LAKEPORT, Calif. – The work to finalize the cleanup of the property destroyed in the Sulphur fire is nearly complete, according to a report given to the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday.
Among its items of business on Tuesday, the Board of Supervisors approved the continuation of proclamation of a local emergency due to the Sulphur fire.
During the Tuesday morning meeting, Lake County Health Services Department staff were joined by representatives from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the US Army Corps of Engineers to update the board on the Sulphur fire debris cleanup project.
“All the properties have been cleaned of debris,” said Lake County Environmental Health Director Jesse Kang.
He said 91 properties were cleared of toxic materials and three properties in the city of Clearlake are being abated. The timeline for having those properties abated wasn’t known on Tuesday.
Col. Eric McFadden, South Pacific Division deputy commander of the US Army Corps of Engineers – which is responsible for the debris cleanup for the Sulphur fire – was on hand to give the board a report.
He said more than 55,000 tons of debris and 155 parcels have been cleaned in less than two and a half months, which “is no small feat.”
Of those, 103 parcels have been cleared for rebuilding. McFadden said soil sampling and rescrapes to remove materials are going on as needed.
He called the cleanup a huge milestone, and one which required citizen involvement.
McFadden said the Army Corps is continuing to work with property owners on unresolved issues. He asked that if people still have issues, that they call the agency.
“We’re very proud to be able to help Lake County through this process,” he said.
The board also heard from FEMA that more than $650,000 has been disbursed to survivors, with about 520 applicants seeking the funding.
The Small Business Administration has approved $540,000 in home and biz loans. Regarding temporary housing, they have seven requests for housing and of those five have been housed.
Supervisor Jeff Smith – who lost his Clearlake home in the Sulphur fire – lauded the US Army Corps for its work and said they handled his property well.
While there were some bumps in the road, “To have it all cleaned up the way it is today is unbelievable in a short period of time,” he said.
Health Services Director Denise Pomeroy said staff was reluctant to pull the Sulphur fire’s emergency proclamation until the last three properties are abated.
The board also continued proclamations of declarations of local emergencies due to the Rocky, Jerusalem, Valley and Clayton fires, and the atmospheric river storm.
County staffer Marcy Harrison gave the board the latest information on the Valley Fire Debris Insurance Collection Project.
Harrison said that so far $5,558,000 has been collected for the project, which is collecting payments from property owners who participated in the state-led Valley cleanup and who had insurance coverage for debris removal. The funds are not being kept by the county but will be paid to the state. Those who didn’t have insurance coverage are not required to pay.
Altogether, there have been 376 payments made, and 25 of them since last month, for a total of $405,000, said Harrison.
They also are working to get certification of noncoverage from about 75 property owners, she said.
About 10 property owners have asked for a payment schedule to pay for the debris collection. Harrison said the board approved giving impacted property owners who need more time to pay up to two years.
A main item of business on Tuesday was a public hearing to consider extending Ordinance No. 3070, an urgency ordinance allowing temporary and limited registration of certain commercial cannabis cultivation licenses with the state.
While the board approved the extension to allow cannabis growers to go through the state licensing process while the county’s commercial cannabis ordinance is finalized, supervisors heard from a number of growers who expressed their frustration at a county process they found confusing and conflicting with the state’s process.
In other business on Tuesday, the board approved an amended agreement between the county of Lake and North Coast Opportunities for Valley fire and Sulphur fire survivor stable housing assistance, held a public hearing on a resolution amending the master fee schedule for departmental services rendered by the county, considered the Section 8 Administrative Plan for Fiscal Years 17/18 and 18/19 and approved the civil rights certification for Housing and Urban Development.
The board also held an initial discussion on a proposal to require cell tower lessees to provide reciprocity for all cell carriers utilizing county cell towers in order to enhance the local emergency notification system.
The supervisors reappointed Jim Burton, Denise Loustalot and Heather McFadden to the East Region 3 Town Hall, and Karen Graf to the Lower Lake Cemetery District and appointed two new members, Carla Ritz and Tara Walsh, to the Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health board.
The board also approved resolutions establishing alternate office hours for the offices of the Assessor-Recorder from Jan. 1 through Dec. 31 and for the Treasurer-Tax Collector for the period from Jan. 1 through June 30.
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Officials give Board of Supervisors update on Sulphur fire cleanup status
- Elizabeth Larson
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