LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Lakeport City Council will meet next week to discuss its goals as part of the annual budgeting process.
The council will meet at 5 p.m. Monday, March 21, in the council chambers at Lakeport City Hall, 225 Park St.
The council chambers will be open to the public for the meeting. Masks are highly encouraged where 6-foot distancing cannot be maintained.
If you cannot attend in person, and would like to speak on an agenda item, you can access the Zoom meeting remotely at this link or join by phone by calling toll-free 669-900-9128 or 346-248-7799.
The webinar ID is 951 6769 7302, access code is 529272; the audio pin will be shown after joining the webinar. Those phoning in without using the web link will be in “listen mode” only and will not be able to participate or comment.
Comments can be submitted by email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. To give the city clerk adequate time to print out comments for consideration at the meeting, please submit written comments before 2 p.m. on Monday, March 21.
The special meeting on Monday is being held in order for the council to conduct a workshop to receive presentations of 2022-23 fiscal year recommended department goals.
The council also will discuss its priorities for the coming fiscal year.
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. — Efforts by state and local leaders resulted this month in an award of millions of dollars for water system improvements in the Clearlake area.
Senate Majority Leader Mike McGuire has been working with the city of Clearlake, Lake County supervisors Bruno Sabatier and Moke Simon and local water districts to secure state funding that will once and for all establish an intertie between a few water districts near the city of Clearlake.
After the Cache fire tore through Clearlake in late summer of 2021, city and county officials met with Sen. McGuire to highlight the need for the Lake County Intertie Project that will build resiliency in the system by upgrading the infrastructure and providing the capacity to share emergency water supply to three neighboring water districts.
The three-way intertie project involves the Lower Lake County Waterworks District, the Highlands Mutual Water Co. and the Konocti County Water District.
The $4.3 million will tie each of these districts together which will help create long planned regional resiliency during wildfires and droughts
“Lake County has experienced some of the worst wildfire disasters in our state over the past seven years, and upgrading and building resiliency within local water systems is an absolute must,” McGuire said. “With climate change making the western United States hotter and drier, this is the type of coordination we need to keep our communities safe. We’re grateful to the team from the Department of Water Resources and Lake County leaders working with us to get these critical projects done.
McGuire worked closely with Sabatier and Simon on this critical project.
“After the Cache fire, a temporary fix was required to allow still standing mobile homes to have access to water. This funding allows for permanent and more appropriate infrastructure for water access for not only those homes who survived the fire, but also to allow the rebuild efforts to continue in the areas that did burn,” Sabatier said. “Sen. McGuire’s support for the Cache fire clean up and rebuild was immediate. We are grateful for his support and for the state stepping in to help fund this important project.”
“Providing resiliency to our water systems in Lake County is incredibly important, especially as we’re still in a drought, and are preparing for another wildfire season,” Simon said. “Thanks to Sen. McGuire and the state for standing strong with Lake County.”
The Cache Creek Mobile Home community is being supplied water by Konocti County Water District through a temporary intertie.
The project will replace existing leaky pipelines and expand the distribution system to consolidate the Cache Creek Mobile Home Estates and Creekside Mobile Home Park to help these communities thrive during this and future droughts.
It also includes construction of interties between the Konocti County Water District, Lower Lake County Water District, and Highlands Mutual Water Co. This will allow water transfers between the three water systems resulting in guaranteed water during wildfires and drought.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Registrar of Voters Office said filings have closed for several county offices in the upcoming June primary, with the filings for two others to close at the end of the day Wednesday.
There are eight county offices and one school district that will have seats on the June primary ballot. All but two had filing deadlines on Friday.
Several incumbents seeking reelection are running unopposed.
They include Sheriff-Coroner Brian Martin, District 2 Supervisor Bruno Sabatier, District 3 Supervisor Eddie “E.J.” Crandell and Superintendent of Schools Brock Falkenberg.
Several races will be contested this year.
Assessor-Recorder Rich Ford is being challenged by Hannah Faith Lee and District Attorney Susan Krones will run against Anthony Farrington.
The filings for county clerk/auditor-controller and treasurer-tax collector are not yet closed, as the incumbents have not filed to reelection.
Both Cathy Saderlund, county clerk/auditor-controller, and Barbara Ringen, treasurer-tax collector, are retiring and did not file by the deadline last week, leading to a filing extension that runs until 5 p.m. Wednesday.
However, the elections office confirmed that Jenavive Herrington, who has worked for Saderlund’s office since May, has filed to run for county clerk/auditor-controller, and Paul Flores and Patrick Sullivan are running for the treasurer-tax collector’s job.
