LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Congressman Mike Thompson will host a virtual town hall next week.
The town hall will take place from 6 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 27.
This event will be held over Zoom and interested participants must email Thompson’s office at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. in order to join, as the platform has a capacity of 500 people. Interested participants will be notified via email with instructions on how to join.
The event will also be streamed on Facebook Live via Thompson’s page.
This will be the 20th in a series of virtual town halls since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
All constituents of California’s Fifth Congressional District are invited to join.
Thompson represents California’s Fifth Congressional District, which includes all or part of Contra Costa, Lake, Napa, Solano and Sonoma counties.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — In unanimous Tuesday night votes, the Lakeport City Council approved new sewer and water rates for city utility customers, an introductory lease for a portion of the Carnegie Library and a new crisis intervention program that partners police and a local nonprofit.
At the start of the meeting, Police Chief Brad Rasmussen introduced to the council his newest officer, Katie Hutchins, a Middletown High School graduate who graduated from the police academy and worked for Calistoga Police before starting work in Lakeport last week.
With Hutchins’ hire, Rasmussen said his department now has four female officers, the most in its history.
Her hire also has brought the department to full staffing, which “we have not been at for some significant time” due to hiring issues, Rasmussen said.
Rasmussen said that over the last 10 years, Lakeport Police — with 13 sworn personnel — has only hit its total number of officers one or two times and usually only stayed at full staffing for as little as 30 days.
Following Hutchins’ introduction, Councilwoman Mireya Turner presented a proclamation designating October 2021 Domestic Violence Awareness Month to members of the Lake Family Resource Center.
The council’s main item of business on Tuesday night was a public hearing on the proposal to increase water and sewer rates for city residents.
Chris Fisher of Willdan Financial Services, the consulting firm the city hired to lead it through the Proposition 218 process required for increasing utility costs, presented a report on the increases. Willdan had presented similar reports in May and August.
Fisher said Willdan’s staff has worked with the city staff on the study in order to prepare for the rate increases. “It’s been an exhausting but very productive process,” he said, adding they have done everything they can to take everything into consideration.
The primary goals of rate study are full cost recovery of utility expenditures, cost-based rate structure, equity among customer classes, administrative efficiency, a five year financial plan and Proposition 218 compliance, Fisher said.
From 2022 to 2026, the city of Lakeport is planning more than $7 million in capital utility projects — 41% in water and 59% in sewer facilities, Fisher said. From 2027 to 2031, the city plans another $7.5 million in projects, with 58% and 41% to go for water and sewer, respectively.
For every dollar of debt owed in utilities, Fisher said $1.20 is needed to pay for that debt.
Over the coming five years, Fisher said an average residential customer who uses 800 cubic feet of water per month, water and sewer rates combined are forecast to increase from $127.34 to $157.54 monthly.
In order to approve the new rates, the council had to hold a public hearing and receive any final written protests that hadn’t yet been submitted, as required by Proposition 218.
During that hearing, which lasted just three minutes, there were no protests submitted in person to the council or via email.
One Lakeport resident posted comments in the meeting’s Zoom chat speaking against the increases, but City Attorney David Ruderman said that was insufficient to meet the written protest requirements.
After the brief hearing was closed, City Clerk Kelly Buendia reported the protest tabulation to the council.
“Currently we have one valid protest and no other protests have come in,” said Buendia.
In order to have a sufficient number of protests to reach a majority and stop the utility increases, Nick Walker, the city’s finance director and assistant city manager, said the city would have had to receive 1,661 protests, or 50% plus one. Ruderman said that number is based on parcels.
Due to a nuance in city municipal code, the council will have to hold a second hearing for the water rates before Nov. 1, Walker said.
The city’s water system ordinance, adopted in 1954, requires that resolutions relating to the water enterprise have two readings, which is unlike how resolutions generally are handled. The city’s wastewater ordinance was revised in 2008 and does not contain the same restriction on adoption of resolutions.
The council approved the resolutions to increase water and sewer rates in unanimous votes.
City Manager Kevin Ingram asked the council if 6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 26, would work for a special meeting to hold the second hearing on the water rates. The council agreed.
Once final approval on the water rates comes in next week’s hearing, the increases are set to go into effect on Nov. 1.
In other news on Tuesday, the council unanimously approved a one-year lease for the Clear Lake Environmental Research Center, or CLERC, for the basement of the city’s historic Carnegie Library, at a monthly cost of $850.
During the first year, the city will cover electricity, water, sewer and trash while they determine how much it will cost for the building’s utilities.
Initially, CLERC will use the basement for its laboratory and administrative offices, Ingram said. In the future, the plans are to also move into the top floor, where repairs are still needed to the ceiling and lighting.
The council also gave unanimous support to Chief Rasmussen’s request to enter into a memorandum of understanding with Lake Family Resource Center for a Crisis Intervention Responder Program.
Rasmussen said Lake Family Resource Center will assign, and pay for, an intervention specialist who will team up primarily with the department’s homeless outreach officer to offer more appropriate and targeted services to people in crisis who need resources beyond what a police officer can provide.
The center has money to cover the program through December 2022, Rasmussen said.
He said the program’s details are still being finalized, with the agreement soon to be signed, with a goal of rolling out the program in November.
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. — A year after it voted to hand out millions of dollars in raises, the Board of Supervisors has approved what is believed to be the biggest single slate of salary increases the county has implemented in decades — and maybe ever — with up to $16 million in additional costs over the coming four years.
