A Pacific Gas and Electric Co. outage map for Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023, showing outages in Lake County, California. LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Thousands of Lake County residents were out of power on Wednesday and into Thursday as the result of the powerful winter storm hitting the region.
In Lake County, small outages ringed the lake. There was an outage impacting 581 customers in Clearlake that began after 8 p.m. and 154 customers in Clearlake Oaks that began at around 6:30 p.m.
But the largest outages were in Kelseyville and south to the Cobb, Hidden Valley Lake and Middletown areas.
Those outages began on Wednesday afternoon and evening, and affected several thousand residents.
As of 3:30 a.m. Thursday, PG&E had not given estimated times of restoration for the Lake County outages.
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.
A Pacific Gas and Electric Co. outage map for Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023, showing outages across California.
Malia M. Cohen. Photo courtesy of the California Controller’s Office. State Controller Malia M. Cohen was sworn in Monday, Jan. 2, as California’s chief fiscal officer.
The oath of office was administered by Gov. Gavin Newsom.
“I am proud and honored to serve as California’s state controller,” said Cohen. “The work to create a more equitable California has already begun. I look forward to ensuring fiscal accountability, with an eye toward transparency and innovation.”
Cohen was elected in November 2022, following her service on the California Board of Equalization, or BOE.
She is the first Black woman to serve as California’s state controller.
She was elected to the BOE in November 2018 and was Chair in 2019 and 2022.
As controller, she continues to serve the board as its fifth voting member.
Before being elected to the BOE, Cohen served as president of the Board of Supervisors of the city and county of San Francisco.
As a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, she served as the chair of the Budget and Finance Committee and president of the San Francisco Employees’ Retirement System.
Cohen was born and raised in San Francisco and proudly attended public school. She received her bachelor’s degree in political science from Fisk University and a master’s degree in public policy and management from Carnegie Mellon University.
She and her husband reside in San Francisco along with their daughter.
As the chief fiscal officer of California, Cohen is responsible for accountability and disbursement of the state’s financial resources.
The controller has independent auditing authority over government agencies that spend state funds.
She is a member of numerous financing authorities, and fiscal and financial oversight entities including the Franchise Tax Board. She also serves on the boards for the nation’s two largest public pension funds.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Lake County Sheriff’s Office has released the name of a man killed in a wreck last week.
Glen Eddie Igo of Lower Lake, age 62, was identified as the man who died in a solo-vehicle crash on Dec. 27, according to sheriff’s spokeswoman Lauren Berlinn.
The California Highway Patrol’s Clear Lake Area office, which originally had given Igo’s age as 58, said the crash occurred at around 3:15 a.m. Dec. 27.
The CHP said Igo was driving a 2015 Chevrolet Trax SUV traveling westbound on Highway 281 east of Konocti Bay Road at an unknown rate of speed in rainy conditions when he “unsafely turned” and went off the highway’s south edge.
His SUV crashed into an uphill dirt/grass embankment and overturned, and Igo — who was not wearing a seat belt — was partially ejected.
The CHP said Igo died at the scene.
Additional information has not been released by the CHP on what may have caused the wreck.
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.
Gov. Gavin Newsom receives a briefing at the state operations center on Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023, in response to this week's winter storms. Photo courtesy of the Governor’s Office. As a powerful winter storm descended on California on Wednesday, Gov. Gavin Newsom proclaimed a state of emergency throughout the state.
The emergency proclamation supports emergency relief efforts including authorizing the mobilization of the California National Guard to support disaster response, directing Caltrans to request immediate assistance through the Federal Highway Administration’s Emergency Relief Program to support highway repairs and other support for local response and recovery efforts.
The governor has also activated the State Operations Center to its highest level, and the state and federal government have stood up the Flood Operations Center, which covers forecasting, reservoir operations coordination, and provides technical support as well as flood fighting materials like sandbags for local agencies.
"This state of emergency will allow the state to respond quickly as the storm develops and support local officials in their ongoing response,” Newsom said.
The National Weather Service is forecasting heavy rain and snow, strong wind and the potential for additional flooding threats this week. Officials said residual flooding impacts could extend into the weekend along with additional storms lingering into next week.
The state has prepositioned fire and rescue equipment and personnel to support local resources across the state. Teams will mobilize quickly in the event of mud flows, avalanches or flash floods.
