NORTHERN CALIFORNIA — In a unanimous and enthusiastic vote, the Yuba Community College District Board last week approved the contract with the new president of Woodland Community College.
The board took about 10 minutes to finalize the contract with Dr. Lizette Navarette at its Dec. 14 meeting.
Navarette was named the new Woodland Community College president last month following a nationwide search that Chancellor Dr. Shouan Pan said involved several months of work.
The Yuba Community College Board oversees both Yuba Community College and Woodland Community College, the latter responsible for managing the Lake County Campus in Clearlake.
“I’m so very pleased today to recommend a fabulous leader” who has given her expertise and time to serve community colleges in California for many years, Pan said of Navarette, whose most recent position was as executive vice chancellor at the California Community College Chancellor’s Office, leading the Office of Institutional Supports and Success.
Pan recommended the board approve the contract, which is for an initial term of two and a half years, from Jan. 8, 2024, to June 30, 2026.
Navarette’s annual salary will be $208,869, plus benefits, including a $500 monthly auto allowance and a phone allowance, Pan said.
“It’s my honor and pleasure to recommend her to you for approval to be our next president for Woodland Community College,” Pan said.
Trustee Jesse Ortiz said Navarette brings experience that will benefit the district. “I’m really excited to start a new chapter at Woodland Community College under Dr. Navarette’s leadership.”
Trustee Doug Harris, whose district includes Lake County — he’s also a former instructor at the Lake County Campus — said he wanted to second Ortiz’s comment.
“I think we are exceedingly fortunate to have someone with this breadth of experience and knowledge of systemwide issues and processes,” Harris said of Navarette.
Board President Susan Alves said she hopes Navarette has her running shoes on and that they’re laced up tightly.
Community members are ready to meet Navarette and it’s an exciting time for Woodland Community College, Alves said.
The board then unanimously approved Navarette’s contract.
Navarette, who was on hand for the meeting, said she was honored to be selected.
“It is a surreal moment that someone like me could become a president of a college that helps families like mine really advance,” said Navarette, a first-generation college graduate.
She said she’s excited to work with the board, Dr. Pan, colleagues, faculty, students, staff and the community to share the vision.
“With the power of partnerships I know that we will take Woodland Community College to the next level of success. More importantly, I’m just very excited to transform lives. That’s what I know this district does,” she said.
Navarette thanked the board members for their trust and confidence.
Ahead of Navarette’s contract approval, the board had its annual organizational meeting.
Guided by Dr. Pan, board members went through the process of choosing their leadership for 2024.
The board elected Trustee Susan Alves as president for the coming year, with Trustee Richard Teagarden elected vice president and Trustee Rita Andrews selected as the board clerk.
They also approved the 2024 calendar of board meetings, with Harris advocating for holding two meetings — not just one — at the Lake County Campus during the coming year.
The Lake County meetings are generally among the best attended of the year, which board members acknowledged.
At the Dec. 14 meeting, the board agreed that, in addition to the Nov. 14, 2024, meeting planned to take place at the campus in Clearlake, the board also will meet at the Lake County Campus on March 14, 2024.
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.
LAKEPORT, Calif. — The Lakeport City Council held its last regular meeting of 2023 on Tuesday night, selecting its leadership for the new year, updating the Westside Community Park master plan to allow for pickleball and approving an agreement with Behavioral Health to allow their staff to work at the police department.
The meeting began with the annual council reorganization.
“It is that time of year,” said City Clerk/Administrative Services Director Kelly Buendia, who led the council through the nominating process.
Councilmember Kim Costa nominated Mayor Pro Tem Michael Froio for mayor for 2024. With that being the only nomination, Buendia called for the vote, which was unanimous.
When it came to elect the mayor pro tem, Stacey Mattina, the outgoing mayor, nominated Brandon Disney, with Froio nominating Costa.
After separate votes for each, the council ended up selecting Costa as mayor pro tem.
Froio and Mattina then switched seats and Buendia reorganized their name plates.
Froio thanked Mattina for her leadership. “No one runs a meeting as nicely as Stacey does,” he said, leading a round of applause for her.
He also thanked those who had come for the meeting to support him, and thanked council members for selecting him mayor.
Council members then went on to approve the new cellphone policy for themselves and for city management.
That policy calls for issuing city phones for management and City Council members. “Under the proposed policy, city-issued phones are recognized as the property of the city and are designated exclusively for official city business,” Buendia’s written report explained.
“To enhance transparency and minimize potential privacy concerns, the policy prohibits the use of personal cell devices for conducting city business. This precautionary measure aims to mitigate any privacy issues that may arise in the event of a search related to city business, emphasizing the importance of using city-issued phones exclusively for official matters,” the report said.
She said the policy also “explicitly states” that city staff are not obligated to respond after regular work hours unless they are officially designated to do so during emergencies or similar circumstances.
In other business, in response to the growing popularity of pickleball, the council approved a request to accept a proposed amendment to the Westside Community Park, Phase II Master Plan to include a designated area for the future development of pickleball courts.
Dennis Rollins from the Westside Community Park Committee said a group of pickleball enthusiasts attended a committee meeting a few months ago to ask about including pickleball courts at the park. Rollins said they would be to the east of the Lions playground, and will require a grading and drainage plan.
Rollins said the committee voted unanimously to support the proposal and try to assist with fundraising for the improvements.
Costa moved to approve the proposed change to the park master plan to include pickleball, with Disney seconding and the council voting 5-0.
Also on Tuesday, Police Chief Brad Rasmussen asked for, and received, the council’s approval of a license agreement between the city and Lake County Behavioral Health for crisis staff to work out of the Lakeport Police Department station.
Rasmussen said the arrangement is meant to build relationships between the agencies and to better serve the community.
It’s part of a new collaborative effort between Behavioral Health and law enforcement, and will allow for a much faster response time for crisis staff, he said.
A high number of Behavioral Health clients have an initial contact with law enforcement, and Rasmussen said it will allow crisis workers to accompany law enforcement on welfare checks.
