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Clearlake City Council approves agreement with Koi Nation for cultural resources preservation programs
CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Clearlake City Council has approved a memorandum of agreement with the Koi Nation of Northern California establishing programs for preserving cultural resources.
Establishment of the memorandum of agreement, or MOA – which was accepted by the council at its Aug. 28 meeting – relates to the ongoing process to update the city of Clearlake General Plan.
According to city staff, the MOA goes beyond requirements of Senate Bill 18, which mandates local governments to consult with American Indian tribes to aid in the protection of traditional tribal culture places through local land use planning.
Councilman Joey Luiz said the agreement is proactive and supports the continuous dialogue between the city and the tribal community.
“I think it's a good thing,” he said. “We live in one of the most Native American-rich areas in the county and we need to do our part to help the native community preserve that.”
According to Gary Price, contracted planner for the city of Clearlake, various local tribes were solicited with the opportunity to participate in the consultation process resulting in response from three tribes including the Koi Nation, Robinson Rancheria of Pomo Indians and Big Valley Rancheria of Pomo Indians.
Price said Robinson Rancheria requested information on the General Plan Housing Element update and did not engage in formal consultation.
Formal consultation was entertained, however, with the Koi Nation and Big Valley. He said the city met with those tribes several times over the last few months to identify and address their concerns with the general plan update in accordance with SB 18.
“Both tribes assisted city staff in revising the cultural resources section of Chapter 10 in the Conservation Element of the Draft 2014-40 General Plan including adding new background information and policies/programs for adequate respect and consultation with area tribes,” Price said.
“We expect that with the city's approval of these revised policies and programs, as incorporated into the new General Plan, will conclude the city's and tribes' consultation process under SB 18,” Price added.
Price said the Koi Nation's request to enter into a MOA goes beyond the requirements of SB 18.
Steven Beltran, representative of the Koi Nation, provided the council with a brief tribal history, noting that Indian Island is the tribe's capitol.
“The MOA will solidify our relationship with (the city),” he said. “We are not antidevelopment. We are not here to stop anything. We are here to work with you.”
According to Price, the MOA implements many of the policies and programs identified in the revised draft cultural resources section of Chapter 10, the Conservation Element.
He said it “memorializes the city's policy of respecting the city's rich cultural heritage and provides a pro-active approach to preserving these resources by formalizing a collaborative effort” between the city and the Koi Nation for consultation on development projects received by the city for processing.
In addition, Price said the MOA provides for additional collaborative preservation work, such as developing a cultural resources management plan when funds become available.
“This MOA is what we should be doing in our community anyway, which is working together,” Vice Mayor Gina Fortino Dickson said.
Email Denise Rockenstein at
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Lakeport City Council introduced to new crime scene reconstruction equipment
LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport City Council last week got to see a preview of state-of-the-art technology that a partnership of local law enforcement agencies is bringing to the city and the county.
Lakeport Police Officer Michael Sobieraj and Officer Angie Bell gave the presentation to the council at its meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 2.
In April, the Board of Supervisors approved District Attorney Don Anderson's request to purchase a three-dimensional Faro crime scene scanner at a cost of $66,000.
Anderson said the equipment would give his department – as well as cooperating local agencies – the ability to create precise 3D video reenactments of crime scenes.
He said those visually accurate recreations of the crimes would show the scenes as they appear to victims, witnesses and defendants.
The new scanning equipment is available not just to the District Attorney's Office but also to the Clearlake Police Department, Lakeport Police Department and the Lake County Sheriff's Office, Sobieraj told the council last week.
Lakeport Police Chief Brad Rasmussen also explained during the meeting that his department and the Clearlake Police Department contributed $15,000 toward the purchase from funds they had received from the Board of State and Community Corrections for felony enforcement.
Each of the involved agencies is having selected officers trained in using the equipment. For Lakeport Police, the trainees are Sobieraj and Bell, who took two days of training on the program. The District Attorney's Office also has dedicated one of its investigators to working with the scanner.
In addition to recreating crime scenes, Sobieraj said the equipment also will be used to investigate major accidents and other important incidents.
He showed a detailed nighttime scan of Park Street, outside of City Hall, taken with the equipment. He said it scans 365 degrees around, 180 degrees up and 80 degrees down. It then takes the photos and integrates them.
Sobieraj and Bell also showed scans of a City Hall conference room and the council chambers, complete with items – including a mannequin – placed around the rooms to make them look like crime scenes. He then showed how each piece of evidence could be documented in the program.
“There's infinite possibilities with this system,” said Sobieraj.
The equipment also has construction-related uses; it can scan buildings to track where pipes, utilities and other fixtures are located, he said.
“We're very lucky to be able to have this technology,” Sobieraj said.
Sobieraj added, “It's going to be a great tool of us to use, and we're excited about it.”
Anderson, who attended the meeting, said the program also allows the addition of animated figures in order to fully recreate scenes for juries.
He said one agency that uses the program reenacted a pursuit, with the resulting reconstruction looking like the incident was being viewed by a helicopter. Similarly, aerial views can be added to crime scenes.
While the learning process on the equipment is still under way for local law enforcement, Anderson said the scanner already is being put to work in a case involving the attempted murder of a police officer in Clearlake.
Mayor Kenny Parlet asked if they were seeing the last of chalk lines on carpet at crime scenes.
Sobieraj confirmed that the new scanning equipment was making chalk lines obsolete.
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Applicants sought for Clearlake Planning Commission vacancy
CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Clearlake City Council is seeking applications from city residents interested in serving on the Clearlake Planning Commission.
There is one vacant seat on the commission for a term ending on March 11, 2015.
The seat became available with the resignation of Commissioner Al Bernal.
Planning commissioners hear and act upon land use matters and is advisory to the Clearlake City Council on zoning regulations, the general plan, and other land use issues.
Commissioners serve at the will of the Clearlake City Council, and are designated filers under the Fair Political Practices Commission and must file periodic statements of economic interest disclosing financial interests within the jurisdiction of the city.
Applications are available at Clearlake City Hall, 14050 Olympic Drive, or via email to City Clerk Melissa Swanson at
The deadline for applications is Sept. 30.
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Clearlake City Council, Konocti Unified approve agreement for school resource officer
CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Clearlake City Council last Thursday approved a memorandum of understanding with Konocti Unified School District for a school resource officer.
The Konocti Unified Board of Trustees approved the MOU on Sept. 3.
Clearlake Police Officer Bobi Jo Thompson, who was selected in February of this year as the department's “Officer of the Year,” will serve as the school resource officer for the district.
Consideration of the agreement was at the request of Konocti Unified, which sought to dedicate an officer to support and promote safety on various district campuses.
Konocti Unified will pay the costs of the officer's salary, benefits and training, up to $120,000 per year.
“This amount will be more than sufficient to cover those costs,” Clearlake Police Chief Craig Clausen stated. “It is our intention to hire an additional officer with this new added revenue from KUSD.”
According to Clausen, the school resource officer will remain an employee of the Clearlake Police Department and will report to the district superintendent.
During school holidays and vacations, the school resource officer will resume duties for the police department, Clausen said.
The SRO is to work regularly from 7:45 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. Monday through Friday as well as be available for other school events such as football games and school dances, as needed.
Email Denise Rockenstein at
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