LOWER LAKE, Calif. — The Lower Lake Community Action Group will help kick off the summer season in Lake County with its annual Lower Lake Daze Parade and Street Fair on Sunday, May 29.
The event will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in downtown Lower Lake.
The parade will take place beginning at 11 a.m., starting on Winchester Street and winding its way down Main Street.
There also will be live entertainment. Howard Reggie Dockens will perform an eclectic mix of funk, rock, jazz, R&B and hip hop from noon to 2 p.m.
Lilly Lauwers will be the Lower Lake Daze Princess, and will ride in a horse drawn carriage down Main Street.
There also will be more than 60 vendors lining Main Street with arts, crafts and food.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Lake County Planning Commission will meet this week to hold public hearings on several proposed projects, including a cell tower, a business seeking to receive permitting for special events and the county’s intended sale of the former juvenile hall for use as a homeless shelter.
The meeting will begin at 9 a.m. Thursday, May 26, in the board chambers on the first floor of the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport.
To participate in real-time, join the Zoom meeting by clicking this link.
The webinar ID is 937 8227 4389, the pass code is 943164.
Access the meeting via one tap mobile at +16699006833,,93782274389#,,,,*943164# or dial in at 669-900-6833.
The meeting also can be viewed on the county’s website or Facebook page.
At 9:10 a.m., the commission will hold a public hearing to discuss a project proposed by New Cingular Wireless PCS — doing business as AT&T Mobility — for a 150-foot tall lattice cell tower and support equipment within a 40-foot by 45-foot enclosed lease area at 16200 E. Highway 20 in Clearlake Oaks.
At 9:15 a.m., the commission will hold a public hearing to consider a major use permit and category exemption for Ripe Choice Farm, owned by Mark and Tammy Lipps.
The Lippses are proposing to convert a portion of their five-plus acre property — which has an old farmhouse and remodeled barn — to accommodate between one and two events per month for up to eight months per year.
The proposal faces opposition from a neighbor who has raised concerns relating to the protection of prime farmland and an existing wildlife conservation easement.
Scheduled for 9:25 a.m. is a public hearing on consideration of general plan of conformity for the former county juvenile hall at 1111 Whalen Way in Lakeport. Elijah House Foundation is proposing to purchase the property for use as a homeless shelter.
Government code requires that prior to the disposal of land, the county must report the location, purpose, and extent of any proposed sale of county property to determine the conformity with the adopted general plan.
The full agenda follows.
AGENDA
Consideration of the adoption of Assembly Bill 361 findings authorizing teleconference meetings during a state of emergency.
Approval of minutes from the May 12 Planning Commission meeting.
9:05 a.m.: Public hearing on consideration of major use permit extension (UPX 22 90-1), for a billboard originally approved through major use permit (UP 93-31), and consider categorical exemption (CE 22-28), per CEQA* section 15301. The applicant, Trudy Lamonica (Lamonica Signs), is proposing a five-year extension for an existing billboard. The project is evaluated for being in accordance with Lake County General Plan, the Lakeport Area Plan, and the Lake County Zoning Ordinance Article 45, Part 45.22, Signs and Billboards; Article 20, C3 Service Commercial Zone; Article 60, Expiration, Revocation, or Modification of Permits and Reapplication, Part 60.1(b) and (c); 51.4, major use permits — required findings for approval. The project is located at 2595 S. Main St., Lakeport; and further described as APN: 005-053-20.
9:10 a.m. Public hearing on consideration of major use permit UP 22-09 and that a determination has been made that this project required a mitigated negative declaration to consider the adoption of an initial study IS 22-11. The applicant, New Cingular Wireless PCS, DBA AT&T Mobility — to consider allowing a 150’ tall lattice cell tower and support equipment within a 40-foot by 45-foot’ enclosed lease area. The proposed project is located at 16200 E. Highway 20, Clearlake Oaks, CA; APN: 010-020-29, and further described as APN: 010-020-29.
9:15 a.m. Public hearing on consideration of major use permit (UP 22-13) and to consider categorical exemption (CE 22-22), per CEQA section 15303(c). The applicant, Ripe Choice Farm (Mark and Tammy Lipps) is proposing to convert a portion of a five-plus acre lot to accommodate special events. The property contains a 116-year-old farmhouse, and a 100-year-old barn that has been recently remodeled. The buildings are not on a historic registry. The application material submitted states that there will be between 1 and 2 events per month for up to eight months per year; that the site can accommodate up to 75 cars and the events could have up to 100 people attending. The application states that there may be amplified music inside the barn for some events, and that the farmhouse, which contains a commercial kitchen, can supply food for the events (cater the events). The project is evaluated for being in accordance with the Lake County General Plan, the Lakeport Area Plan, and the Lake County Zoning Ordinance Article 5, Agriculture Zoning District; Article 51.4.
9:20 a.m. Public hearing on consideration of major use permit UP 19-19 and adoption of an initial study (IS 20-15) to satisfy the California Environmental Quality Act requirements related to potential environmental impacts The applicant, Mombacho Mountain Organics LLC (Dan Westphal and Kathy Mcguire) to allow a major use permit for one (1) A-type 3: “Outdoor” license: Outdoor cultivation for adult use cannabis without the use of light deprivation and/or artificial lighting in the canopy area at any point in time from 10,001 square feet to one acre, inclusive, of total canopy size per license on one premise; and a type 13 “distributor transport only, self-transport distribution” license: The transport of cannabis goods between entities licensed pursuant to California Code. The project is located at 9205 Mombacho Road, Kelseyville, and 9261 Wildcat Road, Kelseyville; further described as Assessor Parcel Numbers: 011-044-17 and 011-044-18.