In the special election for a vacant seat on the Middletown Unified School District Board, Bryan Pullman and Charise Reynolds are running.
Cobb resident Gene Yoon also has filed to run for the Second District seat in the state Senate.
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.
On Thursday, Senate Majority Leader Mike McGuire introduced a bill that he said will finally advance what should have been done years ago — undergrounding Pacific Gas and Electric Co. transmission and distribution lines in the most fire-prone zones.
SB 884 will provide a path to expedite undergrounding of 10,000 miles of PG&E utility lines in the highest fire risk zones, save ratepayers money, and hold PG&E accountable to their timelines. Currently, PG&E undergrounds less than 100 miles of their electrical lines annually.
McGuire said that for far too long, America’s largest utility — PG&E — has failed its customers and made California unsafe.
For years, the utility underfunded modernization and wildfire safety efforts, which has had devastating impacts here in the Golden State.
PG&E has been charged with nearly 100 felonies in the deaths of California residents in wildfires they caused over the past four years. Californians have literally run for their lives while their homes burned to escape flames from PG&E-caused wildfires, McGuire said.
He said Californians have sat in the dark with food spoiling in their warm refrigerators for days on end during wind-driven public safety power shutoffs, and they’ve been left without access to critical lifeline services when power lines go down.
McGuire said this has been the state’s reality for long enough.
SB 884 will do the following:
· Mandated performance metrics would be implemented by the California Public Utilities Commission on undergrounding projects, including timelines for completion, financial penalties for not hitting timelines, and the utility would have to prove safety protocols are met prior to receiving a rate of return.
· Develops a pathway to expedite undergrounding construction by establishing a shot clock for local government permit approval/denial to just 150 days.
· The legislation would save ratepayers money by forcing PG&E to first use available federal infrastructure funds to construct the undergrounding project before using ratepayer funds and it would mandate telecommunication companies underground their utilities in the same trench as the electrical undergrounding. This dig-once policy will help as a cost share and help make our state telecommunication system more resilient, especially in the highest risk zones.
· Guarantees a 270 day judicial review in California courts if an undergrounding project faces a California Environmental Quality Act Lawsuit.
“Every single time a wildfire has ripped through our communities, PG&E apologizes, pays a fine and claims to harden their lines in the areas that might burn next, and then moves on,” McGuire said. “I have great respect for the women and men who work everyday to keep our lights on, but I don’t trust the lip service from those at the top.”
McGuire added, “For years, PG&E has known the way to fix this — it’s burying their damn lines. With this legislation, we can get PG&E to finally underground the lines most at risk to start a wildfire and it would hold them accountable with strict performance metrics. This bill will save ratepayers money and save lives. If PG&E doesn’t hit their performance metrics, the utility would be held accountable.”
This legislation will further reduce the devastating climate impact wildfires have in our state, McGuire said.
In 2020, more than four million acres — 4% of land in California — burned across the state in just one record-setting year. The smoke from these fires generated the equivalent emissions of 28 million vehicles and blanketed many parts of the state with unhealthy smoke for weeks
“The western United States is getting hotter and drier, and the threat of wildfires is only getting worse. Everyone knows the only path forward is for PG&E to speed up the pace of moving power lines underground. Lives are literally at risk. This legislation will safeguard our communities and save ratepayers money,” McGuire said.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — St. Patrick’s Day has become a popular time for parties and celebrations.
This St. Patrick’s Day the California Highway Patrol reminds drivers to avoid taking chances and make the right decision to have a sober ride home if their plans include alcohol.
Unfortunately, the party often ends with risky drunk drivers taking to the streets and endangering countless lives.
“If you plan on drinking alcohol on St. Patrick’s Day, do not rely on luck and designate a sober driver, use a rideshare service, public transit or a taxi to ensure you reach your destination safely,” CHP Commissioner Amanda Ray said. “Not having a plan in place if your celebration includes the use of alcohol can result in a crash, jail time, injuries, or even death.”
Last year on St. Patrick’s Day, CHP officers made 211 arrests for driving under the influence, or DUI.
Tragically, that same day, three people died, and 76 people were injured statewide as a result of DUI crashes.
Always remember to buckle up, avoid distractions while driving, and designate a sober driver if your St. Patrick’s Day celebration includes alcohol.
The financial impact of a DUI can be sobering as attorney fees, fines, court costs, lost time at work, higher insurance rates, and car repairs can reach $15,000 or more in California.
The CHP joins with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in reminding motorists that “Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving.”
To help keep the roads safe, the CHP encourages the public to report impaired drivers by calling 9-1-1. Be prepared to provide the public safety dispatcher with a description of the vehicle, location, and the direction the vehicle is traveling.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians is among the latest round of local and tribal governments that will receive state funding for housing projects.
