Looking across Clear Lake from Bureau of Land Management property on Mt. Konocti, where new trails are expected in spring 2011. Photo courtesy of Alan Flora/county of Lake.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – There’s something happening in Lake County that’s going to offer people new opportunities to connect – with nature, with each other and to places that make up the stuff of the everyday or that we frequent only in our free time.

The Konocti Regional Trails, a countywide network of multiuse trails, are meant to provide nonmotorized pathways between communities, local services, recreational areas and other points of interest – and the combinations are endless.

“The first and newest ones will be on Mount Konocti in the spring,” said Kim Clymire, Lake County Public Services director. “There are already trails in all areas of the county on public lands including at Highland Springs, Bureau of Land Management (land), Trailside Nature Preserve, Boggs Mountain and more.”

That is, a total of 100 miles of existing trails and 355 miles of forest roads. The challenge is that the majority are located a significant distance from populated areas and often require traveling by car to enjoy them.

The solution then is the trails system, which will be used primarily for recreation and transportation.

First, you can go out for your Sunday morning hike or after-work bike ride, and you won’t have to drive there first.

Second? They’ll get you from here to there without the worry of sharing a cramped lane with a much faster, larger vehicle.

At a minimum, the trails will be expected to host road bicyclists, mountain bicyclists, hikers, birders, pedestrians, dog walkers, individuals in wheelchairs and strollers, skateboarders, horseback riders, as well as kayakers, canoeists and rowers. (That’s right. The trails will include both pathways by land and waterways.)

While most trails will serve multiple purposes, not all activities will be available on all trails – based mostly on terrain and location.

The trails have been categorized in a number of ways according to their purpose.

For instance, community pathways are trails within a single community that could link neighborhoods to neighborhoods or neighborhoods to local services, parks and other points of interest. They would be used mostly for transportation.

Community connector trails will actually link different areas – as an example, one might stretch all the way to Lakeport from Kelseyville.

Regional trails encompass trails between major recreational areas or other destinations, such as a possible corridor between Robert Louis Stevenson State Park and Middletown.

Although, in most cases, these trails offer the slower, quieter route to travel, that’s also precisely what’s enticing: the slower, quieter route. Options are nice.

And the trails provide a number of other benefits, as well:

• Supporting and inspiring healthy lifestyles – For those looking to make improvements to your health and general well-being, the trails offer a number of healthy helping hands, some of which go by the names of brisk walk, long hike, fresh air, rowboat and sunlight.

• Encouraging outdoor recreation – What are the odds of going out for a bike ride after a long day when you have to pack the truck, drive a distance to get there, unload and lock up? What if you could step outside of your house and catch a community pathway around the corner that ultimately connects to your biking destination? Or what if you just feel like going for a ride around the corner? See? Now, it’s more tempting.

• Stimulating economic development – It’s easy to put off driving a ways to the grocery store or checking out that new tasting room when you factor in the price of travel, money plus time. It’s nice to think of all these places practically in your backyard. A short stroll down a clearly marked path to get there is just more fun. And hey, why not walk over to a local farm instead for tonight’s special dinner?

• Promoting tourism – I suppose we’ll let our visitors in on the secret, too. Among the many benefits you can expect from the trails is increased tourism. A quickly growing industry, nature tourism will help boost the local tourism industry, as many of the community connector and regional trails ultimately lead to community pathways, which lead to local restaurants, shops, wineries and other points of interest.

• Offering learning opportunities – Kono Tayee, Lillie Langtry or the Western grebes “rushing” courtship dance – ring a bell? If not, here’s another great reason to get to those trails and take the kids. A whole world of learning is available along the way – of the cultural and historical background of Lake County, the local flora and fauna, and much more.

• Expanding routes for emergency egress and access — Bet you didn’t even think of this one. Another great benefit of the trails is alternative access routes for emergency personnel, as well as exit routes during emergency situations (fires, floods, etc.) for local residents.

