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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Lake County Public Services Department is preparing to hold several public meetings this weekend as part of the process to apply for state park grants to make improvements at three county parks.

Public Services Director Lars Ewing said he and his staff are pursuing Proposition 68 grant funds for projects at Hammond Park in Nice, Kelseyville Community Park and Middletown Trailside Nature Preserve.

As part of the application process, the county is holding three meetings on Saturday, March 30, at the following locations and times:

– Middletown: 10 a.m. to 11:45 a.m., at Trailside Park, 21435 Dry Creek Cutoff;
– Kelseyville: 1:15 to 3 p.m., at Kelseyville Community Park, 5270 State St.;
– Nice: 4:15 to 6 p.m., at Hammond Park, 2490 Lakeshore Blvd.

Community members are invited to drop in at any time during the meetings, which will be conducted in an open-house format.

The funding the county is pursuing is from Proposition 68, the Parks and Water Bond Act of 2018, passed by California voters in June.

Proposition 68 authorizes $4 billion in general obligation bonds meant for projects that extend from local and state parks to flood protection, water infrastructure, environmental protection and habitat restoration.

On Tuesday, Ewing received the Board of Supervisors’ approval of an agreement between the county and Foothill Associates for Proposition 68 Statewide Park Development and Community Revitalization Program support services. The estimated contract cost is $20,725.

In his report to the board, Ewing explained that the intent of the Proposition 68 program “is to create new parks, or develop new recreation opportunities in existing parks, located in critically underserved communities. A critically underserved community is defined as an area within a half mile radius of a site that either has less than three acres of park space per 1,000 residents or a median household income below $51,026. Statewide $255 million will be distributed in the 2019 grant round, with an additional $395 million to be made available statewide in future rounds.”

Foothill Associates has formerly done Proposition 68 consulting for the county, according to Ewing, who told Lake County News that the company has helped with work on a lot of Northshore parks, including the Hammond Park master planning process. He said staff already has met with Foothill Associates staff, who are very excited about working on all three parks.

The city of Lakeport also is planning to apply for Proposition 68 funds in this first round of $255 million in grants. Lakeport wants to build a new lakeside park on the former Natural High School property, as Lake County News reported earlier this month.

Clearlake Assistant City Manager Alan Flora, who the Clearlake City Council has appointed to succeed Greg Folsom as city manager later this month, told Lake County News that the city of Clearlake isn’t currently pursuing funding from Proposition 68 for its park projects.

He added that he’s been reviewing the program and will identify if they have projects that will work. The city has projects lined up for Austin Park and Highlands Park, with funds set aside for the former and an application to the state seeking several million dollars in Community Development Block Grant funds for the latter.

If the funds for Highlands Park don’t come through the CDBG grant, Flora said it would be his priority to seek Proposition 68 funds.

Three parks selected for grant submissions

Ewing and his staff reviewed which parks would be eligible, and Hammond Park, Kelseyville Community Park and Middletown Trailside Park had the best fit. He said those three parks also have the most need of further development.

He said they don’t have the specific style down for every park. “That’s why we are going to the public, to find out what they want at each park.”

Each park is very different in its needs and facilities. Ewing said Kelseyville Community Park is the most developed, and includes the skate park, while Hammond Park has been developed – it has one of the county’s best baseball diamonds, built by Ewing’s parks staff – but more can be done.

Trailside Park “is a different animal entirely,” said Ewing.

“It’s a nature preserve,” he said, which means not building too many structures. “We want to be true to that spirit.”

Trailside Park, Ewing said, is unique because of what it’s been through. The Valley fire, burned through its thousands of trees and its playground. The park’s vernal pools survived.

Now, Trailside Park presents a wide open canvas. Tree replanting efforts took place last year and again earlier this month. Ewing said some of those plantings have taken hold, and quite a few of the pine trees have started coming back on their own.

Ewing said that his grandchildren may eventually “enjoy it in something close to what it was a few years ago.”

County staffers have talked to the Middletown Area Town Hall, which put together an ad hoc committee to look at the park. Some of the ideas that Ewing said came out of that committee included identifying trails MATH would like to see rebuilt.

In addition, EcoArts of Lake County will return this summer with its sculpture walk, he said.

Seeking public input

In order to produce competitive grant applications, and maximize points, Ewing said his department will hold the public meetings, with that input then contributing to the resulting park master plans.

By identifying community priorities, that public meeting process also will inform how much funding the county ultimately seeks in its grant applications, Ewing said. While they don’t know the total amount they’ll seek, each grant is to be no less than $200,000, with no match required.

They’re specifically seeking input from residents within a few miles radius of each park. “It’s a big time effort, which we’re happy to do,” he said.

At the Saturday meetings, easels will be out and community members can share ideas and suggest park design elements. The consultants will be on hand to lead people through the design concept; children also are welcome to attend and participate. Ewing said the goal is to generate ideas, like a charrette.