9:25 a.m.: Public hearing on consideration of general plan of conformity (GPC 22-05) for a property zoned “O-SC-FF-WW,” Open Space — Scenic Combining — Floodway Fringe — Waterway. The Government Code Section 65402(b) requires that prior to the disposal of land, the county must report the location, purpose, and extent of any proposed sale of county property to determine the conformity with the adopted general plan. The purpose of the conformity would be to allow the accommodation of a homeless shelter. The project at 1111 Whalen Way, Lakeport, further described as Assessor Parcel Number: 004-029-41.
9:30 a.m.: Continued from May 12, public hearing on consideration of major use permit (UP 19-44) and a mitigated negative declaration (IS 19-63). The applicant, Auto Canna LLC (Auto Canna), is proposing four (4) A-Type 3: “Outdoor” license: Outdoor cultivation for adult use cannabis without the use of light deprivation and/or artificial lighting in the canopy area at any point in time from 10,001 square feet to one acre, inclusive, of total canopy size per license on one premise; and a type 13 “distributor transport only, self-transport distribution” license: The transport of cannabis goods between entities licensed pursuant to California Code. The project is located at 21258 Morgan Valley Road, Lower Lake; Assessor Parcel Numbers: 012-069-57.
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.
CLEARLAKE, Calif. — On Friday, May 27, Lake County Campus of Woodland Community College will hold commencement ceremonies on the campus lawn located at 15880 Dam Road Extension in Clearlake.
The commencement ceremony will start at 6 p.m.
Students who have earned certificates of achievement will be recognized for their accomplishments as well as students who have earned an associate in arts or associate in science degree this 2022.
Alumni graduates of 2020 and 2021 will be recognized for their accomplishments at the commencement ceremony hosted by the Dean, Dr. Cirilo Cortez.
Douglas Harris, trustee of the Yuba Community College District, will confer the degrees.
The keynote speaker will be Christine Davis and our two student speakers are Haley Campfield and Callie Lambert of Clearlake.
The students graduating with certificates and associate degrees are as follows.
Beale Air Force Base
Virginia Anne Ramsey, Associates of Science, Drinking Water and Wastewater Technology
Clearlake
Gil Aceves — Associates in Arts, Psychology Laura Alanis — Associates in Science, Pre-Health Occupations Yadira Bravo — Associate in Science for Transfer, Business Administration Zoe Brown — Certificate of Achievement, CSU (California State University) General Education Breadth Haley Campfield — Associates in Arts, Social and Behavioral Sciences Erika Dyson — Associates in Science, Business Management Brandon Emery — Associates in Arts, Social and Behavioral Sciences Tiara Fricano — Associates in Arts, Social and Behavioral Sciences Yesenia Garcia Trinidad — Associates in Science, Pre-Health Occupations Nicole Gentry — Associates in Science, Pre-Health Occupations Michael Graves — Certificate of Achievement, Drinking Water and Wastewater Technology Rick Hammond — Certificate of Achievement, Chemical Dependency Counselor Mary Heptinstall — Associates in Science, Early Childhood Education Steven Hughes — Certificate of Achievement, Drinking Water and Wastewater Technology Hannah Jensen — Associates in Arts, Arts and Humanities Kurt Jensen — Associates in Science, Drinking Water and Wastewater Technology Cynthia Jimenez — Certificate of Achievement, Child Development Teacher Cal Kranzler — Certificate of Achievement, Drinking Water and Wastewater Technology Callie Lambert — Associates in Science, Early Childhood Education Emily Larson — Certificate of Achievement, Child Development Associate Teacher Sibilla McIntyre — Associates in Science, General Education: Natural Science and Math Justine Merrill — Associates in Science, Accounting Jacob Newcomb — Associates in Science for Transfer, Law Enforcement Crystal Niderost — Associates in Arts, Social and Behavioral Sciences Starleeta Pacheco — Associates in Science, Accounting Richard Rodriguez — Associates in Arts, Culinary Arts Dominic Sabala — Associates in Arts, Culinary Arts Karen Santana — Associates in Arts for Transfer, Psychology John Sheridan — Associate in Science, Human Services Chemical Dependency Counseling Angela Tamagni — Associates in Science for Transfer, Business Administration Abby Tuso — Associates in Arts, Social and Behavioral Sciences
Clearlake Oaks
Elias Bauer — Certificate of Achievement, Baking Kaleena Budwell — Associates in Science, Pre-Health Occupations Chris Kirkwood — Associates in Arts, Culinary Arts Heather Sentz — Associates in Science, Accounting Briana Waldenburg — Associates in Science, Human Services
Finley
Ignacio Gutierrez — Certificate of Achievement, Drinking Water and Wastewater Technology
Hidden Valley Lake
Lucas Auzenne — Associates in Science for Transfer, Law Enforcement Yvonne Cronin — Associates in Science for Transfer, Business Administration Katherine Maccario — Associates in Science for Transfer, Early Childhood Education Jennifer Stephens — Associates in Arts for Transfer, Psychology Maitea Williams — Associates in Arts, Social and Behavioral Sciences
Kelseyville
Christopher Beverly-Polk — Associates in Arts, Social and Behavioral Sciences Makayla Davidson — Associates in Arts, Arts and Humanities Michela Wilson — Certificate of Achievement, Baking
Lower Lake
Emily Austin — Certificate of Achievement, Child Development Associate Teacher Laura-Jean Bevan — Associates in Science for Transfer, Business Administration Jennifer Lark — Associates in Science, Human Services Mira Porsley — Associates in Science for Transfer, Early Childhood Education Fabiola Cordova — Associates in Arts for Transfer, Sociology
Lucerne
Salina Benitez — Associates in Arts, Culinary Arts
Middletown
Riley Barker — Associates in Arts, Social and Behavioral Sciences
Paramount
Jesus Ramirez-Zambrano — Certificate of Achievement, Drinking Water and Wastewater Technology
Family and friends are welcome to join the administration, faculty, and staff to celebrate the students’ accomplishments.