Spearheading the effort, the Konocti Regional Trails Team consists of six key members, four of whom work for different county departments.

Led by Clymire, the others include Terre Logsdon, Public Services analyst; Alan Flora, associate planner; and Deputy Administrative Officer Debra Sommerfield.

A group mountain bikes along a trail at Boggs Forest in Lake County, Calif. Photo courtesy of Tim Battaglia.

According to Clymire, the members of the Trails Team each bring immense talent to the table. “We asked for a representative from our planning division, and the director assigned Alan Flora, who not only can integrate plans, but is an amazing cartographer. Debra Sommerfield has been invaluable in focusing the project and giving input, and Terre Logsdon, new to the process, has jumped right in and moved the plan to this point.” All of which translates to a well-organized process and steady progress.

Another key member is veteran trail expert Barbara Rice of the National Park Service’s Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance Program.

“Barbara Rice has been a treasure trove of information,” said Clymire.

Rice was brought on board through a one-year grant back in 2007, which was later renewed in 2008.

Although the grant – and therefore Rice’s service to the county – expired, she made a decision to help see the trails come to fruition and has continued to show up ever since.

“We would be totally remiss if we did not say how important it was to have the ongoing, incredible support and guidance from Barbara Rice,” added Holly Harris, project volunteer and the sixth key Trails Team member.

“Barbara has been thoroughly committed to the KRT (Trails) vision and goals since her first visit in 2007,” said Harris. “While this may be her job, she does not treat it as a job; for her it is a passion. We could not have come as far as we have without her expertise.”

Harris and her husband Chuck Lamb — otherwise known as “the catalysts” by Clymire – were “instrumental in moving the planning process forward over the past two years.”

“I suppose you could term it a vision,” said Harris. “When we first moved to Lake County in 2001, as hikers we searched for outdoor recreational opportunities. While Lake County boasts miles of trails, most are located many miles away from communities on federal lands.”

In the spring of 2007, Harris and Lamb approached county department heads with their idea to help with the Northshore redevelopment area.

To improve tourism, they suggested creating a system of interlinking nonmotorized land trails and “blue ways,” or water trails. One notable idea was the concept of a Northshore ridgeline trail between Highway 53 in Clearlake Oaks to Highway 29 in Upper Lake with smaller “connector” trails linking it to Northshore communities.

“Expenses would be minimized by utilizing existing county parks and boat launches along the Clear Lake shoreline as staging areas, as well as providing a hub between land and water trails,” stated Lamb. “The Lake County Board of Supervisors unanimously endorsed the concept in the summer of 2007.”

Following that, “We wrote a successful grant to the National Park Service and received the services of Barbara Rice,” said Clymire. “Shortly thereafter, we began the acquisition process of Mount Konocti, and the plan evolved to include all areas of the county.”

Harris and Lamb have been involved in a number of projects that directly relate to the trails program, including development of the water trails brochures, the Mt. Konocti purchase, CLEAN (Clear Lake Environmental Action Network Inc.), and the Clarks Island Sustainability initiative project.

Clymire said Harris “has been the driving force behind this process.” He added, “Her dedication and involvement – her volunteerism – is an inspiration.”

And Harris believes the trails program has been well-received by the community: “It’s been incredibly positive. At the beginning, we did have property owners concerned about eminent domain, but now they understand that the trails program is being developed on public lands, or on private lands of willing property owners who have given easements.”

Harris and Lamb have had a “spectacular” experience working with the county on this project and encourage other community members to get involved.

Along with resourceful people, a number of resources exist with extensive information on the trails, the vision behind them, the work that has gone into them and the anticipated outcome.

For starters, an interactive and always up-to-date Web site, www.konoctitrails.com , has been set up to provide the community and other stakeholders with goals and objectives of the Trails, details and status of various projects, opportunities for volunteering, as well as a forum for discussion.

