NORTH COAST, Calif. — The Mendocino-Lake Community College District recently locked in $12.7 million of savings for local taxpayers by refinancing a portion of its existing general obligation bonds.
The district had previously taken advantage of a similar refinancing opportunity in 2015, saving taxpayers over $36.5 million.
The combined savings from both bond refinancings now totals approximately $49.2 million, which will be realized by district taxpayers in the form of lower property tax bills.
Under the leadership of the Mendocino-Lake Community College District Board of Trustees, the district administration chose to take advantage of lower interest rates to refinance bonds from its Measure W authorization without extending the term of those bonds.
The district was able to reduce the interest rates on the prior bonds from an average of 5.13% to 4.23%, reducing the community’s tax bill by a total of $12,680,680 over the life of the bond refinancing.
Prior to the bond sale, the district received a credit rating upgrade from Moody’s Investors Service.
In its credit report, Moody’s noted that the rating increase from “A1” to “Aa3” is reflective of “continued solid growth in District tax base,” “steadily improving and strong reserves,” and “prudent fiscal management.”
This high rating allowed the Mendocino-Lake Community College District to attract a broad base of investors which included banks, insurance companies and investment/asset managers.
While the district will not receive any part of the savings, the board of trustees and district administration pursued this opportunity strictly on behalf of local taxpayers as part of their continued support for district students.
“We are thankful to the residents of the Mendocino-Lake Community College District for approving Measure W in 2006," said Superintendent/President Tim Karas.
Karas said bond funds were expended in December 2014 to build the North County Center (Willits), Lake Center (Lakeport), Library/Learning Resource Center (Ukiah) and provide other much needed facility improvements.
“As prudent stewards of public finances, we took action to lower local taxpayer bills,” Karas said.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The California Highway Patrol’s Clear Lake Area office is welcoming two new officers.
Jared Wade and Zach Cornel were among 142 new officers who graduated from the CHP Academy in West Sacramento, on Feb. 4.
After 27 weeks of intense training, the group was officially sworn in.
Officers Wade and Cornell will receive on-field training with experienced officers for approximately four months and later be on their own.
Lake County is a unique area and different from large metropolitan areas, and will challenge these new officers’ skills, the CHP’s Clear Lake Area office reported.
The office’s goal is to get these new CHP Officers ready to face the challenges they will encounter on a day-to-day basis so they can provide the highest level of safety, service and security to the people of California.
Officer Jared Wade is a Lake County local. He attended Upper Lake High School graduating in 2013. He chose the CHP because he knew local officers and was advised this was a great agency to work for. He got the chance to come back to his hometown and serve the community in which he grew up.
“The CHP academy was a great experience, tough, but great,” Wade said.
Wade wants to make our roads safer, change the overall negative views of law enforcement and serve his community.
Officer Zach Cornell is from Chico. He attended Chico High School, graduating in 2010.
Officer Cornell has friends and family in law enforcement including an uncle with the CHP. He chose CHP because of the diversity of the state and places to work.
He described his stay at the CHP Academy as “Challenging, but well worth it.
Cornell wants to give back to the community, build public trust, and make roads safe for family, friends and the motoring public.
Both officers encourage anyone thinking about joining the CHP’s ranks to go online and check it out.
Visit www.chpcareers.com or contact your local CHP Office for more information.
LAKEPORT, Calif. — A judge on Tuesday put off the sentencing of a former Lakeport business owner facing prison for possession of child pornography.
Judge Shanda Harry continued the sentencing hearing of Jeffery Scott Cramer, 60, to April, said District Attorney Susan Krones.
Two weeks ago, when Cramer’s sentencing hearing had been set to take place, Harry rejected a plea agreement Krones’ office had reached with Cramer, who was arrested in May 2020 as the result of a Lake County Sheriff’s Office investigation.
Investigators said Cramer, who formerly owned Main Street Bicycles, had uploaded child pornography through social media accounts.
The District Attorney’s Office offered a plea agreement to Cramer that had him entering a no contest plea to felony possession of child pornography in exchange for dismissing a charge of bringing obscene materials that depict a minor in a sex act into the state.
