NORTHERN CALIFORNIA — Members of California’s Congressional Delegation on Tuesday introduced legislation to help fire victims get some additional financial relief.
On Tuesday, in a bipartisan action, Reps. Mike Thompson (CA-04), Doug LaMalfa (CA-01), Jared Huffman (CA-02) and Tom McClintock (CA-05) reintroduced the bill from last Congress to exempt thousands of fire victims who are receiving compensation from the Fire Victim Trust from having to pay federal income tax on their settlement money or attorney fees that are included in the settlement.
In the 117th Congress, Reps. Thompson and LaMalfa introduced H.R. 7305 and fought to have it included in the end of the year FY2023 government funding package but unfortunately all tax and disaster relief provisions were not included in the final package.
Among the fires the fund is administering claims for is the October 2017 Sulphur fire that hit Clearlake and Clearlake Oaks.
Other fires included in the fund include the 2015 Butte fire; the 2017 North Bay wildfires including the 37, Adobe, Atlas, Blue, Cascade, Cherokee, Honey, LaPorte, Lobo, Maacama/Youngs, McCourtney, Norrbom, Nuns, Partrick, Pocket, Point, Pressley, Pythian/Oakmont, Redwood/Potter Valley, Sullivan and Tubbs; and the 2018 Camp fire.
More information about the fund can be found here.
“Fire survivors have been through living hell in the wake of losing their homes and livelihoods to wildfires and should not be taxed on the settlements from the PG&E Fire Victims Trust,” said Thompson. “This bipartisan bill is a top priority, and I will continue to work with Rep. LaMalfa and Rep. Huffman to enact this bill into law to bring much needed relief to fire survivors.”
“It is essential that we get this done and every Fire Victim Trust beneficiary has this massive tax headache alleviated. It should have been done last year. Fire victims need this tax relief to help rebuild their lives, they should not have to go through another tax season with this uncertainty about their settlement,” said LaMalfa.
“My constituents in Northern California have suffered enough from the devastation brought on by wildfires. The last thing the government should do is strip them of funds from the PG&E Fire Victims Trust that was set up to help them,” said Huffman. “I will keep working in every way I can to support wildlife survivors and get our bill signed into law.”
“Wildfire victims have experienced unfathomable hardship. The last thing they should be concerned with as they navigate rebuilding their lives is continued uncertainty from the IRS,” said McClintock.
Thompson represents California’s Fourth Congressional District, which includes all or part of Lake, Napa, Solano, Sonoma and Yolo counties.
Precipitation map showing the atmospheric rivers hitting California since Jan. 6.
As California enters the third week of severe winter storms, Gov. Gavin Newsom is urging people to keep their guard up as strong winds and heavy rains continue to threaten communities across the state.
On Sunday night, President Joe Biden approved Gov. Newsom’s request for a federal emergency declaration, activating the full weight of the federal government to support California’s storm response and recovery efforts.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, is making federal disaster assistance available to supplement local and state resources, including funding, equipment and personnel.
On Monday, Gov. Newsom was briefed by state emergency officials on the latest conditions and response efforts, and the governor continues to actively monitor storm impacts.
Also on Monday, the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services brought together more than 400 community-based organizations throughout the state in a first-of-its-kind effort to mobilize resources with a special emphasis on delivering help to vulnerable communities — unsheltered individuals, those with disabilities and older Californians.
As of Monday afternoon, winter storms have claimed the lives of 14 Californians — more lives than wildfires in the past two years combined.
“Our message to Californians is simple: be hyper-vigilant,” said Gov. Newsom on Monday. “There are still several days of severe winter weather ahead and we need all Californians to be alert and heed the advice of emergency officials. Thanks to the president signing off on our request for emergency declaration, we are mobilizing all available resources at every level of government to protect lives and limit storm damage. Today marks five years since the deadly Montecito mudslides that claimed 23 lives — as Montecito faces evacuations today, it’s a solemn reminder of how quickly conditions can change.”
On Sunday, the governor announced $202 million in new investments for long-term flood prevention proposed in the upcoming state budget.
Also on Sunday, Gov. Newsom visited two sites along Deer Creek in Sacramento County to highlight the state’s work to repair damage from earlier storms and prepare for incoming severe weather.
The state is working to support the most vulnerable Californians with 11 shelters statewide along with an additional 20 shelters that are prestaged and on standby. Temporary shelter, food and additional resources are available at these sites and all are welcome. No ID is required.
Weather forecast
Heavy rainfall is forecasted throughout the state Tuesday and northern California on Wednesday, increasing the potential for flooding given saturated soils from the previous two weeks of precipitation.
According to the National Weather Service, rainfall levels are 400 to 600% above average across California.
Emergency alerts
Californians are reminded to dial 2-1-1 or 3-1-1 to get help or ask questions. If you have a critical emergency, call 911.
Staying informed by signing up for emergency alerts including warnings and evacuation notices. Go to CalAlerts.org to sign up to receive alerts from your county officials.
