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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Lake County Planning Commission this week is set to consider a major new building project at Hidden Valley Lake and a new “glamping” facility at Six Sigma Winery in Lower Lake.

The meeting will begin at 9 a.m. Thursday, April 8, in the board chambers on the first floor of the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport.

The agenda is here.

To participate in real time, join the Zoom meeting by clicking this link.

The webinar ID is 968 4823 7072, the passcode is 406704.

To participate by phone, dial +1 669 900 6833 or use one tap mobile, +16699006833,,96848237072#,,,,*406704# US.

To submit a written comment on any agenda item visit https://countyoflake.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx and click on the eComment feature linked to the meeting date.

Scheduled for 9:25 a.m., the commission will discuss the major use permit and initial study for the proposed Hartmann Complex at Hidden Valley Lake Project.

Long on the Hidden Valley Lake Hidden Valley Lake Homeowners Association’s drawing board, the project also has been an ongoing source of disagreement amongst residents of that south county community.

County planning documents explain that the project consists of the construction of a new 12,483 square foot building, referred to as the Hartmann Complex, on a 36.55-plus acre property.

The new construction will be located approximately 255 feet northwest of the existing 7,200-square foot building that houses the Greenview Restaurant and pro shop, which is slated to be demolished.

The new Hartmann Complex building would house the Greenview Restaurant & Cafe and golf pro shop, with expanded banquet facilities, and a new 3,180 square foot covered patio attached to the building, according to planning documents.

The plan calls for changes to nearby golfing facilities, such as additional driving range tees with netting, relocated practice greens and repositioning of the first hole golf tees, more parking and a dedicated drop-off area, and a sidewalk, curb, and gutter within 6 inches of the parcel boundary's right of way would be constructed.

Planning staff is recommending the commission adopt the negative declaration for the use permit with findings including requirements to mitigate air quality, biological, environmental, geological, hazardous materials and water-related impacts, noting that the project is consistent with land uses in the vicinity as well as the Lake County General Plan, Middletown Area Plan and Zoning Ordinance. Staff also is recommending approval of the use permit.

Also on Thursday, Six Sigma Winery’s Huttopia project major use permit will be considered at 9:35 a.m.

The glamping project – glamping is the combined term of “glamorous” and “camping” – proposed at the Six Sigma Ranch and Winery property at 13444 Spruce Grove Road. It will not impact the winery or ranch.

It will be built on a 164-acre parcel and include 129 tent/cabins, ranging between 215 and 400 square feet each, erected on wood Platforms. It would accommodate 108 families and 21 couples, or up to approximately 575 glampers if all units are at full capacity, the staff report said.

Amenities would include a 1,300-square-foot “Life Center,” where guest reception, the activity center and restaurant would be located, with an event tent, outdoor swimming pool, playground, and kids splash pad to be located nearby.

There also will be a spa area with hot tub, sauna, massage tent and showers, a 1,200-square-foot manager’s home and a 600-square-foot home for the assistant manager, tent housing for 18 other employees, and a 3,200 square foot technical services building for storage of golf carts, generators and workspace, located near the employee housing.

Community Development staff is recommending approval of the mitigated negative declaration and the major use permit.

Other items on the agenda are as follows:

9:05 a.m.: Public hearing and consideration of approving a minor modification of the original use permit for LC Private Reserves LLC, which is proposing a new 3,200-square-foot. outdoor nursery area for immature cannabis plants, the conversion of 10,000 square feet of previously approved greenhouse cultivation to outdoor cultivation area within the original footprint of the approved cultivation site and one “self-distribution” license that was not available at the time of the original approval at 13333 Big Valley Road, Middletown, CA.

9:10 a.m.: Public hearing and consideration of a major use permit to consider approval of a commercial cannabis cultivation project on a 77-plus acre property, and consideration of adopting a mitigated negative declaration for CUA Enterprises, which is seeking three A-Type 3 medium outdoor cannabis cultivation licenses requesting 104,800 square feet of cannabis cultivation area and one A-Type 13 self-distribution license at 25252, 25322, 25372 and 25312 Jerusalem Grade Road, Middletown.

9:15 a.m. Public hearing and consideration of a major use permit to consider approval of a commercial cannabis cultivation project on a 335-plus acre property, and consideration of adopting a mitigated negative declaration. The applicant/owner is Three Bees LLC, which is proposing 16 A-Type 3 medium outdoor cannabis cultivation licenses and requesting 696,960 square feet of cannabis cultivation area and one A-Type 13 self-distribution license for the property, located at 21210, 21470, 21355 and 21340 Eureka Road and 18464 Butts Canyon Road, Middletown.

9:20 a.m. Public hearing and consideration of a major use permit to consider approval of a commercial cannabis cultivation project on a 333-plus acre property, and consideration of adopting a mitigated negative declaration for Badlands LLC, which is proposing 12 A-Type 3 medium outdoor cannabis cultivation licenses requesting 529,560 square feet of cannabis cultivation area and one A-Type 13 self-distribution license at 21518 Bartlett Springs Road, Lucerne.