For more information, contact the campus at 707-995-7900 or visit LCC.yccd.edu.
In response to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s March 28 executive order the State Water Resources Control Board on Tuesday adopted an emergency water conservation regulation that will ensure more aggressive conservation by local water agencies across the state.
“California is facing a drought crisis and every local water agency and Californian needs to step up on conservation efforts. I am hopeful the measures enacted by the State Water Board will lead to a reduction of water use across the state. These conservation measures are increasingly important as we enter the summer months. I’m asking all Californians to step up, because every single drop counts,” Newsom said.
The new regulation bans irrigating turf at commercial, industrial and institutional properties, such as grass in front of or next to large industrial or commercial buildings.
The ban does not include watering turf that is used for recreation or other community purposes, water used at residences or water to maintain trees.
The regulation also requires all urban water suppliers to implement conservation actions under level two of their water shortage contingency plans.
In March 2022, the state’s urban retail water suppliers reported average water use statewide that was nearly 19% greater than in March 2020, lowering the state’s cumulative water savings since July 2021 to 3.7%.
On Monday, Gov. Newsom convened leaders from the state’s largest urban water suppliers imploring them to take more aggressive action to combat drought.
“The severity of this drought requires all Californians to save water in every possible way,” said Joaquin Esquivel, chair of the State Water Board. “The regulation compels water systems and local authorities to implement a range of additional critical conservation measures as we enter the hot and dry summer months.”
Level two water shortage contingency plans are meant to address up to a 20% shortage of water supplies. In addition to implementing level two actions, the regulation requires urban water suppliers to fast-track supply and demand assessments to plan for potential extended dry conditions.
Level two actions often include things such as:
• Limiting outdoor irrigation to certain days or hours; • Increasing patrolling to identify water waste; • Enforcing water-use prohibitions; • Increasing communication about the importance of water conservation.
Some water suppliers already have imposed strong new restrictions on customers’ water use in accordance with their drought management plans.
However, about half of the state’s 436 water suppliers (both urban water retailers and wholesalers) have not yet activated level two, and 36 have not submitted drought plans.
The emergency regulation will require suppliers without drought plans to take certain conservation actions, such as conducting outreach to customers about conservation, restricting outdoor irrigation to two days a week and enforcing against wasteful water practices.
The approved regulation will be submitted to the Office of Administrative Law, or OAL, for approval, which typically occurs within 10 calendar days.
The ban on non-functional turf becomes effective upon OAL approval and the level two requirements for urban water suppliers are proposed to take effect on June 10, 2022.
The regulation will give suppliers new options to reduce water waste if they choose to use them. A violation of the non-functional turf irrigation provision, for example, would be an infraction and subject to a fine of up to $500.
People who see water waste should report it at www.savewater.ca.gov .
The State Water Board’s mission is to preserve, enhance and restore the quality of California’s water resources and drinking water for the protection of the environment, public health and all beneficial uses, and to ensure proper allocation and efficient use for present and future generations.
On Monday, Gov. Gavin Newsom convened leaders from the state’s largest urban water suppliers, which cover two-thirds of Californians, and water associations imploring them to take more aggressive actions to combat drought and better engage their customers to ensure all Californians are doing their part to save water.
After the last drought, local water agencies pushed for greater flexibility on water conservation and drought response based on regional needs and water supplies, arguing that tailored local approaches would be more effective than statewide mandates.
Gov. Newsom has embraced this localized approach, but voiced concerns on Monday given recent conservation levels around the state, and called on water agencies to step up efforts to reduce water use amid extreme drought conditions.
Newsom warned that if this localized approach to conservation does not result in a significant reduction in water use statewide this summer, the state could be forced to enact mandatory restrictions.
The governor will reconvene these same agencies in the next two months to provide an update on their progress.
“Every water agency across the state needs to take more aggressive actions to communicate about the drought emergency and implement conservation measures,” said Newsom. “Californians made significant changes since the last drought but we have seen an uptick in water use, especially as we enter the summer months. We all have to be more thoughtful about how to make every drop count.”
The governor also called upon local water agencies to submit water use data more frequently and increase transparency in order to more accurately measure whether California is meeting water conservation goals.
In addition, the governor called on local water agencies to increase education and outreach efforts to Californians on the urgency of the crisis.
In July 2021, Newsom asked Californians to voluntarily reduce their water use by 15%. At the end of March 2022 after the state failed to meet its 15% goal, the governor issued an executive order calling on local water agencies to escalate their response to the ongoing drought.
On Tuesday, at the governor’s direction, the State Water Resources Control Board will vote on a statewide ban on watering of nonfunctional turf in the commercial, industrial and institutional sectors as well as regulations requiring local agencies to implement water use restrictions amid the possibility that water supplies may be up to 20% lower due to extreme weather.