The agreement would allow him to serve no prison time but instead to do up to two years of probation, along with lifetime registration as a sex offender.
Among her reasons, Harry said Cramer didn’t just have child pornography in his possession, but that he created “tribute videos” of himself masturbating to the images and then uploaded them to pornography sites.
“This was not a passive exploration of pictures,” Harry said at the time.
Cramer’s attorney, Jane Gaskell of Santa Rosa, asked for more time, explaining that the plea was based on Cramer receiving probation, not prison time.
In response, Harry continued the hearing until Tuesday afternoon.
On Tuesday, the decision was made to continue the hearing again until 3 p.m. April 4 in Harry’s courtroom.
Krones said Harry wanted to update the information in the probation report that advises her on the sentence. The defense also asked for that report to be updated.
The defense indicated on Tuesday that Cramer will not withdraw his plea, Krones said.
Krones said Cramer is still looking at a prison sentence, as Harry had indicated at the previous hearing.
She said it’s likely to be a two-year sentence, “but obviously we will not know until the sentencing.”
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.
California Governor's Office of Emergency Services
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — State officials said nearly 30% of the properties in Lake County whose owners enrolled in California's statewide Consolidated Debris Removal Program following last year's Cache fire have cleared the entire debris removal process and been returned to county officials to begin the permitting process for reconstruction.
The 24 properties returned to county officials represent 29.6% of the 81 properties in the county that are enrolled in either the full debris removal program or the hazardous trees only element of the program.
Of the 81 properties, 78 are participating in the full debris removal program. The remaining three properties are participating in the program's hazardous trees only element.
Under the program, administered by the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services, or Cal OES, and the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery, or CalRecycle, in collaboration with county officials, participating property owners incur no direct costs.
To date, state debris officials have returned 246, or 11.9%, of 2,067 properties statewide participating in the full or hazardous trees only element of the program to their respective county to begin the permitting process.
To date, state-managed crews have completed the removal of burned metal, concrete, ash, and contaminated soil generated by the 2021 wildfires from 1,243, or 72.1% of the 1,724 properties enrolled in the full debris removal program.
Earlier this month, crews finished clearing eligible wildfire debris from all 78 properties in the county participating in the full debris removal program.
Crews also finished removing eligible debris from all 19 properties in Mendocino County whose owners opted into the full debris removal program after the Hopkins fire.
Wildfire survivors had the option to either use their own contractor or enroll in the state-managed program.
Of the properties with damage from the 2021 fires, 1,724 signed up to have the remains of their homes and other structures cleared by the state.
Another 343 property owners chose to participate in the hazardous trees only element of the program.
California State Assembly Members Luz Rivas (D-San Fernando Valley) and Eduardo Garcia (D-Coachella), in partnership with Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara, formally introduced legislation on Wednesday that would be the first in the nation to create a statewide advance warning and ranking system of extreme heat waves in order to help save lives, reduce hospitalizations, and protect vulnerable communities.
State Senators Henry Stern (D-Los Angeles) and Bob Hertzberg (D-Los Angeles) are principal co-authors of this legislation.
California has experienced record-breaking heat waves in recent years that are projected to increase in frequency and severity.
In 2020, emergency room visits increased by 10 times the normal number during record-breaking heat as high as 121 degrees in Los Angeles County.
California’s 2021 heat wave broke records across the state, with Sacramento topping out at 109 degrees and the Coachella Valley having its hottest year ever with temperatures reaching 123 degrees. Temperatures climbed to near 90 degrees in Los Angeles during Super Bowl LVI, when many people are unprepared to experience high heat in mid-February.
The idea of ranking heat waves was first proposed by Commissioner Lara and the California Climate Insurance Working Group, which issued a new report in 2021 aimed at protecting Californians who are more vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.
According to the newly introduced bill, “[h]eat waves and extreme heat are responsible for more deaths than all other extreme weather events, and disproportionately impact communities of color, persons with disabilities, seniors, and low-income communities.”
