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The California Public Utilities Commission has directed Pacific Gas and Electric to do more work on its 2021 Wildfire Mitigation Plan update.

On May 4, Caroline Thomas Jacobs, director of the CPUC’s Wildfire Safety Division, issued a revision notice to PG&E outlining the issues.

Jacobs said the Wildfire Safety Division found the “critical issues to be of significant enough importance such that an extension of the three-month statutory deadline is necessary” in order for it to adequately determine that PG&E’s 2021 Wildfire Mitigation Plan Update satisfies the information requirements the division has set forth and that the plan “will sufficiently reduce utility-related wildfire risk and impacts to public safety.”

“PG&E has shown us time and again that it is not protecting its customers. The company’s repeated mistakes led to wildfires in five of the last six years. PG&E’s failures have taken a devastating toll killing more than 120 people. Holding PG&E accountable has never been more urgent,” said Maya Chupkov of the CPUC’s Public Advocates Office.

In April, the CPUC’s Public Advocates Office had recommended the Wildfire Safety Division reject PG&E’s 2021 Wildfire Mitigation Plan until it made immediate changes that include focusing on the riskiest areas, adopting stronger oversight so it can better review its own safety performance and beefing up its inspections.

In a statement released to Lake County News in response to the notice, PG&E said it’s working every day to improve its electric system and reduce wildfire risk around it, that there’s more to do and it’s committed “to doing it the right way.”

“While we largely delivered on our 2020 Wildfire Mitigation Plan, we identified several gaps in our execution that we’ve tackled head-on. We’re focused on resolving those gaps in our 2021 Plan and further improving the quality and consistency of our work,” the company said.

PG&E said the gaps it’s working to resolve include prioritizing enhanced vegetation management work, quality of vegetation management activities and prioritizing the scheduling and execution of asset inspections.

“We are also engaging in discussions with the Wildfire Safety Division on a periodic basis to review many aspects of our wildfire mitigation efforts to ensure timely, thorough and transparent communication,” the company said.

In addition to PG&E, similar revision notices were issued on May 4 by the Wildfire Safety Division to Southern California Edison Company and Bear Valley Electric Service.

Officials said the utilities have 30 days to respond.

In PG&E’s revision notice, it outlines six critical issues that PG&E must remedy with regard to its plan.

They are:

— omission of quantitative targets for reduction in public safety power shut-off scale, scope and frequency;

— inadequate justification of significant changes to high priority circuit segments;

— unacceptable aggregation of system hardening risk-spend efficiencies, meaning, that the company failed to provide detailed costs and other data for mitigations such as covered conductor installation, undergrounding and remote grid work;

— equivocating language in asset inspection quality assurance and quality control process descriptions, with the notice explaining that PG&E continues to use vague and noncommittal language to describe its internal plans to address quality issues related to asset inspections;

— unresolved discrepancies in vegetation management expenditure data and their effect on the wildfire management plan; and

— contradictory reduction in expenditure allocation for critical vegetation management initiatives, noting that the company has significantly reduced its budget allocations “for initiatives considered critical to effective execution of its vegetation management programs.”

Chupkov said many of the concerns raised by the Public Advocates Office were included in the CPUC revision notice.

Referring to the Public Advocates Office as “Cal Advocates,” the notice stated, “The Cal Advocates’ comments provide a litany of examples of oversights in PG&E’s asset inspections, including missed inspections, inability to produce inspection records, and failures to collect complete asset information.”

The document said those oversights include, but are not limited to the following:

— Out of 967 transmission towers in the High Fire-Threat District that were scheduled for climbing inspections in 2020, PG&E failed to conduct any of those climbing inspections before its internal goal of the end of August 2020 and notedly before the critical fall wildfire risk time period.

— As of January 2021, PG&E could not confirm that it had performed intrusive pole inspections within the time frames required by General Order 165 on more than 41,000 poles.

This is the latest challenge PG&E has faced in meeting the CPUC’s expectations for addressing wildfire risks.

In April, after finding PG&E had made insufficient progress in mitigating wildfire risks across its service territory, the CPUC passed a resolution placing the company into step one of the six-step Enhanced Oversight and Enforcement Process.

The commission created that process to hold the company accountable for improving its safety record after it emerged from bankruptcy in 2020.

PG&E said it’s continuing “to evaluate, evolve and refine our approaches to further reduce wildfire risk and get better this year and beyond. We want our customers, stakeholders and the public to know that we are committed to reducing the risk on our system and continuously improving our approaches to make California a better and safer place for our customers and communities.”

