With extreme heat forecast for much of California and the Southwest, the California Independent System Operator, or ISO, has issued a statewide Flex Alert to encourage electricity conservation on Thursday, June 17, from 5 to 10 p.m. to reduce stress on the grid and avoid power outages.
When past Flex Alerts have been called, consumers have answered the call and cut back their electricity use. Those actions have helped California avoid or limit power outages that can, if conditions persist or worsen, become necessary when demand for electricity outstrips capacity.
“The public’s help is essential when extreme weather or other factors beyond our control put undue stress on the electric grid,” said Elliot Mainzer, president and chief executive officer of the ISO. “We have seen the huge impact that occurs when consumers pitch in and limit their energy use. Their cooperation can really make a difference.”
While Flex Alerts are normally 4 to 9 p.m., the hours of conservation for this event are 5 to 10 p.m. due to operational needs.
The statewide call for conservation is critical because when temperatures hit triple digits across a wide geographic area, no state has enough energy available to meet all the heightened demand, primarily due to air conditioning use.
For the next several days, much of California and the Southwest are expected to see triple-digit heat with above normal temperatures spread more broadly across much of the Western United States. And like California, other Western states — including Arizona and New Mexico — are experiencing similar stressful grid conditions due to the extreme heat.
Under such conditions, evening is the most difficult time of day for grid operations, especially in persistent hot weather when evening temperatures stay warm, because demand for electricity remains high as solar energy diminishes.
By collectively taking a few simple actions, electricity use can be reduced enough to keep power on for everyone.
Last August and September, for instance, Californians heeded multiple Flex Alerts and Gov. Gavin Newsom’s call for a concerted response to emergency conditions and reduced electricity use by 1,000 to 3,000 megawatts.
That is enough electricity to power up to three million homes, and the conservation likely prevented subsequent and more severe rotating outages last August and September. If demand still outstrips supply after Flex Alerts and other measures are taken, the ISO could again order utilities to begin rotating power outages.
That would extend available power supplies and guard against longer and more extensive disruptions while protecting high-voltage transmission lines from damage.
As California’s ability to store solar and wind energy with batteries or other technology continues to increase, the crucial evening hours will be less challenging. But for now, concerted action to conserve is the most effective way of keeping the grid working for everyone.
Conservation tips
Before a Flex Alert is in effect, consumers can take specific steps to manage their electricity usage to maintain comfort during days that conservation is needed.
Specifically, consumers can:
— Precool your home by lowering the thermostat; — Use major appliances, like your dishwasher, and clothes washer and dryer; — Close window coverings to keep your home or apartment cool; — Charge electronic devices; — Charge electric vehicles.
From 5 to 10 p.m. Thursday, when the statewide Flex Alert is in effect, consumers can help by:
— Setting your thermostat to 78 degrees or higher, if health permits. — Avoiding the use of major appliances. — Turning off all unnecessary lights. — Using fans for cooling. — Unplugging unused items.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — As the state of California transitions to its reopening phase, county officials are awaiting updated guidance from the state regarding COVID-19 workplace protocols.
The county of Lake is the largest employer in the county with close to 1,000 employees, according to county documents.
In response to the pandemic and in order to adhere to federal and state mandates, the county of Lake drafted its own COVID-19 workplace protocol, which the board accepted last year and has updated when necessary in order to keep its employees safe.
The state of California began its reopening on Tuesday with the official lifting of the original March 2020 stay-at-home order and the retiring of the Blueprint for a Safer Economy, which included tiers for tracking transmission. Lake County was in the orange tier, or moderate tier, when the blueprint ended Tuesday.
However, while the state transitions, inconsistencies have yet to be resolved between the guidance offered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the California Department of Public Health, and California’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health, or Cal/OSHA.
Cal/OSHA continues to keep in place regulations from November, based on its website, although this week it will consider adopting revised guidance.
County Administrative Office staff went to the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday to offer an update and discuss proposed actions while waiting for a decision from the state.
“There’s a distinct conflict between the Cal/OSHA guidance for employees in our workplaces and the governor’s guidance and the guidance of CDC and CDPH,” said County Administrative Officer Carol Huchingson.
Huchingson said the administration sent out an email blast to county employees on Monday to let them know they need to continue to mask at this time, although vaccinated members of the public don't need to mask when visiting county facilities.
She said they are hoping that this conflict will be resolved on Thursday, when the Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board is next set to meet.
County staff had intended to bring forward a revision of the COVID-19 workplace protocol for Tuesday. Huchingson said Human Resources Director Pam Samac had written the revised protocol but they had to pull it back due to changing information coming out of Cal/OSHA.
Samac said Gov. Gavin Newsom is asking Cal/OSHA to make the updated regulations effective on Thursday and waive the normal 10-day waiting period.
Samac and Huchingson told the board that if the new rules do become effective on Thursday, they will send another email blast to employees to advise them that they are allowing an exception to the county’s COVID-19 protocol, and then the board will officially update the county guidance at its June 22 meeting.
