How to resolve AdBlock issue? 
Park committee to celebrate memory of benefactor at July 25 event
LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Westside Community Park Committee in conjunction with the Lake County Chamber of Commerce will hold a ribbon cutting ceremony at the Westside Community Park on Thursday, July 25, between 5:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.
The public is invited to attend. Refreshments will be served.
As phase two of the park’s development is nearing completion, the committee recently installed the “Jane Barnes Field” sign.
The installation follows action by the Lakeport City Council voting to name the field in Barnes’ honor.
Committee Chairperson Dennis Rollins said the committee had requested approval for the field naming based on “Jane’s long history of leadership in programs for young people and her overall activity in working to build a better Lake County.”
Jane and her husband, Vic Barnes, were early financial supporters of the park’s development as well, said Rollins.
When approached by park founder Charlie Jolin at the park’s inception, the Barnes family donated freely to the project and continued to do so until their death.
The Barnes’ children have continued that financial support through the Keeling-Barnes Family Foundation.
“The Keeling Barnes Family Foundation is sponsoring the Committee’s August 3 Grillin’ on the Green Barbecue Cook-Off. The Foundation will match all donations up to $5,000,” Rollins said.
According to Rollins, Jane and Vic Barnes and the foundation have donated nearly $90,000 to the park’s development.
“The sign installation, as with the park’s development, was once again accomplished through support from the community,” Rollins stated. “The committee purchased the sign but the installation was completed at no cost to the committee because of the donation of time, materials and equipment by RAD Construction, Sundance Tile and Granite, Clear Lake Redi-Mix and the city of Lakeport Public Works Department.”
Phase two of the Westside Community Park consists of four and one-half acres of playing fields including a baseball field, Little League/softball field and soccer fields.
The park is located at 1401 Westside Park Road off of Parallel Drive in Lakeport. It is right behind the Kathy Fowler auto dealership.
Lakeport City Council to consider ‘National Night Out’ participation, city attorney services contract
LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport City Council this week will consider taking a night off next month and spending it visiting with the community during the annual “National Night Out,” and also is expected to approve a contract with a firm for interim city attorney services.
The council will meet beginning at 6 p.m. Tuesday, July 16, in the council chambers at Lakeport City Hall, 225 Park St.
City Manager Margaret Silveira will ask the council to consider canceling the regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 6, and instead participate in the National Night Out Community Block Party that night.
Silveira’s report to the council explained that the event would be an opportunity for the community to meet council members, staff and local emergency personnel at the Lakeport Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 600 16th St., which has volunteered its grounds and parking lot for the event.
She said the city would provide hot dogs and drinks, and a local service club has volunteered to do the cooking.
“Staff hopes to make this an annual event, which would be rotated to a different neighborhood each year,” Silveira said in her report.
In other council business, Public Works Director Mark Brannigan will take to the council a proposed resolution to amend the sewer user rates for commercial customers volume charge, established with Resolution No. 2463 (2012), increasing the allotted consumption amount from eight units to 10.
In public presentations, Lakeport Economic Development Advisory Committee Chair Wilda Shock will give the council an update on the committee’s activities, Lake County Water Resources Director Scott De Leon will discuss lakebed management with the council and the council will receive a report on the city’s July 4 events and operations.
On the consent agenda is a proposed contract with the law firm Colantuono & Levin – which is representing the city in its lawsuit against the county and the sheriff’s office over access to a law enforcement records system – for interim city attorney services.
Earlier this month, the council voted unanimously to terminate the contract of longtime City Attorney Steve Brookes, as Lake County News has reported.
The proposed contract calls for a monthly retainer fee of $6,000 for a minimum of 30 hours of work.
Other items on the consent agenda, which includes matters that are not considered controversial and which usually are accepted on one vote, are ordinances; warrants; minutes from the council’s July 2 meeting; building permit reports for April, May and June; an application for the Lakeport Yacht Club Catfish Derby; and appointment of Administrative Services Director Kelly Buendia as alternate to the REMIF Board.
The council also will hold a closed session to discuss price and payment terms for a property currently under negotiation at 1400 South Main St., No. 12B.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
Supervisors to consider new homes for San Francisco cable car, Old Lake County Jail
LAKEPORT, Calif. – This week the Board of Supervisors will discuss moving two big county-owned artifacts to new homes.
The meeting will begin at 9 a.m. Tuesday, July 16, in the board chambers on the first floor of the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport. It will be broadcast live on TV8.
In an untimed item, the board will consider relocating two historical artifacts – a San Francisco cable car and the Old Lake County Jail.
Public Services Director Caroline Chavez is asking the board for direction on where to move the cable car and the jail, with possible locations being the Ely Stage Stop and Country Museum in Kelseyville or the Courthouse Museum Park in Lakeport.
