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LAKEPORT, Calif. – Lake County’s longtime Animal Care and Control director is leaving his post, and the county is beginning the process of finding his successor.

Bill Davidson, who has been with Animal Care and Control for about 12 years, told Lake County News that his anticipated last day with the county is March 8.

County Administrative Officer Carol Huchingson told the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday that she had found out the previous evening that Davidson submitted his resignation.

Davidson said he had wanted to give the county plenty of notice ahead of his departure so it could begin the recruitment process.

The Board of Supervisors took up a discussion of Davidson’s departure as part of a closed session that was added as an extra item on Tuesday, and came out of closed session to direct that recruitment begin immediately.

Davidson’s wife is an educator who previously worked at Riviera Elementary. He said that about two years ago she found employment in the Sacramento area, and since that time they’ve been commuting back and forth on the weekends.

With his wife having more employment opportunities in and around Sacramento, Davidson said he began looking for employment there about eight months ago and is in line to take on a supervisory position in animal control for the county of Sacramento.

Sacramento County is where Davidson first worked in animal control. He said he was employed there from 1987 to to 1997. He joked that he’s the “prodigal son” now returning to the area.

Before coming to Lake County, he also worked for four years as an animal control officer in Mendocino County. He then became deputy director for Lake County Animal Care and Control, a position he held for about two years before being appointed in 2010 as interim director. In 2011, the Board of Supervisors hired him on a permanent basis.

Since then, he has taken on the county’s high euthanasia rate, achieving notable drops in it through an on-site veterinary clinic, a trap-neuter-release program for cats, special adoption events and work with rescue groups.

Then there have been the wildland fires that have raged across much of Lake County over the last several years, during which Davidson and his team worked around the clock to remove thousands of animals from harm’s way.

“That’s a part of the job that until I came here, I wasn’t prepared for,” he said of the wildland fire response.

In 2011, Davidson and a group of volunteers created the award-winning Lake Evacuation and Animal Protection group, also known as LEAP. The group of volunteers and county staff has played a crucial role in evacuating animals during the wildland fires of the last several years.

While the fires were incredibly difficult, Davidson said acting in a management role was one of his biggest challenges.

“I’ve been doing animal control work for a long, long time, so I’m fairly comfortable with it,” he said.

But when he came to Lake County, he started working as a manager, and he found it challenging to get everyone in the department to work together over the past 10 years. Staffing includes seven and three-quarters full-time positions, and between 15 and 20 part-time staff. The department also is aiming to hire a permanent veterinarian.

However, while difficult, he’s pleased with the outcome. “Honestly, I think everybody here has done a really good job,” he said.

For the past six months, Holly Bray has been Animal Care and Control’s deputy director. “I’m not sure if she’s going to apply for the director or not,” said Davidson.

Davidson said the job is being advertised internally and then will be advertised publicly. “Obviously, they want someone who has animal control experience. That’s going to be a big plus,” he said.

The department, he said, has many more responsibilities than just sheltering animals, noting there is a law enforcement aspect to it as well.

He said that if the county can find a candidate within the next month, he can help bring his successor up to speed.

Davidson noted that the entire process is happening quickly.

“It’s kind of bittersweet,” 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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MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – The Middletown Art Center is hosting a guided tour of Rabbit Hill, with naturalist Ed Dearing on Saturday, Feb. 16, from 1 to 3 p.m.

The tour is free, and open to the public.

The group will meet at the Middletown Art Center at 21456 State Highway 175 at 1 p.m.

The walk will include discussion pertaining to the natural environment, and design of a new Art Trail on Rabbit Hill.

Located at the highest point in central Middletown, this 9.5-acre property is home to numerous rare and endangered plants.

Rabbit Hill is owned and managed by the Lake County Land Trust, and MAC is partnering with them to create an Art Trail leading to the top of the hill with the intent of revitalizing the park for public use. Rabbit Hill burned in the Valley fire.

Formerly the home of the Hamann family, the land was gifted to the Madrone Audubon Society and later deeded to the Land Trust, in memory of their daughter, Joan, who was murdered in 1966.

Mrs. “Skee” Hamann was known for her deep appreciation of nature and for imparting her passion and knowledge to the neighborhood children. Visit www.lakecountylandtrust.org/rabbit-hill to learn more about Rabbit Hill and the Land Trust.

Please RSVP This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. so they can stay in touch in case of changes due to weather. You can also visit the MAC website or @ARTmiddletown on Facebook on Saturday, to check for a change of plan. Wear weather appropriate clothing and bring a water bottle.

The tour marks the initiation of Phase I of the collaborative Art Trail design and implementation, which is part of MAC’s Restore project. The design will be informed by park environment and brainstorming will continue at MAC lead by sculptors and teaching artists Marcus Maria Jung (natural wood), Emily Scheibal (plaster and cement) and Lisa Kaplan (earth clay). Design proposals will be approved by the Lake County Land Trust.

The MAC encourages and welcomes anyone interested in joining this enriching community project to join the tour, the collaborative design session, and one or many of its Restore classes.