Board Chair Bruno Sabatier asked about signage in the courthouse for safety protocols such as face masks.
“We need to get out and take those down,” said Huchingson.
Huchingson said Samac had drafted an amendment last week that included a form for employees to indicate their vaccination status, but they won’t know until Cal/OSHA makes a decision about whether that form will be included in the revised county guidelines.
Samac said it’s her understanding that Cal/OSHA is leaning toward making its policy consistent with CDC and CDPH. “But you just never can tell with OSHA.”
Huchingson said they appreciate county employees continuing to follow the rules. “We know it’s a frustrating situation when masks are not required for the public but are still required for employees, but that’s the way it stands at this time.”
“This has been two months in the marking and this is where bureaucracy becomes frustrating,” said Sabatier.
He said Cal/OSHA impacts a majority of businesses, “So all of our businesses are having to make a decision today and it’s a very unfortunate situation that we have to wait for this.”
Elizabeth Arnold, president of the Lake County Employees Association, the largest county employee labor group, noted concerns that some employees have about the potential changes in rules because they either haven’t yet been vaccinated or don’t intend to be.
Huchingson, who was wearing a mask, said employees can continue to wear masks as long as they feel the need to do so and that she intended to continue masking in her department. She’s also planning to leave up shields in areas with public contact.
Samac said that unvaccinated people would still need to wear masks, which is consistent with CDC guidance. She recommended keeping in place all physical barriers for public facing service.
Arnold asked if employees who come to work and are ill will be made to mask. Huchingson said employees who are sick shouldn’t come to work.
Supervisor Moke Simon moved to implement the Cal/OSHA rule changes on Thursday with the board to ratify them on Tuesday, with Supervisor EJ Crandell seconding and the board voting 5-0.
On a related note, at the Lakeport City Council meeting on Tuesday night, Councilman Michael Green asked city staff to come back at a future meeting with an update on how Lakeport will respond to the new state COVID-19 guidance.
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.
The 2020 California Citizens Redistricting Commission has launched a series of communities of interest, or COI, virtual hearings to capture community specific data that will help commissioners to respect community boundaries to the best of their abilities when drawing district lines, as is mandated by California’s line drawing criteria.
When the commission begins drawing maps using census data, they will need to follow this set of criteria, in this order, as outlined in the California Constitution:
— Districts must be of nearly equal population to comply with the U.S. Constitution. — Districts must comply with the Voting Rights Act to ensure that minorities have a fair opportunity to elect representatives of their choice. — Districts must be drawn contiguously, so that all parts of the district are connected to each other. — Districts must minimize the division of counties, cities, neighborhoods and communities of interest to the extent possible. — Districts should be geographically compact such that nearby areas of population are not bypassed for more distant populations. — Where practicable, each Senate District should consist of two complete and adjacent Assembly Districts, and Board of Equalization districts should consist of 10 complete and adjacent State Senate districts. This is known as “nesting.”
The commission can obtain city and county information from those jurisdictions, but it needs the neighborhood and communities of interest information from Californians directly.
“Although we have been accepting communities of interest submissions online since March, these virtual input sessions are yet another opportunity for communities to share with the commission about their communities of interest,” said Commission Chair Isra Ahmad.
During these input meetings, participants will be asked to describe their community and will be encouraged to consider highlighting the following:
— Begin with your county or city. — Mention the street names and significant locations in your neighborhood to help the commission identify the parameters of your community. — What are your shared interests? — What brings you together? — What is important to your community? — Are there nearby areas you want to be in a district with? — Nearby areas you don't want to be in a district with? Why or why not? — Has your community come together to advocate for important services, better schools, roads or health centers in your neighborhood?
Registration is not required to participate in these public input meetings. The call-in number for public input on the day of each event will be 877-853-5247.
The online COI tool is 14 in fourteen languages and includes tutorials.
Every 10 years, after the federal government publishes updated census information, California must redraw the boundaries of its electoral districts so that the state’s population is evenly allocated among the new districts.
In 2008, California voters passed the Voters First Act, authorizing the creation of the independent California Citizens Redistricting Commission to draw new State Senate, State Assembly and State Board of Equalization district lines.
In 2010, the Voters First Act for Congress gave the Commission the responsibility of drawing new Congressional districts following every census.
The Gold Award for Excellence in Law Enforcement Policy Management awarded to the Lakeport Police Department in Lakeport, California. Courtesy image. LAKEPORT, Calif. — The Lakeport Police Department announced that it has received a Gold Award for Excellence in Law Enforcement Policy Management.
Chief Brad Rasmussen said his department partners with Lexipol to provide up-to-date policies that govern law enforcement response and actions in the city of Lakeport.
“As the public is aware, recent national incidents have created calls for police reform and changes in policing policies across the country,” Rasmussen said. “Prior to these incidents, the Lakeport Police Department had updated its best practice policies, putting them in line with changes the public was seeking.”
Some of the department’s policies, which the new legal proposals were intended to mandate, including those governing use of force issues, were already in place as proposed, Rasmussen said.
