How to resolve AdBlock issue? American Red Cross to honor local deputies, paramedic at Real Heroes Breakfast
NORTH COAST, Calif. – Two Lake County Sheriff's deputies and a Northshore Fire paramedic/EMT will be honored next month for saving a Lucerne woman from her sunken pickup last year.
Lake County Sheriff's Lt. Christopher Chwialkowski and Deputy Nicholas La Velle, and paramedic/EMT Laura Carr will be among this year's group that the American Red Cross, Sonoma, Mendocino & Lake Counties will honor for courageous acts at its 11th annual Real Heroes breakfast.
The event will take place beginning at 7:30 a.m. Thursday, April 17, at the Doubletree Hotel in Rohnert Park.
The Red Cross said the breakfast is a highlight event in the local chapter's calendar, as it significantly benefits the continuation of essential disaster aid services and classes the Red Cross provides to support the communities of all three counties.
Heroes are acknowledged in 10 categories which highlight the heroic deeds of community members in Sonoma, Mendocino and Lake counties.
The categories include medical, humanitarian adult, humanitarian youth, law enforcement, environment, rescue professional, education, heroic deed, military and animal.
Chwialkowski, La Velle and Carr will be honored in the law enforcement category.
The three came together in their life-saving effort on the afternoon of March 21, 2013.
Ann Adams, 71, of Lucerne was driving her pickup along Highway 20 west of Lucerne when she went off the roadway and into Clear Lake, as Lake County News has reported.
The pickup quickly sank as passersby stopped and tried to help Adams, who was trapped inside.
Chwialkowski arrived, borrowed a sledgehammer from Frank Haas of the Callayomi County Water District – who had stopped to call 911 – pulled off his uniform and swam out to Adams' pickup, using the hammer to bust out a window.
La Velle and Carr also arrived and went into the water to help with the rescue, bringing Adams safely to shore and moving her into a Northshore Fire ambulance. She had injuries to her right arm and left leg.
The Board of Supervisors presented certificates of commendation to Carr, Chwialkowski and La Velle – along with Haas and Lucerne resident Doug Arnold, who had assisted with the rescue – on April 9, 2013.
Following is a snapshot of all of the heroes to be honored at the breakfast.
Medical: Sara O'Donnell, who co-founded the Cancer Resource Center of Mendocino County, the first nonfacility based cancer resource center from Marin County to the California-Oregon border.
Humanitarian Youth: Riley Orton, who organized numerous drives and fundraisers for children in the region and abroad.
Humanitarian Adult: George Kennedy is second biggest contributor of time at the Ukiah Senior Center, spending more than 35 hours per week running the lunch program among other duties.
Law Enforcement: Lt. Christopher Chwialkowski, Deputy Nicholas La Velle and paramedic/EMT Laura Carr. These three first responders rescued a 71-year-old woman whose truck was completely submerged in Clear Lake following a crash.
Environment: Nick Papadopolous and Gary Cedar co-founded www.CropMobster.com , an online platform that connects food producers to hungry consumers through crowd-sourcing on the Internet.
Rescue Professional: Paul Bradley, Donald Ricci and Deputy Chris Mahoney. The three men airlifted several rescue volunteers, trapped on the side of a large cliff, to safety following their nighttime rescue of an injured hiker.
Education: John Bribiescas co-founded Schools Plus, a nonprofit program developed to save and supplement enrichment programs throughout Santa Rosa schools.
Animal Hero: Chris Kittredge has volunteered with Canine Companions for Independence for more than 20 years, raising dozens of puppies to become service dogs for people with disabilities.
Military: Tim Blair founded Transformational Sailing in 2002, a program that helps military veterans and others suffering from PTSD.
Heroic Deed: Jason O'Donnell, Heath Blackwell, Ken Butler, Jack Johnson, Robert Winn recovered the body of diver Craig Willes two days after rescue crews had given up their search.
Visit the Red Cross online at http://www.redcross.org/ca/santa-rosa .
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Council member health benefits on Clearlake City Council agenda
CLEARLAKE, Calif. – This week the Clearlake City Council will discuss council member benefits and whether to continue them at current levels or seek other options.
The council will meet at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, March 27, in the council chambers at Clearlake City Hall, 14050 Olympic Drive, for a closed session regarding public employee discipline, dismissal and release before the open session begins at 6 p.m.