Another round of meetings will take place on Thursday, April 4, with Ewing explaining that the goal is to reach different groups of people.

The meetings on April 4 will take place from 10 to 11 a.m. at Hammond Park, 1 to 2 p.m. at Kelseyville Community Park, and 3 to 4 p.m. at Trailside Park.

Ewing said staff members – not consultants – will guide community members through the process at the April 4 meetings, which will feature a lot of similarities to the meetings on March 30.

For those who can’t make the meetings, Ewing encourages them to participate in online surveys for each of the parks:

– Hammond Park: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PLCHNX9.
– Kelseyville Community Park: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/H5NX7L7.
– Middletown Trailside Park: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/3LQG6BZ.

The deadline to complete the survey is April 10.

From the meetings and survey results, the goal is to create park design schematics and conceptual plans that should be read for sharing with the community by the summer, Ewing said.

Ewing said an application will be submitted for each of the three parks. The state grant timeline calls for the grant applications to be submitted by Aug. 5, with notifications about selection expected to go out by the end of this year. He said the county has to have compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act completed within six months of the grant application.

Based on the state timeline for the grants, projects selected for funding must be completed by March 2022.

Ewing encourages community members to participate in the process and tell the county what they’d like to see done at their parks.

“Because they are your parks,” he said.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
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NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – The California Department of Water Resources is closely monitoring Oroville reservoir levels and current forecasts.

Due to storms expected in the Feather River basin, DWR is taking steps to prepare for use of the main spillway potentially as early as the first week of April.

DWR is following its standard process of notifying regulatory agencies, local law enforcement and local elected officials for the anticipated use.

The department will continue to update the public, media and local partners through emails, news releases and social media.

To prepare for potential use of the spillway, DWR is removing construction equipment from the spillway chute. It will also remove a temporary road below the main spillway that has been utilized during construction. The road will be removed to minimize water quality impacts. Some turbidity is expected while the road is being removed.

Downstream monitoring is in place to track water quality. In addition, temporary cameras and lights have been situated alongside the spillway for observational purposes when water begins to flow down the chute.

Early Wednesday, the Oroville Reservoir was at 845 feet. The elevation on April 5 based on 10-day forecast is projected to be 850 feet.

Forecasts can change quickly and may affect the estimates provided.

Officials said the main spillway and the emergency spillway are reconstructed and able to handle flows as needed to manage lake levels and provide flood protection for the surrounding communities.
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LAKEPORT, Calif. – At its meeting last Tuesday the Lakeport City Council approved changes to a citywide solar project and gave the OK to a purchase for new software for the Community Development Department.

Community Development Director Kevin Ingram took to the council at its March 19 meeting the proposed contract change order with ENGIE Services to complete the citywide solar and energy efficiency retrofit project.

The $4,480,417 contract between the city and ENGIE Services was approved in April, Ingram said. He asked for, and received, the council’s approval for a contract change order totaling $86,900, which brings the revised contract cost to $4,567,317. The project is covered by bond funds.

The scope of the work ranges from the construction of several new solar arrays, to new HVAC systems and new LED lighting fixtures downtown and in city parks.

“We have made some significant progress on many of these projects,” he said, from the new HVAC units being installed – including at City Hall this past Friday – and solar arrays at city facilities including the corporation yard.

As with any large project, “We get into little finds and things,” which Ingram said led to the contract change order.

The contract change order covered three main items, Ingram said. They included switching plans from placing a solar array in the city hall parking lot and replacing it with a “significantly larger” array at the former Bank of America building at 500 N. Main St., which the bank recently donated to the city. That portion of the contract change order won’t actually cost anything.

Second, the change order covers tree removal at the city’s wastewater plant, at a cost of $60,000, and third, another HVAC unit that needed to be replaced at the corporation and sewer yard, estimated to cost $26,900.

Councilman George Spurr questioned why the tree removal was a cost overrun. City Manager Margaret Silveira said the contract said the city was to remove them, while the city had thought it was work supposed to be done by the company.

In order to absorb some of that cost, Silveira said ENGIE is going to give the city a much larger solar array at the Bank of America building for the same cost as they were going to do the smaller array at City Hall.

Ingram added that the larger solar array should offer the city significant energy cost savings.

Councilwoman Mireya Turner moved to approve the change order, with multiple seconds offered by other council members and a final vote of 5-0.

Ingram also received approval from the council to sign a licensing agreement with Dude Solutions for the purchase of SmartGov permit management software for the Community Development Department. The software costs $55,929.25.

His written report explained that for the past 15 years or more the Lakeport Building Division has been utilizing the software licensing services of BlackBear for the management and tracking of building-related permits.

The system is no longer supported and he said it’s been his department’s goal to update its permit tracking system “and integrate other division permit issuance and tracking needs into one system along with the long-term goal to allow for online permit submittal in the future.”