“We thank our management, supervisory and instructor staff for their work in keeping our policies reviewed and updated,” he added. “We appreciate that all of our officers and other staff stay current with daily policy training throughout the year.”
Members of the public can find the current Lakeport Police Department policy manual here.
Gov. Gavin Newsom ushered in California’s reopening at Universal Studios, where he held the $15 million Vax for the Win grand prize drawing on Tuesday, June 15, 2021. Photo courtesy of the Governor’s Office. As California moved Beyond the Blueprint on Tuesday to fully reopen the economy, Gov. Gavin Newsom welcomed the milestone at Universal Studios Hollywood, where he highlighted the attractions Californians can look forward to revisiting this summer.
Gov. Newsom also selected 10 Californians to receive $1.5 million each — for a total of $15 million — as part of the final cash prize drawing in the state’s Vax for the Win program.
As of Tuesday, the restrictions that have been in place over the past year were eliminated, including physical distancing, capacity limits, county tier systems and masks in almost all settings for vaccinated Californians.
In taking early action to address the pandemic head-on, Gov. Newsom protected both Californians and the state’s economy, resulting in some of the best health and economic outcomes of any state in the country:
— California is forecast to outpace the country’s economic recovery, ranked as the No. 1 U.S. economy for “expanding GDP, raising household income, investing in innovation,” and more. — California is creating more jobs than any other state for three months in a row, adding 385,000 jobs; in April alone, California created 38 percent of the nation’s jobs. — The state consistently has among the lowest case rates and transmission rates in the nation, and hospitalizations dipped to the lowest point since March 2020. — More than 40 million vaccinations have been administered in California, surpassing the next closest state by 16 million, with over 70 percent of adults having at least one shot.
Newsom celebrated the strength and resilience of Californians — from heroic health care workers to essential workers across the board to everyday Californians from all walks of life — who have supported each other through hardship and heartache over the past year, making sacrifices to save countless lives and enable the state to turn the page on this pandemic.
“As we look ahead to better days, we will continue to look out for one another, redoubling our support to those hit hardest by the pandemic and making unprecedented investments to address California’s most persistent challenges, so that the entire state comes roaring back together,” said Newsom.
The governor was joined at Universal Studios by two of the 30 $50,000 winners — Aurelia of Los Angeles County and Reyna of Orange County — who received their checks Tuesday.
“I am deeply grateful for this prize and proud to have done my part to protect my community from COVID-19 — bringing the state one step closer to this incredible moment,” said Aurelia. “I encourage others to get vaccinated to help keep us on track to putting this pandemic behind us for good.”
Helen Cordova, a registered nurse in Los Angeles who became the first person to be vaccinated against COVID-19 in California in December, assisted with Tuesday’s grand prize drawing.
Under Vax for the Win, California was one of the only states in the country to achieve a week-over-week increase in the rate of vaccinations, and most recently we saw a 22 percent increase in vaccinations, including an increase in rates among hard-to-reach communities.
Since launching Vax for the Win, more than three million vaccine doses have been reported, including over 924,221 Californians newly starting their vaccination process, and the state has seen the largest number of first doses administered in communities hit hardest by the pandemic.
Tuesday’s selection of 10 $1.5 million winners caps off the cash prize giveaways as part of the $116.5 million Vax for the Win program — the largest vaccine incentive program in the nation.
The program previously selected 30 winners to receive $50,000 each, for a total of $1,500,000. In addition, the program is providing $100 million in $50 prepaid or grocery cards for newly vaccinated people, while supplies last. Governor Newsom also highlighted the upcoming California Dream Vacations, a new Vax for the Win incentive in which vaccinated Californians have the chance to win one of six in-state vacation packages in a drawing on July 1.
Tuesday’s $1.5 million winners live in the following counties: Los Angeles, Marin, Riverside, Santa Barbara, Sacramento, Stanislaus and Ventura.
The California Department of Public Health will start notifying winners within hours of the drawing and over the next several days by telephone, text, email or other contact information associated with the person’s record in the state’s vaccine registry.
To protect their privacy, all winners will have the option to accept their cash prize while remaining anonymous or decline it altogether.
The $50,000 winners selected in prior cash prize drawings live throughout the state, including Sandy of Orange County, a winner from last week who said, “I can’t tell you how grateful I am. I feel so free after getting mine, I was able to hug my grandkids and go to the store without fear. I want to encourage all to get their vaccine soon — the feeling is so wonderful.”
Californians who have not gotten vaccinated yet are encouraged to go to http://myturn.ca.gov or call 833-422-4255 to schedule their appointment, or go to http://myturn.ca.gov/clinic to find a walk-in clinic in their county.
As part of the continuing efforts to hold Pacific Gas and Electric Co. accountable for its safety performance, the California Public Utilities Commission has issued a scope of work for an independent safety monitor.
The proposal, which will be put out for public comment, will be on the CPUC’s July 15 voting meeting agenda.
As a condition of approving PG&E’s plan for exiting bankruptcy in May 2020, the CPUC determined it necessary that an independent safety monitor succeed the federal monitor that was appointed as part of PG&E’s probation in criminal court.