Download the Caltrans QuickMap app to receive real-time notifications for road closures, emergencies, and other traffic updates. You can download the app here.
You can also view real-time information on anticipated river floodings here.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Lake County Animal Care and Control has four adult cats waiting to meet new families.
Call Lake County Animal Care and Control at 707-263-0278 or visit the shelter online for information on visiting or adopting.
The following cats at the shelter have been cleared for adoption.
‘Leo’
“Leo” is a 3-year-old female domestic shorthair cat with a yellow tabby and white coat.
She is in cat room kennel No. 7, ID No. LCAC-A-4464.
‘Star’
“Star” is a 3-year-old female domestic shorthair cat with a calico coat.
She is in kennel No. 36, ID No. LCAC-A-4465.
‘Cris’
“Cris” is a 6-month-old orange tabby with a short coat.
He is in cat room kennel No. 57, ID No. LCAC-A-4375.
‘Sonny’
“Sonny” is a 2-year-old male orange tabby with a short coat.
He is in cat room kennel No. 84, ID No. LCAC-A-4372.
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.
During National Human Trafficking Prevention Month, California Attorney General Rob Bonta is reminding Californians of the support services available statewide and issued new guidance to help trafficking survivors secure relief for offenses committed as a result of being trafficked.
Human trafficking is a heinous crime that can have numerous long-lasting, harmful impacts on victims, survivors, and their families.
These harms may also include criminal records based on crimes the victim was forced to commit because of the brutal circumstances of being trafficked. Importantly, under California law, there is vacatur relief available to trafficking survivors.
In addition, whether it is through state and local government or community organizations, California offers a wide array of resources to support survivors of human trafficking including housing, cash, and immediate assistance through direct service providers.
“For many survivors, the pain of human trafficking is felt long after they’re out of harm’s way,” said Attorney General Bonta. “Whether it’s struggling to heal from trauma or regain financial independence, survivors of trafficking deserve and are entitled to support. For those who committed nonviolent offenses as a result of being trafficked, there are also pathways to secure relief and start fresh. I urge all Californians to review the information being shared today by my office. Together, we can help put a stop to trafficking and support those who have been harmed.”
Human trafficking is a modern-day form of slavery where perpetrators profit from the control and exploitation of adults and children for sex or labor through force, fraud, or coercion. Human trafficking does not require movement across borders.
According to the National Human Trafficking Hotline, there were more than 1,300 human trafficking cases reported in California in 2021 — more than any other state in the nation.
In California, human trafficking is prevalent in the hospitality, commercial sex, domestic work, and construction industries. Victims of human trafficking are also found among migrant and seasonal agricultural workers, providers of residential care, and in California’s garment sector.
While human trafficking can have myriad harms, the associated criminal justice consequences that may arise are often overlooked and can create significant challenges, including to employment, safe housing, education, financial assistance, and citizenship status.
Accordingly, under state law, survivors of human trafficking, intimate partner violence, or sexual violence may have criminal records vacated, sealed, and destroyed if the underlying nonviolent offense — e.g., petty theft, drug possession, or prostitution — was committed as a result of being a victim of trafficking or other forms of abuse.
This type of relief — known as vacatur relief — helps eliminate barriers to stability and independence, and spares survivors from having to explain their traumatic past to future employers, housing managers, or others.
If you or someone you know is being forced to engage in any activity and cannot leave — whether it is commercial sex, housework, farm work, construction, factory, retail, or restaurant work — there are resources available to help.
It is also important to remember that California law prohibits law enforcement authorities from asking individuals, including those who are reporting or are victims of potential crimes, about their immigration status, unless the information is necessary to certify the victim for a U visa for victims of crime or T visa for victims of human trafficking.
If you need help, you can reach out to local authorities and organizations, and the attorney general also encourages victims of human trafficking to consider reaching out to the following organizations.
The California Department of Justice's Victims' Services Unit
Find them online at https://oag.ca.gov/victimservices Call 1-877-433-9069 or Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Find them online at https://1800victims.org/ (online chat available) Text or call 1-800-842-8467 or Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Additional resources:
Resources such as emergency food and shelter, legal services, and health services can often be found directly through cities or counties.
For those in need of legal support, pro bono legal assistance can be found through the State Bar of California and, for those who have been the victim of a violent crime, the California Victim Compensation Board can help cover related bills and expenses.
In addition, the Human Trafficking Prevention Education and Training Act, which was authored by Attorney General Bonta when he was a member of the Legislature, requires public schools in California to offer education and training on human trafficking identification and prevention to help protect students in middle school and high school — and those around them — from exploitation for labor or sex.
Separately, as a result of Senate Bill 1193 of 2012 and subsequent legislation, California law requires specified businesses and other establishments — including hotels, motels, and bed and breakfast inns — to post a notice informing the public and survivors of human trafficking of telephone hotline numbers to seek help or report unlawful activity. The notices are available for free on the California Department of Justice’s website in English, Spanish, and roughly two dozen other languages.
