LAKEPORT, Calif. – Last Tuesday, as part of its first meeting of the year, the Board of Supervisors established its leadership for the coming year, and made a number of committee and commission appointments, including determining the members of the Lake County Planning Commission.

The board elected Anthony Farrington the chair for 2015, with Rob Brown elected vice chair.

In the case of the Lake County Planning Commission – a general advisory body to the board on land use issues – that body also has five seats, one for each supervisorial district.

As such, each supervisor appoints their representative on the commission for a term of two years.

Four of the five members will be returning for another term.

District 1 Supervisor Jim Comstock reappointed Joe Sullivan, District 2 Supervisor Jeff Smith reappointed Bob Malley, District 4 Supervisor Anthony Farrington reappointed Don Deuchar and District 5 Supervisor Rob Brown reappointed Gil Schoux.

When the turn came for new District 3 Supervisor Jim Steele to make his appointment, he made a motion to have his wife, Olga Martin Steele – who was outgoing District 3 Supervisor Denise Rushing’s planning commissioner – put on the commission in an interim capacity.

He said he was interviewing some commission candidates and would back in “at least a month” with a permanent nominee, noting, “I haven’t had time to advertise this fully.”

His fellow board members were unanimous in opposing Steele’s proposal, voicing their concerns that the interim appointment would create not just a perception of a conflict of interest, but lead to an actual conflict situation.

Brown said perception of conflict is an issue every supervisor has to deal with, but in this case he felt the issue went beyond perception to a “clear conflict.”

He suggested that the position be kept vacant for the short-term. Brown said there is precedent, as in past cases when a commissioner has died and the seat is left open while a replacement is chosen.

Comstock agreed that keeping the District 3 commission seat vacant temporarily would be better than having a conflict.

“The relationship that each of us supervisors have with our planning commissioner is different,” Brown added. “It depends on the board member. But in the 14 years that I’ve been on the board, I have never once had a discussion with my planning commissioner, because it has to be independent of the board,” and keeping that distance would be difficult with a spouse.

“I can take advice from the board members, and I certainly accept their view on this and so I’ll withdraw that recommendation,” Steele said. “It will have to remain vacant for a month.”

Replied Comstock, “It doesn’t even have to be a month,” but can be sooner, based on when Steele has a final candidate.

Steele said people were reporting to him that they hadn’t heard about the opening, which he said he had publicized in the newspaper.

Farrington told Steele that keeping the position vacant for now was “a good decision.”

Like Brown, he noted that each of the supervisors has a different relationship with their planning commissioners.

“I haven’t even seen my planning commissioner in a year,” said Farrington. “There’s an insulation there that I think is a value and to the public trust, and so I think it’s hard to overcome that when it’s your wife. And so I know you’re just trying to fill the gap until you select somebody, and that’s noble, but I do believe it creates a perception problem, not just for yourself, but for the entire county.”

Steele said his wife likely would be relieved at not having to fulfill the commitment.

Anyone interested in applying for the District 3 planning commission position can contact the Board of Supervisors’ office at 707-263-2368 or download the advisory board application at http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Boards/Board_of_Supervisors.htm .

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – This week the Board of Supervisors will discuss the county's participation in a nationwide wellness effort, meet the new California Highway Patrol commander for the Clear Lake Area office and host a swear-in for sheriff's office personnel.

The board will meet beginning at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 13, in the board chambers on the first floor of the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport.

The meeting can be watched live on Channel 8 with the video available online at http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Boards/Board_of_Supervisors/calendar.htm .

At 9:15 a.m., Susan Jen will make a presentation to the board on “Our Way to Wellville – Lake County.”

Jen was part of the effort that last year earned Lake County a spot among five communities nationwide that will work with the nonprofit Health Initiative Coordinating Council over the next five years to produce visible improvements in five measures of health and economic vitality.

Also on Tuesday, at 9:10 a.m. the board will meet new Lt. Hector Paredes, who took over as the commander of the CHP's Clear Lake Area office in September.