Restore’s low-cost arts classes provide opportunities to learn or refine skills in a variety of materials and techniques in sculpture, mixed media, printmaking and creative writing. Restore classes in sculpture and mixed media will largely focus on implementation of the Rabbit Hill Art Trail. Classes take place most weekends through May 2019.
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CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Clearlake City Council this week will take a look at the city’s budget at the fiscal midyear point and hold a reception for a recently retired supervisor ahead of its regular meeting, during which it will discuss penalties for cannabis-related violations and an urgency ordinance regarding residential housing standards for manufactured and mobile homes.

The council will meet at 4 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 14, in the council chambers at Clearlake City Hall, 14050 Olympic Drive, for a midyear budget workshop, during which it will direct staff with respect to potential budget adjustments.

At 5:30 p.m., the council will hold a reception for Jeff Smith, who retired as District 2 county supervisor last month after 20 years of service.

At 6 p.m., the council will convene for its regular meeting.

At the start of the meeting, there will be a presentation to Smith in honor of his time on the board, the Clear Lake Chamber of Commerce will give its annual report, a proclamation will be offered declaring February as Black History Month and Folsom and Clearlake Police Chief Andrew White will give an update on the new flooring and cubicles in the police department.

On Thursday night city staff will take to the council a proposal for an urgency ordinance amending municipal code regarding residential housing standards for manufactured and mobile homes.

In his report to the council, City Attorney Ryan Jones noted, “City staff is concerned about the safety related to older manufactured and mobile homes being moved into the City. Currently, the City ordinance provides some regulations related to such homes, which requires the home is certified under the National Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards Act of 1974.”

Jones continued, “However, staff believes additional regulations are needed for the protection of the community. While staff researches the best regulations to address this issue, a moratorium on any manufactured or mobile homes older than 10 years from the date the owner applies for a building permit from being placed in the City is needed.”

Also on the agenda is a public hearing and proposed adoption of an ordinance amending the Clearlake Municipal Code related to the issuance, handling, appeals, and penalties or administrative citations, amending the general penalty for violations, adjusting penalties for cannabis-related violations and providing for the immediate imposition of fines in specific circumstances.

The council adopted an urgency ordinance on Jan. 24 related to the issuance, handling, appeals and penalties of administrative citations. The report from Chief White and Jones said the proposed ordinance incorporates the changes in that urgency ordinance and makes additional changes.

In other business on Thursday, the council will consider a development agreement with Erin McCarrick and Clearlake Ventures LLC for a commercial cannabis operation, consideration of a resolution authorizing staff to apply to the California Department of Housing and Community Development for the Community Development Block Grant program, consideration of increasing planning commissioners’ salaries and a contract with Resource Environmental Inc. in the amount of $105,000 for the demolition of structures.

On the consent agenda – items considered noncontroversial and usually accepted as a slate on one vote – are warrant registers; consideration of continuation of a local emergency issued on Oct. 9, 2017, and ratified by council action Oct. 12, 2017; minutes of the Jan. 9 Lake County Vector Control District Board meeting; the second reading an adoption of an ordinance relating to electric and electronic access gates; appointment of the city manager as acting city treasurer to fulfill the unexpired term ending November 2022; and adoption of changes to the strategic plan.

The council also will hold a closed session to discuss negotiations for 14130 Tuli Lane, employee negotiations, existing litigation against Pacific Gas and Electric Co. and a case of potential litigation.

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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KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – County officials will host an informational meeting and question and answer session regarding the “zone of benefit” proposal for several Kelseyville-area communities next week.

The meeting is set to take place beginning at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 19, at Riviera Elementary School, 10505 Fairway Drive, Kelseyville.

In response to concerns about wildland fires, District 5 Supervisor Rob Brown and the Lake County Board of Supervisors have proposed creation of “Zone of Benefit Riviera West of CSA No. 23,” to encompass the communities of Riviera West, Buckingham, Clear Lake Riviera and Riviera Heights.

If approved by a majority of property owners in the service area, with votes weighted by the amount each property owner would be expected to pay, enhanced preventative road maintenance will be undertaken.

This will consist of clearing hazardous vegetation, to reduce fuel load conditions alongside county maintained roads in this high wildfire risk area.

The proposed zone of benefit is a pilot program, meaning the related assessment would be levied only once, July 1, 2019.

“I have already heard from many constituents with questions, and I know many of you would value having further information.” shared Supervisor Brown. “All of us have seen the devastation that wildfire can bring, and we want to make sure we are taking the right steps to protect our neighbors, our families, our properties.”

To answer questions from area residents, Supervisor Brown will host a community meeting.

“I hope that many of you will attend this important meeting,” said Brown. “Limiting the wildfire risk our communities face is a significant priority, and I want to ensure we all have the information needed to make the best available choice.”

For those with questions ahead of the meeting, Supervisor Brown’s cell phone number is 707-349-2628.
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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The storm system moving over Lake County from late Tuesday through Wednesday battered the county with heavy winds and rain, with weather conditions closing a number of county roads.

The National Weather Service also is forecasting more rain and possibly snow through the weekend.

The agency has issued a flood watch in effect for areas of Northern California including portions of northern and eastern Lake County until 8 p.m. Thursday and a wind advisory is in effect from 6 a.m. until 6 p.m. Thursday.