Through collaboration with federal, state, and local law enforcement partners and community organizations, Attorney General Bonta is committed to disrupting and dismantling human trafficking in California.
As part of those efforts, the California Department of Justice operates two regional Human Trafficking and Sexual Predator Apprehension Teams, serves as the lead agency on the San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force, and leads the prosecution of complex, multijurisdictional, and criminal human trafficking cases across the state.
Bonta continues to take action to support survivors and hold those who break the law accountable.
In November, he announced that 30 individuals were arrested in San Diego County as part of Operation Century Week and, in Fresno, 19 individuals were arrested for allegedly attempting to contact a minor for sex and other related offenses.
Last year, the attorney general announced the launch of California’s first-ever sexual assault evidence kit tracking portal to enable survivors of sexual assault to privately, securely, and electronically track information about their cases.
Bonta also joined a bipartisan coalition of attorneys general in supporting the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s effort to help survivors of human trafficking restore their financial independence.
Additional information and resources regarding human trafficking are available on the California Department of Justice’s website here.
A copy of the vacatur guidance shared today is available here.
LAKEPORT, Calif. — The Lakeport Economic Development Advisory Committee will start off the new year with officer elections and getting update from city and chamber of commerce officials.
The committee, or LEDAC, will meet via Zoom from 7:30 to 9 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 11, in the council chambers at Lakeport City Hall, 225 Park St. It is open to the public.
The meeting also will be available via Zoom: Meeting ID, 880 3641 4661; pass code, 202031. Dial by your location, 1-346-248-7799.
The meeting will start with the elections of the chair, vice chair and secretary for 2023.
Current Chair Wilda Shock said City Manager Kevin Ingram and Chief Building Official Bethany Moss Childers will provide information about city projects and discuss the role of LEDAC and the City Council priorities.
Laura McAndrews Sammel, chief executive officer of the Lake County Chamber of Commerce, will present the chamber’s strategic plan and the process for creating and implementing it, Shock said.
Shock said LEDAC members and the public will have the opportunity for announcements about activities and programs in their respective organizations.
LEDAC’s next meeting will be March 8.
LEDAC advocates for a strong and positive Lakeport business community and acts as a conduit between the city and the community for communicating the goals, activities and progress of Lakeport’s economic and business programs.
Members are Chair Wilda Shock, Vice Chair Denise Combs and Secretary JoAnn Saccato, along with Bonnie Darling, Jeff Davis, Candy De Los Santos, Bill Eaton, Monica Flores, Barbara Flynn, Pam Harpster, Laura McAndrews Sammel and Tim Stephens. City staff who are members include City Manager Kevin Ingram and Community Development Department representatives.
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.
Andrew Fisher, University of California, Santa Cruz
California has seen so much rain over the past few weeks that farm fields are inundated and normally dry creeks and drainage ditches have become torrents of water racing toward the ocean. Yet, most of the state remains in severe drought.
All that runoff in the middle of a drought begs the question — why can’t more rainwater be collected and stored for the long, dry spring and summer when it’s needed?
As a hydrogeologist at the University of California at Santa Cruz, I’m interested in what can be done to collect runoff from storms like this on a large scale. There are two primary sources of large-scale water storage that could help make a dent in the drought: holding that water behind dams and putting it in the ground.
Why isn’t California capturing more runoff now?
When California gets storms like the atmospheric rivers that hit in December 2022 and January 2023, water managers around the state probably shake their heads and ask why they can’t hold on to more of that water. The reality is, it’s a complicated issue.
California has big dams and reservoirs that can store large volumes of water, but they tend to be in the mountains. And once they’re near capacity, water has to be released to be ready for the next storm. Unless there’s another reservoir downstream, a lot of that water is going out to the ocean.
In more populated areas, one of the reasons storm water runoff isn’t automatically collected for use on a large scale is because the first runoff from roads is often contaminated. Flooding can also cause septic system overflows. So, that water would have to be treated.
You might say, well, the captured water doesn’t have to be drinking water, we could just use it on golf courses. But then you would need a place to store the water, and you would need a way to distribute it, with separate pipes and pumps, because you can’t put it in the same pipes as drinking water.
Putting water in the ground
There’s another option, and that’s to put it in the ground, where it could help to replenish groundwater supplies.
Managed recharge has been used for decades in many areas to actively replenish groundwater supplies. But the techniques have been gaining more attention lately as wells run dry amid the long-running drought. Local agencies have proposed more than 340 recharge projects in California, and the state estimates those could recharge an additional 500,000 acre-feet of water a year on average if all were built.
One method being discussed by the state Department of Water Resources and others is Flood-MAR, or flood-managed aquifer recharge. During big flows in rivers, water managers could potentially divert some of that flow onto large parts of the landscape and inundate thousands of acres to recharge the aquifers below. The concept is to flood the land in winter and then farm in summer.
Flood-MAR is promising, provided we can find people who are willing to inundate their land and can secure water rights. In addition, not every part of the landscape is prepared to take that water.
