How to resolve AdBlock issue? Lakeport City Council to consider $37 million final budget for 2025-26
LAKEPORT, Calif. — The Lakeport City Council will hold a special meeting on Monday to adopt the city’s final budget of $37 million for fiscal year 2025-2026, following its budget workshop presentations held June 17.
The council will meet Monday, June 30, 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
By state law, June 30 is the city’s deadline for budget adoption.
The city’s recommended budget for fiscal year 2025-26 now sits at $37,289,272, an increase by more than 50% from the city’s 2024-25 estimated total expenditure of $24,060,022. Five years ago, it was $18,825,050.
The city’s revenue totals $31,970,097, despite lower than the recommended expenditure, showing an increase by about 100% from previous year’s revenue of $15,737,368.
The increase in revenue was not due to a growing local economy, but pumped up by special revenue funding streams such as $2.7 million from the state’s Permanent Local Housing Allocation program and $9.5 million from a federal Community Development Block Grant.
In total, these special funds came to $16,422,610, ten times the amount of $1,669,402 in 2024-25.
In the meantime, recommended General Fund allocation is $7,523,632, up from $6,285,887 last year.
Out of all expenditures proposed, salaries and benefits take up $7,288,627, increased from $6,571,328 in 2024-25.
Operation expenses take up $18,430,362, more than four times the $4,309,381 of 2024-25.
Allocations to Capital Improvement Projects, however, see a drop — from previous year’s $9,825,353 to the currently proposed $8,363,831.
The staff memo identified the “central theme” of this year’s budget: “the rapid acceleration of fixed costs outpacing revenue growth.”
The cost increase primarily stems from general liability and property insurance expenses, which have doubled over the past five years, and from rising pension obligations — significantly higher than last year and expected to double again within five years, the memo said.
Meanwhile, revenue growth remains “flat,” the staff memo noted.
Sales tax, which makes up two-thirds of Lakeport’s General Fund, has seen “modest recent gains” thanks to new retailers like Marshalls and Tractor Supply, and growth in the restaurant sector. But the memo called this core revenue source “highly volatile.”
One reason: 20% of Lakeport’s sales tax revenue comes from retail fuel sales — a source threatened as California continues its “transition away from gas-powered vehicles,” the memo said.
“The most pressing challenge facing the city of Lakeport is the steep rise in fixed operating costs — particularly in insurance, pensions, and medical benefits — which are climbing at a pace far beyond that of the City’s revenue growth,” the staff memo said.
The memo highlighted some of the city’s key goals in the upcoming fiscal year:
The city looks to finalize design and funding strategies on the South Lakeport Water Resilience and Fire Suppression project, and maintain a fully staffed police department. It also aims to complete the 2024 water and sewer main replacement — a multiple-year project that is now more than halfway completed.
Also on the list is the city’s multi-year Pavement Management Program. Projects set to be executed during fiscal year 2025-26 include rehabilitation of Lakeport Boulevard, Martin Street and Lakeshore Boulevard.
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Concerns about winds and thunderstorms lead to red flag warning, fire weather watch
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The National Weather Service has issued a red flag warning for Monday and a fire weather watch for Tuesday due to concerns about potential fire weather conditions.
The red flag warning for northern Lake County and a portion of Northern California will be in effect from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday, with a fire weather watch to be in effect the same hours on Tuesday.
A red flag warning means that critical fire weather conditions — a combination of strong winds, low relative humidity and warm temperatures — are expected to occur and could contribute to extreme fire weather, the National Weather Service reported.
Forecasters were prompted to issue both the warning and the watch due to the potential for scattered dry lightning on Monday and Tuesday afternoon — and slighter chances of isolated thunderstorms overnight Monday into Tuesday — across the region’s interior mountains.
“A pulse of moisture moving up the Central Valley combined with very hot and dry surface conditions and moderate easterly winds will combine to create scattered dry thunderstorms over the interior mountains,” the National Weather Service forecast explained. “Any storms that do form will likely produce wetting rain in the cores but lightning is possible far from these cores in areas that will remain dry.”
The forecast also calls for gusty and erratic outflow winds — which are described as the cool winds that spread out along the ground from a thunderstorm as the air that’s been cooled by the rain descends — are possible, with speeds of up to 50 miles per hour.
In addition to the potential for thunderstorms, this week will be notable for temperatures in the high 90s during the day and mid 60s at night. Temperatures are forecast to drop into the mid 80s during the day and mid 50s at night by the weekend.
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East Region Town Hall meets July 2
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The East Region Town Hall, or ERTH, will meet on Wednesday, July 2.
The meeting will begin at 4 p.m. at the Moose Lodge, located at 15900 Moose Lodge Lane in Clearlake Oaks.
The meeting will be available via Zoom. The meeting ID is 813 6295 6146, pass code is 917658.
ERTH’s guest speakers will be Lake County Director of Water Resources Pawan Upadhyay, who will give an update on the Water Resource Department, staff and current/upcoming projects, and Sarah Ryan, environmental director at Big Valley Band of Pomo Indians, with an update on cyanobacteria/toxins sampling results and water quality in the Clearlake Oaks arm of Clear Lake.