In other board business, at 9:15 a.m. supervisors will hear the Clear Lake Advisory Committee quarterly report; at 9:45 a.m. they will hold protest hearings for water standby charges and delinquent water fees in County Service Areas Nos. 2, 6, 7, 13, 16, 18, 20, 21 and 22; and at 10 a.m. the board will get an update on the Blue Water Satellite image analysis of Clear Lake and the watershed.
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).
9:15 a.m., A-5: Presentation of Clear Lake Advisory Committee quarterly report.
9:30 a.m., A-6: Public hearing, consideration of final grantee performance report for the #09-EDEF-6539 Business Assistance Loan Program, Microenterprise Technical Assistance and Facade Improvement Community Development Block Grant.
9:45 a.m., A-7: Public hearing, protest hearings for: (a) annual water standby charges and delinquent water fees in County Service Areas Nos. 2, 6, 7, 13, 16, 18, 20, 21 and 22; (b) delinquent water fees in Kelseyville County Waterworks District No. 3; (c) confirming collection of annual lighting fees in County Service Area No. 1 - Clear Lake Keys Lighting; and (d) delinquent sewer fees in Lake County Sanitation District.
10 a.m., A-8: Presentation of update on the Blue Water Satellite image analysis of Clear Lake and the watershed.
NONTIMED ITEMS
A-9: Supervisors’ weekly calendar, travel and reports.
A-10: Continued from July 9, consideration of appointments to the Emergency Medical Care Committee and Upper Putah Creek Watershed Watermaster Advisory Committee.
A-11: Advanced from July 9, consideration of proposed ordinance establishing county of Lake Health Services as a member of the existing Partnership HealthPlan of California Commission, second reading.
A-12: Consideration of options for the relocation of the San Francisco Cable Car and the Old Lake County Jail.
A-13: Consideration of request to award bid for construction of Chippewa South CSA Pavement Rehabilitation project (Kelseyville).
CLOSED SESSION
A-14: 1. Conference with labor negotiator: (a) county negotiators: A. Grant, L. Guintivano, S. Harry, M. Perry, A. Flora and C. Shaver; and (b) employee organizations: Deputy District Attorney's Association, Lake County Deputy Sheriff's Association, Lake County Correctional Officers Association, Lake County Employees Association and Lake County Safety Employees Association.
A-14: 2. Conference with real property negotiator, (a) property located at: 3980 Gard St., Kelseyville (APN 024-081-01); (b) negotiating parties for county: Supervisor Rob Brown, Child Support Services Director Gail Woodworth, County Administrative Officer Matt Perry and Deputy County Administrative Officer Alan Flora; for seller, Kelseyville Unified School District representatives; (c) under negotiation, lease terms.
A-14: 3. Conference with legal counsel: Existing Litigation pursuant to Gov. Code Sec. 54956.9(d)(1): Rivero v. Lake County BOS.
A-14: 4. Conference with legal counsel: Significant exposure to litigation pursuant to Gov. Code Sec. 54956.9(d)(2)(e)(3): 41 tort claims: Lakeside Heights.
CONSENT AGENDA
C-1: Approve minutes of the Board of Supervisors meeting held on July 7, 2013.
C-2: Approve agreement between the county of Lake and FIRST 5 Lake for FY 2013-14 Mother-Wise Program (Post Partum Depression Initiative), a maximum amount of $56,000, and authorize the chair to sign.
C-3: Approve agreement between the county of Lake and Jeri E. Owens, MD, for FY 2013-14 specialty mental health services, a maximum amount of $125,000, and authorize the chair to sign.
C-4: Approve agreement between county of Lake and San Sousee for FY 2013-14 residential treatment services, for a maximum amount of $100,000, and authorize the chair to sign.
C-5: Approve agreement between the county of Lake and Elwira Leonard for FY 2013-14 and FY 2014-15 learning disability testing and evaluation for CalWorks participants, a maximum amount of $9,900 each year, and authorize the chair to sign.
C-6: Approve out-of-state travel for Deputy Social Services Director Kathy Maes to attend the Facilitator Training by Fierce, Inc. in Seattle, Wash., from Sept. 22-27, 2013 (funded with state and federal allocations).
Email Elizabeth Larson at
Council adopts temporary construction moratorium for Lakeshore Drive; delays marijuana ordinance topic
CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Clearlake City Council on Thursday night adopted an urgency ordinance putting in place a temporary moratorium on construction and major remodel projects on a portion of Lakeshore Drive.
The three-month moratorium – which could be extended for another three months if necessary – covers the area between Olympic Drive and Old Highway 53.
At the council’s June 27 meeting, City Manager Joan Phillipe presented idea of the moratorium and received direction to bring back a draft document, as Lake County News has reported.