Over the course of nine separate votes held during its Sept. 28 meeting, the Board of Supervisors unanimously approved memorandums of understanding or resolutions raising salaries for the Lake County Employees Association, Units No. 3, 4 and 5; Lake County Correctional Officers Association; Lake County Deputy District Attorney’s Association; Lake County Safety Employees Association; Lake County Deputy Sheriff’s Association; employees assigned to Confidential Unit, Section A; employees assigned to Confidential Unit, Section B; Lake County Sheriff’s Management Association; and management employees.
Following the votes, the board and staff rose to congratulate themselves with a standing ovation.
The memorandums, or MOUs, are in effect from Oct. 21, 2021, to June 30, 2025, while the resolutions covering the Lake County Sheriff’s Management Association and management employees are for the period of Nov. 1, 2021, to June 30, 2025.
Two groups — the Lake County Correctional Officers Association and Lake County Deputy Sheriff’s Association — have brand-new MOUs after last year’s agreements failed to be ratified by the unions and the board.
The MOU documents can be found here, on the board’s agenda page for that meeting.
The action to implement millions in raises comes after the Board of Supervisors recently brought the county’s Fiscal Crisis Management Plan to a close, the County Administrative Office reported.
In response to Lake County News’ questions about the county’s financial stability, the County Administrative Office pointed to higher-than-expected sales tax revenues and a steady increase in both sales and property tax for “many years in a row” following the recession among its reasons for that fiscal crisis action plan being discontinued.
Raises result from classification and compensation study
The action the board took Sept. 28 implements the final piece of a plan that came out of a $100,000 classification and compensation study spearheaded by County Administrative Officer Carol Huchingson and completed for the county by CPS HR, a Joint Powers Agency based in Sacramento.
The county hired CPS HR in 2018 to complete the study, the first one that the county had conducted since 2003.
It compared the county of Lake’s salaries and classifications to 12 other counties: Calaveras, Colusa, Glenn, Humboldt, Mendocino, Napa, Nevada, Sonoma, Sutter, Tehama, Yolo and Yuba.
The study, completed in 2019, proposed reducing the county’s 12-step pay range to a five-step range and raising employees’ salaries to 85% of the median pay rate across those counties.
Asked if the county had a deadline for implementing the study, Huchingson said no, but added that the data is already two years old and there comes a point where it doesn’t mean as much.
The agreements and resolutions bring all employees to 98% of market median for the first year, 100% for the second year, 102% for the third and 105% for the fourth.
In response to questions from Lake County News, the County Administrative Office said the raises will total a maximum of approximately $16,066,931 should all of the jobs be filled.
If the county’s vacancy rate remains unchanged — on the day of the meeting Huchingson said it was 21% — the total payroll cost over four years would be $12,853,544, the County Administrative Office said.
A high vacancy rate despite raises is not just a very real possibility, it’s continued to be the reality for the county over the past year.
Huchingson said they are aiming for a vacancy rate of 10% or below.
The source of the funds to pay for the raises is state, federal money, grants, and new anticipated revenues from taxes — cannabis, sales and property — and investment firm interest, officials said.
The raises will make the Public Health officer job — now only being filled on a partial basis by Dr. Gary Pace — the highest-paid job in the county, at $242,880 for the fifth, or highest step, by year four of the agreements.
The second-highest salary will be that of Huchingson herself, the county administrative officer, who for the second year in a row will receive a very large raise.
Last year, she received a 30% increase, this year she received 54.5%, plus a 2.5% longevity increase, the county reported.
She is currently at Step 5, and so will see her monthly pay go from $13,563.20, or $162,758.40 annually — based on a 160-hour-per month average calculation — to $17,541 per month, or $210,492 annually, in the first year.
For perspective, Gov. Gavin Newsom has an annual salary of $209,747. The California Citizens Compensation Commission voted in June to raise elected officials’ salaries by 4.2% in December, meaning he’ll then get $218,556.37 annually.
That’s still not as much as Huchingson will make when she reaches year four, when her pay will increase to $18,795 a month, or an annual salary of $225,540.
County explains raise amounts, sources
When asked by Lake County News about the cost breakdown by employee groups, particularly for management, county officials said the raises have not been broken down according to the employee groups, and that they didn’t have the time or staffing to make those calculations.
During the first year, the $9,175,017 to fill all county positions will be primarily covered by cannabis tax revenues for general fund departments, while non-general fund departments will utilize state and federal allocations, the county reported. Forty-six percent of the raises will come from the general fund.
Officials said $9,175,017 equates to an increase of 2.78% to the overall county 2021-22 budget.
Years two to four will continue to be funded by state and federal allocations for non-general fund departments. The County Administrative Office said it anticipates costs for general fund departments will be covered by increases in property tax, sales tax and interest increases resulting from our recent change of investment firms. “Cannabis tax will be a last resort funding source.”
Over the life of the MOUs, the percentage of the county’s budget that goes to salaries will grow from 31.87%, or $104 million, to 33.27%, or $111,618,698, officials said.
Deputy County Administrative Officer Stephen Carter said that despite still being in the pandemic, the county can afford the raises, noting sales tax over the past year has come in at more than $1 million higher than the county has ever had before. While they don’t expect it to continue at the same level, there are other funding sources that can cover the raises, including the general fund cannabis tax. None of those sources are considered one-time revenue.
Board Chair Bruno Sabatier said the idea is for the county to do its best to never have to touch cannabis taxes, noting they have other contingencies.