Ingram said the change is much to the chagrin of the city’s building official, who is very happy with it. But with it no longer being supported and not allowing for online permit issuance, they need to make the change.

He said SmartGov has acquired the rights to the legacy BlackBear software products, which allows for a more streamlined software integration process in addition to reducing any loss of legacy department data. The SmartGov software is also compatible with the Tyler Systems software, used by the city’s Finance Department.

Other benefits include the integration of business licensing permitting software and allows for the future integration of planning and code enforcement permit issuance and tracking, according to Ingram’s report.

The purchase already had been budgeted but came in “a little bit higher than we originally anticipated,” which is why the purchase was brought back to the council, Ingram said.

Spurr asked if city staff had made outreach to anyone using the software. Ingram said yes, that the city of Clearlake uses it and they took a field trip down to see how it works. The building officials also had talked to another city in the area that uses it.

Ingram said the company will send out a staffer to help with training, and there also online education and help.

Councilwoman Stacey Mattina moved to approve the purchase, which was seconded by Turner and approved 5-0.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

031919 Lakeport City Council agenda packet by LakeCoNews on Scribd

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LAKEPORT, Calif. – Ballot counts reported at Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting indicate that four new zones of benefit to address vegetation and reduce wildland fire risk in the Kelseyville area have been approved.

The Board of Supervisors on Tuesday morning hosted protest hearings and tabulation counts for the zones of benefit for Buckingham, the Clear Lake Riviera, Riviera Heights and Riviera West.

Supervisor Rob Brown put together the plan for the zones of benefit last year and received the Board of Supervisors’ support to put it to a vote of property owners earlier this year.

Brown’s plan is for the property owners of about 5,000 lots in those four areas, plus adjacent lands, make a one-time payment of $100 per lot for properties of less than one acre, $200 for lots from one to five acres, and $300 for lots of five acres or more.

He said the main goal is to get property owners to clean up their own land, which they can do much cheaper than the county can hire contractors to do it.

If they don’t, the funding raised through the assessment would allow cleanup of certain properties that would be designated as high risk, with the property owners to repay the cleanup costs through liens assessed on their land.

Brown said Tuesday that the county is willing to loan $100,000 up front to the effort so that cleanup can start immediately, ahead of the fire season.

Proposition 218, passed by voters in 1996, is a constitutional amendment that requires that taxpayers be allowed to vote on assessments, general taxes and certain types of user fees, with a 50 percent plus one majority vote required for passage.

Based on Proposition 218’s requirements, the county sent out thousands of ballots to property owners.

Most of the ballots reported in the count on Tuesday had been returned by the board meeting, but some additional ballots came in during the hearings.

County Administrative Officer Carol Huchingson said staff had been counting the ballots and that they would take those ballots turned in during the hearings, tabulate them and return with the final count.

The board heard both support and opposition to the zones of benefit.

Longtime Clear Lake Riviera resident Tom Nixon offered his support. “We’re trying to do everything we can to mitigation the vegetation hazards that we have.”

Emily Miller, one of the adjacent property owners to the Clear Lake Riviera, protested the proposal. “I think it’s poorly written,” along with being underexplained and underdeveloped, she said.

Janet Swedburg thanked Brown for the idea. “This is not just about our property. It is about our lives.”

Riviera Heights resident Henry Berg said he thought the proposal is commendable but deeply flawed, raising issues about the legalities of going onto people’s property. He also raised issues with the envelopes bearing the ballots not being labeled as having the ballots inside, and his concern that the return postage wasn’t enough.

Huchingson would later explain that they based the handling of the ballots on Special Districts assessments that have been done in the past, and that staff had determined the postage was enough to cover the return of the one-sheet ballots.

Staff took the remaining ballots for a count and returned a short time later in the meeting. Marcy Harrison, a County Administrative Office staffer, presented the ballot counts to the board.

The counts are as follows.

Clear Lake Riviera

Total ballots returned: 1,168
Yes: 654 (56 percent)
No: 514 (44 percent)

Buckingham

Total ballots returned: 402
Yes: 250 (62 percent)
No: 152 (38 percent)

Riviera West

Total ballots returned: 266
Yes: 180 (68 percent)
No: 86 (32 percent)

Riviera Heights

Total ballots returned: 308
Yes: 170 (55 percent)
No: 138 (45 percent)

The board took no action beyond receiving the ballot count. County Counsel Anita Grant said that a resolution will be brought back to the board next week confirming the vote and tabulation results.

Later in the meeting, the board unanimously approved the second and final reading of a new ordinance regarding hazardous vegetation abatement on unimproved parcels in the unincorporated county.

The ordinance and its performance is to be reviewed in six months, Grant said.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
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“July Rising” follows the struggle to save a family’s pear farm against foreclosure. Courtesy photo.