The federal monitor’s work ends in 2022.
By creating an independent safety monitor, the CPUC is enhancing its oversight of PG&E to ensure the utility focuses on long-term outcomes that promote safety and reliability.
The independent safety monitor will be selected by and report to the CPUC.
In March, PG&E’s proposal with recommended oversight responsibilities for the independent safety monitor was issued for public comment.
The proposal issued by the CPUC incorporates feedback received and proposes a scope of work, budget and length of term.
Under the proposal, the term of the independent safety monitor will begin before the federal monitor completes its term and will continue for five years. The term can be extended based on PG&E’s performance.
The proposal sets the annual operating budget at $5 million and proposes these costs be paid by PG&E shareholders.
The CPUC’s oversight of PG&E includes exercising its broad investigation and enforcement authority, examining of rates and costs, pressing for progress on the utility’s efforts to reduce the risk of wildfire ignited by its equipment, ensuring safe execution of public safety power shut-offs, regulating the safety of the utility’s natural gas system and ensuring PG&E is progressing toward modernizing its electric grid.
Under the CPUC proposal, the independent safety monitor will support the CPUC in ensuring PG&E prioritizes and executes the highest level of risk reduction across all levels of the company, from senior officials to field personnel, and will assess PG&E’s risk management activities in the field.
The independent safety monitor will support the CPUC’s efforts to ensure PG&E has in place a risk assessment process that identifies where its operations and infrastructure create the greatest risk to public safety.
The independent safety monitor also will monitor PG&E’s safety-related record keeping and record management systems to ensure modernization efforts are informed by prior failures and support safe system construction, operation, and maintenance in PG&E’s electric and natural gas lines of business.
Trevor Noel Reynoso, 31, of Murrieta, California, has been arrested for sexually assaulting a teenage girl. Lake County Jail photo. LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Authorities have arrested a Southern California man on numerous felony charges related to the sexual assault of a teenage girl.
Trevor Noel Reynoso, 31, of Murrieta, was taken into custody on Tuesday evening, according to the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.
Lt. Corey Paulich said the mother of a 15-year-old girl contacted the sheriff’s office on Tuesday to report that her daughter had been sexually assaulted.
A deputy contacted the mother and daughter. The teen told the deputy that in February of this year she had met a male on a social media app. The male identified himself as “Chase” and told her he was 21 years old, Paulich said.
Since February the girl and the male subject had sex multiple times. Paulich said the male would provide various narcotics to the victim in return for sex.
The deputy had the teenager contact the suspect on the social media app and asked him to meet her at a business in the Middletown area. Paulich said the suspect agreed and the deputy drove to the business, locating Reynoso in his parked vehicle.
Paulich said the deputy contacted Reynoso, who provided identification with a false name. Reynoso denied any knowledge of the victim or being there to meet her.
The victim was able to positively identify Reynoso as the person who had sexually assaulted her. Paulich said Reynoso eventually admitted knowing the victim, but said he thought she was 18.
Deputies later learned Reynoso’s real name and discovered he had a felony warrant out of Texas for possession of child pornography.
Reynoso was arrested and booked at the Lake County Jail on his Texas warrant and charges of lewd acts with a child, unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor, arranging to meet a minor for purposes of sex, oral copulation, soliciting prostitution from a minor, false identification to a peace officer and furnishing of a controlled substance, Paulich said.
Reynoso remains in custody with a no bail hold, Paulich said.
Booking records show that Reynoso is due to make a court appearance on Thursday.
Environmentalists have long been pushing the government, consumers and corporations to protect our planet, promoting everything from tougher environmental standards to paperless communications and environmentally friendly products like reusable shopping sacks.
Government is stepping up. The United States just hosted a global climate change summit coinciding with Earth Day and committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 50%-52% below its 2005 emissions levels by 2030.
And state and local governments are spending more on preserving natural resources.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, public spending to protect the nation’s natural resources jumped from $27.7 billion in 2014 to $32.3 billion in 2018.
The survey includes a broad range of statistics on public expenditures on natural resources. It provides data on how much our governments spend on conservation and management of resources, such as fish and game, forestry, soil, water, and electric energy resources.
Some specific preservation programs include protection of soil and water resources, including controlling beach erosion, managing dams to prevent floods, educating the public about conservation and generating hydroelectric energy.
The survey also details government expenditures on caring for the environment, including maintaining parks and managing waste.
Employment in natural resources remain largely unchanged
According to the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll, in March 2020 there were 189,668 employees in the natural resources functions of state and local governments: 83% (156,768) were full-time and 17% (32,900) part-time.
While expenditures rose, a five-year comparison (from 2016 to 2020) showed a 5.7% decline in part-time employment and a 0.3% dip in full-time employment.
According to the American Community Survey, which shows employment data by sex, women held approximately 24% of the nation’s farming, fishing, and forestry sector jobs in 2019.
