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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 approve moving forward with Holiday Harbor sale
LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Board of Supervisors have given the formal go-ahead to sell the Holiday Harbor marina.
The board voted unanimously at its Jan. 19 meeting to approve a resolution declaring its intent to sell the property, located at 3605 and 3655 Lakeshore Blvd. in Nice.
The county's former redevelopment agency purchased the property in June 2008.
The recommended sale price is $1.2 million, a figure the county is basing on a current appraisal and a broker's opinion.
Deputy County Administrative Officer Josh Jones told the board that a bid opening will take place at the board's March 22 meeting, once the county has a few months to market the property. A 4-percent commission will be paid to the broker or Realtor involved with the winning bid.
He said the Lake County Planning Commission approved a general plan conformity report for the proposed property sale at its Jan. 14 meeting.
Jones said the six-acre property includes 400 feet of lake frontage, a perimeter seawall, launch ramp, docks and 65 boat slips, along with a two-story residential duplex, commercial building and several outbuildings. A vacated roadway is located on the west side of the harbor channel.
He said caveats on the property include an existing easement around the lake, from the low to high watermarks. There will be a new dedication on the east side of harbor channel, from the northern boundary to the existing public trust easement, that Jones said the county wants to retain for public beach access, so it can't be developed.
The severe December 2014 storm destroyed the marina's old wood seawall, and the land behind it started to erode. Jones said a new steel seawall with a new cap and railing over it to match the remaining perimeter seawall has been installed. In addition, the land has been cleaned up.
“It's looking pretty good now,” he said of the marina.
Supervisor Jeff Smith asked if there was any remaining wood seawall left. Jones said yes, estimating that about 30 percent of the seawall is now wood.
Smith followed up by asking how much the county has put into the property.
County Administrative Officer Matt Perry said the county purchased it for $2 million and has put another $200,000 into it.
Jones said the new seawall cost $111,000, with Perry adding that the county hoped to get reimbursed for those storm-caused repairs from the California Office of Emergency Services.
“So this is a heck of a deal for somebody,” Smith said.
Perry explained that the county had bought the property when prices were still high.
He said the county solicited special proposals from Realtors for marketing the property. According to the written staff report, Tim Vi Tran of The Ivy Group – which helped the county sell the Robin Hill lakeside property – won the contract and was paid to produce a specialized Web site and provide other services.
Perry emphasized that Tran will have no advantage over any other broker or Realtor bringing forward a bid for the property.
Smith considered it a good opportunity for someone. “Marinas have a really nice steady cash flow if they're done correctly,” he said, adding that the property, which has room for RVs, also could be used to draw in snowbirds traveling along Interstate 5.
Supervisor Jim Steele said he held a town hall in Nice and community members gave input on plans for the property. He said some people were interested in having the county run it as a business.
He said it has been an attraction for vagrants, and selling it will help alleviate that issue. Steele added that other businesses have moved into the area and it will be a great opportunity, with the price likely to draw someone who will see a potential increase in value.
With the property back in private ownership, it will generate transient occupancy tax – or bed tax – revenues, which will help the county get back what it put into the property, Steele said.
Board Chair Rob Brown recalled his concerns about buying the marina in the first place. He said it needs to be put in the category of “we shouldn't have done it.”
Brown noted, “This was not a good deal for us,” adding, “We need to stay out of the business of business.”
During public comment, Martin Scheel, a Lakeport City Council member who rents a boat slip at the marina, said he thought it was a good idea to sell it.
He said he thought the estimate of 65 boat slips was “pretty generous,” estimating that only 20 of the slips are viable.
Scheel went on to ask about what would happen if no one offered the minimum $1.2 million bid. Jones replied that the county would have to begin the sales process again.
Scheel also asked about when a magnetic locking system would be installed at the marina, as someone was cutting the locks on his boat. Jones said they planned to get that system in place that same week.
The board approved the resolution 5-0.
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Supervisors to consider Valley fire transitional housing agreement update
LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Board of Supervisors this week will discuss a new agreement with Konocti Harbor Resort and Spa to provide transitional housing to Valley fire survivors.
The board will meet beginning at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 26, 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.
