LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Board of Supervisors is set to discuss the county’s concerns about the proposed removal of the Scott Dam, which created Lake Pillsbury, and along with it will consider sending letters to the governor and to the Trump Administration seeking assistance in stopping the dam’s decommissioning.
The board will meet beginning at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 25, in the board chambers on the first floor of the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport.
The meeting ID is 865 3354 4962, pass code 726865. The meeting also can be accessed via one tap mobile at +16694449171,,86533544962#,,,,*726865#. The meeting can also be accessed via phone at 669 900 6833.
At 1:30 p.m. the supervisors will consider sending comments to Pacific Gas and Electric Co. in response to the company’s application for surrender of license and application for non-project use of project lands relating to the Scott Dam.
The construction in 1922 of the dam, located on the Eel River in Lake County and within the Mendocino National Forest, created Lake Pillsbury. It’s one of two dams included in PG&E’s Potter Valley Hydroelectric Project.
On Jan. 31, PG&E released its draft license surrender application, with the comment period to close on March 3.
The staff report for the discussion said the county’s proposed letter “addresses considerations regarding the comment period timeline and potential impacts to Lake County, including implications for fire suppression capabilities, property values, and county revenue streams.”
The county says its opposes decommissioning of Scott Dam, in part, because PG&E has not outlined mitigation measures that would be put in place to address environmental and safety concerns raised by the county.
As part of the Tuesday discussion, the board also will consider two letters — one to Gov. Gavin Newsom and one to the Trump Administration.
The letter to the governor notes that despite Newsom signing an executive order last month to maximize storage of excess flows due to winter storms, “We are highly concerned that the State of California has shown support for decommissioning Scott Dam, rather than serving in a neutral role and weighing the network of risks.”
The board says in its letter that there is a contradiction between the executive order and the state’s apparent support for the dam’s removal, adding, “loss of Scott Dam would markedly reduce storage of water from future winter storms, whereas your Order directs State Agencies to maximize storage of excess flows.”
The letter also points out, “Two of the three largest wildfires in California occurred in the Lake Pillsbury area; the water stored behind Scott Dam was pivotal to keeping the fire from moving towards more developed areas. You will recall, 2018’s Mendocino Complex was a staggering 459,123 acres and 2020’s August Complex, which was lightning-vs. human-caused, consumed 1,032,648 acres.”
The supervisors ask for more time to meet with the Governor’s Office “to more fully express our concerns surrounding the effects of the proposed Scott Dam decommissioning. This includes concerns regarding fire resilience, wildlife, water availability, economic impact from the loss of property, sales, and Transient Occupancy Taxes, and much more. Lake County has not been heard, and costs to keep Lake County whole in the face of potential future loss of Scott Dam have been minimized and misrepresented by other parties.”
The letter adds, “California can do better, and we hope you will agree our water needs are just as important as other Counties’ water needs,” a reference to downstream interests, particularly those in Sonoma County, which have apparently been given greater priority in the matter than Lake County’s.
Along with that letter, the board will consider another letter to federal agencies regarding the Scott Dam decommissioning in relation to recent executive orders from President Donald Trump.
In that letter, the board outlines concerns about the dam removal, explaining, “Decommissioning of the dam would put regional agriculture, fire protection, water availability, and our tourism economy at great risk.”
In addition, the supervisors’ letter points out that if the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission were to approve the dam’s decommissioning and removal, that would contradict Trump executive orders that speak to prioritizing human need, maximizing water deliveries and energy generation.
That letter concludes by saying, “Secure water supply and protection of people and private property from catastrophic wildfires are matters of great national consequence and priority. Thank you for joining Lake County, and fulfilling the intent of President Trump’s Executive Orders, in opposing hurried and irresponsible Decommissioning of Scott Dam.”
Also on Tuesday, in an untimed item, the board will consider a letter of support to reauthorize the Older Americans Act and return federal funding to the Area Agency on Aging of Lake and Mendocino County. The funding is critical for the county’s senior center.
The full agenda follows.
CONSENT AGENDA
5.1: Adopt resolution approving agreement No. 24-0680-013-SF with the California Department of Food and Agriculture for the European Grapevine Moth Detection Program for $14,287 for the period of Jan. 1, 2025, through June 30, 2025.
5.2: Approve reissuance of property tax refund check from FY 22/23 in the amount of $292.94 issued to Francine Passalacqua.
5.3: Approve Board of Supervisors meeting minutes for Jan. 14, 2025, and Jan. 28, 2025.
5.4: Approve request to close Health Services offices all day on August 14, 2025, Oct. 22, 2025, and Nov. 13, 2025, for essential all-staff training.