The California Health and Human Services Agency is engaging with local and community partners to ensure vulnerable groups — individuals with disabilities, older individuals, and unsheltered individuals — are aware of conditions and have access to services should they need them.
The California Department of Social Services will work alongside local partners and the American Red Cross to establish congregate shelters, the Department of Public Health will deploy regional staff to support hospitals and health care facilities, the Department of Health Care Access and Information will deploy structural engineers to health care facilities to evaluate impacts to infrastructure and the Emergency Medical Services Authority will deploy ambulance strike teams.
Driving and road closures
Avoid non-essential travel during the peak of the storm on Wednesday night and Thursday morning. If you must drive, download the QuickMap app or visit QuickMap to learn up-to-the-minute information on road conditions, traffic, closures, chain control, and more.
Power outages
Take inventory of the items you need that rely on electricity. Plan for batteries and other alternative power sources to meet your needs if the power goes out such as a portable charger or power bank. Have flashlights for every household member. Determine whether your home phone will work in a power outage and how long battery backup will last.
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 www.CalAlerts.org to sign up to receive alerts from your county officials.
Flood risk
If you are under a flood warning:
• Find safe shelter right away. • Do not walk, swim or drive through flood waters. Turn Around, Don’t Drown! • Remember, just six inches of moving water can knock you down, and one foot of moving water can sweep your vehicle away. • Stay off bridges over fast-moving water.
Know your medical needs
Talk to your medical provider about a power outage plan for medical devices powered by electricity and refrigerated medicines. Know how long your medications can be stored at higher temperatures and get specific guidance for any medications that are critical for life.
Generator safety
Portable back-up generators produce the poison gas carbon monoxide, or CO. CO is an odorless, colorless gas that kills without warning. It claims the lives of hundreds of people every year and makes thousands more ill.
Follow these steps to keep your family safe.
When using portable generators:
• Never use a generator inside your home or garage, even if doors and windows are open. • Only use generators outside, more than 20 feet away from your home, doors, and windows.
CO detectors
• Install battery-operated or battery back-up CO detectors near every sleeping area in your home. • Check CO detectors regularly to be sure they are functioning properly.
Food storage
• Have enough nonperishable food and water for every member of your household for three days. Open freezers and refrigerators only when necessary. Your refrigerator can keep food cold for four hours. A full freezer will maintain temperature for two days. Use coolers with ice if necessary. Monitor temperatures with a thermometer. Throw out food if temperatures reach 40 degrees or higher.
California Department of Water Resources Director Karla Nemeth (left), Andy Reising (right) and Anthony Burdock (second from left), both engineers in the Snow Surveys and Water Supply Forecasting Unit, and Sean de Guzman (second from right), manager of the California Department of Water Resources Snow Surveys and Water Supply Forecasting Unit, begin the measurement phase of the first media snow survey of the 2023 season at Phillips Station in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The survey is held approximately 90 miles east of Sacramento off Highway 50 in El Dorado County. Photo taken Jan. 3, 2023. Fred Greaves/California Department of Water Resources.
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA — California is heading into the new year with a deep snowpack thanks to recent storms.
The Department of Water Resources, or DWR, on Tuesday conducted the first snow survey of the season at Phillips Station.
The manual survey recorded 55.5 inches of snow depth and a snow water equivalent of 17.5 inches, which is 177% of average for this location.
The snow water equivalent measures the amount of water contained in the snowpack and is a key component of DWR’s water supply forecast.
Statewide the snowpack is 174% of average for this date.
A mountain peak is covered with heavy snow near the Phillips Station meadow where the California Department of Water Resources conducted its first media snow survey of the 2023 season in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The survey is held approximately 90 miles east of Sacramento off Highway 50 in El Dorado County. Photo taken Jan. 3, 2023. Kenneth James/California Department of Water Resources.
California is expected to see continued rain and snow over the next seven days, with the threat of flooding in parts of California.
Conditions so far this season have proven to be strikingly similar to last year when California saw some early rainstorms and strong December snow totals only to have the driest January through March on record.
“The significant Sierra snowpack is good news but unfortunately these same storms are bringing flooding to parts of California,” said DWR Director Karla Nemeth. “This is a prime example of the threat of extreme flooding during a prolonged drought as California experiences more swings between wet and dry periods brought on by our changing climate.”
One year ago, the Phillips survey showed the seventh highest January measurements on record for that location.
However, those results were followed by three months of extremely dry conditions and by April 1 of last year, the Phillips survey measurements were the third lowest on record.