NORTH COAST, Calif. – “July Rising,” a full-length narrative feature shot in Lake County and written by a county native, will premiere this Friday at the Sonoma International Film Festival.

“July Rising” was written and directed by Chauncey Crail, who spent much of his childhood ni Lake County before moving to the East Coast with his family as a teenager.

The film follows 16-year-old farmgirl Andy (Alexa Yeames) an orphan now facing a new loss: the sudden death of her grandfather.

Andy struggles to save her family’s farm against foreclosure. She succeeds despite greedy bankers, uncooperative fruit salesmen, a colorful local sheriff who catches her at a bad moment, and even the estranged aunt who has become her guardian to bring the family farm to fruition. But will it be enough?

Set in a Lake County pear orchard, dramatic footage brings to the screen real threats facing rural lands against the incessant march of urban growth.

Andy’s intelligence and perseverance offer hope to young women facing the challenges of a male-dominated field but also illustrate how one person can make a real difference by embracing a vision and not letting go.

“Every time I come home, I realize how much things are changing,” said Crail. “Change is not inherently bad, but I wanted to capture what agriculture means out here before it’s eclipsed by agro-industry, residential and tourism development or climate change.”

“The summer heat and wildfire smoke challenged our scheduling team and since we were shooting during harvest in an actively farmed orchard, we had to coordinate with picking crews and wrap on time every time,” Crail said.

He commended the cast and crew for their dedication. “The sheer stamina of our team inspired me. It’s their dedication that made this film happen.”

Crail said the long days and hard work faced in production were rewarded in the post-production phase. “The gorgeous setting – we have some amazing drone footage of the farm – silenced everyone in the room when we first screened the takes,” Crail said. “I’m thrilled with the results.”

Lead producer Robert Mahaffie, who grew up in Washington D.C., has a different perspective.

“Living in the country during the shoot hammered home the reason we needed to make this film,” Mahaffie said. “It was incredible how hard those farmers work – just keeping the farm equipment running was a huge and constant challenge for us. We’re immensely grateful to the whole Northern California community who helped us. The Kelseyville/Lakeport community is the most welcoming and most generous community I’ve ever worked with.”

Cast auditions were held in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco but one key role was assigned to local Lake County actor Reed Wolthausen who coincidentally owns a orchard (walnuts) in Lake County. His performance as the charming but serious Grandpa George – while also being an actual local farmer --lend an element of realism to the set.

Bay Area actors Brien DiRito, Jason Kuykendall and Jonathan Vazquez fill key roles.

Several day-players and extras hired regionally are also featured. Some Sonoma County landscapes can be spotted in driving scenes filmed between Lake County and San Francisco.



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From left, Upper Lake High School Academic Decathlon team members Jeff Fannon, Sarah Williams and Annalise Smith won medals at the California Academic Decathlon, held in Sacramento, Calif., from Thursday, March 21, through Sunday, March 24, 2019. Photo courtesy of Upper Lake High School.

UPPER LAKE, Calif. – Three standout members of Upper Lake High School’s Academic Decathlon team have won medals at the California Academic Decathlon competition.

Jeff Fannon, Annalise Smith and Sarah Williams medaled in the individual speech category at the state competition, which took place over the weekend in Sacramento.

This year’s theme was, “The 1960s: A Transformational Decade,” with 68 teams and 595 students participating.

Upper Lake competed in the Division 3 category.

Students compete in three levels: honors, 3.75 to 4.0 grade point average; scholastic, 3.0 to 3.74 GPA; and varsity category, 2.99 GPA or below.

The top scores in each of the levels for speech was 1,000 points.

Williams tied for first place with 1,000 points in the scholastic level, Fannon placed second with 970 points in varsity and Smith tied for third place with 985 points in honors.

Smith’s speech was particularly poignant, as it described her brother Kellen’s recovery from a vehicle crash last year.

Williams also won a medal for being Upper Lake’s high point scorer, with 5,969.10 points.

Upper Lake is coached by Anna Sabalone, Angel Hayenga and Christal Coatney.

In addition to Fannon, Smith and Williams, team members include William Cromwell, Jasmine Haro, Jenaya Horne, Jisel Horne, Joslyn Huntley, Deeya Kalan, Jessica Lee, Emily McKelvey, Kehlani McKelvey, Diana Mendoza-Razo, Katlyn Minnis, Robert Porterfield, Hugh Ramos, Isabel Sanchez, Seneca Snow, Maria Tinoco and Amantae Wyman.

Willits High School, which also participated in Lake County’s Academic Decathlon competition, brought home medals as well, competing in Division 2.

In the varsity level for economics, Grady Williams won a first-place medal with 660 points, while Mikayla Blake tied for third place with 580 points.

In the essay competition, Williams won first place for the varsity level with 916 points, and Blake won a first place medal for varsity competitors in the interview.

Willits’ top-scoring student was Savanna Hofmaister, an honors level competitor, who had 7,534 points.