In an untimed item, Long-Term Recovery Coordinator Carol Huchingson will take to the board a second agreement between the county and Konocti Harbor Resort and Spa for providing Valley fire survivors with transitional housing.
Huchingson's report the board said that as many as 81 rooms were in use at the peak of need at the resort, which has continued to shelter many survivors in the intervening months.
She said the original agreement was funded under the California Disaster Assistance Act. When the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, stepped in, California Disaster Assistance Act no longer was available, which necessitated terminating the original contract.
“To a large extent, FEMA began funding the sheltering costs of survivors who have remained at KHR [Konocti Harbor Resort],” her report said.
Huchingson said the second agreement will reimburse temporary sheltering costs at $1,000 per month per occupied suite not to exceed $37,713 for survivors who are not eligible to FEMA, and have no other ability to pay, from Dec. 1 to March 31.
She said Konocti Harbor Resort and the county will work with those survivors to ensure they make other housing arrangements by April 1.
Huchingson's report said the original agreement reimbursed refurbishment costs for 48 rooms at Konocti Harbor, with the new agreement to reimburse refurbishment costs for 33 additional rooms not to exceed $99,000, using the peak number of 81 rooms as the maximum.
There will be no county costs associated with the agreement, which Huchingson said is entirely funded by grant funding made available to the county by the Golden State Finance Authority.
Also in untimed items, the board will consider an agreement with Quincy Engineering for replacing the Bartlett Creek bridge at Bartlett Springs Road and rehabilitation of Cache Creek bridge at Bartlett Spring Road; look at plans and specifications for the Valley Fire Damaged Metal Beam Guard Rail Replacement Project; consider approving a time extension to an agreement between the county of Lake and AshBritt Inc., for the Valley Fire Hazard Tree Mitigation Project, and discuss and consider plans for further work phases.
The full agenda follows.
CONSENT AGENDA
7.1: Approve minutes of the Board of Supervisors meeting held Dec. 15, 2015.
7.2: Adopt resolution amending Resolution No. 2015-119 to amend the FY 2015-16 Adopted Budget to transfer money from general fund contingencies to Budget Unit 1120 - Non-Departmental Revenue to return loan payment from former redevelopment agency to taxing entities.
7.3: Approve Amendment No. 1 to agreement between the county of Lake and Richard Bachman, DVM, for FY 15-16 Veterinary Professional Services, total amount not to exceed $67,032.52 and authorize the chair to sign.
7.4: Approve late travel claim for behavioral health staff psychologist Paul Hofacker in the amount of $536.25 and authorize the chair to sign.
7.5: (a) Approve a request to establish new extra help classifications to provide community services related to emergency events and approve the associated salaries as established by the current granting agency; and (b) adopt resolution amending position allocation for FY 2015-16 for Budget Unit 4014, Department of Behavioral Health, and establish new position classifications and related salaries.
7.6: (a) Approve proposed findings of fact and decision in the appeal of Damon Fanucchi (AB 15-04); and (b) deny the appeal and authorize the chair to sign.
7.7: Adopt resolution approving the Lake County Health Services Department and Partnership HealthPlan's Intergovernmental Transfer Agreement accepting $150,000 in support of development of Health Information Exchange (HIE) and health accreditation and authorize the Health Services director to sign the letter of agreement.
7.8: Adopt resolution amending Resolution No. 2015-120 establishing position allocations for fiscal year 2015-16, Budget Unit 4121, Integrated Waste Management.
7.9: Approve amendment five to agreement between the county of Lake and Quincy Engineering Inc. for four bridge replacement projects and two bridge rehabilitation projects in Lake County, an increase of $81,872.57, not to exceed $1,331,808.48; and authorize the chair to sign.
7.10: Adopt resolution approving the purchase of a temporary construction easement and fee title on a portion of a certain parcel (APN 007-003-470) as part of bridge replacement project on Mathews Road, and authorize the county administrative officer or the Public Works director to execute the necessary documents.
7.11: Adopt resolution approving the purchase of a temporary construction easement on a portion of a certain parcel (APN 242-041-030) as part of the Konocti Road Safe Routes to School project, and authorize the county administrative officer or Public Works director to execute the necessary documents.