Rasmussen said it will complement and work in conjunction with the crisis response program the Lakeport Police Department currently has in partnership with Lake Family Resource Center.
The Board of Supervisors approved the same agreement at its Dec. 12 meeting, Rasmussen said.
City Manager Kevin Ingram said that during the town hall earlier this year held to address the issues with homelessness in the city, they had discussed a wide array of ways to address the crisis. This is part of a multipronged approach and has been on the city’s list for some time.
He said Behavioral Health Director Elise Jones spearheaded getting the agreement done.
Rasmussen said this agreement was first brought to the City Council in May of 2018. That same month, both the City Council and the Board of Supervisors approved it. For various reasons, however, it never worked like it was supposed to.
Costa moved to approve the agreement, with Mattina seconding and the council approving it 5-0.
At the end of his first meeting as mayor, Froio noted, “Stacey, you made it look so easy.”
After thanking everyone, Froio adjourned the hourlong meeting.
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.
LAKEPORT, Calif. — Sixteen years after the Lakeport City Council voted to sell the Vista Point Shopping Center to the son-in-law of the mayor, a different council voted to approve an abatement order against that same owner due to the blighted condition of the property, located at a city gateway.
Thanks to that vote earlier this month, Matt Riveras of Donica LLC has a minimum of 30 days to get started on bringing the deteriorating property up to code or face having the city take over abatement and possibly demolish the building units that can’t be retrofitted and stabilized, billing him for the cost of the work.
City Manager Kevin Ingram told Lake County News that, based on the city’s communications with Riveras following the decision, it’s unclear whether Riveras will comply.
However, Riveras told Lake County News last week that he is working now to make the needed repairs. “That hearing should never have taken place,” he said.
The council’s unanimous decision to move forward on the abatement on Tuesday, Dec. 5, came at the end of a three and a half-hour hearing that included sworn witnesses, arguments and cross-examinations.
It also follows a frustrating 16-year relationship between the city and Riveras in which city officials, as well as residents and business owners, have felt that the condition of the property has blighted Lakeport and negatively affected its ability to attract new business.
Winter is coming — indeed, is almost here — and with it comes a forecast for more heavy winter rains, a concern raised repeatedly by city officials regarding the building’s safety and further weather-related damage to it during the public nuisance abatement hearing, which took up most of the council’s regular meeting on Dec. 5.
Located at a main entry point into the city, the property has increasingly become an eyesore.
Ingram told Lake County News that Riveras has continued to want far above the market value for the property. The Retail Coach, the firm the city hired to draw retailers, has attempted to help find a buyer and developer for the property, but those attempts have fallen flat, with Ingram saying that the main impediment was Riveras wanting between $5 million and $6 million for the property. That’s currently about twice its estimated market value.
The property’s history
The shopping center is located on nine acres at 802 to 896 Lakeport Blvd., on one of the main entry points into the city of Lakeport. Built in 1981, it has 98,400 square feet of commercial and office space.
Community concerns have focused on the site for years because a large portion of it has no roof, specifically, what’s referred to as “Unit B,” which once housed a Thrifty store. That portion of the roof collapsed before Riveras’ ownership. He said during the meeting that it occurred in 2002 — not 2008 as the staff report said. The master tenant of the buildings at that time, Meridian Investments, had taken out a permit to replace the roof but eventually voided it out.
In 2007, the Lakeport City Council decided to sell the lease to the ground that it owned. At that time, the city’s mayor was Willis “Buzz” Bruns, Riveras’ father-in-law.
Riveras, who said he was invited to bid on the property, purchased it after the council voted in September 2007 to sell it to him for $1,001,000, just $1,000 higher than the only other bidder, Superior Acquisitions.
Meridian — which had held the lease on the buildings for decades — had approached the city asking to be granted an opportunity to bid but was turned down because they were past the deadline and negotiations were already underway with Riveras.
In October 2007, Donica LLC, with a principal address of Santa Rosa, was formed by Riveras, who lists himself as its managing member, for the specific purpose of owning the property, according to Secretary of State’s Office records.
The following April, Superior Acquisitions filed a lawsuit against the city and Mayor Buzz Bruns, claiming the city violated an exclusive negotiating agreement it had entered into with Superior Acquisitions in 2004 for the property. Also in 2008, Park National Bank sued Meridian as well as Donica, and Donica filed a notice of default against Meridian.
An explanation of those lawsuits can be found here. They would take years to resolve — and cost him $400,000 — and, Riveras said, as a result he didn’t have full control of the property for four years after he purchased it.
At one point, Vista Point was among the top three sites selected for the new Lakeport courthouse, but in a 2011 Lakeport City Council meeting, Richard Martin, then a Lake County Superior Court judge, said Riveras had wanted eight times the appraised value. That, and the fact that extensive demolition and drainage work would have been required for the new courthouse construction, led to the selection of the final site at 675 Lakeport Blvd.
Riveras, in his interview with Lake County News, said he had made the Judicial Council of California an offer to give them a three-acre portion of the property — a third of its overall size — with additional buildings thrown in for $3 million. He said the state was only willing to pay $1.2 million for the property.
Today he maintains that his offer made more financial sense in the long run, considering how much money the state will have to pay for undergrounding, soil work and preparation to build at its selected site at 675 Lakeport Blvd.
Hearing focuses on latest developments
For the Dec. 5 meeting, in addition to having City Attorney David Ruderman, the city contracted with another firm to handle conflict counsel. Attorney Robert Wakefield of the Jones & Mayer law firm, who offered that conflict counsel service, sat between Mayor Stacey Mattina and Councilman Kenny Parlet on the dais during the meeting.
The Dec. 5 hearing originally had been scheduled for November but was rescheduled at Riveras’ request. The week before he asked for still another continuance, citing reasons including that he said the city’s staff report didn’t present the situation accurately and that he wanted to meet with city staff.
“I believe we can work together and arrive at a better circumstance and results for the city of Lakeport,” Riveras said.
He added that his family needed him, as his mother-in-law has worsening health issues.
