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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....
Lakeport Planning Commission selects new leadership
LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport Planning Commission has new leadership in place as its prepares to take on a new year of projects and planning issues.
The commission held the election of new officers at its Jan. 13 meeting.
In introducing the election item, Community Development Director Kevin Ingram thanked Commissioner Ross Kauper for staying on for a few extra meetings while the city recruits his successor.
Kauper – whose term expires at the end of December 2018 – had announced his plans to retire from the commission at the end of last year.
However, Ingram said the city is still recruiting for the new commissioner, which he expected will be in place in February.
Ingram said the city recently amended planning commission rules to match other city commissions so that leadership is elected in January rather than at start of fiscal year in July.
He said the rules also prevented a chair from serving more than two consecutive terms, which meant that then-Chair Tom Gayner could not continue in the job.
Vice Chair Suzanne Russell nominated fellow commissioners Ken Wicks Jr. and Harold Taylor as chair and vice chair, respectively, for 2016, with Kauper seconding and the commission approving the motion 5-0.
Gayner and Wicks then switched seats, and Wicks thanked everyone for the honor of being chair.
“I will try to do my very, very best,” he said.
The commission spent the remainder of the meeting considering plans for the former Victorian Village development on S. Main Street, including a general plan and zone change from resort residential to major retail for a 0.70-acre parcel at 1930 S. Main St.; a general plan amendment and zone change from resort residential planned development to residential for a 5.39-acre parcel at 10 Queen Ann Way; and approval of a parcel map to create four new parcels.
Commissioners approved the proposals and are recommending that the city city council approve accept them as well. The council is due to consider the recommendations at its Feb. 2 meeting.
The commission also reviewed and discussed its goals for the coming year and the work program for the Lakeport Planning Department.
The commission meets on the second Wednesday of every month at 5 p.m. in the city council chambers at Lakeport City Hall, 225 Park St. Meetings are open to the public.
Commissioners are appointed by the Lakeport City Council, and advise the council on land use planning matters.
For more information about the commission visit http://www.cityoflakeport.com/departments/home.aspx?deptID=68 .
Email Elizabeth Larson at
Supervisors to consider continuing local emergencies, get update on bridge projects
LAKEPORT, Calif. – As part of the county's ongoing recovery from last year's wildland fires, the Board of Supervisors this week will consider continuing emergency proclamations, get an update on the completion of a bridge project and declare February Black History Month in Lake County.
The board will meet beginning at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 2, 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 continuing Lake County Health Officer Karen Tait's proclamation of a local health emergency resulting from the Valley fire. Separately, in an untimed item, the board will consider continuing the proclamation of emergency declaration for wildfire conditions.
At 9:45 a.m., the board will hear a presentation on the completion of the Ackley Road at Manning Creek Bridge Replacement Project and consider a resolution authorizing Public Works Director Scott De Leon to sign the project's notice of completion.
In a presentation timed for 9:10 a.m., the board will designate February as Black History Month and mark the celebration of Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday.
The full agenda follows.
CONSENT AGENDA
7.1: Adopt resolution amending Resolution No. 2015-119 to amend the FY 2015-16 Adopted Budget to transfer money from Budget Unit 1120 – Non-Departmental to Budget Unit 8826- Redevelopment Obligations to return loan payment from the former redevelopment agency to taxing entities.
7.2: Adopt proclamation designating the month of February 2016 as Black History Month and celebrating Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday.
7.3: (a) Approve plans and specifications for the Buckingham Peak Power Upgrade Project; (b) approve BLM right-of-way grant in the amount of $12,004.43 and authorize the chair to sign; (c) approve easement grant and purchase agreement between the county of Lake and Harbor View Mutual Water Co. in the Amount of $2,400 and authorize the chair to sign; (d) approve pole attachment agreement between the county of Lake and Pacific Bell Telephone Co. and authorize the chair to sign; (e) approve utility payment agreement between the county of Lake and U.S. Cellular Corp., in the amount of and authorize the chair to sign; (f) approve amendment to tower and ground space license agreement between the county of Lake and U.S. Cellular Corp., New Cingular Wireless PCS LLC, a payment variation year to year to be received by the county, and authorize the chair to sign; (g) approve agreement with streamline engineering for project testing and inspection services in an amount not to exceed $10,000, and authorize the chair to sign.
