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A Lake County official ballot drop box. Image courtesy of the Lake County Registrar of Voters Office.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Although Election Day is two weeks away, voting is well underway as Lake County residents return vote-by-mail – or absentee – ballots early.

Ballots, which were mailed out at the start of this month, are now being returned by US Mail, in person to the Elections Office or in secure drop boxes on county properties.

Voters should only use official county drop boxes. Official ballot drop boxes are clearly recognizable, designed to meet standards for security, and bear the official Lake County Official Ballot Drop Box logo, elections officials said.

The Lake County Registrar of Voters Office said there are drop boxes located in five locations: at the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport; at the Lakeport Library, 1425 N. High St.; the Redbud Library, 14785 Burns Valley Road, Clearlake; Middletown Library, 21256 Washington St.; and Upper Lake Library, 310 Second St.

The boxes are available for dropoff around the clock, seven days a week, until 8 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 3, Election Day.

While there have been reports in some areas of the state about unofficial drop boxes for ballots, Registrar of Voters Maria Valadez said she’s received no reports of any such boxes in Lake County.

Those using the US Mail to return their ballot are urged to mail them back no later than Oct. 27 to ensure they arrive in time to be counted.

Ballots also can be dropped off at the Registrar of Voters Office, Room 209, second floor of the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Thursday.

Valadez also will open her office on Friday, Oct. 30, Saturday, Oct. 31, and Sunday, Nov. 1, to allow for voters to come in and cast or deliver their ballots.

For those who want to vote at the polls, Valadez said there will be 22 polling places on Nov. 3, the same number that the county had for the primary as well as for previous elections for quite some time.

A list of those polling places can be found here or seen below.

If a voter who received a vote-by-mail ballot decides they want to vote in person, Valadez said they must go to their assigned polling place and surrender their unopened and unvoted ballot. Valadez said she included information in the sample ballot booklet that explains the process; it can be found on the inside cover.

The Lake County Registrar of Voters Office will test the equipment to be used for the November presidential election on Thursday, Oct. 22, beginning at 11 a.m. The public is invited to observe the testing.

Tips for voters

The Registrar of Voter Office offers the following tips for voters.

– Make a plan to vote. You can return your vote-by-mail ballot using the prepaid postage return envelope or by bringing it to any official drop box, voting location, or county elections office.

– Voters can also choose someone to return their ballot. Only choose someone you trust to return your ballot. You and the authorized person must sign the authorization statement on the return envelope. Never give your ballot to someone else unless you have completed, signed and sealed the return envelope.

– Sign up for ballot tracking. You can sign-up at wheresmyballot.sos.ca.gov to receive automatic notifications by text message, email or voice message about the status of your vote-by-mail ballot. You’ll be notified once your county has received your ballot, once it is counted, and if there are any issues with the ballot.

Additional voter resources

For more information, to report unofficial ballot drop boxes or to ask about other election-related matters, contact the Lake County Registrar of Voters Office at 707-263-2372 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Phone hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

A full rundown of information for Lake County voters regarding the Nov. 3 general election is here: http://www.lakecountyca.gov/Government/Directory/ROV/Upcoming/110320.htm .http://www.lakecountyca.gov/Government/Directory/ROV/Upcoming/110320.htm

Locations of official Lake County drop boxes can be found on at https://caearlyvoting.sos.ca.gov/ .

To find your polling place: http://www.lakecountyca.gov/Government/Directory/ROV/Upcoming/110320.htm .

The Secretary of State also has resources for California voters at www.vote.ca.gov .

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.

List of Polling Places in Lake County by LakeCoNews on Scribd

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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The National Weather Service has issued a fire weather watch for Lake County and other parts of the region due to windy, dry conditions in this week’s forecast, while Pacific Gas and Electric said it has activated one-day notifications to 54,000 customers in 19 counties in anticipation of a potential public safety power shutoff.

The fire weather watch is in effect from 10 p.m. Wednesday until 11 a.m. Friday.

The forecast calls for north to northeast winds of 10 to 20 miles per hour with gusts from 20 to 40 miles per hour and low humidity.