Ruderman, however, noting the original Nov. 7 hearing date, said the city has agreed to one continuance already, and city staff is dealing with life, health and safety with the property. “He said it was the city’s position “that this needs to be dealt with now.”
When Wakefield asked for public comment on the continuance request, District 4 Supervisor Michael Green rose from the audience to oppose it. A former Lakeport City Council member, Green said the record shows there had been ample time for negotiation over several years, and the parties were present.
The council then voted unanimously to continue the hearing, and City Clerk Kelly Buendia swore in all of the witnesses, including city staff, the city’s independent structure engineer Dan Isaacs of Kelsey Structural, Riveras and Riveras’ engineer, Josh Wallace with MKM & Associates.
Wallace, as it would turn out, agreed with many of the city’s conclusions about the structure and needed repairs.
“What we have here is a long history of a particular property, Vista Point, that I think the community is generally familiar with,” said Ruderman, who didn’t dive into the full 16 years of Riveras’ ownership but instead focused on the situation that had developed over the past 18 months. That’s where the staff's testimony focused as well.
“Staff has worked a very long time on this project and we’re looking forward to presenting our case to all of you,” said city Chief Building Official Bethany Moss.
Drawing from a staff report of more than 200 pages, Moss — who noted at one point that she had over 600 emails with Riveras — went over the numerous nuisances and code enforcement violations, explaining that in July 2022 the city gave Donica a notice to abate outlining 12 of violations, following up with a second notice two months later.
There are seven units in the building at issue. In addition to Unit B, which has not had a roof in many years, Unit A, the site of the former bowling alley, had a roof collapse following the heavy snowstorm Lakeport experienced in February.
The detached structure to the east, that houses a number of other offices — 802-868 Lakeport Blvd. — is not subject to the abatement case. The staff report states, “This particular structure is in a superior state and exhibits better overall conditions compared to the units addressed in the abatement process.”
The issues were not remedied and in January there was an in-person discussion at City Hall involving Community Development Department staff, Ingram and Riveras, who told staff he was unwilling to reconstruct the roof of a second unit that had collapsed without a tenant. Moss said city staff then proceeded to red tag the entire structure, which displaced longtime tenants like Lake Family Resource Center’s Head Start program.
In March, MKM & Associates submitted an inspection to the city on behalf of Donica, followed a month later by Kelsey Structural’s technical memo and the city allowing for Lake Family Resource Center to once again occupy the unit it has rented for 25 years at the property.
The city has wanted Riveras to improve the roof conditions, bracing of shared walls and make other key structural improvements because city staff was concerned that the building’s units could collapse like dominoes if they were further compromised. MKM & Associates, however, determined no such domino-style collapse is likely.
By June, city staff said Riveras had still not met the city’s requirements. Then in September, the property was listed on Crexi for auction. During that time, auction tours were taking place of the property, violating the city’s red tag, one of many violations of city red tags that have taken place since February, Moss said.
Sept. 11 was a turning point, Moss said. On that day, Riveras emailed the city demanding a removal of the red tag and berating her for her statements that he was not taking action and making excuses.
In that email, which is on page 140 and 141 of the council packet linked here and shown below, Riveras attacked the Lakeport community, telling Moss, “You live in an undesirable area for development. You are the building official in an area that has been plagued with no [or very few] competent workforce. Commercial buildings that cannot sell or are on the market for hundreds of days before being sold or removed. I have been dealing with this dynamic since owning this property and have hung in there for 16 years.”
Later in the email, Riveras wrote, “If you ever owned or knew someone that owned a property like this, you would understand that it is VERY painful to have vacancies. More painful to be disappointed by a lack of local talent to make repairs and excruciatingly painful to have to deal with incompetence, lack of caring, arrogance and ego of the local Municipal leadership. Please remove the red tag.”
As a result of that email, Moss said city staff concluded Riveras wasn’t going to meet the requirements in the abatement notices.
In October, city staff identified major repairs made without building permits — permits for which Riveras had still not applied by the Dec. 5 hearing, Moss said.
On Oct. 16, a second notice to abate was issued to Donica and the original hearing date was set for Nov. 7, Moss said. Still another notice was issued about the property to Donica on Oct. 31.
Days later, on Nov. 2, Moss said city staff and the Lakeport Police Department halted unpermitted work being done at the site by Ferranti Construction, which Riveras had hired. Plans to shore up the collapsed roof in Unit A was finally submitted on Nov. 7, but plans haven’t been submitted for shoring up the free-standing walls to Unit B.
City staff said Riveras has numerous tasks to do, including submitting a work plan, mold testing, plans for repairs, forensic analysis of the building structure and building permits. They also faulted him for not maintaining the building and property, where transients have broken into the building repeatedly, causing excessive damage.
As a result of all of those factors, Moss asked the council to approve the abatement of the primary structure, declare it a public nuisance and empower staff to abate it if Riveras doesn’t do it in a timely manner.
During his cross-examination of city staff, Riveras questioned the difference between a structure memo and a cursory visual report, and disagreed with Moss’ assessment of what she said was a large intrusion of water due to the roof damage throughout the structure.
Isaacs answered questions about his review of the building’s structure, finding pooling water on the roof, exposed structural components like girder supports. At one point, Riveras asked Isaacs to explain to him the difference between beams and girders.
Councilman Michael Froio, who has been in the building business since 1979 and a licensed general contractor since 1990, was concerned about mold in the units where the child care takes place, and said it should be taken much more seriously than he had heard at the hearing that Riveras was doing.
An apology to the city of Lakeport
When it came to Riveras’ turn to present his case, he said that as he sat and listened to the condemnation of the building and him, he said there was a misperception of his intentions.
“I sincerely and wholeheartedly apologize to the people of Lakeport,” including his family members who come from Lakeport, for his role in the delay of the intended dream to attract national retailers to Lakeport, Riveras said.
“There’s really not much I can defend in how the building looks at this point,” he said, adding that it’s not accurate to say nothing has been done or there hasn’t been hope for intention for the property.