In other business, the board will host a ceremony at 9:30 a.m. for new Sheriff Brian Martin to swear-in newly hired and existing staff members.

At 9:35 a.m. the board will hold a second reading on an amendment to Ordinance No. 2991, which will allow a pass-through fee on Mediacom subscribers to support the county's cable access channel, Channel 8, despite the county having not yet received an opinion from the California Attorney General's Office about whether the pass-through is a tax subject to Proposition 26.

The full agenda follows.

CONSENT AGENDA

7.1: Approve minutes of the Board of Supervisors meetings held Dec. 16, 2014, and Jan. 6, 2015.     

7.2: Approve amendment No. 1 to the memorandum of understanding with the Lake County Safety Employees’ Association, Unit 10, from July 1, 2013, through Dec. 31, 2015.

7.3: Approve Resolution No. 2014/2015.04 of Upper Lake Union Elementary School District amending its conflict of interest code.

7.4: Ratify the actions of the District Attorney's Office to purchase the vehicle from Kathy Fowler and authorize the district attorney to issue payment to Kathy Fowler Chevrolet in the amount of $37,142.63.

7.5: Adopt resolution Amending Resolution 2014-129, appointing directors of certain special district boards in lieu of holding a general district election on Nov. 4, 2014.     

7.6: Authorize district attorney to sign final proof of loss statement relative to damaged 2007 Ford F-150 pickup.

7.7: Approve agreement between the county of Lake and Bender Rosenthal Inc. to provide right of way services for four bridge replacement projects (Anderson Creek Bridge on Foard Road (14C-0076), Manning Creek Bridge on Mathews Road (14C-0082), Manning Creek Bridge on Ackley Road (14C-0083) and Highland Creek Bridge on Highland Springs Road (14C-0085)) and two bridge rehabilitation projects (Robinson Creek Bridge on Mockingbird Lane (14C-0086) and Harbin Creek Bridge on Harbin Springs Road (14C-0111)) in Lake County in the amount of $137,500, and authorize the chair to sign.

TIMED ITEMS

8.1, 9:05 a.m.: Public input.

8.2, 9:10 a.m.: Introduction of new California Highway Patrol Lt. Hector Paredes.          

8.3, 9:15 a.m.: “Our Way to Wellville – Lake County” presentation by Susan Jen.

8.4, 9:30 a.m.: Swearing in ceremony for Lake County Sheriff's Office employees.

8.5, 9:35 a.m.: (Carried over from Jan. 13, 2015), second reading, consideration of amendment to Lake County Ordinance No. 2991, An Ordinance Adding Article Seven to Chapter Seven of the Lake County Code to Provide Support for Public, Educational, and Governmental Cable Television Access Facilities to either modify or remove the condition that the ordinance shall only become effective upon a determination by the attorney general that the PEG fee is not a tax subject to Proposition 26.          

NONTIMED ITEMS

9.1: Supervisors' weekly calendar, travel and reports.   

9.2: Consideration of options to fill vacant position in Administrative Office.

9.3: Consideration of appointments to the Law Library Board of Trustees.

CLOSED SESSION

10.2: Conference with legal counsel: Existing litigation pursuant to Gov. Code Sec. 54956.9(d)(1): Rivero v. Lake County Board of Supervisors, et al.   

10.3: Conference with legal counsel: Decision whether to initiate litigation pursuant to Gov. Code Sec. 54956.9(d)(4): One potential case.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Clearlake City Council entertained a short agenda in its first regular meeting of the new year held on Thursday at Clearlake City Hall.

The council provided its support of World Autism Awareness Day, which is to be held in April; extended a declaration of local emergency related to December storm damage; and Mayor Denise Loustalot announced her committee appointments for the coming year.

Clearlake resident Adelia Leonard requested support for World Autism Awareness Day as organizer and mother of two autistic children.