The flood watch is the result of heavy rainfall on Tuesday night and Wednesday that’s caused flooding in some parts of Northern California, with still more moderate to heavy rain on the way on Wednesday night through Thursday evening.

Rising snow levels in higher elevations are expected to contribute some additional runoff as snow melts across the foothills and lower mountain elevations, based on the flood watch.

That’s a concern due to the impact on recent burn scars, such as those left behind by the Ranch and River fires in the Mendocino Complex footprint. The National Weather Service said those areas may experience minor mud, rock and debris flows, especially if thunderstorms develop in the burn scar areas on Thursday.

As for the wind advisory, windy conditions are forecast to pick up again on Thursday, with Lake County’s specific forecast predicting wind speeds of more than 30 miles per hour during the day on Thursday and more than 40 miles per hour on Thursday night.

National Weather Service observation stations show the following rainfall totals, in inches, for the 24-hour period through 6 p.m. Wednesday

– Bartlett Springs: 2.65.
– Boggs Mountain: 3.13.
– Colusa/Lake County line: 2.93.
– Hidden Valley Lake: 5.0.
– Indian Valley Reservoir: 3.14.
– Kelseyville: 2.99.
– Lakeport: 2.33.
– Lower Lake: 3.31.
– Lyons Valley: 1.57.
– Soda Creek (near Lake Pillsbury): 2.54.
– Upper Lake: 2.30.
– Whispering Pines: 3.76.

The wet weather is also pushing the level of Clear Lake up. As of 5:15 p.m. Wednesday, the lake level had risen by about a third of a foot over the course of the day, measuring nearly 6.40 feet Rumsey, the special measure used for Clear Lake, according to the California Data Exchange Center. Clear Lake is full at 7.56 feet Rumsey.

Weather conditions on Wednesday also led to several county road closures.

The Lake County Department of Public Works said late Wednesday afternoon that the following roads are temporarily closed due to the weather:

Kelseyville

– Argonaut Road closed from Big Valley Road to Thomas Drive;
– Bell Hill Road closed at the Adobe Creek Low Water Crossing;
– Kelsey Creek Drive closed at mile post marker 5.01.

Lakeport

– Scotts Valley Road closed from Highway 20 to the packing sheds;
– Soda Bay Road closed from Big Valley Road to Highway 175/South Main Street

Middletown

– Dry Creek Cutoff closed at the low water crossing.

Radio reports throughout the day Wednesday also noted fallen trees and rocks causing temporary blockages on local roads and highways.

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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MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – The Middletown Area Town Hall this week has scheduled a visit from Assemblywoman Cecilia Aguiar-Curry.

MATH will meet at 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 14, at the Middletown Community Center, 21256 Washington St.

Meetings are open to the community, and offer the opportunity for additional public input on items not included on the agenda.

On the agenda is a visit from Aguiar-Curry, Lake County’s representative in the State Assembly.

Aguiar-Curry, who before she was elected to state office was the mayor of Winters, has made previous appearances at MATH at the board’s request to discuss her work in the Legislature and local needs.

In other MATH business, members will appoint a bylaw review committee and consider a letter regarding the elevation of the proposed Dollar General store.

The group also will discuss projects related to feral cats and Trailside Park.

The MATH Board includes Chair Sally Peterson, Vice Chair Claude Brown, Secretary Paul Baker, and at-large members Marlene Elder and Courtney Van Leuven.

MATH – established by resolution of the Lake County Board of Supervisors on Dec. 12, 2006 – is a municipal advisory council serving the residents of Anderson Springs, Cobb, Coyote Valley (including Hidden Valley Lake), Long Valley and Middletown.

Meetings are subject to videotaping.

For more information email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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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CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The city of Clearlake will hold a reception in honor of former Lake County District 2 Supervisor Jeff Smith before its meeting this week.

The reception will take place from 5:30 to 6 p.m. Thursday before the regularly scheduled meeting at City Hall, 14050 Olympic Drive.

There also will be a presentation to honor Smith’s decades of service to Lake County and the city of Clearlake during the meeting.

”Jeff Smith has represented Clearlake and District 2 on the Board of Supervisors for over two decades and we are proud to be able to honor his years of service with a reception and a presentation,” said Clearlake City Manager Greg Folsom. “Please come and join us in celebrating Jeff’s long and successful career.”
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LAKEPORT, Calif. – Two Lake County high schools met to compete for the Mock Trial championship on Tuesday, and organizers said the teams had the closest set of scores that they’ve seen since the local event began several years ago.

After a day of making careful arguments, testing evidence, cross-examining witnesses and summing up their cases, Middletown High School edged out Upper Lake High School to hold onto the championship.

Tuesday’s event was the seventh annual Mock Trial in Lake County, and every year it’s been a contest between Middletown and Upper Lake. In each of the years, Middletown has won, but on Tuesday Upper Lake came the closest so far to unseating its rival.

The Mock Trial competition coincided this year, as it has in past years, with a court holiday, meaning that the two teams had the run of a few courtrooms on the fourth floor of the Lake County Courthouse in Lakeport.