“Extreme heat waves are the deadliest climate threat that California is facing today. With more heat waves forecast in the years ahead, it is essential to public health and safety that we help Californians prepare, especially our most vulnerable,” said Commissioner Lara, who was a member of the Climate Insurance Working Group. “Giving advance warning and ranking these heat waves help us confront the growing threat of extreme heat with actions that people and communities can take to stay safe and healthy.”
“California’s climate has become increasingly erratic — we must take bold action to protect our residents from climate crises like extreme heat, which has intensified in both severity and occurrence,” said Assemblywoman Luz Rivas (D-Los Angeles), chair of the Assembly Natural Resources Committee. “For years, I have elevated extreme heat policy issues because we cannot keep leaving our most vulnerable residents exposed to dangerous heat waves without proper warning or preparation. I’m excited to work with Commissioner Ricardo Lara and my colleague Eduardo Garcia, both of whom are environmental leaders and champions for Californians disproportionately suffering from the effects of rising temperatures.”
“Extreme heat is a matter of life and death in my district and throughout California. We can no longer ignore this escalating climate consequence as it jeopardizes health and safety conditions for residents,” said Assemblymember Eduardo Garcia (D-Coachella), chair of the Assembly Utilities and Energy Committee. “Assemblymember Luz Rivas, Insurance Commissioner Lara, and I are taking legislative action and enlisting support to better prepare and protect our most vulnerable communities with this first-in-the-nation, lifesaving heat ranking system.”
"When it’s 110 and above in the San Fernando Valley, it's the people with medical issues who are homebound without shade, sufficient insulation, AC, or stable power supplies that I worry most about. This legislation is needed to notify everyone of what is coming and mobilize resources to those who need it," said Senator Henry Stern (D-Los Angeles), Chair of the Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee and Joint Legislative Committee on Emergency Management.
“We are no longer in the business of climate change as a distant problem to deal with in the future, we are seeing the devastating impacts of a changed climate today, especially here in California,” said Senate Majority Leader Emeritus Bob Hertzberg (D-Van Nuys). “Extreme heat is killing Californians, disproportionately impacting communities of color and our most vulnerable. This heat ranking system is vital to protecting our state and will save countless lives.”
AB 2238 directs the California Environmental Protection Agency, or Cal EPA, to work in coordination with the California Department of Insurance and the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research, or OPR, to create and implement a statewide extreme heat ranking system.
Heat-wave ranking would include the projected health impact and meteorological data, such as maximum and minimum temperatures, as well as how long a heat wave is anticipated to persist.
The Integrated Climate Adaptation and Resiliency at OPR would undertake a communications strategy and planning guidance for local communities in consultation with a variety of local stakeholders.
This bill also directs the Department of Insurance to study the insured and uninsured costs related to past extreme heat waves in order to identify “insurance gaps” of uncovered costs and promote more effective risk communication and planning.
An early warning ranking system for heat waves would further empower local governments and communities to plan in advance and implement specific policies to reduce the impacts from the harshest heat waves, especially on vulnerable communities and those more susceptible to extreme heat.
Commissioner Lara and the authors of AB 2238 first proposed the bill last November at the international climate conference, COP 26 — the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference of Parties — in Glasgow, Scotland.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Lakeport Planning Commission is set to hold a special meeting on Wednesday during which it will elect its officers, discuss a proposal for a senior housing apartment complex and consider two applications for short-term rentals.
The commission will meet at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 16, in the council chambers at Lakeport City Hall, 225 Park St.
The council chambers will be open to the public for the meeting. In accordance with updated guidelines from the state of California and revised Cal OSHA Emergency Temporary Standards, persons who are not fully vaccinated for COVID-19 are required to wear a face covering at this meeting.
To speak on an agenda item, access the meeting remotely here; the meeting ID is 986 6166 5155. To join by phone, dial 1-669-900-9128.
Comments can be submitted by email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. To give the city clerk adequate time to print out comments for consideration at the meeting, please submit written comments before 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 16.
Please 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 are 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 before the meeting.
On Wednesday, the commission will hold its annual election of officers.
The commission also is set to consider approving a density bonus application from AMG and Associates for the Bevins Street Senior Apartments.
