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County gives update on local assistance center; SBA, USDA to be at center Wednesday
LOWER LAKE, Calif. – The local assistance center set up to assist Clayton fire survivors has made contact with hundreds of community members impacted by the fire since its opening on Saturday.
The center had temporarily been open at Lake County Adult Services over the weekend before transitioning to the former Lower Lake Bank building at 16195 Main St. on Monday.
The center is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. The county said the center is scheduled to run through Friday, but depending on need may be extended beyond that time.
The center's services have continued to expand on a daily basis. Services the county said are offered include replacement of vital records such as birth, marriage and death certifications, along with Department of Motor Vehicles records and tax relief information.
Victim Compensation and Government Claims is on site and assisting survivors with filing claims to get medical, mental health and wage losses covered due to arson, the county reported.
Other assistance includes unemployment, cleanup and building information, insurance counseling, help from the Red Cross and a variety of other valuable services, officials said.
In addition, the county said survivors who have suffered a total loss can receive vouchers or gift cards.
On Wednesday, the U.S. Small Business Administration, or SBA, and the United States Department of Agriculture will be arriving, according to the county administration.
The county reported that SBA can assist with low interest disaster loans for both businesses and homeowners. USDA offers many programs that can assist landowners, farmers, ranchers and producers during disasters.
On Tuesday, Board of Supervisors Chair Rob Brown, who is acting as co-recovery coordinator with County Administrative Officer Carol Huchingson, said that close to 200 families had come in to get services at the center since it opened.
On Saturday, 18 families came in to register, followed by 54 on Sunday, 88 on Monday and 44 on Tuesday, Brown said.
He said that the number of families registering appears to be winding down as the center moves into the final days of its scheduled operation.
The county is continuing to encourage Clayton fire survivors to stop by the center to complete a brief survey, and receive a variety of information and assistance.
Officials said that when survivors register with the center it enables service providers to offer information and to assess community needs.
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Planning commission to hold hearings on vineyard project, Dollar General design, fire volunteer dormitory, recovery facility
LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lake County Planning Commission this week will hold public hearings on several major projects, including a vineyard, a new Dollar General store, a dormitory to house volunteers helping with the wildland fire recovery and a new location for a substance recovery facility.
The meeting will begin at 9 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 25, in the Board of Supervisors' chambers on the first floor of the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport.
At 9:05 a.m., the commission will hold its second public hearing on the draft environmental impact report prepared for the Wild Diamond Vineyards project.
A previous hearing was held Aug. 11, with public comment to be continued at the Thursday meeting.
The project's draft environmental impact report can be found online at http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Community_Development/Wild_Diamond_Vineyards_Project_Draft_EIR.htm .
Wild Diamond Vineyards LLC is seeking major use and grading permits, and a lot line adjustment to build the project at 15087, 15591, 15663 and 158078 Spruce Grove Road in Middletown, just north of the community of Hidden Valley Lake. The county said the company has had existing vineyard use on 41 acres of the site for many years.
According to county documents, the project proposes to add 80 acres of vineyard, for a total vineyard footprint of 148 acres.
Other aspects of the project would include a 17,850-square foot, two-building winery that would produce up to 52,800 cases of wine per year; an 11,340-square-foot tasting room with commercial kitchen and retail sales; and self-guided interpretive center. Wild Diamond Vineyards LLC also wants to hold up to 35 special events per year.
The project has raised multiple concerns from community members, from water supply and the sufficiency of testing on the area's hydrology and the ability to sustain the project, to biological resources such as plants, geology, vineyard expansion, allegations of secrecy on the part of the company proposing the project, noise, traffic on Spruce Grove Road, air quality and numerous other general impacts on the community.
At the same time, the Sierra Club Lake Group said in a letter earlier this month that, “After careful review of the EIR, the Sierra Club Lake Group has concluded that few if any of the sometimes dramatically expressed concerns are warranted, and that all potentially negative impacts can be mitigated to a level that will allow this fundamentally beneficial project to move forward.”
One significant concern raised at the Aug. 11 came from Steve Zalusky, principal biologist for the locally based Northwest Biosurvey, who had been subcontracted to complete a biological resource assessment for the project.
Zalusky – who emphasized he didn't have an opinion on the project – was concerned about how his work was used and, in this case, misrepresented. That included having his report altered to support a conclusion that the project would not have a significant impact.
He told Lake County News that he expects to be at Thursday's meeting, but may not have any additional comments.
In other business on Thursday, at 9:30 a.m. the commission will hold a public hearing on a major use permit sought by Middletown Central Park Association to demolish a 2,400-square-foot building at 15299 Central Park Road and replace it with a 4,500-square-foot structure to be used as a dormitory for Hope Crisis Network volunteers.