Willits is coached by Mary Colvig. The rest of the team includes Amy Andrade, Jacob Arms, Tyler Bailey, Joscelyn Beebe, Jaeva Cash, Spencer Copperfield, Brieana Evans, MaKenzie Hansen, Elizabeth Henning, Karen Hernandez, Teophil Labus, McKenna McNelley, Mara Moratti, Ariel Reyes, Logan Simms, Micah Stamps, Lillian Turner, Emerald Water and Ian Watson.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
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Congressman Mike Thompson with Marie Beery, his 2019 Woman of the Year for Lake County, Calif. Courtesy photo.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-05) has announced Marie Beery as this year’s Woman of the Year in Lake County.

Each year, Thompson honors women from the Fifth Congressional District who make exceptional contributions to our community.

“Marie’s hard work and dedication has touched every part of the Lake County community; from business to agriculture to charitable work to mentorship, her work boosts the entire area. As a business leader, she has helped to put Lake County food and wine on the map. As a community leader, she’s helped support many important charitable causes,” said Thompson. “I’m proud to honor her strong contributions to every part of our community by naming her Lake County Woman of the Year.”

This is the fifth annual Women of the Year Awards, started in honor of Women’s History Month.

Deputy Riley Michele Jarecki, Honorary Woman of the Year and First Responder of the Year, with Congressman Mike Thompson. Courtesy photo.

Each year, Thompson recognizes one woman from each of the counties in our district to be recognized for her service to our community.

A complete list of 2019 winners includes:

– Tranzena “Kandie” Jones, Contra Costa County;
– Marie Beery, Lake County;
– Mary Jane Bowker, Napa County;
– Verna Mustico, Solano County;
– Lorez Bailey, Sonoma County.

Thompson represents California’s Fifth Congressional District, which includes all or part of Contra Costa, Lake, Napa, Solano and Sonoma counties.


Congressman Mike Thompson with his 2019 Women of the Year selections. Courtesy photo.
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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Rain is set to continue this week and early next week as a new early spring storm system arrives over Northern California.

The National Weather Service’s Sacramento office said that a stronger weather system is set to impact interior Northern California, with periods of moderate to heavy precipitation Tuesday evening into Wednesday.

The forecast calls for up to 1 inch of rain in the southeast portion of the county, up to an inch and a half in the southwest and central county, and as much as 2 inches in the county’s northern mountain area.

A possible thunderstorm also is in the forecast for Wednesday in Lake County.

On Wednesday night, winds with speeds close to 30 miles per hour are expected, especially in the south county.

The Lake County forecast also calls for showers on Thursday before conditions clear on Friday and Saturday. Rain is then back in the forecast from Saturday night through Monday.

The rain is sending more runoff into Clear Lake, which is no longer in flood stage – which is above 9 feet Rumsey – but remains in “monitor” stage, which is above 8 feet Rumsey.

The US Geological Survey reported early Tuesday that the lake level hovered at just below 8.5 feet Rumsey.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
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LAKEPORT, Calif. – This week the Board of Supervisors will get the vote count on the creation of zones of benefit to address wildland fire prevention.

The board will meet beginning at 9 a.m. Tuesday, March 26, in the board chambers on the first floor of the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport.

The meeting can be watched live on Channel 8 and online at https://countyoflake.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx. Accompanying board documents, the agenda and archived board meeting videos also are available at that link.

At 9:30 a.m., the board will hold a protest hearing for the proposed creation of zones of benefit for the Clear Lake Riviera, Buckingham, Riviera West and Riviera Heights.

In January, the board adopted four resolutions of intent to create the benefit zones within County Service Area No. 23.

It’s a pilot program presented by Supervisor Rob Brown to protect county roadways from wildfire damage.

“The proposed zones of benefit seek to establish a proactive approach for enhanced road maintenance in the form of preventative measures to protect the roads from the ravages of wildfire damage, the consequent impacts of that damage, and the extraordinary costs associated with road replacement and disaster-related repairs,” according to County Administrative Officer Carol Huchingson’s report to the board.

Huchingson added, “Since adoption of these resolutions of intent, staff has carried out a mail ballot election, as required by Proposition 218, of the registered voters in each of the four areas since it is up to the will of said voters to determine if this pilot program will proceed.”

Residents who want to oppose the benefit zones will be able to register their protests at the hearing.

Also on Tuesday, In an untimed item, the board will consider a possible limited moratorium relating to the acceptance of pre-applications and applications for commercial cannabis cultivation use permits to allow for the expeditious processing of applications that already have been submitted.

That moratorium also would allow for the review of possible changes to the zoning ordinance to more efficiently coordinate the processing of such permits, according to county staff.