Andy Reising (left) and Anthony Burdock (right) both California Department of Water Resources engineers in the Snow Surveys and Water Supply Forecasting Unit, and Sean de Guzman, (c) manager of the California Department of Water Resources Snow Surveys and Water Supply Forecasting Unit, begin the measurement phase of the first media snow survey of the 2023 season at Phillips Station in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The survey is held approximately 90 miles east of Sacramento off Highway 50 in El Dorado County. Photo taken Jan. 3, 2023. Fred Greaves/California Department of Water Resources. More telling than a survey at a single location are DWR’s electronic readings from 130 stations placed throughout the state.
Measurements indicate that statewide, the snowpack’s snow water equivalent is 17.1 inches, or 174% of average for this date.
This January’s results are similar to results in 2013 and 2022 when the Jan. 1 snowpack was at or above average conditions, only for dry weather to set in and lead to drought conditions by the end of the water year (Sept. 30).
In 2013, the first snow survey of the season also provided promising results after a wet December similar to today’s results.
However, the following January and February were exceptionally dry, and the water year ended as the driest on record, contributing to a record-breaking drought. In 2022, record-breaking December snowfall was again followed by the driest January through March period on record.
Deep snow has blanketed the meadow where the first media snow survey of the 2023 season was held at Phillips Station in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The survey is held approximately 90 miles east of Sacramento off Highway 50 in El Dorado County. Photo taken Jan. 3, 2023. Kenneth James/California Department of Water Resources.
“Big snow totals are always welcome, but we still have a long way to go before the critical April 1 total,” said DWR’s Snow Surveys and Water Supply Forecasting Unit Manager Sean de Guzman. “It’s always great to be above average this early in the season, but we must be resilient and remember what happened last year. If January through March of 2023 turn out to be similar to last year, we would still end the water year in severe drought with only half of an average year's snowpack.”
On average, the Sierra snowpack supplies about 30% of California’s water needs and is an important factor in determining how DWR manages the state’s water resources.
Its natural ability to store water is why the Sierra snowpack is often referred to as California's “frozen reservoir.” A below-average snowpack impacts water users across the state, putting further stress on the environment and critical groundwater supplies.
A mountain peak is covered with heavy snow near the Phillips Station meadow where the California Department of Water Resources conducted its first media snow survey of the 2023 season in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The survey is held approximately 90 miles east of Sacramento off Highway 50 in El Dorado County. Photo taken Jan. 3, 2023. Jonathan Wong/California Department of Water Resources. Current climate research indicates the state will see bigger swings from extreme heat and dry conditions to larger and more powerful storms that deliver temporary large boosts to the state snowpack as well as flood risk.
DWR conducts five snow surveys at Phillips Station each winter near the first of each month, January through April and, if necessary, May.
The next survey is tentatively scheduled for Feb. 1.
Snow blankets evergreen trees near the California Department of Water Resources snow survey site in El Dorado County. Many of the trees were damaged during the 2021 Caldor Fire that burned more than 200,000 acres in El Dorado and Amador Counties. A series of winter storms hit the Sierra Nevada Mountains in the last week. Photo taken Jan. 3, 2023. Kenneth James/California Department of Water Resources.
Dana Ariel Lapides, Simon Fraser University; Daniella Rempe, The University of Texas at Austin; David Dralle, University of California, Berkeley, and Jesse Hahm, Simon Fraser University
Following historic drought in 2021, reservoir levels dropped down in the Hoover Dam on the Colorado River, which gets its waters from the melting snowpack from the Rocky Mountains of Colorado and Wyoming. (pxhere.com), CC BY-SA
Where does your water supply come from?
If you live near mountains, for instance in British Columbia, a lot of your water probably comes from mountain snowpack. Over 1.9 billion people globally rely on the snow melting and running off from these mountain snowpacks for their water supply.
However, in times of unprecedented drought and a changing climate, these forecasting models seem to no longer be reliable. Following an intense drought in California in 2021, snowmelt from mountain snowpack delivered significantly less water than historical models predicted, meaning that reservoirs remained drier than anticipated. For the first time in 100 years, water supply models were wrong.
In an attempt to address the gaps in the traditional model, we recently developed an updated water supply forecasting model that considers additional factors, like water storage deficits in the soil and bedrock. This new model significantly improves the accuracy of water supply forecasts following drought.
What are existing water supply models missing?