Melissa Perry of the Lake County Superior Court, one of the contest’s devoted organizers, said the court has made the student competition a priority.

Perry worked this year with Erika Barrish of the Lake County Office of Education to put on the event, with help from numerous volunteers.

Each year, one or two judges have volunteered their time to preside over the competition, so the students have a chance to make arguments before real jurists, whose legal acumen can test their work and their understanding of the law.

This year, Judge J. David Markham presided over the competition.

“You guys should be really proud,” Markham told the students as the competition began, noting that it isn’t easy.

He said he would wish them luck, but as one of his professors said, “Luck is for the unprepared.”

This year, the two schools argued the fictional case of People v. Klein.

The case, created by the Constitutional Rights Foundation – the Mock Trial’s founding organization – is particularly topical, taking on the issues of Internet threats and harassment.

According to the case brief, People v. Klein is the trial of Reagan Klein, a young adult resident of the fictional town of East Flamingo, California.

Klein is charged with two felony counts: making a false report of an emergency – commonly referred to as “swatting” – and making a criminal threat.

The prosecution alleged in the case that Klein threatened a coworker, Sawyer Smith, via a social media post. Klein was alleged to have had animosity against Smith, who had become a rising social-media influencer but also because Smith was responsible for Klein being fired from the restaurant where they both worked.

Klein and two coworkers were responsible for a “catfishing” prank in which they created a fictitious romantic interest for Smith named Hayden Carlton. Smith, in turn, retaliated by getting Klein fired. Klein then posted a threatening message as Hayden Carlton that included the words “You deserve to die … Watch your back, I’m coming for you.”

Each team took turns as both prosecution and defense, and before each trial they argued a motion that claimed that the threat constituted a “true threat” and was not protected by the First Amendment. A “true threat” is one that is sufficient to cause a reasonable person to be in sustained fear, according to the case brief.

On the same day that threat was made, the prosecution alleged that Klein made a false
“text-a-tip” to the police requesting police respond to a “hostage situation” at Smith’s residence. A SWAT team responded to the call, and Smith was seriously injured.

Upper Lake began as defense, with Middletown as prosecution during the morning session, with the two teams switching roles in the afternoon.

In both trial sessions, Judge Markham found that Klein was guilty of the first count, making a false report of an emergency, but not guilty of the second count, making a criminal threat, for which he didn’t find sufficient evidence.

Following the trials, while the competition scoring was still being completed, Judge Markham praised the student competitors. “I was really impressed by all of you.”

Markham – who on Wednesday will mark the first anniversary of taking his place on the Lake County Superior Court bench – in the past was one of the attorney judges in the competition. He said he was glad he didn’t have that job this time. “They have a real difficult decision.”

He told the students, “Most of you were more prepared than a lot of people who appear in front of me,” and that it was apparent to him that they worked very hard.

The team of three scoring judges also praised the students. That team this year included Deputy District Attorney Daniel Flesch, now in his sixth year judging the competition; Mary Heare Amodio, an attorney and president of the Lake County Bar Association; and Megan Lankford, a former county prosecutor who now works in private practice.

Lankford also offered students a specific piece of advice, explaining that when a judge sustains – or denies – an objection, an attorney can still try to get that information, and it’s important to look for ways to do it.

“I hope that a couple of you, at least, pursue careers in the law because you did a really good job,” and are better than some attorneys who have a license to practice, Lankford said.

Perry and Barrish then handed out participation awards to each of the students before announcing the individual winners, with a near sweep by the Upper Lake team.

Individual awards were given in the following categories:

– Outstanding prosecution pretrial motion attorney: Jeff Fannon, Upper Lake High School.
– Outstanding prosecution attorney: Rebecca Harper, Upper Lake High School.
– Outstanding prosecution witness: Hugo Ramos, Upper Lake High School
– Outstanding defense attorney: Dimitri Imbrunetti, Middletown High School.
– Outstanding defense witness: Jeff Fannon, Upper Lake High School.

It’s notable that Fannon, Harper and Ramos – along with team members Jasmine Haro and Jisel Horne – are all members of the Upper Lake Academic Decathlon team, which earlier this month won the right to compete at the state level. Anna Sabalone, their Academic Decathlon coach, was part of Upper Lake’s Mock Trial coaching team, along with teacher-coach Alex Stabiner and attorney-coach Judy Conard.

Ultimately, however, it was the Middletown team – coached by teacher-coach Lee Hodge and attorney coaches Janina Hoskins and Jon Hopkins, a former Lake County district attorney – which won the prize and the chance to represent Lake County in the State Mock Trial competition next month.

“This is the closest I have seen it in the years that I have done this,” said Perry as she made the announcement.

Middletown was gracious in its win, congratulating its Upper Lake opponents, with one Middletown student noting that their team wouldn’t do as well as it did had it not been for their opponents.

The Lake County Bar Association donated the money for the Mock Trial trophy that Middletown will once again take back to the south county, and the Lake County Friends of Mendocino College also are making a contribution toward the winning team’s travel costs to the state event.



A launching platform for students

Janina Hoskins, one of Middletown’s attorney-coaches, said the competition offers a lot to young people.