Also on the agenda is and update and consideration of ERTH activities/projects; District 3 MAC update, including consideration of a letter of support for Middle Creek Trails and District 3 Survey results and activities to-date; commercial cannabis report and cannabis ordinance update; update on safety issues on High Valley Road; Spring Valley updates; and a report on CalRecycle/County Free Dump Days in Clearlake Oaks.
ERTH’s next meeting will take place on Aug. 6.
Members are Angela Amaral, Jim Burton, Holly Harris, Maria Kann and Denise Loustalot.
For more information visit the group’s Facebook page.
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Senate committee approves Ramos bill to require state action to prevent suicides on its bridges
A measure to the require the Office of Suicide Prevention to identify state bridges and roadways with a history of high numbers of suicide-related deaths and to work with the Department of Transportation to recommend strategies to reduce those deaths was approved Thursday on a unanimous vote of 11-0 in the Senate Committee on Health.
Assemblymember James C. Ramos (D-San Bernardino) introduced the bill, AB 440.
AB 440 builds on Ramos’s broader commitment to improving mental health care in California. In 2020, he authored AB 2112, which established the Office of Suicide Prevention, or OSP, as the state’s lead agency for coordinating and streamlining suicide prevention efforts and resources.
“California needs a comprehensive statewide policy to evaluate and prevent suicide on state bridges. Caltrans and OSP must work together to identify and implement effective strategies,” Ramos said.
"AB 440 is a strong example of how a community driven approach can lead to a meaningful impact in the fight to prevent suicide,” said Lyn Morris, LMFT and chief executive officer of Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services. “Thanks to Assemblymember Ramos’ leadership and the collaboration with state and local agencies, AB 440 demonstrates that there is a commitment and belief that collectively, we can prevent suicide."
Didi Hirsch is a sponsor for the legislation.
AB 440 would require Caltrans and OSP to identify cost-effective strategies to reduce suicides and suicide attempts on the state’s bridges and roadways.
This bill would also require OSP to prepare and submit a report to the Legislature on the strategies that it identifies on or before Dec. 31, 2027. Provisions in the bill would end Jan. 1, 2029.
The Assembly Committee on Health bill analysis stated that suicide is the leading cause of violent death and self-harm is the third leading cause of injury-related emergency department visits.
The analysis also cites a 2024 National Strategy for Suicide Prevention that contained goals for integrating suicide prevention into the workplace and other community settings.
Ramos added, “We need to be proactive to ensure we provide at-risk individuals with the help they need. Creating strategies that build in time to reconsider fatal choices can save lives and prevent long lasting traumatic pain in families and communities.”
Supporters include the Bridge Rail Association, California Alliance of Child and Family Services, California Association of Social Rehabilitation Agencies, California Hospital Association, California Police Chiefs Association, County Behavioral Health Directors, California State Association of Psychiatrists, Children Now, National Alliance on Mental Illness/California, County of San Bernardino, United Domestic Workers/AFSCME Local 3930, Wayfinder Family Services, Hillsides Pasadena, Helpline Youth Counseling and Sycamores.
AB 440 will next head to the Senate Appropriations Committee.
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Teach Lake County reaches milestone in teacher credentialing program
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Lake County Office of Education announced that its Teach Lake County, or TLC, program has received full program approval from the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing.
This is a key step in establishing itself as a fully independent and locally operated teacher preparation program.
“This progress marks a significant moment for our community and for the future of education in rural California,” said Lake County Superintendent of Schools Brock Falkenberg. “Teach Lake County is not just about credentials, it’s about building capacity from within and giving our educators a high-quality, affordable path to earn their credential.”
With full program approval, TLC is preparing for the next phase of development. The team is focused on refining and enriching the curriculum to better reflect the needs of local schools, especially in areas like trauma-informed teaching and rural education.
Originally launched in 2017, TLC has continued to develop as a local solution to the teacher shortage. TLC was created to provide an accessible, community-based credentialing option for individuals with bachelor’s degrees.
TLC was granted provisional program approval by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing, or CTC, in 2021, allowing the program to operate independently while demonstrating that it meets rigorous state standards.
Prior to that, candidates earned their credentials through partnerships with institutions such as the North Coast School of Education.
With this full approval, the program’s structure and outcomes have now been formally validated by the state based on years of documented success.
“We’ve come a long way since launching our first cohort,” said Jamie Buckner-Bridges, director of Teach Lake County. “Moving toward full CTC approval means we’ll be able to expand what we offer, both in terms of program options and the communities we serve.”
Since launching its first cohort in 2017, nearly 70 educators have graduated from the Teach Lake County program and earned their credentials, contributing directly to addressing the teacher shortage in Lake County and beyond.
Equally important is TLC’s commitment to reaching deeper into underserved and rural communities throughout California. This includes areas that have long struggled with limited access to affordable, high-quality credentialing programs.
By continuing to grow and adapt, Teach Lake County remains dedicated to its mission: to train teachers who are rooted in their communities and prepared to meet the needs of every student.
For more information about the Teach Lake County program, visit www.lakecoe.org/TLC.
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