Models used for forecasting snowmelt typically consider winter rain and snowpack. But it turns out that water absorbed by the ground matters too. The amount of water absorbed into the soil and bedrock varies from year to year and is especially impacted by drought.
When snow melts or rain falls, almost all of it goes underground first before heading downstream to water supply systems . The water storage processes below the surface of the ground are key to understanding the ultimate fate of rain and snow in the mountains.
A diagram showing how water gets from snowpack or rain to water supply systems. Rain and snowmelt seep into the ground. Plants draw water from this region. Once the subsurface is wet, the water flows downstream to water supply systems.(Dana Lapides), Author provided
The below ground environment is made up of complex layers of soil, fractures and weathered bedrock that can store, detain and transport water. The details of these processes are complicated, but the overall effect can be likened to a giant sponge.
Over the summer, the ground dries out and it gets wet again with the arrival of rain and snowmelt in winter and spring. Once the ground is wet enough, it starts to drip. This dripping water enters the groundwater and streams and eventually goes into the water supply systems.
How much water drips depends on how much snowmelt and rain is received, which is included in forecasting models. It also depends on how dry the subsurface was to begin with, which is not traditionally included in forecasting models.
Plants use a lot of water
How dry the subsurface is this year can depend on how much water the plants used last year (or even over the last few years). In hotter, drier years, plants can use more water from underground, causing the subsurface to dry out more.
Scientists are still struggling to identify how dry these mountain environments can get and how far below the surface they dry. With a drier subsurface at the start of the year, more snowmelt is needed before water starts to flow downstream to water supply systems.
As droughts become more frequent and intense with climate change, this process could become more important even in regions that historically haven’t faced much drought.
Measuring the moisture underground
Directly observing the moisture levels of the ground’s subsurface is difficult, especially when it’s stored in weathered bedrock, which can extend many metres below the ground surface and be challenging to observe.
In our research, we found the most accurate measurements by lowering geophysical instruments down boreholes and taking water content readings at different depths. By comparing these readings over time, we observe how the subsurface dries out and gets wet again.
A USDA Forest Service employee uses an instrument to measure the moisture conditions deep underground.(Jamie Hinrichs/USDA Forest Service), Author provided
However, this intensive monitoring is nearly impossible to do over large areas.
By taking a running account of water going in and out of the ground, we can estimate how dry the subsurface is — a metric we call the water storage deficit.
Water supply models must dig deeper
Our newly-developed water supply forecasting model accounts for water storage deficits in both soil and bedrock. This has improved post-drought forecast accuracy substantially, taking the probability of error in the calculation of predictions from 60 per cent to about 20 per cent.
Since we can calculate deficits before spring snowmelts, they serve as an early warning sign and can aid water management strategies.
As the climate changes, the water supply challenges in California foreshadow issues that will become increasingly prevalent in British Columbia and other regions reliant on mountain snowpack. Using updated forecasting models in the future can help these regions better prepare for continued water shortages even when snowpack seems normal.
A flooded area in the city of Lakeport, California. Photo courtesy of the city of Lakeport. LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Northern and Central California are bracing for a significant storm set to hit on Wednesday and Thursday, bringing with it a large amount of rain.
The National Weather Service said a very powerful Pacific cyclone “is rapidly strengthening and heading closer to the West Coast.”
The storm will bring “heavy rain and flooding, strong to damaging winds, very large surf, isolated strong thunderstorms and heavy, high elevation snow,” according to the forecast.
The forecast calls for up to 6.5 inches of rain this week, 4 inches of it on Wednesday and Thursday alone.
The intense rainfall in the forecast is expected to be associated with a moderate to strong atmospheric river, the National Weather Service said.
This follows a wet week in Lake County that also brought several inches of rain, leading to saturated soils and concerns for flooding.
The National Weather Service has issued a flood watch for southern Lake County that’s in effect from late Tuesday through Thursday afternoon.
The agency also has issued a wind advisory that runs from 7 a.m. Wednesday to 10 a.m. Thursday for both the southern and northern area of Lake County due to southeast winds of between 25 to 35 miles per hour and the potential for gusts of up to 60 miles per hour.
During the Lakeport City Council meeting on Tuesday evening, city staff gave the council an update on the outlook for this week as they prepared to respond to the storm.
Lakeport’s city staff and other local officials participated with the county of Lake, the National Weather Service, Pacific Gas and Electric and Mediacom in a county Office of Emergency Services meeting on Tuesday to plan for the situation.