During the meeting, the council will present three proclamations, one declaring April as Child Abuse Prevention Month, recognizing April's National Volunteer Week and April 2 as World Autism Awareness Day.
Under business items, the council will hold the discussion on council member health benefits.
City Manager Joan Phillipe's report to the council explains that the issue is on the agenda based on council consensus.
“It was going to be part of the budget discussions but on further consideration it was felt that having the discussion prior to the budget workshop(s) made more sense,” Phillipe wrote.
She said there also is interest in seeing if there is the possibility of providing lower cost coverage, a project that's still in progress.
The cost of providing the coverage is $827 monthly, $9,924 annually for a single person; for single plus one person it's $1,617 monthly, $19,404 annually; and for a family, the cost monthly is $2,170 and $26,040 annually, Phillipe reported.
Currently, three council members are at the single plus one level, and two are at the family level, with total costs to the city totaling $110,292 annually, according to Phillipe's report. The annual cost to provide single coverage for the council members would be $49,620.
Phillipe noted that it's a matter of city policy to provide the benefits, although she understands that at one point during the past decade the benefits were temporarily suspended due to budget issues.
She said options available include continuing the benefits with no changes, providing coverage to council members only, providing coverage at any level for the council members but having them cover costs for remaining family members, or providing no health insurance coverage at all.
“These costs are based on currently premium rates which are anticipated to increase in the next budget year,” she wrote. “If the city is able to negotiate a reduced cost health insurance package with employees, there would be additional savings to the city. This is a meet and confer item not open for discussion at this time.”
In other council business, the Clearlake Waste Solutions Annual Report will be presented and the council will discuss a letter in support of SB 1262, which concerns regulation of medical cannabis.
Planned discussions regarding a request from Lake County Youth Services to use city-owned property on Golf Avenue located next to the youth center and a proposed amendment to the youth center lease to provide for no-cost use of the Clearlake Senior Community Center for fundraisers will be continued to the April 10 meeting.
Items on the consent agenda – considered to be noncontroversial and accepted as a slate with one vote – include warrant registers; authorization to purchase 25 X-2 Taser units with holsters; request for authorization to execute contracts with Coastland Civil Engineers for design engineering and Green Valley Engineers for construction management in amounts not to exceed $38,490 and $15,000, respectively, for the city's Highway Safety Improvement Program Safety Project; consideration of approval of a proposal from Terry Krieg, CPA, for audit services; consideration of rejection of claim from Daniel York for unspecified damages; consideration of rejection of a claim for damages from Smiley Harris; and consideration of the CDBG program application for the 2014 program year.
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Animal Care and Control receives grant for pit bull spay/neuter program
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County Animal Care and Control's newly established program to focus on spaying and neutering pit bulls has received a big boost thanks to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
Animal Care and Control Director Bill Davidson reported that his department has received a $10,000 grant from the ASPCA to help pay for the program.
In February, Davidson went to the Board of Supervisors and received unanimous support for the new reduced-cost spay/neuter program, meant to address the county's high pit bull euthanasia rate, as Lake County News has reported.
Davidson reported that Lake County's pit bull population is “excessive.”
Over the last three years pit bulls have made up 40 percent of the dogs Animal Care and Control has euthanized, he said.
Davidson's goal is to alter 250 pit bulls this year, with the services offered two days a month – one day, male dogs would be neutered at a cost of $50 per dog, with spaying of females priced at $70 each to happen on the second day.
The grant proposal was to use the $10,000 to perform 100 of the spay/neuter surgeries for free, Davidson said.
He said the Board of Supervisors approved the ASPCA grant at its March 18 meeting.
The nonprofit Lake County Animal Services also has pledged $1,000 to help pay for the program, according to Davidson.
On March 20 Animal Care and Control began its 100-dog countdown for the free surgeries, with Davidson reporting the following day that seven dogs already had been completed.
Community members who want to take advantage of the program are urged to act quickly, as Davidson believes the slots will fill up quickly.
For more information or to sign up, call Lake County Animal Care and Control, 4949 Helbush Drive, telephone 707-263-0278.
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Supervisors to consider request to add public defender, discuss Robin Hill tax default
LAKEPORT, Calif. – This week, the Lake County Board of Supervisors will discuss a two-year contract extension with Lake Legal Defense Services that will allow for the addition of another felony attorney due to an increase in homicide cases, and consider selecting a consultant to help sell a large tax default property.