9:30 a.m.: Public hearing and consideration of a major use permit to place a 150-foot-tall cell tower on a 28.61-plus acre property, and consideration of a mitigated negative declaration for New Cingular Wireless PCS, dba AT&T Mobility. The project would be built at 15650 E. Highway 20, Clearlake Oaks.

9:40 a.m. (Continued from March 25): Public hearing to discuss and consider zoning text amendment to Article 27 of the Lake County Zoning Ordinance pertaining to the Cultivation of Commercial Cannabis. The applicant is the county of Lake.

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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From left, Sgt. Victor Rico and Sgt. Andrew Welter of the Lakeport Police Department were sworn in on Monday, April 5, 2021, in Library Park in Lakeport, California. Photos courtesy of the Lakeport Police Department.


LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport Police Department is celebrating its two new sergeants.

In a brief ceremony held at the gazebo in Library Park on Monday morning, Chief Brad Rasmussen administered the oath to newly promoted sergeants Victor Rico and Andrew Welter.

Rasmussen said a major goal of the city of Lakeport and the Lakeport Police Department has been realized with the promotion of Rico and Welter from the ranks of the department’s officers.

Both men were originally recruited in the department’s hiring local campaign which seeks to employ police officer candidates who are already members of and have strong ties to the Lake County community.

This hiring program is a collaborative effort between the Lakeport Police Department and the City’s Human Resources Department that has been in place for the last seven years.

Sgt. Rico grew up in Kelseyville and attended school there, graduating from Kelseyville High School in 2008. He went on to attend Mendocino College and Sacramento State University.

He worked for the Lake County Sheriff’s Office as a deputy sheriff between September 2014 and May 2016, at which time he made a lateral move to the Lakeport Police Department as a police officer.

During his five years with the Lakeport Police Department, he has served in the supervisor in training program, as a school resource officer, detective, firearms, taser and less lethal device instructor, and armorer and drug abuse resistance instructor. Sgt. Rico is fluent – in speaking and in writing – in both English and Spanish.

Sgt. Welter was raised in the Middletown and Hidden Valley Lake areas, graduating from Middletown High School in 2011. He attended Santa Rosa Junior College and while attending worked for the Santa Rosa Junior College Police Department.

He also worked for Hidden Valley Lake Security Services for five years and was a firefighter for South Lake County Fire Protection District for two years.

In March of 2016 he was hired by the Lakeport Police Department to attend the police academy and work as a police officer.

During his five years with Lakeport Police, Welter has served in the supervisor in training program, as a field training officer and was recently assigned and trained as a traffic radar/LiDAR instructor. He was selected as Veterans of Foreign Wars Lakeport Post Police Officer of the Year in 2017.

“The national law enforcement hiring crisis becoming progressively worse over the past five years has led to having fewer experienced candidates available to move into critical supervisory roles,” Rasmussen said.

Recognizing this as a continuing problem into the future, in early 2019 the Lakeport Police Department and the city of Lakeport’s Human Resources Department developed a supervisor in training program – basically a sergeant in training – and took a plan to the Lakeport City Council, which immediately agreed to fund it.

Over the past two years, four Lakeport Police officers went through this training program and became eligible to test for sergeant.

Given that the supervisor in training program has been successful, the city’s police and human resources departments collaborated last fall to develop an extensive assessment center testing process designed to determine if a candidate could function and be successful in the highly complex job of police sergeant.

The 10-hour assessment center consisted of submitting a letter of interest, a resume and new job application, pre-test research and a writing assignment graded by an editor from outside the department, preparing and delivering a group presentation to an evaluating board, counseling an employee related to complex issues in front of an evaluating board, and answering complex questions from an evaluating board.

The evaluating board for all of the assignments consisted of the city’s human resources director, Kelly Buendia, along with Lakeport Police Lt. Dale Stoebe, an outside agency police chief, an outside agency police captain, and a local community member knowledgeable about issues and concerns in our community.

After the assessment center testing in February, advancing candidates had to pass an interview with the chief of police related to complex leadership, management and supervisory topics.

“The job of a police sergeant is one of the most critical in a police agency; their leadership practice creates a stage for how the agency will function,” said Rasmussen.

“The Lakeport Police Department operates in a manner that respects and protects the rights of everyone,” Rasmussen said. “To complete the process of becoming a police sergeant in today’s complex world for law enforcement takes significant time and is not a simple task. Based on the credibility of the process, we are confident that we are producing supervisors who will act in the best interest of the community, city and police agency.”

Rasmussen added, “We express thanks and appreciation to our city management and council for supporting our supervisor in training program, and to our police lieutenant, the human resources staff for its work on the assessment center process, and our team of outside evaluators.”