Lakeport Police Chief Brad Rasmussen said the storm is expected to hit at about 4 a.m. Wednesday.
He said his department and city staff were preparing to respond.
Public Works Director Ron Ladd said the city will have extra crews on call, and they’ve already positioned generators at city facilities and readied other equipment — from wood chippers to barricades — in preparation for the large amount of rain and high winds in the forecast.
Ladd said he’s also met with Public Works staff and they’re ready to handle the storm situation.
“I feel like we’re as prepared as we can be,” Ladd said.
Lakeport City Manager Kevin Ingram said it’s highly likely there will be high water in flood-prone areas due to the storm.
He urged people to be careful on Wednesday.
Pacific Gas and Electric said Tuesday night that it has more than 3,000 of its employees, and contract and mutual aid personnel mobilized to respond to the storm.
Those preparations are in place following work to restore nearly of its 500,000 customers who lost power during the strong New Year’s Eve storm last Saturday, PG&E said.
The company said that poised to respond to outages are approximately 360 four-person electric crews, 397 troublemen, distribution line technicians and system inspectors who serve as the utility’s first responders and another 800 personnel who will monitor electric incidents for public safety.
Hundreds of PG&E employees also are serving in roles in the company’s emergency operations center as well as in regional and divisional emergency centers. Approximately 250 vegetation-management personnel also are at the ready.
PG&E said it is currently being supported by 16 crews from Southern California Edison and has requested mutual-aid assistance from additional West Coast power providers.
The company said its customers can view real-time outage information at PG&E’s online outage center and search by a specific address, by city or by county. This site has been updated to include support in 16 languages.
PG&E customers also can sign up for outage notifications by text, email, or phone. PG&E will let customers know the cause of an outage, when crews are on their way, the estimated restoration time and when power has been restored.
Community members are offered the following storm safety tips:
Never touch downed wires: If you see a downed power line, assume it is energized and extremely dangerous. Do not touch or try to move it — and keep children and animals away. Report downed power lines immediately by calling 9-1-1 and then PG&E at 1-800-743-5002.
Use generators safely: Customers with standby electric generators should ensure they are properly installed by a licensed electrician in a well-ventilated area. Improperly installed generators pose a significant danger to customers, as well as crews working on power lines. If using portable generators, be sure they are in a well-ventilated area.
Use flashlights, not candles: During a power outage, use battery-operated flashlights and not candles, due to the risk of fire. And keep extra batteries on hand. If you must use candles, please keep them away from drapes, lampshades, animals and small children. Do not leave candles unattended.
Have a backup phone: If you have a telephone system that requires electricity to work, such as a cordless phone or answering machine, plan to have a standard telephone or cellular phone ready as a backup. Having a portable charging device helps to keep your cellphone running. Have fresh drinking water and ice: Freeze plastic containers filled with water to make blocks of ice that can be placed in your refrigerator/freezer to prevent food spoilage.
Turn off appliances: If you experience an outage, unplug or turn off all electrical appliances to avoid overloading circuits and to prevent fire hazards when power is restored. Simply leave a single lamp on to alert you when power returns.
Safely clean up: After the storm has passed, be sure to safely clean up. Never touch downed wires and always call 8-1-1 or visit 811express.com at least two full business days before digging to have all underground utilities safely marked.
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.
New Lake County Sheriff Rob Howe, left, with his predecessor, Brian Martin, at a swearing-in ceremony at the Lake County Registrar of Voters Office in Lakeport, California, on Monday, Jan. 2, 2023. Photo courtesy of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.
LAKEPORT, Calif. — There is officially a new sheriff in Lake County.
Rob Howe took his oath of office on Monday morning in a small gathering at the Lake County Registrar of Voters Office in Lakeport.
Registrar Maria Valadez administered the oath to Howe as colleagues, family and friends — including his predecessor, Brian Martin, who retired as sheriff on Dec. 30 — looked on.
Martin and Howe embraced after the swearing-in.
Sheriff’s staff have welcomed Howe to the job, saying they’re excited to have him back in an agency which he once helped lead.
In October, after having won a third term unopposed in the June primary, Martin announced he was retiring at year’s end.
The law requires that an appointee fill the post until the next general election, when voters will choose the new sheriff.
New Lake County Sheriff Rob Howe with members of his command staff at a swearing-in ceremony at the Lake County Registrar of Voters Office in Lakeport, California, on Monday, Jan. 2, 2023. Photo courtesy of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.