As the trails program is currently in the pre-planning phase, the Konocti Regional Trails Master Plan is like the Trails Team’s playbook (and you can steal a sneak peek and offer comments on the draft at www.konoctitrails.com ; download the water trails brochures while you’re at it).

So, as you’re reading this article while flipping through the draft master plan, freshly printed beside you, for clarity’s sake: the conceptual trails are not some New Agey cerebral voyage through your subconscious mind. These trails were brainstormed, conceptualized, tossed around and refined through

an online survey and four public workshops held over the past 16 months.

“This trails plan wasn't created in a vacuum,” said Clymire, “There were hundreds and hundreds of residents who gave input by one method or another.”

He added, “Members of the community – from every area of Lake County – have contributed countless hours. We wouldn't be where we are today without the community's support.”

The community has become increasingly involved since the first of the public workshops was held in June 2009. During the workshop, community participants were introduced to the concept and were given an opportunity to voice their concerns and provide input using a questionnaire regarding their

interests in trails, their locations, and potential uses.

The Trails Team followed up with an online survey in September 2009 and received a significant return from the public – 652 responses within 30 days. A 15-question survey, the questions served to determine the public’s knowledge and current use of existing trails and destinations, as well as their

desired modes of trail use and amenities, their main concerns, and their interest and willingness to support the effort.

The second workshop, held in January 2010, yielded the most input, with more than 100 in attendance, and included hands-on trail route mapping exercises, during which the public discussed their preferred trail types and locations, identified opportunities and constraints, and considered alternative routes and design concepts.

With 35 attendees, the third workshop this past August was a followup and served to verify the ideas generated in the second workshop and to ensure accuracy and completeness. The fourth workshop on Oct. 13, which had roughly the same number in attendance, featured a presentation on the final

draft of the master plan and a question-and-answer session.

The public input that has been gathered shapes the majority of the master plan. The master plan’s purpose is to provide a guiding framework for the Trails’ planning, design, implementation and maintenance. Along with the outcome of the community engagement sessions, the master plan encompasses everything trails-related, including information and detailed maps on existing trails, recreational areas, forest land, and other points of interest; policies related to the trails’ design and use; a breakdown of trail categories and potential trails; funding opportunities; and much more.

If this is the first time you’re hearing about the trails, there will be opportunities for additional and highly welcomed community involvement once the master plan is approved by the Board of Supervisors in January 2011, following approval by the Lake County Planning Commission this month.

At that point, the Trails Team will expand to include larger working groups – comprising community members – within each mapping area. These groups will work alongside county staff and representatives from other important entities to begin seeing these projects through.

According to Clymire, press releases outlining next steps will be available on the Trails Web site, and anyone can sign up to be notified of upcoming opportunities.

As Rice put it in the last workshop, “This is not the end. This is the beginning. This is the beginning of growth, of community involvement to make these projects happen … not one or two, but a dozen projects at a time. You can all make these projects happen.”

As these projects unfold and the trails begin to stretch throughout and between our small communities, like arms reaching toward each other to share something as magnificent as the ancient lake, majestic mountains and rich history we call our own, how will you connect?

For more information on the Konocti Regional Trails, contact Lake County Public Services, 707-262-1618, or visit www.konoctitrails.com .

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Konocti Regional Trails Team Member Holly Harris discusses trail concepts for the Northshore Study Area with community members at Workshop 2 at the Lower Lake Historic Schoolhouse Museum. Photo courtesy of county of Lake.

Allan McClain, 51, announced Thursday that he was retiring effective Dec. 30, as Lake County News has reported.

McClain arrived in Clearlake In June 2007, after spending more than 26 years in law enforcement in Kings County.

There he served two years as the sheriff, appointed to fill the position by the Kings County Board of Supervisors after three-term Sheriff Ken Marvin retired. He lost election in November 2006 and left the Kings County Sheriff's Department in January 2007.

With 30 years in law enforcement, he said he's ready to retire, and he and his wife plan to move to Hawaii. “It'll give me something to do,” he said, noting he likes to scuba dive and fish.