Alternative sources of energy
Part of preserving natural resources and the environment is increasing reliance on alternative power sources.
The private sector has seen increases in the number of businesses and employment in industries that generate power from non-fossil fuel sources, according to County Business Patterns data.
For example, there was about a 5% increase in the number of hydroelectric power generation establishments and a 22% rise in the number of people employed in the industry from 2017 to 2018. The 2019 data show fewer establishments with an increase in the number of employees in the sector.
It looks like reduce, reuse and recycle are here to stay and the Census Bureau is tracking all data relating to conservation.
The Census Bureau’s State and Local Governments Snapshot tool provides quick and easy access.
Lynda Lee is a supervisory statistician in the Census Bureau’s Economic Management Division.
Middle age was often a time to enjoy life. Now, it brings stress and bad health to many Americans, especially those with lower education levels. Mike Harrington/Getty Images
Midlife was once considered a time to enjoy the fruits of one’s years of work and parenting. That is no longer true in the U.S.
Although these trends preclude the COVID-19 pandemic, COVID-19’s imprint promises to further exacerbate the suffering. Historical declines in the health and well-being of U.S. middle-aged adults raises two important questions: To what extent is this confined to the U.S., and will COVID-19 impact future trends?
My colleagues and I recently published a cross-national study, which is currently in press, that provides insights into how U.S. middle-aged adults are currently faring in relation to their counterparts in other nations, and what future generations can expect in the post-COVID-19 world. Our study examined cohort differences in the health, well-being and memory of U.S. middle-aged adults and whether they differed from middle-aged adults in Australia, Germany, South Korea and Mexico.
We compared people who were born in the 1930s through the 1960s in terms of their health and well-being – such as depressive symptoms and life satisfaction – and memory in midlife.
Differences between nations were stark. For the U.S., we found a general pattern of decline. Americans born in the 1950s and 1960s experienced overall declines in well-being and memory in middle age compared to those born in the 1930s and 1940s. A similar pattern was found for Australian middle-aged adults.
In contrast, each successive cohort in Germany, South Korea and Mexico reported improvements in well-being and memory. Improvements were observed in health for each nation across cohorts, but were slowed for Americans born in the 1950s and 1960s, suggesting they improved less rapidly than their counterparts in the countries examined.
Our study finds that middle-aged Americans are experiencing overall declines in key outcomes, whereas other nations are showing general improvements. Our cross-national approach points to policies that could could help alleviate the long-term effects arising from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Will COVID-19 exacerbate troubling trends?
Initial research on the short-term effects of COVID-19 is telling.
At the start of the pandemic the focus was rightly on the safety of older adults. Older adults were most vulnerable to the risks posed by COVID-19, which included mortality, social isolation and loneliness. Indeed, older adults were at higher risk, but an overlooked component has been how the mental health risks and long-haul effects will likely differ across age groups.
Middle-aged people often have parents to take care of as well as children.Ron Levine/Getty Images
Changing views and experiences of midlife
The very nature and expectations surrounding midlife are shifting. U.S. middle-aged adults are confronting more parenting pressures than ever before, in the form of engagement in extracurricular activities and pressures for their children to succeed in school. Record numbers of young adults are moving back home with their middle-aged parents due to student loan debt and a historically challenging labor and housing market.
A direct effect of gains in life expectancy is that middle-aged adults are needing to take on more caregiving-related duties for their aging parents and other relatives, while continuing with full-time work and taking care of school-aged children. This is complicated by the fact that there is no federally mandated program for paid family leave that could cover instances of caregiving, or the birth or adoption of a child. A recent AARP report estimated that in 2020, there were 53 million caregivers whose unpaid labor was valued at US$470 billion.
Our cross-national approach provides ample opportunities to explore ways to reverse the U.S. disadvantage and promote resilience for middle-aged adults.
The nations we studied vastly differ in their family and work policies. Paid parental leave and subsidized child care help relieve the stress and financial strain of parenting in countries such as Germany, Denmark and Sweden. Research documents how well-being is higher in both parents and nonparents in nations with more generous family leave policies.
Countries with ample paid sick and vacation days ensure that employees can take time off to care for an ailing family member. Stronger safety nets protect laid-off employees by ensuring that they have the resources available to stay on their feet.
During the pandemic, the U.S. government passed policy measures to aid people and businesses. The U.S. approved measures to stimulate the economy through stimulus checks, payroll protection for small businesses, expansion of unemployment benefits and health care enrollment, child tax credits, and individuals’ ability to claim forbearance for various forms of debt and housing payments. Some of these measures have been beneficial, with recent findings showing that material hardship declined and well-being improved during periods when the stimulus checks were distributed.
I believe these programs are a good start, but they need to be expanded if there is any hope of reversing these troubling trends and promoting resilience in middle-aged Americans. A recent report from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation concluded that paid family leave has a wide range of benefits, including, but not limited to, addressing health, racial and gender inequities; helping women stay in the workforce; and assisting businesses in recruiting skilled workers. Research from Germany and the United Kingdom shows how expansions in family leave policies have lasting effects on well-being, particularly for women.
