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Lakeport Police logs: Saturday, Jan. 10
Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026
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SPCA terminates animal control contract with city of Clearlake; city begins to look for alternatives
KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – Faced with costs that it can't cover under its animal services contract with the city of Clearlake, the SPCA of Clear Lake has notified the city that it is terminating the agreement.
The city is now considering its options, from renegotiating a new contract with the SPCA – which so far it hasn't moved to do – or finding an alternative, including going back to Lake County Animal Care and Control for services, which it stopped doing in 2009 due to its financial issues.
SPCA Board member Brenda Crandall said she delivered the news on June 30 to new City Manager Greg Folsom, a day after the SPCA Board made the decision. The contract now ends effective Oct. 1.
Crandall said the SPCA can’t remain financially viable with the city contract. “We are looking at the coming train,” and trying to make decisions in the organization’s best interests.
She estimated that the SPCA – in its current situation under the city contract – can’t continue for more than four to six more months.
According to the terms of the contract that SPCA and the city signed in October 2013, either side may terminate the contract with a 90-day notice.
That contract gives SPCA $20,000 annually to cover Clearlake's burgeoning animal needs, which Crandall and SPCA Executive Director Mary Jane Montana said doesn't even cover the food costs of the animals – dogs, cats and, occasionally, livestock – that it houses, much less the other costs the organization incurs in taking an unlimited number of animals from the city.
At the same time, Crandall and Montana say the SPCA has to do some serious assessments about its future and whether it can return to its original mission of rescue and public education once the Clearlake contract is finished, or if its financial challenges can't be overcome.
Montana and Crandall emphasized that, when the contract ends, all of the animals that remain at the SPCA from the Clearlake contract will stay in its care, with the organization dedicated to finding them homes.
The development is the latest in a series of challenges the SPCA has faced over the last few years as it's undergone a complete change in leadership – both at the executive director and board level – and attempted to fulfill the contract with the city of Clearlake.
The SPCA also over the past month has faced heavy criticism from a former staffer who faulted operations and accused the leadership of not doing enough to address issues like overcrowding.
On Thursday, Folsom said he’s met with the county to get some preliminary information from them regarding the services they could provide, and also has met with the Animal Coalition regarding its interest in partnering with the city on a long-term solution for animal services. He said he’s asked that group for a proposal.
“We have also been investigating available properties and ballpark costs to construct a city facility,” he said.
Folsom said he has not yet had followup discussions with SPCA. “Our plan is to identify and quantify our options and take that to the council for their consideration,” he said. “I do not yet have a target date for doing so, but the sooner the better.”
The history of the relationship
The city ended its contract with Lake County Animal Care and Control in November 2009.
At that time, the city said it couldn't afford the annual bill, which was around $200,000 – or about $16,000 per month – for full services, which included two officers and kennel services, according to Animal Care and Control Director Bill Davidson, who wasn’t heading the agency when Clearlake ended its contract.
It wasn't meant to be a permanent solution, with the city purchasing a kennel truck and housing animals at a kennel set up at the city's airport, and creating an active adoption program, according to now-retired Clearlake City Manager Joan Phillipe, whose tenure started in 2011.
In 2013, when the city's financial picture began to improve, it went back into talks with Animal Care and Control. At that time, estimated annual costs were around $144,000, Phillipe said.
The former SPCA executive director, Kathey Crothers, found out about the negotiations and approached the city to put forward SPCA as an option, Phillipe said. The city and SPCA subsequently entered into a contract in October 2013.
The following May, the entire SPCA Board resigned and a new board was elected, with Crothers placed on administrative leave and later terminated. That followed by two months an attempt by that previous board to close the SPCA and hand the nonprofit’s facilities at 8025 Highway 29 in Kelseyville over to the city, an effort which the new board stopped.
The city’s contract pays the SPCA $20,000 annually but does not include field services, which are handled by animal control officers hired by the city through the police department. Phillipe said the SPCA had wanted an extension of time to come back with a proposal to offer field services.
The city’s contract with the SPCA had an August 2014 amendment calling for the SPCA to make a proposal to the city by the end of this past April for complete animal control services through the end of the contract, which that same amendment had extended to the end of June 2016. Negotiations for updating the contract were to have begun next March.
In an effort to create more funding options, last fall the city put a sales tax measure before voters that would have helped fund animal control services, but the measure was defeated.
Crandall said that beginning in January the SPCA Board directed Montana – who had been hired in September – to compile the numbers of animals taken from the city as well as those brought in from the rest of the county in preparation for approaching the city about updating the contract and the annual amount of money for services.
Montana said the numbers showed that of the 1,156 animals that came into the SPCA in 2014, 718 were from Clearlake's animal control officers. The remainder also included separate owner surrenders from Clearlake as well as the rest of the county.