On Tuesday, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced $181 million in funding for 13 new Homekey projects across the state.
When fully operational, the projects will provide 605 housing units for people experiencing, or at risk of experiencing, homelessness.
“Every Californian deserves a safe place to call home,” Gov. Newsom said Tuesday. “Since the start of the pandemic, we’ve housed thousands of individuals, and nearly every week we’re approving more Homekey projects — including today’s projects, which will bring hundreds more people off the streets and into a supportive environment with the critical resources they need.”
The Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians will receive $1.9 million to acquire and rehabilitate a scattered site project, including two sites in Lakeport.
The project will provide 11 units total of permanent supportive housing, serving a mixture of the target population, including chronically homeless, homeless, homeless youth and at-risk of homelessness.
Off-site amenities, located within two miles of the project, include a grocery store, health facility, pharmacy, library and public transportation.
The governor’s Tuesday announcement, when added to recent Homekey Round 2 awards, means the state has funded 39 projects statewide so far this year, for a total allocation of more than $695 million.
Since announcing the $2.75 billion extension of Homekey back in September, the state has already approved projects that — when completed — will create over 2,400 units of housing for Californians most in need of a home.
“People experiencing homelessness need a safe place to call home as soon as possible,” said Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency Secretary Lourdes Castro Ramírez. “Homekey continues to show that we can rapidly create these homes by converting hotels, offices and even empty lots into permanent housing. Thanks to this program and partnership with local communities, this week an additional 605 families and individuals will have a roof over their heads and access to the services they need.”
“It’s exciting to see so many good Homekey projects moving forward — projects that will ultimately create more than 600 units of quality housing to positively impact the lives of people across California,” said Department of Housing and Community Development Director Gustavo Velasquez. “These 13 projects showcase innovation, a variety of housing types and most importantly, our determination to solve our state’s housing crisis.”
The other projects receiving awards in this latest round of funding include the following:
• The county of Tulare will receive $14.5 million to acquire and rehabilitate a 57-unit hotel currently operating as a Project Roomkey site for permanent supportive housing. The project will serve chronically homeless and homeless households. • The city of Merced will receive $4.2 million to construct a 21-unit modular, shipping container housing project, providing permanent supportive housing to homeless veterans. • The county of Orange has been awarded more than $6 million to acquire a motel and convert it into a 21-unit, permanent supportive housing project. This motel shares a courtyard with a Homekey Round 1 motel, The Tahiti, which is a 60-unit project. The grantees are building a community structure funded by the Tahiti project that will serve residents in both projects. • The city of Redlands has been awarded $30 million to purchase a project that proposes the rehabilitation of a 99-room hotel into a 98-room residence to provide supportive housing and serve individuals experiencing homelessness, chronically homeless or at-risk of homelessness with incomes equal to or less than 30% of area median Income. • The county of Riverside has been awarded almost $12 million to purchase a project that proposes the conversion of a 53-room hotel into a 52-room residence to provide permanent housing for chronically homeless and homeless individuals. All units will be subsidized by project-based Section 8 vouchers and will receive on-site, specific, targeted supportive services designed to help residents stabilize and thrive. • The county of Los Angeles will receive $7.3 million to acquire and rehabilitate a 21-unit former hotel in Redondo Beach, providing permanent supportive housing to chronically homeless households. • The county of Los Angeles will also receive $25.2 million to acquire and rehabilitate a 76-unit hotel for permanent supportive housing, serving entirely chronically homeless households. • The county of Los Angeles will also receive $14.7 million for a 44-unit hotel conversion project in Westlake. The Lyfe Inn will provide interim housing serving medium to large homeless and chronically homeless families. Seven units will be accessible for those with mobility disabilities and five units will be accessible for those with audiovisual disabilities. Comprehensive on-site services will include a commissary that provides three meals a day, case management, housing navigation, crisis intervention and conflict resolution. The site is within easy walking distance to MacArthur Park, the metro rail station, a large grocery store, a pharmacy and two large medical centers. • The county of Los Angeles has also been awarded $13.8 million to purchase a project that proposes the conversion of a 40-room housing facility located in the heart of the Boyle Heights neighborhood to provide interim housing for youth at-risk of homelessness. This is a historic property that formerly served as a boardinghouse for repatriated Japanese Americans, who had been forced to leave Los Angeles and move into internment camps during WW2, to get back on their feet and to rebuild their lives. The grantees intend to continue the legacy of providing hope and opportunity through the program. As such, they have named this new property, “Dunamis House.” The ancient Greek translation of Dunamis is power and potential. • The Housing Authority of the city of Los Angeles will receive $12 million to acquire a newly constructed 41-unit multifamily housing project for permanent supportive housing. The 6521 Brynhurst project is centrally located to amenities and will be serving homeless and at-risk of homeless households. • The city of Culver City will receive $26.6 million to acquire and rehabilitate two adjacent motels into 76-units of permanent and interim supportive housing, including two manager units. By co-locating the interim units with permanent supportive housing, the project provides an innovative approach to streamlining service delivery and responding to requests from stakeholders for more coordinated responses to homelessness. • The city of King City will receive $12.4 million to acquire and rehabilitate a hotel with 45-units to provide permanent supportive housing for people experiencing at-risk of homelessness or chronic homelessness. The project includes on-site wraparound supportive services and ample space for indoor and outdoor community services.
