Committee meeting, although the final agenda is not ready yet.

The committee is scheduled to meet on November 10 in Los Angeles and, according to Alpert, the two main topics of conversation will be the Long-Term Water Agreement (LTWA) and invasive weed management. The former will actually be a joint, informational presentation that covers the main provisions of the LTWA, including vegetation management, groundwater management, and mitigation projects. The latter item will also be a joint presentation, specifically in response to comments from the Board and Standing Committee members about what’s become a growing concern.

Alpert also announced an Inyo-L.A. Technical Group meeting scheduled for 1 p.m. Thursday, October 30 at LADWP’s Bishop offices on Mandich Street, and an Inyo County Water Commission meeting set for 6 p.m. Monday, November 3 at the Water Department in Independence.

“We'll certainly be talking about the Standing Committee agenda at both of those meetings, so there are more opportunities for the public to be engaged,” Alpert said.

OPEN DINING

Diners in California may soon be able to watch their food being made in restaurants around the state thanks to AB 592, which, among other things, allows for open kitchen designs in permanent food facilities. Environmental Health Director Jerry Oser announced the change during department head reports on Tuesday.

“Up until this point, a commercial kitchen had to be fully enclosed to keep out rodents and birds and bugs and things like that, where they're prepping the food,” he told the Board. “This allows you to have 

the kitchen wide open to the outside during working hours as long as you can prove that you have a plan in place to keep [vermin] out.”

AB 592 makes several temporary COVID-era rules for restaurants and food businesses permanent. Among the other key changes are no expiration date on counties and cities allowing restaurants to use outdoor spaces – including parking lots – for dining; restaurants with alcohol licenses can keep 

serving drinks in expanded outdoor areas without needing new permits, as long as they follow safety rules; and restaurants can operate temporary food service setups (like pop-ups or food stands) without extra permits if they follow basic health guidelines.

MILESTONES RECOGNIZED

On Tuesday, the Board recognized several employees for a combined 200 years of continuous service to the County.

While not everyone was able to attend, all of the following received kudos for reaching various service milestones during the third quarter of 2025:

• Health & Human Services: Deo Delos Santos, 30 years; Noni Raley, 15 years; Melissa Ruiz-Bermudez, 10 years; Brittin Gillespie, 10 years.

• Personnel: Monica Tinlin, 25 years; Keri Oney, 15 years.

• Planning: Cathreen Richards, 15 years.

• Probation: Penni Brown, 15 years.

• Public Works: Travis Dean, 10 years; Kevin Lomeli, 5 years.

• Sheriff’s Office: Christian Ray, 25 years; Stephanie Rennie, 20 years.

NEW RECRUITS WELCOMED

The following new employees were introduced to the Board on Tuesday:

• Auditor-Controller: Office Technician Danielle Cuara, Administrative Analyst Armand Pigeon
• Health and Human Services: Administrative Secretary Liza Aguilar, Social Worker Jolene Covington, Behavioral Health Counselor Natalie Lock Feeney, Office Clerk Yessica Valadez, Prevention Specialist Lori Wiest
• Public Works: Building Maintenance Worker Jason Forehand, Heavy Equipment Operator Lucio Gonzalez, Heavy Equipment Operator Valentine Vega
• Sheriff: Public Safety Dispatcher Bayden W. Jennings

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