You could inundate 1,000 acres on a ranch, and a lot of it might stay flooded for days or weeks. Depending on how quickly that water soaks in, some crops will be OK, but other crops could be harmed. There are also concerns about creating habitat that encourages pests or risks food safety.
Another challenge is that most of the big river flows are in the northern part of the state, and many of the areas experiencing the worst groundwater deficits are in central and southern California. To get that excess water to the places that need it requires transport and distribution, which can be complex and expensive.
Encouraging landowners to get involved
In the Pajaro Valley, an important agricultural region at the edge of Monterey Bay, regional colleagues and I are trying a different type of groundwater recharge project where there is a lot of runoff from hill slopes during big storms.
The idea is to siphon off some of that runoff and divert it to infiltration basins, occupying a few acres, where the water can pool and percolate into the ground. That might be on agricultural land or open space with the right soil conditions. We look for coarse soils that make it easier for water to percolate through gaps between grains. But much of the landscape is covered or underlain by finer soils that don’t allow rapid infiltration, so careful site selection is important.
One program in the Pajaro Valley encourages landowners to participate in recharge projects by giving them a rebate on the fee they pay for water use through a “recharge net metering” mechanism.
We did a cost-benefit analysis of this approach and found that even when you add in all the capital costs for construction and hauling away some soil, the costs are competitive with finding alternative supplies of water, and it is cheaper than desalination or water recycling.
Is the rain enough to end the drought?
It’s going to take many methods and several wet years to make up for the region’s long period of low rainfall. One storm certainly doesn’t do it, and even one wet year doesn’t do it.
For basins that are dependent on groundwater, the recharge process takes years. If this is the last rainstorm of this season, a month from now we could be in trouble again.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The California Department of Water Resources reported that several more atmospheric river storms are in store for the state as some areas hit flood stage and reservoirs get a massive influx of runoff and rain.
With California facing still more storms through the middle of January, Department of Water Resources Director Karla Nemeth said Monday in a briefing with reporters that it was “yet another climate signal,” with California having both a drought and flood emergency.
Nemeth said California has been in the midst of a record-breaking drought up until a few weeks ago. However, she said that the state continues to be in a drought emergency.
As for the recent storms dumping large amounts of rain on California, “We will be reassessing in the later part of January what this means relative to overall drought,” Nemeth said, noting the large amount of variability across the state in terms of hydrological conditions and water availability.
There is still a long time left to go in a typical wet season, and Nemeth said there is a lot of other data to fill in to help understand California's longer term water supply picture.
The rain that fell on Monday came from the fifth atmospheric river storm in a series that started just after Christmas, said State Climatologist Dr. Michael Anderson.
A storm that will hit later this week is expected to have a longer duration and extend along the North Coast to the North Bay counties, he said.
“We will get some more rain out of that for a couple of days heading into the weekend,” Anderson said.
That’s one of four more atmospheric river storms forecast to hit California by Jan. 19 — bringing the total to nine — after which some dry conditions are expected to return.
Anderson said the forecast models show that after Jan. 19 the storms will die down and high pressure will build, blocking storms and pushing them to the north.
He explained that the storms are part of a sudden pattern shift that began in December, around Christmas, when a very strong jet stream brought storm after storm after storm.
There is more energy for the atmosphere to work with, leading to the interplay between the wet and dry cycles, Anderson said.
Jeremy Arrich, manager of the Department of Water Resources’ Division of Flood Management who is involved with the Flooding Operation Center — activated since Jan. 3 — said many monitored water locations across California were expected to reach flood stage late on Monday.
As of early Tuesday morning, the California Nevada River Forecast Center reported that there were 27 locations above monitor stage and seven above flood stage.
Clear Lake, which just passed onto the plus side of lake height over the weekend after being at its lowest level since the 1970s drought, was at 0.6 feet Rumsey late Monday and therefore was reported as being within “normal” conditions by the forecast center.
In neighboring Mendocino County, the Russian River at Hopland was fast approaching flood stage, with its level reported to be at 13.4 feet late Monday night, just short of the 15 foot flood stage.
The Russian River at Guerneville in Sonoma County was at 31.4 feet on Monday night, with its flood stage at 32 feet, the forecast center reported.
Arrich said the Russian River was among a handful of areas where the state was focusing its efforts to address flooding. The other areas are the Cosumnes River in Sacramento County, Bear Creek in Merced County, the Carmel River in Monterey County and the Pajaro River in Santa Cruz and Monterey counties.
He said on Monday afternoon that there had been no requests for assistance due to the Russian River’s high water, but that it’s an area the state monitors on a regular basis and that it had made the high water notification calls.
“We’re ready to assist when and if needed,” he said.
By Monday afternoon, Arrich said the Flood Operations Center had delivered flood fight materials and equipment to 13 counties, including more than 180,000 sandbags, six flood fight containers, 3,000 linear feet of reinforcing muscle wall, with flood fight specialists also deployed.