PG&E said its meteorologists are continuing to monitor a potentially strong and dry offshore wind event forecast to start Wednesday evening.

As a result, PG&E said approximately 53,533 customers have been notified in portions of Alameda, Butte, Colusa, Contra Costa, Glenn, Humboldt, Lake, Lassen, Napa, Plumas, Santa Clara, Shasta, Solano, Sonoma, Stanislaus, Tehama, Trinity, Yolo and Yuba, where a PSPS watch is now in effect.

PG&E said 963 customers in Lake County, including 69 Medical Baseline customers, are still expected to be impacted if the shutoff goes forward. Mapping shows the impacted customers are in Cobb, Clearlake Oaks, Lower Lake and Middletown.

During the Tuesday evening Lakeport City Council meeting, City Manager Kevin Ingram confirmed that the Lakeport area is not targeted for shutoff this week.

He said city staff also is monitoring a possible PSPS event that could take place next week.

Customers can look up their address online to find out if their location is being monitored for the potential safety shutoff at www.pge.com/pspsupdates .

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. – Nearly six teenage drivers are involved in a fatal car crash every day in the United States.

Inexperience combined with driver distraction increases the risk for error, making motor vehicle crashes the leading cause of death for young drivers in the nation.

To reduce teen distracted driving, the California Highway Patrol has partnered with Impact Teen Drivers, or ITD, to teach positive habits and behaviors to our most vulnerable drivers through education and enforcement.

Ten percent of all drivers ages 15 to 19 who were involved in fatal crashes were reported as distracted at the time of the crash, and 100 percent of those crashes were preventable.

Based on miles driven, the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety discovered that teens are involved in three times as many fatal crashes as all other drivers.

To combat this alarming trend, the message of the ITD program is simple: Keep both hands on the wheel, eyes on the road and mind focused on driving.

“Teen drivers are the most at risk of driving distracted. They are more likely than any other demographic to be involved in traffic crashes where distracted driving is a factor,” said CHP Commissioner Warren Stanley. “Sadly, many of these crashes will result in injuries and deaths. We hope to help eliminate these preventable deadly crashes.”

The CHP and ITD will conduct virtual classes at schools and community events throughout California during the pandemic to help change the behavior of teen drivers.

The yearlong Teen Distracted Drivers Education and Enforcement X grant provides for an education component as well as enforcement operations to be conducted statewide through Sept. 30, 2021.

“In California we lose the equivalent of eight, large school buses filled with teens each year to car crashes. Impact Teen Drivers, CHP, and the Office of Traffic Safety partner to offer free in-person and online training for parents and teens – together, we can stop the No. 1 killer of teens,” said Dr. Kelly Browning, executive director of ITD.

For free safe driving resources in English or Spanish, please visit www.ImpactTeenDrivers.org.

Funding for this program was provided by a grant from OTS through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
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New California Highway Patrol Commissioner Amanda Ray. Courtesy photo.

On Tuesday Gov. Gavin Newsom appointed the first woman commissioner of the California Highway Patrol.

Amanda L. Ray, 54, of Sacramento, has been deputy commissioner of the California Highway Patrol since 2020.

Her appointment as commissioner is effective Nov. 17.

She will be the first woman and the second African American ever to lead the agency.

“I would like to thank Gov. Newsom for the outstanding opportunity to lead this great Department and to continue to work each day with the women and men of the California Highway Patrol. I couldn’t be more honored and proud to accept this appointment and further the CHP’s mission of providing the highest level of Safety, Service and Security, and ensuring California is a safe place to live, work and travel,” said Ray.

Commissioner Ray served in several positions in the California Highway Patrol from 1990 to 2020, including cadet, officer, sergeant, lieutenant, captain, assistant chief, chief and assistant commissioner.

Ray was Special Response Team Tactical Commander at the California Highway Patrol for Superbowl 50 in 2016. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $282,528. Ray is a Democrat.

Retiring California Highway Patrol Commissioner Warren Stanley. Courtesy photo.