7.12: Adopt resolution approving the purchase of a temporary construction easement on a portion of a certain parcel (APN 008-665-010) as part of the Konocti Road Safe Routes to School project, and authorize the county administrative officer or Public Works director to execute the necessary documents.
7.13: Approve plans and specifications for the Valley Fire Damaged Sign Replacement Project, Bid No. 15-16 and authorize the Public Works director / assistant purchasing agent to advertise for bids.
TIMED ITEMS
8.2, 9:30 a.m.: Update on Lake County Way to Wellville effort by Susan Jen.
8.3, 10 a.m.: Public hearing, continued from Dec. 1, 2015, and Jan. 19, 2016, consideration of resolution making findings necessary to authorize an energy services contract for replacement and upgrade of the utility service that support the Buckingham Peak Communication Facility.
UNTIMED ITEMS
9.3: Consideration of the following appointments: Fish and Wildlife Advisory Committee Law Library Board of Trustees.
9.4: Sitting as the Lake County Housing Commission Board of Directors, informational staff report to raise public awareness about upcoming public hearing for Section 8 Administrative Plan changes.
9.5: Consideration of Golden State Finance Authority agreement for residence emergency disaster assistance program for member county, Lake.
9.6: Consideration of resolution amending Resolution No. 2015-119 to Amend the FY 2015-16 adopted budget to adjust revenues and appropriations in Budget Unit 1781 – Special Projects.
9.7: Consideration of second agreement between the county of Lake and Konocti Harbor Resort and Spa to provide transitional housing for Valley fire survivors.
9.8: Consideration of approval of match funds for Hazard Mitigation Grant Program and authorization for the county administrative officer to sign the commitment letter.
9.9: Consideration of agreement between the county of Lake and Quincy Engineering for replacement of Bartlett Creek Bridge at Bartlett Springs Road (14C-0099) and rehabilitation of Cache Creek Bridge at Bartlett Spring Road 14C-0107) in Lake County.
9.10: Consideration of plans and specifications for the Valley Fire Damaged Metal Beam Guard Rail Replacement Project, Bid No. 15-17.
9.11: Consideration of (a) approval of time extension to agreement between the county of Lake and AshBritt Inc., for the Valley Fire Hazard Tree Mitigation Project; and (b) discussion and consideration of plans for further work phases.
9.12: Consideration of recommendations from Classification and Compensation Committee and consideration of resolution establishing new classification, salary adjustments and amending Resolution No. 2015-120 to Amend Position Allocation for Selected Budgets for FY 2015-16.
CLOSED SESSION
10.2: Conference with Legal Counsel: Existing Litigation Pursuant to Gov. Code. Sec. 54956.9(d)(1): Verizon v. Board of Equalization, et al.
10.3: Public employment pursuant to Gov. Code Sec. 54957 – Interviews Title: County administrative officer.
10.4: Public employee appointment pursuant to Gov. Code Section 54957(b)(1): Public Services director.
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Farrington won't seek reelection; plans to focus on law practice
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – District 4 Supervisor Anthony Farrington announced Friday that he will not seek reelection this year.
Farrington, 45, currently is in his fourth term on the Board of Supervisors. He served as chair last year.
“It has been an honor and privilege to serve this great community for the past 15 years. I am proud of my record and the service that I have provided to the residents of Lake County,” he said. “I have served my constituents to the best of my ability by being responsive, accessible and honest. I have always done my best in going to bat for them when they had a problem or issue with local, state or the federal governments.”
Farrington said the time has come for him to take a break from public life and focus his attention on his growing law practice, which is now expanding into Mendocino County. “In addition, I am hopeful that taking a break from public life will allow me to pursue some of my personal goals and hobbies like the development of my own private wine label; and the continued restoration of my antique cars.”
He was elected in 2000 and took his oath of office in January 2001. Since then he has spearheaded a number of policies and issues that the Board of Supervisors has supported and approved.
Those include elevating the importance of Clear Lake by pushing for funding needed to complete the first environmental impact report that would allow the harvesting and treatment of lake weeds and the county's filing for surface water rights to Clear Lake. There currently is an application for appropriative water rights pending to secure 5,950 acre feet of water.