“It is launching the careers of lots of young future lawyers,” she said following the awards ceremony.

Case in point: Former Mock Trial standout Gracie Patchie is now attending California State University, Chico, and going through the testing necessary to apply for law school, Hoskins said.

Hoskins said Patchie competed with her team at the state competition three years ago, and was chosen as the best defendant in the entire state.

“That’s the only person we’ve ever had win a statewide award,” Hoskins said.

More recently, Hoskins said Patchie was among 20 students selected from across the nation to study law at The Hague in the Netherlands. The Hague is the seat of the Dutch Parliament and headquarters for the United Nations’ International Court of Justice.

Hoskins said the opportunity for local students to travel to other parts of the state is valuable. Previous trips have been to Southern California, with some of the students taking those trips having never traveled outside of the Bay Area before.

“It’s transformative for some of these kids,” Hoskins said.

While the students prepare for the state competition, which takes place from March 22 to 24 in Sacramento, Hoskins said another priority is now fundraising.

Hoskins said the team needs $6,000; of that, nearly $2,000 is registration fees.

Other expenses are travel and lodging. She noted this trip will be less expensive because the competition is taking place only a few hours away.

She said the fundraising is particularly challenging because they only have a month to do it.

Yet, so far, every year they’ve managed to raise the money through the generosity of the community, she said.

For information about how to donate, contact Middletown High School at 707-987-4140. Hoskins said she also plans to post a new Go Fund Me page for the team this week.

TEAM ROSTERS

Middletown High School
Coaches: Lee Hodges, teacher; John Hopkins, attorney; Janina Hoskins, attorney
Students: Abigail Elder, Jaxson Ehrlich, Henry Fenk, Alexandra Imbrunetti, Dimitri Imbrunetti, Olivia Gallagher, Erica Kinsel, Mason Leggitt, Kevin Nance, Jessica Pollack, Ximena Ramirez, Jack Rarick, Maggie Rodgers, Natalie Rodriguez, Bella Ruiz, Lilly Samson, Mylie Turney and Jessica Zell.

Upper Lake High School
Coaches: Anna Sabalone, teacher; Alex Stabiner, teacher; Judy Conard, attorney
Students: Marcos Augustine, Jeff Fannon, Russell Gordan, Richard Guaydacan, Marylin Halvorsen, Bryce Hanke, Jasmine Haro, Rebecca Harper, Jisel Horne, Bolonik Ionsun, Diana Mendoza, Jasmine Myers, Hugo Ramos, Alana Sanchez, Emily Stith, Cristen Swaney, Megan Talbert and Jared Thornberry.

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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LUCERNE, Calif. – Concerned community members spoke out at a California Public Utilities Commission hearing on Monday night about their concerns about California Water Service Co.’s proposed water rate increase and how it will impact Lucerne.

Administrative Law Judge Charles Ferguson presided over the public participation hearing, which drew bout 50 people and lasted just under two hours at the Lucerne Alpine Senior Center.

Ferguson said Cal Water’s rate case is so large that he is one of two administrative law judges assigned to it, and that if you lined up all of the material Cal Water had submitted to him, it would stretch from one wall in the senior center to another.

District 2 Lake County Supervisor Bruno Sabatier was in the audience for the hearing. His colleague, Supervisor EJ Crandell – a Lucerne resident and the Northshore’s board member – was unable to attend.

Cal Water has submitted a general rate case seeking a 16.4-percent increase companywide – the company has 22 systems across California – totaling just over $115 million.

Lucerne is part of the Redwood Valley District. Cal Water spokeswoman Yvonne Kingman said that in 2017, that district’s rates were consolidated with one of Cal Water’s Bay Area districts “to enable future infrastructure improvements and costs to be shared among a larger base of customers, lessening the impact for our local customers here in the Redwood Valley District.”

She said that formed the Bay Area Region. For that region, Cal Water is seeking a 17.3-percent increase, or $15.6 million, Kingman said.

If the rate increase is approved as proposed, Kingman said the typical residential customer in the region with a ⅝-inch by ¾-inch meter and using 5,984 gallons of water per month would see an increase in his or her monthly bill of $2.96 in 2020, or 10 cents per day; $1.41 in 2021, or about 5 cents per day; and $1.51 in 2022, also about 5 cents per day.

She added, “Our customers in Lucerne tend to use less water than this each month.”

The company said it is requesting the revenue increase to cover infrastructure investments and operating expenses.

On the infrastructure side, Cal Water is proposing to install 86,000 feet of new pipeline statewide, which will cost $42.2 million, or 42 percent of the projected 2020 revenue increase.

Under operating expenses, it plans to update its information technology infrastructure for customer support services, at a cost of $1.9 million or 9 percent of the 2020 revenue increase. There also will be $1 million in regulatory fees, or 5 percent of the 2020 revenue increase.

Kingman said that some of the major infrastructure upgrades Cal Water plans to undertake in Lucerne specifically include:

· Additional water quality treatment to ensure continued compliance with federal and state water quality standards, and improve aesthetic issues
· Water main replacements to prevent failure of aging and high-risk pipelines;
· Booster pump replacements to enhance system reliability and water pressure;
· Meter replacements to ensure accurate recording of water use;
· Upgrades to its Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition, or SCADA, system to monitor and quickly respond to changes in the water system; and
· Security enhancements to protect water system infrastructure.