McClain has presided as chief during a difficult time for the city. During his tenure the city has cut nine officer positions, dropping from 27 to 18, and also eliminated two code enforcement officers, a dispatcher and the chief's secretary.

The department, at the same time, has absorbed animal control duties. McClain and his staff have worked with local animal groups in the effort.

The city's departments have come in under budget every year and have cut millions in expenditures, he said.

The cuts in staffing levels means the department can't be as active in the community as McClain would like. If an officer is on vacation or testifying in court, they have to pull in other officers to work overtime.

“So basically right now we're running at what would be minimum staffing,” he said.

The department has struggled to provide the best service it can with limited resources. At the same time, McClain said, his agency has been creative in obtaining the tools it needs without asking the council for more money from the general fund.

McClain said the department has used grants to buy cars and other equipment. The department also brought on a K9, which was achieved through a community-based fundraising effort.

McClain said the new council is seated next month – Jeri Spittler and Joey Luiz will succeed retiring Councilmen Roy Simons and Chuck Leonard – they will have to look at the city's financial situation and assess how much money they want to spend to properly fund the department.

He said the biggest issue the department has is finances.

“We don't have the resources to hire the staff needed to keep the city safe,” he said.

Measure P, the half-cent sales tax the city adopted to enhance law enforcement, isn't able to keep up with the department's needs, he said.

Part of his frustration as chief, he said, is that Measure P was part of his recruitment package, and he was told that there would be money for certain programs and uses.

“When I got there I found out it just wasn't true,” he said.

“The only light we had at the end of the tunnel for additional revenue and those types of things appeared to be attached to any kind of project going at the airport,” he said, referring to the proposed regional shopping center at the now-closed Pearce Field on Highway 53.

The city's police officers association spoke in favor of the project before the council earlier this year.

“I just don't know where the revenue sources will come from,” he said.

McClain said it's in the police department's best interests that he step away, which will allow the city to get someone to come in for less than the $115,000 annual salary he makes, plus more than $70,000 in benefits, including retirement.

The department also can look into a reorganization, he said.

During the last council meeting, both Spittler and Vice Mayor Joyce Overton said there were too many police officers. Measure P's goal is to have one police officer for every 500 residents, rather than one per 1,000 citizens, which is a benchmark for most cities.

McClain said the police department has never been at the one officer for 500 residents level, despite Measure P's goals.

He's also concerned that Spittler and Overton were making those comments and not looking, at the same time, at the city's level of calls for service.

Clearlake Police Department is handling 30,000 calls a year, more than the Lake County Sheriff's Office and the Lakeport Police Department combined, said McClain.

“Measure P was written specifically because of those levels of service,” McClain said.

“I believe – and I believe this wholeheartedly – the officers and the people we have working at the city have done an outstanding job trying to maintain the level of service we're able to provide and keep things functioning as well as they have,” he said.

“The concern is, when you're handling that many calls for service, what is going to be the level of burnout on the officers that are here?” McClain asked. “At what point are they going to get to the point where they say, 'Enough is enough, I'm not willing to do this anymore'?”

McClain said there is a lot of negativity in the community and people are tending to overlook the positive the department does. The officers are “doing a hell of a job” and trying to make things work.

With the country's economic trials and the troubles in Sacramento, “There's no trust,” he said. “People don't trust politicians, they don't trust government, and I believe that's where the negativity that's generated from.”

Add to that, many people don't understand completely how government works and, as a result, think things are being hidden from them, McClain suggested. “It's usually just an understanding issue.”

As to the suggestion in some quarters that McClain was leaving because he was afraid of newly elected sheriff, Francisco Rivero, McClain dismissed the idea. “Why would I be afraid of Frank?”

He said he's talked with Rivero several times, adding, “Frank Rivero has no control over me, the city of the department.”