Currently, local water agencies have implemented restrictions on about half of California’s population. If the board’s regulations are approved, every urban area of California will be covered by a local plan to reduce water use.
Banning watering of decorative lawns would save between 156,000 acre-feet and 260,000 acre-feet per year, the equivalent of water used by 780,000 households in a year.
The climate crisis has resulted in the western United States experiencing one of the most extensive and intense droughts on record. January through March were the driest first three months in the state’s recorded history, the state’s largest reservoirs are currently at half of their historical averages, and the state’s snowpack is just 14 percent of average.
The Governor’s California Blueprint proposed this year would invest an additional $2 billion for drought response, which includes $100 million in addition to a previous investment of $16 million this fiscal year for a statewide education and communications effort on drought. These investments build on the previous $5.2 billion three-year investment in the state’s drought response and water resilience through the California Comeback Plan (2021).
California’s master water plan, the Water Resilience Portfolio, is a comprehensive vision to build water resilience containing more than 142 separate detailed actions to be taken by state agencies to ensure that California’s water systems can cope with rising temperatures, shrinking snowpacks, rising sea levels and more intense and frequent periods of drought.
In March 2021, the administration released the 2012-2016 Drought Report, which contains lessons learned by state agencies during the last drought.
The state is calling on Californians to take immediate action to avoid a crisis, including:
• Limiting outdoor watering — cutting back by even just one day a week can save you up to 20% more water.
• Taking shorter showers. Going to a 5 minute shower to save up to 12.5 gallons per shower when using a water-efficient shower head.
• Taking showers instead of baths — a bath uses up to 2.5 times the amount of water as a shower.
• Using a broom instead of a hose to clean outdoor areas to save 6 gallons of water every minute.
• Washing full loads of clothes to save 15 to 45 gallons of water per load.
More water saving tips can be found at www.saveourwater.com. For the latest on drought, please visit www.drought.ca.gov.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — At the request of the Community Development Department, the Board fo Supervisors will discuss this week an amendment to its cannabis ordinance and also will consider awarding a bid for a new multiuse path in Middletown.
The board will meet beginning at 9 a.m. Tuesday, May 24, in the board chambers on the first floor of the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport.
The meeting ID is 966 9706 2933, pass code 584217. The meeting also can be accessed via one tap mobile at +16699006833,,96697062933#,,,,*584217#.
All interested members of the public that do not have internet access or a Mediacom cable subscription are encouraged to call 669-900-6833, and enter the Zoom meeting ID and pass code information above.
At 11 a.m., the board will consider an ordinance adding Article 73 to Chapter 21 of the Lake Zoning Ordinance to address commercial cannabis permitting activities and enforcement.
Community Development Director Mary Darby’s memo to the board explains, “Cannabis projects are becoming more controversial in our communities. The growing number of acres already approved, illegal cannabis grows, drought concerns, and the proximity to communities has aided in increasing public participation in questioning these projects.”
She said the Community Development Department will present proposed changes to the revised commercial cannabis ordinance at the meeting and follow up with scheduled interactive cannabis workshops with the cannabis industry and the general public on May 25 and 26 from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. in the supervisors’ chambers.
In an untimed item, the board will consider awarding a bid for $1,117,449.60 the Middletown Multiuse Path Project to Argonaut Constructors of Santa Rosa.
Public Works Director Scott De Leon’s report to the board said the project is to construct a Class 1 multiuse path along Highway 29 from the intersection of Rancheria Road to the intersection of Central Park Road.
Argonaut’s was the lowest of five bids submitted to the county, said De Leon.
He said the project is fully funded through the Active Transportation Program and Public Works road funds.
The full agenda follows.
CONSENT AGENDA
5.1: Approve Amendment No. 1 to the agreement between county of Lake and Mountain Valley Child and Family Services decreasing the total compensation payable under the agreement to $4,700.00 for fiscal year 2021-22 and authorize the board chair to sign.
5.2: Approve Board of Supervisors minutes for May 10 and May 17.
5.3: Approve request to waive 900-hour limit for extra-help office assistant, Marissa Davis.
5.4: Approve an agreement between the county of Lake and CTC Technology and Energy for the provision, installation and maintenance of advanced network (data) services for an amount not to exceed $50,000 annually; and authorize the chair to sign.
5.5: Adopt resolution to establish a list of projects proposed to be funded in FY 2021/2022 Pursuant to the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017 (SB1).
5.6: Approve to waive the 900 hour extra help limit for staff in the sheriff’s department.
5.7: Approve payment for mandated client services described as after care services delivered by Evolve Youth Services and authorize the director of Social Services or her designee to issue a purchase order in an amount not to exceed $ 40,086.
5.8: (a) Adopt resolution revising the fiscal year 2021-2022 adopted budget of the county of Lake by canceling reserves in Fund 281 CSA No. 21 North Lakeport Water O&M Reserve Designation, in the amount of $7,500 to make appropriations in the Budget Unit 8481, Object Code 784.62-74 Capital FA-Equipment/Other for the purchase of a Laser Turbidimeter. (b) Approve the purchase of a Laser Turbidimeter and authorize the Special Districts administrator/assistant purchasing agent to issue and sign a purchase order not to exceed $7,500 to HACH Co.
5.9: (a) Waive the formal bidding process, pursuant to Lake County Code Section 38.2, as it is not in the public interest due to the unique nature of the goods and services, and (b) authorize the county of Lake Water Resources director to sign an memorandum of understanding agreement between the Lake County Watershed Protection District and the Tribal EcoRestoration Alliance for the time period of May 1, 2022, to April 30, 2024.