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 will host Congressman Mike Thompson at its meeting this week.

MATH will meet at 7 p.m. Thursday, May 13, via Zoom. The meeting is open to the public.

To join the Zoom meeting click on this link; the meeting ID is 935 1671 5770. Call in at 888-788-0099.

Thompson is scheduled to give his presentation beginning at 7:10 p.m. He also will be available for questions afterward.

Community members are asked to email questions for Thompson to MATH at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Also on Thursday, there will be public input at 8:15 p.m. and an update from Supervisor Moke Simon at 8:30 p.m.

At 8:45 p.m., the group is set to discuss moving back to the in-person meeting format.

The MATH Board includes Co-Chairs Rosemary Córdova and Monica Rosenthal, Secretary Lisa Kaplan, and Ken Gonzales and Paul baker.

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.

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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LAKEPORT, Calif. — The Lakeport Economic Development Advisory Committee will meet this week to discuss an economic development strategic plan and hear a presentation from a group working on health outcomes.

The committee, or LEDAC, will meet via Zoom at 7:30 a.m. Wednesday, May 12.

The meeting is open to the public.

The meeting will be held via Zoom: Meeting ID, 947 1455 3688; passcode, 794476. Dial by your location, +1 669 900 6833.

On Wednesday, LEDAC will review the work plan for updating the Lakeport Economic Development Strategic Plan.

That includes a SWOT analysis, reviewing supporting documents, revising key findings, updating the work program and consideration of features addressing resiliency, the arts and cultural plan and closer ties with partnership organizations, among other items.

In an item timed for 8:30 a.m., JoAnn Saccato, community engagement coordinator for NorCal 4 Health, will give an informational update on the Health is Wealth Work Group.

In other business, City Manager Kevin Ingram and Community Development Director Jenni Byers will give updates on city projects and activities.

There also will be reports from members including the Lakeport Main Street Association, Lake County Chamber of Commerce, CareerPoint Lake, Mendocino College/Lake Center and Lake Economic Development Corp.

LEDAC advocates for a strong and positive Lakeport business community and acts as a conduit between the city and the community for communicating the goals, activities and progress of Lakeport’s economic and business programs.

Members are Chair Wilda Shock and Vice Chair Denise Combs, Maureen Brasier, Bonnie Darling, Candy De Los Santos, Melissa Fulton, Pam Harpster, Andy Lucas, Alicia Russell, Laura Sammel and Amanda Xu, with Bill Eaton as an ex officio member. City staff who are members include City Manager Kevin Ingram and Community Development Director Jenni Byers.

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.

LEDAC Strategic Plan Update Plan_05!12!21 by LakeCoNews on Scribd

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Konocti Fire Lookout volunteers have been critical to spotting wildland fires early. Courtesy photo.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Konocti Fire Lookout is seeking volunteers for the 2021 fire season.

Prospective volunteers are asked to attend an orientation and general meeting at Kelseyville County Park on Sunday, May 16, at 2 p.m.

Once trained, new volunteers will be asked to schedule themselves for either an eight- or four-hour shift at least once a month.

The Forest Fire Lookout Association organizes the Konocti fire watch under the direction of Cal Fire.

The group currently has limited staffing for its lookouts on Wright Peak until May 15, when it will fully open the volunteer lookout services.

Association volunteers have spotted and reported many incidents in the last five years.

For additional information contact Association Director Jim Adams at 707-245-3771.
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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Looking at the real estate market for March of 2021 versus March of 2020 is revealing as last year in March the pandemic was just beginning to affect the community.

The market continues to be fantastic for sellers, which can be frustrating for buyers. Spring is traditionally the time when more homes come on the market. As we enter spring, we will see if
inventory goes up.

There are some interesting statistics that offer us a snapshot of the Lake County real estate market in March 2020 versus March 2021.

First, let’s look at active listings.

Active listings throughout the county were 128 for March 2021 which is down 52.8% over March 2020.

The breakdown of active listings by community in March, compared to last year, is as follows:

— Lakeport: 23 active listings, up 27.8% over the previous year.
— Kelseyville: 22 active listings, down 62.1%.
— Hidden Valley Lake: 9 active listings, down 82.7% from March 2020.
— Clearlake: 25 active listings, down 50%.

Existing home sales throughout the county totaled 73 homes for March 2021, up 4.3% from March 2020. That breaks down as follows:

— Lakeport: 12 existing home sales, up 9.1% over the previous year.
— Kelseyville: 16 home sales, down 20%;
— Hidden Valley Lake: 13 home sales, up 30%.
— Clearlake: 12 home sales, no change from March 2020.

