Lakeport City Council to consider Silveira Community Center update, surplus land declaration, delinquent utility account list 

LAKEPORT, Calif. — The Lakeport City Council this week will hold a public hearing to confirm a list of delinquent utility accounts, discuss letting the Lake County Arts Council operate the Silveira Community Center, and consider declaring a former transfer station site on Bevins Street as surplus property —  a move to open the door to a future sale. 

The council will meet Tuesday, August 5, at 6 p.m. in the council chambers at Lakeport City Hall, 225 Park St. 

The agenda can be found here. 

If you cannot attend in person, and would like to speak on an agenda item, you can access the Zoom meeting remotely at this link or join by phone by calling toll-free 669-900-9128 or 346-248-7799. 

The webinar ID is 973 6820 1787, access code is 477973; the audio pin will be shown after joining the webinar. Those phoning in without using the web link will be in “listen mode” only and will not be able to participate or comment. 

Comments can be submitted by email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. To give the city clerk adequate time to print out comments for consideration at the meeting, please submit written comments before 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, August 5.

The city council will hold a public hearing to confirm and approve the utility billing delinquency list of accounts owing utility fees from June 1, 2024, to May 31, 2025. 

Once approved, the list will be submitted to the County Auditor-Controller for inclusion on the property tax roll. 

Under council business, the council will consider declaring city-owned property at 910, 912, and 916 Bevins Street — totaling 2.09 acres — as “surplus property” and directing staff to issue a Notice of Availability under the state’s Surplus Land Act.

This step would allow the city to begin discussion about potentially selling the property.

The property used to be utilized by Lakeport Disposal as a transfer station until 15 years ago when the Waste Connections facilities were constructed on Soda Bay Road. 

The staff report noted increasing interest in the site recently, “likely spurred by nearby development activities including Lake County Tribal Health’s expansion and the future courthouse project.”

“This action does not obligate the city to sell the property, but it is a necessary first step to preserve that option and respond appropriately to future opportunities,” the staff report said. 

Following that, the council will consider sending a letter to State Fire Marshal Daniel Berlant, voicing concerns about the adoption process for the new Fire Hazard Severity Zone map for local responsibility areas, which the city approved in June. 

The council will also receive a six-month update on the Silveira Community Center interim operations and is asked to approve continuation of the temporary use plan 

The city has been awarded a $1.27 million Community Development Block Grant to fund critical plumbing and ADA compliance upgrades, with construction targeted for completion in spring 2027.  

As of now the center has been operating under an interim plan, approved by the council in January

In the meantime, city staff have been in talks with the Lake County Arts Council, which approached the city about relocating its gallery to the community center, after learning its current landlord intends to sell the gallery’s leased space, according to the staff report.

Rather than paying rent, the current discussion between the city and the Arts Council has focused on “the idea of exchanging Arts Council staff and volunteer time in lieu of rent.” 

“The proposal envisions the Arts Council operating the community center in exchange for use of approximately 800–1,000 square feet of space,” the staff memo said. “With comparable retail space leasing at around $1 per square foot, the city would seek equivalent in-kind services.”

Although this proposed “partnership” is not up for council action this week, the staff report states that the Arts Council has identified mid-September as a target move-in date. 

On the consent agenda — items considered noncontroversial and usually accepted as a slate on one vote — are ordinances; minutes of the previous meeting on July 15, 2025; approval of the warrant register for July 21, 2025; approval of application 2025-038, with staff recommendations, for the Cinema by the Shore event; approval of application 2025-039, with staff recommendations, for a 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament at Xabatin Community Park; receipt and filing of the draft minutes of the Measure Z Advisory Committee’s July 16 meeting; and approval of out-of-state travel by Utilities Director Paul Harris and Finance Director Danielle Dizon to attend the American Water Works Association’s Water Infrastructure Conference & Exposition.

Email staff reporter Lingzi Chen at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. 

Details

Written by: LINGZI CHEN

Published: 04 August 2025

Lake County Resource Conservation District hosts local work group meeting

LAKEPORT, Calif. — The Lake County Resource Conservation District and USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service invite farmers, ranchers, agriculture professionals, range owners, forest landowners and other stakeholders to participate in the first meeting of the local work group of Lake County.