The board will meet beginning at 9 a.m. Tuesday, March 25, in the board chambers on the first floor of the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport. TV8 will broadcast the meeting live.
In an untimed item, the board will consider a proposed $180,000 budget transfer from contingencies to the public defender fund for the addition of a felony attorney through Sept. 30, 2016, as well as a proposed amendment to agreement with Lake Legal Defense Services Inc. to add one additional felony attorney and extend term of agreement.
A report from the County Administrative Office explains that Stephen Carter, president of Lake Legal Defense Services – which provides indigent criminal defense services – has requested an increase in the contract compensation the organization receives from the county in order to provide one more subcontractor for felony cases.
“The request stems from a significant increase in the number of homicide cases going through the trial courts; currently, there are nine active murder cases and three attempted murder cases,” the report from County Administrative Officer Matt Perry and Deputy Administrative Officer Christopher Shaver stated.
They also reported that there are multiple codefendants being named in each homicide case, which puts a further strain on Lake Legal Defense Services.
The Public Defender Oversight Committee is aware of the request, according to the report, and concurs both with the extension and increase in compensation.
Perry and Shaver said the increase in compensation also allows the county to control costs by being able to provide an additional felony attorney instead of having the courts appoint a noncontracted attorney.
Lake Legal Defense Services is asking for a two-year extension to the agreement with the county. The monthly contract cost over that two-year period will increase from $80,375 to $86,375.
In another untimed item, the board will consider a request to waive the consultant selection process and the proposed agreement between the county of Lake and The Ivy Group for real estate marketing services for the auction of the 104-acre Robin Hill tax default property, located at 5880 Lakeshore Drive in Lakeport.
The county offered the property in a tax default auction that occurred in early February, but no one was willing to pay the minimum $850,000 bid.
The full agenda follows.
TIMED ITEMS
9 a.m., A-1 to A-4: Approval of consent agenda, which includes items that are expected to be routine and noncontroversial, and will be acted upon by the board at one time without discussion; presentation of animals available for adoption at Lake County Animal Care and Control; consideration of items not appearing on the posted agenda, and contract change orders for current construction projects.
9:05 a.m.: Citizen's input. Any person may speak for three minutes about any subject of concern, provided that it is within the jurisdiction of the Board of Supervisors and is not already on the agenda. Prior to this time, speakers must fill out a slip giving name, address and subject (available in the clerk of the board’s office, first floor, courthouse).
NONTIMED ITEMS
A-5: Supervisors’ weekly calendar, travel and reports
A-6: (a) Consideration of request to waive consultant selection process; and (b) consideration of proposed agreement between the county of Lake and The Ivy Group, for real estate marketing services for Robin Hill tax default property auction.
A-7: (a) Consideration of proposed budget transfer from contingencies to BU 2111 Public Defender, in the amount of $180,000 for the addition of a felony attorney through Sept. 30, 2016; and (b)
consideration of proposed amendment to agreement with Lake Legal Defense Services Inc. to add one additional felony attorney and extend term of agreement.
A-8: Consideration of request to remove employee from the ineligible list for travel advance.
A-9: Consideration of request to accept Mental Health Triage Grant funding and to authorize the Behavioral Health director to sign work plan and budget documents on behalf of the county.
CLOSED SESSION
A-10: 1. Conference with labor negotiator: (a) county negotiators: A. Grant, L. Guintivano, S. Harry, M. Perry, A. Flora and C. Shaver; and (b) employee organization: Deputy District Attorney's Association, Lake County Deputy Sheriff's Association, Lake County Correctional Officers Association and Lake County Safety Employees Association.
A-10: 2. Public employee evaluation: Animal Control Director Bill Davidson.
A-10: 3. Conference with legal counsel: Existing litigation pursuant to Gov. Code Sec. 54956.9(d)(1): Fowler and Ford v. County of Lake.
A-10: 4. Conference with legal counsel: Anticipated litigation pursuant to Gov. Code Sec. 54956.9 (d)(4) decision whether to initiate litigation (one case).
CONSENT AGENDA
C-1: Approve minutes of the Board of Supervisors meetings held on March 18, 2014.
C-2: Waive 900-hour limit for extra help Trails Coordinator Giselle Stahl.