The existing home median price throughout Lake County for March 2021 was $333,000, up 20.9% over March 2020. Those prices by community compared to the previous year are:

— Lakeport: $353,000, down 15.2% from March 2020; it’s important to remember inventory was up for March 2021.
— Kelseyville: $385,000, up 36.3%.
— Hidden Valley Lake: $362,000, up 25.9%.
— Clearlake: $204,000, up 6.3%.

The median number days on market in March 2021 across Lake County totaled 19, showing homes are selling quickly throughout the county.

In Clearlake, median days on the market totaled 34; followed by Hidden Valley Lake, 16; Lakeport, 13; and Kelseyville, eight.

The sales list to price in the county in March 2021 was 98.5%, indicating that homes are selling very close to list price throughout the county.

In Hidden Valley Lake, 100% of homes are selling at sales list to price, followed by 99.3% in Clearlake, 98.8% in Kelseyville and 98.6% in Lakeport.

As for active listings that had price reductions across Lake County in March, 27.3% were reduced, showing that even with quick sales and homes selling close to asking price, if priced too high, price reductions are needed.

In Lakeport for March 2021, 39.1% of active listings had price reductions, while Kelseyville had 31.8%, Clearlake had 16% and Hidden Valley Lake had 11.1%.

It will be interesting to see what the market brings us in the months ahead.

Tama Prokopowich is president-elect of the Lake County Association of Realtors.
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Assemblymember Cecilia Aguiar-Curry (D-Winters) and Senator Lena A. Gonzalez (D-Long Beach) have led a group of 17 members of the California Legislature in calling upon the governor and legislative leadership to support a major investment in broadband infrastructure and service for Californians without reliable, affordable internet.

The effort comes as the governor considers adjustments to his January budget proposal for Fiscal Year 2021-22 in the annual “May Revision.”

The letter calls for a $500 million allocation in funds from the American Rescue Plan to support the deployment of broadband municipal fiber networks by local governments.

The group, which includes Aguiar-Curry, Gonzalez, Sens. Anna Caballero (D-Salinas), and Robert Hertzberg (D-Van Nuys), and Assemblymembers Autumn Burke (D-Inglewood), Sabrina Cervantes (D-Riverside), Cristina Garcia (D-Bell Gardens), Eduardo Garcia (D-Coachella), Sharon Quirk-Silva (D-Fullerton), Eloise Gomez Reyes (D-Grand Terrace), Luz Rivas (D-Arleta), Robert Rivas (D-Hollister), Miguel Santiago (D-Los Angeles), Mark Stone (D-Scotts Valley), Carlos Villapudua (D-Stockton), Buffy Wicks (D-Oakland), and Jim Wood (D-Santa Rosa) calls for a significant $3 billion investment to further target and support broadband infrastructure deployment by local agencies, nonprofits and internet providers who apply under the California Advanced Services Fund program.

The Newsom administration’s Public Utilities Commission has estimated the necessary investment to bring Californians up to federal standards established by the Federal Communications Commission at almost $6.8 billion.

This estimate comes before the FCC considers updating the standard of 25 mbs upload/25 mbs download to greater speeds to keep up with improving computer technology to support such services as online education and job training, Telehealth, Small Business access to the Digital Economy, and public access to e-commerce and a growing array of government services online. Higher standards will require even greater public investment.

"Even before the pandemic, which shone a glaring light on Californians’ lack of reliable, affordable internet services, we knew access to the internet is an essential requirement for participating in the promise of today’s online world," said Assemblymember Cecilia Aguiar-Curry (D-Winters). "The California of today cannot lead our people into the future with the technology of the past. In partnership with Senator Gonzalez and our many colleagues in the Legislature, we can provide that future for every home and business in our State. The time to strike is now, with budgetary investment to support the policy in our legislation."

“This year we must take meaningful action to close the digital divide,” said Sen. Lena Gonzalez (D-Long Beach). “That means we need substantial monetary investments in addition to policy reform, to ensure that broadband infrastructure is deployed in the unserved and underserved communities that need access to high-speed internet the most. We already know how important this is. Broadband is a necessity, just like electricity and water, and every Californian deserves to have access to the vast myriad of benefits afforded by the internet, including educational, social, and economic opportunities. I thank Assemblymember Aguiar-Curry for her continued support, and all members who have signed on to this letter in support of greater financial investments that will take us one step closer to true Digital Equity in California.”