Arrich said the state also is communicating and making proactive outreach to local levee managers, counties and cities to keep them informed of high water conditions, and is continuing close coordination with the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, counties and emergency managers in areas that are anticipated to be impacted.
He said most levee operators are doing their own patrols.
The Department of Water Resources told Lake County News on Monday that at that point the Flood Operations Center had not received a specific request for assistance from Lake County at this time.
However, the agency said the center is in close contact with local agencies across the state and flood-fight materials and equipment have been positioned at 49 locations statewide to support state and local response efforts when requested.
Around Lake County, creeks and streams are running high, and in Upper Lake, the water level is high in the Middle Creek and Clover Creek diversion levees.
John Yarborough, assistant deputy director of the State Water Project, said that although there has been significant inflow into the state’s reservoirs, there is still a lot of room to take in more water from the storms over the coming days. Statewide reservoir storage as of Jan. 8 was 78%.
He said Lake Shasta is 37% full and that Lake Oroville’s level has risen more than 77 feet since Dec. 1 thanks to taking in more than half a million acre feet of water.
Another half a million acre feet are expected to flow into Lake Oroville, bringing it up to two million acre feet. Yarborough said Lake Oroville has a capacity of 3.5 million acre feet.
While the storms are great, state officials said water supply conditions are still below average. Anderson said the reservoirs have been depleted and rebuilding the system’s storage will take time — he estimated a couple of years — and require not just more storms but also snowmelt.
Anderson said forecasters are waiting until after the larger storm event to do an analysis of it.
While each of the storms on its own hasn’t been that awe inspiring, Anderson said it’s a matter of having so many storms, one after another, with no break.
In the fall, forecasters expected a La Nina system to bring more dry conditions, and late in 2022, that pattern was holding, he said.
However, Anderson said it’s still a work in progress to understand large transitions such as these recent storms that happen suddenly.
He said forecasters are working with the research community to get better forecasts and lead time on weather events.
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. — At its first meeting of 2023, the Board of Supervisors will host a swearing-in of county elected officials, consider finalizing a significant raise for its members and discuss an emergency action that’s proposed to help save the native Clear Lake hitch.
The board will meet beginning at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 10, in the board chambers on the first floor of the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport.
The meeting ID is 934 5333 8139, pass code 387270. The meeting also can be accessed via one tap mobile at +16699006833,,93453338139#,,,,*387270#.
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.
On Tuesday, the meeting will begin with the election of the chair and vice chair of the Board of Supervisors, the Lake County Board of Equalization and the Lake County In-Home Supportive Services Public Authority Board of Directors for 2023.
At 9:04 a.m., the registrar of voters will then administer the oath of office to District 2 Supervisor Bruno Sabatier, District 3 Supervisor Eddie Crandell, Treasurer-Tax Collector Patrick Sullivan, County Clerk-Auditor Jenavive Herrington, Sheriff-Coroner Eutice “Rob” Howe, Assessor-Recorder Richard Ford, District Attorney Susan Krones and Superintendent of Schools Brock Falkenberg.
In an untimed item, 7.10, the board will hold the second reading of an ordinance amending Section 2-3A.1 of Article I, Chapter 2 of the Lake County Code, relating to the compensation of the Board of Supervisors.
At the Dec. 20 meeting, the board approved the first reading of the ordinance, which will give members a 40% annual raise.
If approved on Tuesday, the raises would go into effect 60 days after passage, on or around March 10, unless challenged by a referendum.
In another untimed item, 7.4, the board will consider a number of final agreements and promissory notes to allow construction to move forward on the Collier Avenue Housing Project, which will be an apartment complex for Behavioral Health Services clients in Nice.
At 9:30 a.m., the board will consider a proclamation declaring the existence of a local emergency due to persistent drought, habitat loss and potential extinction of Clear Lake hitch.
In a memo to the board, supervisors Michael Green and EJ Crandell are proposing a resolution which they said “proposes a multi-jurisdictional call to acknowledge the chi emergency and take appropriate measures; to rank and prioritize projects and funding sources to support chi repopulation; to assess enforcement and compliance of existing laws and regulations; and to encourage robust discussion and public participation as the county and its partners consider next steps.”
The full agenda follows.
CONSENT AGENDA
5.1: Approve continuation of proclamation of the existence of a local emergency due to pervasive tree mortality.
5.2: Approve Amendment No. 3 (no cost period of performance extension) to agreement Sulphur, Pawnee and Mendocino Complex wildfires structural burn debris removal insurance cost recovery and invoicing in Lake County.
5.3: Approve Board of Supervisors minutes for Dec. 6, 2022.
5.4: Adopt proclamation designating the month of January 2023 as Human Trafficking Awareness Month in Lake County.
5.5: Approve continuation of resolution authorizing teleconferenced meetings during a state of emergency continue to exist.
5.6: Approve continuation of a local health emergency related to the 2019 Coronavirus (COVID-19) as proclaimed by the Lake County Public Health officer.
5.7: Approve continuation of an emergency declaration for drought conditions.