In other business, the board will hold a second reading of an ordinance to amend Chapter 21 of the Lake County Zoning Ordinance to remove the requirement for commercial cannabis applicants to be enrolled with the Regional Water Quality Control Board as of Oct. 1, 2019, and to remove the requirement for a conditional certificate of recognition – known as self-certification – of compliance with Article 72 in order to apply for early activation of use. That item is untimed.

Another untimed item is the second reading of an ordinance regarding hazardous vegetation abatement.

The full agenda follows.

CONSENT AGENDA

5.1: Adopt proclamation designating March 29, 2019 as Vietnam Veterans Day.

5.2: Authorize the advanced salary step for Jim Emenegger, Elections Assistant II, extra help, at step 6, effective immediately.

5.3: Adopt resolution amending Resolution 2019-23 Declaring the Board of Supervisors intent to sell property not required for public use, located at 8695 Soda Bay Road, Kelseyville, California (APN 009-002-430), Pursuant to Government Code Section 25520 Et Seq.

5.4: Approve waiver of the 900 hour limitation for Animal Control employees Gabirelle Reil and Collette Hall.

5.5: Approve long distance travel for Dr. Erin Gustafson, Denise Pomeroy, Iyesha Miller and Dean Eichelmann to Anniston, Alabama from April 14 to 18 to attend the 2019 Health Care Coalition Response Leadership Course.

5.6: Approve long distance travel for Denise Pomeroy to Hartford, CT from April 29 to May to attend the annual Wellville Gathering .

5.7: (a) Waive the formal bidding process, pursuant to Lake County Code Section 38.2, as it is not in the public interest due to the unique nature of goods or services; and (b) approve the purchase of PA-3220 firewalls and associated support and services from ePlus Technology Inc. in the amount of $63,703.65 and authorize IT director to issue purchase order.

5.8: Approve advanced step appointment of Beverly Dodgen, weighmaster, at fourth step, effective immediately.

5.9: Adopt resolution supporting the creation of a statewide commission on recycling markets.

5.10: Approve Amendment No. 3 to equipment repair and service contract between the county of Lake and Peterson Tractor Co. in the amount of $50,000 for a revised not-to-exceed amount of $275,000, and authorize the chair to sign.

5.11: Approve plans and specifications for the FMAG HMGP Culvert Replacement No. 1 Project; Bid No. 19-01, Project No: FMAG-HMGP Pilot # 5093-1-1R; Construction Estimate $493,000, and authorize the Public Works director / assistant purchasing agent to advertise for bids.

5.12: Approve plans and specifications for the FMAG HMGP Culvert Replacement No. 2 Project; Bid No. 19-02, Project No: FMAG-HMGP Pilot # 5112-1-1R; construction estimate $347,000, and authorize the Public Works director / assistant purchasing agent to advertise for bids.

TIMED ITEMS

6.2, 9:10 a.m.: Presentation of proclamation designating March 29, 2019 as Vietnam Veterans Day.

6.3, 9:15 a.m.: This item is continued to April 23 at 9:20 a.m., public bid opening, consideration of bids to purchase the property located at 8695 Soda Bay Road in Kelseyville California (APN 009-002-430).

6.4, 9:30 a..m: Protest hearing, (a) proposed creation of zone of benefit Clearlake Riviera within CSA No. 23, (b) proposed creation of zone of benefit Buckingham within CSA No. 23, (c) proposed creation of zone of benefit Riviera West within CSA No. 23, (d) proposed creation of zone of benefit Riviera Heights; and (e) tabulation of ballots for said proposed assessment.

6.5, 10 a.m.: Public hearing, consideration of proposed amendments (GPAP 16-05) to the Housing Element of the Lake County General Plan, clarifying programs and policies based on correspondence with the State Department of Housing and Community Development.

UNTIMED ITEMS

7.2: Consideration of amendment to paid emergency leave policy.

7.3: Second reading, consideration of an ordinance amendment, AM 19-01 to amend Chapter 21 of the Lake County Zoning Ordinance to remove the requirement for commercial cannabis applicants to be enrolled with the Regional Water Quality Control Board as of Oct. 1, 2019, and to remove the requirement for a conditional certificate of recognition (self certification) of compliance with Article 72 in order to apply for early activation of use.

7.4: Second reading, consideration of an ordinance adding Article VIII to Chapter 13 of the Lake County Code regarding hazardous vegetation abatement.

7.5: Discussion and consideration of a possible limited moratorium relating to the acceptance of pre-applications and applications for commercial cannabis cultivation use permits to allow for the expeditious processing of applications already submitted and to allow for review of possible changes to the zoning ordinance to more efficiently coordinate the processing of such permits.

7.6: Consideration of agreement between the county of Lake and Foothill Associates for Proposition 68 Statewide Park Development and Community Revitalization Program support services.

7.7: Consideration of (a) amendment two to agreement between the county of Lake and Lake County Waste Solutions Inc. for solid waste handling and recycling services; and (b) amendment two to agreement between the county of Lake and South Lake Refuse Co. LLC for solid waste handling and recycling services.