Howe will serve until January of 2025, at which point the new sheriff elected in the fall of 2024 will take over.
A Lake County native, Howe served 19 years with the sheriff’s office, reaching the rank of captain and chief of staff under then-Sheriff Rod Mitchell. He left the agency in the fall of 2011 and took over the Lake County Probation Department in March 2012 as chief probation officer.
One of the reasons the board cited for selecting Howe is that he said he does not intend to run for sheriff in 2024, which will allow him to focus on running the agency rather than a campaign.
In the two-day gap between Martin’s official retirement date and Howe’s swearing-in, Capt. Chris Chwialkowski, the second highest ranking member of the sheriff’s office after Martin, was appointed by the supervisors to fill the sheriff’s job.
The law required that Howe be sworn in by noon on Monday, County Counsel Anita Grant told the board at the Dec. 20 meeting.
While Howe’s official swearing-in was Monday, he and elected department heads, including supervisors, the assessor-recorder, treasurer-tax collector and county clerk/auditor-controller, also will take their oaths of office at the start of the Board of Supervisors’ first meeting of the year on Tuesday, Jan. 10.
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 clear New Year’s Day, the National Weather Service is forecasting a rainy first week for 2023, with chances of snow in higher elevations.
The forecast is calling for rain through Sunday, with particularly heavy rainfall expected on Wednesday and Thursday.
National Weather Service forecasters are reporting that the strong storm expected to make landfall on Wednesday shows the potential for a moderate to strong atmospheric river over northwest California.
The Lake County forecast expects showers to begin on Monday morning and continue through Sunday morning.
From Monday through Thursday, the anticipated rainfall could be as high as 3 inches, the forecast said.
Daytime temperatures will mostly hover in the mid to high 40s, hitting the low 50s on Wednesday, with nighttime lows in the low 30s.
In Lake County’s higher elevations, including the Lake Pillsbury area, a winter weather advisory will be in effect from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday.
The National Weather Service is forecasting rain and snow showers in those areas on Monday and Tuesday, and then showers for the rest of the week and fog on the weekend.
Only a small amount of snow accumulation — less than an inch — is predicted.
Daytime temperatures in the higher elevations are expected to be in the low to mid 40s throughout the weekend, with nighttime conditions dropping into the high 20s.
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 East Region Town Hall, or ERTH, meeting scheduled for Wednesday, Jan. 4, has been canceled.
ERTH issued its agenda on the afternoon of Sunday, Jan. 1, which was more than the required 72-hour notice.
However, just after 2:30 p.m. Tuesday afternoon, County Administrative Office staff informed ERTH in an email that the meeting didn’t meet the Brown Act posting requirements.
While ERTH distributed the agenda to the community and posted it online, the issue appears to have been related to the county’s offices being closed until Tuesday because of the New Year’s holiday.
As a result, the agenda reportedly was not posted at the courthouse within the required timeframe. It was, however, found on the ERTH webpage on the county website.
After that email from the county, ERTH Board member Pamela Kicenski said in a followup email that the group would still hold an informational meeting.
However, later in the afternoon, Kicenski said the meeting was canceled “due to lack of proper noticing because of the holidays.”
She said the next meeting is scheduled for 4 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 1, at the Clearlake Oaks Moose Lodge.
ERTH members also were told on Tuesday that all five of the board members needed to reapply for new terms.
Similarly, County Administrative Office staff told the Lucerne Area Town Hall, or LATH, that all five of its members also needed to reapply for new terms.
That’s despite all of the Northshore town halls — ERTH, LATH and the Western Region Town Hall — having staggered terms for board members, as established in their bylaws, to avoid having all of them reappointed at the same time.
The spreadsheet shows as last being updated in September, the month before the Board of Supervisors approved the newest version of the LATH bylaws, however both the current and previous LATH bylaws explicitly dictate staggered terms.
The County Administrative Office reported on Tuesday that at that point only Kicenski had applied for reappointment to ERTH.
The Board of Supervisors is set to consider a number of appointments to county boards, committees and commissions on Jan. 10, its first meeting of the new year.
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. — The Clearlake City Council will start off the year with a discussion on the contract for the new police chief and a variety of appointments.
The council will meet beginning at 6 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 5, in the council chambers at Clearlake City Hall, 14050 Olympic Drive.
