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Clearlake City Council approves eminent domain acquisition for Lakeshore Drive repair project
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — What is believed to be the first eminent domain action in the city of Clearlake’s history, which officials said is necessary due to a landslide repair project, has received approval to move forward.
The Clearlake City Council voted Thursday night to approve the eminent domain acquisition of a small portion of a property located at 12105 San Joaquin Ave., over the objection of the owners, Bailey and Andrew Hulett.
City leadership brought the item forward as part of the Gooseneck Landslide Emergency Repair Project, which was necessitated by a February 2024 storm that caused a landslide that threatened the integrity of Lakeshore Drive, a major city roadway for thousands of residents.
Lake County Superior Court records show that the Huletts filed a lawsuit against the city over the eminent domain action on Feb. 5.
“This is a procedurally required step in the eminent domain process,” City Attorney Dean Pucci told the council.
Pucci said that the city received a letter from the Huletts’ attorney, Robert Riggs, at 4:37 p.m. Thursday and at 4:47 p.m. that document was forwarded to the council and later added to the city website. The meeting started at 6 p.m.
Riggs’ letter had three primary requests: A continuance, which Pucci said staff recommended not granting because they believed the request lacked reasonable grounds; making the letter a part of the record; and giving the Huletts an opportunity to speak.
As part of the hearing, Public Works staff gave a report on the landslide repair project, describing the installation of two soil nail walls, a new guardrail on Lakeshore Drive, hydroseeding fo disturbed soil and restoration to as close as possible to the area’s original condition.
Staff said a large portion of the landslide was in the city right of way, but it was impossible to repair only the area of the landslide in the city right of way and not encroach onto private property.
They said the property acquisition is necessary to ensure the landslide area was fully repaired and to prevent future incidents.
The city wants to acquire 790 square feet from the Huletts’ property. The staff report showed the city offered the Huletts $990 for that portion of land.
The staff report showed that the city already has acquired 2,695 square feet from an adjacent parcel at 12115 San Joaquin Ave., owned by Mark and Renee Cooper, for $3,370.
Last week, the Huletts requested staking on the property that the city is looking to acquire, which was completed by a surveyor on Tuesday, city staff reported.
The Huletts spoke during the hearing, with Bailey Hulett reading from the letter from their attorney.
“We do not question the necessity of the project itself,” however they question the need to take their property for the project and the extent of the taking, she said.
They asked that the item be removed from the agenda, explaining that the city hadn’t yet provided them with a plot map or adequately identified the property portion they were seeking. The information they had received, she added, had raised more questions.
They requested to walk the property with a city representative, and objected to any determination that the take of their property as configured is necessary on several grounds, including it not being compatible with the greatest public good and the least private injury, and the amount of property being taken.
The Huletts also said the boundaries of the property to be taken were still not understood, but that as presented, it would cause them to lose parts of their property with standing structures. One boundary line will be immediately adjacent to their home.
There was no other public comment before the council briefly discussed the proposal.
Councilmember Tara Downey said she had a lot of questions and felt there needed to be more information discussed.
As a homeowner herself, she said she understood needing additional time, adding that, from the city’s perspective and safety of people, she understood why the city was trying to get eminent domain for the property.
She said she planned to vote no if the council proceeded.
Vice Mayor DIrk Slooten said there should be some more communication with homeowners about the property survey. “There seems to be some misunderstanding.”
Slooten said it was the state, not the city, requiring the taking of the property because, if the city fails to do so, it will be out a significant amount of money — basically the cost of the landslide repairs.
He moved to approve the resolution, with Councilmember Jessica Hooten seconding.
Before the vote, City Manager Alan Flora told the council, “We have had correspondence over the year of this project with the property owners.”
He said city staff are happy to do additional communication with the Huletts and help them understand the area but still recommended moving forward with the eminent domain action.
Pucci said that any conversations during a walk-through such as the Hulets requested would have to be guarded due to the active litigation between the Huletts and the city. He said he will consult with staff on how to do that.
The council voted 4-1, with Downey the lone dissenter. As it received the fourth-fifths vote Pucci said was required, the motion passed.
City Clerk Melissa Swanson told Lake County News that, after reviewing city resolutions back to incorporation in 1980, she didn’t find anything stating the city has used the eminent domain process before.
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Aerial mosquito control application planned
This story has been updated with a new time for the treatment.LAKEPORT, Calif. — In an effort to reduce the number of biting adult mosquitoes emerging this spring, the Lake County Vector Control District will be making an aerial treatment to the marshlands adjacent to the lake between Clear Lake State Park and Lakeport, parts of Anderson Marsh State Park, a small section east of the Clearlake Keys, and a small area near Bridge Arbor South in north Lakeport.