Additional Homekey awards will be announced in the coming weeks. Completed applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until funds are exhausted or May 2, 2022, whichever comes first.
The Department of Housing and Community Development has created the Homekey Awards Dashboard where Californians can track Homekey project awards by dollar totals, project type, progress and region. The dashboard is updated in real time as additional projects are approved.
Visit Clearlake Animal Control on Facebook or on the city’s website.
The following dogs are available for adoption.
“Terry.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘Terry’
“Terry” is a male shepherd mix with a short brindle coat.
He is dog No. 48443693.
“Snowball.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘Snowball’
“Snowball” is a male American Staffordshire mix terrier with a white coat.
He has been neutered.
He is dog No. 49159168.
“Sassy.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘Sassy’
“Sassy” is a female American pit bull mix with a short black coat.
She has been spayed.
She is dog No. 48443128.
“Fritz.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘Fritz’
“Fritz” is a male Australian shepherd mix with a black and white coat.
He is dog No. 49278179.
“Ebenezer.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘Ebenezer’
“Ebenezer” is a male American pit bull terrier mix with a short tan and white coat.
He is dog No. 49191651.
“Chai.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘Chai’
“Chai” is a female Alaskan husky mix with a gray and white coat.
She has been spayed.
She is dog No. 49279552.
“Bear.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘Bear’
“Bear” is a male Labrador retriever-American pit bull mix with a short charcoal and fawn coat.
He has been neutered.
He is dog No. 48443153.
“Andy.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘Andy’
“Andy” is a male American pit bull mix with a short gray and white coat.
He is dog No. 48995415.
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.
Traditionally, March 17 was a day to remember St Patrick, who ministered Christianity in Ireland during the 5th century. But over time, the day has evolved to represent a celebration of Irish culture more generally. Today, as with Halloween and Christmas, the true meaning of the celebration has been watered down even further. Now, it is just as likely to be marked by non-Irish people who use it as an excuse to consume large quantities of alcohol and dress as leprechauns.
Amid the dyed-green rivers and pints of Guinness, it can be easy to forget the symbolic importance of St Patrick’s Day to Irish people in the early 20th century. This was a turbulent period, when Ireland was seeking political autonomy from British rule. At a time when the British considered any form of Irish public gathering to be “a front for Fenian [nationalist] activities, a license for drunkenness and a catalyst to violent disorder” it became of national concern to make St Patrick’s Day a respectable holiday. This was achieved thanks to the efforts of the Gaelic League.
The Gaelic League, or Conradh na Gaeilge, was established in 1893 by Eoin MacNeill to encourage the use of Irish in everyday life and counter the ongoing anglicisation of the country. It was formed as part of the Gaelic revival, or Athbheochan na Gaeilge, which promoted a national revival of interest in Irish language and culture. The League aimed to “leave politics outside the door” and work together to further the cause of the revival and preservation of Irish language and culture.
The League played an important role in making Irishness something of which people were proud. It organised weekly gatherings to discuss Irish culture, established its own newspaper (An Claidheamh Soluis), provided Irish alternatives to imported pastimes and entertainment, encouraged Irish people to buy Irish goods only and successfully campaigned to have Irish included in the school curriculum.
At this time, Irish people could still be imprisoned by order of British law for using their native language on official documents. So the League protested by encouraging citizens to address all letters and record all census returns in Irish. Edmund Kent became Éamonn Ceannt, for example, and Oscar Traynor became Osgar Ua Tréinfhir.
Making a national holiday
Although Saint Patrick’s feast day had been celebrated in Ireland since the 9th century it was still not a national holiday. Campaigning to make St Patrick’s Day a bank holiday became one of the League’s top concerns. March 17 represented a symbolic occasion for Irish people to reflect on their sense of self and look back with nostalgia at ancient Ireland.