She said her family often struggles for acceptance within the community. Raising awareness, she said, will increase public understanding of the conditions associated with autism and help those afflicted gain acceptance in society.

“We want to be able to feel comfortable in our own city,” Leonard said.

According to the National Autism Association (NAA), autism is a bioneurological condition that generally appears before the age of 3 years.

It impacts the normal development of the brain in the areas of social interaction, communication skills and cognitive function.

Autism is diagnosed four times more often in boys than in girls and now affects one in 68 children, which Leonard said has increased from one in 80.

The NAA states about 40-percent of children with autism do not speak while about 25- to 30-percent have some words at 12 to 18 months but later lose them. Others may speak but not until later in childhood.

Leonard said she has about 30 area businesses willing to assist in the awareness campaign by placing blue lights in their windows.

She requested the city show its support by way of proclamation and by running blue lights up the city flagpole at Austin Park, which Public Works Director Doug Herren said would be possible. Leonard said she would provide the lights.

Vice Mayor Gina Fortino Dickson said the campaign falls in line with Child Abuse Prevention Month, which also takes place is April.

She encouraged Leonard to coordinate her effort with those of the Lake County Children's Council and offered her assistance in connecting them.

“It's all about making everybody feel inclusive in our community,” Councilman Bruno Sabatier said.

Lake County Emergency Services Manager Marisa Chilafoe was on hand to discuss the declaration of a local emergency issued on Dec. 11 due to major flooding in the Clearlake area that resulted from a heavy rainstorm.

Ultimately, the declaration was extended by vote of the council.

Chilafoe said the action is currently in the recovery process, which consists of the assessment phase.

“(State representatives) were here today (assessing the damage) and will decide what recommendations to make to the governor,” she said.

According to City Manager Joan Phillipe, issuing the declaration does several things, not necessarily limited to: authorizing the undertaking of extraordinary police powers if necessary;providing limited immunity for emergency actions of public employees and governing bodies; authorizing the issuance of orders and regulations to protect life and property;allowing special purchasing and contracting directly related to the emergency; sending a proactive message to the community; and possibly providing property owners documentation for insurance purposes.

Extending the declaration provides additional time for property owners to submit their claims to city officials.

However, submitting a claim does not guarantee reimbursement for damages sustained in the storm.

Appointments for annual city representation rounded-out the evening's agenda.

Councilman Russ Perdock will serve as the voting member to the League of California Cities while Loustalot will serve as the alternate.

Additional committee appointments were made by the mayor as follows:

– Abandoned Vehicle Authority: Clearlake Police Chief Craig Clausen, member.
– Sewer District 1-6 Advisory Board: Bruno Sabatier, member;
– Resource Management Committee: Joyce Overton, member; Gina Fortino Dickson, alternate.
– Integrated Waste Management Task Force/Solid Waste Diversion Committee and Clearlake Solid Waste Committee: Public Works Director Doug Herren, member; Gina Fortino Dickson, alternate.
– Vector Control Board of Trustees: Curt Giambruno (former councilman), member.
– Public, Education and Government (PEG) Board: Denise Loustalot, member; Gina Fortino Dickson, alternate.
– Traffic Safety Committee: Joyce Overton, Denise Loustalot, Joan Philippe and Doug Herren, members.
– Redevelopment Oversight Board: Bruno Sabatier and Joan Phillipe, members.
– Area Planning Council (APC)/Lake Transit Authority: Denise Loustalot and Russ Perdock, members; Bruno Sabatier, alternate.
– Lake County Clean Water Advisory Council (National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System): Gina Fortino Dickson, member; Denise Loustalot, alternate.
– Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCo): Joyce Overton, member; Bruno Sabatier, alternate.
– Lake County Airport Land Use Commission: Russ Perdock, member; Denise Loustalot, alternate.

Email Denise Rockenstein at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The city of Lakeport is hoping to soon complete its purchase of a new home for the Lakeport Police Department.