7.4: Approve agreement between the county of Lake and Drake Haglan and Associates for engineering services for the replacement of N. Fork Cache Creek Bridge at Chalk Mountain Road (14C-0048) and Upper Wolf Creek Bridge at Wolf Creek Road (14C-0049) in Lake County, amount not to exceed $950,390 and authorize the chair to sign.
TIMED ITEMS
8.2, 9:10 a.m.: Presentation of proclamation designating the month of February 2016 as Black History Month and celebrating Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday.
8.3, 9:15 a.m.: Consideration of continuing the proclamation of a local health emergency by the Lake County health officer.
8.4, 9:45 a.m.: Project completion presentation for Ackley Road at Manning Creek Bridge Replacement Project, Bid No. 15-01; and consideration of resolution authorizing the Public Works director to sign the notice of completion for Ackley Road at Manning Creek Bridge Replacement Project, Bid No. 15-01.
UNTIMED ITEMS
9.3: Consideration of continuing the proclamation of emergency declaration for wildfire conditions.
9.4: Consideration of letter of support to Sen. McGuire for Senate Bill 702 - Employment of Minors in Agricultural Packing Plants.
9.5: Consideration of letter of support for AB 1642 (Obernolte) to extend the period to pay or protest the state fire prevention fee and authorize the chair to sign.
9.6: Consideration of resolution authorizing Mark Dellinger to sign and submit funding application for Middletown Sewer System.
9.7: Consideration of resolution authorizing Mark Dellinger to sign and submit funding application for Anderson Springs Sewer.
CLOSED SESSION
10.2: Public employee appointment pursuant to Gov. Code Section 54957(b)(1): County administrative officer.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
Lakeport Police chief to ask city council for additional officer position on temporary basis
LAKEPORT, Calif. – Facing the potential loss of several officers in the coming year, Lakeport's police chief is going to the city council this week to ask to add another officer position temporarily while he gets new staff trained.
The Lakeport City Council will meet beginning at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 2, in the council chambers at Lakeport City Hall, 225 Park St.
Police Chief Brad Rasmussen is asking the council to authorize City Manager Margaret Silveira to budget for and hire a 12th sworn police officer position at an estimated cost of up to $90,603 – for salary and benefits – over a 15-month period, from March 15, 2016, to June 30, 2017.
The agency currently is budgeted for 11 full-time sworn positions and one part-time sworn position, Rasmussen reported.
Rasmussen said his department has been unable to realize the use of its 11 full positions due to issues with recruiting and medical leave of current staff.
Add to that, he's facing the loss of three officers this year, one of them in as soon as two months, so he's asking for the 12th position to “pre-fill those anticipated losses.”
Thanks to an extensive recruitment of officer trainees, Rasmussen said he now has a pool of at least six qualified individuals that could be hired and sent to the police academy.
He estimated that it could take up to one year – from the academy through field training – to get the new officers ready for service.
At the same time, he expects a fluctuation in staffing that would result in no significant impact to the overall budget from adding the extra position temporarily.
“The goal is not to permanently establish a 12th position, but to make sure we have trained staff to fill the anticipated vacancies. Any permanent requests would come back to Council at a later date,” Rasmussen wrote in his memo to the council.
Also on Tuesday, the council will hold its midyear budget review and quarterly financial update, and consider approving a budget amendment.
Two public hearings are planned – one to make updates to the zoning to improve transparency and streamline the processing of land use development permits and the second to hold a public hearing to adopt a mitigated negative declaration and a zone change for the AutoZone store project, slated to be built on Industrial Avenue.
Community Development Director Kevin Ingram will introduce an ordinance for a proposed zone change for the former Victorian Village property on S. Main Street, which the Lakeport Planning Commission approved in January.