Caring for its load of animals is costing the SPCA well above the $20,000 it receives for services, Montana said.
Montana said the $1,667 a month that SPCA receives from Clearlake – about one-tenth of what the city was paying under its contract with the county on a monthly basis – doesn't even cover food costs for the animals.
Phillipe met with SPCA representatives to discuss the issue of SPCA providing full services in April.
“We told them we weren’t able to provide full service,” said Montana. “That didn’t mesh with our mission of the SPCA nor did we have the resources to ramp up and do that.”
At that point, the SPCA presented the city with the monetary figure they needed to cover all of the services they’re presently providing – which Montana said was about $62,000, or a tripling of the current contract amount.
Crandall said the SPCA was told at the April meeting that Phillipe would take the request for increased contract costs to the city's finance committee and then to the council, at which point the SPCA would be able to discuss it with council members.
Phillipe acknowledged that the SPCA did ask for additional funds. She explained that the city had identified what appeared to be an additional revenue source that the SPCA was receiving through a state-mandated fee. The city asked for that number to be identified, as Phillipe said city officials felt it would offset the increase SPCA was seeking.
She said it took time for that information to come forward. “We were not 100-percent satisfied with the answer that we got back,” Phillipe said, explaining that it was reviewed with city Finance Director Chris Becnel. City officials ultimately felt they needed additional information.
At the same time as it was talking to the city about changes to its agreement, Montana said the SPCA was partnering with Lake County Animal Care and Control to try to recruit a veterinarian who could serve both facilities. Much of the SPCA’s veterinary care has been offered on a voluntary basis by Dr. Glenn Benjamin, a board member who last year temporarily filled in as interim executive director.
Last year, Benjamin performed 1,588 spay or neuter surgeries through the SPCA’s low-cost pet altering program, Montana said.
The SPCA also was looking at expanding the facilities on its nine-acre site, including taking a building that once had been used as a wildlife center and converting it into an intake center, Montana said.
Crandall said the SPCA was shocked when Clearlake’s budget was passed in June with no further discussion with the SPCA about its request. A lack of additional funds also halted the SPCA’s expansion effort, Montana added.
In mid-June, at around the time the budget was being finalized, the city was still waiting for more information from SPCA on the state fee revenue, said Phillipe.
Then, on June 15 Folsom started his new job with the city, working with Phillipe during a two-week transition prior to her retirement going into effect. It was then that the issues with the SPCA “started bubbling up,” said Phillipe.
The city decided to move forward with its budget, as it didn’t have all of the information it was seeking from the SPCA, Phillipe said.
“We anticipated if there was an agreement reached where there were additional monies to be required that it would be addressed at the midyear budget review in terms of amending the document,” she said.
Phillipe added that a new SPCA contract proposal would have gone before the council once the city knew exactly what the new funding proposal would include.
Animal Care and Control investigates situation
In June both the city and Lake County Animal Care and Control began to respond to complaints about conditions – including overcrowding and health of the animals – at SPCA.
Animal Care and Control Director Bill Davidson said he received a complaint and he and his staff went to investigate it on several occasions.
The main issue, said Davidson, was overcrowding. He said Montana told him that the number of animals the SPCA is receiving from Clearlake is uncontrollable.
“I would have to agree,” said Davidson, adding that the situation has appeared to worsen in recent months.
On June 10, he and one of his officers toured the facility and met with Montana. He said the dogs appeared to be in good shape, but many cats had upper respiratory infections.
The facility at that point was overcrowded, said Davidson, with at least 60 dogs – as many as five in a kennel – and in excess of 100 cats. He encouraged Montana to reduce the dog population to 40, and helped by taking five dogs to his agency.
Davidson also concluded that Montana had a “staffing nightmare” on her hands, with the need for more staff to keep the facility cleaned and running smoothly.
“Unfortunately, the SPCA has turned the corner and is no longer operating as a humane society, but rather as an animal control agency due to the contract with the city. They are required to take in an unlimited number of strays, yet only have a small number of places to house them,” Davidson said.
He continued, “They need to drastically reduce the shelter population and can only do this in several ways: adoptions, transfers, fosters, or euthanasia. Obviously adoptions is the best answer, but with this number of animals it’s not possible.”
Davidson said he wasn’t going to sugarcoat the situation, that SPCA would have to start euthanizing more animals if it was to continue offering services to the city of Clearlake and “maintain their current population under humane conditions.”
As part of his investigation, Davidson said he spoke with current and past employees, and current volunteers. “The main concern for all of them was the same thing,” that SPCA can’t handle the number of animals it’s receiving under the Clearlake contract, Davidson said.
Overall, Davidson said his assessment of SPCA’s situation was that it was in over its head. “I think the city knows that, too.”