She will succeed Commissioner Warren Stanley, who Newsom announced is retiring following nearly four decades of service to the people of California. Stanley was the first African American to lead the CHP.

“I thank Commissioner Stanley for his distinguished service at the head of the California Highway Patrol,” said Gov. Newsom. “As the leader of the fifth-largest law enforcement agency in the country, Commissioner Stanley championed causes to enhance public safety for everyone who travels on California’s roads and freeways. We are grateful for his forward-looking vision and pursuit of innovative strategies to prevent injuries and save lives. I am confident that Deputy Commissioner Ray will be a crucial partner as we continue the important work ahead to strengthen community engagement in public safety and advance reforms to our criminal justice system that will help foster a more just and inclusive future for all Californians.”

Commissioner Stanley has served the people of California within the CHP since 1982 and has held every uniformed rank within the department, including Lieutenant of the Border Division Investigative Services Unit and Commander of the California Highway Patrol Academy.

“I’m very proud of my career, but what I’m most proud of is the current and past CHP employees who I have had the privilege and honor to work with,” said CHP Commissioner Stanley. “All of you are the primary reason I believe the CHP is one of the finest law enforcement agencies in the world. I also want to thank Governor Newsom for his support of me, the 11,000 women and men of the CHP and for selecting Deputy Commissioner Amanda Ray as the next CHP Commissioner.”

During his tenure, Commissioner Stanley spearheaded a number of innovative highway and traffic safety initiatives. Under his leadership, CHP created the Impaired Driving Section, which is responsible for revising current enforcement policies to ensure they are consistent with a new law that approved the adult use of cannabis and facilitate new research into how cannabis affects driving behaviors.

Commissioner Stanley also worked to bolster the Highway Safety Corridor Program, which has promoted education, enforcement and coordination on California’s roadways with high crash rates.

He also helped the CHP establish a national leadership role in addressing the special needs and concerns of elderly drivers and collaborated on initiatives to promote responsible driving among teens.
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A map showing areas in Lake County, California, and neighboring counties that could be impacted by a public safety power shutoff on Thursday, October 22, 2020. Map courtesy of Pacific Gas and Electric Co.


LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Pacific Gas and Electric Co. said it is anticipating that it may shut off power to 50,000 customers in portions of 19 counties starting Wednesday night due to another incoming wind event, with nearly 1,000 Lake County customers among those anticipated to be impacted.

The company said it began notifying customers on Monday of the public safety power shutoff, which could take place as early as Wednesday evening.

PG&E said that while there is still uncertainty regarding the strength and timing of this weather wind event, it’s shutoff is forecast to target approximately 50,414 customers in portions of 19 counties, including Alameda, Butte, Colusa, Contra Costa, Glenn, Humboldt, Lake, Lassen, Napa, Plumas, Santa Clara, Shasta, Solano, Sonoma, Stanislaus, Tehama, Trinity, Yolo and Yuba. A small number of customers in two tribal communities may also be affected.

In Lake County, 963 customers – 69 of them in the Medical Baseline program – are in the proposed outage area. Lake’s customers appear to be primarily located in the Clearlake Oaks, Cobb, Lower Lake and Middletown areas, based on PG&E mapping.

If the shutoff goes forward, power to the impacted Lake County residents is expected to be turned off between 2 and 6 a.m. Thursday, with power to be restored by 10 p.m. Friday once power equipment is inspected for damage and cleared for reenergizing.

In Lake’s neighboring counties, the following numbers are reported for impacted customers: Colusa, 565 customers, 31 Medical Baseline customers; Glenn, 377 customers, 18 Medical Baseline customers; Napa, 2,032 customers, 82 Medical Baseline customers; Sonoma, 626 customers,18 Medical Baseline customers; and Yolo, 11 customers, 0 Medical Baseline customers.

PG&E said, in the event the shutoff goes forward, it will open a community resource center at the Clearlake Senior Center, 3245 Bowers Ave. in Clearlake.