TIMED ITEMS
9:05 a.m.: Pet of the Week.
6.3, 9:07 a.m.: Presentation of the current status and next steps of the Lake County Clean Water Program and storm water management in Lake County.
6.4, 10:30 a.m.: Presentation and consideration regarding Community Development Block Grant funding for the Community Development and Economic Development Allocations of the California Department of Housing and Community Development-Community Development Block Program.
6.5, 11 a.m.: Consideration of an ordinance adding Article 73 to Chapter 21 of the Lake Zoning Ordinance to address commercial cannabis permitting activities and enforcement.
UNTIMED ITEMS
7.2: Consideration of award of bid for the Middletown Multiuse Path Project; Bid No. 22-05, State Project No. ATPL-5914(102) to Argonaut Constructors of Santa Rosa in the Amount of $1,117,449.60.
ASSESSMENT APPEALS
8.1: Approve stipulation on the following assessment appeal applications: No. 59-2020 Maroun Allan.
8.2: Approve withdrawal on the following assessment appeal applications: No. 56-2020 Debra Watson; and b) No. 27-2020 through 48-2020, 49-2020 through 54-2020, 71-2020 through 74-2020 Geysers Power Co. LLC.
8.3: Continue the following assessment appeal applications: a) No. 03-2020 through 10-2020 Earthways; and b) No. 68-2020 Worldmark to the Oct. 18, 2022, Board of Supervisors meeting at 10 a.m.
CLOSED SESSION
9.1: Public employee evaluation: Community Development Director Mary Darby.
9.2: Conference with legal counsel: Existing litigation pursuant to Government Code section 54956.9 (d)(1): Nichols v. County of Lake, et al.
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.
Heading into summer, the outlook is pretty grim. The National Weather Service’s latest seasonal outlook, issued May 19, 2022, described drought persisting across most of the West and parts of the Great Plains.
As a climate scientist, I’ve watched how climate change is making drought conditions increasingly worse – particularly in the western and central U.S. The last two years have been more than 2 degrees Fahrenheit (1.1 Celsius) warmer than normal in these regions. Large swaths of the Southwest have been even hotter, with temperatures more than 3 F (1.7 C) higher. Studies suggest the Southwest’s ongoing 20-year drought is the most severe in at least 1,200 years, based on how dry the soils are.
A hotter atmosphere sucks more moisture from the soil
A thristier atmosphere tends to extract more water out of the land. It exacerbates evaporative stress on the land, particularly when a region is experiencing below-normal precipitation. High evaporative stress can rapidly deplete soil moisture and lead to hotter temperatures, as the evaporative cooling effect is diminished. All this creates hydroclimatic stress for plants, causing restricted growth, drying and even death.
As a consequence of a warming climate, the U.S. Southwest has seen an 8% increase in this evaporative demand since the 1980s. This trend is generally happening across other parts of the country.
The thistier atmosphere is turning what would otherwise be near-normal or moderately dry conditions into droughts that are more severe or extreme. As the climate heats up further, the increasing atmospheric thirst will continue to intensify drought stress, with consequences for water availability, long-lasting and intense heat stress, and large-scale ecosystem transformation.
In addition to direct impacts of increasing temperatures on future droughts, these regions are also expected to see fewer storms and more days without precipitation. Climate models consistently project a poleward shift in the midlatitude storm tracks during this century as the planet heats up, which is expected to result in fewer storms in the southern tier of the country.
Expect flash droughts even in wetter areas
The changing nature of droughts is a concern even in parts of the U.S. that are expected to have a net increase in annual precipitation during the 21st century. In a hotter future, because of the high evaporative demand on the land, prolonged periods with weeks to months of below normal precipitation in these areas can lead to significant drought, even if the overall trend is for more precipitation.
Large parts of the northern Plains, for example, have seen precipitation increase by 10% or more in the last three decades. However, the region is not immune to severe drought conditions in a hotter climate.
Flash droughts are also emerging as a growing concern in the Northeast. In 2020, much of New England experienced an extreme hydrologic drought, with low stream flows and groundwater levels and widespread crop losses between May and September. Aided by very warm and dry atmospheric conditions, the drought developed very rapidly over that period from what had been above-normal wet conditions.
As humanity enters a hotter future, prolonged periods of weeks to months of below-normal precipitation are going to be of a greater concern almost everywhere.
Heading into unfamiliar territory
Other forms of droughts are also emerging.
Atmospheric heating is causing snow droughts as more precipitation falls as rain rather than snow and snow melts earlier. Shorter snow seasons and longer growing seasons because of warmer temperatures are changing the timing of ecological responses.
Land is greening up earlier and causing an earlier loss of water from the land surface through evapotranspiration – the loss of water from plants and soil. This could result in drier soils in the latter half of the growing season. As a result, parts of the central and western U.S. could see both increased greening and drying in the future that are seasonally separated across the growing season.
In 2020, about 1 in 6 kids, 16% of all children, were living in families with incomes below the official poverty line – an income threshold the government set that year at about US$26,500 for a family of four. Only 10% of Americans ages 18 to 64 and 9% of those 65 and up were experiencing poverty, according to the most recent data available.
In 2011, the government began to calculate an alternative metric: the supplemental poverty measure. It includes SNAP and tax credits. It also uses thresholds based on the cost of living in different areas of the country. For a family of four, this threshold currently ranges from $24,000 to $35,000, depending on where a family lives and whether they own or rent housing.