The 90-day escrow is expected to close mid-February for the former Social Security building located at 2025 S. Main St.

The Lakeport Police Department has been at its current location, 916 N. Forbes St., since July 1999, according to Chief Brad Rasmussen.

Prior to that, the agency had been at 445 S. Main St., which is now home to the Lakeport Fire station.

The 2025 S. Main St. property, located next to Kmart, has been listed at $1,150,000.

However, the city is purchasing it for $875,000, said City Manager Margaret Silveira.

The council held a closed session to discuss the property purchase at its Nov. 4 meeting, according to city records.

On Nov. 10 the city submitted an offer for $825,000. That offer proposed the seller – Jean Howe of Santa Rosa – make a $700,000 loan, according to the purchase documents.

Howe made the counter offer of $875,000, which Silveira signed on Nov. 18. Howe signed the document the following day.

At its meeting Tuesday, the Lakeport City Council held a public hearing and adopted a resolution that will allow the city to use $200,000 in Community Development Block Grant funding toward the 2025 S. Main St. purchase.

In addition to that funding – which still requires state approval and an environmental review – the city is considering leasing out the police department's current location for office space, Silveira said.

“That would offset the payment,” she said.

Lakeport’s police force had 10 sworn officer positions going into the 2014-15 budget, with a police restructuring request that the council approved in December granting Rasmussen another full-time detective position.

The agency also has nonsworn dispatch staff and a number of volunteers.

Exploring options for police headquarters

Built in 2002, the 4,396-square-foot building at 2025 S. Main St. is located on 0.53 acres, according to its listing.

Lakeport Police's current headquarters building is about 3,000 square feet, said Rasmussen.

The Forbes Street location is in need of major upgrades. Over the past several years the city has been exploring upgrades for the existing building, as well as the alternative of locating elsewhere, said Rasmussen.

Several years ago, the Lakeport Police Department and the Lakeport Fire Protection District had discussed the possibility of building a public safety facility on Larrecou Lane that would be the headquarters for both agencies, said Rasmussen.

Then-Lakeport Fire Chief Ken Wells had sought federal funding for the project, but the agency's grant application wasn't selected.

“It was a great concept,” said Rasmussen. “It was going to be a really nice facility.”

With that option off the table, the city began looking at upgrading the Forbes Street building, which Silveira said is city-owned.

Rasmussen said the city had planned for capital expenditures to upgrade the building.

However, the renovation costs were going to be high, said Silveira, with the building needing many updates.

Added Rasmussen, “It makes a lot more sense, and it’s more cost effective, to transition to this new station.”

A more modern facility

The move to consider the former Social Security building started late last summer, Rasmussen said.

He said the Social Security Administration had been the building's only tenant.

Silveira said the building is move-in ready, and perfect for the police department's needs, with more modern infrastructure, wiring, security equipment, training facilities and other amenities.

Rasmussen said some minor upgrades will be needed. “We're in the process of discussing those,” he said.

“There's a lot of planning that needs to be considered as far as moving our computer network and our phone system,” he said, however, overall, “It’s going to be fairly easy to get our phone system and network transferred over there.”

The city also will need to install a fencing structure behind the building to secure police vehicles. “It's got plenty of room to do that,” said Rasmussen.

All of the agency's officers live within the authorized distance to take their vehicles home, so Rasmussen said the police vehicles wouldn't all be there at once.

That leaves the front parking lot on the building's north side wide open for the public. There also is a smaller parking area on the west side of the building, adjacent to S. Main Street, he said.

“It has quite a bit more parking than we have here,” he said.

As far as how the move to a new location may impact officers responding to incidents, Rasmussen said, “We don't have any belief that it’s going to change any of our response times to any areas of the city.”

He said most responses come from officers already in the field.

The department’s average response time for priority one calls – which are 911 emergencies – is just over three minutes, said Rasmussen, while the average nonpriority call is about nine minutes. The combined average of all calls also is about nine minutes.