The community resource center will be open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. and will offer snacks and water, air-conditioning/heating, device charging, ice, ADA-accessible restroom and washing station, seating, small medical device charging and Wi-Fi.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the center will follow important health and safety protocols including:

– Facial coverings and maintaining a physical distance of at least 6 feet from those who are not part of the same household will be required.
– Temperature checks will be administered before entering centers that are located indoors.
– Center staff will be trained in COVID-19 precautions and will regularly sanitize surfaces and use Plexiglass barriers at check-in.
– All centers will follow county and state requirements regarding COVID-19, including limits on the number of customers permitted indoors at any time.

For more information on the potential outage, visit the PG&E website.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
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LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Board of Supervisors this week will take up a proposal to begin increasing staff salaries, as recommended by a classification and compensation study.

The meeting will begin at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 20.

The supervisors will meet in the board chambers on the first floor of the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport, for a hybrid meeting format which also will include the opportunity for community members to continue to participate virtually.

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 at 9 a.m. The meeting ID is 966 3904 9762, password 150809.

To submit a written comment on any agenda item 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.

In a discussion that’s untimed, the board will consider a resolution establishing salaries and benefits for management employees for the period of Nov. 1, 2020, to Oct. 31, 2021.

The board had originally been scheduled to hold a discussion about the study in March but put it off due to the onset of the pandemic.

In a memo to the board, County Administrative Officer Carol Huchingson said this is the first classification and compensation study completed for Lake County since 2003. It compared salaries for Lake County’s employees to those working for local governments in Calaveras, Colusa, Glenn, Humboldt, Mendocino, Napa, Nevada, Sonoma, Sutter, Tehama, Yolo and Yuba counties.

Huchingson said the proposal, based on this new classification and compensation study, is to implement 80 percent of the market median of the midpoint of the 12 comparison counties.

The resolution also eliminates the 12-step salary system, replacing it with a five-step system and restores longevity pay for continuous services at five year intervals. “A 5-step system is not only more common in the labor market, it was previously the norm in Lake County,” Huchingson wrote.

The supporting documents in the agenda packet only include the proposed new five steps, not how they compare to the previous 12 steps. Nor do any of the agenda items explain how much the raises will increase employee costs on an annual basis.

In other untimed items related to the class and comp study, the board will consider memoranda of understanding that raise salaries for staff at 85 percent of the market median with the Lake County Deputy Sheriff’s Association Units, the Lake County Employees Association Units No. 3, No. 4 and No. 5, the Lake County Safety Employees Association, the Lake County Correctional Officers Association Units, the Lake County Deputy District Attorney’s Association, the Lake County Sheriff’s Management Association Units for the coming year.

The board also will consider separate resolutions establishing salaries and benefits for employees assigned to the Confidential Unit, Section A and Section B, and for management employees, as well as an ordinance setting the supervisors’ compensation, and consider dropping numerous job classifications that are no longer used.

Also in untimed items, the board will consider allocating the $3,495,234 the county received in its litigation against Pacific Gas and Electric Co. due to the 2017 Sulphur fire.

Supervisor Bruno Sabatier wants to discuss using the funds to focus on the burned area, including making road repairs and subsidizing permit fees for those rebuilding homes.

“Between the upgraded infrastructure and decreased hardship of paying the fees to rebuild, this money would be well spent to boost the vitality of the area and enhance the interest in investing in the area for future growth,” Sabatier wrote in a memo to the board. “This would allow us to use $2.5 million of the approximate $3.5 million that we currently have set aside, leaving us with $1 million left to save for future disaster response or to spend on other community needs.”

The full agenda follows.

CONSENT AGENDA

5.1: Approve the public defender contract amendment No. 4 between the county of Lake and Lake Indigent Defense LLP for public defender services for the purpose of extending the term of existing agreement and increasing the monthly compensation by $7,000 per month.

5.2: Approve agreement between the county of Lake and Lake County Economic Development Corp. for Lake County CARES Act Small Business Assistance Grant Program coordinator services and authorize the chair to sign.