From left, Sgt. Victor Rico and Sgt. Andrew Welter and Lakeport Police Chief Brad Rasmussen during the swearing-in ceremony on Monday, April 5, 2021, in Library Park in Lakeport, California. Photo by John Jensen/Lake County News.
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The California Highway Patrol, California Office of Traffic Safety and Impact Teen Drivers are working together this April to remind Californians of the dangers of not giving the road their full attention when behind the wheel as part of Distracted Driving Awareness Month.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports 3,142 people were killed in motor vehicle crashes involving distracted drivers in 2019 nationwide.

That same year in California, there were at least 18,698 crashes from distracted driving that resulted in 108 deaths and more than 13,500 injuries.

“Driving safely requires your full attention,” CHP Commissioner Amanda Ray said. “Distractions put you and others on the road at risk. Together, with our traffic safety partners, enforcement, and the cooperation of the motoring public, we can save lives and eliminate this dangerous behavior on California’s roadways.”

Distractions are not limited to cellular phones. Other electronics, children, pets, and eating or drinking while driving can also divert attention and result in a crash.

Breaking distracted driving laws becomes more serious this year. Beginning July 1, a violation for using a handheld cellular phone or texting while driving will result in a fine and also add a point to the driver’s record for each violation occurring within 36 months of a prior conviction for the same offense.

“Distracted driving is a serious issue that is 100 percent preventable,” California Office of Traffic Safety Director Barbara Rooney said. “That text, phone call, or social post is never more important than the task of driving.”

As part of Distracted Driving Awareness Month, the first week of April is California Teen Safe Driving Week.

Throughout the week, CHP and Impact Teen Drivers will place an increased emphasis on informing California’s newest drivers about the dangers and consequences of reckless and distracted driving.

“Parents, your kids have been watching you drive since they were in a forward-facing car seat,” Kelly Browning, Ph.D., executive director of ITD, said. “Your driving habits will become their driving habits – be the driver you want your kids to be.”
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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Three people suffered major injuries and one driver was arrested on suspicion of being under the influence following a head-on wreck on Highway 29 near Lower Lake on Saturday afternoon.

The California Highway Patrol’s Clear Lake Area office said driver Ernesto Martinez, 29, of Fairfield suffered major injuries and was arrested, with alcohol and drugs suspected factors in the wreck.

The driver of the second vehicle, Stacey M. Folmar, 42, and her passenger, 16-year-old Garrett Folmar, both of Lower Lake, also suffered major injuries, the CHP said.

The CHP said the crash occurred at 4:20 p.m. Saturday on Highway 29 south of Spruce Grove Road North.

Martinez was driving his 2005 Mercedes-Benz E500 northbound on Highway 29 while Stacey Folmar was driving her 2014 Dodge Challenger southbound, with Garrett Folmar in the passenger seat, the CHP said.

For reasons the CHP said are still under investigation, Martinez allowed his vehicle to cross the solid double yellow lines, resulting in the front of the Mercedes-Benz colliding with the front of Folmar's Dodge Challenger.

The CHP said Martinez was not wearing his seat belt, but both of the Folmars were.

The highway was closed down for more than two hours while firefighters and CHP officers worked at the scene, based on radio traffic and CHP reports.

Three air ambulances responded to the scene, with Martinez and Stacey Folmar transported separately to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital and Garrett Folmar taken to Queen of the Valley Hospital in Napa, the CHP 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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Bureau of Land Management Ukiah, California, Field Manager Nick Lavrov. Photo courtesy BLM.

NORTH COAST, Calif. — Nicholas “Nick” Lavrov is embracing the challenge of serving as the Bureau of Land Management Ukiah field manager, overseeing management of more than 270,000 acres of public land within nine counties in Northern California.

“There’s never a dull moment. There are so many complex, multi-faceted issues in managing our BLM public lands and balancing the various uses in our multiple-use mission,” Lavrov said. “I enjoy working with the Ukiah Field Office staff who are very knowledgeable and dedicated to caring for our resources. I look forward to helping to improve our recreation areas and protecting our riparian areas.”

The challenges of the job became apparent immediately for Lavrov.

On Aug. 17, his second day, the LNU Lightning Complex fire started, burning more than 360,000 acres, including more than 46,000 acres of public lands managed by the Ukiah Field Office. Lavrov and his staff are still dealing with recovery.

As field manager, Lavrov oversees a field office jurisdiction covering parts of Marin, Mendocino, Lake, Sonoma, Napa, Colusa, Glenn, Yolo and Solano counties.

The field office manages areas including parts of the California Coastal National Monument in the Point Arena-Stornetta area and the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument, managed jointly with the Mendocino National Forest.

The field office also administers geothermal leasing at The Geysers, the world’s largest geothermal steam field and the Cow Mountain Recreation Area, which includes the first Congressionally designated OHV area.

Lavrov grew up in the North San Francisco Bay Area. In the late 90s, he started his career with the National Park Service as a senior park ranger, managing special uses at the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, which includes Alcatraz Island.