He estimated that $10 million is coming in this year from cannabis taxes alone, which he credited to the work of economic development over the last two years. Bolstering public safety helps with any kind of economic development.
Despite the risk of substantial market volatility in the state’s highly regulated cannabis sector, Huchingson said no one-time funding would be used for the raises.
The county also has not given detailed estimates of the impact to retirement and pension costs, or its unfunded pension liabilities.
That’s a particular concern, since the California Public Employees' Retirement System, or CALPERS, assumes a 3% increase in salaries in determining its rates. As such, salary increases above 3% can drive up retirement costs significantly.
In this case, all management employees will receive a 19.4% salary increase for the coming year, which is because they were at only 80% of the market median, not 85% of the market median, for the past year.
Carter said CALPERS is considered within the proposal, and he said normal costs will go up because it’s a percentage of payroll. He said the unfunded liabilities are a set amount and will slightly increase year to year.
Impacts for law enforcement personnel
Of the MOUs approved, only two — the Lake County Deputy Sheriff’s Association and the Lake County Sheriff’s Management Association — specifically seek to lower the high cost of the county’s group health care plan for their members.
That’s because Huchingson said employees told the county in a survey a few years ago that salary was the most important issue and the health benefit was not.
However, it was an issue for the deputies. In May 2019, the board approved a short-term MOU with the deputies’ union that had the county pick up 80% of the health care costs for deputies while the deputies picked up 20%. That remains in effect for the deputies in the new MOU and was added as a benefit for the Lake County Sheriff’s Management Association, bringing them on par with their subordinates.
Last year, the county and deputies failed to come to an agreement on an updated MOU, with one of the concerns being that the proposed salary steps showed little or no increases. Huchingson said that was because the deputies were already above the 85% level.
Concerns were raised within law enforcement ranks about the study not taking into account a 30% raise Mendocino County’s deputies had received thanks to an October 2019 agreement, which threw off the calculations for Lake’s deputies.
It remains unclear how the county and deputies’ union resolved those discrepancies in negotiations, as all of the job classifications in the unit will make less per hour — in some cases close to a $1 difference — at the top step under the new agreement, although some beginning steps are higher.
Under the previously enacted MOU, a 12-step pay range for a deputy sheriff 1 classification ranged from $24.69 to $35.68 per hour, translating to $3,950.40 a month and $47,404.80 a year for the bottom step and $5,708.80 monthly and $68,505.60 annually for the top step.
Under the new agreement, a deputy sheriff 1 will range from $26.74 on the first step in the first year, up to $34.82 per hour at the fifth step in year four, for a top annual pay of $66,854.40.
Board Chair Bruno Sabatier said at the Sept. 28 meeting that in addition to the MOU, the board allocated seven new positions to the sheriff’s office in the budget. “We are absolutely funding the police.”
He did not mention, however, that just two years beforehand, the board had cut 15 deputy positions from the sheriff’s office. The seven “new” positions restore less than half of what was lost for a department which, unlike other county agencies, has tended to show a decrease in staffing over the long-term.
Deputy Sheriff’s Association President Gary Frace thanked the county at the Sept. 28 meeting and singled out Sabatier for listening to the deputies and concerns of the sheriff’s office.
Frace said the deputies’ union believes the new contract will help recruit and retain quality deputies to protect the community. He said the continued medical benefit has lifted a weight off association members.
“It doesn't go unnoticed by us,” said Frace, adding he believes the agreement is a step in the right direction.
County officials, board members explain taking action
The day before the Sept. 28 meeting, Lake County News asked the County Administrative Office if the county is projecting a continuing growth in revenue to be able to support these raises over the long-term.
“Our Board is fully committed to furthering economic development and growth in Lake County,” the county responded.
At the Sept. 28 meeting, Lake County News asked the board more about economic development efforts as part of being able to maintain the county’s fiscal health in light of the raises.
Sabatier said the county started the process because of its vacancies and hiring challenges, watching good candidates slip through their fingers or losing staffers to other counties with better pay.
He said they are looking to grow the economy and filling the vacancies will allow the county to pursue important projects like infrastructure and seeking grants, along with enhancing public safety.
Sabatier said economic development will have to have the outcomes the county needs and it will create more work “for all of us.”
He added, “I think that this is a huge step” that he’s nervous and excited about, and he’s been telling people there is change in the air and for the future.
“Today is a great day,” said Supervisor Moke Simon, adding they’re committed to moving forward over the next decade and for seven generations.
Later in the meeting he also raised the economic development task force, a focus on infrastructure, the new Community Development director and area plan updates, tourism and rebranding as factors that would support the county’s financial health.
He said they can only achieve their goals with the support of staff and by filling vacancies.
“It will take awhile to see where we’re at. I don’t think — we haven’t had the conversation of what we expect this to do. But we do expect those changes to be happening, and by mid-spring to understand the impact of the decisions that we’re making today,” Simon said.
Board members also mentioned broadband expansion and housing projects as contributing to the county’s future economic growth.
Supervisor Tina Scott called it an “exciting day” and Supervisor Jessica Pyska said she was happy to be part of giving out the raises.
Sabatier also said the county has formalized a process for evaluating department heads, with goal setting and conversations about current and coming fiscal years. Those evaluations will be held in October and November of each year, and the board will discuss budget priorities in departments in February and March in order to match the coming year’s budget to goals.
Asked about the size of the raises, Huchingson, who has worked for the county for 28 years, said, “What is proposed today exceeds anything I've seen in all of those years.”