Middle-aged adults form the backbone of society. They constitute large segments of the workforce while having to simultaneously bridge younger and older generations through caregiving-related duties. Ensuring their success, productivity, health and well-being through these various programs promises to have cascading effects on their families and society as a whole.
CLEARLAKE, Calif. — The Clearlake City Council this week will consider adopting the city’s budget for fiscal year 2021-22, which includes massive investment in infrastructure thanks to an influx of revenue and grants that have tripled the anticipated revenue over that of the current year’s budget.
The council will meet for a budget preparation workshop at 5 p.m. Thursday, June 17, in the council chambers at Clearlake City Hall, 14050 Olympic Drive, ahead of the regular session that begins at 6 p.m.
The public may attend, however, the council chambers will have limited capacity and attendees must adhere to masking and social distancing mandates.
Comments and questions can be submitted in writing for City Council consideration by sending them to Administrative Services Director/City Clerk Melissa Swanson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. You can also visit the city’s town hall site and submit written comments at https://www.opentownhall.com/portals/327/forum_home. Identify the subject you wish to comment on in your email’s subject line or in your town hall submission.
To give the council adequate time to review your questions and comments, please submit your written comments before 4 p.m. on Thursday, June 17.
Under presentations, the council will meet one of June’s adoptable dogs.
The council on Thursday will hold public hearings to approve the city’s appropriations, or Gann, limit, ahead of the approval of the 2021-22 fiscal year budget and the new fiscal year’s fee schedule.
Revenues in all city funds for 2021-22 total $53,684,925. Compare that to the $18,274,194 in the 2020-21 budget and $23,446,230 for the 2019-20 budget.
For 2021-22, expenditures for all funds are forecast at $57,461,766.11.
“The big story in this budget is what can only be described as an enormous and unprecedented investment in infrastructure,” City Manager Alan Flora explained in his budget message.
He said the proposed capital projects budget exceeds $36 million. “This investment has been made possible due primarily to over $14 million in settlement proceeds from litigation and nearly $14 million in CDBG Disaster Recovery dollars for two large road rehabilitation projects in and around the Sulphur Fire area.”
He said those funds, and a mix of other dollars, will allow projects long desired by the city to move forward over the next couple of years.
Those projects, Flora said, include:
— infrastructure development at the Pearce Field retail center; — a new mixed-use development on Burns Valley Road, including a housing project, a new Public Works yard, a soccer and baseball complex, and a recreation center; — corridor improvements on Lakeshore Drive; and — additional improvements in Austin Park.
Flora said there also are nearly 15 miles of road improvements included in the proposed budget.
“There are likely to be additional grant awards for infrastructure investment that will be received by the city within this fiscal year, but since they are pending official award notifications we have not included them in the budget,” he said.
“The City is clearly experiencing a resurgence, and the combination of infrastructure and private investment completed over the next couple of years will define a new trajectory in Clearlake’s future,” Flora wrote.
He notes challenges that remain, including addressing blight and properties with tax delinquencies.
“While the list of challenges we face is long, I believe the opportunity in front of us is enormous. Investment interest in our community is high and I believe the change coming in the next few years will overshadow the challenges of the past,” said Flora, adding it’s going to be a great year.
Also on Thursday, the council will get the city’s annual financial report for the year ended June 30, 2019.
On the meeting's consent agenda — items that are usually adopted on a single vote — are Resolution 2021-30, adopting a project list for submission to the California Transportation Committee for funding under the provisions of SB1; second reading of Ordinance No. 254-2021, for Development Agreement 2021-02 for Akwaaba Inc., to allow the expansion of its existing cannabis operation to include a microbusiness; second reading of Ordinance No. 255-2021, for Development Agreement 2021-03 with Green Growth Solutions LLC for a commercial cannabis operation; minutes of the May 12 Lake County Vector Control District Board meeting; continuation of declaration of local emergency issued on March 14, 2020, and ratified by council action on March 19, 2020; continuation of declaration of local emergency issued on Oct. 9, 2017, and ratified by council action Oct. 12, 2017; warrants; and Resolution 2021-29, approving a temporary road closure for the annual Independence Day parade on July 3.
The council will meet in closed session following the public portion of the meeting to discuss ongoing negotiations with the Clearlake Municipal Employees Association, Clearlake Police Officers Association and Clearlake Middle Management Association.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — As the state of California prepares to fully reopen this week, the acting Lake County Public Health officer continues to urge people to use caution and get vaccinated, as COVID-19 remains active in the community.
Lake County’s testing positivity and case rates continue to trend in the minimal-moderate range.
On Tuesday, June 15, the state of California will move Beyond the Blueprint for a Safer Economy), and most sector-specific business restrictions will be lifted as a result.
Some high-risk settings will still require all participants to take precautions. “Mega Events” (5,000 people indoors, or 10,000 outdoors) are one example.
“Please remember, while Lake County’s Case Rate is significantly lower than it was during our winter peak, COVID-19 is still present in our communities,” said Evan Bloom, MD, MPH, Lake County’s acting Public Health officer.