He has also served as a patrol ranger and inspector for the San Francisco Water Department, as a watermaster for the U. S. Bureau of Reclamation, and as park manager for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Additionally, Lavrov has experience serving on incident management teams for emergency response.

“We are fortunate to have Nick on our team,” says BLM Central California District Manager Chris Heppe. “His experience and leadership in natural resource management combined with his knowledge of the northern California inland and coastal areas have been valuable additions to our Ukiah Field Office.”

Lavrov succeeds Amanda James, who moved to a position with the BLM in Montana.

When not in the office, he enjoys traveling, gardening, hiking and skiing.
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Brightly dyed eggs are customary at modern Easter celebrations, but the practice of decorating eggs has roots in ancient times. These eggs were colored by the author's granddaughter. Photo by Esther Oertel.

MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – I was born into a family of very creative souls, and at no time during the year was this on more collective display than when we colored eggs for Easter.

We didn’t have much – there were no extravagant Easter presents and no Easter Sunday ham – but we went all out when it came to decorating eggs.

Old newspapers were spread to protect our rustic kitchen table and supplies were laid out - dozens of cups of dye, wax crayons, egg dippers, colored tissue paper and the like – and then we got to work. It was an hours-long process, and the joy derived from that endeavor was epic.

My mother, my four siblings and I developed all kinds of techniques that were honed and perfected through the years, and we were always very proud of the result. At least six dozen artistically dyed eggs were ready for hiding on Easter morning by the time we were done.

This year I was able to decorate eggs with my granddaughter, a happy process. She’s 4 and a half and not quite ready for the complex egg-dying techniques of my childhood, but much joy was borne out of our experience. She was proud to take home a dozen brightly colored eggs to show her mother after our session.

The tradition of decorating eggs is an ancient one, going back at least 60,000 years, as evidenced by engraved ostrich eggs found in Africa.

Decorated eggs, as well as representations of eggs in gold and silver, were placed in the graves of the ancient Sumerians and Egyptians some 5,000 years ago.

In some early cultures, such as pre-dynastic Egypt, Mesopotamia and Crete, eggs symbolized death and rebirth, as well as kingship. It was a common symbol of fertility in others.

For early Christians, eggs represented the empty tomb of Jesus, from which they believed he was resurrected.

As Anne Jordan writes in her textbook, Christianity, “Easter eggs are used as a Christian symbol to represent the empty tomb. The outside of the egg looks dead but inside there is new life, which is going to break out. The Easter egg is a reminder that Jesus will rise from His tomb and bring new life.”

Some sources believe that the custom of the Easter, or Paschal, egg can be traced to the early Christians of Mesopotamia, eventually spreading from there to Eastern Europe and Siberia through the Orthodox Church and later into Europe through Catholic and Protestant churches.

Other scholars maintain that the tradition arose in Western Europe during the Middle Ages, when eggs were forbidden during Lent. They speculate that eggs became part of the Easter celebration when the Lenten fast was broken.

The tradition of dying eggs no doubt stems from ancient Christians who stained eggs red to symbolize the blood of Christ shed on the cross. This tradition of dying eggs red continues today in the Orthodox and Eastern Catholic churches.

A legend exists in Eastern Christianity about Mary Magdalene, a disciple of Christ, who is said to have brought cooked eggs to share with the other women at the tomb of Jesus. They are purported to have miraculously turned bright red when she saw the risen Christ.

In Judaism, a hard-boiled egg representing festival sacrifice is part of the Passover Seder plate, and there is speculation that early Christians may have added to that tradition with the use of red dye to represent the blood of Christ.

Interestingly, Sephardic Jews of Spain prepare a braised egg dish called huevos haminados, in which patterns are created on the eggs by dying them with onion skins, tea leaves or coffee.

Some say that the Passover custom of hunting for the afikomen (a half piece of matzo) may be the precursor to the tradition of an Easter egg hunt.

Whenever and wherever the custom of the Easter egg originated and however it evolved, eggs have been part of Easter celebrations since the earliest times.

Just in case you’ve got a lot of hard-boiled eggs on hand this Easter, today’s recipe, curried egg salad stuffed into pasta shells, will help you use them up. These are meant to be eaten out of hand and are quite portable, so will do well on a picnic or as a passed hors d’oeuvre. Walnuts and parsley add texture and freshness to the mixture. Enjoy!

Pasta shells with curried egg salad

16 or 20 large pasta shells
6 hard-cooked eggs, peeled and chopped
1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 – 3 teaspoons curry powder
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
¼ cup finely chopped walnuts
¼ cup finely chopped parsley
Salt and pepper to taste, if desired
1 large bowl filled with cold water and 2 tablespoons salad oil

Cook pasta in boiling, salted water until just tender, about 10 minutes. When cooked, remove with a slotted spoon to drain in a colander. Immerse pasta in cold water until completely cooled. Drain well and pat dry with paper towels if necessary.