Aguiar-Curry represents the Fourth Assembly District, which includes all of Lake and Napa Counties, parts of Colusa, Solano and Sonoma counties, and all of Yolo County except West Sacramento.
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LUCERNE, Calif. — As Lake County experiences another dry year and water levels in Clear Lake continue to decline, California Water Service is encouraging customers in its Lucerne water system to conserve water as much as possible.

Cal Water’s Lucerne system obtains water for its customers from Clear Lake.

“Our Lucerne customers have done a tremendous job with their conservation efforts, and we look forward to partnering with them again as we again face drought conditions,” said Cal Water District Manager Evan Markey.

According to Markey, Cal Water has been preparing to meet customers’ needs in preparation for drought conditions. These efforts include:

— Replacing, repairing, and upgrading infrastructure to minimize water loss;

— Identifying and repairing leaks through a Water Loss Auditing and Control Program;

— Developing 30-year water supply and facilities master plans, which enable the utility to identify and address potential gaps in supplies; and

— Updating its conservation master plan to help determine programs that would most benefit local customers and reduce water use.

“Although these efforts are critically important, they can’t take the place of customer conservation efforts,” Markey said.

Cal Water encourages customers to utilize its industry-leading conservation program to help save water.

The utility offers rebates on high-efficiency appliances and devices; a free conservation kit that includes a garden hose nozzle with shut-off valve, high-efficiency shower heads, faucet aerators, and more; educational resources; and a smart landscape tuneup program that includes an irrigation system evaluation along with installation of efficient devices and repair of irrigation leaks at no cost to customers.

Residents and businesses should also continue observing the prohibited uses of water that have been in effect.

Water-wasting activities include, in part, using water on outdoor landscaping that causes runoff onto adjacent properties or paved areas; using water during or within 48 hours after measurable rainfall; using a hose to wash vehicles unless the hose has a shut-off nozzle or similar device; and using water in a fountain or other decorative water feature, except where part of a recirculating system

Cal Water customers can visit www.calwater.com/conservation or contact the Redwood Valley Customer Center at 707-274-6624 for information on conservation programs along with a full list of prohibited uses of water.

Cal Water serves about 3,600 people through 1,900 service connections in Lucerne and parts of Duncans Mills, Guerneville, Dillon Beach, Noel Heights and Santa Rosa. The company has provided water service in the area since 2000.
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Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday significantly expanded his April 21 drought emergency proclamation to include Klamath River, Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and Tulare Lake Watershed counties where accelerated action is needed to protect public health, safety and the environment.

In total, 41 counties — including Lake — are now under a drought state of emergency, representing 30 percent of the state’s population.

Climate change-induced early warm temperatures and extremely dry soils have further depleted the expected runoff water from the Sierra-Cascade snowpack, resulting in historic and unanticipated reductions in the amount of water flowing to major reservoirs, especially in Klamath River, Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and Tulare Lake Watershed counties.

“With the reality of climate change abundantly clear in California, we’re taking urgent action to address acute water supply shortfalls in northern and central California while also building our water resilience to safeguard communities in the decades ahead,” said Gov. Newsom. “We’re working with local officials and other partners to protect public health and safety and the environment, and call on all Californians to help meet this challenge by stepping up their efforts to save water.”

In April, Gov. Newsom signed an emergency proclamation directing state agencies to take immediate action to bolster drought resilience across the state and declaring a state of emergency in Mendocino and Sonoma counties due to severe drought conditions in the Russian River Watershed.

On Monday, the governor took action to ensure an expedited response to address acute drought impacts in Klamath River, Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and Tulare Lake Watershed counties.

Monday’s drought emergency proclamation adds the following 39 counties: Del Norte, Humboldt, Siskiyou, Trinity, Alameda, Alpine, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Colusa, Contra Costa, El Dorado, Fresno, Glenn, Kern, Kings, Lake, Lassen, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, Modoc, Napa, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Sacramento, San Benito, San Joaquin, Shasta, Sierra, Solano, Stanislaus, Sutter, Tehama, Tulare, Tuolumne, Yolo and Yuba counties.

Additionally, the proclamation provides new authority for the existing drought emergency announced on April 21 for Mendocino and Sonoma counties.

Extraordinarily warm temperatures in April and early May separate this critically dry year from all others on California record.

California experienced an accelerated rate of snow melt in the Sacramento, Feather and American River watersheds, which feed the major reservoirs of the state and federal water projects.

This was exacerbated when much of the snowpack, sitting on very dry ground, seeped into the earth rather than flowing into our rivers and streams and into these reservoirs.

Warming temperatures also prompted water diverters below the dams to withdraw their water much earlier and in greater volumes than typical even in other recent critically dry years.