In addition, Farrington was the architect behind the attempt to pass a half-cent sales tax for the lake in order to secure local funding to invest in Clear Lake and its watershed, and protect the lake from invasive mussels.
He supported efforts to purchase the Lucerne Castle and solicit proposals for colleges such as Marymount California University. He currently serves on the Marymount Long Range Planning Committee.
He received approval from his colleagues to adopt an ordinance contrary to state law that would require cold medications containing pseudoephedrine to be placed behind store counters, and require personal identification and information before the purchaser could make a purchase of limited quantities. Pseudoephedrine is a necessary ingredient in the manufacturing of methamphetamine. This is now a federal law.
Farrington has been a staunch opponent to the city of Lakeport’s proposal to annex the South Main Street and Soda Bay corridor. “The annexation of this corridor is a disservice to city residents who already receive limited public services. The city’s annexation of this corridor will result in the taking of precious financial resources from the county, in turn resulting in less service to the public in the unincorporated areas of the county.”
During his years of service Farrington was a major proponent in the development of a water resources element and agriculture element that created a blueprint for the county general plan to preserve and protect precious water resources and agriculture. These efforts preserved the 40-acre minimum parcel limit and open space preventing the development of five-acre mini ranches.
Farrington also has been a support of the development and expansion of vineyard development and wineries in the community. In particular, Farrington said, “I am most proud of my advocacy in standing up for Jim Fetzer and his development of Ceago in Nice, and Kaj Ahlmann, and his family’s development of Six Sigma in Lower Lake. Both projects were vehemently opposed by local neighbors.”
Throughout his career he has served on a number of committees regarding the safety, health and welfare of children; natural resources; public defender oversight; mental health advisory board; and marijuana cultivation committees.
He has represented the county at the state level serving on the California State Association of Counties and Rural County Representatives of California. Farrington secured local funding for the Court Appointed Special Advocate program for abused children and spearheaded efforts to form an animal advisory committee where he championed a mandatory spay and neutering ordinance and a new animal shelter.
Farrington was the first chair to bring animals into the board chambers each Tuesday at the beginning of each board meeting so that the animals could get maximum exposure for adoption.
He has been a proponent of social programs including bringing back family planning services to Lake County due to Lake County’s high teen pregnancy rates, needle exchange programs for drug addicts, and substance abuse treatment and mental health programs.
He also has a record on siding with the local tribes when it comes to development in areas near sacred sites. Farrington helped negotiate local memorandums of understanding with Big Valley, Habematolel and Robinson tribes in the development of their casinos.
Fiscally, he has been a conservative working to keep local rates for water and sewer down, and pushing for a balanced county budget. One year, Farrington stood alone and voted against a budget that was not structurally balanced. This position received national attention when Fox Business News featured a story that included Farrington and Governor Chris Christie from New Jersey. Fox called Farrington a “fiscal hawk.”
Farrington’s family has deep roots in Lake County. His family first located in Lake County in the mid 1800s. His great-great-grandfather George Major Hanson, a senator from Illinois who served in the state legislature with Abraham Lincoln, packed up his eight children and headed west. George Major was one of the founding fathers of Pacific University (now University of Pacific), and later served President Lincoln working for the Department of Indian Affairs.
Farrington says he plans on staying in Lake County, and stands ready to assist his successor in completing the programs and projects that he has initiated.
In particular, Farrington wants to see the county move forward with the development of a veteran’s homeless shelter on county-owned property in the city of Clearlake, a proposal the board approved when Farrington presented it last year.
He also wants to see his successor make the lake a priority; continue to search for local, state and federal funding to grow existing programs; launch a methamphetamine education program to deter local youth from using the drug; stand against the South Main Street/Soda Bay annexation; support the implementation of Lake County’s community choice aggregation program, which would result in lower utility rates; reduced consumptions of fossil fuels; and set Lake County up to be a net exporter of green energy.
City council gets update on Lakeport's financial status
LAKEPORT, Calif. – The city's financial condition appears to be stable, based on a report to the Lakeport City Council on Tuesday night.
Finance Director Dan Buffalo presented the city's financial update – consisting of the quarterly report and the year-end financial report for the fiscal year ending June 30 – to the council, ahead of a full annual report scheduled for February.