According to this alternative measure, 10% of children were living in poverty in 2020, the lowest rate ever recorded.
Depending on which measure you use, either 7 million or 11.7 million U.S. children lived in poverty in 2020.
By both metrics, poverty is higher for children of color. The official poverty rate for Black children stood at 26%, and 23% for Hispanic children, while for white, non-Hispanic children it was 10%.
Before and after 2020
Both child poverty rates had been declining before the COVID-19 pandemic.
The official rate dipped to 14% in 2019 from 21% five years earlier. It shot back up to 16% in 2020, when the pandemic compounded economic hardships for many families.
The supplemental measure of child poverty tells a more complete story.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Lake County Animal Care and Control has two adult cats waiting for their new homes.
Call Lake County Animal Care and Control at 707-263-0278 or visit the shelter online at http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control.htm for information on visiting or adopting.
The following cats at the shelter have been cleared for adoption.
Male domestic shorthair
This 1-year-old male domestic shorthair cat has an all-black coat.
He is in cat room kennel No. 66, ID No. LCAC-A-3309.
‘Delilah’
“Delilah” is a 2-year-old female domestic longhair cat with a gray coat with white markings.
She is in cat room kennel No. 103, ID No. LCAC-A-3070.
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. — Following a day of closed session interviews with several candidates, the Board of Supervisors on Monday voted to give the county administrative officer’s job to the woman who has filled the position on an interim basis since the end of April.
A statement from the County Administrative Office said board members came out of closed session at 3:35 p.m. to announce that they had given the job to Susan Parker, who for the past three years has been assistant county administrative officer.
In a quote attributed to Board Chair EJ Crandell in the County Administrative Office’s statement on Parker’s hiring, Crandell said she had done a “truly outstanding job” in the nearly six weeks since she was appointed and that the board is “confident Susan will bring strong leadership for years to come.”
Crandell’s statement also said Parker “has 20 years of experience as a high level government executive and administrator, and she knows what needs to be done to continue to move Lake County forward.”
A request by Lake County News to know where the six candidates were from was not responded to by the Human Resources Division, part of the larger department Parker will now head, as of Monday night. The county did respond on Tuesday to say that, in fact, only five candidates had taken part and did not specify where they were from.
The county said Parker was hired as assistant county administrative officer three years ago “following a rigorous nationwide search,” adding, “Previous highly successful executive experiences in the states of Wisconsin, Nevada, Colorado and North Carolina were a significant factor in that selection.”
The most recent of those “highly successful executive experiences” was in Sunset Beach, North Carolina, where Parker was town administrator from 2013 to 2018. In March 2018, the city council voted to terminate her.
Because in North Carolina reasons for firings even of public employees are kept private, more information on the causes of her termination were not made known publicly.
That October she filed a lawsuit against that city and one of the council members who had voted to fire her, claiming wrongful termination, defamation and emotional distress.
However, in February 2019, she dropped that lawsuit without prejudice, which gave her the option of refiling it. A month later, she came to work for Lake County.
Sources have told Lake County News that Parker was Huchingson’s hand-picked successor and that Parker herself had made that statement to numerous individuals and even groups.
Considering Huchingson’s control of the board, and her control of the Human Resources Department, it was believed to be a foregone conclusion that, despite the process the board agreed to in an effort to deal with “optics,” that Parker would nonetheless be appointed, and that’s what happened on Monday.
The county has a habit of hiring from within rather than going with qualified candidates from the outside, usually choosing longtime employees.
Just as Huchingson’s retirement was notable for its suddenness, Parker’s hiring is notable both for the short amount of time she’s been with the county as well as for its swiftness when compared to the two previous county administrative officer recruitments, which have taken up to a year to place a permanent candidate.
Kelly Cox, who served as county administrative officer for 32 years, announced his retirement in January 2012, to take place two months later. However, he agreed to remain in the job on an interim basis until his successor was hired.
He was followed by one of his own staff, Matt Perry, who took over as interim county administrative officer in June 2012 and was given the job on a permanent basis in December 2012.
In November 2015, Perry announced he planned to retire as of April 1, 2016. The process to recruit his successor began that same month and the board hired Huchingson, then the county’s longtime Social Services director, in February 2016, with her starting two months later.
Since Huchingson’s retirement announcement, it has taken only 67 days to fill her chair on a permanent basis with Parker.
Parker’s background in government
Parker pursued undergraduate studies in government and policy studies, graduating from Beloit College in 1994. She received a Master’s in Public Affairs and Public Administration from the Robert M. LaFollette Institute of Public Affairs, at the University of Wisconsin in 1997.
According to her resume, posted online, her job experience included two years as city administrator for Elroy, Wisconsin, with a population of 1,600 and a total budget of about $2.7 million.
She then moved to Reno, Nevada, where she worked as assistant to the city manager from 2000 to 2002. At that point the city had a population of more than 219,000 and a $264 million budget.
Parker remained with the city of Reno as animal control director from 2002 to 2003 and as emergency communication’s manager from 2003 to 2006.
In June 2006, she moved to Crested Butte, Colorado, then a city of 1,500 with a $10 million annual budget, to take the town manager job. She remained in that job for six and a half years.
Then, in September of 2012, the Crested Butte News reported that Parker and city staff delivered to the city council the “grim reality” for the 2013 budget. During that presentation, Parker told the council that the city was struggling to maintain the assets that they had.