The meeting will be held in two sessions on Thursday, Aug. 7, in the Mendocino College Lake Center Round Room at 2565 Parallel Drive in Lakeport. 

Local work groups, or LWG, are held by Natural Resources Conservation Service, or NRCS, field offices in partnership with resource conservation districts to seek input on conservation programming at the local level.

The LWG creates a pathway for landowners and farmers to identify, prioritize and provide feedback on natural resource issues and related concerns within the county. 

Input gathered at the local work group meeting will be submitted to the State Technical Committee to guide NRCS programs in California. 

The LWG will bring together a diverse group of partners within Lake County to discuss, prioritize, and develop recommendations around local agricultural and forest health concerns. 

Participation is open to nonprofit organizations, state and federal agencies, local governments, and members of the public with a vested interest in the natural resources of Lake County. 

These meetings are required to be held annually, are advisory in nature, and have no enforcement or implementation authority. 

This meeting of Lake County’s LWG will consist of two separate sessions. 

Attendees will have the option of joining this meeting in-person or virtually via Zoom. The morning session, from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m., will focus on agriculture and rangeland, and the afternoon session, from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m., will focus on forest health and wildfire resilience. 

Due to space constraints, please limit attendance to a maximum of three representatives per organization.

Please reach out to Wren Ward, LCRCD Forestry Technician, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., if you would like to RSVP or have any questions.

Details

Written by: LAKE COUNTY NEWS REPORTS

Published: 04 August 2025

Firefighters work to stop Clearlake fire near Borax Lake; evacuations for several zones downgraded

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Firefighters from multiple agencies and counties are in Clearlake this afternoon fighting a wildland fire that has prompted evacuations in some parts of the city.

The Lake fire was first reported at 2:20 p.m. Sunday at Nacimiento Lake Drive and Oak Street, south of Borax Lake in Clearlake.

As of 4:30 p.m., Cal Fire reported over the air that the blaze had burned 340 acres, making it the largest fire of the summer season in Lake County so far. As of 5:15 p.m., it was 5% contained.

Radio traffic indicated at least one structure may have been burned.

Mandatory evacuation zones as of 4:30 p.m. were CLO-E113, CLE-E123, CLE-E126 and CLE-E13. Advisory evacuation zones by that time were CLO-E109 and CLE-E124.

Just after 5 p.m., all but one of the mandatory evacuations were reduced to advisory, according to a radio report from Lake County Fire Chief Willie Sapeta.

The one remaining mandatory zone at that point was CLO-E113, and it was reduced to advisory a short time later.

Zones can be seen here.

Shortly before 2:30 p.m., the Clearlake Police Department issued a Nixle alert asking people to avoid the area of East Lake Drive and Second Street due to the fire.

About 10 minutes later, the agency issued its first evacuation advisory for everything east of zones CL-E126, which includes Borax Lake,  and CL-E123, which is to the east of that zone. 

As of 3:30 p.m., mandatory evacuations were ordered for the area of Acacia Street to Highway 53 and north of Eastlake Drive, with advisory evacuations for Highway 53 east from Ogulin Canyon and north of Ogulin Canyon Road. 

Fifteen minutes later, Clearlake Police reported the mandatory evacuations were expanded from Acacia Street west to 16th Street and Eastlake Drive north, Acacia Street east to Highway 53 and Old Highway 53 north of Burns Valley Road east to Highway 53. At about the same time, cell phones lit up with the warning.

Incident command has pulled in firefighters from Colusa and Mendocino counties, with air resources coming from Ukiah. Lake County Fire Protection District and other Lake County resources are part of the multi-agency firefighting effort.

A report of a fire on Mark West Springs Road near Santa Rosa just after 4:15 p.m. resulted in a brief redirect of two tankers from the fire, but after air resources for that new fire.

Scanner traffic shortly before 4:45 p.m. indicated good progress is being made on the Lake fire, with retardant and dozer lines being strengthened ahead of bringing in ground crews.

Reports from the scene stated that firefighters are working to protect structures, with retardant drops a key part of that work. 

Cal Fire said the cause remains under investigation.

At 5:20 p.m., dispatch reported receiving a report about a spot fire near Pomo Elementary, with firefighters responding.

The remaining tankers were released about 5:30 p.m., at which point the retardant work was done, according to radio reports.