5.3: Approve amendment to the county of Lake COVID-19 Public Health Emergency Return to Work – Worksite Protection Protocol.

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 Lake County Office of Education - Safe Schools Healthy Students Program for school-based specialty mental health services for Fiscal Year 2020-21 to provide for services rendered during Fiscal Year 2019-20 for a contract maximum of $143,731.69 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 North Valley Behavioral Health LLC for Fiscal Year 2020-21 to provide for services rendered during Fiscal Year 2019-20 for a contract maximum of $125,920.00 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 the agreement between the county of Lake and Hilltop Recovery Services for substance use disorder residential services for FY 2020-21, for a contract maximum of $186,150 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 agreement between the county of Lake and I.D.E.A. Consulting for professional consulting services for FY 2020-21 for a contract maximum of $40,000.00 and authorize the board chair to sign the agreement.

5.8: (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 Ever Well Health Systems for adult residential support services and specialty mental health services for Fiscal Year 2020-21 for a contract maximum of $57,000 and authorize the board chair to sign the agreement.

5.9: (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 Redwood Community Services Inc. for the Family Stabilization Program provided at The Nest for Fiscal Year 2020-21 for a contract maximum of $221,000 and authorize the board chair to sign the agreement.

5.10: (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 Redwood Community Services Inc. for the Transitional Age Youth Peer Support Program for Fiscal Year 2020-21 for a contract maximum of $54,000 and authorize the board chair to sign the agreement.

5.11: Approve minutes of the Board of Supervisors meeting on Aug. 18, 2020.

5.12: Adopt resolution to accept funding allotment for fiscal years 2020 through 2023 for $1,854,803 and amend the adopted budget for FY 2020/2021 by appropriating unanticipated revenue in the amount of $463,702 to budget unit 4011 – funding is allocated for Public Health Services in support of COVID-19 crisis response, epidemiologic surveillance, communicable disease specialist, and testing, authorizing the health services director to sign.

5.13: Approve additional leave of absence that extends beyond department leave and county administrative officer approved leave for Stacey Sawdey from Oct. 23 through Dec. 31, 2020, and authorize the Board of Supervisors chair to sign.

5.14: Approve the continuation of a local health emergency and order prohibiting the endangerment of the community through the unsafe removal, transportation and disposal of fire debris for the Mendocino Complex fire.

5.15: Approve the continuation of a Local Health Emergency Related to the 2019 Coronavirus (COVID-19) as proclaimed by the Lake County Public Health officer.

5.16: Approve the continuation of a local emergency due to the Mendocino Complex fire incident (River and Ranch fires).

5.17: Approve the continuation of a local emergency due to the Pawnee fire incident.

5.18: Approve the continuation of a local emergency due to COVID-19.

5.19: Approve the continuation of a local emergency in Lake County in response to the LNU Lightning Complex wildfire event.

5.20: Approve the continuation of resolution ratifying the declaration of local health emergency and order prohibiting the endangerment of the community through the unsafe removal, transport, and disposal of fire debris for the LNU Lightning Complex wildfire.

5.21: Sitting as the Lake County Sanitation Board of Directors, adopt resolution authorizing Special Districts administrator to sign the notice of completion for work performed under Agreement 19-08A, dated June 25, 2019 for the onsite installation of sanitation equipment for the Anderson Springs Sewer System.

5.22: Sitting as the Lake County Sanitation District, adopt resolution authorizing the Special Districts administrator to sign the notice of completion for work performed under Agreement 19-08B, signed June 25, 2020, for communications equipment on the Anderson Springs Sewer Project .

5.23: Approve agreement for Federal Apportionment Exchange Program and state Match Program for California Department of Transportation - Non MPO County, Agreement No. X20-5914(121) at no cost to the county, and authorize the chair to sign.

5.24: Sitting as the Board of Directors for the Lake County Watershed Protection District, approve the purchase agreement with Steven Jones for Property within the Middle Creek Flood Damage Reduction and Ecosystem Restoration Project in the amount of $647,600 and authorize the chair of the board of directors to sign the agreement.