Combine mayonnaise, curry powder and mustard. Taste and adjust seasonings, if needed. Mix eggs, nuts and parsley with dressing. Stuff egg mixture into shells. Garnish with additional parsley, if desired.

Recipe by Esther Oertel.

Esther Oertel is a writer and passionate home cook from a family of chefs. She grew up in a restaurant, where she began creating recipes from a young age. She’s taught culinary classes in a variety of venues in Lake County and previously wrote “The Veggie Girl” column for Lake County News. Most recently she’s taught culinary classes at Sur La Table in Santa Rosa. She lives in Middletown.
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California State Sen. Mike McGuire’s bill that would create a new, innovative system for collecting and dispensing revenue from transient occupancy taxes, or TOT, for short-term vacation rentals has passed its first committee in the Senate.

McGuire’s office said the bill is a critical step in supporting local governments as they try to collect millions of dollars in revenue statewide to support vital city and county services like fire and police, public health, good roads, and for parks and libraries.

In California, nearly every city and county levies TOT, and the revenue collected is typically used to support essential government services.

Unlike with hotels and motels, local jurisdictions often have an incredibly difficult time collecting TOT on short-term vacation rentals because hosts are not always aware of the requirement to collect and remit these taxes, and local governments do not always know what properties are being used for short-term vacation rentals.

SB 555 will help cities and counties collect this untapped revenue by creating a statewide TOT collection program administered by the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration, or CDTFA, for local jurisdictions who choose to participate.

This program would require short-term vacation rental platforms, such as Airbnb or VRBO, to collect the appropriate TOT from customers when a short-term rental is booked through the platform. The platform would then remit the funds collected to CDTFA, who would then distribute the revenue to the city or county.

“Hundreds of cities and counties don’t collect bed taxes from short-term vacation rentals and this is a simple statewide solution that will collect and invest in vital services that will help California cities and counties thrive,” McGuire said. “SB 555 will provide cities and counties the ability to opt-in to a statewide program to collect bed tax revenue from tourists, which will in turn be reinvested into fire and police services, local parks and libraries, and economic development projects. It also ensures that all short-term vacation rental platforms do their part and even the playing field.”

This program would be an opt-in for local municipalities, and those municipalities would be required to enact an ordinance to participate. This bill does not prohibit local agencies who want to continue with their own voluntary collection agreements with platforms from doing so.

Rather, SB 555 gives jurisdictions that have not found success in entering voluntary collection agreements, which are the majority of cities and counties across California, with hosting platforms the ability to collect this vital and untapped revenue.

SB 555 passed 5-0 last week in the Senate Governance and Finance Committee.

It will head to the Senate Judiciary Committee in the coming weeks.
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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Board of Supervisors this week will discuss priorities for grant funding and present several proclamations.

The‌ ‌meeting‌ ‌will‌ ‌begin‌ ‌at‌ ‌9‌ ‌a.m.‌ ‌Tuesday,‌ ‌April 6, 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,‌ ‌online‌ ‌at‌ ‌https://countyoflake.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx‌‌ and‌ ‌on‌ ‌the‌ ‌county’s‌ ‌Facebook‌ ‌page.‌ ‌Accompanying‌ ‌board‌ ‌documents,‌ ‌the‌ ‌agenda‌ ‌and‌ ‌archived‌ ‌board‌ ‌meeting‌ ‌videos‌ ‌also‌ ‌are‌ ‌available‌ ‌at‌ ‌that‌ ‌link.‌ ‌

To‌ ‌participate‌ ‌in‌ ‌real-time,‌ ‌join‌ ‌the‌ ‌Zoom‌ ‌meeting‌ ‌by‌ ‌clicking‌ ‌this‌ ‌link‌ ‌at‌ ‌9‌ ‌a.m.‌ ‌

The‌ ‌meeting‌ ‌ID‌ ‌is‌ 958 4898 4239,‌ ‌passcode 065514.‌ ‌The meeting also can be accessed via one tap mobile at +16699006833,,95848984239#,,,,*065514# US.

All interested members of the public that do not have internet access or a Mediacom cable subscription are encouraged to call 669-900-6833, and enter the Zoom meeting ID and passcode information above.

To‌ ‌submit‌ ‌a‌ ‌written‌ ‌comment‌ ‌on‌ ‌any‌ ‌agenda‌ ‌item‌ ‌please‌ ‌visit‌ ‌https://countyoflake.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx‌‌ and‌ ‌click‌ ‌on‌ ‌the‌ ‌eComment‌ ‌feature‌ ‌linked‌ ‌to‌ ‌the‌ ‌meeting‌ ‌date.‌ ‌If‌ ‌a‌ ‌comment‌ ‌is‌ ‌submitted‌ ‌after‌ ‌the‌ ‌meeting‌ ‌begins,‌ ‌it‌ ‌may‌ ‌not‌ ‌be‌ ‌read‌ ‌during‌ ‌the‌ ‌meeting‌ ‌but‌ ‌will‌ ‌become‌ ‌a‌ ‌part‌ ‌of‌ ‌the‌ ‌record.‌ ‌

In an untimed item, the board will consider confirming the highest priority projects for submittal for the Community Project Funding Program, including the Lakeport Armory facility repurposing and expansion for wildfire training, the Full Circle Effluent Pipeline Preliminary Design Report update, and pedestrian traffic and street improvements.