Community Development Director Jenni Byers’ report said the proposed project is a 40-unit senior rental apartment complex located on 3.1 acres at 447 Bevins St.
It will be located directly west of the Bella Vista senior housing complex, which AMG and Associates built, Byers reported.
Byers said the Bevins Street Senior Apartments will include a mix of 32 one-bedroom units and eight two-bedroom units, a 1,000 square foot community building with a common kitchen, exercise room, laundry facility and business center, a community garden with raised planter beds, bocce ball court and a fenced dog park. It will target seniors earning up to 30 to 60% of the area median income for Lake County.
Also on the agenda are two applications for short-term rentals.
Tea Tree LLC is seeking a use permit and a categorical exemption to allow for a short-term rental at 1950 Lakeshore Blvd.
Amber Chatwin of LNR Services also is seeking a use permit and categorical exemption to allow for a short-term rental located at 600 Esplanade.
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.
As California emerges from the Omicron surge, Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday unveiled the state’s SMARTER Plan, the next phase of California’s pandemic response.
Building on lessons learned over the past two years and the state’s ongoing commitment to equity, the SMARTER Plan will guide California’s strategic approach to managing COVID-19 while moving the state’s recovery forward.
Emphasizing continued readiness, awareness and flexibility, the Plan will ensure California can maintain its focus on communities that continue to be disproportionately impacted, and stay prepared to swiftly and effectively respond to emerging COVID-19 variants and changing conditions.
Read the California SMARTER Plan: The Next Phase of California’s COVID-19 Response here.
“As we enter the next phase of the pandemic, the state is better equipped than ever to protect Californians from COVID-19 with smart strategies that save lives and advance our ongoing recovery,” said Newsom. “Building on proven tools — rooted in science and data — that have been honed over the past two years, we’re keeping our guard up with a focus on continued readiness, awareness and flexibility to adapt to the evolving pandemic. As we have throughout the pandemic, the state will continue applying the lessons we’ve learned about the virus to keep California moving forward.”
The SMARTER Plan’s core pillars and preparedness metrics focus on lifesaving public health measures and strategies the state has successfully used to slow the spread and protect Californians.
Recognizing that each variant brings with it unique characteristics relative to the specific conditions in our neighborhoods and communities, the plan preserves needed flexibility and ensures the state has the resources and capabilities in place to tackle the COVID-19 challenges that lie ahead:
• Shots: Vaccines are the most powerful weapon against hospitalization and serious illness. Under the plan, California will maintain capacity to administer at least 200,000 vaccines per day on top of existing pharmacy and provider infrastructure. • Masks: Properly worn masks with good filtration help slow the spread of COVID-19 or other respiratory viruses. The state will maintain a stockpile of 75 million high quality masks and the capability to distribute them as needed. • Awareness: We will continue to stay aware of how COVID-19 is spreading and evolving variants, communicate clearly how people should protect themselves, and coordinate our state and local government response. California will maintain capability to promote vaccination, masking and other mitigation measures in all 58 counties and support engagement with at least 150 community-based organizations. • Readiness: COVID-19 isn’t going away and we need to be ready with the tools, resources and supplies that will allow us to quickly respond to protect public health and to keep the health care system well prepared. The state will maintain wastewater surveillance in all regions and enhance respiratory surveillance in the health care system while continuing to sequence at least 10% of positive COVID-19 test specimens. The state will also maintain the ability to add 3,000 clinical staff within 2-3 weeks of need and across various health care facility types. • Testing: Getting the right type of tests — PCR or antigen — to where they are needed most. Testing will help California minimize the spread of COVID-19. California will maintain commercial and local public health capacity statewide to perform at least 500,000 tests per day — a combination of PCR and antigen. • Education: California will continue to work to keep schools open and children safely in classrooms for in-person instruction. The state will expand by 25 percent school-based vaccination sites supported by the state to increase vaccination rates as eligibility expands. • Rx: Evolving and improving treatments will become increasingly available and critical as a tool to save lives. The state will maximize orders for the most clinically effective therapeutic available through federal partnerships, ensuring allocations of effective therapeutics are ordered within 48-hours.