St Patrick depicted in a stained glass window at the Smith Museum of Stained Glass Windows at Navy Pier in Chicago.Thad Zajdowicz via Flickr
The figure of St Patrick driving snakes out of Ireland became a metaphor for the struggle against British rule. As an advert in The Gael journal stated, one of the aims of celebrating St Patrick’s Day was “to meet the encroachment of vile anglicisation and hurl it back into the sea, as Patrick hurled the snakes from our land”. In 1903, the Bank Holiday (Ireland) Act 1903 was finally passed in Parliament. The national holiday of St Patrick’s Day was officially enshrined into law.
The Bank Holiday Act had immediately noticeable effects. Before, people marked March 17 by attending church services and wearing shamrocks. Now, parades and processions took place all over the land. In 1903, the Gaelic League arranged the first St Patrick’s Parade in Waterford. They also declared the entire week “Irish Language Week” – organising “language processions”, feiseanna (traditional dances) and concerts to promote the Irish language.
Fundraising was also an integral part of St Patrick’s Day, with money raised from concerts and processions going to the Irish Language Fund. As the League stated:
the Irish language is the one remaining link which connects the Ireland of to-day with the Ireland of the past.
So, it was essential to use St Patrick’s Day to promote it. The Gaelic League was also credited with restoring order and sobriety to St Patrick’s Day. It encouraged the closure of public houses which they believed diminished the purity of the holiday – perhaps ironic given the celebrations that now surround the day.
Grand Irish nights
The Gaelic League also promoted the “correct” celebration of St Patrick’s Day amongst Irish communities in England, particularly in Liverpool and London. They argued that organising language processions and Gaelic masses was necessary in countering the “sham patriotism” of “Grand Irish Nights” that tended more to “denationalise and demoralise our people than provide healthy amusement”. These concerns show that, even in the early 20th century, some of the arguments we hear today about St Patrick’s Day were already being raised.
Fervent Irish nationalist: Padraic Pearse.United States Library of Congress
In 1915, the Gaelic League became infiltrated by the Irish Republican Brotherhood and by 1918 it had been declared an illegal operation by the British government. It saw the League as a “grave menace designed to terrorise the peaceful and law-abiding subjects of His Majesty in Ireland”.
Despite these claims, it is undeniable that the Gaelic League played an integral role in the promotion of Irish language and culture across the world and, as the writer and nationalist Pádraic Pearse claimed, was one of the “the most revolutionary influences that has ever come into Ireland”.
Commercialism or nostalgia? Celebration or farce? Cultural appropriation or cultural appreciation? Whatever your view, we have the Gaelic League to thank for the fact that St Patrick’s Day remains a much-loved national holiday which keeps Irish culture at the forefront around the world.
The Federal Reserve is about to begin its most challenging inflation-fighting campaign in four decades. And a lot is at stake for consumers, companies and the U.S. economy.
The challenge for the Fed is to do this without sending the economy into recession. Some economists and observers are already raising the specter of stagflation, which means high inflation coupled with a stagnating economy.
As an expert on financial markets, I believe there’s good news and bad when it comes to the Fed’s upcoming battle against inflation. Let’s start with the bad.
In all, Congress spent US$4.6 trillion trying to counter the economic effects of COVID-19 and the lockdowns. While that may have been necessary to support struggling businesses and people, it unleashed an unprecedented bump in the U.S. money supply.
At the same time, supply chains have been in disarray since early in the pandemic. Lockdowns and layoffs led to closures of factories, warehouses and shipping ports, and shortages of key components like microchips have made it harder to finish a wide range of goods, from cars to fridges. These factors have contributed to a worldwide shortage of goods and services.
Any economist will tell you that when demand exceeds supply, prices will rise too. And to make matters worse, businesses around the world have been struggling to hire more workers, which has further exacerbated supply chain problems. The labor shortage also worsens inflation because workers are able to demand higher wages, which is typically paid for with higher prices on the goods they make and the services they provide.
And now Russia’s war in Ukraine is compounding the problems. This is mostly because of the conflict’s impact on the supply of gas and oil, but also because of the sanctions placed on Russia’s economy and the ancillary effects that will ripple throughout the global economy.
The latest inflation data, released on March 10, 2022, is for the month of February and therefore doesn’t account for the impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which sent U.S. gas prices soaring. The prices of other commodities, such as wheat, also spiked. Russia and Ukraine produce a quarter of the world’s wheat supply.
And so the Fed has little choice but to raise interest rates – one of its few tools available to curb inflation.
But now it’s in a very tough situation. After arguably coming late to the inflation-fighting party, the Fed is now tasked with a job that seems to get harder by the day. That’s because the main drivers of today’s inflation – the war in Ukraine, the global shortage of goods and workers – are outside of its control.