He said he advised Montana of the need to control the population and suggested they meet again in 60 days; he’s planning to go back on Aug. 10. Davidson also mailed copies of the findings and the investigation to the city of Clearlake. “So they are aware of it.”
Davidson has continued to offer his assistance. On Tuesday his staff trained three SPCA employees in euthanasia methods.
Montana said the goal was to make it so that the euthanasia responsibility didn’t rest with just one SPCA staffer. Previously, it had been up to the kennel manager alone. “That’s just not fair to her.”
Euthanasia decisions at the SPCA are based on health, age, temperament and shelter space, Montana said.
When Animal Care and Control had Clearlake’s contract, it was euthanizing a lot more animals, said Davidson.
“Clearlake is more or less out of control with regards to their animal population and no programs or funding have really been created to deal with the problem. Ever since the financial collapse of the state, Clearlake has been dealing with the issue by only putting out what they absolutely have to,” he said.
Davidson said that when Animal Care and Control handled Clearlake’s animals the number that came in was “huge.”
He estimated that Clearlake – which, based on the most recent state estimates, has a population of just over 15,000, or less than a quarter of Lake County’s total residents – accounted for about one-third of the animals that came into the shelter at that time. The rest of the county’s nearly 45,000 residents were responsible for the remaining two-thirds of the animals coming into the shelter.
“That seems unproportionately high,” he said.
As for Lakeport residents, any of them can bring in an animal to Animal Care and Control and the city pays the bill, Davidson said.
“Lakeport doesn't really have much of a problem. Clearlake has more or less always had a problem,” he said, adding that he could only speculate about the reasons behind Clearlake’s issues.
Davidson acknowledged the city of Clearlake’s struggles since the economic recession, but pointed out, “At some point once you start catching up again, you need to start reinvesting in some of your programs.”
He said that includes creating community cat programs and charging fees for some services.
Montana said she has been working with Davidson and trying to make better decisions for the animals and staff.
She said the SPCA recently has been successful in reducing the population through transfers and adoptions, although in the past week the number of dogs has climbed again, topping 50.
Cat numbers have been fluctuating, but typically are high. For context, Montana said 118 were brought in from Clearlake and 120 from the rest of the county in May.
The last count of cats at SPCA provided to Lake County News was 63, but on Thursday Montana said a number of felines had been transported to rescue in Eureka and three to four kittens a day are being adopted out. However, she said as kitten season continues, the facility could become overcrowded again.
According to SPCA records, before taking on the contract with the city, SPCA had up to a dozen cats at a time, with dog kennels rarely full. The organization acknowledged the kennels were overfull in June.
Lake County News visited the facility last week, with the kennels and other parts of the building appearing clean and in order. While there were numerous animals, there were not more than two dogs per kennel, and cats did not appear to be at full capacity.
In her assessment of Clearlake’s animal issues, Montana said the biggest problem is animals not being spayed or neutered.
Many animals also don’t receive basic vet care – vaccinations, teeth cleaning and heartworm testing – and she said there is a large feral cat population.
Some of the dogs that came into the shelter appeared to have been used for fighting, in Dr. Benjamin’s opinion, with police notified, Montana said.
Last year, an RV full of 24 Chihuahuas was found in Clearlake. Montana said a woman was breeding them in a puppy mill situation.
SPCA staff and volunteers stepped up to foster and get them homes, even bringing in a professional photographer, she said.
“Those are things that everyone forgets about,” she said of that effort.
Former employee levels allegations
In June, as the SPCA’s animal population issues were coming to a head, a former employee, Haley Pallas, published a lengthy post on Facebook criticizing the organization for failing to properly care for the animals, euthanization and a host of other issues.
She said that for every animal adopted, six others are euthanized, a number the SPCA said is untrue.
Pallas also took her concerns directly to the city of Clearlake, meeting with Phillipe and other city officials on June 15, which was the day Pallas said she resigned.
In an interview with Lake County News, Pallas – who worked with the SPCA for six months in the kennels and in the office – leveled a number of allegations at the organization.
Pallas, who previously has worked at boarding facilities in Sonoma County, alleged that the SPCA wasn’t accurately reporting the number of animals it was euthanizing, that animals that are neither sick nor aggressive have been put down, that SPCA was not properly keeping records on the animals in its care, that Montana was rarely there, that vaccinations weren’t being done, animals in pain weren’t being cared for properly, that the board is out of touch and wouldn’t respond to employee concerns, and that Montana doesn’t welcome new ideas from employees or volunteers.
She believes things have begun to change because she brought the public into it. “It needed to be out there.
In June Pallas also started an online petition at https://www.change.org/p/spca-of-clearlake-stop-murdering-innocent-animals-get-the-place-clean?recruiter=318973487&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=share_facebook_responsive&utm_term=des-lg-no_src-no_msg&fb_ref=Default to bring attention to the issues she said exist at the SPCA.