7.8: Consideration of (a) a change to the days and hours of operation at the Lower Lake Schoolhouse Museum and (b) a change to the hours of operation at the Gibson Museum in Middletown.

CLOSED SESSION

8.1: Public employee evaluations title: Interim Public Health officer.

8.2: Public employee appointment pursuant to Gov. Code Section 54957(b)(1): (a) Appointment of Public Health officer.

8.3: Employee disciplinary appeal (EDA 19-01) Pursuant to Gov. Code sec. 54957.

8.4: Employee disciplinary appeal (EDA 19-02) Pursuant to Gov. Code sec. 54957.

8.5: Conference with legal counsel: Existing litigation pursuant to Gov. Code sec. 54956.9(d)(1): County of Lake, et al. v. PG&E, et al.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
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Dungeness crab will be caught off the coast with greater care for endangered wildlife under a settlement announced by the Center for Biological Diversity, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations.

The legal settlement protects whales and sea turtles from entanglement in commercial Dungeness crab gear.

The Center for Biological Diversity sued CDFW in October 2017 after a drastic increase in the number of whale entanglements off the West Coast.

“As I’ve said many times, no one wants whale entanglements to happen,” said CDFW Director Charlton H. Bonham. “This agreement represents hours of intense negotiation to help ensure they don’t happen while supporting the resiliency of the crab fishery in the long run. I am thankful for the leadership of the Center for Biological Diversity and the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations who realized something needed to be done together.”

“This is great news for whales and sea turtles fighting extinction off California’s coast,” said Kristen Monsell, a Center for Biological Diversity attorney. “The settlement will reduce serious threats from crab gear to these beautiful and highly endangered animals. This agreement is a turning point that gets us closer to zero entanglements and a healthy ocean.”

The lawsuit was brought by the Center for Biological Diversity against CDFW (Center for Biological Diversity v. Bonham) in federal court in San Francisco. The Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations, which represents crabbers, intervened in the lawsuit.

The settlement, subject to court approval, creates a comprehensive approach to the problem of whale entanglements. It expedites state regulation, ensures stakeholder input from the Dungeness crab Fishing Gear Working Group and formalizes a first-ever commitment by CDFW to pursue a federal permit for protecting endangered species.

While these steps are executed, the settlement calls for this year’s crab season to end three months early and prescribes protective measures for future springtime fishing seasons, when the greatest number of whales are present off the California coast.

In November 2018, CDFW announced it would seek a federal permit under the Endangered Species Act to address protected species interactions with the crab fishery. Obtaining a permit and developing a conservation plan as part of that process can take years, so the settlement spells out interim protections.

“This settlement represents the path back to normality for California’s crab fishery with built-in protections for whales and crab fishing operations under the Endangered Species Act,” said Noah Oppenheim, executive director of the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations. “The past several years have been extraordinarily challenging for fishing families, and the actions we’re taking here are no exception. But in the end, we’re going to emerge together with a resilient, prosperous, and protective fishery that will continue to feed California and the nation.”

Details of the settlement can be found here.

The mission of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife is to manage California’s diverse fish, wildlife and plant resources, and the habitats upon which they depend, for their ecological values and for their use and enjoyment by the public.

The Center for Biological Diversity is a national, nonprofit conservation organization with more than 1.4 million members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places.

The Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations is the largest commercial fishermen’s organization on the West Coast, representing 17 local and regional associations from Santa Barbara to Southeast Alaska. As a major commercial fishing industry trade association, the group represents the interests of commercial fishing families who make their living harvesting and delivering high-quality seafood to America’s tables.
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CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Clearlake City Council this week will honor its longtime Public Works director on his retirement, consider approval of the construction contract for a new city project and discuss a finance director appointment.

The council will host a reception at 5 p.m. Thursday, March 28, for retiring Public Works Director Doug Herren before the regular meeting begins at 6 p.m. in the council chambers at Clearlake City Hall, 14050 Olympic Drive.

At the start of the meeting, the council will make a presentation honoring Herren for his work. The council also will honor retiring police dispatcher Wendy England, present a proclamation recognizing March 29 as Vietnam Veterans Day and get a report on the Public, Education and Government Channel’s annual budget.

Main business items on the agenda include proposed contract with Granite Construction for the construction of the Burns Valley Civic Center Enhancement Project in the amount of $549,136 and authorize the city manager to approve up to 10 percent for additional unforeseen contract amendments.

Granite was the single bidder on the project, which is to be funded by $200,000 from the SB1 Local Partner Program with the remainder to come from Series A Bond funds, according to Herren’s report.

“The project will provide pedestrian improvements by including high-visibility crosswalks, retro-reflective signs and striping, rapid-flashing beacons and other pedestrian/bicyclist improvements,” along with the addition of sidewalks and a bike route along Olympic Drive from Pine Street to Lakeshore Drive, extending around the corner along the east side of Lakeshore Drive from Olympic Drive to the end of the City Hall property, Herren’s report said.