Three helicopters continued to work the scene at that time, along with dozers on the ground.
Forward progress was reported to have been stopped at 6:13 p.m., according to radio traffic.

Incident command said the fire was holding at 340 acres, with containment up to 25%.

By that point, incident command was arranging to have the helicopters prepare to begin departing the fire in order to be back at base by dark.

All evacuation warnings and advisories were lifted as of 6:56 p.m., according to radio traffic.

Cal Fire said the cause remains under investigation.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, and on Bluesky, @erlarson.bsky.social. Find Lake County News on the following platforms: Facebook, @LakeCoNews; X, @LakeCoNews; Threads, @lakeconews, and on Bluesky, @lakeconews.bsky.social. 

Details

Written by: Elizabeth Larson

Published: 03 August 2025

Tuleyome Tales: Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument — a decade of conservation success

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA — On July 10, the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument celebrated its 10th anniversary, a milestone that showcases what becomes possible when communities unite to protect irreplaceable landscapes. 

The monument's designation in 2015, followed by its expansion to include Molok Luyuk in 2024, stands as a testament to grassroots conservation success in the heart of Northern California's inner coastal range.

Spanning 344,476 acres, the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument holds exceptional biodiversity and ecological integrity that ranks among the top 5% of all United States Forest and Bureau of Land Management properties in the contiguous United States. 

The ancient serpentine soil of the monument is the foundation of the vast landscape, creating one of California’s most unique ecosystems. 

These distinctive soils nurture rare plant species found nowhere else on Earth, including the delicate adobe lily (Fritillaria pluriflora) and the scythleaf onion (Allium falcifolium). 

Such botanical treasures represent thousands of years of evolutionary adaptation, harboring genetic diversity that, if lost, can never be recovered. 

The specialized ecosystems that serpentine soils support have evolved in isolation, creating rare biological communities. 

But the monument's significance extends far beyond its botanical rarities and unique soils. It holds a deep history of indigenous culture and heritage. This landscape has witnessed 20,000 years of documented cultural change and development.

The monument served as a key connector and trade route used by indigenous communities. Historic trail networks once connected Patwin, Pomo, Lake Miwok, and Wappo peoples, positioning this area at the center of extensive trade networks that linked the Clear Lake Basin with the Sacramento Valley.

Beyond the ecological and cultural significance, the same serpentine geology that creates the monuments unique biodiversity, also shaped early California history. 

From the 1860s through the 1970s, the Sulphur Creek mining district extracted mercury that was used for gold mining throughout the Sierra Nevada and regional mines. 

Miners and their families established the Sulphur Creek village during the mid-to-late 1800s, creating communities and infrastructure that led to the broader economic development of California during the Gold Rush era.

The geological foundation weaves together the monument's environmental treasures, Indigenous heritage, and Gold Rush history into a singular narrative of place demonstrating how landscape, ecology, and human story interconnect across millennia.

Today, the monument represents a new chapter in conservation leadership. Co-stewardship agreements between the Bureau of Land Management and indigenous communities create a powerful model for partnerships in land management, directly supporting federal and state mandates to integrate traditional ecological knowledge into land management practices.  

The monument's protection also contributes significantly to California's ambitious 30x30 initiative aiming to protect 30% of lands and waters by 2030. These efforts address the biodiversity crisis and climate change by safeguarding critical habitat corridors and carbon storage capacity.

Perhaps most importantly, the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument proves that conservation enhances public access rather than restricts it. 

The monument provides improved trail management and diverse recreational opportunities including OHV use, mountain biking, and hiking, welcoming visitors to experience these protected landscapes responsibly.

As we celebrate this 10th anniversary, the monument stands as proof that grassroots organizing and local advocacy can achieve federal conservation action. 

Community voices influenced national policy and secured permanent protection for the Berryessa Snow Mountain landscape. 

Demonstrating how our public lands are cherished by recreationists, Indigenous communities, scientists, and nature lovers alike.

The Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument showcases that when communities come together around shared values of protection and stewardship, remarkable conservation victories become possible. 

Its first decade marks not an ending, but the beginning of a conservation model ready for replication across California and beyond.

Bryan Pride is policy director for Tuleyome, a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit conservation organization based in Woodland, California. For more information go to www.tuleyome.org. 

Details

Written by: Bryan Pride

Published: 02 August 2025