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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....
City of Clearlake plans flood prevention work Dec. 8 and 9
CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Flood prevention work on city infrastructure will take place in Clearlake all day Tuesday and Wednesday.
In an effort to prevent potential flooding this winter, the Clearlake Public Works Department will be removing approximately 45 linear feet of existing storm drain that has failed and no longer functions properly, according to city officials.
New drain pipe will be installed in this location, which officials said will require city crews to saw cut and excavate a trench approximately 5 feet wide across the entire roadway and the curb, gutter and sidewalk adjacent to the northeast side of Lakeshore Drive.
The length of the trench will be approximately 45 feet, officials said.
The city will install detour barricades on Lakeshore Drive at Alvita Avenue and Howard Avenue.
Traffic on Lakeshore Drive will be rerouted either onto Alvita Drive northwest of the project site or Howard Avenue southeast of the project site and will continue along Pearl Avenue then back onto Lakeshore Drive on either Alvita or Howard Avenues, the city reported.
The city said the goal of the detour is to maintain a safe, accident-free construction zone at all times, and to maintain access to local businesses during their hours of operation.
City officials said the area where the work will take place did not flood in December 2014's storm event.
Supervisors extend Valley fire health emergency; cleanup continues
LAKEPORT, Calif. – County department heads involved in the Valley fire recovery work updated the Board of Supervisors this week on latest developments in areas including cleanup, temporary housing and tree removal.
One of the key steps the board took at its Tuesday morning meeting was to continue the health emergency due to the Valley fire conditions that Lake County Health Officer Dr. Karen Tait first declared in late September.
Since then, the board – as it's required to do – has revisited and continued the health emergency proclamation every two weeks.
“The proclamation is tied closely to the debris removal program, and we expect to continue this proclamation through its completion,” Tait told the board.
Environmental Health Director Ray Ruminski told the board that, as of just before the Thanksgiving holiday, 1,244 properties burned in the fire had registered for CalRecycle's cleanup program, with about 100 others pursuing cleanup through private contractors.
In the CalRecycle program, 455 parcels have been cleared of debris, 267 of those have been sampled for heavy metals and of those properties that were tested, 131 had samples back that met cleanup requirements, said Ruminski.
He said there is a 10-percent fail rate in the testing, usually due to asbestos – found in building materials like pressure-treated wood – that appears in soil samples.
When samples fail to pass, Ruminski said crews go back to the particular properties, scrape down and remove another 2 inches of soil in areas where the asbestos testing was high.
As of last week, 53 teams were involved in the residential cleanup, Ruminski said.
The board voted unanimously on Tuesday to continue the emergency health proclamation, and agreed to hold a special meeting on the morning of Dec. 22 in order to extend the proclamation when it is next due for consideration.
Also on Tuesday, Carol Huchingson, the county's Social Services director and recovery coordinator, updated the board on other fire recovery-related matters.
She said Cathy Saderlund, the county clerk/auditor-controller, has invited the federal Office of the Inspector General to do a pre-audit on how the county has handled the Valley fire finances.
“The feds said that was unusual that a county would reach out and request that, but we want to make sure we get it right,” Huchingson said.
She said Undersheriff Chris Macedo is working with officials to keep in place portable cell towers brought into the county during the fire. There are concerns that without the towers – which were slated to be taken to the Bay Area for other purposes – there would be difficulties in local cell communications.
She said FEMA has leased pads at the Clearlake Resort in Clearlake and a mobile home park for ages 55 and older in Clearlake Oaks for the purpose of placing manufactured housing units. FEMA is still pursuing a site on Grange Road near Middletown for a group manufactured home site.
On Tuesday, notices of nuisance were mailed out to property owners impacted by the Valley fire who had failed to submit right of entry letters for cleanup, she said.
Those property owners will have 30 days to comply or else they will be abated, with Huchingson explaining that the goal is to get the properties cleaned up while the state crews are here.