5.8: Approve continuation of a local emergency due to COVID-19.
5.9: Approve agreement between the Lake County Probation Department and the state of California Franchise Tax Board for the purpose of the collection of unpaid court-ordered fines, monetary sanctions, forfeitures and penalties through Nov. 30, 2025, and authorize the chief probation officer to sign.
5.10: Approve travel for interim Chief Probation Officer Wendy Mondfrans and staff services analyst Kelly Morin to the Tyler Technologies Conference May 2023 in San Antonio, Texas.
5.11: Approve the capitalized fixed asset listing required upon departure from elected office.
5.12: Approve contract between the county of Lake and Lake Transit Authority for local public transportation services in the amount of $65,600, from July 1, 2022, to June 30, 2025, and authorize the chair to sign.
5.13: Approve contract between the county of Lake and Redwood Community Services Inc. for the provision of SB163 wraparound services in the amount of $402,393 per fiscal year, from Sept. 1, 2022, to June 30, 2025, and authorize the chair to sign.
5.14: Approve contract between the county of Lake and Lake Family Resource Center for domestic violence services, in the amount of $25,000 per fiscal year from July 1, 2022, to June 30, 2025, and authorize the chair to sign.
5.15: Approve contract between county of Lake and Adams Ashby Group for HOME and Community Development Block Grant loan portfolio management services in the amount of $50,000, from Jan. 1, 2023, to Dec. 31, 2024, and authorize the chair to sign.
5.16: Approve amendment one to the agreement between the county of Lake on behalf of CSA-02, Spring Valley and Anchor QEA LLC for engineering and design services for the Spring Valley Lake Recovery Project for an increase of $134,351.00 to the contract amount.
5.17: Approve agreement between county of Lake and Harmony Research for professional research services related to tax default land sales in an amount not to exceed $307,500 and authorize the chair to sign.
TIMED ITEMS
6.1, 9:01 a.m.: Election of chair of the Board of Supervisors and vice-chair of the Board of Supervisors for 2023 (outgoing chair conducts election).
6.2, 9:02 a.m.: Sitting as the Lake County Board of Equalization, election of chair and vice-chair of the Lake County Local Board of Equalization for 2023.
6.3, 9:03 a.m.: Sitting as the Lake County In-Home Supportive Services, election of chair and vice-chair of the Lake County In-Home Supportive Services Public Authority Board of Directors for 2023.
6.4, 9:04 a.m.: Erratum, a) Administer oath of office to District 2 Supervisor Bruno Sabatier; and b) administer oath of office to District 3 Supervisor Eddie Crandell; and c) administer oath of office to Treasurer-Tax Collector Patrick Sullivan; and d) administer oath of office to County Clerk-Auditor Jenavive Herrington; and e) administer oath of office to Sheriff-Coroner Eutice “Rob” Howe; and f) administer oath of office to Assessor-Recorder Richard Ford; and g) administer oath of office to District Attorney Susan Krones; and h) administer oath of office to Lake County Superintendent of Schools Brock Falkenberg.
6.5, 9:06 a.m.: Public input.
6.6, 9:07 a.m.: Presentation of proclamation designating the month of January 2023 as Human Trafficking Awareness Month in Lake County.
6.7, 9:11 a.m.: Reappoint members of the Lake County Planning Commission for a two-year term (a) reappoint District 1 Commissioner John Hess; (b) reappoint District 2 Commissioner Everardo Chavez Perez; (c) reappoint District 3 Commissioner Batulwin A. Brown; (d) reappoint District 4 Commissioner Christina Price; and (e) reappoint District 5 Commissioner Maile Field.
6.8, 9:30 a.m.: Consideration of proclamation declaring the existence of a local emergency due to persistent drought, habitat loss and potential extinction of Clear Lake Hitch.
6.9, 1:15 p.m.: Consideration of an agreement to provide funding in support of the BUILD Program, facilitated by North Coast Opportunities Inc., in the not-to-exceed amount of $800,000.
UNTIMED ITEMS
7.2: Consideration of direction to the Cannabis Task Force to prioritize regulations surrounding cannabis retail operations in the first quarter of 2023.
7.3: Consideration of Behavioral Health Service Department's update regarding Tribal 638 Clinic payment process and New Life Clinic LLC.
7.4: Consideration of the PLHA Loan Agreement, PLHA Deed of Trust, PLHA Promissory Note, PLHA Regulatory Agreement, MHSA/HHAP Loan Agreement, MHSA/HHAP Deed of Trust, MHSA/HHAP Promissory Note, Chase/County Subordination Agreement, County/Sponsor Subordination Agreement, County/DDS Subordination Agreement for the Collier Avenue Housing Project.
7.5: Consideration of Amendment No. 1 to the agreement between county of Lake and Native American Mental Health Services dba North American Mental Health Services for telepsychiatry services for fiscal years 2022-23, 2023-24, and 2024-25 for a new contract maximum of $3,875,877.36 and authorize the board chair to sign.