5.5: Second reading of an ordinance amending Article IX of Chapter 9 of the Lake County Code pertaining to permitting and operation of medical transportation services.
5.6: Approve the plans and specifications for the Hammond Park Improvement Project and authorize the Public Services Director to advertise for bids.
5.7: Adopt amended resolution approving the Lake County Sheriff's Office to apply for State of California Department of Parks and Recreation Off-Highway Vehicle grant funds.
5.8: (a) Approve modified agreement between the Lake County Sheriff's Department and U.S. Forest Service for the 2025 annual operating and financial plan, in the amount of $28,792 for Pillsbury Patrol; $2,000 for dispatch services; and $30,000 for controlled substance operations, and (b) authorize the Sheriff and the chair to sign.
5.9: (a) Approve the FY 2024 Emergency Management Performance Grant application in the amount of $136,604; (b) authorize Sheriff Luke Bingham to sign the grant subaward face sheet, the authorized agent document, and the subrecipient grants management assessment form; (c) authorize County Administrative Officer Susan Parker to act as the authorized agent on behalf of the county to sign the standard assurances and initial each page, the lobbying certification, and the FFATA financial disclosure document; and (d) authorize the chairperson of the Board of Supervisors to sign the certification of the governing body resolution.
5.10: (a) Approve letter of agreement between the Lake County Sheriff's Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) of the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) in the amount of $125,000 for the period of October 1, 2024, to September 30, 2025; (b) authorize the Sheriff to sign the agreement; and (c) authorize the chair to sign workplace certifications and grant assurances.
5.11: Adopt resolution approving the standard agreement No. 24-5020 between the county of Lake and the California Department of Social Services for the Resource Family Approval Program complaint investigations and authorizing the director to sign the standard agreement.
5.12: Sitting as Lake County Sanitation District, Board of Directors, approve purchase of a 400 kW Cat generator from Peterson Cat for Southeast Wastewater Treatment Plant in the amount of $232,265.78 and authorize the Special Districts administrator to sign the purchase order.
5.13: Authorize the closure of the Special Districts Administration Office from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday, May 28, 2025.
5.14: Approve budget transfer in the amount of $25,000 allocating funds from capital line item Aquatech Sewer Cleaner Truck to 1-ton utility truck (UA3) and authorize the chair to sign.
5.15: Sitting as the Board of Directors Lake County Watershed Protection District, approve revised engineering services agreement for staff augmentation services between the Lake County Watershed Protection District and Coastland Civil Engineering, LLP, and authorize the chair to sign the agreement.
TIMED ITEMS
6.2, 9:03 a.m.: Pet of the Week.
6.3, 9:10 a.m.: (a) Consideration of update on 2024 activities of the Lake County Community Risk Reduction Authority (LCCRRA); and (b) presentation on the invasive Mediterranean oak borer from LCCRRA partner, the Clear Lake Environmental Research Center (CLERC).
6.4, 9:30 a.m.: Consideration of introduction of new staff of the Lake County Resource Conservation District and annual update to the Board of Supervisors.
6.5, 11 a.m.: (a) Consideration of priorities for FY 2026 Community Project Funding; and (b) discussion and direction to staff on which priorities to further pursue for potential submittal to Congressman Thompson.
6.6, 1 p.m.: Consideration of initiating discussions with the City of Clearlake delegation to discuss potential changes to the governance model for LACOSAN.
6.7, 1:30 p.m.: (a) Consideration of comments to Pacific Gas and Electric Co. in response to their draft application for surrender of license and application for non-project use of project lands; (b) consideration of a letter to California Governor Gavin Newsom highlighting considerations regarding Scott Dam decommissioning in consideration of Executive Order N-16-25; and (c) consideration of a letter to federal agencies regarding Scott Dam decommissioning in relation to recent executive orders from President Donald Trump.
UNTIMED ITEMS
7.2: Consideration of the Administration/Human Resources and Public Services departments to implement an intern program in fiscal years 2024-25 and 2025-26.
7.3: Consideration of Amendment No. 1 to the agreement between county of Lake and Manzanita House for adult residential support services and specialty mental health services for fiscal years 2022-23, 2023-24, and 2024-25 in the amount of $728,000.
7.4: Consideration of Amendment No. 1 to the agreement between county of Lake and Aurora Behavioral Health for acute inpatient psychiatric hospital services and professional services associated with acute inpatient psychiatric hospitalizations for FY 2024-25 in the amount of $800,000.
7.5: Consideration of the following advisory board appointments: Animal Care and Control Advisory Board, Area Wide Planning Council, East Region Town Hall, Glenbrook Cemetery District.