Taking community input

Judge Ferguson told the audience that he wanted to hear what they had to say about the rate increase. He emphasized the hearing’s importance, explaining that what community members had to say will be scrutinized by several different layers of the CPUC, from the Water Division to the Public Advocates Division.

Before taking community input, Ferguson invited Greg Milleman, Cal Water’s vice president of California rates, to speak.

“We are committed to our customers' best interests,” said Milleman, explaining that the company needs to maintain and improve the Redwood Valley District infrastructure.

“We all have the same purpose. We all want to have safe, reliable water, at affordable rates,” Milleman said, adding that a low water bill is no good if water coming out of tap isn't safe to drink or there is no water at all when firefighters need it.

Milleman said Cal Water serves two million Californians, and 3,200 in the Lucerne area.

He went over some of the planned expenditures – most of them the same as those referenced above by Kingman, along with plans to install an active carbon filtration system at the treatment plat to address cyanotoxin, odor and smell – and said they would include 400,000 more water quality tests a year to meet all federal and state water quality requirements. Those improvements will be made over the coming three years.

Milleman said Cal Water redesigned its rates to keep them affordable, and in doing so reduced the first tier, which is for customers who use between one hundred and seven hundred cubic feet. One hundred cubic feet, or one CCF, equals 748 gallons. The second tier is 8 to 12 CCF and the third tier is more than 12 CCF.

Ting Yuen of the CPUC Public Advocates Office told the group, “Your presence here is very important and it means a lot to us” – both the commission and his office.

He explained that the Public Advocates Office is an independent office within the CPUC that has the job of advocating for ratepayers. “Our statutory mission is to obtain the lowest possible rates consistent wit safe and reliable service.”

Yuen said that in the current rate case, they have a team of 20 professional assigned to review it because of its size. He said they are finalizing a final recommendation in response to Cal Water’s general rate case, which won’t be issued until Feb. 22.

Ferguson said that in the first week of June there will be an evidentiary hearing for five days straight, in which all sides will get chance to submit their arguments in the rate case. “We're going to delve into all of the issues.”

During public comment, Ferguson heard a wide variety of complaints, from the cost of water for a poor community to criticism of how the company is run, water quality and taste, concerns about fire protection and whether the CPUC is really concerned about ratepayers. One man pulled a darkened filter out of a plastic bag and said it was what he used to clean his water; after the meeting, Yuen spoke to the man and took a picture of the filter.

Charles Behne raised the issue of a charge to offset Cal Water’s losses due to state-ordered conservation that continues to remain on customers’ bills even though the governor said the drought was over in 2016.

Ferguson asked Milleman to respond, and he acknowledged that the charge would still be on Lucerne customers’ bills through April 1.

Charles Moton said a privately owned utility doesn't have to worry about competitors. He said Cal Water can guarantee its stockholders a healthy return on investment, year in, year out – check.

Moton said the inflation rate for 2018 was 1.9 percent, it’s estimated to be 2.3 percent for 2019 and 2.1 percent for 2020, and he questioned how Cal Water’s requested increase could be so much higher than the inflation rate, with no sunset.

Gary Sharpe said Cal Water has raised rates for all 13 years he’s lived in the community, including the recession years. In that time, he’s also had to let his yard die due to the high cost of water to irrigate it.

“A corporation is formed for one purpose only, to make money,” Sharpe said, noting that all other considerations are irrelevant when compared to the goal of making shareholders money, and the parent company’s stock has risen 46 percent in the last year.

Sharpe said he sees the ratepayers very unhappy and getting nothing in compromise, while Cal Water gets everything it asks for. He added that he thought all of the CPUC’s reassuring rhetoric is worthless, and that they do nothing for the community.

Karen Kennedy raised issues with the improvements to the system promised in the past. “We are dealing with the same skinny, leaky pipes we've had.”

She said they finally have one new working fire hydrant at the corner of Bel Ray and Frontage in the first Lucerne Riviera.

“I don't have any faith that this company is ready to protect us from fire, and that is their responsibility,” Kennedy said, questioning what they are doing with their money and emphasizing her desire to see new pipes and fire protection.

Ferguson asked if Cal Water provides fire protection. Local Manager Darin McCosker said they do provide fire protection and hydrants. Ferguson asked him to speak to Kennedy after the meeting.

Dr. Herbert Gadbury said he moved to Lucerne about a year ago and said he wouldn’t have had he known about the water rates, which he said are far higher than when he owned a quarter acre with fruit trees and a lawn in another community.

In addition to cost, he faulted the company for water quality, specifically, the taste. Gadbury said he and his wife use bottled water to drink and cook with and for doing their dishes because he doesn’t trust the water.

Elise Jones said Cal Water is only interested in making money for itself, and reported that its per share cost on the stock exchange was more than $51, compared to the $14 per share for Pacific Gas and Electric. She faulted the company for the millions in bonuses paid to its chief executive officer while an average household income in Lucerne is $30,000.