Perhaps one of the biggest pluses, in Rasmussen's estimation, is the high visibility of the S. Main Street location.

“I think that's a great benefit,” he said.

Not only is is located on a main arterial street, but it's easy for the public to access and is more inviting to the community, he said.

“It also presents a strong image of the police department,” he said, noting the more modern, attractive building.

Rasmussen said his employees are very excited about the prospect of a more functional, secure and safer facility.

He added, “It's going to have a big impact on the morale of our staff.”

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport City Council on Tuesday honored two sheriff's deputies who saved a man from a September suicide attempt.

Newly sworn in Sheriff Brian Martin was on hand – along with numerous other deputies and Lakeport Police officers – for the council's tribute to Sgt. Andy Davidson and Deputy Jake Steely.

The two men are credited with saving the life of a man who attempted to hang himself at the Natural High School property on N. Main Street on Sept. 1.

Davidson and Steely were dispatched to assist Lakeport Police officers with the report of a man hanging from a tree at Clear Lake High School, according to the proclamations read Tuesday night by Mayor Martin Scheel.

However, on the way, Davidson and Steely were informed by Central Dispatch that the man actually was located at the lakeside Natural High property.

When they got to the scene, the person who had reported the incident showed them where the man was hanging from a tree on the shoreline.

As they tried to get to the man, his girlfriend attempted to stop them; she was clutching her boyfriend's body and telling the men to stay away. As Steely made an attempt to cut the man down, the woman physically tried to prevent him from doing so.

Steely then took hold of her and handed her off to Davidson, who restrained her while Steely returned to the man, whose face was blue and his body limp.

“Deputy Steely supported the man’s body under his armpit and quickly cut him down from the tree. Once on the ground, Deputy Steely checked for a pulse and found none. He straightened the subject’s body, opened his airway and began chest compressions. He continued performing chest compressions for several minutes until paramedics from the Lakeport Fire Department arrived on scene. The paramedics credited Deputy Steely’s actions for resuscitating the man,” the proclamation said.

The man was then transported to the hospital.

Sheriff Martin led the audience and the council in offering his two deputies a standing ovation.

Lakeport Police Chief Brad Rasmussen thanked Davidson and Steely on behalf of his department and staff, and also thanked the sheriff's office for its past assistance.

“We look forward to continuing to work with the sheriff's office under the administration of Brian Martin,” Rasmussen said.

The Board of Supervisors honored the two deputies for their actions in November.

Davidson also was honored by the Board of Supervisors in October 2011, along with two fellow deputies, for his response to a shooting the previous month and his successful efforts to help a wounded man.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

CLEARLAKE OAKS, Calif. – On Wednesday county building officials served a notice of nuisance and order to abate on the Lake Haven Motel, damaged by a Sunday afternoon fire.

The fire at the motel, located at 100 Short St. in Clearlake Oaks, also is believed to have taken the life of one of the people who had been living at the motel long-term.

Robert Claude Hood, 67, was found on the couch in his upstairs unit, where the origin of the fire was traced to a burning cigarette in his kitchen trash can, according to the Lake County Arson Task Force findings.

The exact cause of Hood’s death is pending the results of his autopsy, which took place on Tuesday, according to the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.

The fire also displaced about two dozen people, who Red Cross supplied with temporary housing after the fire.

Northshore Fire Chief Jay Beristianos and Deputy Chief Pat Brown both confirmed to Lake County News that their agency has had ongoing concerns about safety at the building, which was permitted and constructed in the 1970s of wood and cinder blocks.

Brown, the incident commander on the fire, said at the scene that he was shutting the motel down due to the building's conditions.

On the day of the fire, Community Development Director Rick Coel and Chief Building Official Michael Lockett inspected the motel building.

“This was the first time we have been able to inspect the interior of the units,” Coel said, noting there were numerous violations.