7.6: Consideration of delegation to the Blue Ribbon Committee for Rehabilitation of Clearlake.
7.7: Consideration of Cannabis Ordinance Task Force appointment.
7.8: Consideration of Section 19.3 of the “Board of Supervisors, County of Lake, CA Policies and Procedures Manual,” multi-factor authentication (MFA) policy.
7.9: Consideration of Change Order No. 1 to the construction contract between Lake County and Stewart Engineering, Inc. for the construction of the 14C-0099 Bartlett Creek Bridge (Bartlett Springs Road) replacement project (Federal Project No. BRLO-5914(111)) in the amount of $7,922.29 and authorize the chair to execute Change Order No. 1, Bid No. 23-02.
7.10: Consideration of Change Order No. 3 to the construction contract between Lake County and Stewart Engineering, Inc. for the construction of 14C-0048 Cache Creek Bridge (Chalk Mountain Road) replacement project (Federal Project No. BRLO-5914(094)) in the amount of $51,245 and authorize the chair to execute Change Order No. 3, Bid No. 23-34.
7.11: Consideration of letter of support to reauthorize the Older Americans Act (OAA) and return federal funding to the Area Agency on Aging of Lake and Mendocino County (AAA).
ASSESSMENT APPEAL HEARINGS
8.1: Consideration of stipulations for the following assessment appeals: (a) No. 11-2023 Descalzo; (b) 12-2023 DaVita; and (c) 13-2023 Anderson.
8.2: Consideration of request by the Assessor's Office to continue the following assessment appeal applications: (a) 05-2023 Wendy Jameson; and (b) 09-2023 Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics Inc.
8.3: Consideration of request by the appellant to continue the following assessment appeal application: No. 02-2024 through 09-2024 Donica, LLC.
8.4: Consideration of withdrawal for the following assessment appeal applications: (a) No. 73-2022 McMullen; and (b) 06-2023 Blakely Hull.
CLOSED SESSION
9.1: Public employee evaluation: Health Services Director Anthony Arton.
9.2: Public employee evaluation: Air Pollution Control Officer Doug Gearhart.
9.3: Public employee evaluation, title: Animal Control Director Gregory Wilkins.
9.4: Conference with labor negotiator: (a) Chief Negotiator: C. Torrez; County negotiators: S. Parker, S. Carter, C. Moreno, P. Samac, and D. Rico; and (b) Employee Organizations: LCDDAA, LCDSA, LCCOA, LCEA, LCSEA and LCSMA.
9.5: Conference with legal counsel: Existing litigation pursuant to Gov. Code sec. 54956.
9.6: Conference with legal counsel: Existing Litigation pursuant to Gov. Code sec. 54956.9 (d)(1) – Portney v. County of Lake, et. al.
9.7: Sitting as the Board of Directors of the Lake County IHSS Public Authority: Conference with (a) Chief Negotiator M. Long, County Negotiator R. Dillman Parsons, A. Schimansky; and (b) Employee Organization: California United Homecare Workers Union Local 4034.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, and on Bluesky, @erlarson.bsky.social. Find Lake County News on the following platforms: Facebook, @LakeCoNews; X, @LakeCoNews; Threads, @lakeconews, and on Bluesky, @lakeconews.bsky.social.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Governor’s Office has announced the appointment of a new member to the Lake County Fair Board.
Elizabeth Lincoln, of Kelseyville, has been appointed to the 49th District Agricultural Association Lake County Fair Board, the Governor’s Office reported.
Lincoln has been the economic development director for the Big Valley Band of Pomo Indians since 2015 and owner of Indigenous Management Services since 2012.
She was a grant writer for the Colusa Indian Community from 2009 to 2014.
Lincoln earned Bachelor of Science degrees in park resource management and environmental sciences and natural resources from Kansas State University.
This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Lincoln is a Democrat.
Lincoln joins a board that now includes President Tracy Medina, and members Kirk Andrus and Nara Dahlbacka.
A new state program is aiming to engage Californians more directly in the work of democracy.
Gov. Gavin Newsom on Sunday announced California’s upcoming launch of what he called a bold, innovative program that will bring Californians together to engage, interact and share ideas to help shape government services and collectively create policy solutions.
“Engaged California” is a program to support community conversations about important topics using digital platforms.
With this new initiative, the state will lead the nation in deliberative democracy, better ensuring decisions are centered on the people’s voices.
As part of California’s all-in response to the firestorm, this pilot program is being launched now for survivors and the greater Los Angeles community, with plans to roll it out statewide.