Phillipe said at that time that the city had been challenged in reviewing projects and requiring design features compatible with the area because no design guidelines are in place for the city’s design districts.
Touching briefly on those points again on Thursday, Phillipe said that the Vision Task Force Report accepted in 2007 by the council had included such design guidelines, but the guidelines themselves were never implemented by the city.
She said the goal is to put in place guidelines that are as consistent as possible with the vision for the area that has emerged in the process to update the city’s general plan as well as the Lakeshore Drive Downtown Corridor Plan that’s still under way.
Council member Joyce Overton asked if color guidelines would be included, and Phillipe said yes.
Phillipe said that once all of the updated planning guidelines are in place, they may be sent back to the Clearlake Planning Commission for further review.
The only public comment came in the form of questions from city resident Estelle Creel, who asked how the temporary moratorium would affect the property at 14295 Lakeshore Drive that the city had purchased for a chamber visitor center. Phillipe said no renovation would be completed within that three-month period.
When Creel followed up to ask if the county – which had contributed $50,000 to the project – had put in place any timelines for using the money, Phillipe said no.
Overton moved to adopt the urgency ordinance, which was accepted 4-0. Councilman Joey Luiz was absent for the meeting.
The other main issue that had been up for consideration at the meeting – a discussion relating to the proposed marijuana cultivation ordinance that the council had failed to pass on its second reading last month – was continued to the next meeting at Phillipe’s request.
However, during public comment, the council heard from several community members who both supported allowing medical marijuana cultivation and those who didn’t.
Dr. Mark Cooper, who is a member of the Lake County Board of Education, raised concerns about the fact that the council previously had removed daycares from the school facilities that require a 600-foot distance from grows.
At the council’s last consideration of the matter in June, the majority of council members asked to add licensed daycares back to the school facilities list.
Cooper said he was responding to incorrect statements made by a council member that no education goes on at daycare centers, which he said isn’t true, adding that children from birth to age 5 are most vulnerable.
He said he and Lake County Superintendent of Schools Wally Holbrook had spoken about Clearlake’s proposed ordinance and how it would affect everyone in the entire county. Holbrook’s concerns also related to private schools that could be affected by the proximity to marijuana growing.
The city of Lakeport’s recently approved marijuana cultivation ordinance – which requires cultivation in outdoor accessory structures – is “180 degrees opposite of yours,” said Cooper, adding, “Their vision is not your vision.”
Lakeport came up with its own ordinance and didn’t copy the county’s, Cooper pointed out. “My request to you is, look at Lakeport, look what they did.”
He said he didn’t want an ordinance that would lead to a downturn in a community that already has problems.
Clearlake resident Richard Gilmore questioned why a person running a business out of their home would have more rights than he would – a reference to the daycare issue – and suggested private property rights should be limited as a result of the ordinance.
He said people should be allowed to grow the marijuana they need to meet their medical needs.
Another city resident, Dave Hughes, told the council, “We don’t need to allow it at all.”
He recounted a discussion he had with Overton, who said a neighbor’s marijuana grow had made it so that her grandson couldn’t sleep with the window open at night. “Why would you subject the rest of the community to that?” Hughes asked.
Hughes said even small grows can generate crime, referring to a homicide several years ago in which a man was shot to death when suspects came to his property to try to steal his marijuana.
There are many places to grow outside of the city, and Hughes also encouraged the council to look at Lakeport’s ordinance.
Lower Lake attorney Ron Green, speaking on behalf of the Emerald Unity Coalition, said there likely will be litigation against Lakeport over its ordinance, and that Clearlake shouldn’t model its ordinance on Lakeport.
He said Clearlake should remove the criminal penalties included in its ordinance and let code enforcement processes be used to handle complaints.
“You’re going to create new criminal offenses for violating a city ordinance,” he said, suggesting it was better to get rid of the plants.
He said daycare centers should not be included among protected school facilities.
Green went on to criticize City Attorney Malathy Subramanian – who was not present at the meeting – for comments attributed to her in Phillipe’s staff reports regarding interpretation of marijuana-related law.
He suggested that the law firm representing Clearlake – Best Best & Krieger – had assigned to the city a “rookie” attorney who had barely passed the bar.
“As as good attorney I recognize attorneys that are not good,” said Green.
Subramanian, who was admitted to the bar in 1999, has been the city’s attorney since January 2008, and is a Best Best & Krieger partner. She also serves as city attorney for Lafayette and Clayton.
In other news Thursday, the council heard a report on the Vet Connect program from Frank Parker of the United Veterans Council.
He explained that Vet Connect puts veterans in touch with important social and health services. Housing and transportation for vets in need are among the group’s biggest challenges, Parker said.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