Also on the agenda is a presentation by the Lake County Breastfeeding Coalition regarding the “Breastfeeding Welcome Here” campaign.
On the meeting's consent agenda – items considered noncontroversial and usually accepted as a slate on one vote – are ordinances; minutes of the regular Lakeport City Council meeting on Jan. 19; the warrant register for Jan. 21; and approval of Application No. 2016-03 with staff recommendations for the Lakeport Camp and Shine 2016 to be held on Park Street on June 18, 2016, in conjunction with the 2016 Annual Home Wine and Beer Makers Festival.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
Supervisors approve updated agreement for Valley fire transitional housing
LAKEPORT, Calif. – On Tuesday the Board of Supervisors approved an updated agreement to cover the transitional housing needs of a small group of Valley fire survivors, some of whom did not qualify for federal assistance.
The second agreement the board approved with Konocti Harbor Resort and Spa calls for a maximum compensation of $136,713 for the four-month period it covers.
Carol Huchingson, who continues to do double duty as the county's Social Services director and the Valley fire longterm recovery coordinator, went to the board to request approval of the second agreement.
Huchingson explained that the resort – which closed in 2009 – was reopened to house survivors after the Valley fire broke out in September.
She praised the resort for its efforts to help house dozens of survivors since then. “They have done an incredible job and continue to do so.”
Originally, the resort refurbished 48 rooms, which the county paid for them to do. The county also paid the resort a flat rate for room occupancy, Huchingson explained.
For the first two months after the fire, the county covered the cost of the rooms at a rate of $1,000 per room per month, she said.
As the need grew, more rooms were refurbished, with Huchingson reporting that the peak housing need at Konocti Harbor was 81 rooms.
The second agreement, Huchingson said, will reimburse Konocti Harbor for $3,000 per room for the additional 33 rooms – covering both refurbishment and occupancy – that hadn't been covered under the original agreement.
Huchingson said that some fires survivors – for various reasons – did not qualify for FEMA housing assistance. Nevertheless, Konocti Harbor has allowed them to stay without paying.
She estimated about 10 households staying at the resort haven't been able to pay. The new agreement would reimburse Konocti Harbor for those survivors unable to pay from Dec. 1 through the end of March.
The total compensation would be $37,713 – if everyone stays until the end of March, Huchingson said.
She said the county will work with Konocti Harbor to develop a notice to make it clear to the survivors staying at the resort that they need to begin making other housing arrangements in order to be out of the resort by March 31.
Huchingson told the board that the county had to terminate the original contract with Konocti Harbor earlier than anticipated because, when FEMA came on the scene, everything changed in terms of how payments were made.
The Golden State Finance Authority made grant funding available to cover the county costs under the agreement with Konocti Harbor, Huchingson reported.
“We're pleased to have secured this additional funding source to go back and take care of Konocti. They've just done an outstanding job,” she said.
Supervisor Jeff Smith asked for a breakdown of the contract's costs.
Huchingson said $99,000 covers the refurbishment and occupancy of the 33 rooms added to the original 48 rooms that were to be made available to survivors.
To cover the people who cannot afford to pay due to having no housing assistance, the county will pay a total of $37,713, Huchingson said.
She said the resort has based its charges on a daily occupancy rate in the event people leave before a full month is out.
During the discussion Huchingson also explained the FEMA pays eligible survivors in two different ways – either through its temporary sheltering program, which pays a daily motel rate for people who qualify, or it provides rental assistance directly to qualifying survivors, and it's up to them to enter into a landlord-tenant relationship and pay their landlords themselves.
She said some people have entered into a landlord-tenant relationship with Konocti Harbor and so are paying them directly.
Huchingson estimated that there were 15 to 18 individuals at the resort continuing to receive the temporary sheltering assistance while they waited for FEMA manufactured housing units being installed at the Clearlake Resort in Clearlake.
Supervisor Jim Comstock moved to approve the agreement, which passed 5-0.
Email Elizabeth Larson at