Comments and questions can be submitted in writing for City Council consideration by sending them to City Clerk Melissa Swanson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
To give the council adequate time to review your questions and comments, please submit your written comments before 4 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 5.
Each public comment emailed to the city clerk will be read aloud by the mayor or a member of staff for up to three minutes or will be displayed on a screen. Public comment emails and town hall public comment submissions that are received after the beginning of the meeting will not be included in the record.
Thursday’s meeting will include several presentations.
The first will be for a proclamation in remembrance of retired Judge Richard Freeborn, who died Sept. 30.
The council also will hold a presentation to city employees and volunteers in recognition of their service, offer a proclamation declaring January 2023 as Human Trafficking Awareness Month and get an update on recreation and events.
Council business on Thursday will include consideration of an employment services agreement with Timothy Hobbs for the police chief job.
Hobbs was appointed interim chief after the departure last month of Chief Andrew White, who is starting his new job this week as police chief of the Bay Area city of Martinez.
Also on Thursday, the council will hold two public hearings.
The first is for the second reading for the acceptance and implementation of the 2022 California Building Standard Codes, and adopting by reference the 2021 Uniform Swimming Pool, Spa/Hot Tub Codes; 2021 Uniform Solar, Hydronics & Geothermal Codes; 2021 International Building Codes; 2021 International Residential Codes and the 2021 International Fire Codes.
The second hearing will be to consider Resolution 2023-03 authorizing the extension of the temporary closure of certain roads, to reduce illegal dumping and to protect the environment, and the public health and welfare.
The council also will consider mayor appointments as well as appointments of its members as representatives to the CalCities Redwood Empire Division, to represent the city and vote at the Division Legislative Committee meetings.
On the meeting's consent agenda – items that are not considered controversial and are usually adopted on a single vote – are warrant registers; authorization for an agreement in the amount of $43,500 with American Ramp Co. for design services for the Austin Skate Park Project; and an amendment to the Management Benefit Plan Section 6-2.5 Executive Leave Account to establish consistency to executive leave banks for management employees; Resolution No. 2023-04.
After the open portion of the meeting, the council will hold a closed session to discuss a potential case of litigation and to hold a conference with legal counsel regarding a case, City of Clearlake v. Testate & Intestate Successors of Bailey Lumbers Co., et al., Case No. CV421697, Lake County Superior Court.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Lakeport City Council will start off the new year with updates on the Brown Act, consideration of a telecommuting policy for city employees and discussion of traffic safety-related complaints.
The council will meet at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 3, 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.
If you cannot attend in person, and would like to speak on an agenda item, you can access the Zoom meeting remotely at this link or join by phone by calling toll-free 669-900-9128 or 346-248-7799.
The webinar ID is 973 6820 1787, access code is 477973; the audio pin will be shown after joining the webinar. Those phoning in without using the web link will be in “listen mode” only and will not be able to participate or comment.
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 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 3.
On Tuesday, City Attorney David Ruderman will present an lead a council and civic engagement training, including presenting an update on recent Brown Act legislation.
Administrative Services Director/City Clerk Kelly Buendia will present a resolution appointing representatives to represent and vote on behalf of the city at the League of California Cities, Redwood Empire Division Business meetings and represent the city and vote at Division Legislative Committee meetings.
The council also will consider approving a telecommute program policy for city employees.
Also on Tuesday, City Manager Kevin Ingram will give a traffic safety update, and lead a discussion and review of observed trends in received traffic safety-related complaints to the city.
On the consent agenda — items usually accepted as a slate on one vote — are ordinances; minutes of the regular council meeting on Dec. 20; adoption of a resolution authorizing continued remote teleconference meetings of the Lakeport City Council and its legislative bodies pursuant to Government Code section 54953(e); confirm the continuing existence of a local emergency for the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency; accept notification of the Lakeport Police Department intent to request federal property should desirable property become available utilizing the LESO Program while adhering to its Military Equipment Policy; approve the 2023 Military Equipment Policy and City Ordinance, as drafted; and, set this matter for public hearing and adoption at the Feb. 7 Lakeport City Council meeting; approve a resolution rescinding Resolution 2896 (2022) and revising the Master Pay Schedule in conformance with California Code of Regulations, Title 2, Section 570.5; and adopt the resolution accepting construction of the 2022 Microsurface Project, by Pavement Coatings Co. and authorize the filing of the Notice of Completion.
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.
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