Riveras said he hadn’t been invited to speak about the property with the council in 12 years. He said he hadn’t controlled it for the entire 16 years he had owned it due to a lawsuit.
He said he’s just a regular guy, who didn’t have a silver spoon or formal education.
Riveras explained that when he bought the property from the city in 2007, it was under a 50-year ground lease with a master tenant — Meridian Investments — who owned the buildings. He said he’d been sent an invitation to bid on the ground lease, which at that time had 21 years remaining on it.
He said what he purchased was a piece of paper, not a right to do something with the property. “I mortgaged a lot of my life to pull that purchase off,” said Riveras. “It was my sincere intention to do something incredible there.”
That “something incredible” included building what he called a “wine village.”
Yet within months of the purchase — he said he overpaid by $200,000, an apparent reference to a 2008 statement by the city that the property was appraised at $900,000 — he was pulled into a lawsuit involving the master tenant Meridian Investments and a bank to which the master tenant owed $2.5 million.
At that time, Riveras said there were plans for a large golf course nearby, referring to the Cristallago plan in north Lakeport. He said that led him to believe that Lakeport had some economic opportunities and he should be able to achieve something on the property by attracting retailers.
However, he said he didn’t want to go with retailers but to take another direction, in the form of the wine village and a 60- to 100-bed hotel. He said he shared a rendering with the city. However, he hadn’t been able to get developers to take the idea seriously, which he blamed on the community’s demographics.
The lawsuit lasted four years, during which Riveras said he didn’t have control of the property. Once the other parties in the suit gave up, the buildings reverted to Donica.
When that was happening in 2012, Riveras said it was very difficult to have discussions with developers and retailers. “What looks like lack of regard is a form of patience” for when the time comes for Lakeport, he said.
With new tenants coming into the former Kmart building, Riveras said it looks like retailers are considering Lakeport, so there may be opportunities in the future.
He said he had six separate letters from MKM & Associates that there was no imminent danger of collapse for most of the property’s building units.
Riveras said it was perplexing to hear what he said was the city’s continued agenda of knocking down the buildings, adding, “The graffiti in this town is very difficult to keep up with.”
When Wakefield asked Riveras to keep pace, Riveras responded, “I don’t really understand what’s happening here with this procedure and how I’m supposed to behave in accordance with it.”
Riveras insisted it’s not appropriate to demolish the buildings. He said he got an estimate in 2021 about what it would cost to demolish the former bowling alley, which was estimated at $400,000. To rebuild the same square footage would run between $8 million and $16 million, but repairing it would cost significantly less.
“I don’t understand the real agenda of the city,” Riveras said.
In his further testimony, Riveras said the city would not lift the red tag after his engineer said there was no imminent danger of collapse, which he said the city had information to know wouldn’t happen. He said he had waited until later in the year to do repairs in order to let the building dry out over the summer, then his original contractor said they couldn't do the work.
Councilwoman Kim Costa told Riveras that she appreciated he’d experienced some challenges. “I sense your sincerity in that.”
She asked if he had reviewed the codes about unsafe buildings and if he believed the definitions described his buildings. After he said “possibly,” Costa pressed Riveras, saying it was yes or no. He answered yes and also, in response to her questions, acknowledged most of the violations remained unsolved.
Froio said that, based on the email exchanges between Riveras and city staff, Riveras was insisting they lift the red tag because he said there was no mold, yet no testing had been done to confirm that.
Froio said he’s seen a lot of requests from the city to Riveras, but none of them involved demolishing the building. “The city appears to have done everything possible to get you to restore this building to its original as-built building.”
He asked Riveras if he had anything suggesting the city wants him to demolish the building. Riveras responded that other information had come to him from other parties around Lakeport.
“It’s more of a spider sense,” said Riveras.
“Is that hearsay?” Froio asked.
Riveras said yes.
Responding to Riveras’ statements about the city wanting to take his building from him or to demolish it, “I don’t feel that that’s true.”
During public comment, the council heard from Dustin Wallace, a licensed general contractor who had done an inspection of the building for Riveras but decided not to work for him. Wallace said he later contacted the city building department about his concerns about the property, including the front of the building where the child care is located.
Green, returning to the microphone, said Vista Point came up frequently during his time on the council.
“This whole shopping center is a blight upon this community and it has been for 15 years,” said Green, adding he hoped the council wouldn’t show latitude in the nuisance abatement proceedings.
He said Riveras should only be allowed to continue work on the property with the issuance of a surety bond, otherwise the abatement should proceed and the costs be assessed.
Roger Devore, owner of Skycatch Gymnastics, said he rented a unit at Vista Point from 2015 to 2021 before finally relocating. The building leaked the entire time, despite him making frequent requests to Riveras for repairs.
Devore said he’d wanted to hold a gymnastics competition there. “The only thing that I requested was that the roof not leak,” but that didn’t happen in seven years. But it didn’t stop Riveras from keeping his deposit when Devore left, he said.
Dennis Burke, a staffer with North Coast Opportunities, said the organization has two offices with 11 staffers at Vista Point. He said the homeless are continually getting into the former bowling alley building and doing damage. He said they’ve had confrontations with the same aggressive individual and staff don’t feel safe walking around the property.
Some of the most pointed criticism came from Lakeport Fire Chief Patrick Reitz, who said Riveras hasn’t conducted the required annual hydrant testing as he had claimed and the sprinkler system in Unit A is inoperable since the roof collapsed.
Reitz said Riveras’ lack of respect for process, procedure and the city’s red tags is indefensible. He said Riveras was told he needed to submit plans and permits and hasn’t done it.
“This property is a blight on this community. This is my opinion, particularly because this is a gateway property,” said Reitz.
Reitz said the community deserves better, and he asked the council to move forward to get the situation corrected and make Lakeport “more of what it should be rather than what it’s been.”
Pam Harpster, branch manager of Management Connections and a member of the Lakeport Economic Development Advisory Committee, recalled when Riveras had come to speak to the committee about his plans.
“Shame on you, really,” said Harpster, who said she appreciated his apology. “But honest to goodness, shame on you for letting this go like you have.”