5.25: Adopt resolution amending Resolution No. 2020-133 to amend the adopted Budget for FY 20-21 by cancelling obligated fund balance in the building and infrastructure reserve fund to provide interim financing to purchase property in the Middle Creek Restoration Project Area.

5.26: Adopt resolution approving a memorandum of understanding between the county of Lake Watershed Protection District and the Habematolel Pomo of Upper Lake Tribe for the shared execution of the USEPA 2019-2022 Environmental Information Exchange Network Grant.

TIMED ITEMS

6.1, 9:01 a.m.: Public input.

6.2, 11 a.m.: public hearing, continued to nov. 17, discussion/consideration to name an existing unnamed road located off Jerusalem Grade in the Middletown area, Psi Keep Ranch Road.

6.3, 1 p.m.: Consideration of Update on COVID-19.

UNTIMED ITEMS

7.2: Consideration of allocation of funds from PG&E lawsuit settlement.

7.3: Consideration of an ordinance amending Section 2-3A.1 of Article I, Chapter 2 of the Lake County Code, Compensation of the Board of Supervisors.

7.4: Consideration of job classification changes based on the October 2019 CPS-HR Classification and Compensation Study.

7.5: Consideration of memorandum of understanding by and between the Lake County Deputy Sheriff’s Association Units and the county of Lake for Oct. 21, 2020, to Oct. 20, 2021.

7.6: Consideration of memorandum of understanding by and between the Lake County Employees Association Units No. 3, No. 4 and No. 5 and the county of Lake for Oct. 21, 2020, to Oct. 20, 2021.

7.7: Consideration of memorandum of understanding by and between the Lake County Safety Employees Association and the county of Lake for Oct. 21, 2020, to Oct. 20, 2021.

7.8: Consideration of memorandum of understanding by and between the Lake County Correctional Officers Association Units and the county of Lake for Oct. 21, 2020, to Oct. 20, 2021.

7.9: Consideration of memorandum of understanding by and between the Lake County Deputy District Attorney’s Association and the county of Lake for Oct. 21, 2020, to Oct. 20, 2021.

7.10: Consideration of memorandum of understanding by and between the Lake County Sheriff’s Management Association Units and the county of Lake for Nov. 1, 2020, to Oct. 31, 2021.

7.11: Consideration of resolution establishing salaries and benefits for employees assigned to the Confidential Unit, Section A, for Oct. 21, 2020, to Oct. 20, 2021.

7.12: Consideration of resolution establishing salaries and benefits for employees assigned to the Confidential Unit, Section B, for Oct. 21, 2020, to Oct. 20, 2021.

7.13: Consideration of resolution establishing salaries and benefits for management employees for the period of Nov. 1, 2020, to Oct. 31, 2021.

7.14: Consideration of Contract Change Order No. One with McGuire-Pacific Constructors for Cycle 7 and Cycle 8 HSIP Signs and Striping Project, Federal Project No.'s HSIPL-5914(104) and HSIPL-5914(113), Bid No. 18-22 for an increase of $39,545.69 and a revised contract amount of $1,279,071.65 and authorize the chair to sign.

7.15: Consideration of advisory board appointment: Child Care Planning and Development Emergency Medical Care Committee .

7.16: Sitting as Lake County Sanitation District, consideration of balancing change order with Mercer Fraser Co. for Anderson Springs Sewer Project, for a decrease of $235,011.00 and a revised final contract amount of $1,715,672.00 and authorize board chair to execute.

CLOSED SESSION

8.1: Conference with legal counsel: Existing Litigation pursuant to Gov. Code sec. 54956.9 (d)(1) – FERC Project No. 77, Potter Valley Hydroelectric Project.

8.2: Conference with legal counsel: Existing litigation pursuant to Gov. Code section 54956.9(d)(1) – Ugorji v. County of Lake, et al.

8.3: Conference with legal counsel: Existing litigation pursuant to Gov. Code section 54956.9(d)(1) – Sabalone v. County of Lake, et al.