“Government works better when we build it together — and this means making it easier for everyone to be involved,” said Newsom. “After years of development, I am excited to launch this new pilot program to help create a town hall for the modern era — where Californians share their perspectives, concerns, and ideas geared toward finding real solutions. We’re starting this effort by more directly involving Californians in the LA firestorm response and recovery. As we recover, reimagine, and rebuild Los Angeles, we will do it together.”
How Engaged California works
In California, we know a strong democracy takes work. We build it through practices that spark conversation and solve problems.
With Engaged California, Californians will be better empowered to have honest, respectful discussions on important topics to help create more responsive and people-driven policies and programs.
The program is modeled after successful digital democracy efforts in Taiwan, which used digital tools to help increase consensus-building and build governance powered by the people.
The foundation of the program will encourage participation from Californians across all walks of life to interact with each other to find common ground and help set priorities for state government action.
The program will help people to directly voice their concerns and ideas, and improve policymakers' and administrators' efforts to listen to Californians outside of election cycles and to be more responsive to their concerns.
“Fire survivors are looking for answers, and California is gearing up to meet them where they are,” said Government Operations Secretary Amy Tong. “We have to think differently to bring us closer to those we serve, especially those whose voices we may be missing through traditional channels.”
Engaged California is different from a poll or town hall, and is not designed to mimic social media. The platform is the intersection between technology, democracy and state government. The end goal is to encourage more discussions as a new way to find common ground, a process known internationally as deliberative democracy.
The launch of Engaged California will initially focus on the response to the Los Angeles firestorms, bringing together community members to help influence response efforts and better address issues based on community experiences and voices.
“The launch of this program and our first deliberation will help us hear from the people we serve,” said California Office of Data and Innovation Director Jeffery Marino. “Far from just a technical tool, this is an innovative approach to foster greater collaboration and co-creation between the people of California and their government.”
The Government Operations Agency, the California Office of Data and Innovation, in partnership with Carnegie California, the West Coast office and program of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, are leading the development of this program and its supporting deliberative engagement tools.
The state is also partnering with the City of Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, and community organizations to help ensure the program is accessible for community members who may be harder to reach.
Other program design partners and advisors for this initiative include scholars and leaders from The American Public Trust, the Berggruen Institute, Stanford University’s Deliberative Democracy Lab, UC Berkeley, Harvard University’s Center for Internet and Society, the San Francisco Foundation, Project Liberty Institute and the Kapor Center.
“The future of democracy depends on finding new ways for public officials to become more responsive to the people, to bridge divides, and to harness emerging technologies that can help solve problems and improve lives in California and around the world,” said Mariano-Florentino (Tino) Cuéllar, president, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. “This effort brings us closer to that future by helping to strengthen democracy’s capacity for both deliberation and action on the issues that matter most.”
“Engaged California is a new tool the Office of Data and Innovation has been developing over the last two years that is intended to be a permanent feature of state government,” said Nathan Gardels, editor-in-chief of Noema Magazine and co-founder of the Berggruen Institute's Think Long Committee for California. “Engaged California is a three-way tool that enables policymakers and administrators to listen to average citizens outside of election cycles and be responsive; it invites citizens to directly voice their concerns and proposals on an ongoing basis; and it is a platform that encourages and enables Californians from all walks of life to interact with each other to find common ground.”
“Instead of just one idea dominating the conversation of the entire population, we can have thousands of different ideas and meld them together into something that is working with the people, not just for the people,” said Audrey Tang, Taiwan’s first digital minister and creator of vTaiwan. “And the digital participation infrastructure that enables this, I see a great future in California continuing to lead in this direction.”
“I am excited to be part of the new Engaged California pilot program, which will harness the power of technology to strengthen my connection with Eaton Fire survivors and ensure their voices shape our recovery efforts,” said Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Chair Kathryn Barger. “This innovative platform will help us better understand the community’s priorities as we focus on a swift and effective rebuilding process in Altadena. I look forward to leveraging this tool to drive meaningful engagement and deliver the support and resources our residents need.”
In recent months, Americans looking for eggs have faced empty shelves in their grocery stores. The escalating threat of avian flu has forced farmers to kill millions of chickens to prevent its spread.
Nearly 70 years ago, Maurice Hilleman, an expert in influenza, also worried about finding eggs. Hilleman, however, needed eggs not for his breakfast, but to make the vaccines that were key to stopping a potential influenza pandemic.
Hilleman was born a year after the notorious 1918 influenza pandemic swept the world, killing 20 million to 100 million people. By 1957, when Hilleman began worrying about the egg supply, scientists had a significantly more sophisticated understanding of influenza than they had previously. This knowledge led them to fear that a pandemic similar to that of 1918 could easily erupt, killing millions again.