The petition demands that the SPCA “stop murdering innocent animals” and get the facility clean. As of Thursday, approximately 685 people had signed the petition.
“I just want things to change,” Pallas said. “I don’t want them to get shut down.”
Montana said she had originally hired Pallas, who she said never came to her about her concerns about euthanasia issues. In addition, Montana denied Pallas’ other assertions about the SPCA’s operations.
Montana said that initially Pallas’ post brought a negative reaction, but she felt that there were many community members who stepped up to defend the SPCA’s efforts.
Ultimately, Montana said the matter created an opportunity to let the public know about the challenges shelters like the SPCA face.
In the weeks since, the SPCA has seen an uptick in adoptions, said Montana.
In one notable case, on July 3 they had six mastiff-hound puppies turned in as an owner surrender, Montana said. The pups were put up on the SPCA’s Facebook page, and within 20 minutes they began to receive calls from all over the county and beyond.
Within three and a half hours, all of the pups had been adopted out, with more people on the waiting list. “It brought people in,” said Montana.
While that was a small triumph, Montana and Crandall note that many animals have waited for months to find new homes. In some cases, they’ve had dogs – specifically pit bulls – since December.
What’s ahead
Folsom said he is now exploring options for moving forward with finding a new animal services provider.
He had toured the SPCA facility the last week of June and acknowledged that the organization was working on a “shoestring” budget.
As he identifies alternatives and costs, Folsom intends to bring them forward to the council, which he said will have to be done soon due to the timeframe in which the contract now runs out.
Besides considering going back to the county for services, he intends to explore how much it would cost for the city to once again take on its own services or to find another third party.
“At this point it’s too early to say what could happen,” said Folsom.
Davidson said he provided information to the County Administrative Office about the costs under the city and county’s previous animal control contract, noting it came out to about $93 for handling each dog, or about $3,700 a month based on Montana’s estimates of taking in 40 dogs monthly from Clearlake. He estimated it would cost another $10,000 for a community cat program.
Meanwhile, SPCA continues to work to recruit much-needed volunteers, and recently held two orientations for community members who wanted to get involved, Crandall said. However, they said that they can’t rely on volunteers for regular tasks.
The group also is working to raise funds to carry out long-overdue capital improvement projects, according to Crandall.
Montana and Crandall say they are grateful to the public and the many businesses that continue to support them through donations, money and reductions in costs for services.
That assistance has resulted in the replacement of the heating and cooling system, installation of a new water tank and pump, and updates to the computer system. They’re also exploring the future installation of a solar power system to reduce utility costs.
The other immediate challenge for SPCA is that its low-cost spay and neuter services and vaccination clinics – which provide 50 percent of the organization’s revenues – are having to be temporarily scaled back over the next two months due to Dr. Benjamin being out on medical leave, according to Montana.
The SPCA will continue to offer it low-cost vaccination clinics through the help of another local vet. However, “Our revenues are very strained right now,” Montana said.
She said the SPCA is working on grants to help cover those costs, with Petco Unleashed offering assistance through food donations, Montana said.
Since the start of this year, SPCA staff and animals have attended five adoption events and the group has reached out to partner with rescue organizations around the region.
The SPCA also has begun partnering with local senior centers to provide on-site, low-cost vaccination clinics and well pet exams. Montana said clinics are scheduled to take place in August at the Highlands Senior Center in Clearlake and at the Lakeport Senior Activity Center in September.
Montana said they want to put increased emphasis on prevention and education, and she said they have visited local schools to share that message.
Above all, they invite the community to get involved, whether in a visit to see the facilities for themselves, volunteering, fostering or adopting.
The challenges ahead, Crandall said, include deciding about the organization’s future, a matter ultimately up to the organization’s board of directors.
“I would hate to see the SPCA cease to exist,” said Crandall.
To learn more about the SPCA, visit its Web site at http://spcaofclearlake.com/ or its Facebook page.
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Kelseyville Dollar General appeal hearing postponed until August
LAKEPORT, Calif. – County officials said Wednesday that an appeal hearing regarding a Dollar General store proposal has been postponed until next month.
Cross Development has appealed the Lake County Planning Commission's May 28 denial of a proposed 9,100-square-foot Dollar General store at 4315 Douglas St. and 5505 Main St. in Kelseyville.
The appeal had been scheduled for the Board of Supervisors' meeting at 10 a.m. Tuesday, July 21.
However, on Wednesday the county issued a revised legal notice announcing that the hearing had been rescheduled to 10 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 18.
Supervisor Jim Comstock requested the postponement due to his plans to be out of town on July 21, according to Assistant Clerk to the Board Alicia Flores.
At the same time, Supervisor Rob Brown has plans to recuse himself from the matter, as he owns a nearby property, the value of which he said would be affected if the project goes forward.