Like Reitz, Harpster also asked the council to move forward with abating the property.
That’s what the council ultimately did, with Ruderman explaining that the resolution up for consideration would empower the staff to begin abatement after 30 days, but doesn’t require it to start that quickly.
Costa said she was glad to know about that latitude in timing. While she had wanted language allowing for a 60-day time frame, she said she was comfortable leaving the language as it was in the suggested motion and moving forward with the process.
“We have no interest in taking this building from you or making you demolish it or us demolish it,” Froio told Riveras.
Froio said staff has been very flexible and bent over backward and the council still feels the same way. He added that Riveras has not taken advantage of the opportunities granted to him and that if he continued that way, the city will move forward.
“We are tired of this,” Froio said.
“This has been really painful tonight. I’m sad this has gotten to this point,” said Mayor Stacey Mattina, who recalled meeting with Riveras 12 years ago and being excited about his plans.
She said the city had been hanging in there, hoping Riveras would succeed. Meanwhile, “The community has been speaking to us for years about it.”
Mattina said a lot of great things are going on in the city and Vista Point should be one of them, but it’s not right now. Still, she hoped that Riveras could pull it off and do something great.
Councilman Brandon Disney moved to adopt the nuisance resolution with Froio seconding and the council approving it unanimously. Reitz, still in the audience, clapped as he got up to leave.
Ingram told Lake County News last week that the city received an email from Riveras the day after the hearing in which “he expressed concerns about the violation of his due process rights due to the City’s decision to bring in additional legal counsel for the proceedings.” Ingram said they promptly responded to explain why they had the conflict counsel there.
Ingram said the city had received several other emails from Riveras, who had submitted some new information and which city staff was reviewing for compliance.
“One of our primary challenges in this matter continues to be Mr. Riveras’ approach to the Notice to Abate Orders, treating them as negotiable and selectively choosing which aspects to comply with. City staff has been very clear in citing references to both the Lakeport Municipal Code and applicable Building Code regulations in all our Orders, and continue to emphasize his need to comply with all stated compliance of said orders,” Ingram said.
What’s next
Riveras holds a different view of the history of the relationship with the city — he said they haven’t been responsive, and he believes they want to demolish the buildings, despite statements to the contrary at the council meeting. He also disagreed with statements from former tenants at the building.
He told Lake County News no council member had agreed to meet with him in 12 years. Councilman Froio told Lake County News he and city staff sat down with Riveras earlier this year, but the discussion didn’t lead anywhere.
Riveras emphasized that he has tried to develop the property for years but has hit every obstacle, whether it was market downturns or that his dream for the property “was just too big of a dream for people to wrap their head around.”
He also told Lake County News that he believes no one has done more for Lakeport than he has when it comes to marketing it and promoting it to retailers, but that the challenging demographics for Lake County and Lakeport have led to no results.
“It’s not like I’ve just been sitting here and doing nothing. Every attempt is rejection,” he said.
Now, he said he plans to relist the property for sale, and has at least two retail developers from Southern California coming to look at it. A third individual who had attempted to buy it at auction but didn’t follow through also is circling back.
“I’m just not the person to get this property to the next level,” he said, adding he believes there is too much bad blood with the city.
His LoopNet listing of the property continues to show the price as $5,495,000.
However, Ingram said Riveras recently had a long conversation with The Retail Coach, which is “are actively seeking to develop interest in the site now that he has reduced the minimum bid sales price down from his original $5-6 million price.”
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.
LAKEPORT, Calif. — Police have arrested two juveniles with gang connections on weapons charges.
The names of the two juveniles have not been released because of their ages.
The Lakeport Police Department reported that on Friday, Dec. 15, officers received a tip that there were images posted on a social media page of two juveniles who were posing with firearms.
The officers viewed the images and found them to be as reported. They showed the juveniles with common indicators of being associated with a criminal street gang, including specific items of clothing and displaying.
On that same day at approximately 1:42 p.m., Lakeport Police officers were dispatched to a report of shots fired at a residence in the 300 block of Armstrong Street — in a neighborhood located near the Lake County Fairgrounds — that was associated with the juveniles.
At the time of the officer’s response to this location, no additional shots were heard, police said.
Lakeport Police officers continued to investigate this case and gathered additional evidence that the two juveniles were in possession of firearms and were associated with criminal gang activity.
Officers applied for a search warrant for the address in the 300 block of Armstrong Street as well as two other addresses they were able to determine through their investigation that the juveniles commonly resided.
On Tuesday, Dec. 19, at approximately 10:45 a.m. before the service of the search warrant at the three locations, there was an additional shots fired call at the Armstrong Street address, police said.
Officers responded to the address and found one of the suspect juveniles leaving the location. This juvenile, a 16-year-old male out of Lakeport, had an unserved warrant for his arrest. The juvenile was arrested for his warrant at that time. No firearms were located on the juvenile when he was arrested, according to the police report
Police said the juvenile was subsequently transported to the Mendocino County Juvenile Hall by Lake County Probation.
At 1:30 p.m. that day, Lakeport Police officers, Lake County Sheriff’s detectives, Lake County Probation officers and investigators from the Lake County District Attorney’s Office responded to the three locations and simultaneously executed searches authorized under a warrant.
At the conclusion of the searches, police said two of the firearms the juveniles posed with in the images on social media were recovered as well as a box containing various rounds of ammunition.
One firearm was a Walther P22 .22 caliber pistol which had a laser pointer/flashlight attachment on it and the other was a .38 caliber revolver. The Walther P22 was found to be loaded at the time it was located. Police said there were also .22 caliber casings found at the location on Armstrong Street.
During the service of the search warrant, Lakeport Police officers received information that the other juvenile, a 17-year-old male, was somewhere in the Ukiah area. Officers contacted the Ukiah Police Department and briefed them on the nature of this case and the search warrant.
Lakeport Police officers also completed a probable cause declaration for the arrest of the other juvenile for a felony violation of being a minor in possession of a firearm.