The council also will consider an agreement with the Lake County Tourism Improvement District for administrative services related to collection of assessments from lodging establishments within the city of Clearlake.

The district is now approved to receive a 1.5-percent assessment from each lodging business.

In other business the council will hold the first reading of an ordinance to amend Subdivision 3-4.5 (a)(8) of the Clearlake Municipal Code regarding exceptions to competitive bidding requirements for goods and services obtained under a cooperative purchasing agreement or program of another government agency.

The council is expected to read the proposed ordinance by title only and set a second reading for the April 11 meeting.

Staff also is asking the council to consider a resolution certifying the appointment of a finance director, Jill Martin.

Citing a “critically needed position,” the staff is requesting an exception from CalPERS to the 180-day waiting period after retirement for an individual in the system to work for another CalPERS employer.

On the consent agenda – items considered noncontroversial and usually accepted as a slate on one vote – are warrant registers; minutes of the Feb. 21 and 28, and March 14 and 21 meetings; consideration of updates to the Public Works superintendent and police captain job descriptions and the management benefit plan, Resolution Nos. 2019-12, 2019-13 and 2019-14; and rescind urgency ordinance amending Chapter 18, Article 18-5.1000 regarding residential housing standards for manufactured and mobile homes.

After the open session of the meeting, the council will have a closed session to discuss negotiations for property at 14130 Tuli Lane; negotiations regarding a 26-acre property owned by the city west of Highway 53, between Highway 53 and Old Highway 53, and the extension of 18th Avenue; existing litigation against Pacific Gas and Electric; and labor negotiations with the Clearlake Management/Confidential Employees, Clearlake Police Officers Association; Clearlake Municipal Employees Association and Clearlake Middle Management Association.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – California’s unemployment rate remained unchanged in February, but Lake County has seen a late-winter improvement and national numbers also edged down.

The California Employment Development Department’s latest jobs report said California’s unemployment rate remained at 4.2 percent. The state’s February 2018 unemployment rate was 4.3 percent. The unemployment rate is derived from a federal survey of 5,100 California households.

Lake County’s February jobless rate was 6.1 percent, compared to 6.6 percent in January but up from the 5.8 percent rate in February 2018.

On the national level, unemployment was at 3.8 percent in February, down from 4 percent in January and 4.1 percent the previous year.

The U.S. unemployment rate decreased by 0.2 percentage point to 3.8 percent, and the nation’s employers added 20,000 nonfarm payroll jobs.

The report said California’s employers added 14,600 nonfarm payroll jobs in February, and the state has now gained a total of 3,133,100 jobs since the economic expansion began in February 2010.

Nonfarm payroll jobs in California totaled 17,322,700 in February, according to a survey of 80,000 California businesses that measures jobs in the economy. The year-over change from February 2018 to February 2019 shows an increase of 222,500 jobs, up 1.3 percent.

The federal household survey, done with a smaller sample than the survey of employers, showed an increase in the number of employed Californians over the month and the year, according to the report.

That survey estimated the number of Californians holding jobs in February was 18,758,000, an increase of 17,800 from January and up 318,000 from the employment total in February of last year.

The report also said the number of unemployed Californians was 824,200 in February – an increase of 6,600 over the month and down by 13,500 compared with February of last year.

Industry details across the state showed the following:

– Six of 11 industry sectors added a total of 30,900 jobs in February. Professional and business services reported the largest increase with a gain of 12,500 jobs. Also adding jobs over the month were leisure and hospitality, trade, transportation and utilities, educational and health services, government and information.

– Five of California industries reported job losses over the month, with construction reporting the largest decrease with a loss of 7,700 jobs while manufacturing had a loss of 5,400 jobs. Other sectors losing jobs over the month were financial activities, other services, and mining and logging.

– In a year-over-year comparison, February 2018 to February 2019, nonfarm payroll employment in California increased by 222,500 jobs, a 1.3-percent increase.

– Ten of California’s eleven industry sectors added a total of 227,700 jobs over the year. The largest job gains were in professional and business services, up 71,700 (a 2.7 percent increase) and educational and health services, up 65,200 jobs (a 2.4 percent increase). Other sectors adding jobs over the year were leisure and hospitality, government, trade, transportation and utilities, manufacturing, information, construction, other services, and mining and logging.

– The only industry that posted a year-over decline was financial activities with a job loss of 5,200.

Also in the report is the update on Unemployment Insurance claims. Approximately 389,449 people received regular Unemployment Insurance benefits during the February survey week, compared with 376,402 in January and 396,030 in February of last year.

The state said that, at the same time, new claims for Unemployment Insurance were 34,593 in February, compared with 51,544 in January and 31,291 in February of last year.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

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