The Community Development Department is preparing to open a satellite permit center at the Middletown Senior Center, with hours from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m., Monday through Friday, Huchingson said. In the spring, it's intended that Community Development staff will work seven to eight hours a day at the site.
Huchingson said she also is continuing to hold office hours in Middletown, and continues to hear about new concerns, including impacts on businesses. In the case of one business owner seeing her business drop, Huchingson planned to brainstorm with other officials to find out what help is available.
Huchingson also reported on the Hidden Valley Lake Campground, where dozens of fire survivors – as well as a number of others who weren't displaced by the fire – have been living, despite attempts by county officials to find them other amenities.
The campground is set to close for the winter on Dec. 7, and Huchingson said Social Services and Behavioral Health staff have been working with campers, particularly those in tents, to find them other places to stay. At a resource fair held the Thursday before Thanksgiving, 11 families registered for assistance.
At last count, there were about 80 people at the campground, but Huchingson said new problems were arising.
She said free, unsupervised use of utilities had drawn people who are not fire survivors. There also have been other issues, with Macedo reporting to her on Monday that sheriff's deputies responded to the campground for a fight involving a weapon.
“It's probably time for that campground to close,” she said.
The county has been contracting with Konocti Harbor Resort in Kelseyville to offer a certain number of refurbished rooms, Huchingson said. At last count, there were 120 people in about 50 refurbished rooms.
The original agreement between the county and Konocti Harbor was for six months, with the backing of the state. However, the arrival of the Federal Emergency Management Agency and its payment policies make it necessary to end that agreement. Huchingson said FEMA either pays a hotel rate or rental assistance.
She credited resort management with going above and beyond in providing resources, and being willing to work out the details so they can take FEMA assistance directly in order to continue to offer temporary housing to fire survivors.
Huchingson said it may be three to four months before there are significant numbers of FEMA manufactured housing units in group sites for displaced Valley fire survivors.
She said the vast majority of people in transitional housing are renters, and the rebuilding of rental stock is a long range undertaking, which is why the temporary housing is needed.
In other updates, Public Works Director Scott De Leon told the board that a county-hired arborist has completed identifying trees in the right of way. The trees have been marked with the letters “LC” in white, to denote they are to be taken down as part of the county's tree removal project.
He said the county was continuing to work with FEMA on environmental clearance and hoped to begin removal of trees already down in the right of way by week's end.
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Scheel announces plans to run for District 4 supervisorial seat
LAKEPORT, Calif. – Lakeport Mayor Martin Scheel has announced his candidacy to represent the residents of District 4 on the Lake County Board of Supervisors.
“I am seeking the office of supervisor because Lake County needs fresh ideas, energy and leadership to build a stronger local economy and to help our communities recover from the devastating wildfires of 2015,” said Scheel, who is in his first term on the Lakeport City Council.
“I will be a full-time District 4 county supervisor who listens to the public, makes common sense decisions and keeps an open mind to diligently address local concerns,” he said.
Anthony Farrington, who currently holds the District 4 seat, indicated to Lake County News on Thursday that he has not decided whether he will seek another term.
Scheel was elected to the Lakeport City Council in November 2012 and currently serves as mayor.
He is active on county issues as chair of the Lake County Planning Council and the Lake County Transit Authority, and also serves in a regional leadership capacity as president of the Redwood Empire Division of the League of California Cities.
Scheel said one of his top priorities as supervisor will be fostering a closer working relationship between county government and the city of Lakeport. “I want to bring all District 4 residents together and further work to unite all Lake County communities to better resolve issues that affect our future.”
He pledged to use his background in general engineering construction, technology and marketing to attract good paying new jobs to our communities and make Lake County a better place for businesses to thrive and grow. “At the same time, I will work to ensure that the county adopts strong measures to protect the safety of our neighborhoods and preserve our small town quality of life.”