The SMARTER Plan maintains the state’s focus on targeted investments and outreach to tackle COVID-19 health disparities in disproportionately impacted communities.
The plan features a new COVID-19 Assessment and Action Unit to monitor data and front line conditions in real-time.
It also includes building upon a robust, regionally-based wastewater surveillance and genome sequencing network to have early and rapid insights into the changing nature of the virus and early identification of variants.
In collaboration with external partners and the federal government, California will launch the first-in-the-nation impacts of COVID-19 longitudinal cohort study to examine the direct and indirect impacts of COVID-19 on individuals and communities over time.
Under the plan, the state is pursuing a public-private partnership with a test manufacturer to drive down the costs of at-home tests while securing a reliable and timely supply chain for California.
The state will also continue taking steps to ensure our health care facilities can continue to ramp up with additional staff and resources to respond to potential surges while minimizing strain on our health care systems.
"California is prepared to lean in on the principles that have made us successful in our COVID-19 response. Under the SMARTER Plan, we will use the significant knowledge we have gained and the tools and resources we have developed over the last two years to adapt and respond to whatever is next," said California Health and Human Services Agency Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly. "Californians should rest assured we are ready and prepared to meet any public health challenges that may lie ahead."
Since the onset of the pandemic, California has led the nation’s fight against COVID-19 with early, robust public health measures that officials said have saved tens of thousands of lives, contributing to California’s maintaining one of the lowest death rates among large states.
California’s pandemic response to date has administered more than 70 million COVID-19 vaccines; distributed more than 870 million N-95 and surgical masks; deployed more than 28,000 state supported staff to support health care facilities; and administered more than 140 million COVID-19 tests, distributed 33 million at-home COVID-19 antigen tests and established more than 7,500 testing sites statewide.
The state has also significantly closed disparities in infection and death rates in disproportionately impacted communities through equity-focused vaccination and testing outreach and culturally-competent engagement and information.
National and state leaders in the public health and health care communities are offering their support to the SMARTER Plan.
“SMARTER is just that. It’s a plan to take all that we’ve learned from the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic and use that knowledge to go forward. COVID-19 will be with us for several years to come, and having a nimble plan that can respond strategically to the twists and turns the pandemic will undoubtedly take will be invaluable for Californians,” said George W. Rutherford, MD, AM, professor of epidemiology, preventive medicine, pediatrics and history, and head of the Division of Infectious Disease and Global Epidemiology in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics School of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco.
“California leads the USA in the most important statistic: fewest deaths per capita from COVID-19 among large states. It is no accident. It takes determined leadership. The last two years have not been easy and the next stage won’t be easy either, but Governor Newsom’s new SMARTER Plan is a very big step forward,” said Larry Brilliant MD, MPH, an epidemiologist, technologist, philanthropist and author who worked with the World Health Organization from 1973 to 1976, helping to successfully eradicate smallpox.
As parents and schools seek to support students’ social and emotional needs – and teach them what they need to learn – some education leaders are missing one particularly effective opportunity.
The U.S. Department of Education has offered guidance on how to help students navigate the stress and trauma of the pandemic and readjust to in-person schooling after long periods of closed schools. But as someone who studies recess in connection with child development, I couldn’t help but notice recess was missing from the federal guidance and from many local efforts to support students as the pandemic continues to unfold.
The physical activity and social connection that take place at recess help children’s brains work and develop properly by lowering their levels of stress, regulating their nervous system and allowing them to be more engaged once back in the classroom.
Stress and the brain
The brain function of a person in a calm state is largely governed by the prefrontal cortex, which handles what are often called “executive functions” and the ability to regulate behavior and emotions. This makes it possible for people to follow instructions, use context clues to solve problems, pay attention and incorporate new information into existing knowledge. People with higher levels of executive function tend to perform better in school and feel better about themselves.
The brain function of a person under high levels of distress shifts to less advanced areas of the brain that handle more reactive behaviors. This disrupts those executive functions and can make the person withdrawn, distractible or hyperactive. All of those can interfere with the person’s ability to learn.