7.6: Consideration of 2023 committee assignments for members of the Board of Supervisors.
7.7: Consideration of advisory board appointments.
7.8: Consideration of delegation of investment authority to treasurer–tax collector.
7.9: Consideration of resolution authorizing investment of monies in the Local Agency Investment Fund.
7.10: ADDENDUM — Second reading of an ordinance amending Section 2-3A.1 of Article I, Chapter 2 of the Lake County Code, Compensation of the Board of Supervisors.
7.11: ADDENDUM — Consideration of resolution authorizing investment of monies with U.S. Bank NA and authorizing the county treasurer to act as the duly authorized and qualified representative.
CLOSED SESSION
8.1: Public employee evaluation: Health Services Director Jonathan Portney.
8.2, 3:30 p.m.: Public employee appointment pursuant to Gov. Code Section 54957(b)(1): interviews for Public Health officer appointment of Public Health officer.
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. — State officials on Saturday evening gave an update on the powerful storm conditions moving across California, which in some areas have led to flooding.
California Department of Water Resources staff said a series of big storms will be hitting California this week, bringing not just more water but high winds.
State Climatologist Dr. Michael Anderson said a string of storms are underway. The first began on Dec. 27, and they are expected to continue until Jan. 19.
“We want to stay on this,” he said of the state’s effort to monitor the situation.
The next storm in the series was expected to come on shore on Saturday night, Anderson said.
That is to be followed by a second storm early in the week that’s a bigger concern and will have more impact, followed by storms three, four and five.
Precipitation maps developed by forecasters showed large amounts of rainfall statewide.
“We see some pretty astounding numbers here,” from the North Coast to San Diego, Anderson said.
He said the coming six days could see the state getting just as much rain as its already been through due to the unrelenting storms.
Anderson said a partnership of state and federal agencies, the Atmospheric River Recon, has several planes flying the storms, with that data being placed into National Weather Service forecast models.
The result, said Anderson, is an improved precipitation model that is helping with forecasting the coming storms.
Jeremy Arrich, manager of DWR’s Division of Flood Management, said the state’s Flood Operations Center has been activated since Jan. 3.
He said the center serves as a hub to gather and share information that’s used to support locally led flood emergency response efforts across the state.
The center can also supply direct materials, enlist crews and let out construction contracts for placing rock where needed or using other flood fighting methods to mitigate the impacts to levees or other areas.
As of Saturday night, he said there were 15 water systems in the state forecasted to exceed flood stage and 30 forecasted to exceed monitor stage.
According to the California Nevada River Forecast Center, the areas approaching flood stage that are closest to Lake County are the Russian River in Hopland and the Russian River in Guerneville.
Arrich said that California’s two largest reservoirs connected to the Sacramento River system, Oroville and Shasta, both have a lot of room in them still, even after the heavy rains of the past few weeks.
“That’s going to be a big relief valve for us in terms of that available storage,” Arrich said.
“DWR expects widespread impacts in small streams and creeks across the state, localized street flooding, low lying areas, areas with poor drainage, and other areas that are prone to flooding like coastal areas, recent wildfire burn scar areas and areas prone to rock or mudslides,” he said.
Californians should pay attention to safety messages from local authorities, heed all signs posted on roadways, and absolutely never attempt to drive through a flooded roadway, Arrich said.
Arrich also urged people to have an evacuation plan and to leave immediately if local authorities direct it.
Over the past week, the Flood Operations Center has been very busy and has coordinated efforts to help deliver materials and equipment to 12 counties, including more than 150,000 sandbags, six flood fight containers, more than 3,000 linear feet of reinforcing muscle wall and deployment of flood fight specialists to various locations, Arrich said.
Materials and equipment also have been positioned at 49 locations statewide and are ready when needed, and specialists have been deployed to support counties and agencies in flood fighting efforts, Arrich said.
Arrich said incident command teams are prepared to be deployed statewide as needed, and they’ve also been reaching out to levee managers and counties and cities to keep them informed of high water conditions, and to coordinate increased levee and flood system patrols.
The Flood Operations Center also is coordinating with the state Office of Emergency Services and emergency officials on the local level, he said.
Late Saturday, Clear Lake’s level was at -0.24 feet Rumsey, the special measure for Clear Lake.
With the rainfall, it’s anticipated the lake will soon cross into the plus side.
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. — Authorities said driving under the influence is believed to be a factor in a four-vehicle wreck on Monday morning that killed a Clearlake man and injured four others.
Gregory J. Zachreson, 58, died at the scene of the crash, which occurred at 10:46 a.m. Monday on Highway 29 near Argonaut Road near Lakeport, according to the California Highway Patrol’s Clear Lake Area office.
Bradley C. Jones, 20, of Lakeport was arrested following the crash on suspicion of DUI, the CHP said.
The CHP’s report on the crash said Jones was driving a 1999 Chrysler Concorde southbound on Highway 29 at the intersection of Argonaut Road as Gary D. Moore, 67, of Finley was driving a 2021 Honda Passport northbound.