“During my three years of service on the Lakeport City Council, I have worked successfully to balance our city budget while supporting major water infrastructure improvements, acquiring a new police station and implementing a successful local marijuana ordinance,” said Scheel. “I will bring this same common sense approach to the county as our next supervisor.”
A Lake County resident for 30 years, Scheel works as a consultant for local construction and contracting businesses. He formerly worked for four years as a senior marketing manager with the innovative Internet firm, Earthlink.
Scheel has volunteered with numerous community organizations including Lakeport Rotary, Lakeport Enhanced Education Foundation, Lakeport Senior Center and the Lakeport Volunteer Firefighters Association.
His wife Jennifer is a teacher and coach at Clear Lake High School. They have a son Mitchell who will be 2 years old in January.
Scheel's announcement of his plans to run for supervisor was accompanied by a number of endorsements from other community leaders.
“I am proud to support the election of Martin Scheel to the Board of Supervisors,” stated businesswoman and Lakeport Mayor Pro Tem Stacey Mattina. “He is a true community servant with the proven leadership skills to be an effective county supervisor for all the residents of District 4.”
Lifelong Lake County resident and retired Lakeport City Clerk Janel Chapman said, “I support Martin Scheel for District 4 Supervisor. He is a dedicated public official and the citizens of District 4 will benefit from his commitment to serving our community.”
“I’ve known Martin Scheel for many years and strongly endorse his candidacy,” said local business leader Linda Lindeblad. “He’s an independent and dedicated problem solver whom we can count on to work for the best interests of our communities.”
“As a businessman, I know how important it is to have elected officials who understand business and finance. Martin’s successful record on the city council is the kind of experience we need on the county Board of Supervisors,” said Kenny Parlet, Lakeport councilman and local business owner.
Other community leaders endorsing Martin Scheel’s candidacy for District 4 supervisor include: Jeff Markham, retired Lake County Sheriff's Office chief deputy; Lance Butcher, owner of Lakeport Disposal; Dave Meek Sr. of Meek Construction; and George Roxson, retired Lake County Sheriff's captain.
“It is truly an honor to earn the support of these respected community leaders,” said Scheel. “It demonstrates the broad base of community support that my candidacy is bringing together.”
Lakeport City Council overturns Verizon cell tower approval
LAKEPORT, Calif. – In a unanimous Tuesday night vote, the Lakeport City Council overturned a May Lakeport Planning Commission decision to grant a use permit for a Verizon cell phone tower project, an action that may result in legal action by the wireless carrier.
Verizon had proposed to build a 72-foot monopine – a tower disguised to look like a pine tree – on a commercially zoned property at 1875 N. High St., with company officials explaining that they had looked ahead three years to determine their coverage needs.
However, Nancy Ruzicka, who owns the High Street Village shopping center next to the proposed tower site, appealed the May decision by planning commissioners, and was joined in her resistance by residents of the nearby neighborhood. The council's Tuesday action granted Ruzicka's appeal.
Neighbors spoke against the cell tower in June, convincing the council of the need to find alternative sites. The council subsequently allowed Verizon two continuances – the second of which ran out on Tuesday – in order to explore other possible locations.
Throughout the council's hearings, Verizon counsel Paul Albritton has warned the city that the federal Telecommunications Act gives wireless carriers the right to pursue the least intrusive sites when trying to address coverage gaps.
Albritton has maintained that's the case with the N. High Street location, and he has indicated Verizon's willingness to take the city to court over the matter.
Opponents of the tower proposal once again filled the council chambers for Tuesday night's meeting. Absent was Ruzicka, who was stuck in a snowstorm while traveling between Nebraska and Wyoming, according to Community Development Director Kevin Ingram, who spoke to her via phone that morning.
When the council had last granted Verizon a 90-day continuance in September it had been for the purpose of exploring a tower location on the top of the Lake County Courthouse on Forbes Street in Lakeport.