His presentation can be viewed beginning on page 44 of the agenda packet posted below.
He went over numbers in the city's funds – both revenues and expenditures. Buffalo said the city's funds had a total of nearly $10.3 million, with $1.62 million in receivables within 60 days and $780,000 in payables, due in 30 days.
He said the Governmental Accounting Standards Board, or GASB, requires that all governments now have to report on obligations to cost pools or retirement plans. In Lakeport's case, its retirement plan is with CalPERS.
The city's obligations under CalPERS total $6.82 million, of which $4.12 million is for the miscellaneous employee classification and $2.7 million for safety, or police, he said.
Buffalo said the city recently closed a deal to restructure half of its retirement obligations, which will save it a couple hundred thousand dollars annually.
He said the city reported last year a net position citywide of $23 million, and by adding capital assets to its balance sheet that number has been reduced to $18 million.
In the 2014-15 fiscal year, the city spent $3.8 million on active employee salaries – there were 58 full-and part-time city employees as of June 30 – and $362,196 on retirees, for a total of $4,168,294, he said.
For operations, Buffalo said the city spent a total of $3,357,209. That included $609,000 in professional services, $385,000 for utilities such as heating/cooling and power, $373,000 for insurance liability, $61,000 for gas and $50,000 for permit costs.
It also issued $178,667 in loans and grants as part of its housing and economic development activities, had $1,133,350 in debt service and $4,438,405 in capital improvements.
Total expenditures was $13,275,925, he said.
There was $1,130,000 in debt service for water loans, sewer bonds, City of Lakeport Municipal Sewer District and the former redevelopment agency bonds.
Capital outlay totaled $4,438,000, including $2,182,000 for the United States Department of Agriculture water project and $272,000 for the USDA sewer work, as well as $222,000 for the new Library Park docs and $500,000 for vehicles and other heavy equipment.
Taking a closer look at the general fund, Buffalo said revenues are down. In particular, sales tax – driven in part by transportation and gas prices – has dropped. He said 14 percent of sales tax comes from the transportation stream in the form of sales of gasoline, the price of which has dropped.
Costs, however, continue to rise, driven by factors including pension obligations and health insurance premiums, he said.
Property taxes are relatively flat compared to a year ago but less than budget estimates, which Buffalo estimated was a result of reassessments. Anecdotally, he said he's aware that foreclosure sales are leveling off and property values are returning.
Health insurance costs, for the first time in the 2014-15 fiscal year, did not increase, thanks to staff efforts to get the city into a new health plan, he said.
Measure I, the city's half-center general tax, brought in just over $700,000, about $30,000 less than anticipated. Buffalo said the funds were used for roads, Public Works project, the new docks and needs at Westshore Pool, among other things.
In the city's enterprise funds, a 42-percent increase in revenues occurred in the last fiscal year on the water side, which Buffalo said was much stronger than anticipated and may be due to commercial usage.
At the same, expenditures increased by 45 percent and were driven by capital projects.
Buffalo calculated where the property tax collected in the city goes. Of the total $2,065,713 collected, $1,356,002 goes to the county, plus another $305,968 to the county for administering the funds; with $242,387 going to the city of Lakeport and $161,356 to the city of Clearlake.
In summary, Buffalo said while revenues are down, there was a $306,000 surplus in the general fund and reserves remain strong, while enterprise revenues are trending positively and have been impacted by conservation.
He called the city's economic outlook “steady,” and said staff is “beyond cautiously optimistic.” In a recent economic forecast event in the county, an economist said a recession wasn't forecast until 2018.
In other business, Buffalo introduced to the council Terry Rogers, his new financial specialist.
The council also unanimously approved and ordinance assigning the city's finance director fiscal reporting requirements that formerly had been carried out by the city clerk, and an ordinance that makes the city manager – not the council – responsible for hiring the city clerk.
The introduction of an ordinance for a zone change for the proposed Lakeport AutoZone project on Industrial Avenue and adoption of a mitigated negative declaration based on the environmental review and study was pulled from the agenda and will be rescheduled for a future meeting.
Email Elizabeth Larson at