“When is enough enough?” She asked.

Ferguson told Jones that the CPUC also is holding proceedings looking into affordability for water and other utilities in an effort to find a uniform, statewide plan for how to charge for those services.

He suggested she also submit her comments to that separate proceeding. “There are many people like you throughout the state who are saying the same thing.”

Supervisor Sabatier told the commission that he lives in Clearlake and is on a system owned by Golden State Water, which also is pushing up rates.

He said he sits on the Lake County Local Formation Commission, or LAFCo, which review all the municipal services that are available to community members. They’re not allowed to do the same for private water systems like Cal Water.

Sabatier said that when LAFCo reviews utility districts, it looks at quality of services, efficiency, and if there is a reasonable cost to payers for the service.

“I’m going to ask the CPUC to please try and look at it from the same perspective as LAFCo,” he said, asking them to also consider nearby water systems – like Nice Mutual Water Co., which was referenced by other community members as having better service and lower rates than Lucerne – to understand the disparity in costs.

He said that the county had to consolidate nine small water districts in the Cobb Mountain area that were damaged in the Valley fire. That process cost $15 million, most of it obtained through grants. Even with that expense, he said the rates for residents there are still a fraction of what Lucerne residents pay for water.

Ferguson thanked community members for giving their input. “These meetings help focus the attention of the judges and the commissioners on the issues,” he said, adding, “I'm taking away a lot from tonight's meeting.”

Community members can still offer input, which Ferguson said should be submitted by June 3. Comments can be submitted via email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The court reporter taking notes for the transcript said the CPUC also is posting transcripts of the proceedings online. She said those should be available online within a week of hearings and related invents.

For more information about the Cal Water general rate case, visit https://www.calwater.com/rates/iip-2018/.

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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On Wednesday, Gun Violence Prevention Task Force Chairman Mike Thompson (CA-05) announced that H.R. 8, his Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2019, is ready to head to the House Floor for a vote following a markup in and favorable report from the House Judiciary Committee.

The Gun Violence Prevention Task Force was established after the tragedy at Sandy Hook and has grown to a membership of more than 165.

Thompson has been a key presence on the task force since the beginning. His district includes the southern portion of Lake County.

“Finally, we have taken real action to combat gun violence. Finally, we have taken the procedural steps on a bill to help keep our communities safe. Finally, we will have a vote on legislation to help save lives,” Thompson said Wednesday.

For six long years, we’ve called for hearings and for votes like this one. And today is a new day. In this moment, I pause to mark our progress and thank the dogged work of my colleagues on the Judiciary Committee, led by Chairman Nadler. And I redouble my dedication to passing this bill and to working with all our incredible partners from across our nation to combat gun violence. We are taking bipartisan action, we will have a vote on my bill to expand background checks, and we will answer the call of the American people,” Thompson said.

Wednesday’s markup was the last step before H.R. 8 is considered by the full House for a vote.

Timing of that consideration will be announced at a later date, Thompson’s office reported.
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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – On Monday the State Senate voted to approve a spending bill that will backfill Lake County’s property tax losses from wildfires for three years.

“No other county in California has been hit as hard as Lake from wildland fire,” said Sen. Mike McGuire, who represents Lake County in the State Senate. “Sixty percent of Lake County’s land mass has burned since 2015 and the results have been devastating to residents and municipal budgets. We have been working in partnership with Assemblymember Aguiar-Curry, the California Department of Finance and the Lake County Board of Supervisors on this proposal for over a year and we couldn’t be more grateful to Governor Newsom for his commitment to backfill nearly $4 million in lost property tax revenue.”

The bill – AB 72 – will appropriate $3.84 million to cover property tax losses from Lake County fires including the 2015 Rocky, Jerusalem and Valley fires, 2016 Clayton fire, 2017 Sulphur fire and 2018 Pawnee/Mendocino Complex/Ranch fires.

The governor has 12 days to sign the legislation.

“Lake County has been subject to disaster after disaster. The magnitude of the combined property damage and associated tax losses in the county would be insurmountable without this backfill support from the state. I want to thank the leadership of both houses of the legislature and Governor Newsom for moving expeditiously on this disaster relief measure. I am pleased to see that the Assembly and Senate have taken early action to ensure that the people of Lake County can continue the process of recovering and rebuilding. Our work is not done, but this is an important step in the effort,” said Assemblymember Cecilia Aguiar-Curry.

“Lake County’s recovery and vibrancy is a crucial State priority. Senator McGuire and Assemblymember Aguiar-Curry’s tireless advocacy in the face of our many disasters since 2015 has been an inspiration to us all,” said Tina Scott, chair of the Lake County Board of Supervisors. “Our board stands alongside Lake County residents, particularly those who lost so much, committed to emerging from the devastation stronger and better connected than ever. AB 72 brings much needed resources to enhance and sustain those efforts, and we are grateful for Gov. Newsom’s swift action to support the county of Lake and all rural counties.”
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LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport City Council last week gave its approval to a concept proposed by the Lake County Theatre Co. for a new theater facility at Westside Community Park.