She said there were lean and dry years, and had the county kept pace with small cost of living increases, it wouldn’t be looking at such a large leap in salary costs.
County Chief Probation Officer Rob Howe, who has been with the county nearly 30 years, also said it was the largest increase to staff pay he has seen.
Before the 2020 raises, the most recent raises given to county employers were a 3-percent negotiated increase for the Lake County Safety Employees Association in January 2017 and 2 percent bargained by Lake County Correctional Officers’ Association in December 2017. All county employees received a 3-percent cost of living adjustment and a 7-percent salary adjustment in the 2015-16 fiscal year, as Lake County News has previously reported.
The board held separate discussions and votes for each of the items.
After the last vote, Simon, noting it was a “pretty historic day,” stood and led the board and staff in giving themselves a standing ovation.
Huchingson noted during the meeting that, “It might seem like this completes it and it’s all done.”
What was still yet to be completed was a lot of work for the county’s payroll department to get the raises entered into the system in time for them to show up on paychecks in time for the Dec. 1 payday, she said.
County officials also explained during the meeting and in responses afterward to questions submitted by Lake County News that the funding for the raises was included in the $319 million budget the board approved in mid-September, and that departmental budgets will be adjusted at midyear to cover costs.
Follow-up questions on cannabis tax, rainy day plan
In response to further questions about the implementation of the raises and sources, the County Administrative Office said the cannabis tax is a general tax, so its revenues that are utilized for the raises will be allocated to all general fund departments where additional funding is needed. That includes law enforcement expenses, which are estimated at roughly 45% of the general fund.
The board also regularly reviews its cannabis tax spending policy “and this is within the scope of the policy,” the department said.
Regarding a rainy day plan should the county’s optimistic economic projections not play out, the County Administrative Office said the county has $4,548,360 budgeted in contingencies, $12,500,000 in general fund general reserves and $10,039,525 in the cannabis fees and taxation reserve.
Those amounts, the office said, “will increase as revenues continue to increase, providing the county multiple years to figure out alternate methods to pay for these MOUs, if needed.”
Summary of the board’s actions
The board’s Sept. 28 actions are as follows.
6.2: Consideration of memorandum of understanding by and between the Lake County Employees Association, Units #3, #4, & #5 and the county of Lake for Oct. 21, 2021, to June 30, 2025. Action: Approved in a 5-0 vote.
— Salaries increase from 85 to 98% of the median. — Clarification of salary step advancement in the case of less than satisfactory performance. — Clarification of salary upon promotion or reclassification. — Employees will retain longevity steps on promotion, with subsequent longevity steps earned after five years of service in the new classification. — Free air medical ambulance — or REACH — membership. — Effective July 1, 2022, life insurance coverage expanded to the amount of each employee’s base annual salary, capped at $100,000.
6.3: Consideration of memorandum of understanding by and between the Lake County Correctional Officers Association and the county of Lake for Oct. 21, 2021, to June 30, 2025. Action: Approved in a 5-0 vote.
— Salaries increase to 98% of the median (there was no agreement last year). — Addition of a differential in the amount of +2.5% for Dispatchers who have earned intermediate, advanced and supervisory Peace Officer Standards and Training, or POST, certificates. — Inclusion of language pertaining to seniority shift bidding. — Clarification of salary step advancement in the case of less than satisfactory performance. — Clarification of salary upon promotion or reclassification. — Standardized language around the five-step salary system. — Employees will retain longevity steps on promotion, with subsequent longevity steps earned after five years of service in the new classification. — Free REACH membership. — Effective July 1, 2022, life insurance coverage expanded to the amount of each employee’s base annual salary, capped at $100,000.
6.4: Consideration of memorandum of understanding by and between the Lake County Deputy District Attorney’s Association and the county of Lake for Oct. 21, 2021, to June 30, 2025. Action: Approved in a 5-0 vote.
Highlights:
— Salaries increase to 98% of the median (there was no agreement last year). — Clarification of salary step advancement in the case of less than satisfactory performance. — Clarification of salary upon promotion or reclassification. — Employees will retain longevity steps on promotion, with subsequent longevity steps earned after five years of service in the new classification. — Free REACH membership. — Effective July 1, 2022, life insurance coverage expanded to the amount of each employee’s base annual salary, capped at $100,000.
6.5: Consideration of memorandum of understanding by and between the Lake County Safety Employees Association and the county of Lake for Oct. 21, 2021, to June 30, 2025. Action: Approved in a 5-0 vote.
Highlights:
— Salaries increase from 85 to 98% of the median. — Clarification of salary step advancement in the case of less than satisfactory performance. — Clarification of salary upon promotion or reclassification. — With the shift of the welfare fraud investigator classes to the district attorney, department head references in the MOU have been updated to include both the chief probation officer and the district attorney. — Employees will retain longevity steps on promotion, with subsequent longevity steps earned after five years of service in the new classification. — Free REACH membership. — Effective July 1, 2022, life insurance coverage expanded to the amount of each employee’s base annual salary, capped at $100,000.
6.6: Consideration of memorandum of understanding by and between the Lake County Deputy Sheriff’s Association and the county of Lake for Oct. 21, 2021, to June 30, 2025. Action: Approved in a 5-0 vote.
Highlights:
— Salaries increase from 85 to 98% of the median. — Clarification of salary step advancement in the case of less than satisfactory performance. — Clarification of salary upon promotion or reclassification. — Standardized language around the five-step salary system. — Employees will retain longevity steps on promotion, with subsequent longevity steps earned after five years of service in the new classification. — The county will continue to pay 80% of the county-sponsored medical, dental and vision group insurance plan for every employee enrolled in the plan. — Free REACH membership. — Effective July 1, 2022, life insurance coverage expanded to the amount of each employee’s base annual salary, capped at $100,000.