After the Sunday inspection, Coel said he and Lockett red-tagged the property, with Pacific Gas and Electric pulling the power to all of the units.

The following morning, the owner of the building – the Napa-based Johanson 1991 Living Trust – had a crew boarding up the doors and broken windows, Coel said.

The motel – which is located on just over an acre – was transferred into the Johanson 1991 Living Trust in December 2008, according to county property records. The trust also owns two other properties – one each in Clearlake Oaks and Hidden Valley Lake.

The Wednesday nuisance and abatement notice, which resulted from the inspection Coel and Lockett carried out Sunday, details the numerous violations they found.

Coel said the notice includes new violations not in the original notice because they hadn't previously been able to gain access to the building.

Those violations listed in this week's document include damage that occurred Sunday – fire and water damage, along with broken windows and holes in the roof.

There also is unsafe electrical within the units, two of which have excessive trash buildup; decaying, substandard concrete that is loose and unsafe on the balcony along the building's south side; wire covering the exterior windows of upstairs lofts; wire from the roof to the balcony along the south balcony; wire blocking handrails; obstructions along the north balcony that are limiting escape routes; and open electrical wiring throughout the property, according to the notice.

The fire alarm system doesn't work and is not annually certified by a licensed fire alarm testing contractor; the fire extinguishers also aren't annually certified; and the majority of units are lacking smoke detectors, the notice states.

The list of violations also includes the unpermitted conversion of the motel to apartments.

“The county has never authorized it to be converted to apartments,” Coel said. “It is clear to us that the entire facility was being used as apartments.”

In addition, the units do not have carbon monoxide detectors, a fact which isn't documented in the notice but which Coel confirmed from his observations during the Sunday inspection.

Installing carbon monoxide detectors “will be required as part of the building permit plan review and verified to be installed prior to final inspection for the repair and/or conversion permits,” he said.

Coel said his department posted a notice of nuisance and order to abate last February for a number of violations, including conversion of motel rooms to apartments, excessive open and outdoor storage, nonoperational vehicles and construction without permits.

“We were not able to inspect the inside of the units at the time so had to make some assumptions as to unpermitted construction,” he said.

The Johanson trust filed a request for a hearing before the Board of Supervisors, claiming that the property was in “excellent, clean condition,” Coel said.

Since that notice's posting, The Johanson trust cleaned up the motel's exterior, Coel said, removing junk and nonoperational vehicles.

Coel said the Johanson trust also told the county that it was collecting transient occupancy tax – also known as bed tax, which is collected by motels, hotels, bed and breakfasts and other accommodations – for payment to the county, and only allowing short-term leases.

County Administrative Officer Matt Perry confirmed to Lake County News that the Johanson trust has, indeed, paid the county transient occupancy tax. However, the information about the amounts paid by specific properties and businesses is confidential.

As for the owner's request to go before the board, Coel said he and Lockett had planned to address it this winter and had spoken about the case right before Christmas.

Wednesday's nuisance and abatement notice – which supersedes the one served on Feb. 7, 2014 – requires that abatement begin within 30 days, or by Feb. 9.

The notice states that the owner can seek a hearing before the Board of Supervisors by submitting a request by Feb. 2.

Failure to adhere to the notice could lead to the county hiring a contractor to move forward on the abatement, which would be charged to the owner as a special assessment.

The motel's owner is required to secure it by boarding it up, and removing all trash from the property and items from the balconies.

The county also gives the motel owner three options as to the future of the building: submit a building permit application and plans prepared by a California licensed architect or engineer for repairs to the building in order to return it to use as a motel; pursue the required permitting to convert the property and its buildings to multifamily residential use; or demolish the substandard buildings and remove the trash and debris.

Pursuing the conversion to apartments, said Coel, will require approval of a general plan amendment and rezone.

He said there will be no occupancy allowed and no electricity restored until the property is repaired and brought to code as an apartment building or returned back to a motel.

“The issues are complex,” Coel said.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.