These factors reduced expected water supplies by more than 500,000 acre feet, enough to supply up to one million households with water for a year.

The drastic reduction in water supplies means these reservoirs are extremely low for water users, including farmers, and fish and wildlife in the counties the drought proclamation covers.

The governor’s proclamation directs the State Water Board to consider modifying requirements for reservoir releases and diversion limitations to conserve water upstream later in the year to maintain water supply, improve water quality and protect cold water pools for salmon and steelhead.

The state of emergency also enables flexibilities in regulatory requirements and procurement processes to mitigate drought impacts and directs state water officials to expedite the review and processing of voluntary transfers of water from one water right holder to another, enabling available water to flow where it is needed most.

The governor’s executive action last month directed state agencies to partner with local water suppliers to promote conservation through the Save Our Water campaign, a critical resource for Californians during the 2012-2016 drought.

Some municipalities have already adopted mandatory local water-saving requirements, and many more have called for voluntary water use reductions.

“It’s time for Californians to pull together once again to save water,” said California Natural Resources Agency Secretary Wade Crowfoot. “All of us need to find every opportunity to save water where we can: limit outdoor watering, take shorter showers, turn off the water while brushing your teeth or washing dishes. Homeowners, municipalities, and water diverters can help by addressing leaks and other types of water loss, which can account for over 30 percent of water use in some areas.”


5.10.2021 Drought Proclamation by LakeCoNews on Scribd

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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — May is National Bicycle Safety Month.

The California Highway Patrol takes the opportunity each year to remind bicyclists and motorists to share the road and remember traffic safety saves lives.

“Thousands of Californians ride their bicycles every day for exercise, leisure, and commuting,” said CHP Commissioner Amanda Ray. “Keeping California’s roads safe is a priority and the shared responsibility of motorists and bicyclists.”

“More and more people are taking up bike riding, and it is important that drivers are aware of bicyclists and travel safely around them,” California Office of Traffic Safety Director Barbara Rooney said. “If you need to move past a bike, try to provide at least three feet of space whenever possible. Think of others on the road who are not driving as your closest friends or family.”

Motorists can help keep cyclists safe by sharing the road, looking twice for bicyclists before turning left or right onto a road, and always checking before opening a vehicle door when parked on a street to avoid opening it into a bicyclist’s path.

The law requires motorists to give at least three feet clearance when passing a bicycle or to slow to a reasonable and prudent speed and pass only when doing so would not endanger the safety of the bicyclist.

Keep in mind the vulnerability of bicyclists in the event of a crash, which could result in serious injury or even death.

Preliminary data from the CHP’s Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System indicate that during the past five years, nearly 800 bicyclists were killed and more than 51,000 were injured in crashes in California.

The data also show that bicyclists riding on the wrong side of the roadway and improper turning movement violations are the primary causes of fatal bicycle-involved crashes.

A bicyclist has the same rights and is required to follow the same rules of the road as motorists.

Bicyclists should eliminate distractions while riding, obey all traffic signs and signals, indicate when making a turn, pull off the roadway if five or more vehicles are lined up behind them, yield to pedestrians and never bicycle while under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

Bicyclists should remember to be aware of their surroundings and the ever-changing traffic conditions, wear appropriate reflective or bright-colored clothing, wear a helmet, and make certain their bicycle is in good condition and has the appropriate reflectors and lighting.

During the month of May, CHP officers throughout the state will be conducting bicycle safety rodeos and educational presentations to help promote safe behavior to protect both bicyclists and drivers.
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CLEARLAKE, Calif. — The city of Clearlake is poised to begin a record-breaking year of roadwork and paving.

On Thursday the Clearlake City Council unanimously approved a $335,048 contract for the city’s 2021 Chip Seal Project with Pavement Coatings, a company that did a similar chip seal test project with the city last year.

Public Works Director Dale Goodman said the new project will be for 5.6 miles of chip seal work in the Avenues area.

The discussion on the topic begins at the 1:50:00 mark in the video above.

Goodman congratulated the city council, City Manager Alan Flora and staff for the “amazing” amount of road work that is going to be done this year.

“I have never had this many balls in the year at one time. It’s incredible. We keep adding more,” said Goodman, who has spent 18 years working in the public works sector, not just in Clearlake but in larger cities of up to 100,000 residents.

The city of Clearlake has more than 100 miles of roads, with about 40 miles being unpaved. “That’s the result of just how the city has grown up. This wasn’t a master plan community,” said Goodman.

Clearlake, he added, “grew up like most cities grew up. So, as a result, we have unpaved roads.”