There were previous discussions about contracting with the sheriff's office to provide policing services for the city, but McClain said Sheriff Rod Mitchell was not interested in trying to take over the services completely.

“The sheriff's office can't do what we do for the cost we do it,” said McClain, noting that it's an “enormous undertaking” for the sheriff.

Overton said Thursday she intended to bring the contracting matter up again with the council. McClain said that for the city to have a serious conversation about the issue, it would first need to make a determination about what level of service it expected.

He said cities tend to be loyal to their police departments and don't want to give them up. It can also be a political nightmare.

“The cost savings are usually insignificant,” he said, with the main cost savings coming because the police chief's job goes away.

Going forward, if the council asks McClain for his opinion on what steps to take next, “I'll give it, but I won't make any recommendations unless they ask for it,” he said.

“I think it's going to be difficult” to recruit a new chief, said McClain.

He suggested that it may be easier to find someone local or within the sheriff's office who wants the job, rather than trying to recruit outside of the county.

E-mail Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow Lake County News on Twitter at http://twitter.com/LakeCoNews , on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lake-County-News/143156775604?ref=mf and on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/user/LakeCoNews .

Supervisor Denise Rushing brought the matter to the board, apologizing to both board members and members of the county's now disbanded GE Crops Advisory Committee for not having spoken to any of them before having it put on the agenda, a move which she said was “unilateral.”

She said she had wanted it to be listed on the agenda as a setting aside of the extensive work already done, not a cessation of all work, as it appeared.

While she supported the complete GE ban proposed for the county put forward in 2006, she said she didn't believe the current board supported such a measure.

County Counsel Anita Grant had earlier this year circulated a draft ordinance with neither Supervisor Rob Brown nor Rushing – the two board representatives to the committee – supported.

Rushing said when organic farmer Lars Crail left the committee – he left the county to accept a job with a national organic group in Washington, D.C. – she felt they lost an important voice that wasn't adequately replaced in the group.

Since then, she said she was approached by local organic farmers who said they didn't feel the ordinance was helpful, and questioned why she was continuing to push it. That led her to the same point of view as Brown, but from a very different direction, she said.

Questioning whether she wanted to continue to expend energy on the effort, Rushing said she wanted to have a conversation with the board about what to do.

“Let's just pause for now,” she suggested.

Board Chair Anthony Farrington said he had been curious about when they were going to return to the matter before Rushing agendized it.

The committee “put so much time and energy and effort” into the work, he said, explaining that a driving force had been the desire to resolve land use conflicts.

“There's a process that we need to honor,” said Farrington, who wanted to have a more formal discussion with the committee.

Brown said he was surprised to see the matter agendized without any discussion with committee members. “They should have been included in this.”

He said the board already had sent a letter to the Legislature about food labeling.

Considering all the work that had gone into the effort, Brown didn't think it was appropriate to put it aside without further dialogue with the committee. He noted during the discussion that while he wasn't saying that the county should go forward with regulation, he felt it was a disservice to the committee and the process not to take them into account.

Grant said she was willing to sit down with the committee and go over the draft ordinance she sent out in March in order to find all the sources of objection.

Farrington said the discussion needed to include all of the committee members, and he said he didn't understand why some community members didn't feel it served their interests.

Supervisor Jim Comstock said he didn't want to see them scrap all the work that's been done in order to just start again.

Rushing questioned whether the county wanted to spend any more time on the process considering other issues. Brown replied, “We're no busier now than we were when we started this.”

During public comment, Victoria Brandon, one of the committee members, said the group was disbanded, but since they're no longer governed by the Brown Act the board can talk to them informally even in groups.

She said Crail's participation in the group was invaluable, even though he often was traveling and couldn't be at all of the meetings.

Brandon said the most contentious item of discussion for the committee had been a “de minimus” standard for gene flow rather than a zero tolerance. By that time Crail already had resigned, and he told the group he didn't think that standard would work.