8.4: Conference with legal counsel: Significant exposure to litigation pursuant to Gov. Code section 54956.9(d)(2), (e)(2) – One potential case.

8.5: Conference with legal counsel: Decision whether to initiate litigation pursuant to Gov. Code section 54956.9(d)(4) – One potential case.

8.6: Public employee evaluations: County Librarian Christopher Veach, Special Districts Administrator Jan Coppinger.

8.7: Public employee appointment pursuant to Gov. Code Section 54957(b) (1): Appointment of Community Development director.

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 new grant program is opening to provide financial relief for small businesses in Lake County impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

In collaboration with the county of Lake, Lake County Economic Development Corp., or Lake County EDC, has launched the Small Business Grant Program, funded by the CARES Act, the grant program will provide.

On Wednesday, Oct. 21, Lake County EDC will launch an online grant application portal on its website.

Grants will be funded in amounts up to $20,000 per business on a first-come, first-served basis until Dec. 9.

For businesses looking for grant application details, information can be found on the Lake EDC website.

Staff will host a webinar at 9:30 a.m. Friday, Oct. 23, to review eligibility and the application process.

Registration for the webinar can be found on Lake EDC’s website and Facebook page.

If you are unable to attend the webinar, a recording will be published on the website.

The Lake County EDC may be contacted at 707-263-6217.
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LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport Economic Development Advisory Committee will hold a special meeting this week to discuss COVID-19 recovery.

The committee, or LEDAC, will meet telephonically at 4 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 21.

The meeting is open to the public. It will be held via Zoom: Meeting ID, 913 5349 7262; passcode, 836925. Dial by your location, +1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose). Find your local number here.

Chair Wilda Shock said that LEDAC is working on the COVID-19 Economic Recovery Task Force.

She said at the special meeting the group will continue its discussion about scheduling focus groups by industry cluster, will finalize the draft invitation and invitees, schedule the first focus group and confirm logistics.

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, Secretary Terre Logsdon, Maureen Brasier, Candy De Los Santos, Bill Eaton, Melissa Fulton, Pam Harpster, Andy Lucas, Laura Sammel and Amanda Xu. City staff who are members include City Manager Kevin Ingram.

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 City Council will hold public hearings this week to consider general plan amendments and zone changes, and also will discuss the approval of resolutions for new ad hoc committees and a proposed liquor license.

The meeting will take place via webinar beginning at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 20.

The agenda can be found here.

To speak on an agenda item, access the meeting remotely here or join by phone by calling toll-free 877-309-2074 or 213-929-4221. The access code is 613-543-614; 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 prior to 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 20.

Indicate in the email subject line "for public comment" and list the item number of the agenda item that is the topic of the comment. Comments that read to the council will be subject to the three minute time limitation (approximately 350 words). Written comments that are only to be provided to the council and not read at the meeting will be distributed to the council prior to the meeting.

On Tuesday, the council will hold public hearings to consider general plan amendment and zone changes for two separate projects.

In the first, Bridges Construction is seeking a general plan amendment and zone change to major retail for a mini storage facility it proposes to build at 1296 and 1320 Craig Ave.

In the second, Cory Poso is seeking a general plan amendment and zone change to low residential zoning for his property at 1339 and 1343 Broten Court, where he wants to build a home.

Under council business, City Manager Kevin Ingram will present resolutions for the council to approve in order to establish ad hoc advisory committees for design and construction review of the new lakefront park and to revise the city’s existing right-of-way ordinance.

In other council action, Police Chief Brad Rasmussen will ask for the council to make a determination that public convenience or necessity would be served by the issuance a Type-42 on sales beer and wine liquor sales license to Barbara Flynn for Wine in the Willows at 125 Park St., and adopt the proposed resolution.

On the consent agenda – items considered noncontroversial and usually accepted as a slate on one vote – are ordinances; minutes of the city council regular meeting of Oct. 6; confirmation of the continuing existence of a local emergency for the Mendocino Complex fire; confirmation of the continuing existence of a local emergency for the February 2019 storms; confirmation of the continuing existence of a local emergency for the October 2019 public safety power shutoff; confirmation of the continuing existence of a local emergency for the COVID-19 public health emergency; receipt and filing of the draft minutes of the Measure Z Advisory Committee regular
meeting of Oct. 7; and approval of Application 2020-018, with staff recommendations, for the Drive-Thru Trick or Treat event on Park Street, Oct. 30.