As a historian of medicine, I have always been fascinated by the key moments that halt an epidemic. Studying these moments provides some insight into how and why one outbreak may become a deadly pandemic, while another does not.
Anticipating a pandemic
Influenza is one of the most unpredictable of diseases. Each year, the virus mutates slightly in a process called antigenic drift. The greater the mutation, the less likely that your immune system will recognize and fight back against the disease.
Every now and then, the virus changes dramatically in a process called antigenic shift. When this occurs, people become even less immune, and the likelihood of disease spread dramatically increases. Hilleman knew that it was just a matter of time before the influenza virus shifted and caused a pandemic similar to the one in 1918. Exactly when that shift would occur was anyone’s guess.
The article was just eight sentences long. But Hilleman needed only the four words of the headline to become alarmed: “Hong Kong Battling Influenza.”
Within a month of learning about Hong Kong’s influenza epidemic, Hilleman had requested, obtained and tested a sample of the virus from colleagues in Asia. By May, Hilleman and his colleagues knew that Americans lacked immunity against this new version of the virus. A potential pandemic loomed.
The U.S. prioritized vaccinating military personnel over the public in 1957. Here, members of a West German Navy vessel hand over a jar of vaccine to the U.S. transport ship General Patch for 134 people sick with flu.Henry Brueggemann/AP Photo
Getting to know influenza
During the 1920s and 1930s, the American government had poured millions of dollars into influenza research. By 1944, scientists not only understood that influenza was caused by a shape-shifting virus – something they had not known in 1918 – but they had also developed a vaccine.
Antigenic drift rendered this vaccine ineffective in the 1946 flu season. Unlike the polio or smallpox vaccine, which could be administered once for lifelong protection, the influenza vaccine needed to be continually updated to be effective against an ever-changing virus.
However, Americans were not accustomed to the idea of signing up for a yearly flu shot. In fact, they were not accustomed to signing up for a flu shot, period. After seeing the devastating impact of the 1918 pandemic on the nation’s soldiers and sailors, officials prioritized protecting the military from influenza. During and after World War II, the government used the influenza vaccine for the military, not the general public.
Stopping a pandemic
In the spring of 1957, the government called for vaccine manufacturers to accelerate production of a new influenza vaccine for all Americans.
Traditionally, farmers have often culled roosters and unwanted chickens to keep their costs low. Hilleman, however, asked farmers to not cull their roosters, because vaccine manufacturers would need a huge supply of eggs to produce the vaccine before the virus fully hit the United States.
But in early June, the virus was already circulating in the U.S. The good news was that the new virus was not the killer its 1918 predecessor had been.
Hoping to create an “alert but not an alarmed public,” Surgeon General Leroy Burney and other experts discussed influenza and the need for vaccination in a widely distributed television show. The government also created short public service announcements and worked with local health organizations to encourage vaccination.
A 1957 film informing Americans how the U.S. was responding to an influenza outbreak.
Vaccination rates were, however, only “moderate” – not because Americans saw vaccination as problematic, but because they did not see influenza as a threat. Nearly 40 years had dulled memories of the 1918 pandemic, while the development of antibiotics had lessened the threat of the deadly pneumonia that can accompany influenza.
Learning from a lucky reprieve
If death and devastation defined the 1918 pandemic, luck defined the 1957 pandemic.
It was luck that Hilleman saw an article about rising rates of influenza in Asia in the popular press. It was luck that Hilleman made an early call to increase production of fertilized eggs. And it was luck that the 1957 virus did not mirror its 1918 relative’s ability to kill.
Recognizing that they had dodged a bullet in 1957, public health experts intensified their monitoring of the influenza virus during the 1960s. They also worked to improve influenza vaccines and to promote yearly vaccination. Multiple factors, such as the development of the polio vaccine as well as a growing recognition of the role vaccines played in controlling diseases, shaped the creation of an immunization-focused bureaucracy in the federal government during the 1960s.
Inoculating eggs with live virus was the first step to producing a vaccine.AP Photo
Over the past 60 years, the influenza virus has continued to drift and shift. In 1968, a shift once again caused a pandemic. In 1976and 2009, concerns that the virus had shifted led to fears that a new pandemic loomed. But Americans were lucky once again.
Today, few Americans remember the 1957 pandemic – the one that sputtered out before it did real damage. Yet that event left a lasting legacy in how public health experts think about and plan for future outbreaks. Assuming that the U.S. uses the medical and public health advances at its disposal, Americans are now more prepared for an influenza pandemic than our ancestors were in 1918 and in 1957.
But the virus’s unpredictability makes it impossible to know even today how it will mutate and when a pandemic will emerge.
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