This stress-related shift in brain function can also affect students’ motivation. Chronic, prolonged and unpredictable stress inhibits the release of dopamine, a brain chemical that helps people feel a sense of pleasure and reward during learning. In this state, learning challenges are likely to be perceived as threats, which will continue to activate more reactive brain regions and more deeply hurt the person’s ability to learn.
Research clearly shows the benefits of recess for children. Consistent, predictable recess time – even more than once a day – helps children reduce stress, form social connections at school and get their brains more ready to learn.
The Newsom Administration announced Tuesday that six California sites have been identified and leases have been signed to allow for the storage of shipping containers on state property to help alleviate congestion at California ports.
The effort is the result of Executive Order N-19-21, which aims to strengthen the resilience of California’s and the nation’s supply chains.
“California has taken swift action to keep goods moving at the state’s ports, leveraging our strategic partnerships to develop multifaceted solutions, including securing additional storage space for thousands of shipping containers,” said Gov. Newsom. “These efforts are a vital investment to help meet the needs of not only Californians, but our entire nation, and we’ll continue advancing innovative solutions to address this global challenge.”
Chunker, the national warehouse marketplace, has leased the six sites from the state Department of General Services for one year, with an option for a second year. The sites include three armories (in Lancaster, Palmdale, and Stockton), a former prison site (Deuel Vocational Institute in Tracy), and two fairground sites (San Joaquin County and Antelope Valley Fairgrounds). Chunker will coordinate between California ports, shipping/trucking companies, and cargo owners to help move containers and free up needed space elsewhere.
“The unprecedented challenges we face to resolve supply chain issues require action, and today’s announcement is just one of the many ways the Administration is working to ease congestion to help keep goods moving,” said Yolanda Richardson, Secretary of California’s Government Operations Agency.
Department of General Services Director Ana M. Lasso said her department is continuing to build on partnerships to ease supply chain issues.
“California is on top of prioritizing the storage needs that have slowed distribution at ports on our coast,” she said.
Since the Governor signed Executive Order N-19-21 in October, notable actions have included:
A strategic partnership between the California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA) and the U.S. Department of Transportation for up to $5 billion in loan financing to advance a comprehensive, statewide portfolio of freight, goods movement and supply chain resiliency projects.
Issuing temporary permits allowing trucks to carry increased loads on state highway and interstate routes between the ports of Los Angeles, Long Beach, and other statewide ports to expedite transport of international commerce between ports and distribution centers. Doubling the Department of Motor Vehicles’ capacity to conduct commercial driving tests to address the national shortage of workers in the industry.
Securing a 22-acre pop-up site, in partnership with the California Department of Food and Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, located at the Port of Oakland to assist agricultural exporters in storing products and getting them onto containers. This site is expected to be operational on March 1.
“The ongoing supply chain crisis requires an all hands-on-deck approach, as we work with our partners to meet the needs of California’s families and businesses,” said Dee Dee Myers, director of the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development. “By creating additional storage space for shipping containers, we can relieve some of the congestion at our ports, keep our imports and exports flowing and strengthen our economy.”
In addition, the Governor’s California Blueprint proposes $2.3 billion for supply chain investments next fiscal year, including $1.2 billion for port, freight, and goods movement infrastructure and $1.2 billion for other related areas such as workforce training and zero-emission vehicle equipment and infrastructure related to the supply chain.
This funding would improve supply chain resiliency and be used to leverage federal funding.
The state also worked with the Biden-Harris administration to implement a new 24/7 environment across the supply chain, to improve collaboration, and to explore policies to remove obstacles and improve the movement of goods.
“Container storage is a major component of the congestion at the ports as well as a part of the nationwide supply chain crisis,” said Brad Wright, CEO of Chunker. “We are thrilled to partner with Governor Newsom and the state of California to create a solution that will have a major impact on the problem. Having access to the state property will allow us to store 20,000 containers or more, which will free up a significant amount of space at the ports.”
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Following a recruitment process that has lasted close to a year, the Board of Supervisors this week voted unanimously to hire a new Public Health officer.