6.7: Consideration of resolution establishing salaries and benefits for employees assigned to the Confidential Unit, Section A, for Oct. 21, 2021, to June 30, 2025. Action: Approved in a 5-0 vote.
Highlights:
— Salaries increase from 85 to 98% of the median. — Clarification of salary step advancement in the case of less than satisfactory performance. — Clarification of salary upon promotion or reclassification. — Employees will retain longevity steps on promotion, with subsequent longevity steps earned after five years of service in the new classification. — Free REACH membership. — Effective July 1, 2022, life insurance coverage expanded to the amount of each employee’s base annual salary, capped at $100,000.
6.8: Consideration of resolution establishing salaries and benefits for employees assigned to the Confidential Unit, Section B, for Oct. 21, 2021, to June 30, 2025. Action: Approved in a 5-0 vote.
Highlights:
— Salaries increase from 85 to 98% of the median. — Clarification of salary step advancement in the case of less than satisfactory performance. — Clarification of salary upon promotion or reclassification. — Employees will retain longevity steps on promotion, with subsequent longevity steps earned after five years of service in the new classification. — Free REACH membership. — Effective July 1, 2022, life insurance coverage expanded to the amount of each employee’s base annual salary, capped at $100,000.
6.9: Consideration of memorandum of understanding by and between the Lake County Sheriff’s Management Association and the county of Lake for Nov. 1, 2021, to June 30, 2025. Action: Approved in a 5-0 vote.
Highlights:
— Salaries increase from 85 to 98% of the median. — Clarification of salary step advancement in the case of less than satisfactory performance. — Clarification of salary upon promotion or reclassification. — Standardized language around the five-step salary system. — Ability to cash out 40 hours of unused vacation time annually if they have occurred more than 200 hours. — Employees will retain longevity steps on promotion, with subsequent longevity steps earned after five years of service in the new classification. — Beginning Jan. 1, 2023, the county will pay 80% of the county-sponsored medical, dental and vision group insurance plan for every employee enrolled in the plan. This is the same benefit currently given to the Lake County Deputy Sheriff’s Association. — Free REACH membership. — Effective July 1, 2022, life insurance coverage expanded to the amount of each employee’s base annual salary, capped at $100,000.
6.10: Consideration of resolution establishing salaries and benefits for management employees for the period from Nov. 1, 2021, to June 30, 2025. Action: Approved in a 5-0 vote.
Highlights:
— Salaries increase from 80 to 98% of the median. — Updates references to chief probation officer and chief deputy probation officer to “peace officer,” enabling all peace officer classifications in the group to receive educational incentives comparable to those afforded their subordinate classes. — Employees retain longevity steps on promotion. Subsequent longevity steps are earned after five years of service in the new class. — Ability to cash out 40 hours of unused vacation time annually if they have occurred more than 200 hours. — Administrative leave increased from 40 to 60 hours per year. — Elected department heads (assessor-recorder, auditor-controller, district attorney, sheriff-coroner and treasurer-tax collector) receive an annual payment in lieu of vacation, sick leave and administrative leave equal to 7.69 % of their annual salary. The payment is to be issued by Sept. 30 of each fiscal year. — Free REACH membership. — Effective July 1, 2022, life insurance coverage expanded to the amount of each employee’s base annual salary, capped at $100,000.
Largest percentage increase by position versus pre-study wages at 98% of median:
Social Services Aide: 59.4% Social Services Aide, Senior: 55.8% County Administrative Officer: 54.5% Deputy County Counsel, Senior: 53.9% Deputy County Counsel III: 53.6% Deputy County Counsel II: 53.3% Deputy County Counsel I: 53.1% Deputy Human Resources Director: 49.8% Systems Support Analyst II: 48.9% Systems Support Analyst I: 48.8% Elections Specialist, Senior: 48.3% Elections Specialist: 48.0%
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.
On Wednesday, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an executive order that supports communities impacted by recent wildfires by extending various prohibitions on price gouging in impacted counties through Dec. 31, 2021.
Gov. Newsom has proclaimed a state of emergency in counties impacted by the Fawn fire, Cache fire in Clearlake, Caldor fire, McFarland and Monument fires, Antelope and River fires, Dixie, Fly and Tamarack fires and the Lava Fire and Beckwourth Complex fire.
Newsom also has signed executive orders to support impacted communities and bolster wildfire response and recovery efforts.
The state secured Fire Management Assistance Grants from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to support the response to the Dixie fire in Lassen, Butte and Plumas counties and the response to the Caldor fire, Monument fire, River fire and Lava fire.
The White House last month approved a Presidential Major Disaster Declaration and Presidential Emergency Declaration to support the Caldor fire response, and previously approved a Presidential Major Disaster Declaration to support counties impacted by the Dixie and River fires.
The text of the executive order is published below.
CLEARLAKE, Calif. — The Clearlake City Council will hold a public hearing on bonds, consider contracts for demolition at the city’s former water park and for vehicle abatement, and get a Cache fire update.
The council will meet at 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 21, 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. on Thursday, Oct. 21.
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.
The meeting will start off with an introduction of October's adoptable dogs from Clearlake Animal Control.