At 5:30 p.m., Ukiah Police Officers located the other juvenile and placed them under arrest per the Lakeport Police officers’ probable cause declaration. The juvenile was also transported to the Mendocino County Juvenile Hall for booking.
Lakeport Police officers then completed a probable cause declaration for the 16-year-old who was arrested in Lakeport initially for the warrant for his arrest. The 16-year-old was charged with felony violations of being a minor in possession of a gun and negligent discharge of a firearm.
The Lakeport Police Department thanked its partners with the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, Lake County Probation Department, Lake County District Attorney’s Office and Ukiah Police Department for their assistance with this investigation and apprehension of the teen suspects.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Lake County Registrar of Voters Office has released the final list of candidates for county races that will be on the presidential primary election ballot, including uncontested sheriff’s and judicial races, and the races for three supervisorial seats.
The final deadline for the candidate filing period ended last week. This year, it came months earlier due to the presidential primary falling in March, not June as is the case with state primaries in other years.
The list of final candidates shows a key race — that for Lake County sheriff — as being unopposed.
This year, Lt. Lucas Bingham is the only candidate to throw his hat in the ring to be the next sheriff.
Sheriff Rob Howe, who the Board of Supervisors appointed a year ago to fill a portion of the term Brian Martin was elected before his retirement, will serve until the start of 2025. He had pledged not to run for the office and made good on that promise.
Bingham, a Lakeport resident and a longtime sheriff’s employee, also interviewed with the board to fill the sheriff's job last year.
A native of Lake County, Bingham served in the United States Air Force before returning to raise his children in the community. His entire law enforcement career has taken place in Lake County. His term will expire in January 2029.
Running unopposed for reelection this year are Lake County Superior Court judges Michael Lunas, for Department 1, and Andrew Blum, for Department 3.
Because they are running unopposed, Blum’s and Lunas’ names will not appear on the ballot, pursuant to California Elections Code section 8203(a). Instead, they will be considered elected to new six-year terms which will expire in January 2031.
One judicial seat will be contested in the coming year: Judge Shanda Harry, in her first reelection bid, will face challenger and local attorney Anna Gregorian for the Department 4 seat.
For the three supervisorial seats on the ballot, all will be contested.
For District 1, representing the south county, from Middletown up to a portion of the city of Clearlake, candidates on the ballot will be Bren Boyd, a chef and proprietor; John Hess, who serves on the Lake County Planning Commission; Sean Millerick, a small-business owner who serves as vice president of the Hidden Valley Lake Community Services District Board; rancher and business owner Helen Owen; and small business owner and winemaker Bryan Pritchard.
In the race for District 4 supervisor, which serves the greater Lakeport area, the final group of candidates are Scott Barnett, a consultant and Lakeport Planning Commission member; Laura McAndrews Sammel, chief executive officer of the Lake County Chamber of Commerce; Brad Rasmussen, chief of police for the city of Lakeport; and educator and parent, Chris Read.
For the final race, District 5, which serves the Kelseyville and Cobb areas, incumbent Jessica Pyska will be challenged by Daniel “Boone” Bridges, a business owner and builder.
The presidential primary takes place March 5.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — True to the forecast, it’s been a rainy week in Lake County, with slight chances that the rain could continue through the Christmas holiday.
The National Weather Service had predicted that a storm front over the region would keep the rain falling, which it has done over the last several days.
Rainfall totals in inches for the 72-hour period ending at 2 a.m. Thursday are as follows:
• Hidden Valley Lake: 3.09. • Indian Valley Reservoir: 2.94. • Kelseyville: 3.86. • Lake Pillsbury: 4.66. • Lower Lake: 4.50. • Lyons Valley: 4.43. • Middletown: 3.65. • Whispering Pines: 6.40.
Thursday is expected to be clear, with a chance of rain during the day on Friday.
Saturday is forecast to be clear and sunny, with slight chances of rain on Sunday and Sunday night, Christmas Eve.
On Christmas Day and again that night, and continuing into Tuesday and Wednesday the forecast calls for still more possibility of rain.
Temperatures are expected to reach into the low 60s during the day this week, dropping into the high 30s at night.
Christmas day is forecast to see daytime temperatures in the low 50s, dipping into the low 40s on Christmas night.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — As community members are celebrating the winter holidays, Lake County Health Services wants to support them in observing the season in a manner that is enjoyable and safe.
Winter respiratory virus season coincides with fall and winter holidays, and infections are currently on the rise, said Public Health Officer Dr. Noemi Doohan.
Doohan said respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, influenza and COVID-19 cause lung and respiratory symptoms, such as runny nose, sneezing and coughing. Flu-like symptoms are common, as well.
Some viral infections circulating this season, specifically enteroviruses, cause digestive (gastrointestinal) symptoms, like diarrhea.
While it is early in the season, the rate of these respiratory and GI viral infections has been similar to last year’s levels, she said.
One difference this year is that health officials do not report daily case rates from individual tests of patients experiencing COVID-19 viral infections, as was regular practice during the pandemic.
Now that the pandemic is over, and reported individual-level testing is less prevalent, data is differently tracked. For example, population level data from wastewater is monitored.
Where COVID-19-related illness is concerned, available vaccines and medicines are effective, Doohan said.
Doohan said the respiratory virus season will extend into 2024, and COVID-19 vaccines and flu shots reduce the likelihood of serious and extended illness. There is also a RSV vaccine for those who qualify (such as pregnant women and older adults).
If you become ill with COVID-19 or the flu, highly effective medicines can be obtained through a medical provider, Doohan said.
If you do not have access to a provider, or want more information regarding accessible COVID-19 treatments, California COVID-19 Test to Treat Program resources can help.
What else can you do to limit risk of serious illness and spreading infection to others?
Simple behaviors can limit spread of germs and winter respiratory and other viral infections:
• If you are sick, stay isolated at home. • Sick and unable to isolate? Wash your hands frequently and strongly consider wearing a mask. • Hosting a large gathering? Consider gathering outside, or indoor locations with good airflow (e.g. open windows or screen doors).
When we gather for the holidays, we want to spread holiday cheer and love — not viral infections.
