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Lakeport Police logs: Saturday, Jan. 10
Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026
00:00 EXTRA PATROL 2601100001
Occurred at Lake County Law Library on 3D....
Supervisors continue fire-related emergency proclamations, get fire recovery update
LAKEPORT, Calif. – While the county transitions from recovery to rebuilding, the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday voted to continue proclamations of a health emergency and an emergency due to wildfire conditions.
Lake County Health Officer Dr. Karen Tait asked the board to continue the health emergency that she had declared in September due to the Valley fire.
The law requires that Tait ask the board to renew the proclamation every two weeks.
“The debris removal has largely been accomplished but there is ongoing work that's likely to continue for several months,” said Tait.
She said she expects to return to the board throughout that period of time to ask that the proclamation be continued in order to continue receiving support from the various agencies assisting the county in the wake of the fire.
The board voted unanimously to approve the proclamation.
Later in the meeting, the board also unanimously approved continuing the proclamation of an emergency declaration for wildfire conditions.
“We're recommending that the proclamation continue primarily to support the tree removal project and any other kind of recovery projects through the recovery phase,” said County Administrative Officer Matt Perry.
Board Chair Rob Brown said people have questioned having the proclamation since it's been raining.
He explained that there are conditions that go along with the wildfires that the county experienced that may not necessarily be a fire but related issues, like flooding or landslides.
It was for that reason that the board needed to continue the proclamation, he said.
Also on Tuesday, Carol Huchingson, the county's Social Services director and long-term fire recovery coordinator, gave the board a brief update on the county's recovery-related activities.
“Recovery is really transitioning these days,” she said, with much more focus and emphasis on rebuilding and what needs to be done to make that happen.
As of Tuesday, there were 40 active residential building permits, a few homes already nearing completion, and 40 temporary dwelling permits for individuals either living in manufactured housing units supplied by the Federal Emergency Management Agency or in RVs on private property, she said.
Huchingson said county officials “guesstimate” that there are at least another 40 people living in RVs that are not permitted, with the Community Development Department planning to reach out to them to help them with the permitting process.
She said the cleanup of logs at Hoberg's Resort – which has been a staging area for logs being removed from the fire area as well as a planned mill operation that the county halted – is coming along well, with the county working to set up a meeting with Hoberg's staff next week to discuss debris removal.
Huchingson said the county's donation management operations also are winding down.
“Considerable county staff time and energy has been put into donations management,” which Huchingson said is “not normally a county function.”
The county is beginning to transition handling of donations to volunteer agencies, she said.
Huchingson said she has heard from her counterparts at FEMA and the California Office of Emergency Services that the donations aspect in such situations “is often considered the disaster after the disaster.”
She added, thanks to county staff, that hasn't been the case, but it has still been a challenge.
Environmental Health Director Ray Ruminski said the cleanup led by CalRecycle and its contractor Pacific States is nearing the end.
“They've cleared over 1,200 lots,” he said, and have demobilized all heavy work crews except for a few.
“They plan to return when some of the muddy conditions dry out and pick up about 30 lots that they had to defer until then,” he said.
Ruminski said some crews will remain over the next few weeks to finish up work and do followup on debris removal, which includes soil sampling and erosion control. The debris removal operations center closed on Saturday.
Next up is abatement of parcels where the owner neither signed up for the CalRecycle cleanup nor hired their own private contractor. Ruminski said that work will be gearing up in the next few weeks.
He said private contractors registered with the county currently are cleaning up about 160 lots, with that cleanup process required to meet the standards CalRecycle used.
Brown said that after the spring cleanup, the county will try to mobilize local contractors who have been working with CalRecycle for use on future projects. Ruminski added that there is a good workforce of contractors trained for the cleanup process who have been working under Pacific States.
Now that the debris removal operations center is closed, Ruminski said anyone needing information on how to get lots cleared or soil tested should contact Environmental Health, located at 922 Bevins Court in Lakeport, telephone 707-263-1164.
During the update, Supervisor Jeff Smith asked about the status of tree removal. Brown said tree removal operations currently are focused in the county right-of-way and are nearing completion.
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Scott announces plans to run for District 4 supervisor seat
LAKEPORT, Calif. – Another candidate has come forward to announce that she will be seeking the District 4 seat on the Board of Supervisors.
Lakeport resident Tina Scott is joining the race for the District 4 supervisor seat, the territory of which includes Lakeport, Highland Springs, Scotts Valley, Finley, Lampson Airport area and part of the reclamation area near Upper Lake.
Scott so far joins a field that includes Martin Scheel, a Lakeport City Council member who announced his candidacy last month for the seat, currently held by Anthony Farrington.
Farrington, who is in his fourth term on the Board of Supervisors, said he will not seek reelection.
Scott serves on the Lakeport Unified School District School Board. She was appointed to the board with a unanimous vote in 2014 and is currently serving her first full term after running unopposed in 2015.
While on the school board she was instrumental in passing the $17 million Measure T bond, which will fund a new community pool and equip classrooms with 21st learning capabilities.
“This is an exciting time for our students,” Scott said.
Scott and her husband, Douglas, have lived in Lake County for more than 15 years, moving here from Sonoma County. “I wanted the best place to raise a family,” she said.
In that time the Scotts have fostered more than 60 youth. They are now parents of 10 children: five adopted from Child Protective Services, three biological children and two adopted after Doug Scott's sister died from cancer.