Ingram said that on Nov. 23 Verizon provided the city with an update on its proposal that said the courthouse site alone wouldn't be enough to improve signal quality, but that the company was considering a second tower facility.
Possible locations for that second facility included Lakeport Unified School District-owned property next to the Clear Lake High School football stadium, private property on Crystal Lake Way in the unincorporated county, and a water storage tank location operated by Lake County Special Districts on Keeling Avenue.
Ingram said the first two sites were eliminated due to unwilling property owners, and the Special Districts site can't adequately address the coverage gap.
He said city staff followed up with Lakeport Unified School District and the county regarding the sites they own that were considered.
In speaking with Superintendent Erin Hagberg and her management staff, Ingram said the city was told that the district had gotten emails from Verizon but hadn't agreed to meet to discuss the tower proposal with the company, and didn't want to do that ahead of discussing it with the school board. The board next meets on Dec. 10, but so far the item isn't on its agenda.
Deputy County Administrative Officer Jeff Rein told city officials that the Special Districts site might still be an alternative, Ingram said, adding that Verizon continued to maintain that the High Street location is best for its needs.
Three residents of the residential area near the cell tower site – Elizabeth Kaneshige, Suzanne Lyons and Kerrie Hershey – asked the council to grant Ruzicka's appeal.
Hershey suggested Verizon call the Lake County Fair, where she said officials had expressed interest in having the tower.
Jenny Blocker, the project consultant, told the council, “There currently is a significant gap in coverage located in the city of Lakeport.”
She said that gap in coverage is most important in cases like emergencies, referring to this summer's fires, which she called “the perfect illustration of why we need reliable data and reliable service.”
Referring to a Federal Communications Commission statistic that 70 percent of 911 calls original from cell phones, Blocker also reported that almost half of American households no longer have a landline.
She said Verizon first recognized a need for the tower facility back in December 2013. “We've tried to look for a solution in the city of Lakeport.”
The proposed facility is camouflaged, on a commercial parcel and sits back more than 250 feet from High Street, which means its ground equipment is nearly invisible. “We've done our due diligence in investigating many different possible alternatives, 20 actually to be exact,” Blocker said.
She said the courthouse site doesn't cover the significant coverage gap and doesn't allow for a generator in case of a power outage. Blocker said the High Street location is the least intrusive.
“The federal law is what it is,” said Albritton, noting Verizon had submitted its analysis, and City Attorney David Ruderman had offered an alternative view of how the federal law applied to the project.
In order to resolve the situation, Albritton said the case may need to go to court to decide what is right in terms of alternatives. He said he wished the council would have followed the planning commission's action and accepted its conclusions.
“I keep feeling like there's no balance in this conversation,” Council woman Stacey Mattina told Albritton.
She suggested that more balance would come in trying to make more people happy with the project, adding she felt there was a lot of effort made not to go in that direction.
“You pointed out that we can't seem to agree and we'll just have to take it higher,” she said, noting she didn't understand why Albritton presented it to the council in that fashion.
“I guess I couldn't think of a more polite way of putting it,” Albritton said.
He said Verizon has attempted to pursue balance in the project, but that balance focused more on the needs of customers and the public benefit.
“You are much closer to the impacts of your community and the values of your community, so we understand that,” he said, adding his side was biased toward finding means for Verizon to provide coverage.
Mattina said there are other sites that offer coverage just as good as the High Street location based on the maps Verizon provided, including a site on 11th Street.
“When you look at the map, it fills the gap,” she said. “There's other alternatives and you keep going back to the same place.”
During their discussion, council members were united in opposing the High Street location, doubting it was truly the best option.
Parlet moved to grant Ruzicka's appeal, citing lack of compliance with standards in the municipal code and general plan, with the council voted 5-0.
In other business, the council voted unanimously to reclassify the Administrative Services director position to include the duties of city clerk, and reinstated the deputy city clerk position.
Staff also was directed to bring back an ordinance changing the city clerk from a council-appointed position to one hired by the city manager.
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