So even dramatic rate hikes over the coming months, perhaps increasing rates from about zero now to 1%, will be unlikely to make an appreciable impact on inflation. This will remain true at least until supply chains begin to return to normal, which is still a ways off.
There are a few areas of the U.S. economy where the Fed could have more of an impact on inflation – eventually.
For example, demand for goods that are typically purchased with a loan, such as a house or car, is more closely tied to interest rates. The Fed’s policy of ultra-low interest rates is one key factor that has driven inflation in those sectors in recent months. As such, an increase in borrowing costs through higher interest rates should prompt a drop in demand, thus reducing inflation.
But changing consumer behavior can take time, and it’ll require more than a quarter-point increase in rates at the Fed. So consumers should expect prices to continue to climb at an above-normal pace for some time.
Higher interest rates also tend to reduce stock prices, as other investments like bonds may become more attractive to investors. This in turn may lead people invested in stock markets to reduce their spending because they feel less wealthy, which may help reduce overall demand and inflation. The effect is minimal, however, and would take time before you see the impact in prices.
That’s why I think it’s unlikely the U.S. will experience stagflation – as it did in the 1970s and early 1980s. A very aggressive increase in interest rates could possibly induce a recession, and lead to stagflation, but by sapping economic activity it could also bring down inflation. At the moment, a recession seems unlikely.
In my view, what the Fed is beginning to do now is less taking a big bite out of inflation and more about signaling its intent to begin the inflation battle for real. So don’t expect overall prices to come down for quite a while.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Lake Local Agency Formation Commission on Wednesday held a hearing to consider approving the city of Lakeport’s annexation plans for the South Main Street corridor, but put off a decision in order to consider how to proceed with a formal protest.
The commission, or LAFCo, discussed the Lakeport annexation plan for more than two hours at its meeting at Lakeport City Hall before setting a special meeting for 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, March 30, to continue the matter.
At issue is whether properties at the edge of the annexation area, whose owners are protesting the process, can be removed, clearing the way for the process to proceed. LAFCo counsel Scott Browne will take the next few weeks to consider if that is an option.
The city is proposing to annex 137 acres, consisting of 50 parcels, along South Main Street to Soda Bay Road.
It’s what is called “an inhabited annexation” because the area includes more than 12 registered voters, said LAFCo Executive Director John Benoit.
Based on annexation rules in Government Code section 57075, LAFCo can approve a resolution ordering the annexation if less than 25% of registered voters or if less than 25% of the landowners owning less than 25% of the assessed value of land in the annexation area protest the proceeding in writing.
If more than 25% — but less than 50% — of those same groups protest, LAFCo could order the annexation subject to an election.
Browne noted that the law governing protests is complex.
The area has been part of the city’s sphere of influence since the 1980s, and over the past 20 years the city has been moving toward annexing it.
When the city began to pursue the project in earnest about 10 years ago, a clash with the county ensued, with the highly lucrative commercial corridor at stake.
However, in January, at the end of a joint meeting, the Lakeport City Council and Board of Supervisors each voted unanimously to support a tax sharing agreement that resolves many of the outstanding disagreements and clears the way for the annexation to proceed.
“It is absolutely a different landscape from where we started,” Supervisor Bruno Sabatier, who also chairs LAFCo, said during Wednesday’s meeting.
Both city and county officials say that a key issue in the annexation moving forward is providing a reliable water source — through the option of municipal water hookups — to properties in the area. Part of that work will be addressing two dead-end loops in the water system.
Another step in the process is LAFCo approval, and Benoit on Wednesday recommended approval of the annexation, subject to the terms and conditions of the staff report, which also included a fiscal analysis which finds the annexation to be revenue neutral.
Lakeport City Manager Kevin Ingram said the annexation was one of the first things on his desk when he joined the city seven years ago. At that time, he was head of Community Development. In 2020 he became city manager.
Ingram thanked LAFCo for brokering and breaking through “some serious barriers that existed between the city and county for decades,” adding, “I think we’ve come out in a very different place.”
He said the tax agreement represents a fair tax share agreement and short and long term cooperation to serve the annexation area.
Noting the annexation area has been in the city’s sphere of influence for decades, Ingram said that in 2000, the county asked the city to hold off on pursuing it for a 10-year period to allow for a regional transportation project to move forward. That project, he said, is still underway.
LAFCo reaffirmed the area was in the city’s sphere of influence during a 2015 review, Ingram said.
He said there is no municipal public water serving the annexation area, and one of the key reasons to proceed is to coordinate that work with a road project that’s also to take place in the area under the auspices of the county.