Cross Development is a Texas-based firm that builds custom store sites and then leases them to Dollar General.
At its May meeting – just a year after it had approved Dollar General's first store sites in Clearlake Oaks and Nice – the Lake County Planning Commission unanimously denied the major use permit and mitigated negative declaration that Cross Development was seeking for the Kelseyville site.
Commissioners cited their concerns about traffic – as the store is located across the street from Kelseyville High School – along with fit with the community character and design, and issues regarding the Clearlake Oaks store, which also is located near a school.
In its appeal of the decision, Cross Development stated, “We believe that the project will not negatively impact the high school in terms of traffic and pedestrian circulation and can, in fact, serve to promote a vibrant downtown in Kelseyville.
The company adding that traffic volume analysis it has submitted to the county shows that the store won't unduly burden area roadways, and that the store is an appropriate use considering surrounding land patterns and conditions.
A number of Kelseyville community members and business owners disagree. They have expressed their opposition to the store, which they said doesn't match the character of the town and will have a negative impact on local businesses.
Posters and petitions to keep Dollar General out of Kelseyville also have begun circulating this past week.
Cross Development also is considering a store site at 20900 S. Highway 29 in Middletown, but the Community Development Department confirmed that a completed application on that project hasn't yet been submitted.
The Middletown Area Town Hall created a committee last month to begin considering the strengths and weaknesses of such a store, with design and location again arising as concerns.
Dollar General, based on Goodlettsville, Tenn., has about than 12,000 “small box” retail stores nationwide.
Company officials reported that both the Clearlake Oaks and Nice stores – which opened earlier this year – are performing above expectations.
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Middletown Area Town Hall considers decorative banners, Dollar General, energy program
MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – The Middletown Area Town Hall met on Thursday to discuss a wide range of topics, from decorative banners to a Dollar General store proposal and an energy purchase program.
At the start of the meeting, MATH Chair Fletcher Thornton said he wanted to make a statement about the group.
“When we started MATH, we wanted to have a platform for people in the community to come and express their views on issues that we were looking at in the community,” he said.
What they didn't envision, said Thornton, “was an activist role” on local issues.
He said MATH's role is to bring the community together. The group also has given people a forum to talk about everything from barking dogs to code enforcement and even odd house paint colors.
Originally, the idea behind MATH was to provide input to the district's supervisor. Thornton said that has changed, with the current supervisor, Jim Comstock, welcoming the group to give its input directly to the Board of Supervisors when it wishes.
Thornton asked Comstock to give the group an idea of what he thinks about the activist role that MATH has appeared to be heading toward, “because we report to him.”
“I did not know that this was coming,” said Comstock.
“Activism is wonderful and it has its place,” Comstock continued, but said marching and waving signs won't affect him on matters that come before the board. He said he deals only in facts.
Thornton noted he has been getting nervous due to MATH's involvement in the issues surrounding a proposal to locate a Dollar General store in the town, an item on the group's agenda that night.
Joe Sullivan, the district's representative on the Lake County Planning Commission, said such issues can cause division. They have stayed away from divisive issues because their goal was to create a better Middletown.
“I think that a town hall is a place for debate,” said Lisa Kaplan, adding that because MATH has a large role in the Middletown Area Plan, that it is important to discuss matters related to development and growth in MATH's forum. Thornton said everyone agreed with that.
Kaplan then went on to present one of the meeting's main discussion topics, a proposal she put forward to hang decorative banners on the town's light poles between the high school and the senior center as a way of making the town more inviting.
She said she contacted Caltrans and Pacific Gas and Electric that week to ask about requirements, and gathered information on permitting and applications in an effort to get the process rolling.
Thornton said the first question that needed to be brought before MATH was if the group wanted to be involved in the banners project or if the Middletown Area Merchants Association – which had hung banners in the past – wanted to have input. Kaplan said she was planning to approach the merchants association next.
During the discussion it was noted that since the merchants association had previously done the banners, permits already should be in place. It also was suggested that the banners could help slow traffic through the town.
Comstock said the banners are an expensive project, and that the Board of Supervisors would have to sign off on the permits.
Voris Brumfield said Calpine also had worked on the banners but had stopped doing it. She also noted the expense.
Thornton said the matter needed to be taken to the merchants association and then brought back to MATH for further discussion. He said MATH also needed to speak to county officials.
MATH Board member Claude Brown suggested Kaplan speak to the merchants association and come back with some concepts, and he volunteered to go and speak to the county.
Thornton said the matter would be put back on the agenda in August.
In other business, Monica Rosenthal gave an update on the committee that MATH had voted at its last meeting to form in order to explore the proposal for a Dollar General store at 20900 Highway 29.