C-3: Waive 900-hour limit for extra help Client Services Assistant II Craig Kean.
C-4: Adopt resolution amending Resolution No. 2013-96 establishing position allocations for Fiscal Year 2013-2014, Budget Unit No. 4014, Department of Behavioral Health (delete one managed care administrative coordinator and add one staff services analyst I/II allocations).
C-5: Approve first amendment to agreement between the county of Lake and Jeri Owens, MD for specialty mental health services, an increase of $100,000 for an extension of services through June 2014, and authorize the chair to sign.
C-6: Approve agreement between the county of Lake and DNA Diagnostics Center for paternity testing services through April 30, 2016, total amount not to exceed $25,000 per year, and authorize the chair to sign.
C-7: Approve out-of-county travel for four Lake County Medical Reserve Corps (MRC), Public Health Volunteers to attend the MRC Round-up, May 1-3, 2014, in Ventura County (funded through the 2013-2014 NACCHO MRC Capacity Building Award funds).
C-8: Approve facility space license agreement between the county and Pacific Gas & Electric Co. at Buckingham Peak (10-year term at $1,865 per month, with annual 4-percent cost of living increase and one-time construction oversight fee and $45 monthly road maintenance fee).
C-9: Waive 900-hour limit for extra help mussel decontamination worker Mark Miller.
C-10: Approve Budget Transfer B-211, total amount $4,940, correcting an incorrect allocation to BU 2704 Emergency Services by reallocating amount to BU 2202 Sheriff Dispatch, and authorize the chair to sign.
C-11: Approve standard agreement between the county of Lake and State Of California Board of State and Community Corrections (BSCC) for acceptance of the Anti-Drug Abuse (ADA) grant ($96,961 to be shared between the sheriff’s and district attorney’s offices), and authorize the chair to sign.
C-12: Authorize destruction of the following records: Closed Civil Records from January 1, 2010-December 31, 2011, Department time sheets through FY 2006-07, all expenditure records through FY 2005-06 (with exception of inventory items and fixed asset records and Budget 2704 Office of Emergency Services), arrest booking files for misdemeanor bookings through FY 2007-08 and felony bookings through FY 2002-03.
IN HOME SUPPORTIVE SERVICES PUBLIC AUTHORITY
C-13: Approve side letter of agreement between the Lake County IHSS Public Authority and California United Homecare Workers Union Local 4034, and authorize the chair to sign.
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Safeway purchase won't result in major impacts for local stores; gas station project to move forward
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The purchase of Safeway by Albertsons' parent company earlier this month isn't expected to result in major changes at the two Safeway stores in Lake County, according to a company official.
Safeway and Albertsons announced on March 6 that Safeway is being purchased by Albertsons' parent company, AB Acquisition, for $9 billion.
The merger is expected to close in the fourth quarter of this year and must meet anti-trust requirements, the companies reported.
Safeway owns two stores in Lake County, one in Clearlake in the Burns Valley Shopping Center on Olympic Drive and the second in Lakeport, on 11th Street.
Safeway also owns the 11th Street shopping center where its Lakeport store is located.
Keith Turner, director of public and government affairs for Safeway's Northern California division, told Lake County News that it's anticipated to be “business as usual” for Lake County's stores.
That includes continuing to operate under the Safeway name. “We do not anticipate operating under any other banner,” Turner said.
The sale also will not change plans that the corporation has for moving forward with a gas station project in the 11th Street shopping center.
Last month, the Lakeport City Council approved a consultant services and developer reimbursement agreement with PMC of Rancho Cordova for completing work on the gas station project's environmental review and entitlement process, as Lake County News has reported.
Safeway hasn't yet submitted an application for the project. However, based on preliminary information presented to the council, the plans call for a station with 16 pumps, and a roughly 850-square-foot retail store and payment kiosk.
Turner said the fuel station continues to work through the approval process, and they hope to open during the third quarter of 2015.
Safeway representatives met with Lakeport city planning staff on Wednesday regarding the gas station, according to Planning Services Manager Andrew Britton.
“There was no indication that the potential corporate sale will affect this project,” Britton told Lake County News.
Britton said a potential opening date for the gas station project was not really discussed. “Their team has some work to do before the application package is ready to submit to the city,” he said.
He said it's also hard to speculate when the gas station will open because the city isn't sure when Safeway will submit its project application package.
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