“As your Public Health officer, it is my goal to spread infection prevention words of wisdom, so you and people around you that may be more susceptible to severe illness can have the happiest and healthiest holiday ever,” said Doohan. “Thank you for doing your part to limit the spread of seasonal and other infections. May your holidays be delightful!”
MENDOCINO NATIONAL FOREST, Calif. — Mendocino National Forest officials have issued trail closures on all National Forest System trails designated for off-highway vehicle, or OHV, use due to wet weather.
On the Grindstone District, the trail closure is in effect as of 2 p.m. on Dec. 18, per Forest Order 08-23-09.
On the Upper Lake Ranger District, the trail closure will be in effect beginning at midnight on Dec. 19, per Forest Order 08-23-10.
Temporary wet weather trail closures go into effect when two inches of rainfall occur within a 24-hour period or when the soils are saturated. The weather forecast is also showing 90-100% chance for showers through Wednesday this week.
Wet weather trail closures restrict the use of motor vehicles on National Forest System trails when conditions are too wet to sustain use without causing soil loss, impacting water quality, damaging trail tread and putting public safety at risk.
These limited duration closures will remain in place until no measurable precipitation is recorded within 48 consecutive hours.
By issuing these closures as precipitation events occur, forest managers said they provide for public safety, protect natural resources during and after storms and allow time for trails to dry out prior to resuming use.
The restrictions may be implemented anytime during fall and winter seasons through June 2024.
The following persons are exempt from this order:
1. Any federal, state, or local officer, or member of an organized rescue or fire-fighting force in the performance of an official duty.
2. Persons with Forest Service Permit No. FS-7700-48 (Permit for Use of Roads, Trails, or Areas Restricted by Regulation or Order), specifically exempting them from this Order.
Trail users can check the precipitation data online before traveling to the forest.
When closures occur, information will be posted on the forest website and social media.
The holiday season is meant to be filled with joy, connection and celebration of rituals. Many people, however, are starkly reminded of their grief this time of year and of whom – or what – they have lost.
While COVID-19-related stressors may have lessened, the grief from change and loss that so many endured during the pandemic persists. This can cause difficult emotions to resurface when they are least expected.
I developed an online program that research shows has improved their well-being. And I’ve observed firsthand how much grief and sadness can intensify during the holidays.
Those who lost a loved one during the pandemic may not have been able to practice rituals such as holding a memorial service, further delaying the grieving process. As a result, holiday traditions may feel more painful now for some. Time off from school or work can also trigger more intense feelings of grief and contribute to feelings of loneliness, isolation or depression.
Sometimes feelings of grief are so persistent and severe that they interfere with daily life. For the past several decades, researchers and clinicians have been grappling with how to clearly define and treat complicated grief that does not abate over time.
In March 2022, a new entry to describe complicated grief was added to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, or DSM, which classifies a spectrum of mental health disorders and problems to better understand people’s symptoms and experiences in order to treat them.
People with prolonged grief disorder experience intense emotions, longing for the deceased, or troublesome preoccupation with memories of their loved one. Some also find it difficult to reengage socially and may feel emotionally numb. They commonly avoid reminders of their loved one and may experience a loss of identity and feel bleak about their future. These symptoms persist nearly every day for at least a month. Prolonged grief disorder can be diagnosed at least one year after a significant loss for adults and at least six months after a loss for children.
I am no stranger to complicated grief: A close friend of mine died by suicide when I was in college, and I was one of the last people he spoke to before he ended his life. This upended my sense of predictability and control in my life and left me untangling the many existential themes that suicide loss survivors often face.
The feeling of grief and intense yearning may disrupt the neural reward systems in the brain. When bereaved individuals seek connection to their lost loved one, they are craving the chemical reward they felt before their loss when they connected with that person. These reward-seeking behaviors tend to operate on a feedback loop, functioning similar to substance addiction, and could be why some people get stuck in the despair of their grief.
One study showed an increased activation of the amygdala when showing death-related images to people who are dealing with complicated grief, compared to adults who are not grieving a loss. The amygdala, which initiates our fight or flight response for survival, is also associated with managing distress when separated from a loved one. These changes in the brain might explain the great impact prolonged grief has on someone’s life and their ability to function.
Recognizing prolonged grief disorder
Experts have developed scales to help measure symptoms of prolonged grief disorder. If you identify with some of these signs for at least one year, it may be time to reach out to a mental health professional.
Grief is not linear and doesn’t follow a timeline. It is a dynamic, evolving process that is different for everyone. There is no wrong way to grieve, so be compassionate to yourself and don’t make judgments on what you should or shouldn’t be doing.
Increasing your social supports and engaging in meaningful activities are important first steps. It is critical to address any preexisting or co-occurring mental health concerns such as anxiety, depression or post-traumatic stress.
If you are experiencing symptoms of depression for longer than a few weeks and it is affecting your everyday life, work and relationships, it may be time to talk with your primary care doctor or therapist.
A sixth stage of grief
I have found that naming the stage of grief that someone is experiencing helps diminish the power it might have over them, allowing them to mourn their loss.
But “accepting” your grief doesn’t sit well for many. That is why a sixth stage of grief, called “finding meaning,” adds another perspective. Honoring a loss by reflecting on its meaning and the weight of its impact can help people discover ways to move forward. Recognizing how one’s life and identity are different while making space for your grief during the holidays might be one way to soften the despair.
When my friend died by suicide, I found a deeper appreciation for what he brought into my life, soaking up the moments he would have enjoyed, in honor of him. After many years, I was able to find meaning by spreading mental health awareness. I spoke as an expert presenter for suicide prevention organizations, wrote about suicide loss and became certified to teach my local community how to respond to someone experiencing signs of mental health distress or crisis through Mental Health First Aid courses. Finding meaning is different for everyone, though.
Sometimes, adding a routine or holiday tradition can ease the pain and allow a new version of life, while still remembering your loved one. Take out that old recipe or visit your favorite restaurant you enjoyed together. You can choose to stay open to what life has to offer, while grieving and honoring your loss. This may offer new meaning to what – and who – is around you.