The Lake County Theatre Co. has presented live theater – from plays to musicals, including the very popular “Oklahoma” production last year – for more than 30 years. Over the last several years it has produced the summertime “Shakespeare at the Lake” productions in Lakeport’s Library Park.

The nonprofit organization is seeking to place a “black box” on the southeast corner of the Westside Community Park’s phase three, where a large grindings pile currently is located, just west of Fenway Street. The facility will be named the Joshua Phillips Blair Memorial Theatre.

At the start of the council’s Feb. 5 discussion, Mayor Tim Barnes – who has acted with the company – recused himself due to his wife being an uncompensated company board member. Council member Mireya Turner ran the meeting in his stead.

The discussion begins at the 48:15 mark in the video above. The staff report begins on page 38 of the agenda packet below.

Public Works Director Doug Grider said the theater company wants its own facility, as it currently has to rent the Soper Reese Theatre, where rent is fairly high. With their own facility, they plan to do theater for children and can store their props and other equipment.

A report from the organization included in the council’s agenda packet said rental of the Soper Reese for a three-week show exceeds $6,000, storage of props, sets and costumes costs them more than $8,000 a year and rehearsal space for a single show is about $500. To produce a musical costs about $20,000.

“We need to provide more opportunities for youth so that Lake County will have live theater for decades to come,” the theater company’s report said.

In three years, the theater company has raised $72,000 in its building fund, with an additional $12,000 committed, along with commitments from contractors.

They’re proposing a “black box concept” that allows them to start with a shell – that’s at least 3,000 square feet in size with parking for up to 50 cars – and build in as funds are available. Such a facility requires sewer and power, parking and proximity to a population and business center, according to the report.

Initially, it would have “flexible, portable and storable” seating, with bleacher-style or terraced seating to be added later. Other features of the facility would include an elevated stage with below stage workspace and retractable curtains, dressing rooms, and entry and lobby.

Grider said the theater group made a presentation to the Lakeport Parks and Recreation Commission as well as the Westside Community Park Committee, and both of those bodies are supporting them in the endeavor to find a location for their own theater.

The theater company’s representatives also met with city staff to look at the concept. “At that time we had a lot of conversation about what really is all involved with setting up a theater or anything else on public property, city property,” including the need for infrastructure and utilities.”

An estimate given in the theater company’s report for the total cost to build the facility ranges between $163,000 and $210,000.

Grider said that while the theater group had that rough estimation of what they thought their costs are going to be, when staff brought up things that they hadn’t considered, it was clear they needed to do more work to get an idea of what they need to do.

Before the group starts spending money on things like engineering fees, they wanted to know if the council is in favor of working out an agreement with them, and they asked for the council’s approval in concept so they could proceed, Grider said.

Grider emphasized that the council was not being asked to approve the plans, just the concept in the event the theater group can meet all of the city’s requirements.

Suzanne Lyons, a member of the Lakeport Parks and Recreation Commission, said she was surprised when the theater company brought the plans to the commission, but after seeing their presentation, she understood what they need.

“I was really impressed with what they brought us,” Lyons said. “It really did seem to make sense.”

Lakeport resident Wilda Shock, who works with the theater company on Shakespeare at the Lake, grew up in Lake County and when she returned in the 1980s, was the executive director of the Lake County Arts Council for five years.

She said one of the long term plans with all of the county’s theater groups was to have a dedicated facility for a theater company or companies.

“This is a continuing effort,” she said, adding, “To have a dedicated space is a priority.”

Shock said such a new theater will be a major project for the community and fundraising will have to happen. Shock said Dennis Rollins, who chairs the Westside Community Park Committee, has seen interest in expanding what can happen at the park.

“It's still going to be a long road for the,” Shock said of the theater group, adding that she thinks they are starting to understand that, and have a lot of passion for the project.

Cindy Forbes, the Lake County Theatre Co.’s treasurer, said they are facing the reality of what the project will cost. “We do realize that working at Westside Community Park is going to be an enormous investment just to improve the land, certainly more than we had anticipated, looking at just the rough concept of it.”

Forbes said they’ve been told it could cost up to $150,000, and the group has $84,000 in its fund. They raise about $15,000 to $20,000 a year.

She also asked the city to keep the theater company in mind if they have the chance to obtain another property. “We just not have found a place to set ourselves down,” Forbes said, adding that they hope it’s Lakeport because they love being there.

Councilman Kenny Parlet said everyone appreciates some level of art. “I think would be a great opportunity” to have another theater facility in addition to the Soper Reese.

“And such a cool addition to the park,” said Councilwoman Stacey Mattina.

Parlet said moving more toward the arts is always a positive thing. “This is where art comes in, trying to make Lakeport a better place.”

Turner said the theater company is a focused and energetic group and she was impressed with how far they had made it in the process already. “The shows are just awesome.”

Parlet said that what helps with fundraising is having a discernable idea of where it will be built.

Turner noted that the building plan looks nebulous on purpose.

Parlet moved to approve the concept on the black box theater, with Mattina seconding and the council voting 3-0. In addition to Barnes’ recusal, Councilman George Spurr was absent for the meeting.

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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