Three of their children have graduated from Clear Lake High School and are now attending California State Universities.
Tina Scott volunteers in many different organizations in the county. She serves as a Juvenile Justice Commissioner, is a court appointed child advocate with CASA and tutors weekly at Lakeport Elementary School with Schools of Hope.
She also has done volunteer work as a member of the parent teacher organization, where she has served as president at Terrace Middle School for the past three years and was treasurer for four years at Lakeport Elementary.
Scott is a full-time student at Mendocino College and has plans to attend California State University, Fullerton in the fall through online classes. She is pursuing a degree sociology with a minor in political science.
For the past four years, she and her husband have sponsored both basketball and baseball teams under the name of “The Scott Family.” She also serves on the board of directors for Westshore Youth Basketball League.
“I believe that when children participate in sports, it promotes a healthy living, team-building and personal growth. It is also an outlet to keep the youth out of trouble and off the streets,” she said.
Doug Scott currently is in Iraq, where he is embedded with the US armed forces. He is a field engineer working on airborne surveillance systems that keep our military men and women safe and locate people that threaten our national security.
Tina Scott has dedicated her life to Lake County since she moved here. “I saw that there was a need for a strong leader, and jumped at every chance to do so. I plan to be as active of a leader as District 4 supervisor and will keep my open door policy to listen to all the community’s questions and concerns, as I have while serving on Lakeport Unified School Board.”
She added, “I want to make our town an even better version of itself for our residents and its visitors.”
Scott has received endorsements from several community members and leaders.
“Tina is one of the most competent people I know. I have worked with her in school organizations such as PTO for the Lakeport Schools, and her level of dedication and professionalism is to be admired. She will make a great member of the Board of Supervisors,” said Lake County Assessor-Recorder Richard Ford.
“After many years of working with Tina in many capacities, I feel she would make a great county supervisor,” said Dan Camacho, president of Lake County Sheriff's Activities League and a local business owner.
“Tina Scott will make an excellent supervisor. She is hardworking, thorough, conscientious and committed to any task she takes on. I know Tina will give it her all as a supervisor and do what is in the best interest of Lake County,” said Wendy Mondfrans, a county probation officer.
Clearlake City Council to hold special Feb. 4 meeting on budget update, annual goals
CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Clearlake City Council will hold a special meeting to get a progress report on the current fiscal year budget, consider adopting a resolution for budget adjustments and review goals for this fiscal year.
The meeting will begin at 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 4, in the council chambers at Clearlake City Hall, 14050 Olympic Drive.
On the agenda is the midyear progress report and the midyear financial review for the fiscal year ending 2016.
As part of the midyear progress report the council will get an update on the status of the 2015-16 fiscal year goals to date and discuss the significant achievements of the first half of the fiscal year, according to City Manager Greg Folsom.
Finance Director Chris Becnel's report for the meeting looks at revenues and expenses for the current fiscal year.
Becnel's report outlines five areas where significant budget adjustments totaling approximately $264,910 are recommended.
Those areas are animal control, $34,268; community development, $102,000; legal fees, $83,075; engineering, $39,067; and the Clearlake Police Department Nixle service, $6,500.
Staff will review all of those areas with the council, with staff recommending the council consider discussing long-range planning opportunities for equipment replacement as part of the review.
The council also is expected to adopt a resolution approving the recommended midyear budget adjustments.
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Clearlake's vice mayor represents city at League of California Cities’ Policy Committee meetings
CLEARLAKE, Calif. – On Jan. 22 Clearlake Vice Mayor Gina Fortino Dickson represented the city of Clearlake in Sacramento at the League of California Cities’ first policy committee meetings in 2016.
Fortino Dickson serves on the Community Services Policy Committee, which is integral to the League’s policy-making process.
“My city benefits from the league’s policy committees because we are able to weigh in on issues that will affect our budgets and shape future policies. Without these meetings our influence on the state’s decisions would be greatly diminished,” said Fortino Dickson.
“The community service committee entertained a myriad of issues to focus on for this year,” she said. “When all was said and done the more than 20 topics of concern had been filtered to three of the more pressing issues for cities. Those included the issue of homelessness and the many impacts it has on communities, as well as addressing the ramifications of Prop 47 and AB 109 on cities since inception.”
There are eight standing league policy committees including administrative services, community services, employee relations, environmental quality, housing, community and economic development, public safety, revenue and taxation, and transportation, communications, and public works.
These committees evaluate proposed legislation as it related to existing policy and make recommendations for legislation where the league currently does not have policy.
“These meetings provide an opportunity for city officials to learn about statewide proposals affecting California cities and have their voices heard by the league and translated into direct advocacy efforts,” said League Executive Director Chris McKenzie.
The league's policy-making process allows the issues facing California cities to be debated and the organization's policy directions to be established.
Close to 400 city officials serve on the league's policy committees and add their collective expertise, wisdom and opinions to the policy debate that is the foundation of league policy. The recommendations from the policy committee are forwarded to the league board of directors.
Following the January meetings in Sacramento, the league’s policy committees will meet April 7 to 8 in San Diego, June 2 to 3 in Sacramento and in October during the League’s annual conference in Long Beach as needed.
For more information on the league’s policy development process please visit its Web site at www.cacities.org/polcomm .
Established in 1898, the League of California Cities is a nonprofit statewide association that advocates for cities with the state and federal governments and provides education and training services to elected and appointed city officials.