If you need emotional support or are in a mental health crisis, dial 988 or chat online with a crisis counselor.
As several areas of California face wet weather expected to continue through next week, the state is sharing multilingual resources, deploying a network of community-based organizations through the Listos California campaign and highlighting other work underway to protect at-risk communities this rainy season.
Storm season can bring unpredictable and severe weather conditions, so it’s important to stay informed, have an emergency plan in place and follow the guidance of local authorities to navigate the challenges that may arise during these weather events.
Californians can sign up for a FIVE-lesson text message course through Listos California on what to do before, during and after floods, high winds, debris flows and other storm impacts.
This course is available in English, Spanish, Hmong and Punjabi. Text “CAWINTER” to 20202 via SMS to sign up.
The state this year has more flood fighting materials prepositioned in vulnerable communities, including 2.2 million more sandbags.
The State-Federal Flood Operations Center supported pre-season emergency response coordination meetings across the state, and the Department of Water Resources has provided flood fight training to 38 cities, tribal partners, reclamation districts and agencies this year so far in 23 counties across the state.
The governor, in partnership with the Legislature, invested a total of $436 million in the most recent budget to support flood response and projects to protect communities from future flooding, including and $95 million in funding made available this fall for projects to repair levees, enhance flood diversion and recharge capacity, and support communities impacted by record flooding this year.
Here’s what else the state is doing:
• The governor signed an urgency measure to expedite critical levee upgrades and speed up construction of the Pajaro River Flood Risk Management Project, while maintaining important environmental and water quality protections. The governor previously signed legislation in 2021 and 2022 to advance funds for the project and cover up to 100 percent of non-federal costs. • DWR, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are closely coordinating to ensure the state’s reservoirs have flood space available for a second year of flood conditions while storing as much water as possible for supply later in 2024. • DWR supports forecast-informed reservoir operations (FIRO) assessments, which use improved weather and water forecasts to help reservoir operators decide when to release or hold water. • Forecasting and warning data from tools and research developed by DWR and academic partners this year help keep partner agencies and the public up to date on potential flood threats during storms and inform emergency response efforts.
A lot can go wrong in a large urban water system. Pumps malfunction. Valves break. Pipes leak. Even when the system is functioning properly, water can sit in pipes for long periods of time. Water shortages are also a growing problem in a warming world, as communities across the Southwestern U.S. and in many developing nations are discovering.
That’s why cities have started experimenting with small-scale alternatives – including wastewater recycling and localized water treatment strategies known as decentralized or distributed systems.
Almost all water has value and can be cleaned and put to use.
Nature does a great job of cleaning water naturally as it flows through the ground. The soil physically filters water, and chemical and biological processes help strip away contaminants over time.
Those processes can be mimicked by water treatment plants and filters that are becoming increasingly effective.
Traditionally, cities have relied on centralized water systems that treat freshwater from a river or aquifer at a central facility, then distribute it through a large network of pipes. But that infrastructure becomes increasingly vulnerable to disruptions as it ages. And climate change, water scarcity and population growth increase stress on the system.
So, some cities are experimenting with what are known as distributed systems. These are small-scale water treatment, reclamation and recycling plants that are designed to collect, treat and reuse water in close proximity to both the source and the user. Some are separate operations. Others are connected to the larger system in a hybrid model.
Windhoek, Namibia, a city of about 430,000 people surrounded by an arid landscape, has been treating wastewater to achieve a drinking standard and returning it to homes since 1968 for all kinds of uses, including cooking and drinking. Storm water runoff, industrial water, wastewater and even agricultural runoff can be treated and recycled with modern technology to become drinkable.
All of these approaches, whether connected to the main system or as separate closed systems, can reduce the community’s overall demand for freshwater from rivers or aquifers.
Technology is making more water more reusable
Small-scale treatment can range from advanced filters inside individual homes to treatment at tanks serving clusters of homes or commercial, industrial and agricultural facilities.
Membrane-based and electrochemical processes have shown great potential for recovering fresh water, nutrients – which can be used for fertilizer – and energy from wastewater. These processes include reverse osmosis, which pushes water through a semipermeable membrane to remove impurities, and electrodialysis, which uses an electric field.
Microbial fuel cells go a step further and use the microbes present in wastewater to both produce electricity and facilitate the treatment of wastewater simultaneously. Another energy recovery method involves capturing biogas, primarily methane, from decomposing organic matter in wastewater in the absence of oxygen.
Unlike conventional treatment technologies, which work on a large scale, these emerging treatment processes use modular designs that can be easily scaled up or down.
They can also be used to create hybrid systems by supplementing large centralized systems with treated water, particularly in arid regions where water supplies are scarce.
How a hybrid system might help Houston
To test how a hybrid system might help avoid water shortages due to disruptions to the system, my colleagues and I created a model of Houston, a city with 7,000 miles of pipelines and 2.2 million residents. We simulated the impact that different types of water outages can have on that large centralized water supply and how distributed sources could help reduce the impact.
Overall, we found that installing hybrid systems did a better job supplying water and avoiding low flows across the city than the centralized system alone, particularly in areas where low water pressure is common.
The pressurized flow from reclaimed water could also limit the spread of contamination from sources such as a terrorist attack in the vicinity of the reclaimed water source.
That doesn’t mean new water sources are risk-free, of course. Additional sources connecting to a large water system can also introduce new potential sources of contamination, so the design of the system is important.
Several factors determine how effective distributed water can be. Population and building density, local water demand, soil characteristics, climate conditions, infrastructure and the state of existing water infrastructure all play a role. Research indicates that regions with high energy demands for water distribution, significant local water requirements and the capacity to reuse wastewater stand to gain the most.
As federal funds pour in to revitalize America’s water infrastructure, U.S. communities have a golden opportunity to bolster their large water systems with a decentralized approach. Globally, with climate change fueling extreme storms and making water supplies less reliable in many areas, small-scale decentralized systems could provide water security and increase water access in areas that are underserved today.