The nonprofit organization intends to bring in volunteers from all around the United States to assist with rebuilding homes in the Valley fire area.
At 9:40 a.m., the commission will hold a public hearing to consider Hilltop Recovery Services' application for a major use permit to operate a community care facility at 14720 Catholic Church Road in Clearlake Oaks.
The organization's previous facility on Socrates Mine Road in Middletown was destroyed in the Valley fire last fall.
At 10 a.m., a public hearing on the design review permit for Cross Development's major use permit application to build a new Dollar General store in Middletown will be held.
The 9,100-square-foot store is to be built at 20900 Highway 29.
The commission had turned down the project earlier this year, but Cross Development won its appeal before the Board of Supervisors in a 3-2 vote last month.
That decision cleared the way for Cross Development to move ahead on the store, which would be the third in the county. Two Dollar General stores were opened in Clearlake Oaks and Nice in 2015.
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Fields for fall city council races set
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – With the cities of Clearlake and Lakeport set to have municipal elections in concert with the fall presidential election, city officials reported that the final races for the two city councils have formed.
Both Clearlake and Lakeport have three seats up for election on their councils in November. The deadline to submit the necessary campaign filings was Wednesday.
In Clearlake, the seats currently held by Nick Bennett and Joyce Overton, and a seat vacated earlier this month by the resignation of Vice Mayor Gina Fortino Dickson, are on the ballot.
Both Bennett and Overton have filed for reelection. Also seeking seats on the council are businessman Phil Harris; former mayor and current Board of Equalization staffer Joey Luiz; Jeremy Mayfield; and Bill Shields, according to City Clerk Melissa Swanson.
In Lakeport, the seats now held by Kenny Parlet, Martin Scheel and Marc Spillman are on the ballot.
Scheel is in the runoff for the District 4 supervisorial seat and Spillman announced in December he wouldn't seek reelection.
Parlet, a well-known businessman, has filed to seek a second term. The City Clerk's Office reported that the field also includes businessman Tim Barnes; consultant and medical marijuana advocate Michael S. Green; former councilman and retired business manager Ted Mandrones; Nate Maxman, director of the Northshore Community Center in Lucerne; and George Spurr, an analyst and programmer who serves on the Lakeport Planning Commission.
The election is Nov. 8.
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Supervisors to discuss initial steps in Clayton fire recovery
LAKEPORT, Calif. – Clayton fire updates and the county's transition into recovery will be among the items discussed at the Board of Supervisors meeting this week.
The board will meet beginning at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 23 in the board chambers on the first floor of the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport.
The meeting can be watched live on Channel 8 and online at http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Boards/Board_of_Supervisors/calendar.htm . Accompanying board documents, the agenda and archived board meeting videos also are available at that link.
At 9:15 a.m., the board will consider the proclamation of a location health emergency by Lake County Health Officer Karen Tait in response to the Clayton fire.
The Clayton fire, which began Aug. 13 in Lower Lake, has burned 3,929 acres and destroyed some 300 structures, about two-thirds of which were homes.
With the fire expected to be fully contained on Monday, the county is set to move quickly into the recovery phase.
Board Chair Rob Brown reported that the county is drawing on the lessons it learned in the Rocky, Jerusalem and Valley fires last year as it moves forward on the Clayton fire recovery.
In untimed items, the board will get status updates from staff, and assisting agencies and groups regarding the fire.
The board also will consider a resolution to defer the collection of zoning permit fees for temporary dwellings in the fire area, and a resolution pertaining to occupancy of temporary dwellings during the fire recovery.
Epic Wireless Group's appeal of the planning commission's denial of a use permit for a cell phone antenna on Staheli Drive has been postponed at the company's request. The item is tentatively set to be brought back at 10 a.m. Sept. 13.
The full agenda follows.
CONSENT AGENDA
7.1: Adopt resolution to approve the fourth amendment to the standard agreement between the county of Lake and the Department of Health Care Services for the period of July 1, 2014 through June 30, 2017, for a decrease of $13,580 and a new contract maximum of $2,073,173, and authorize the interim Behavioral Health director to sign the amendment.
7.2: Approve long distance travel for Child Support Deputy Director Tammie Widener and Child Support Officers Diana Morey and Utanna Owen to attend the Western Interstate Child Support Enforcement Council annual training conference Oct. 2 to 6 in Salt Lake City, Utah.
7.3: Approve minutes from the Board of Supervisors meeting held on Aug. 2, 2016.
