The Lake County Board of Supervisors is moving ahead with emergency road repairs on Socrates Mill Road in Middletown. They have voted to bypass the usual bidding process to get the road fixed after staff found what it calls significant geotechnical instability on the road, which the county maintains. The instability means the road could give way and cut off a key route for residents, businesses, and properties near Middletown, including two energy providers –Calpine and the Northern California Power Agency. The decision means the county can hire one contractor to design and finish the work, speeding up the process significantly. Supervisor Burno Sabbier had some concerns about bypassing the usual bid process, saying other pressing county road issues haven’t received the same fast-tracking.