As a result of limited funds, paved roads have received limited maintenance mostly consisting of filling potholes and doing crackseal work. Goodman said additional work would be done occasionally if enough money could be scraped together.

Grading of unpaved roads, filling potholes and sealing cracks on paved roads is “not a great maintenance program if you want to keep your asphalt in good shape,” Goodman said.

Thanks to city voters passing the Measure V sales tax in 2017, Goodman said the city has had the funding to start to develop a pavement management program.

“The city has come a long way in a short period of time,” he said.

Last year, city staff put together a test project of one mile of unpaved road, Goodman said. They graded and rolled it, preparing it to put down a double chip seal layer.

He said the process consisted of putting down a layer of emulsion on the dirt, followed by a layer of chips, another layer of emulsion, more chips, then a fog seal.

“We didn't know for sure how that was going to work out in the long run,” Goodman said.

That project was completed eight months ago, and Goodman said it came through the winter and has held up well.

With that first project appearing to have worked, he said staff decided to bring forward this larger project, also in an area of the Avenues with good drainage.

He said staff has been out grading the roads where the chip seal work will be done, and as of Thursday they were about two-thirds of the way through it.

The project was put out to bid in March and Goodman said five companies sent in bids. Those bids were opened on April 22.

The low bidder was Pavement Coatings, the company that did last year’s chip seal test project. It bid $335,048. The highest bidder was American Pavement Systems, which bid $408,542.50, according to the staff report for the discussion.

Goodman said $400,000 was budgeted for the project, with an expectation that it could go as high as $500,000, so they were very pleased with Pavement Coatings’ lower bid.

The project will be paid for with Measure V funds, he added.

Councilman David Claffey asked if the work would account for 15 percent of the city’s unpaved roads, with Goodman confirming that was the case.

Claffey asked how many other roads Goodman’s team would be resurfacing in 2021.

Altogether, between three paving projects, Goodman said they will be doing about 15 miles of road. “Which is extraordinary,” he said, noting that at the cities he’s worked at, he’s never seen more than two or three miles of road work completed a year.

“This is just staggering the number of miles we’re going to be treating this year,” said Goodman.

Claffey asked about the last time the city has done so much road work, adding “maybe never.”

Goodman echoed that, adding that there may have been that much road work done in the city when the new Highway 53 was put in, but that project was done by Caltrans.

“This is a very big project,” said Claffey, thanking Goodman for his leadership.

“This is amazing that we’re getting this done,” said Councilmember Joyce Overton.

Since the city saved money on the bid, Councilwoman Russ Perdock asked Goodman if they are looking at adding more roadwork.

Goodman said, “Maybe.”

Flora, who indicated he had spoken to Perdock about the idea previously, noted, “It is extremely tempting to want to add on” to the work they’re already doing.

However, as tempting as it is, Flora cautioned that the city hasn’t yet gotten back the bids for its other Measure V projects, which include surface treatments on arterial streets.

His recommendation was to move forward with the enormous number of projects the city already has. “Maybe we go even bigger next year.”

Councilman Russ Cremer moved to approve the contract, with Perdock seconding and the council voting 5-0.

In other business on Thursday, the council heard a presentation by Dr. Cirilo Cortez, dean of the Lake County Campus of Woodland College, and interim Chancellor Dr. Art Pimentel regarding a promise program for Clearlake students, with council giving staff direction to work with the college on a plan.

The council also held a swearing-in of new police department employees and the presentation of police department employee awards, and presented proclamations declaring May 9 to 15 as Police Week and May 2 to 8 as Public Employee Appreciation Week, and May as Military Appreciation Month and Older Americans Month.

Also on Thursday, Mayor Dirk Slooten said he would appoint himself to serve on the county’s Visioning Forum Planning Committee, formed in February. The vote for the appointment was 5-0.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — With Lake County and the rest of the state facing worsening drought conditions, the Board of Supervisors will consider ratifying a drought emergency issued by the sheriff and get an update on current conditions on Clear Lake this week.

The‌ ‌meeting‌ ‌will‌ ‌begin‌ ‌at‌ ‌9‌ ‌a.m. ‌ ‌Tuesday, ‌ ‌May 11, in the board chambers on the first floor of the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport.

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

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

The‌ ‌meeting‌ ‌ID‌ ‌is‌ 967 5019 9506, ‌ ‌pass code 205141.‌ ‌The meeting also can be accessed via one tap mobile at +16699006833, 96750199506#,,,,*205141#.