Noting that some community members not involved in the committee process are not willing to accept anything short of an outright GE crop ban, Brandon said the idea of the effort was to set up a way to stop growers using GE crops from hurting their neighbors. The next phase, with another committee, would have involved setting up buffers.

She said she was grateful that Rushing brought the matter out of limbo. After the process the group went through to arrive at a sensible, reasonable compromise, “it should not just be dropped, it should be explored further” to see if there is a way to make it work.

Lorrie Gray, an alternate on both the original and pared down committees, said she was chosen by Crail to represent him at the meetings. She said she felt the county does need to try to regulate GE crops.

Broc Zoller, another committee member, said he was surprised to learn of the action, and thought he would have been notified. “The process is a little comical to me,” he said.

Zoller said the board should give the committee's work to reach a compromise an up or down vote. A scientist and a pear grower himself, Zoller said he doesn't believe the county needs a GE ordinance because of the crops it grows, such as walnuts, pears and grapes.

Growers likely couldn't sell GE grapes, he said.

There are scientific ways to improve walnut rootstock, but Zoller said if they were used locally they wouldn't hurt the environment. “For our main crops there's no issue.”

Issues might arise for hay crops like alfalfa, but there are no native plants that would be affected by GE alfalfa, he said. The bulk of the county's grasses probably were introduced, and Zoller said crops could be discussed as they're introduced.

He concluded that if the county wanted a compromise solution, the one it had before them wasn't a bad one.

Brown proposed that he, Rushing and Grant meet with Agricultural Commissioner Steve Hajik and come back with some suggestions next month. The matter will return to the board for further discussion at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 14.

In other news, the board also approved the second reading of an ordinance to raise fees and rates in the Southeast Regional Wastewater Collection System, which serves Clearlake and Lower Lake. District 2 Supervisor Jeff Smith, whose district covers those areas, was absent from the meeting so did not take part in the vote.

E-mail Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow Lake County News on Twitter at http://twitter.com/LakeCoNews , on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lake-County-News/143156775604?ref=mf and on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/user/LakeCoNews .

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Saying he's unwilling to work with the two newly elected Clearlake City Council members, the Clearlake city administrator tendered his resignation to the council Thursday morning, shortly before the police chief also announced his departure.

City Administrator Dale Neiman and Police Chief Allan McClain both arrived in 2007, and both will be leaving soon, they confirmed Thursday.

Neiman said his last day will be Nov. 10, while McClain, who said he is retiring, will leave effective Dec. 30.

“I'm not willing to work with the two newly elected council members, and I think they would prefer that I be gone also,” Neiman said of Jeri Spittler and Joey Luiz, who were elected on Tuesday.

He said it doesn't make sense for him to stay on with the Lowe's project no longer viable.

“I plan to retire but I may do some additional work, I'm not sure,” added Neiman, who is 59.

Adding that he knew what he was going to do before the election, depending on the outcome, he sent an e-mail to the council Thursday morning with the news, and also met with staff to inform them.

Luiz and Spittler were sharp in their responses to Neiman's statement about them.

“We knew this was going to happen. That's his MO,” said Luiz. “If he has to be asked hard questions, he resigns. That's what he did in Fortuna, and that's what he's doing here.”

Spittler called Neiman's statement “hilarious.”

She added, “Now that he can't have his own way, he's going to go home.”

McClain, 51, has been in law enforcement for 30 years, said he announced his retirement to staff at a Thursday morning meeting.

He and his wife are planning to move to Hawaii, where some of their friends reside.

As to the timing of the announcement, McClain said, “This is something that I discussed with Dale prior the election, he just didn't want me to announce it until after.”

Spittler took shots at McClain who she said needed to go, calling him “dirty” and stating that many of his officers have told her privately of their dislike of him.

Calls to Mayor Judy Thein weren't returned and Councilman Curt Giambruno said Thursday evening, “I just don't have anything to report.”