A complete application hasn't yet been submitted for the project, which is being spearheaded by the Texas-based firm Cross Development, which builds the stores and leases them to Dollar General.
Rosenthal said five people met to take part in the committee, which is meant to objectively review the strengths and weaknesses of Dollar General's Middletown proposal.
The group read through the Middletown Area Plan, which Rosenthal said provides a foundation for such projects when it comes to the location.
The plan states that new development should be subject to design review guidelines, with an emphasis on maintaining Middletown's small town character and lifestyle.
She said the plan speaks to community identity and looks at incompatible construction. In reviewing Cross Development's Dollar General proposal, Rosenthal said the committee had concerns due to compatibility, fitting the town's theme and lifestyle, signage and building design.
“Two of the bigger concerns were building site orientation and parking,” she said, noting that the Middletown Area Plan calls for parking to be in the back of the building, not the front, which is what is called for in the Dollar General store layout.
“The other serious concern is traffic impacts,” she said, noting the store's close proximity to Middletown High School.
She said the committee identified several policies in the Middletown Area Plan that are inconsistent with the Dollar General as proposed.
She also noted that there could be a number of reasons why a complete proposal hasn't been submitted for the plan, from community outcry with regard to the Kelseyville store proposal – which the Lake County Planning Commission denied but which is scheduled to go before the Board of Supervisors July 21 on appeal – as well as significant road improvements Caltrans is seeking at the site.
If a complete application is submitted for the store, the Community Development Department would conduct an initial study. At that point, Rosenthal said the Middletown Dollar General committee will have something to work with, and could submit a letter regarding its concerns to the county.
Also on the Thursday agenda, Gigi and Roy Stahl gave a presentation on power purchasing in the wake of the Board of Supervisors' approval last month of an ordinance to establish a community choice aggregation program.
Such programs allow for lower rates for ratepayers and a more selective mix of energy sources in the local energy portfolio, including an increase in alternative sources such as solar, wind and geothermal.
This spring, a new firm called California Clean Power Corp. came to the county with a proposal for a turnkey solution to run such a program, promising a 2-percent rate reduction and $2 million annually for the county.
However, the Stahls said they were concerned that the county needed to better explore its options, pointing out that a similar program in Sonoma saves as much as 11 percent for ratepayers and in Marin, savings of up to 8 percent have been achieved.
“If we do this in Lake County, we should tailor it to Lake County needs,” said Roy Stahl, an electrical engineer.
He said local jobs could be generated and it could be an exciting opportunity – “if it's done right.”
After the California Clean Power Corp. proposal came forward, the Stahls began making contact with the organizations in Marin and Sonoma counties that are running such programs and compiling data for analysis.
“Everyone's looking at Lake County. They are waiting for us and wondering what we are going to do,” Gigi Stahl said.
She added, “The bottom line is, let's urge our Board of Supervisors to slow down a little bit and look at all the various options.”
That includes inviting other service providers to share what they can offer, she said. That's what Mendocino County did, when it invited five different entities to provide information.
The Stahls urged community members to learn more about the program, and tell their friends and neighbors.
Also on Thursday, MATH heard an update from Marlene Elder on the effort to bring free family movies to the Middletown Square Park each month during the summer.
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Kelseyville, Middletown residents consider Dollar General store projects; supervisors to hear appeal
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Community members concerned about a small box retailer's plans to locate stores in Kelseyville and Middletown are considering their options as the retailer indicates it's moving forward.
Earlier this year, the Tennessee-based Dollar General opened stores in Nice and Clearlake Oaks. A Texas-based firm, Cross Development, which builds store facilities for the retailer, subsequently applied to place two more stores locally: at 4315 Douglas St. and 5505 Main St., across Main Street from Kelseyville High School; and at 20900 S. Highway 29 in Middletown.
Beginning earlier this spring, meetings were organized in both communities to gather input from residents on the plans.
The Middletown Area Town Hall, or MATH, hosted a discussion on Dollar General on May 14 and the Kelseyville Business Association hosted its own town hall the store proposal on May 18.
In both towns, a chief concern raised was whether Dollar General fit with the look, design and identity that the communities have worked for years to establish.
However, opposition – while prevalent – has not been unanimous in either location, with some community members coming forward to voice their support for additional shopping options.
In the case of Kelseyville, residents John Helldorfer and Jan Coppinger both advocated for having the store come to town at the May 18 meeting, with Coppinger explaining that it would allow her to shop closer to home rather than having to travel to Lakeport.
However, on May 28, the Lake County Planning Commission unanimously turned down the major use permit application for the Kelseyville store project submitted by Cross Development.
Commissioners cited a number of concerns, including their knowledge of performance in Clearlake Oaks, as well as traffic and close proximity to Kelseyville High School, and design concerns.
The next day, Joe Dell of Cross Development submitted an appeal of the commission's decision.