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

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

Last week, Sheriff Brian Martin issued a drought emergency proclamation in response to continuing dry conditions and low rainfall, as Lake County News has reported.

On Tuesday at 10:30 a.m., the board will get a report from Scott De Leon, director of Public Works, Water Resources and Community Development, on conditions on Clear Lake.

That will be a prelude to the board’s discussion on ratifying Martin’s proclamation emergency declaration for drought conditions, scheduled for 11 a.m.

In other business, at 1 p.m. the board will consider an agreement with Prentice Long PC for redistricting consulting services, not to exceed $35,000, and a “Redistricting 101,” a presentation by Margaret Long of Prentice Long.

The services would assist Lake County in conducting the work it needs to complete every 10 years on redrawing supervisorial districts based on updated census information.

In an untimed item, the supervisors will consider Yolo County Flood Control and Water Conservation District’s request for emergency lake water diversion for The Geysers.

In a proposed letter supporting the diversion, Board Chair Bruno Sabatier said The Geysers operations have asked for the diversion from Yolo Flood, which holds the water rights to Clear Lake.

“The purpose of this agreement is to facilitate diversion and use of up to 250 acre-feet of water from Clear Lake in May and June 2021 that is required for protection and operation of the Geysers Project facilities due to drought conditions and a pipeline outage affecting the Geysers Project water supplies,” Sabatier wrote.

In closed session, the board will continue its discussion of appointing a new Public Health officer.

The full agenda follows.

CONSENT AGENDA

5.1: Adopt a proclamation designating the period of May 1 through June 14, 2021, as National Military Appreciation Month.

5.2: Waive the formal bidding process, pursuant to Lake County Code Section 38.2, as it is not in the public interest due to the unique nature of goods or services; and (b) approve Amendment No. 1 to the agreement between the county of Lake and Adventist Health St. Helena and Adventist Health Vallejo for the Fiscal Year 2020-21 for an increase in the contract maximum to $155,000 and authorize the board chair to sign the agreement.

5.3: (a) Waive the formal bidding process, pursuant to Lake County Section Code 38.2, as it is not in the public interest due to the unique nature of goods or services; and (b) approve the agreement between the county of Lake and Manzanita House for adult residential support services and specialty mental health services for Fiscal Year 2021-22 for a contract maximum of $164,250 and authorize the board chair to sign the agreement.

5.4: (a) Waive the formal bidding process, pursuant to Lake County Code Section 38.2, as it is not in the public interest due to the unique nature of goods or services; and (b) approve the agreement between the county of Lake and Clover Valley Guest Home for adult residential support services and specialty mental health services for Fiscal Year 2021-22 for a contract maximum of $60,000.00 and authorize the board chair to sign the agreement.

5.5: (a) Waive the formal bidding process, pursuant to Lake County Code Section 38.2, as it is not in the public interest due to the unique nature of goods or services; and (b) approve the agreement between the county of Lake and Vista Pacifica Enterprises Inc. for adult residential support services and specialty mental health services for Fiscal Year 2021-22 for contract maximum of $110,000 and authorize the board chair to sign the agreement.

5.6: (a) Waive the formal bidding process, pursuant to Lake County Code Section 38.2, as it is not in the public interest due to the unique nature of goods or services; and (b) approve Amendment No. 2 to the agreement between the county of Lake and Vista Pacifica Enterprises Inc. for adult residential support services and specialty mental health services for Fiscal Year 2020-21 to increase the contract maximum to $123,000 and authorize the board chair to sign the agreement.

5.7: (a) Waive the formal bidding process, pursuant to Lake County Code Section 38.2, as it is not in the public interest due to the unique nature of goods or services; and (b) approve the agreement between the county of Lake and Davis Guest Home for adult residential support services and specialty mental health services for Fiscal Year 2021-22 for a contract maximum of $133,000.00 and authorize the board chair to sign the amendment.

5.8: Approve Amendment No. 3 to the agreement between the county of Lake and Evan Bloom, MD, MPH, to Assist the Lake County Public Health officer during the COVID-19 crisis response and authorize the board chair to sign.

5.9: Adopt resolution authorizing the Public Works director to sign the notice of completion for the FEMA FMAG Culvert Replacement No. 1 & No. 2 Project; Federal Project No.’s FMAG DR 5093-1-1R & FMAG DR 5112-1-1R; Bid No. 19-01.

5.10: Approve five-year cooperative law enforcement agreement between the Lake County Sheriff’s Office and the USDA Forest Service Mendocino National Forest and authorize the chairman to sign.

5.11: Adopt proclamation designating the week of May 9 to 15, 2021 as Law Enforcement Officers Week.