The Board of Supervisors emerged from a Tuesday morning closed session to vote unanimously to appoint Dr. Erik McLaughlin to the post.
McLaughlin, who now lives in Las Vegas, said he is very excited to join Lake County’s team and take care of the county’s citizens.
He will serve at 80% time and will be on the third salary step, officials said.
A specific date for when he will begin the job was not given Tuesday.
Officials indicated it’s dependent on him receiving state Medical Board licensure.
The Medical Board of California so far does not show a license for McLaughlin in its online records system.
The Nevada State Board of Medical Examiners’ online record for a Dr. Erik McLaughlin of Las Vegas shows that he has a specialty in family medicine.
He received his medical degree in November 2005 from Saint Christopher’s College of Medicine in Dakar, Senegal, a school that is not included in a list of approved institutions by the Medical Board of California.
His postgraduate training, a residency in family medicine, took place from June 2006 to June 2009 at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, Illinois.
The county has been seeking a new Public Health officer since Dr. Gary Pace announced he was stepping down exactly one year ago.
Pace has since returned to private practice in Sonoma County, although he has continued to offer part-time public health officer duties under contract with Lake County.
Another Sonoma County physician, Dr. Charlie Evans, has provided public health officer-related support to the county over the past year as well.
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. — The Lakeport City Council on Tuesday evening got an update from the city manager on the progress to develop the new Lakefront Park.
The seven-acre park, at 800 and 810 N. Main St., is located on the former Natural High School property.
It is being funded primarily by a $5.9 million grant from the state’s 2018 Parks and Water Bond, also known as Proposition 68, which the city received in April 2020.
In November 2020, the council approved an additional $1,006,906 in funding for the project, which included $201,336 in one-time funding to the city through the California Parks and Recreation Prop 68 Per Capita allocation and the use of $805,570 from the city’s general fund reserve.
Ingram said the funding covers amenities including the promenade lakefront path, basketball court, ninja gym, amphitheater, splash pad, skate park, multiuse lawn area, large sheltered picnic area, bathroom/concession building, public art, parking lot, landscaping and lighting throughout park and a dedicated area for a future boathouse.
“We are nearing the completion of a very large milestone in this project,” Ingram said.
That milestone is that the city and SSA Landscape Architects — the firm it hired for the planning, design, engineering and project management of the park project — are finishing the 100% engineering plans and putting together the construction bid package.
Ingram said the staff expects to put the project out for construction bids in March, with physical construction anticipated to begin in May.
If it follows that schedule, Ingram said the park could be open to the public in the fall.
He said city staff has been working on removal of trees, demolition of small structures and construction of a small footbridge, which will be part of a continuous walkway that covers a third of a mile along the shoreline, from Library Park to Lakefront Park.
Because many park amenities require a long lead time, Ingram said a restroom facility has been ordered, along with gym and other equipment. Some notable park amenities, including the splash pad and skate park, require specialty contractors.
Ingram said the project budget also includes a set aside for inclusion of public art, with an emphasis on interactive art.
He said the park remains consistent with the adopted community vision. “We’re very excited to keep moving this forward.”
Mayor Stacey Mattina said people have been asking her about the demolition of the old Natural High Building.
Ingram said that’s not part of the park plan. Early on, that was removed, as were park amenities on the waterfront, in order to comply with the project's very ambitious timeline.
In August, the council approved declaring the 0.51-acre property that includes a building that was the old Natural High School, and which sits next to the Dutch Harbor site, as surplus for the purpose of potentially selling it to a developer for a hotel project.
Ingram said they do need to remove the building and would like to find a developer who would do it for the city as part of a separate project.
Councilman Michael Froio asked about landscaping, lighting and security.
Ingram said the park will be compliant with new state landscaping rules, that lighting is in place and that they are holding off until the park is constructed to look at the city’s entire parklands when considering where to place security cameras.
Zachary Ray, a member of the Scotts Valley Pomo and executive director for the California Tribal TANF Partnership, asked if there was any consideration to honor the area’s tribal peoples.