“Nearly half of eligible Lake County residents [46.8%] have not received even one dose of vaccine. We are well short of the 70% rate required for herd immunity. Some areas of the State have seen recent upticks in new cases, even as restrictions are about to loosen. Getting vaccinated and continuing to take common sense precautions are essential, as we enter this next phase,” Bloom said.
Starting Tuesday, fully vaccinated Individuals will no longer be required to wear masks, except in settings where they are required for all people: public transit; indoors in K-12 schools, childcare and other youth settings; health care settings, including long-term care facilities; state and local correctional facilities and detention centers; and homeless shelters, emergency shelters and cooling centers.
Unvaccinated and partially vaccinated individuals will still be required to wear masks in most indoor public settings and businesses, including retail, restaurants, family entertainment centers, meetings, state and local government offices.
People are considered fully vaccinated for COVID-19 two weeks after they receive the second dose in a 2-dose series (Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna), or two weeks after they have received a single-dose vaccine (Johnson and Johnson/Janssen).”
The California Department of Public Health’s complete guidance document can be found here.
Health services partnering with local school districts to vaccinate students and families
The Health Services Department, Lake County Office of Education and school districts are also partnering to make safe, effective COVID-19 vaccines available to students and their families on a rotating basis. Anyone under the age of 18 getting vaccinated will need parent/guardian consent for vaccination.
— Tuesday, June 15, 2 to 7:30 p.m.: Upper Lake High School Cafeteria, 675 Clover Valley Road. — Thursday, June 17, noon to 4 p.m.: Lakeport Elementary School Cafeteria, 150 Lange St.
“To those who have already received their COVID-19 vaccinations: a heartfelt thank you,” said Dr. Bloom. “For the half of the county who are not yet vaccinated: please help us all breathe easier! Increasing our vaccination rate to 70% is still our goal, and further vaccination is key to a sustained return to normalcy.”
He added, “If you remain unsure, you are not alone. Please get your questions answered. Online resources, like https://yourvaccinationguide.org/, can be a great help.”
If you have reviewed online resources and still have questions, or are ready to be vaccinated, and need assistance overcoming barriers, call the Public Health’s MHOAC line, at 707-263-8174.
“Especially as things further open up, and people are mixing more, please take care of each other,” emphasizes Bloom. “If you are unvaccinated, and not feeling 100%, it is still best to stay home. Precautions that were mandates during the peak of the pandemic can help you stay healthier, and help protect your families and communities, even as we move Beyond the Blueprint. Stay safe and well.”
The following are state-produced resources on the reopening.
Actualización de COVID-19: Avanzando Más allá del Plan
Los distritos escolares locales ofrecerán vacunas de forma rotatoria en asociación con los Servicios de Salud https://www.facebook.com/LakeCountyOfficeofEducation/
Condado de Lake, CA (14 de junio de 2021)— Las tasas de casos y positividad de las pruebas del condado de Lake continúan con una tendencia en el rango mínimo-moderado. El martes 15 de junio, el estado de California se moverá "Más allá del plan (para una economía más segura)" y, como resultado, la mayoría de las restricciones comerciales específicas del sector se levantarán. Algunos entornos de alto riesgo aún requerirán que todos los participantes tomen precauciones. Los “mega-eventos” (5,000 personas en interiores o 10,000 al aire libre) son un ejemplo.
"Recuerde, mientras la tasa de casos del condado de Lake es significativamente más baja que durante nuestro pico de invierno, el COVID-19 todavía está presente en nuestras comunidades", urge Evan Bloom, MD, MPH, Funcionario Interino de Salud Pública del Condado de Lake. “Casi la mitad de los residentes elegibles del condado de Lake [46,8%] no han recibido ni una sola dosis de la vacuna. Estamos muy por debajo de la tasa del 70% requerida para la inmunidad colectiva. Algunas áreas del estado han visto repuntes recientes en nuevos casos, incluso cuando las restricciones están a punto de aflojarse. Vacunarse y seguir tomando precauciones de sentido común es esencial, ya que ingresamos a la siguiente fase”.
Nueva orden de salud estatal emitida el viernes 11 de junio a partir del 15 de junio: Reemplaza todos los pedidos anteriores
El Condado de Lake no tiene la intención inmediata de agregar restricciones más allá de las requeridas por la Orden del Oficial de Salud Pública del Estado del 11 de junio de 2021, que entrará en vigencia mañana, 15 de junio.
Nueva orientación para el uso de cubiertas faciales
A partir de mañana, 15 de junio, ya no se requerirá que las personas totalmente vacunadas usen máscaras, excepto en los lugares donde se requieren para todas las personas: transporte público; en el interior de las escuelas K-12, cuidado de niños y otros entornos para jóvenes; entornos de atención médica, incluidas las instalaciones de atención a largo plazo; Instalaciones correccionales y centros de detención estatales y locales; y refugios para personas sin hogar, refugios de emergencia y centros de enfriamiento.