In his appeal, Dell wrote that the firm didn't believe that the planning commission's decision took into account all of the facts outlined in the staff report, the initial study's findings and the conditions of approval placed on the project, “which, in our opinion, serve to address concerns raised and ensure that all impacts will be properly mitigated in accordance with applicable codes, regulations, and policies.”
The Cross Development appeal also stated, “We believe that the project will not negatively impact the high school in terms of traffic and pedestrian circulation and can, in fact, serve to promote a vibrant downtown in Kelseyville. Analysis has been submitted to Lake County demonstrating that traffic volumes associated with Dollar General will not unduly burden area roadways and access has been designed to Lake County standards to ensure conflicts with the High School will not result. Also, it is important to note that peak traffic hours associated with the school are different than that of Dollar General. As such, no pedestrian or traffic conflicts are anticipated.”
Regarding community character issues, the document noted, “Dollar General will be complementary to existing commercial businesses along Main Street. There are currently a variety of commercial uses and building styles located along Main Street. Dollar General is an appropriate use given the surrounding land use patterns and conditions included with the Major use Permit further ensure compatibility.”
Dell did not return messages by Lake County News seeking comment about the appeal.
Michalynn DelValle, the planner processing Dollar General's two current applications, told Lake County News that Cross Development's appeal is tentatively scheduled to go before the Board of Supervisors at its meeting at 10 a.m. Tuesday, July 21.
Supervisor Rob Brown said he is recusing himself from considering the appeal because he owns land nearby, the value of which will be affected by the project.
Supervisor Jim Comstock told community members at the Middletown Area Town Hall on Thursday that he will not be at the meeting due to a family commitment.
So far, the county has not reported a change in the hearing date, as the board would still have a quorum and could consider the appeal without Brown and Comstock present.
A growing corporation
The new Dollar General stores in Lake County, and the two new proposals, follow a formula of 9,100 square feet – with a 7,400-square-foot selling floor – and a workforce of about six to 10 staffers, of which about 50-percent are full-time, according to company officials.
Dollar General is growing rapidly. On May 30, the nationwide chain opened its 12,000th store in the “small, historic town” of Juliette, Georgia.
In June, Dollar General reported its first quarter 2015 financials, with $253 million in net income compared to $222 million in the 2014 first quarter. Net sales increased 8.8 percent to $4.92 billion in the 2015 first quarter compared to $4.52 billion in the 2014 first quarter.
The locations in Lake County are part of a plan to place 100 new stores in California over the next three years, and 730 stores nationwide in 2015, according to Dan MacDonald, senior director of corporate communications for Dollar General.
MacDonald's estimate of new stores for California through 2018 is one-tenth the number given to MATH members at its May meeting by a Dollar General district manager, who MacDonald said was mistaken.
The corporation reported that it anticipates a 6-percent square footage growth in its stores, and also plans to relocate or remodel 875 stores across the country over the coming year.
MacDonald said Dollar General uses a number of factors to choose store locations. They typically build stores where there is a certain number of households within a five- to 10-minute drive. They also look at competition, traffic patterns, median income, future growth projects and need.
He said a community of 1,400 residents can support a Dollar General store.
While Dollar General is relatively new to California and the West Coast, “We're part of small town America,” said MacDonald.
He said the company has been welcomed in communities across the United States, while also acknowledging that they have faced opposition in some areas, which he attributed to being a matter of dealing with specific local issues. That was the case with a proposed store location in West Virginia that raised residents' concerns due to a traffic light and placement of the store near an intersection.
Whenever a company is growing at the rate Dollar General is, there will be instances of opposition, MacDonald said.
In the case of Lake County, the Clearlake Oaks and Nice stores are doing well, according to MacDonald, who added that he believes people are “voting with their money” and that the stores' success challenges the notion that Dollar General isn't welcome.
Regarding the concerns about the new stores, MacDonald said Dollar General is respectful and sensitive to community concerns relating to store design and aesthetics.
“We want the store to be a good fit with your local standards,” MacDonald said, explaining that the corporation has made modifications to store designs where appropriate to fit in with the character of a local downtown.
Cross Development is Dollar General's development partner, said MacDonald, explaining that the corporation works with developers who do custom build-to-suit work for it across the country. Cross Development is pursuing the local sites, and Dollar General will be the lessee.
MacDonald said Cross Development has made an investment in the Kelseyville site, and he said he didn't want to speculate about what action the development firm might take if the Board of Supervisors rejects its appeal.
“We think it’s a viable site. We believe there is a need in the community for our type of discount store,” said MacDonald.
He added, “We’re going to continue to pursue the site.”
Community members take action, discuss options
Kelseyville resident Peggy Robertson, who has attended the community meetings to voice her concerns about Dollar General, said the feeling after the planning commission meeting was great.