Three months later, on Dec. 3, 2012, Parker resigned and didn’t attend that city’s council meeting later that day, when the resignation was accepted and an interim was appointed. No specific reason for her departure was given and the reporting indicated she left the city’s employment immediately.
She appeared the following year in Sunset Beach, a small North Carolina town with a population of about 3,500 and an annual budget of $6 million.
During her tenure there, she had to deal with recovery operations from 2016’s Hurricane Matthew.
She also was faulted by the local newspaper, the Brunswick Beacon, for a lack of transparency.
Case in point: In late 2016, the city’s interim police chief was the victim of a break-in during which two city-owned guns were stolen. A Feb. 3, 2017, opinion piece from the paper, criticized Parker for working to keep the matter under wraps.
“How can Sunset Beach citizens be expected to respect their government officials when those same officials not only try to hide town business from each other, but also from the people they are supposed to serve? They are to answer first to the people of Sunset Beach, who deserve better,” the paper said, going on to suggest that Parker and the town council “craft policies to remedy their continued lack of transparency.”
Parker’s departure from that city’s employ came 13 months later, after the council voted to terminate her.
After leaving Sunset Beach, Parker’s name began popping up in cities across the country as a finalist in city manager or administor’s searches taking place in 2018.
In May of that year, she was a finalist for town administrator of Manitou Springs, Colorado. Two months later, she was interviewing for the city manager’s job in Hood, River, Oregon. In November, she was being considered for the city manager's jobs in Cripple Creek, Colorado, and Helena, Montana.
She didn’t land any of those jobs. However, she was selected by the county of Lake and hired into the County Administrative Office as assistant county administrative officer on March 28, 2019.
Her tenure in Huchingson’s office crossed that of Pamela Nichols, who had been the county’s Human Resources director until the summer of 2019.
Nichols, who is Black, has filed a lawsuit in federal court alleging wrongful termination, racial discrimination, infringement of her First Amendment rights to free speech and retaliation.
Huchingson fired Nichols on Aug. 30, 2019, in a meeting that court documents said Parker was part of, with Parker later being directed by Huchingson to supervise Nichols in packing her belongings.
When Nichols left to get more boxes, she returned to find Parker and county staff with 12 boxes of Nichols’ belongings stacked on the front steps of the county courthouse in Lakeport.
Nichols’ lawsuit, filed in July 2020, seeks unlimited damages.
Discovery in the case is due by July 1, with a motion hearing set for Sept. 23 in Oakland and a jury trial scheduled to begin on March 23, 2023, according to court documents.
Huchingson announced her resignation two days after a closed session update on the matter.
The case was discussed again in closed session on April 19 — 10 days before Huchingson’s departure — and is on Tuesday’s board agenda for another closed session discussion.
That process began with a five-day recruitment for internal candidates for the position on an interim basis which opened that day.
They also approved Human Resources Director Pam Samac’s proposal for an open recruitment that originally was to have begun on March 25 and continue until the job was filled, with a review of applicants after 15 to 20 days.
The board interviewed two candidates for the interim job on April 12 and appointed Parker as interim county administrative officer effective April 30.
Part of the recruitment plan that the board approved March 22 was potentially hiring a headhunting firm.
The board’s discussion referenced concerns about a potential conflict for Parker to oversee Human Resources while it carried out the recruitment for the county administrative officer’s job, which by that point she already had publicly confirmed that she intended to pursue on a permanent basis.
The board majority, with input from Samac — another of Huchingson’s hires, succeeding the ousted Nichols — took no action to separate Human Resources from the County Administrative Office. However the concern about the “optics” of how the hiring process was taking place was discussed, and County Counsel Anita Grant suggested the board establish very clear rules for Samac to follow.
Samac came back on May 10 with a proposal that she would coordinate the recruitment and confer directly with Board Chair EJ Crandell and that it wouldn’t be discussed with Parker except to notify her if she was a qualified candidate.
At that time, Samac reported that the recruitment was opened on March 28 with an initial cutoff date of April 18. The county ultimately received 14 applications with six qualified candidates.
She said Crandell told her he wanted to interview all candidates rather than having them narrowed by a committee that she had suggested convening.
On May 10 Samac wanted to set dates for interviews so they didn’t lose six qualified candidates by waiting too long. She suggested interviewing each of the candidates for an hour.
Samac said her office had sent a request for qualifications to 10 executive search firms, which had an April 21 deadline to respond. She said the county intended to begin the selection process for the executive search firm — “if needed” — once the first round of recruitment is completed.
However, the recruitment didn’t end up involving a headhunting firm and quickly moved forward to interviews.
At the May 10 meeting, the board also dismissed a suggestion by Sabatier to have a panel of community leaders give input as part of the hiring process.
At that time, the board set a special meeting for interviews that was to have taken place on May 27.
However, on Wednesday, the county issued a special meeting notice moving that interview meeting up to Monday, during which the supervisors would convene at 9 a.m. and begin interviews of the five qualified candidates, which resulted in Parker’s hire six and a half hours later.
In the new position, after previously only handling budgets of as much as $10 million, she will head a county with an annual budget that this year has totaled more than $306 million.
Parker also will now be faced with addressing budget challenges such as dropping cannabis tax revenues — which Huchingson and her staff relied upon heavily to justify approving $21 million in raises during the pandemic which largely benefited department heads like Huchingson — and the Nichols lawsuit.
County statement on Parker’s hiring
The following is the written statement issued by the county of Lake to Lake County News and other media outlets at 5:16 p.m. Monday. It is published in its entirety and is not edited.