The board will present proclamations for Public Health Week, Child Abuse Prevention Month, Alcohol Awareness Month and Bird Appreciation Month in Lake County.

In an item on the consent agenda, the board will consider approving a resolution urging the California Citizens Redistricting Commission to keep Lake, Napa County and Sonoma counties within the same United States Congressional District.

The full agenda follows.

CONSENT AGENDA

5.1: Approve request for qualifications for newspaper of general circulation.

5.2: Approve letter opposing SB 271.

5.3: Adopt proclamation designating April 2021 as Bird Appreciation Month in Lake County.

5.4: Approve letter supporting the proposed Assembly Bill 14 – Internet for All Act of 2021 (Aguiar-Curry) and authorizing chair to sign.

5.5: Adopt resolution urging the California Citizens Redistricting Commission to keep Lake County, Napa County and Sonoma county within the same United States Congressional District.

5.6: Approve Agreement No. 21-73-06-0256 with the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services for period July 1, 2021, through June 30, 2022, for the amount of $114,610.

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 first amendment to the agreement between the county of Lake and Lake County Office of Education - Safe Schools Healthy Students Program for School-Based Specialty Mental Health Services in the amount of $205,000 for Fiscal Year 2020-21 and authorize the board chair to sign the amendment.

5.8: (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 first amendment to the agreement between the county of Lake and Remi Vista Inc. in the amount of $15,000 for Specialty Mental Health Services for Fiscal Year 2020-21 and authorize the chair to sign.

5.9: Adopt proclamation designating April 2021 as Alcohol Awareness Month.

5.10: Adopt proclamation designating April 2021 Child Abuse Prevention Month.

5.11: Approve minutes of the Board of Supervisors meetings on Sept. 16, 2020, March 16, 2021 and March 23, 2021.

5.12: Adopt proclamation designating Public Health Week April 5 to 11, 2021.

5.13: Approve the continuation of a local health emergency related to the 2019 Coronavirus (COVID-19) as proclaimed by the Lake County Public Health officer.

5.14: Approve the continuation of resolution ratifying the declaration of local health emergency and order prohibiting the endangerment of the community through the unsafe removal, transport, and disposal of fire debris for the LNU Complex wildfire.

5.15: Approve the continuation of a local emergency due to the Mendocino Complex fire incident (River and Ranch fires).

5.16: Approve the continuation of a local emergency due to the Pawnee Fire incident.

5.17: Approve the continuation of a local emergency due to COVID-19.

5.18: Approve the continuation of a local emergency in Lake County in response to the LNU Lightning Complex wildfire event.

5.19: Sitting as the Lake County Sanitation District, (a) Waive the formal bidding process, pursuant to Lake County Code Section 2-38.4, Cooperative Purchases, (b) approve purchase of a 2021 Chevy 3500 Double Cab truck and authorize the Special Districts administrator/assistant purchasing agent to issue and sign a purchase order not to exceed $90,000 to Elk Grove Auto/Winner Chevrolet.

5.20: Approve Amendment No. 4 to the tower and ground space agreement with AT&T and US Cellular and authorize the chair to sign.

5.21: (a) Approve purchase of one (1) 2021 Chevy Silverado 2500 Crew 4x4 from Matt Mazzei Chevrolet in the amount of $37,958.49 from the Sheriff/Pursuit Replacement Budget Unit 2217, Object Code 62.72 and (b) authorize the sheriff or his designee to sign the purchase order.

5.22: Approve updated program guidelines for the County of Lake Homebuyer Acquisition Assistance Program and Housing Rehabilitation Program.

5.23: Approve third amendment to lease agreement between county of Lake and Gary Sada and Sheila Sada for $86,332.68, from July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2022, for the property located at 926 S. Forbes St. in Lakeport.

5.24: Approve waiver of the 900 hour limit for certain janitorial positions within the Department of Social Services.

5.25: Approve fifth amendment to the lease agreement between county of Lake and Ewing and Associates for the Child Welfare Services parking lot located on South Forbes Street in Lakeport, for the amount of $4,800 from July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2022, and authorize the chair to sign.

TIMED ITEMS

6.2, 9:06 a.m.: Consideration of update on COVID-19.

6.3, 9:45 a.m.: Consideration of the County of Lake COVID-19 Public Health Emergency Worksite Protocol.

6.4, 10 a.m.: Presentation of proclamation designating Public Health Week April 5 to 11, 2021.

6.5, 10:05 a.m.: Presentation of proclamation designating April 2021 as Child Abuse Prevention Month.