The treatment originally was expected to occur during daylight hours on Friday, Feb. 21. However, that morning, Vector Control said it has been rescheduled to Tuesday, Feb. 25.
The application date and any subsequent changes will be posted on the district’s website.
The application is being made because the district’s winter mosquito surveillance program has detected large numbers of mosquito larvae in the marshlands along the perimeter of the lake that flooded as the lake rose due to the abundant rains.
These mosquito larvae are an early-season floodwater species (Aedes increpitus) that hatch from eggs laid in the mud in previous years as the lake receded. When winter rains flooded the eggs, the larvae hatched and began developing in the still, shallow water.
As temperatures and day length increase in early spring, the Ae. increpitus mosquito larvae will pupate and then emerge as biting adults.
These mosquitoes are the aggressive biters experienced every spring by people living and recreating near this area.
The majority of applications will be made by a yellow crop duster flying at a low altitude over these marshy areas. Some of the marshy areas are near homes, and people may experience a brief noise nuisance from the plane. Additional applications to small areas using a drone are planned in late February or early March. Updates will be posted to the District’s website.
The product applied will be VectoBac GS, a biological larvicide used to control mosquito larvae in aquatic habitats. VectoBac is manufactured by Valent BioSciences, and is based on the naturally occurring soil bacterium, Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis, or Bti.
Vector Control called the VectoBac a “highly effective and economical microbial insecticide” that’s registered with the Environmental Protection Agency for the control of larval mosquitoes in nearly all aquatic habitats.
“Bti is highly selective for the control of mosquito larvae in water and does not affect plants, animals, or beneficial insects that live in or drink the water. The formulation is a biodegradable solid corncob granule coated with Bti. The Bti breaks down rapidly in nature so there is no persistence of the active ingredient. The use of a solid formulation reduces the possibility of drift onto adjacent property,” Vector Control reported.
The Lake County Vector Control District makes every effort to use the safest product available to minimize any health concerns the public may have.
The VectoBac GS label and the Safety Data Sheet are available from the Lake County Vector Control District’s website http://www.lcvcd.org/ or may be requested by calling 707-263-4770.
For more information about the Lake County Vector Control District and its services, please visit our website www.LCVCD.org.
For information about West Nile virus, visit http://westnile.ca.gov/.
Information about mosquito repellents can be found on the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website at http://www.cdc.gov/westnile/faq/repellent.html.
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Clearlake Animal Control: “Riley” and the dogs
CLEARLAKE, Calif. — Clearlake Animal Control has new puppies and adult dogs ready to join their new families.
The shelter has 49 adoptable dogs listed on its website.
This week’s dogs include “Riley,” a 3-month-old female mixed breed puppy.
Shelter staff said she is very playful, and loves other dogs and toys.
The shelter is located at 6820 Old Highway 53. It’s open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.
For more information, call the shelter at 707-762-6227, email
This week’s adoptable dogs are featured below.
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Governor proposes $125 million in mortgage relief for victims of recent natural disasters
This week, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a new proposal to create an over $125 million mortgage relief program to assist homeowners whose homes were destroyed or severely damaged by recent natural disasters, placing them at risk of foreclosure.The proposal, approved this week, also includes funding to extend an existing counseling services program which would help affected homeowners navigate their recovery.
The package utilizes existing mortgage settlement funding, and would not impact the proposed 2025-2026 budget.
“As survivors heal from the trauma of recent disasters, the threat of foreclosure should be the last thing on their minds,” said Newsom. “This disaster mortgage relief program would help lift this burden and give families more time to focus on recovery.”
The package will be administered by the California Housing Finance Agency, or CalFHA, and includes over $100 million in direct mortgage assistance, with an additional $25 million to extend an existing program that provides mortgage counseling and serves survivors by offering guidance on Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, disaster assistance and other related needs.
The program will provide mortgage relief for homeowners at risk of foreclosure and whose property was destroyed or substantially damaged as a result of declared emergencies since Jan. 1, 2023.
The proposal was approved at CalHFA’s meeting on Thursday.
Survivors of natural disasters since 2023, including those affected by the Park Fire, Franklin Fire, and the recent Palisades and Eaton Fires, will be eligible for mortgage assistance.
With it now approved, the direct assistance program and eligibility criteria will be developed and announced in more detail.
The governor last month announced that five major lenders — Bank of America, Citi, JPMorgan Chase, U.S. Bank and Wells Fargo — and recently announced that there are now 420 state-chartered banks, credit unions, and mortgage lenders who have committed to offering impacted homeowners a 90-day forbearance of their mortgage payments, without reporting these payments to credit reporting agencies, and the opportunity for additional relief.
Funding for the mortgage relief program comes from settlement funds California secured from big banks resolving allegations of misconduct during the mortgage crisis.
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