Board of Supervisors Appoints Susan Parker Permanent County Administrative Officer
Parker Previously Appointed Interim CAO Tuesday, April 12, 2022
LAKE COUNTY, CA (May 23, 2022) — At 3:35pm Monday, May 23, the Lake County Board of Supervisors emerged from Closed Session to announce Susan Parker had been appointed permanent County Administrative Officer (CAO).
“Susan has done a truly outstanding job as Interim CAO,” enthuses Eddie Crandell, Chair of the Lake County Board of Supervisors. “We are really excited she has agreed to take on the CAO role on a permanent basis, and confident Susan will bring strong leadership for years to come. She has 20 years of experience as a high level government executive and administrator, and she knows what needs to be done to continue to move Lake County forward.”
As previously reported, Parker was selected as Assistant CAO three years ago, following a rigorous nationwide search. Previous highly successful Executive experiences in the states of Wisconsin, Nevada, Colorado and North Carolina were a significant factor in that selection.
A true leader who is not afraid to dig into complex topics, Parker has helmed many far-ranging efforts: transportation projects, including securing grant funding; housing projects, from concept through development; intensive emergency response, in the aftermath of 2016’s devastating Hurricane Matthew; Library expansions; and Tax Incentive programs.
Parker is an accomplished local government scholar and theorist, having earned a Master’s in Public Affairs and Public Administration from the Robert M. Lafollette Institute of Public Affairs, at the University of Wisconsin. Her undergraduate studies were likewise in Government and Policy Studies.
“During her time here, Susan has shown herself to be a highly effective collaborator,” affirms Crandell. “We look forward to more and more residents getting to know and work with Susan in this new capacity.”
“I am truly excited and honored to continue serving Lake County residents,” notes Parker. “Lake County is a very special place, and I am proud to call it home. It will be a privilege to partner with the Board to promote the well-being of every resident.”
Please join in congratulating Susan Parker on her permanent appointment!
This article has been updated to show that five not six candidates were interviewed, a fact the county revealed on Tuesday, after publication.
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 Lake Local Agency Formation Commission has approved a resolution outlining the results of the protest proceeding against the city of Lakeport’s proposal to annex the South Main Street corridor.
At its May 18 meeting, LAFCo approved the resolution after a break in which commission staff made updates and additions to the language at the request of both commission members and the city of Lakeport.
The annexation area includes 50 parcels totaling 137 acres in the area adjacent to South Main Street and Soda Bay Road and east of Highway 29.
On May 6, LAFCo hosted a brief, 15-minute meeting on May 6 at Lakeport City Hall, the purpose of which was to collect protests from registered voters living in the annexation and property owners, said LAFCo Executive Director John Benoit.
Benoit said the protests were sent to the Assessor-Recorder's Office and the Registrar of Voters Office. The result was that the owners of 16 of the 50 parcels — accounting for 36% of the land valuation — protested the annexation, triggering an election. At least a 25% protest total is required.
As a result, Benoit said LAFCo needed to ask the city to conduct an election consisting of the registered owners. “I don’t know how the city’s going to handle the election. That’s their business.
The city will then need to report back to LAFCo, so the commission can go forward one way or the other, he said.
Benoit said Lakeport will probably have a special mail-in election and will need to work with the county’s elections department.
During public comment, Justin Ratcliffe, who owns Premier Flooring at 53 Soda Bay Road, questioned the validity of the voters’ roll from the area and how it would be brought up to date. Benoit said the elections office had used its current list to validate the outcome.
City Manager Kevin Ingram said the city also shared a concern about the list’s authenticity, as at least one deceased person was listed on it.
He said the city has 45 days to take formal action. Ingram said he needs to do more research, but as he understood it, the city had three options: hold a mail-in ballot, consolidate with the Nov. 8 election or hold a special election on a date the city chooses. That third and final option is the most expensive.
“We do have a little bit of homework that we need to do,” he said, explaining that the Lakeport City Council is expected to take formal action during one of its two June meetings.
Ingram said the city was concerned that the resolution LAFCo had before it didn’t reference the affected territory as is required in Government Code. It’s also supposed to provide the question to be put to voters.
LAFCo alternate Commissioner Victoria Brandon asked if the question could be structured in such a way to be a yes vote for annexation or yes for protest.
Counsel Scott Browne said it relies on the elections code, and there isn’t much discretion in the language. However, he said it won’t refer to a protest. “The protest has passed.”
LAFCo Chair Bruno Sabatier wanted to take a break so staff could make the changes to the resolution then in order to accomplish the matter.
Another property owner in the proposed annexation area, Lisa Weiler, raised concerns about an accurate count of voters and a true assessment on the property value in the annexation area. She said both are contingent on who can vote and how LAFCo came to the decision on the protest.
Benoit said he had questions regarding Proposition 13, and the values that are established when someone purchases a property. He wasn’t sure if the rules regarding annexations were written before 1978 and never changed. “I think we should look into it as a statewide organization to fix that.”
Weiler said she didn’t think the 18 voters counted in the protest was a very high number.
In response to her concerns, Sabatier said, “Voting integrity is part of any election process,” and the elections office will follow state laws.
Commissioner Moke Simon said he was confident in Registrar of Voters Maria Valadez’s integrity.
Sabatier asked for, and received, commission consensus to take a break and make the suggested changes to the resolution.
Following two separate breaks, one 30 minutes and one five minutes, staff presented the updated resolution which the commission approved unanimously.
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.