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 Lake County Sheriff’s Office has implemented a new program that it said will allow the public to help fight crime in local communities.

The Security Camera Registration Program allows residents and business owners to register the locations of their video surveillance systems with the sheriff’s office, said Lt. Corey Paulich.

When a crime occurs, Paulich said deputies will easily be able to identify the locations of nearby video cameras and enlist the assistance of the community to help deputies collect video evidence and follow up on leads.

Through this program, the sheriff’s office will be able to directly contact participants who are using video in an area in which a crime occurred. Paulich said deputies would ask participants to check their video surveillance system for a specific date and time for video that may show activity involved with a crime. If any video evidence is found, the resident or business owner can make arrangements with deputies for video retrieval.

Paulich said registration in this program is voluntary and there is no cost associated with registration.

Registering your information does not provide the sheriff’s office with direct access to your security cameras, Paulich said. Participants may remove or make changes to their registration at any time. They will only be contacted by the Lake County Sheriff’s Office if there is a criminal incident in the vicinity of their security camera.

If you have security cameras at your home or business and are interested in this program or would like additional information please visit the sheriff’s Security Camera Registration Program webpage or call Lt. Luke Bingham at 707-262-4082.
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LAKEPORT, Calif. – The city of Lakeport and Lakeport Disposal Co. Inc. announced that a Community Cleanup Day for city residents will take place on Saturday, Oct. 24.

The cleanup will take place from 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. in the public parking lot north of the Fifth Street boat ramp in downtown Lakeport.

This event is limited to city of Lakeport residents and those dropping off trash and waste will be required to provide photo identification and copy of a city utility bill.

New safety protocols will be in effect due to COVID-19:

– Cloth face masks must be worn.
– One person per vehicle.
– Stay in vehicle while Lakeport Disposal staff unloads materials.
– Two visits maximum per each address.

Household trash, televisions, specified appliances, electronic waste, mattresses, household furniture, unusable clothes/blankets/towels and similar materials will be accepted.

Refrigerators, hot tubs/spas, construction debris and household hazardous waste will not be accepted.

For more details please see the city’s website, its Facebook page or contact Lakeport Disposal at 707-263-6080.
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NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – Firefighters are still actively working the firelines of the August Complex while also making repairs necessary across the vast territory that it has scorched over the past two months.

The US Forest Service said the lightning-caused complex, burning since Aug. 17, was up to 1,032,264 acres and 86 percent containment on Sunday night.

It’s burning on the Mendocino, Shasta-Trinity and Six Rivers National Forests.

As containment has risen on the complex, firefighter numbers have been rolled back. By Sunday night, officials said 2,508 personnel remained assigned to all four zones.

The Forest Service said firefighters have completed the remaining line in the Eel River Canyon while helicopters were used to drop water on isolated areas of heat near the river.

Suppression repair activities, including constructing waterbars, removing dozer berms, spreading slash piles outside of dozer line where possible, using woody material that is 2 inches or less in diameter to cover line, and covering 50 percent of bare soil area with woody material are ongoing along the western side of the South Zone, officials said.

On Saturday, the Forest Service said firefighters completed one mile of handline and one and a half miles of dozer line repair in the southwest portion of the fire.

A closure order remains in effect for the fire area on the Mendocino National Forest.

Private properties accessed via a Forest System road may require a permit from the USDA Forest Service. Contact the Mendocino National Forest at 530-934-3316 for more information.

Hunting and recreation are prohibited within the August Complex South Zone Fire Area Closure area. Safety hazards in the area include unstable trees that may fall, loose rocks and boulders, burning stumps and deep ash pits.


The August Complex as mapped on Sunday, October 18, 2020. Map courtesy of the US Forest Service.

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