6.6, 10:10 a.m.: Presentation of proclamation designating April 2021 as Alcohol Awareness Month.

6.7, 10:15 a.m.: Presentation of proclamation designating April 2021 as Bird Appreciation Month in Lake County.

6.8, 10:20 a.m.: Consideration of resolution of the Board of Supervisors of the county of Lake, state of California confirming the prior transfer from the former Lake County Redevelopment Agency to the Lake County Housing agency of certain real property liens, and authorizing assignments of deeds of trust to reflect that transfer.

6.9, 10:30 a.m.: Sitting as the Lake County Housing Commission Board of Directors, consider request from the Rural Communities Housing Development Corp. to divest security and previous development interest in real property in consideration of a new agreement to develop affordable housing at 6853 Collier Avenue, Nice, California (APN: 031-053-220-000).

6.10, 3 p.m.: Discussion and Consideration of zoning ordinance amendment to Article 21-27 regarding the transition of applications impacted by the Farmland Protection Zone.

UNTIMED ITEMS

7.2: Consideration of discussion of plans and preparation for April 16 board governance workshop.

7.3: Consideration of resolutions of the Board of Supervisors of the county of Lake, state of California confirming the highest priority projects for submittal for the Community Project Funding Program: (a) Lakeport Armory facility repurposing and expansion for wildfire training; (b) Full Circle Effluent Pipeline Preliminary Design Report update; (c) pedestrian traffic and street improvements.

7.4: Consideration of award of proposal for the professional consulting services for Big Valley Groundwater Basin (5-015) Groundwater Sustainability Plan Lake County, CA. RFP No. 21-02, to Luhdorff & Scalmanini, Consulting Engineers and Stantec Consulting Services in the amount of $1,328,485.39 and authorize the chair to sign.

CLOSED SESSION

8.1: Conference with legal counsel: Existing Litigation pursuant to Gov. Code section 54956.9(d)(1) -Center for Biological Diversity v. County of Lake, et al.

8.2: Conference with legal counsel: Existing Litigation pursuant to Gov. Code section 54956.9(d)(1) – California Native Plant Society v. County of Lake, et al.

8.3: Conference with legal counsel: Existing Litigation pursuant to Gov. Code section 54956.9 (d)(1) – Citizens for Environmental Protection and Responsible Planning, et al. v. County of Lake, et al.

8.4: Conference with legal counsel: Significant exposure to Litigation pursuant to Gov. Code section 54956.9 (d)(2) (e)(4) – One potential case.

8.5: Public employee evaluation: Animal Control director.

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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Purple mouse-ears. Photo by Kim Riley.

Name: Mimulus douglasii
Family: Mimulus (Monkeyflower)
Common Names: Purple mouse-ears
Colors: Pale pink to deep fuschia and purple

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The diminutive flower that packs a colorful punch and is often found on serpentine soils, mimulus douglasii (purple mouse-ears) is a species of monkeyflower known by the common names brownies and purple mouse-ears and is native to Lake County and the mountains and foothills of California and Oregon.

Purple mouse-ears attracts native bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds, and is a lovely addition to border areas of your garden or farm if you have heavy clay soils; it can survive in dry (serpentine) soils as well as near wetlands or irrigation as long as the soils are nutrient-deficient.

While the flower itself has five petals, it is called purple mouse-ears for the 2 prominent upper lobes, much like a field mouse.

It’s preferred habitat is in soils composed primarily of serpentine, the slick-green rock found in many areas of Lake County. Although not as well known as the state flower California poppy (Eschscholzia californica), serpentine is actually the official California state rock.

In next week’s column, we’ll discuss serpentine-laden soils and the unique plant species found on them, but for this week, if you have the chance to explore right now and find small 1- to 2-inch plants with stunning colors and ears, chances are you’re looking at purple mouse-ears! They will typically be in bloom for a few more weeks.

Nurseries where you can purchase seeds: Unknown at this time.

Terre Logsdon is an environmentalist, composter, and advocate for agroecology solutions to farming. An avid fan and protector of California wildflowers, plants, natural resources, and the environment, she seeks collaborative solutions to mitigate the effects of climate change. Kim Riley is retired, an avid hiker at Highland Springs, and has lived in Lake County since 1985. After 15 years of trail recovery and maintenance on the Highland Springs trails, she is now focused on native plants, including a native plant and pollinator garden on her property as well as promoting and preserving the beauty of the Highland Springs Recreation Area. Karen Sullivan has operated two nurseries to propagate and cultivate native plants and wildflowers, has lived in Kelseyville for the past 30 years, rides horses far and wide to see as many flowers as possible, and offers native plants and wildflowers for sale to the public. They are collaborating on a book, Highland Springs Recreation Area: A Field Guide, which will be published in the future. In the meanwhile, please visit https://www.facebook.com/HighlandSpringsNaturalists and https://www.facebook.com/HighlandSpringsRecreationArea.
Purple mouse-ears. Photo by Kim Riley.
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A map of vegetation removal work along Highway 175 near Kelseyville, California, planned for Thursday, April 8, 2021. Courtesy image.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Pacific Gas and Electric Co. said it will begin routine vegetation maintenance work along a stretch of Highway 175 in Kelseyville this week.