Ingram said the city has been in close contact with Scotts Valley about a native plant garden, the incorporation of interpretive panels along the waterfront and the environmental document calls for a tribal monitor to be on site during the work.
Councilman Michael Green asked if Ray was requesting the park be named in honor of the local tribes. Ray said yes, and that he could talk to his tribal council about that.
Green said it would be appropriate to pursue that request through a government to government consultation, with Ray responding that the tribal consultation process would be appreciated.
In other business, the council received a brief update from the All Children Thrive Youth Governance Council, held public hearings on Community Development Block Grant funding and changes to municipal code regarding skating and skateboarding in any skate park, parklands and the downtown district, voted to adopt a resolution to oppose Initiative 21-0042A1, The Taxpayer Protection and Government Accountability Act, and voted to approve resolutions naming the new playground structure to be located at Westside Park’s phase two the “Lakeport Lions Legacy Playground” and naming the futsal pitch in memory of the late political activist Marla Ruzicka.
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. — The Clearlake City Council this week will consider extending a consulting agreement relating to development of the former Pearce Field airport property as a commercial center and discuss taking action against a voter initiative that is expected to have damaging effects on local governments.
The council will meet at 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 17, in the council chambers at Clearlake City Hall, 14050 Olympic Drive.
Comments and questions can be submitted in writing for City Council consideration by sending them to City Clerk Melissa Swanson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
To give the council adequate time to review your questions and comments, please submit your written comments before 4 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 17.
Each public comment emailed to the city clerk will be read aloud by the mayor or a member of staff for up to three minutes or will be displayed on a screen. Public comment emails and town hall public comment submissions that are received after the beginning of the meeting will not be included in the record.
On Thursday, the council will consider amending the consulting agreement between the city and Margetich/Sutter Equities for services related to the development at the city’s former airport property.
Staff is asking for an additional 60 days on the contract, through April 30, at a cost of $10,000 per month.
City Manager Alan Flora’s written report to the council explains, “The agreement creates a partnership that will hopefully lead toward a master development agreement of the entire property, but at this time focuses on determining retail interests and coordinating project planning efforts.”
He said the intent is to execute a purchase and sale agreement or option agreement by April 30.
“Based on the history of lack of action from developers on this site/project the City is taking a bit of a phased approach to determine ability, interest, and determination from a development partner. This type of agreement allows us to develop a relationship and trust prior to tying up the land. We are pleased with how things are progressing and recommend the Council authorize extending the agreement another 60-days, through April 30th,” Flora wrote.
In other business, the council will discuss possible action regarding Voter Initiative No. 21-0042A1, the Taxpayer Protection and Government Accountability Act, which would amend the State Constitution to change the rules for how the state and local governments can impose taxes, fees and other charges, according to the Legislative Analyst’s Office.
The Legislative Analyst’s Office said the measure “would lower annual state and local revenues, potentially substantially lower, depending on future actions of the Legislature, local governing bodies, voters, and the courts.”
The city staff report said the initiative is backed by major corporations and would have “far-reaching and yet undefined impacts to how local government, including the City of Clearlake functions,” including imperiling infrastructure funding measures and would make it difficult for the city to charge development fees.
Also on Thursday, the council will consider selling a vacant parcel at 3578 Redwood St. for $8,000, meet one of February’s adoptable dogs, and present proclamations declaring February as Black History Month and Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month.
On the meeting's consent agenda — items that are not considered controversial and are usually adopted on a single vote — are warrants; continuation of the declaration of local emergency Issued on Aug. 23, 2021, and ratified by council action on Sept. 16, 2021; continuation of declaration of local emergency issued on Aug. 18, 2021, and ratified by council action on Aug. 19, 2021; continuation of declaration of local emergency Issued on March 14, 2020, and ratified by council action on March 19, 2020; continuation of authorization to Implement and utilize teleconference accessibility to conduct public meetings pursuant to Assembly Bill 361; and minutes of the January 2022 meetings.
After the public portion of the meeting, the council will meet in closed session to discuss litigation against the county of Lake and Treasurer-Tax Collector Barbara Ringen and a case involving Alondra Rodriguez’s suit against the city.
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.