“The location seemed to be the biggest official stumbling block,” said Robertson, who also pointed to the “huge” traffic issue at the Kelseyville site and the potential for other businesses to close.
For Robertson, the community identity and character issue also is key, suggesting that allowing Dollar General would be the “wrong direction.”
“It seems Kelseyville should reflect what it would like to be, not just have to settle for what somebody could put in,” she said.
However, Robertson acknowledged, that community members who oppose Dollar General coming in have their work cut out for them.
Sinda Knight, president of the Kelseyville Business Association, also appeared at the community town hall and planning commission to voice her concerns, which she said were her own, and not the association's. She said the association wants to be kept informed of what is happening with the project.
“The majority of the members don’t support the Dollar General,” said Knight, noting the company's past performance is a huge concern.
However, she stressed that the Kelseyville Business Association isn't taking a formal stand, one way or the other, regarding Dollar General's store proposal.
Another community leader raising issue with the proposed location is Kelseyville Unified Superintendent Dave McQueen, who began going to preapplication meetings last summer.
At the May planning commission meeting, he asked if a traffic study was being done, noting the congestion in the area on a day-to-day basis due to the move of students on and off campus.
“End of August, all the way to the end of June, it's crazy,” he told Lake County News in a followup interview.
He said he hasn't formally requested the traffic study, adding, “I would venture to say that if you're doing a project like this, it's more like common sense.”
McQueen said his district is the town's biggest employer, but Dollar General hasn't done any outreach to him, which was a matter echoed by Lake County Planning Commissioner Bob Malley, whose wife is principal of East Lake School, which is near the Clearlake Oaks Dollar General store.
That lack of contact, said McQueen, has led him to conclude that Dollar General doesn't really care about the community, and will come in, whether it's wanted or not.
“I'm not against business, that's for sure, but I just think it’s a terrible place to have it,” he said, “My concern is the safety of the kids.”
If Dollar General can show him, through data, that the area is safe, then so be it, he said. “But I haven't seen that yet.”
Meanwhile, in Middletown, Dollar General hasn't yet completed its application, according to DelValle.
However, community members are on their own fact-finding mission, with a brief discussion of the planning commission's actions held at MATH's June 11 meeting.
“What's important from our standpoint, if we don't want the Dollar General to go here, then we have to make an argument that will resonate with both the commission and the Board of Supervisors,” MATH Board Chair Fletcher Thornton said at that meeting.
He said MATH needs to speak with one voice, and can't focus on issues like what Dollar General pays, noting that they're not the only ones who pay minimum wage.
Middletown resident Monica Rosenthal proposed forming a committee to look at the store proposal.
MATH Board member Charlotte Kubiak said the community can fight the store on multiple levels, including legal channels and activism.
However, Thornton was quick to point out, “Not everybody is opposed to it in Middletown,” noting he's spoken with business owners who support it.
MATH unanimously voted to form the Dollar General exploratory committee, with additional discussion anticipated at upcoming meetings.
At the MATH meeting July 9, Monica Rosenthal gave an update on the committee's efforts, which included objectively reviewing Dollar General's strengths and weaknesses.
In order to do that, the committee members read through the Middletown Area Plan – the updated version of which was last adopted in 2010 – which speaks to community identity, design and economics, Rosenthal said.
Rosenthal said the committee found several areas of concern regarding Dollar General when looking at compatibility, fitting the town's theme and lifestyle, signage and building design.
With regard to the latter, the plan calls for parking to be on the back of buildings facing Highway 29, but Dollar General's design calls for the parking to be at the front of the building, she said.
“The other serious concern is traffic impacts,” said Rosenthal, with the store across the highway from schools.
That afternoon, ahead of the meeting, Rosenthal spoke with Community Development Director Rick Coel who confirmed that Dollar General still had not submitted a complete application for the Middletown store.
“There could be a number of reasons for that,” said Rosenthal, from community outcry and the Kelseyville store appeal to Caltrans' request for “significant road improvements” at the site.
Rosenthal said Coel indicated that if a full application is submitted, that his agency will ask for changes to the plan, including putting parking behind the building.
Once a complete application has been submitted and the Community Development Department does an initial study, Rosenthal said the Middletown Dollar General committee will have something to work with, and could possibly submit a letter outlining its concerns to the county.
Robertson said this week that Kelseyville opponents of the Dollar General proposal have launched another effort with posters and petitions.
“There are posters in most of the stores downtown,” she said, with the message asking the community to help stop Dollar General.
Store opponents also have circulated petitions at the farmers' market and various downtown stores, and created an online petitions at https://www.change.org/p/lake-county-board-of-supervisors-keep-dollar-general-out-of-kelseyville , which is seeking 100 signatures. It had 57 signatures as of Monday night.
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson