Michael Pritchard. Courtesy photo. LAKEPORT, Calif. – Michael Pritchard, a nationally acclaimed speaker praised by the Wall Street Journal, CNN, and Time Magazine, will appear at the Soper Reese Theatre on Saturday, Dec. 8.
Shows are at 2 and 7 p.m.
The shows are free to all. Donations gratefully accepted. Doors open 30 minutes before each show. Sponsored by A Positive Light meditation center in Kelseyville, by the Tallman Hotel and by HeartLand Media.
Drawing from his counseling background, Pritchard began using humor to inspire, teach communication skills, anger management, diversity, conflict resolution and overcoming burnout and stress.
Using his stand-up comedic delivery, Pritchard will speak on the topics of bullying, diversity, skillful communication, and conflict resolution.
Famous for his ability to use humor to inspire and educate his audiences on life skills, Pritchard has performed stand-up comedy with Robin Williams, Jerry Seinfeld, Dana Carvey and Whoopi Goldberg.
His messages are related to communication skills and ways to renew commitment, important topics for elementary, middle and high school students and their parents.
He visited Lake County to speak to students about bullying in 2017. A video of his Lake County appearance is below.
The Soper Reese Theatre is located at 275 S. Main St., Lakeport.
A wide view of Northern California, where burn scars from nine major 2018 fires are visible from space. The image was acquired by Terra MODIS on November 25, 2018. NASA Earth Observatory images by Lauren Dauphin, using MODIS data from NASA EOSDIS/LANCE and GIBS/Worldview. NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – New images released this week by NASA’s Earth Observatory show the impact of this year’s wildland fires on the Northern California landscape.
The 2018 fire season in California has been record-breaking.
The Mendocino Complex – the majority of which burned in Lake County – was California’s largest fire by burned area on record, destroying nearly half a million acres. In began July 27 in Mendocino County and continued until Sept. 18, ultimately burning not just into Lake but also Colusa and Glenn counties.
The Camp fire in November was the deadliest and most destructive in state history, completely wiping out the town of Paradise and killing dozens of people.
“Every year, we keep hearing fires labeled as ‘the biggest,’ ‘worst’ and ‘deadliest’,” said Amber Soja, a wildfire scientist at NASA’s Langley Research Center. “We keep hearing that this is the ‘new normal.’ Hopefully it’s not true for long, but right now it is.”
In addition to the Mendocino Complex – which included the Ranch and River fires – and the Camp fire, the top image shows the burn scars for the following fires:
– Carr fire: July 23 to Aug. 30 in Shasta and Trinity counties, burned more than 1,600 structures and 229,651 acres; eight fatalities – three firefighters, five civilians. – County fire: July 17 to 30 in Napa and Yolo counties, destroyed 20 structures and burned 90,288 acres. – Hirz fire: Aug. 9 to Sept. 12 in Shasta County, burned 46,150 acres. – Klamathon fire: July 5 to 21 in Siskiyou County, burned 38,008 acres and destroyed 82 structures; one fatality. – Stone fire: Aug. 15 to Aug. 29, Modoc County, burned 39,387 acres. – Whaleback fire: July 27 to Aug. 7, burned 18,703 acres.
California’s fire activity in 2018 is part of a longer trend of larger and more frequent fires in the western United States.
Of the total area burned in the West since 1950, 61 percent of it has occurred in the past two decades, according to Keith Weber, GIS director at Idaho State University and principal investigator of the NASA project RECOVER.
“The 2018 fire year is going to fit right in to what's been going on the last decade or two. In fact, it might be a taller spike in the overall trend,” Weber said.
High temperatures, low relative humidity, high wind speed, and scarce precipitation have increased dryness and made live and dead vegetation in western forests easier to burn.
“Those fire conditions all fall under weather and climate,” said Soja. “The weather will change as Earth warms, and we’re seeing that happen.”
Soja also noted that California had a really wet winter in 2017, which helped build up grass and brush in rural and forested areas.
The vegetation was an abundant fuel source as California headed into the 2018 dry season, which was exceptionally dry and lasted into late October.
As fires are becoming more numerous and frequent, NASA’s Disasters Program has been working with disaster managers to respond to the blazes.
For California’s Camp and Woolsey fires, NASA scientists and satellite analysts have been producing maps and damage assessments of the burned areas, including identifying areas that will be more susceptible to landslides in the upcoming winter.
Kasha Patel is a science writer at NASA.
The image above shows the charred land – known as a burn scar – from the Camp fire, which has destroyed more than 18,000 structures and caused dozens of deaths. The fire, which began November 8, 2018, and has burned more than 153,000 acres, is now fully contained, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. This image was acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite on November 25, 2018. NASA Earth Observatory images by Lauren Dauphin, using MODIS data from NASA EOSDIS/LANCE and GIBS/Worldview.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – After registering a record-low unemployment rate in September, Lake County’s jobless numbers edged upward slightly in October.
The latest report from the Employment Development Department showed that Lake County’s October unemployment rate was 4.7 percent, up from a revised 4.4 percent in September but still lower than the year-ago estimate of 5.1 percent.
Across California as a whole, unemployment held at 4.1 percent in October – a record low in a series dating back to 1976, the Employment Development Department reported. California’s October 2017 jobless rate was 4.5 percent.
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics said the nationwide unemployment rate for October was 3.7 percent, the same as September. The October 2017 national unemployment rate was 4.1 percent.
The state’s report said that California has gained more than three million jobs since the economic expansion began in February 2010.
In October, the state’s total number of nonfarm payroll jobs totaled 17,236,000, according to a survey of 71,000 California businesses. That’s up 308,700 jobs, or a 1.8-percent increase, from the previous October, the Employment Development Department reported.
A federal survey of 5,100 California households showed an increase in the number of employed Californians over the month and the year, estimating state residents holding jobs in October was 18,637,000, an increase of 55,000 from September and up 111,000 from the October 2017 employment total.
The report also showed that the number of unemployed Californians in October was 804,000, an increase of 1,000 over the month but down by 63,000 compared with October 2017.
In October, Lake County ranked No. 37 statewide for its jobless rate.
The preliminary estimate for October put the number of unemployed individuals at 1,410, compared to 1,330 in September and 1,500 in October 2017.
At the same time, the civilian workforce in Lake County included 30,070 individuals, compared with 30,360 in September and 29,680 the previous October, based on the report.
Industries that showed shifts in job numbers in October included total farm, which was down 27.2 percent from September but up 22.1 percent over last year.
Total nonfarm categories showed a drop of 0.5 percent, with the only subcategory showing growth being educational and health services, at 0.2 percent.
Neighboring county jobless rates and rankings in October are as follows: Colusa, 8.1 percent, No. 56; Glenn, 5 percent, No. 41; Mendocino, 3.5 percent, No. 18; Napa, 2.6 percent, No. 6; Sonoma, 2.5 percent, No. 4; and Yolo, 3.6 percent, No. 19, the report said.
Last month, San Mateo continued to hold onto the No. 1 ranking with the lowest jobless rate statewide, 2.1 percent, while Imperial County once came ranked No. 58, with a 19.2 percent rate.
During the October survey week, the Employment Development Department said there were 272,542 people receiving regular Unemployment Insurance benefits, compared with 284,790 in September and 299,272 in October of last year.
New claims for Unemployment Insurance in October totaled 40,032, compared with 34,519 in September and 42,114 in October of 2017, the Employment Development Department reported.
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.
This picture from August 2010 shows several Pearl Harbor survivors and sweethearts who had made Lake County, Calif., their home. Front row, left to right, are Bud Boner, Walter Urmann, Alice Darrow (husband Dean) Vanya Leighton (husband Fred) and Jim Harris; back row, child survivor Jackie Wages, Bill Slater, child survivor Penny Lunt and Henry Anderson. Boner, Urmann, Harris, Slater and Anderson have since died. Photo courtesy of Janeane Bogner. LAKEPORT, Calif. – The public is invited to participate in a ceremony on Friday, Dec. 7, commemorating the 77th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor.
The ceremony will take place from 9 to 9:30 a.m. at the Pearl Harbor Memorial Mast in Library Park in Lakeport.
Honored guests will be sweethearts Alice Darrow and Charlotte Bower, whose husbands were Pearl Harbor survivors.
Darrow, a Navy nurse during World War II, took care of Dean Darrow who had a bullet in his heart, and Charlotte Bower became the wife of Pearl Harbor Survivor Chuck Bower.
The engraved Lake County Memorial Pearl Harbor Survivors' bell will be tolled with all our survivors’ names being read.
The Lake County Military Funeral Honors Team will play “Taps” and fire a salvo as the US flag is lowered to half staff in memory of those who served at the Dec. 7 attack.
The community is invited to join in honoring these men who have served our country.
In the video below, Lake County Pearl Harbor survivors visit the USS Arizona at the 69th Anniversary convention at Pearl Harbor.
LAKEPORT, Calif. – The city of Lakeport has extended the application deadline for community members interested in serving on the Lakeport Fire Protection District Board.
The deadline has been extended to 5 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 12.
Interested community members who live within the fire district are invited to submit an application for appointment to serve on the district’s five-member board of directors.
The fire district board includes two board members nominated by the Lakeport City Council on the basis of interest and qualifications, and approved for appointment by the Lake County Board of Supervisors.
The fire district’s board of directors meet at 5 p.m. on the second Tuesday of each month at the Main Street Station.
Membership on this Board is voluntary. If you are interested in serving on the board, applications are available on the City’s Web site under the Hot Topic, “Now Recruiting: Lakeport Fire Protection District Board."
For additional information, please contact Deputy City Clerk Hilary Britton at 707-263-5615, Extension 102, or by e-mail at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
On Tuesday Gov. Jerry Brown announced several appointments to California’s Courts of Appeal.
Brown appointed Gordon B. Burns as associate justice, Division Five of the First District Court of Appeal; Brian S. Currey as associate justice, Division Four of the Second District Court of Appeal; Laurence D. Rubin as presiding justice, Division Five of the Second District Court of Appeal; and John Shepard Wiley Jr. as associate justice, Division Eight of the Second District Court of Appeal.
The annual compensation for each of these positions is $237,365.
First District Court of Appeal
Gordon B. Burns. Courtesy photo. Gordon B. Burns
Gordon B. Burns, 52, of Davis, has been appointed associate justice, Division Five of the First District Court of Appeal.
Burns has served as undersecretary at the California Environmental Protection Agency since 2011.
He was an attorney at the Resources Law Group LLC from 2010 to 2011 and served as deputy solicitor general at the California Department of Justice, Office of the Attorney General from 2006 to 2010, where he was also a deputy attorney general from 1997 to 2006. Burns was an associate at Downey, Brand, Seymour and Rohwer from 1994 to 1997.
He earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, Los Angeles.
Effective Nov. 30, Burns will fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Justice Terence L. Bruiniers.
This position requires confirmation by the Commission on Judicial Appointments. The commission consists of Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye, Attorney General Xavier Becerra and Senior Presiding Justice J. Anthony Kline.
Burns is a Democrat.
Second District Court of Appeal
Brian S. Currey. Courtesy photo. Brian S. Currey
Brian S. Currey, 62, of Manhattan Beach, has been appointed associate justice, Division Four of the Second District Court of Appeal.
Currey has served as a judge at the Los Angeles County Superior Court since 2014. He was of counsel at O’Melveny and Myers LLP from 2013 to 2014.
Currey was deputy mayor for economic and business policy in the Office of Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa in 2013 and counsel to the mayor from 2010 to 2013. He was a partner at O’Melveny and Myers LLP from 1989 to 2010, where he was an associate from 1981 to 1989.
Currey earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Virginia School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, Davis.
He fills the vacancy created by the elevation of Justice Nora M. Manella to presiding justice, Division Four of the Second District Court of Appeal.
This position requires the completion of a review by the State Bar's Commission on Judicial Nominees Evaluation and confirmation by the Commission on Judicial Appointments. The commission consists of Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye, Attorney General Xavier Becerra and Senior Presiding Justice Arthur Gilbert.
Currey is a Democrat.
Laurence D. Rubin. Courtesy photo. Laurence D. Rubin
Laurence D. Rubin, 72, of Los Angeles, has been appointed presiding justice, Division Five of the Second District Court of Appeal.
Rubin has served as an associate justice at the Second District Court of Appeal since 2001. He served as a judge at the Los Angeles County Superior Court in 2001 and at the Santa Monica Municipal Court from 1982 to 2001.
Rubin was of counsel at Mitchell, Silberberg and Knupp in 1982 and a partner at Kaplan, Livingston, Goodwin, Berkowitz and Selvin from 1978 to 1982, where he was an associate from 1973 to 1978. He served as a law clerk for the Honorable Stanley Mosk at the California Supreme Court from 1971 to 1972.
Rubin earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, Los Angeles.
He fills the vacancy created by the death of Presiding Justice Paul A. Turner.
This position requires confirmation by the Commission on Judicial Appointments. The commission consists of Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye, Attorney General Xavier Becerra and Senior Presiding Justice Arthur Gilbert.
Rubin is a Democrat.
John Shepard Wiley Jr. Courtesy photo. John Shepard Wiley Jr.
John Shepard Wiley Jr., 65, of Los Angeles, has been appointed associate justice, Division Eight of the Second District Court of Appeal.
Wiley has served as a judge at the Los Angeles County Superior Court since 2002. He was a policy consultant at the Federal Trade Commission in 2001 and special master at the U.S. District Court, Central District of California from 2000 to 2001.
Wiley was a teacher at the Federal Judicial Center from 1995 to 2008, an examiner for the Commission on Judicial Performance and of counsel at Mayer Brown from 1995 to 1999 and a visiting professor at Harvard Law School in 1998.
He served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Central District of California from 1990 to 1994 and was counsel for the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary in 1993.
He was a professor at the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law from 1983 to 2005 and served as a law clerk for the Honorable Lewis F. Powell, Jr. at the Supreme Court of the United States from 1981 to 1982 and for the Honorable Frank M. Coffin at the U.S. Court of Appeals, First Circuit from 1980 to 1981.
Wiley earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law, a Master of Arts degree in economics from the University of California, Berkeley and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, Davis. He is a member of the American Law Institute.
Wiley will fill the vacancy created by the elevation, subject to confirmation, of Justice Laurence D. Rubin to presiding justice, Division Five of the Second District Court of Appeal.
This position requires confirmation by the Commission on Judicial Appointments. The commission consists of Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye, Attorney General Xavier Becerra and Senior Presiding Justice Arthur Gilbert.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The California Highway Patrol said it is seeking the community’s help in its investigation of a hit-and-run crash north of Upper Lake last week that claimed the life of a Potter Valley man.
James Jobe Carpenter, 57, was the victim of the crash, according to a report from the CHP’s Clear Lake Area Office.
The CHP said that at 3 p.m. Monday, Nov. 19, Carpenter was found severely injured on the side of Elk Mountain Road, south of Forest Route 18N33, by a passing motorist.
The motorist attempted to seek aid for Carpenter, who died of his injuries shortly after he was found, the CHP said.
The CHP’s investigation determined Carpenter had been struck by a motor vehicle, likely a large pickup truck.
This week, the CHP said it’s unknown what type of vehicle struck Carpenter or who was driving the vehicle.
The agency also did not give an estimated time for when the crash occurred.
If anyone has any information regarding this incident, please contact the California Highway Patrol Clear Lake Area Office at 707-279-0103 or at 5700 Live Oak Drive in Kelseyville.
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.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Lake County Sheriff’s Office has identified the two women killed in a Saturday night head-on crash near Middletown.
Carrie Anne Horarik, 46, and Carol Amsbury Jackson, 77, both of Clearlake, were the victims of the wreck, according to Lt. Corey Paulich.
The California Highway Patrol said the fatal collision occurred on Highway 29 south of Grange Road shortly before 10:30 p.m. Saturday, as Lake County News has reported.
The CHP stated in its initial report that Horarik was driving a 2011 Nissan Sentra southbound when she crossed over the highway’s solid double yellow lines.
Horarik traveled directly into the path of Jackson, who was driving a 1999 Ford Ranger northbound, resulting in the head-on wreck, the CHP said.
Both Horarik and Jackson died at the scene, officials said.
The CHP said the crash’s cause remains under investigation.
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.
KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – On Monday, Dec. 3, celebrated North Bay economist and Sonoma State University professor Dr. Robert Eyler will present the Lake County Economic Development Strategy, a plan based on community visioning forums held earlier this year.
The plan will be presented at a historic joint meeting of the Lake County Board of Supervisors and Clearlake and Lakeport city councils, and the Lake County Economic Development Corp., or LCEDC.
The meeting will take place beginning at 9 a.m. at Kelseyville Presbyterian Church, 5340 Third St.
This year has been one of visioning for the county of Lake.
The Board of Supervisors, county department heads and staff collected the community’s priorities in January visioning forums, and brought forth a 10-year plan, Vision 2028, in April.
Since then, county officials reported that they have been collaborating, internally and alongside city partners and community leaders, to help Lake County face and see beyond its immediate challenges.
As they work together to build a brighter tomorrow, economic development is a high priority. There are endless opportunities for investment, and not enough financial or human resources to address them all.
An integrated and strategic approach is needed, to pave the way for all county residents to enjoy a future of possibility, hope and intelligent growth.
Lake County’s strategy is informed by county residents’ input at June’s economic development-focused community visioning forums, held throughout the county.
The final document was conceived in collaboration with all three Lake County local governments, the Workforce Alliance of the North Bay and LCEDC.
It identifies specific, actionable priorities that can help us begin to confront and reverse the effects of long-term poverty in our communities.
Hundreds of county residents contributed to the development of this plan. Now, every Lake County resident will have a stake and a role to play in implementing the plan, and opportunities to work hard for the betterment of present and future generations.
Some community members expressed during 2018’s forums, and in messages sent to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., that they are tired of seeing Lake County’s economy fall so short of the success of nearby neighbors.
County officials said they are committed to working with community members to provide pathways leading to bright futures, and to making those pathways available to all residents of Lake County. They said the Lake County Economic Development Strategy is a meaningful, positive step.
For more information, call LCEDC, 707-279-1540, Extension 101; the County Administrative Office, 707-263-2580; the city of Lakeport, 707-263-5615; or the city of Clearlake, 707-994-8201.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County Animal Control has a new big group of cats waiting for homes this week.
The following cats at the Lake County Animal Care and Control shelter have been cleared for adoption.
This female domestic short hair cat is in cat room kennel No. 24, ID No. 11423. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Female domestic short hair
This female domestic short hair cat has an orange tabby and white coat.
She’s in cat room kennel No. 24, ID No. 11423.
“Batman” is a male domestic short hair cat in cat room kennel No. 39, ID No. 11360. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. ‘Batman’
“Batman” is a male domestic short hair cat with a tuxedo coat.
He already has been neutered.
He’s in cat room kennel No. 39, ID No. 11360.
This handsome male domestic short hair cat is in cat room kennel No. 53, ID No. 11370. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Male domestic short hair
This handsome male domestic short hair cat has an all-black coat.
He already has been neutered.
He’s in cat room kennel No. 53, ID No. 11370.
“Princess” is a white domestic short hair cat in cat room kennel No. 70, ID No. 11361. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. ‘Princess’
“Princess” is a white domestic short hair cat with a white coat and green eyes.
She already has been spayed.
She’s in cat room kennel No. 70, ID No. 11361.
This male domestic short hair is in cat room kennel No. 117, ID No. 11418. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Male domestic short hair
This male domestic short hair has a brown tabby coat.
He’s in cat room kennel No. 117, ID No. 11418.
“Spooky” is a male domestic short hair cat in cat room kennel No. 120, ID No. 11359. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. ‘Spooky’
“Spooky” is a male domestic short hair cat with a tuxedo coat.
He’s already neutered.
He’s in cat room kennel No. 120, ID No. 11359.
“Junior” is a male chocolate point in cat room kennel No. 122, ID No. 11358. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. ‘Junior’
“Junior” is a male chocolate point with a short coat.
He already has been neutered.
He’s in cat room kennel No. 122, ID No. 11358.
This female domestic short hair cat is in cat room kennel No. 130, ID No. 11166. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Female domestic short hair
This female domestic short hair cat has a gray tabby coat.
She already has been spayed.
She’s in cat room kennel No. 130, ID No. 11166.
This female domestic short hair is in kennel No. 140, ID No. 11225. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Female domestic short hair
This female domestic short hair has a brown tabby coat and green eyes.
She’s in kennel No. 140, ID No. 11225.
“Francis” is a male domestic short hair cat in cat room kennel No. 150, ID No. 11357. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. ‘Francis’
“Francis” is a male domestic short hair cat with an all-white coat and gold eyes.
He already has been neutered.
He’s in cat room kennel No. 150, ID No. 11357.
Lake County Animal Care and Control is located at 4949 Helbush in Lakeport, next to the Hill Road Correctional Facility.
Office hours are Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday. The shelter is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
For more information call Lake County Animal Care and Control at 707-263-0278.
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.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Forecasters are predicting another rainy week ahead as new weather systems reach Northern California.
The National Weather Service in Sacramento reported that a high pressure system is moving over the region, with a series of storms set to arrive on Monday night and Tuesday.
The specific Lake County forecast calls for cloudy conditions on Monday, and a high chance of rain beginning on Monday night and continuing through Wednesday.
Chances of showers also are forecast from Thursday through Sunday, based on the local forecast.
The National Weather Service said that there is expected to be lighter rainfall on Wednesday, followed by a stronger storm system forecast to bring more rain to lower elevations and snow to mountain passes.