Timothy M. Laubach, 31, of Middletown was driving a 2001 Ford Focus northbound on Highway 29 to the rear of Moore, with Zachreson riding as Laubach’s passenger, the CHP said.
Traveling behind Laubach was Andrew T. Pick, 26, of Lakeport, who was driving a 2008 Mercedes C300 northbound, with Isis E. Martinez, 22, of Lakeport as his passenger, according to the report.
The CHP said Jones drove the Chrysler south over the solid double-yellow lines and into the northbound lane, where it hit Moore’s Honda head-on before continuing south in the northbound lane and hitting Laubach’s Ford head-on.
Pick was unable to avoid the collision and hit Jones’ Chrysler head-on, the CHP said.
The CHP said Zachreson died of his injuries at the scene.
CHP officers arrested Jones at the scene for DUI. He suffered major injuries and was transported to the Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital.
Laubach suffered major injuries and also was transported to Santa Rosa Memorial, while the CHP said Pick and Martinez both suffered minor injuries and were taken to the hospital for treatment of lacerations and contusions. Moore was uninjured.
Martinez was not wearing a seat belt, but the other five individuals involved in the wreck did use their seat belts, the CHP said.
The CHP reminds motorists to designate a sober driver and always wear a seatbelt.
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 Planning Commission will start off the new year considering a new affordable housing complex for the city and a request for a permit to allow residential use at a commercial property.
The commission will meet at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 11, in the council chambers at Lakeport City Hall, 225 Park St.
The council chambers will be open to the public for the meeting. Masks are highly encouraged where 6-foot distancing cannot be maintained.
To speak on an agenda item, access the meeting remotely here; the meeting ID is 814 1135 4347, pass code is 847985.
To join by phone, dial 1-669-444-9171; for one tap mobile, +16694449171,,81411354347#,,,,*847985#.
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, Jan. 11.
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 consider the application from AMG & Associates LLC for a general plan amendment, zone change and mitigated negative declaration for a 40-unit apartment complex to be located at 519 S. Smith St.
The city staff report on the project explains that the 3.7-acre project site is undeveloped, and Phase I and II of the Martin Street Apartments are to the north of the project site.
The complex, which the staff report calls an “affordable housing community,” would include 40 total dwelling units within five multi-family residential buildings with a total of eight units per building. Of those, 10 units will be adaptable units, six units will be compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act and four units will be sensory impaired units.
There also will be a 2,469-square-foot community center, a playground and half basketball court.
Staff is supporting the commission’s recommendation of approval to the Lakeport City Council.
If approved, this would be AMG’s fifth project in the city.
AMG is the builder of the Bella Vista senior housing complex and the Martin Street affordable housing apartment complex, and early last year received the commission’s approval to build a 40-unit senior apartment complex on Bevins Street.
Also on the agenda is an application from Lisa Tomassini for a use permit to allow a residential use in conjunction with a commercial business at 341 N Main St. Staff is recommending approval.
The commission is next scheduled to meet on Wednesday, Feb. 8.
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.
U.S. Geological Survey field crews measured high streamflows this past week throughout California, thirteen of which were record high-flow measurements.
These measurements provide information that protect life, property, and the environment including uses for water supply and management, monitoring floods and droughts, bridge and road design, determination of flood risk and many recreational activities
“Heavy rains and hazardous weather conditions continue in northern California this week,” said Mark Dickman, associate director of data for the USGS California Water Science Center. “Streamflows have been very high, and we expect more over parts of the region the next several days.”
USGS crews made 77 streamflow measurements at 58 streamgages between December 31, 2022 and January 2, 2023, and recorded 13 preliminary record-high streamflow measurements in northern California. To the east of Sacramento, crews captured the highest direct measurement ever recorded at streamgage 11335000 on the Cosumnes River near Michigan Bar, CA — 63,700 cubic feet per second — in over 100 years of record. Additional historic peaks are expected throughout the state this week, as another atmospheric river is likely to occur.
These data are used by the National Weather Service to develop flood forecasts, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to manage flood control and local agencies in their flood response activities.
“The SFPUC relies on accurate and real-time hydrology information for our water supply system and watershed land operations, particularly during storm events,” said Tim Ramirez with the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission. “Information regarding reservoir levels, and streams flowing into and from the reservoirs are critical data we use to make operational decisions, and we are grateful for the USGS staff out in the field during these storm events who are an important part of our team.”
There are 458 USGS-operated streamgages in California that measure water levels, streamflow, and rainfall automatically and send data wirelessly, which are accessible from the National Water Dashboard. When flooding occurs, USGS crews make numerous streamflow measurements to verify the data that the USGS provides to federal, state, and local agencies, as well as to the public.
For more than 125 years, the USGS has monitored flow in selected streams and rivers across the United States.
Access current flood and high flow conditions across the country by visiting the USGS National Water Dashboard. Receive instant, customized updates about water conditions in your area via text message or email by signing up for USGS WaterAlert.