That road work is on track to begin undergrounding in late 2023 or early 2024, and Ingram said the city wants to make sure water service is in effect before or at around the same time.
Ingram said the city is best positioned to provide the water services, explaining that the added area isn’t expected to create a significant additional draw on the city’s water supply, which consists both of wells and surface water from Clear Lake.
Bringing water service to that area helps alleviate a serious public health and safety concern, specifically, wildfire threat, Ingram said.
The annexation area is an “urban built up area” with several propane storage fields, a lumber yard and other uses with hazardous materials, he said.
Ingram said the city, working with the county, has worked to address the controversy that has built up around the issue for 30 years. He and Deputy County Administrative Officer Susan Parker have been visiting the area to talk to people, and they held a community forum at Lakeport Cinema 5 last week to answer questions and who they’re dedicated to providing the best available public service.
“The city remains committed to that effort,” Ingram said.
Community members speak on proposal
During the public hearing, the commission heard from several community members who had questions about the annexation, how it would affect them and their rights in objecting to it.
During the course of the meeting, the commission received two four objections to the annexation, including two from community members who don’t live in or own property in the area, and one who owned property in the area but didn’t submit hers until after the public hearing was over.
The fourth, which was considered the only valid protest that could trigger a protest hearing an election to determine if the annexation could go forward, came from Justin Ratcliffe, who along with his wife owns and operates Premier Flooring at 53 Soda Bay Road.
He said they bought the property because there was more development freedom and went on to build a new building, completed last year. Ratcliffe raised issues about water and the impending road work, which he suggested will impact his business.
Speaking in favor of annexation was Scott Lotter, who owns Lakeport Cinema Five and Lakeport Auto Movies, which is the biggest single property in the area.
For Lotter, water is a key issue. He said his facility is on a private water system so it’s state regulated.
“It’s expensive,” Lotter said. “We spend thousands of dollars a month keeping that system working and having good quality water,” which is needed for ice and drinks to go with the popcorn he sells at the theater.
He said it’s also important for fire protection. Lotter has his own hydrant and large water tank but because Lake County is known as a wildfire-prone area, water supply impacts insurance rates.
Lotter said he wasn’t concerned about an increase in the sales tax rate because it would help pay for better maintained roads and services.
He said he is putting a new roof on the cinema and noted that he’s having to pay fees he wouldn’t have to pay if it was in the city. He’s also agreed to sell a quarter mile of his property’s frontage for the road project.
Lotter said he has a six-acre property that will have more development options if it has water access.
Lakeport Fire Chief Jeff Thomas spoke to the need to have reliable water service for not just fire protection but for the safety of firefighting personnel.
Quoting Mr. Spock from Star Trek, Thomas said, “The good of the many outweigh the good of the one.”
He noted some of the major fires in the nation’s history and said, “Fire still remains the greatest threat to our community.”
Thomas said there are significant hazardous material issues along that corridor, and talked about trying to avoid a bleve, an explosion caused when a container with pressurized liquid ruptures. He said they can stop a bleve by having adequate water supply in a timely fashion.
“We have a great threat that’s present before us today,” said Thomas, who explained that having the water supply and a critical hydrant system will help protect the area.
During public comment, Commissioner Ed Robey pointed out that the objections to the annexation primarily appeared to be connected to the road project along South Main Street, which he and other commissioners said was a separate matter.
Ratcliffe asked for clarification on when to submit a formal objection. Benoit told him he could write one down and submit it then. Ratcliffe immediately handed him a piece of paper.
Ratcliffe then suggested that his civil rights were being violated. In annexations, protests can be filed both by registered voters and landowners. Ratcliffe said that while he can protest as a property owner, he can’t protest as a registered voter in the area because he can’t live on the property.
Browne said LAFCo is required to follow a certain law in its process. “You have no choice in that matter.”
Browne said there is substantial authority all the way to the United States Supreme Court that annexations and boundary changes are subject to very limited review by the courts and are not considered fundamental civil rights.
It leaves the state legislature with considerable latitude in providing procedure. “That’s the state of the law at this point,” said Browne.
Lakeport Mayor Stacey Mattina, who also is a LAFCo commissioner, asked about removing Ratcliffe’s property from the annexation area in order not to risk the entire project.
Lakeport City Council member Kenny Parlet, another commissioner, said the annexation has been a city priority for a long time.
“This is a big, big thing we’ve all worked so hard on, for so long,” and he said it was ludicrous to let one person stand in the way due to a road project.
“There’s more to it,” Ratcliffe shouted from the back of the room.
After a brief break, the commission returned to continue its discussion.