Lake County’s temperatures this coming week will range between the high 40s and the high 50s during the daytime and from the high 30s to the low 40s at night, the National Weather Service said. Light winds also are forecast on Monday and Tuesday.
The latest forecast for rain follows a stormy Thanksgiving week in which rainfall totals for Lake County ranged from about an inch and a half around Clear Lake to up to 5 inches in Lake County northern mountains, according to National Weather Service precipitation observations.
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.
LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport City Council last week approved having the city manager give final approval to an engineering contract for a replacement Library Park seawall.
Public Works Director Doug Grider discussed with the council at its Tuesday meeting what he described as the “ongoing saga of the seawall,” damaged by storm wave action during the early 2017 flooding.
Based on city documents, approximately 525 lineal feet of seawall supporting a concrete promenade and handrail is to be replaced, with the existing sidewalk is to be removed to reveal voids which will be backfilled.
Grider said his staff sent out two requests for proposals for the project. The first time, no one responded. So the second time his staff went through every professional magazine they could find, called 30 firms, followed up by telephone and advertised with every known agency to reach engineering firms who could do the project.
Ultimately, the city received two responses – from MGE Engineering Inc. and GHD Inc. MGE Engineering Inc. was ranked the highest by a consultant selection committee, he said.
By Tuesday, no firm agreement with MGE had been reached, with Grider explaining that they were still working out the details of the professional service agreement.
“We want to keep this process moving. We desperately want to get going on this design,” said Grider, adding that he wanted to have the matter resolved before the council’s next meeting, at the start of December.
Attorney Jon di Cristina of the firm Colantuono, Highsmith & Whatley, PC was filling in for colleague David Ruderman, who serves as Lakeport’s city attorney but was absent for the meeting.
Di Cristina gave the council recommended language for an updated motion authorizing City Manager Margaret Silveira to make the decision to select the engineering firm and execute a professional services agreement with that firm so the matter doesn’t need to return to the council.
Councilman George Spurr asked about whether or not the city is getting about half a million dollars from the Federal Emergency Management Agency for the seawall replacement.
Grider’s report noted that the approved preliminary budget for the new sheet pile seawall is $522,000.
In response to Spurr’s question, Grider explained that the city isn’t set to get a specific amount. Rather, it will be dependent on the final cost. He said FEMA will pay 75 percent of the project total, the state will pay a portion and the city’s actual share will be approximately 6.78 percent.
Spurr asked if staff knew what the engineering portion would cost. Grider said they didn’t, but that a general rule of thumb is that engineering is typically 10 percent of whatever the project cost is.
Councilman Tim Barnes moved to approve di Cristina’s suggested motion, which the council approved 5-0.
On Tuesday Finance Director Nick Walker also presented to the council a resolution approving the City of Lakeport Municipal Sewer District and Lakeport Municipal Financing Agency of Lakeport Investment Policy for idle funds.
Walker noted that, over the last few years, the city hasn’t had much of an investment policy.
In March, a city investment committee was recommissioned “with the expressed purpose of evaluating the City’s current cash portfolio and exploring new ways of prudently diversifying it. The City had received several investment proposals from various broker/dealers specializing in municipal securities which have brought attention to opportunities that warrant consideration. The primary focus will remain capital preservation, a core tenet explicitly stated in the investment policy. But greater emphasis than before will be placed on returns and portfolio growth. Due to market volatility and uncertainty in the US economy, a conservative approach will be employed,” Walker’s written report explained.
Councilwoman Stacey Mattina was concerned about the inclusion of mutual funds, explaining that she didn’t believe that was how the city’s funds should be invested.
Mattina asked if mention of mutual funds as an investment option could be taken out of the document, and Walker said yes. “For the future I would just feel better if that wasn't in there,” she said.
Councilman Kenny Parlet said he disagreed, and Mattina explained, “It’s the people’s money and I think we should have no risk.”
Parlet said he had a problem with closing the door forever on an opportunity, with Silveira explaining that it would have to be improved by the investment committee.
Councilman George Spurr said if the council receives quarterly reports on the investments and don’t like the directly, they can stop it.
“I think this is a great step forward,” said Parlet, who moved to approve the resolution. Barnes seconded Parlet’s motion, which ultimately was unanimously approved by the council.
The council also approved the purchase of two vehicles, a three-quarter ton service truck for the utilities department from Redwood Ford for an amount not to exceed $32,078.68 and a small utility pickup from Matt Mazzei of Lakeport for a bid price of $25,975.84.
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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