7.4: Approve the District Attorney’s Office equitable sharing agreement and certification for the fiscal year July 1, 2015, to June 30, 2016, and authorize Doris Lankford to electronically submit the report.
7.5: Approve long distance travel to Chicago, Ill., for Jessica Hamner, program coordinator, Public Health Division to attend The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Session 3 of their Public Health Nurse Leaders program.
7.6: Adopt resolution approving a request from Lake County Health Services Department to submit an application for funding to support public health accreditation through the National Association of County and City Health Officials and authorizing the county administrative officer to sign said application.
7.7: Adopt proclamation honoring the family of the late Robert and Margaret Sylar.
7.8: Adopt resolution temporarily prohibiting parking and authorizing removal of vehicles on various roads in Kelseyville for the annual Pear Festival on Sept. 23, 2016, through Sept. 24, 2016.
7.9: Approve the 2016 Emergency Management Performance Grant Governing Body resolution and standard grant assurances and authorize County Administrative Officer Carol J. Huchingson to sign these documents.
7.10: Approve Addendum No. 2 with Sentinel Offender Services LLC to extend electronic monitoring services effective Jan. 1, 2016.
7.11: Approve the first amendment to the lease agreement between the county of Lake and Lillian Allen for the Child Welfare Services program for a term of three years and an annual amount of $17,004 through June 30, 2017, $17,520 through June 30, 2018 and $18,048 through June 30, 2019; and authorize the chair to sign.
7.12: Approve the grant of easement from Richard A. and Regina C. Garrison to the Kelseyville County Waterworks District No. 3 for the construction of a water mainline extension on APN 008-730-10/5710 Kelsey Creek Drive, and authorize the clerk of the board to sign.
TIMED ITEMS
8.2, 9:10 a.m.: Presentation of proclamation honoring the family of the late Robert and Margaret Sylar.
8.3, 9:15 a.m.: Consideration of proclamation of a local health emergency by the Lake County health officer.
8.4, 9:20 a.m.: Presentation of two new district attorney investigators.
8.5, 9:30 a.m.: Public hearing, appellant has requested continuance to Sept. 13 at 10 a.m. Consideration of Appeal (AB 16-01) of Planning Commission's denial of Use Permit (15-10) to construct a new 75-foot monopole cellular antenna; project located at 5660 Staheli Drive, Kelseyville (APN 008-050-22); applicant is Epic Wireless Group for Verizon Wireless. (Continued from July 26 and June 28, 2016.)
UNTIMED ITEMS
9.2: Status update from staff, assisting agencies and/or community groups, consequent to wildfire disaster.
9.3: Consideration of recommended changes to paid county emergency leave policy.
9.4: Consideration of approval of Amendment No. 1 to agreement between the county of Lake and Lake Defense Inc. for FY 16-17 indigent criminal legal defense services in the amount of $1,036,000 and authorize the chair to sign.
9.5: Request for board direction regarding acquisition of earthquake insurance for county facilities.
9.6: Consideration of a) approval of a request to establish a participation agreement with the California Housing Finance Agency; b) request to authorize the county of Lake on behalf of Lake County Behavioral Health to redirect the recently unencumbered funds from the State Department of Health Care Services MHSA Housing Program and encumber the funds within the California Housing Finance Agency as stated in the participation agreement; c) request to authorize the interim Lake County Behavioral Health Director to sign the participation agreement with CalHFA; and d) request to authorize the interim Lake County Behavioral Health director to sign the MHSA Housing Loan Program fund release authorization for existing unencumbered funds.
9.7: Consideration of resolution pertaining to deferring the collection of zoning permit fees for temporary dwellings in the area of the Clayton fire.
9.8: Consideration of resolution pertaining to occupancy of temporary dwellings while recovering from Clayton fire.
9.9: Consideration of approval of proposed findings of fact and decision in the appeal of Cross Development LLC. (AB 16-02).
9.10: Consideration of filing an argument by the Board of Supervisors in favor of County Measure "C" on the Nov. 8, 2016, ballot.
9.11: Consideration of approval of County Employee Benefit Plans – EIA Health, Dental, Vision and Life Renewal for 2017 and related Affordable Care Act requirements.
9.12: Consideration of continuing the proclamation of a declaration of a local emergency due to wildfire conditions.
9.13: Consideration of Award of Bid No. SD16-07, CSA 7 and CSA 18 Valley Fire Water Meter Replacement Project and approve contract with HD Excavating; authorize Special Districts administrator to issue the notice of award.
CLOSED SESSION
10.2: Public employee evaluations. Air pollution control officer.
10.3: Public employee appointment pursuant to Gov. Code Section 54957(b)(1): Interviews and appointment of Social Services director.
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