Mattina suggested removing Ratcliffe’s property but emphasizing that he needed to be made aware that this was the last chance to be added to city water service.
“The complaints are based on the road and not the entire annexation and the delivery of services,” she said.
She was also OK with removing a property owned by Kathleen Miller, who also protested but did not submit it during the public hearing. Mattina said not having those two properties included wouldn’t create an island.
Mattina suggested not having the water connection also could impact the future value and development potential of the properties.
“Their complaints are really disconnected from what we’re doing here,” she said. “We’ve gone to a great expense to get to this point.”
Mattina added, “I think that we should just move it forward and they can be eliminated.”
Browne said he had never heard of excluding a property to avoid a protest, a process that usually happens before a hearing.
“We’re trying to unring a bell,” Brown said. “I would have to research it to determine if excluding it at this point invalidates the objection.”
Commissioner and county supervisor Moke Simon asked if the removal of Ratcliffe’s property would change the financial analysis. Lakeport Assistant City Manager Nick Walker, also the city’s finance director, said the fiscal study was completed before the new Premier Flooring building was developed.
At Browne’s suggestion, the commission took a straw poll and found that all but Sabatier wanted to move forward and exclude the properties.
The commission decided to ask Browne to research if it can move forward with approving the annexation by removing the properties and come back on March 30. City officials had asked not to put it off any longer than that, as originally it had been suggested to bring it back at LAFCo’s next meeting in two months.
Sabatier agreed it was too important to wait that long.
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. — Two Lake County law enforcement agencies have sent surplus gear to the state of California to be distributed to Ukraine.
The California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services and Homeland Security earlier this month sent a letter to all California sheriffs, police chiefs and law enforcement executives asking for the donation of ballistic helmets and vests, goggles and gloves, which the Ukrainian government requested.
Cal OES and the California National Guard are coordinating the collection of those items.
The sheriff’s office subsequently sent 20 pairs of ballistic helmets and vests for use in Ukraine, said public information officer Lauren Berlinn.
Berlinn said the equipment was scheduled to be picked up on Monday.
During the Tuesday evening Lakeport City Council meeting, Lakeport Police Chief Brad Rasmussen said this week his department donated its surplus gear to help Ukraine.
He said they had a “fair amount” of the equipment available to donate.
“Hopefully it will help save lives there,” he said.
Clearlake Police Chief Andrew White said his agency has not donated any gear to the effort.
On Tuesday, Gov. Gavin Newsom visited the state's disaster logistics warehouse in Solano County to help pack emergency relief supplies for Ukraine.
Newsom’s office said the needed medical aid is being prepared for an upcoming shipment by Direct Relief, a California-based humanitarian aid organization that has been coordinating with the government of Ukraine and on-the-ground partners to provide support during the current crisis.
“California is united in our support for Ukraine,” said Gov. Newsom. “Throughout this crisis, the state and nonprofits, businesses, the faith community and individuals across California have stepped up in solidarity with the Ukrainian community, a heartening reminder of our common humanity. We’ll continue to support the brave people of Ukraine and reaffirm our commitment to fundamental rights and freedoms around the world.”
The supplies packaged on Tuesday include a California Medical Station that includes beds, wound and IV kits, a defibrillator, wheelchairs and other necessary supplies; 100 oxygen concentrators; and personal protective equipment to supply refugee camps.
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. — Lake County’s clerk/auditor-controller said she is not seeking reelection.
Cathy Saderlund confirmed to Lake County News that she won’t run for another term.
Saderlund has worked for the county of Lake for more than 40 years, beginning as an account clerk.
In October 2011, the Board of Supervisors appointed Saderlund county clerk/auditor-controller to fill the unexpired term of Pam Cochrane.
She would go on to appear on the ballot twice, in 2014 and 2018, running unopposed both times.
In January, Saderlund filed a candidate intention statement. However, when the deadline arrived on Friday to submit declaration of candidacy and nomination papers, she did not file for reelection.
Saderlund said personal reasons over the past month have led her to decide to retire.
She said her assistant, Jenavive Herrington, filed papers on Friday to run for the county clerk/auditor-controller’s job.
Herrington will have been with the county clerk/auditor-controller’s office a year on May 1, Saderlund said.
In cases where incumbents don’t file to run for reelection, the nomination period is extended.
That was the case for the county clerk/auditor-controller’s position, with the nomination period now ending at 5 p.m. Wednesday, the Registrar of Voters Office reported.
In addition to Saderlund, Treasurer-Tax Collector Barbara Ringen also is not running for another term and will retire at the end of this year, so the nomination period also has been extended for that office.
Additional information about running for the offices is available by contacting the elections office at 707-263-2372.
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.