Starting on Thursday, the company said it will remove vegetation that is overhanging power lines, work that may impact drivers.

Those who are in the area between mile markers 13.792 and 13.911 of Highway 175 may see tree-trimmers and oversized equipment working from approximately 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

At least one lane of the highway will be closed and there is the possibility that both lanes could be closed for safety, due to oversized equipment, PG&E said.

There will be traffic management in place to guide drivers safely through the work area, which stretches approximately 634 feet along Highway 175.

PG&E said the work is to maintain regulatory compliance. General Order 95, issued by the California Public Utilities Commission, requires a year-round clearance below power lines of a minimum 18 inches.

New fire safety regulations require a minimum clearance of four feet year-round for high-voltage power lines in the CPUC-designated High Fire-Threat Districts.

PG&E said it inspects approximately 100,000 miles of overhead power lines, with some locations patrolled multiple times a year.

It also prunes or removes approximately one million trees annually to maintain clearance from power lines, and addresses dead and dying trees in areas affected by drought and bark beetles.

For more information on PG&E’s vegetation management work, customers can visit www.pge.com/trees.
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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Lakeport City Council this week will present several proclamations for the month of April and get a report about the city’s utilities operations.

The council will meet at 6 p.m. Tuesday, April 6.

The meeting will be by teleconference only. The city council chambers will not be open to the public.

The agenda can be found here.

To speak on an agenda item, access the meeting remotely here or join by phone by calling toll-free 669-900-9128 or 346-248-7799. The webinar ID is 973 6820 1787, access code is 477973; the audio pin will be shown after joining the webinar. Those phoning in without using the web link will be in “listen mode” only and will not be able to participate or comment.

Comments can be submitted by email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. To give the City Clerk adequate time to print out comments for consideration at the meeting, please submit written comments prior to 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 6.

Indicate in the email subject line "for public comment" and list the item number of the agenda item that is the topic of the comment. Comments that read to the council will be subject to the three-minute time limitation (approximately 350 words). Written comments that are only to be provided to the council and not read at the meeting will be distributed to the council prior to the meeting.

On Tuesday, the council will present proclamations designating April as Sexual Assault Awareness Month, Child Abuse Prevention Month and Fair Housing Month in the city of
Lakeport.

In council business, Utilities Superintendent Paul Harris will present an overview of the utilities operations.

Finance Director Nick Walker also will present amendments to the fiscal year 2020-21 city budget as recommended by staff for the council’s approval.

On the consent agenda – items considered noncontroversial and usually accepted as a slate on one vote – are ordinances, minutes of the regular council meeting on March 16 and a proposed resolution adopting a records retention schedule, and authorizing destruction of certain City records and rescinding Resolution No. 2746 (2020).

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. – Lake County Animal Care and Control has five dogs of different breeds ready for new homes.

Dogs available for adoption this week include mixes of Akita, boxer, Miniature Pinscher, husky, shepherd and pit bull.

Dogs that are adopted from Lake County Animal Care and Control are either neutered or spayed, microchipped and, if old enough, given a rabies shot and county license before being released to their new owner. License fees do not apply to residents of the cities of Lakeport or Clearlake.

The following dogs at the Lake County Animal Care and Control shelter have been cleared for adoption (additional dogs on the animal control Web site not listed are still “on hold”).

Call Lake County Animal Care and Control at 707-263-0278 or visit the shelter online at http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control.htm for information on visiting or adopting.

“Sophie” is a female boxer-pit bull mix in kennel No. 18, ID No. 14356. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control.

‘Sophie’

“Sophie” is a female boxer-pit bull mix with a short red coat.

She is in kennel No. 18, ID No. 14356.

This young female Miniature Pinscher is in kennel No. 22, ID No. 14446. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control.

Female Miniature Pinscher

This young female Miniature Pinscher has a short red coat.

She is in kennel No. 22, ID No. 14446.

“Apollo” is a male Akita mix in kennel No. 23, ID No. 14445. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control.

‘Apollo’

“Apollo” is a male Akita mix with a short black and white coat.

He has been neutered.

He’s in kennel No. 23, ID No. 14445.

This young male husky-pit bull terrier mix is in kennel No. 24, ID No. 14437. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control.

Husky-pit bull terrier

This young male husky-pit bull terrier mix has a short blue and white coat.

He’s in kennel No. 24, ID No. 14437.

“Husk” is a male shepherd mix in kennel No. 26, ID No. 14429. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control.

‘Husk’

“Husk” is a male shepherd mix with a short black and brindle coat.

He is in kennel No. 26, ID No. 14429.

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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