Se requerirá que las personas no vacunadas y parcialmente vacunadas usen máscaras en la mayoría de los entornos públicos y negocios interiores, que incluyen: venta minorista; restaurantes; centros de entretenimiento familiar; reuniones; oficinas gubernamentales estatales y locales.
Se considera que las personas están completamente vacunadas contra COVID-19 dos semanas después de recibir la segunda dosis de una serie de 2 dosis (Pfizer-BioNTech o Moderna), o dos semanas después de haber recibido una vacuna de dosis única (Johnson y Johnson / Janssen ). Fuente: https://covid19.ca.gov/vaccines/
El documento de orientación completo del Departamento de Salud Pública de California se puede encontrar aquí:
Servicios de Salud asociados con distritos escolares locales, LCOE para vacunar a estudiantes y familias locales
El Departamento de Servicios de Salud, la Oficina de Educación del Condado de Lake y los distritos escolares locales también se están asociando para hacer que las vacunas COVID-19 seguras y efectivas estén disponibles para los estudiantes y sus familias * de forma rotatoria. Las citas se pueden hacer en https://myturn.ca.gov/ , y también serán bienvenidas las personas sin cita previa.
Hasta ahora hay dos eventos programados, siga la página de Facebook de la Oficina de Educación del Condado de Lake para asegurarse de no perderse el evento en su distrito (https://www.facebook.com/LakeCountyOfficeofEducation/ ):
• Mañana (martes), 6/15, 2-7: 30pm - Cafetería de Upper Lake High School, 675 Clover Valley Rd, Upper Lake
• Jueves, 6/17, 12-4pm - Cafetería de la Escuela Primaria de Lakeport, 150 Lange St., Lakeport
* Tenga en cuenta: cualquier persona menor de 18 años que se vacune necesitará el consentimiento del padre / tutor
Vacúnese: sigue siendo clave para un retorno sostenido a la normalidad
“Para aquellos que ya han recibido sus vacunas COVID-19: un sincero agradecimiento,” comparte el Dr. Bloom. “Para la mitad del condado que aún no está vacunada: ¡ayúdenos a respirar mejor! Aumentar nuestra tasa de vacunación al 70% sigue siendo nuestro objetivo, y una mayor vacunación es clave para un retorno sostenido a la normalidad.”
"Si no está seguro, no está solo,” continúa Bloom. “Por favor, obtenga respuestas a sus preguntas. Los recursos en línea, como ,https://yourvaccinationguide.org/ , pueden ser de gran ayuda.”
Si ha revisado los recursos en línea y aún tiene preguntas, o está listo para vacunarse y necesita ayuda para superar las barreras, llame a la línea MHOAC de Salud Pública al 707-263-8174.
“Especialmente a medida que las cosas se abren más y la gente se mezcla más, por favor cuídense unos a otros,” enfatiza Bloom. “Si no está vacunado y no se siente al 100%, es mejor quedarse en casa. Las precauciones que fueron obligatorias durante el pico de la pandemia pueden ayudarlo a mantenerse más saludable y ayudar a proteger a sus familias y comunidades, incluso mientras avanzamos Más allá del Plan. Mantente sano y salvo.”
Aquí hay algunos recursos producidos por el estado que muchos pueden encontrar útiles:
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will hold a community forum this week to offer an update on the status of the Sulphur Bank Superfund Site in Clearlake Oaks.
The meeting will be held on Wednesday, June 16, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. via Zoom.
To join by computer, click: https://zoom.us/j/93002989951. To join by a tablet or smartphone via the Zoom app, use meeting ID 930-0298-9951.
To join by phone (audio only), call one tap audio for cell phones at +16699009128, 93002989951# or 669-900-9128 for land lines, using meeting ID 930-0298-9951.
The Sulphur Bank Mercury Mine is an abandoned open pit mercury mine located on the shoreline of Clear Lake in Clearlake Oaks.
The EPA’s website said the 160-acre site was mined intermittently for sulfur and mercury between 1865 and 1957.
The EPA added the mine to its Superfund site program in 1990.
Today, approximately two million cubic yards of mine waste are located on the property. It also includes the Herman impoundment, which the EPA said is a flooded open pit mine filled with water contaminated by mine waste and naturally occurring geothermal groundwater that covers 23 acres, is 90 feet deep and is located 750 feet from Clear Lake.
During the meeting, EPA staff will give an update on the site cleanup, including this year’s project schedule and an overview of concerns heard from recent outreach, and discuss how the site has affected the community’s use of Clear Lake.
There also will be time scheduled for a discussion of community concerns and remedies, and the best ways for EPA to share site updates.
The meeting will be broken up into “rooms” where participants will discuss different topics, including:
— trust and communication with the EPA, access to site documents and administration changes and priorities; — lake quality effects on the community, including fish consumption, the site’s economic effects and reuse of the site; — technical understanding and site document interpretation, including arsenic and mercury risks, algae, and mine cleanup and site documents.
For more information on the superfund site and what has been done to date, visit the EPA website.
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.