On the agenda for Thursday is a Fiscal Responsibility Act hearing and proposed adoption by the council of a resolution approving the issuance of tax-exempt bonds not-to-exceed $8 million by the California Statewide Communities Development Authority, or CSCDA.
The bonds would provide HPD Clearlake II, LP with financing for the acquisition and rehabilitation of a 72-unit multifamily rental housing project known as Clearlake Apartments, located at 7145 Old Highway 53.
The staff report said the current financing will allow for upgrades to the units, and extend the affordability covenants for another 55 years.
There is no fiscal impact for the city, staff reported.
Also on Thursday, staff will ask the council to approve a $239,800 contract with Resource Environmental for the demolition of the remaining structures on the former Outrageous Waters water park property, which the city recently purchased as part of its commercial development plan at the former Pearce Airport property.
In other business, the council will consider awarding a $100,000 contract to All In One Auto Repair and Towing contract for the city’s Abandoned Vehicle Abatement Program towing, storing, dismantling and disposal services.
Staff on Thursday also will give the council an update on Cache fire recovery efforts, and discuss possible action regarding the Lake County Board of Supervisors’ redistricting process and a storage facility for disaster supplies.
On the meeting's consent agenda — items that are not considered controversial and are usually adopted on a single vote — are warrants; acceptance of property located at 13696 Santa Clara Ave.; acceptance of property located at 15789 25th Ave.; consideration of Resolution No. 2021-53, approving a temporary street closure for the annual Trunk or Treat event; minutes for the Lake County Vector Control District Board on Sept. 8; approval of Resolution 2021-52 adoption of the third amendment to the FY 2021 Budget (resolution 2021-33) appropriating revenue from the CDBG DR Multifamily Housing Program in the amount of $1,157.983 in federal grant dollars to be allocated to Fund 354; Measure V Oversight Committee Resolution No. OC 2021-01; and authorization for the city manager to enter into a contract with Lucky Construction for the City Hall break room remodel and authorize the city manager to approve up to 10% for additional unforeseen contract amendments.
The council will hold a closed session after the public portion of the meeting to discuss a lawsuit against the county of Lake and the Treasurer-Tax Collector’s Office.
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 National Weather Service is forecasting more rain in the coming days, after a weekend storm brought some much-needed fall precipitation.
So far this week, Lake County has had rainfall totals ranging from under a tenth of an inch in Hidden Valley Lake up to nearly three-quarters of an inch in Lyons Valley, west of Lakeport, according to National Weather Service observation stations.
Forecasters said a storm system is expected to bring heavy rain across the North Coast region from Tuesday night into Wednesday, with additional rainfall possible Thursday through Sunday.
The current forecast guidance calls for seven day rainfall totals ranging from near 4 inches in Lake County to more than 10 inches along west facing mountain slopes and ridges.
Lake County’s detailed forecast calls for a 90 to 100% chance of rain beginning on Tuesday night and continuing through Monday.
Winds of up to 15 miles per hour, and gusts of up to 21 miles per hour, also are expected across Lake County, the forecast said. Lighter winds are forecast through Thursday.
Temperatures over the coming week are expected to range in the low 30s to mid-40s at night and from the low 50s to low 60s during the day.
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.
Caltrans has announced a new Clean California pilot program that offers Adopt-a-Highway volunteers up to $250 for picking up highway litter.
The Adopt-A-Highway program has been one of the longest-standing and successful government-public partnerships in the state.
Since its inception in 1989, more than 120,000 Californians have cleaned and enhanced over 15,000 shoulder-miles of roadside.
The new pilot program will augment the overall goals of the Clean California program by providing additional resources to maintain and beautify the state's roadways.
“Clean California is all about restoring pride in public spaces and making a difference in our communities, and that goes hand in hand with volunteering,” said Caltrans Director Toks Omishakin. “Through Caltrans’ Adopt-a-Highway program, volunteers can pitch in to clean and beautify our roadsides, and we’re proud to offer an incentive for even more people to help Clean California.”
Part of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s California Comeback Plan, Clean California is a sweeping $1.1 billion, multiyear clean-up effort to remove trash, create thousands of jobs and engage communities to transform roadsides into places of public pride.
Since July, Caltrans has collected nearly 2,500 tons of trash and made more than 600 conditional job offers as part of the program.
Adopt-a-Highway volunteers help create cleaner and more beautiful roadsides by removing litter, planting trees and flowers, clearing graffiti, and thinning overgrown vegetation, and also help prevent litter and other pollutants from entering state waterways through stormwater drains.
Whether completed by an individual or group, Caltrans will award stipends up to $250 total per litter collection event for activities such as:
— $250 for each adopted highway segment; — $62.50 for each ramp, or up to $250 for all four ramps; — Up to $250 for clean-up activities at other locations, such as along bike paths or at park-and-ride facilities.
Caltrans will require volunteers to submit information ― including date, location, amount of trash collected, number of volunteers, hours worked and pictures ― following eligible clean-up activities to receive a stipend. Adopt-A-Highway participants are limited to one payment a month.
As part of the pilot program, the stipends will be available to Adopt-a-Highway volunteers in Butte, Colusa, El Dorado, Glenn, Imperial, Nevada, Placer, Sacramento, San Diego, Sierra, Sutter, Yolo and Yuba counties. Caltrans expects to expand the program statewide in the coming months.
People and businesses interested in volunteering can visit www.CleanCA.com for more details and an online application or call 866-ADOPTAHWY (886-236-7824).