5.12: Approve letters of support to the Senate Budget & Fiscal Review Sub. No. 3 and Assembly Budget Sub. No. 1 for A) flexible funding for County Human Services Department-Administered Housing Programs, B) Child Welfare Services: Cash Assistance for CalWORKs Parents in Family Reunification — Support $9.5 million State General Fund Request; and C) Adult Protective Services: Support $100 million SGF Investment and authorize the chair to sign all letters.

5.13: Approve request to waive 900-hour limit for extra-help field worker Corey Hustead.

TIMED ITEMS

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

6.3, 9:30 a.m.: Presentation of proclamation designating the week of May 9 to 15, 2021, as Law Enforcement Officers Week.

6.4, 9:35 a.m.: Presentation of proclamation designating the period of May 1 through June 14, 2021, as National Military Appreciation Month in Lake County.

6.5, 9:40 a.m.: Consideration of presentation from LCBHS staff on National Prevention Week (May 9 to 15, 2021) activities as well as highlight the work done year-round to support prevention of behavioral health challenges and needs in our community.

6.6, 10 a.m.: Discussion and consideration of board action in response to a gate on a public roadway.

6.7, 10:30 a.m.: Presentation of 2021 drought preparedness, Clear Lake.

6.8, 11 a.m.: Proclamation of emergency declaration for drought conditions.

6.9, 1 p.m.: (a) Consideration of agreement with Prentice Long PC, for redistricting consulting services, not to exceed $35,000; (b) consideration of “Redistricting 101,” a presentation by Margaret Long of Prentice Long, and possible direction to staff.

UNTIMED ITEMS

7.2: Consideration of resolution adopting a continuous record retention and destructive schedule for the County Counsel’s Office.

7.3: Consideration of Yolo County Flood Control and Water Conservation District’s request for emergency lake water diversion.

CLOSED SESSION

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

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

8.3: Public employee evaluation: Registrar of Voters Maria Valadez.

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

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — A documentary that follows the effort of Lake County tribes to protect their sacred sites against archaeological crimes has been nominated for an Emmy Award.

“Saving the Sacred” has been nominated for an Emmy in the best documentary, historical/cultural category, said Dino Beltran, a tribal council member for the Koi Nation of Lower Lake, one of the film’s producers.

Beltran said he received news of the nomination on Thursday.

His co-producer is Sherry Treppa, tribal chair for the Habematolel Pomo of Upper Lake.

“As native people no longer in control of our aboriginal lands it’s in our DNA to protect our lands but if we can’t do that then we must protect the historical and cultural artifacts that are evidence of our existence,” said Treppa. “This film educates the public on the topic and demonstrates that a community that values this culture and works together to protect it can be successful.”

Treppa said the goal was to educate and really demonstrate the power of community and hopefully entertain. An award wasn’t her goal, she added, but she’s happy people liked it.

The film is competing against a documentary by Hawaiian Airlines called “Ka Huaka’i: The Journey to Merrie Monarch.”

This is the second Emmy Beltran has been nominated for in his effort to preserve and document the tribal history of Lake County.

In June 2017, he was among a group that won the Emmy in the “Historic/ Cultural-Program/ Special” category for “A Walk Through Time: The Story of Anderson Marsh.”

By the time he won the Emmy, Beltran already was in the process of doing the groundwork for “Saving the Sacred,” which was started in 2018 and completed in 2019.

The topic of this film, which debuted in the fall of 2019, is Ancestors 1, the agreement the Koi Nation, the Habematolel Pomo, Elem Indian Colony and Robinson Rancheria entered into with the county of Lake and which the Board of Supervisors approved in December 2015.

The goal of the agreement, the sixth of its type in California, is to protect sacred sites through the development process. It also established formal relationships with the sheriff and district attorney to prosecute archaeological crimes.

The 28-minute film follows the efforts of Beltran and Treppa as they put the agreement together with the county government and other tribes.

Featured in the film are former Gov. Jerry Brown; Christina Snider, Native American Heritage Commission executive secretary and governor’s tribal advisor, Office of the Governor, who is herself Pomo; Sheriff Brian Martin; and Supervisor EJ Crandell.

The film’s director is Dan Bruns of the California State University, Chico Advanced Lab for Visual Anthropology, who won the Emmy along with Beltran for “A Walk Through Time.”

Award-winning actor, director and documentary narrator Peter Coyote, who narrated “A Walk Through Time,” also narrated “Saving the Sacred.”

This year’s Emmy event will be a virtual ceremony on June 5.

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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