There is no cost to participate in the Adopt-a-Highway program. In addition to clearing litter, Adopt-a Highway volunteers have maintained 1,500 acres of vegetation and planted 100 acres of trees and 36 acres of wildflowers since 1989. Caltrans installs signs displaying the name of the person, family, organization or business on the segment of adopted highway.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — A company aiming to start a large cannabis farming and processing operation in the High Valley area will have to wait nearly a month for the Board of Supervisors to hear an appeal of the project after it was rescheduled on Tuesday.
In July, the Lake County Planning Commission approved Sourz HVR Inc./Aviona LLC’s major use permit and adoption of initial study for a commercial cannabis cultivation license on the 1,640-acre High Valley Ranch, the former PSI World property, located at 11650 High Valley Road in Clearlake Oaks.
The project will include 80 acres of outdoor cannabis cultivation, five acres of nursery area, a distribution license to allow for transport of cannabis goods, the construction of 11 buildings for drying and storage totaling 111,000 square feet — including a refrigeration building — and the use of the existing 13,000 square foot conference center for packing, distribution and office space on a 649-acre portion of the ranch.
The commission concluded that the project had met the county’s requirements, and that the applicants had supplied additional study when asked — including more analysis of water usage.
Still, a number of the project’s neighbors have argued against it on a variety of grounds, from water usage to impact on quality of life and the environment.
Within a week of its approval, neighbors Don and Marge Van Pelt filed an appeal of the action, raising a wide range of issues that also include administrative notice deficiencies, impacts on cultural resources and biology, air quality, odor, traffic and more.
The appeal was scheduled to be heard during the board’s meeting at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday.
However, Board Chair Bruno Sabatier said the appellants had asked for the matter to be rescheduled, noting they were awaiting a very large public records act request on the project to be fulfilled.
Supervisor EJ Crandell — in whose district the project is located — also was absent on Tuesday, and Sabatier felt it was important for Crandell to be present for the appeal hearing.
After discussion, the board proposed rescheduling the hearing either to next week or next month.
They concluded Oct. 26 was too soon, although County Counsel Anita Grant said she would put additional staff on the public record act request to get it out to the requester by end of business on Wednesday if they wanted to schedule it for next week.
Supervisor Moke Simon said he thought Nov. 2 was more reasonable.
County Administrative Officer Carol Huchingson said another hearing and assessment appeals are on the Oct. 26 agenda, and as for Nov. 2, she was hopeful the board would be interviewing Health Services director candidates that day. The board doesn’t meet Nov. 9.
The Van Pelts’ attorney, Brad Johnson, submitted a request on Oct. 8 for the hearing to be rescheduled for Nov. 16, according to county documents.
“Appellant requests this continuance so that Appellant may properly prepare for the appeal hearing, and to allow time for the County to produce relevant documents requested by Appellant pursuant to the California Public Records Act,” Johnson wrote.
On Tuesday, Johnson — appearing via Zoom — said the Nov. 16 date works for them.
However, attorney George MacDonald of Katzoff and Riggs, speaking on behalf of Sourz HVR Inc., said his client wanted the hearing done and a determination made as soon as possible, and preferred the Oct. 26 date.
MacDonald said any relevant documents have been public since the last hearing and are on the county’s website, and he wasn’t aware of anything else that would come to light.
He said the public records act request was made on Oct. 8, and the appeal has been pending since July 28. “We’d like this to be heard as soon as possible.”
It’s very difficult to run a farm under early activation, MacDonald said, explaining the company is trying to start farming operations and it’s being hamstrung.
“This application is extensive and comprehensive,” with three water studies and a traffic study, said MacDonald. “We’re concerned that this is a delay tactic.”
MacDonald added, “Study upon study upon study has been done,” and asked for clarification on who asked for delay.
Sabatier said he didn’t disagree with wanting the matter handled as quickly as possible, acknowledging that it puts a business on hold. However, he said he wanted to give the process enough time and have Crandell present.
After further discussion of dates and times, the board voted 4-0 to reset the appeal hearing for 10:15 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 16.
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.
Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for teens in the United States. In fact, the chance of a teen being involved in a crash is highest during their first two years of driving.
The California Highway Patrol, with the support of the grant-funded Start Smart Teen Driver Safety Education Program XIV, is working to help inexperienced drivers identify and eliminate high-risk driving behaviors.
Facilitated by CHP officers, the two-hour Start Smart course engages newly licensed teenage drivers and their parents or guardians in candid conversations on topics such as techniques to avoid crashes and the dangers of excessive speed, impaired driving, and distracted driving.
“Start Smart is designed to encourage safe driving behaviors early on,” said CHP Commissioner Amanda Ray. “The curriculum reinforces that driving is a great privilege, and it comes with a tremendous amount of responsibility.”
Parents and teenagers can register for a Start Smart class by contacting their local CHP Area office.
More information about Start Smart and California’s provisional licensing law also is available on the free CHP Start Smart mobile app for Android and iOS devices.
This mobile app includes access to the California Driver Handbook and a trip logger to track driving time as teens prepare to obtain their driver’s license.
Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
CLEARLAKE, Calif. — The Clearlake Police Department is asking the community to be on the lookout for a missing woman.
Katherine Jackson, 74, has been missing since Wednesday afternoon.
Jackson left her Clearlake residence at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday for an unknown destination, police said.
Authorities said Jackson was last seen on foot in the area of 32nd and Phillips avenues.
She was believed to be wearing a plaid cape, a red and black shirt, and black pants, walking with a cane and carrying a cloth bag, possibly with shoes in it.
If you have seen her or know her whereabouts, contact the Clearlake Police Department at 707-994-8251.
Following the second driest year on record and with near record low storage in California’s largest reservoirs, Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday issued a proclamation extending the drought emergency statewide and further urging Californians to step up their water conservation efforts as the western U.S. faces a potential third dry year.
Bolstering conservation efforts, the proclamation enables the State Water Resources Control Board to ban wasteful water practices, including the use of potable water for washing sidewalks and driveways.
The governor issued an executive order in July calling on Californians to voluntarily reduce water use by 15% compared to 2020 to protect water reserves and complement local conservation mandates.
The governor’s action on Tuesday comes as the board reports that in August, California reduced urban water use by 5% compared to 2020.
“As the western U.S. faces a potential third year of drought, it’s critical that Californians across the state redouble our efforts to save water in every way possible,” said Gov. Newsom. “With historic investments and urgent action, the state is moving to protect our communities, businesses and ecosystems from the immediate impacts of the drought emergency while building long-term water resilience to help the state meet the challenge of climate change impacts making droughts more common and more severe.”
The proclamation adds the eight counties not previously included in the drought state of emergency: Imperial, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Francisco and Ventura.
In addition, the proclamation requires local water suppliers to implement water shortage contingency plans that are responsive to local conditions and prepare for the possibility of a third dry year.
Expanding the Save Our Water initiative, a critical resource during the last drought, California has launched robust water conservation public education campaigns in partnership with stakeholders, including public water agencies.
Statewide per capita residential water use declined 21% between 2013 and 2016 and as of 2020, the urban sector is using approximately 16 percent less on average statewide than in 2013.
The administration will continue to monitor the evolving drought conditions and evaluate all tools available to respond in real-time.
California is experiencing its worst drought since the late 1800s, as measured by both lack of precipitation and high temperatures.
August 2021 was the driest and hottest August on record since reporting began and the water year that ended last month was the second driest on record.
Tuesday’s proclamation authorizes the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services to provide assistance and funding under the California Disaster Assistance Act to support the emergency response and delivery of drinking water and water for public health and safety.
The Governor’s California Comeback Plan invests $5.2 billion over three years to support immediate drought response and long-term water resilience, including $815 million for emergency drought relief projects to secure and expand water supplies, drought contingency planning and multi-benefit land repurposing projects; support for drinking water and wastewater infrastructure, with a focus on small and disadvantaged communities; Sustainable Groundwater Management Act implementation to improve water supply security and quality; and projects to support wildlife and habitat restoration efforts, among other nature-based solutions.
More information on the state’s response to the drought and informational resources available to the public are available at https://drought.ca.gov/.
I recently visited my local ski shop and they had hardly a boot, ski, goggle or pole to speak of – two full months before ski season begins. The owner said he’s normally close to fully stocked around this time of the year.
This may seem a little odd to some Americans given the U.S. has been living with the COVID-19 pandemic for over 19 months. Shouldn’t supply chains stressed by the onset of the pandemic have worked out their kinks by now?
As someone who conducts research and teaches on the topic of global supply chain management, I believe there are four primary – and interrelated – reasons for the continuing crunch. And unfortunately for many, they won’t be resolved by the holidays.
1. Consumer demand soars
When the pandemic first slammed into American shores in March 2020, companies were already preparing for a prolonged recession – and the typical resulting drop in consumer demand.
Retailers and automakers, many of which had to close due to lockdowns, canceled orders from suppliers.
But something strange happened by the end of the summer of 2020. After the initial shock, consumer spending began to rebound and was nearing pre-pandemic levels by September, in no small part thanks to the trillions of dollars in aid Congress was showering on the economy and people.
While that’s generally good for businesses and the U.S. economy, the supply chain for most products hasn’t been able to keep up – or even catch up.
2. Missing workers
Even as demand from consumers in the U.S. and elsewhere surges, low vaccination rates at key points in the global supply chain are causing significant production delays.
Failure to vaccinate more people in developing countries more quickly will likely mean worker shortages will continue to plague supply chains for many months to come.
3. Shipping container shortage
Americans’ insatiable demand for more stuff has another consequence: Empty containers are piling up in the wrong places.
To get a sense of the scale, a single container can hold 400 flat-screen TVs or 2,400 boxes of sneakers.
But many of those containers making their way to the U.S. don’t have a way to get back to Asia. The reasons involve a lack of workers, complicated customs procedures and a host of other problems.
All these problems are contributing to another challenge: U.S. ports have become extremely backed up with ships waiting to unload their cargo.
A large ship can hold 14,000 to 24,000 containers. That means one ship waiting to make port could hold as much as 5.5 million televisions or 33.6 million sneakers.
Right now, more than 60 container ships are anchored in the ocean off the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, unable to unload their stuff. Ports are also clogged in New York, New Jersey and other locations globally.
Normally, there is no wait for these ships to dock and unload their cargo. But the record demand for imports and shortages of truckers, containers and other equipment has caused substantial delays.
No end in sight
Before COVID-19, global supply chains worked pretty efficiently to move products all around the world. Companies utilized a just-in-time philosophy that minimized waste, inventories and expenses.
The cost of that, of course, is that even small problems like a hurricane or a factory fire can cause disruptions. And the pandemic has caused a meltdown.
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While I don’t expect a resolution to most of these problems until the pandemic ends, a few things could relieve some of the pressure, such as a shift away from consumer spending on goods to services and increased global vaccination rates.
But the difficult reality is American consumers should expect bare shelves, delays and other problems well into 2022.