Outgoing Councilman Roy Simons, who was with Spittler during the interview with Lake County News, said Neiman's departure was the best thing that could have happened. Simons and Neiman have repeatedly clashed during Simons' single term, especially when it comes to redevelopment issues.

Vice Mayor Joyce Overton gave some context to the situation, pointing out that, “This isn't unusual when there's a council change,” and that there was a change in the city administrator when she came on the council, too.

She said Neiman had promised the council to stay for three years, and stayed on longer due to the city's financial situation. During that time he took on increasing responsibilities.

“When you're wearing 10,000 hats, it's really hard to do good at all of them,” said Overton.

While they didn't always agree, she felt he was a dedicated worker. “I think in his heart he did the best that he could do.”

When Luiz decided to run for the council he said he called Neiman and told him that he wasn't running to get rid of anyone. He recalled Neiman replying the he doesn't “play politics.”

“I made it really clear that I was willing to work with him from the beginning,” Luiz said.

On the campaign trail, however, Luiz said he heard from city residents who wanted to get rid of Neiman.

Beginning the work of hiring

The cash-strapped city must now begin the process of hiring not just two but four positions.

In addition to Neiman's and McClain's jobs, the finance director position has been vacant since last Thursday, when Roy Mitchell abruptly resigned, as Lake County News has reported. Earlier this year Michael Vivrette, the previous finance director, also resigned with no notice.

Neiman also has covered the Community Development director position, which the council has supported because of the need to save money.

He said his recommendation to the council was that it was better for him to leave as soon as possible, and allow the new council to embark on filling the positions.

“I don't think that I should be involved, and if I was then I think there would be criticism that I was involved,” he said.

Regarding the police department leadership, “I don't have any idea what the council will want to do,” said McClain. “If they ask for a recommendation I'll be more than happy to give it to them.”

Overton said he doesn't feel a finance director is needed; instead, she wants to create a senior accounting position. Community development work can be contracted out, she suggested.

The only positions she thinks need to be filled immediately are the administrator and a grant writer. She said there have been at least three to four grants that were never filed due to no grant writer and Neiman not having the time to do them.

“If we had a grant writer we wouldn't be in the shape we are right now,” she said.

Overton also intends to bring forward a discussion on contracting with the Lake County Sheriff's Office to provide policing services, and eliminating the police department altogether.

McClain, formerly the sheriff of Kings County, said that agency contracted with some cities for police services. He said the situation can become a political nightmare that offers insignificant savings and lower levels of service.

Neiman said he will spend next Tuesday and Wednesday writing a memo to the council, outlining his knowledge on what needs to be fixed and offering suggestions.

Pointing out that the council has hired interim city managers in the past, Neiman said, “They may want to do that.”

He will not be at the Nov. 12 council meeting. That's because his recently amended, part-time employment contract expires the previous day, and he said the council would have needed to extend the term by one day to cover his service.

After talking with Thein, Neiman said she didn't feel it was important for him to be there based on the agenda.

With the council's second meeting in November canceled because it falls on Thanksgiving, Neiman said, “Nothing is going to happen between now and the first meeting in December.”

Although his part-time employment agreement doesn't allow him to accrue vacation or leave, the July part-time contract requires that the day Neiman leaves his employment, the city must pay to him $13,902.24 for 241.19 hours of accrued vacation and executive leave held over from his previous contract.

Spittler said Thursday that she wanted the city's checkbooks locked up until a thorough audit is completed. “I don't care if we stop everything and audit those books.”

She also wanted Neiman locked out of his office, and told Simons he should go and prevent Neiman from having access to a shredder.

“I like that the people are getting to have what they want,” she said, noting that she also believes community members “have a sense of relief right now.”

Luiz said he's optimistic that the council can find decent candidates for the city's top positions.

“Clearlake isn't the only city struggling and laying talented people off,” he said.

However, he added, “It's going to be something to work through.”

Overton said, “I think this is a new beginning for Clearlake and I think this time, if we do it right, we can succeed at it.”

E-mail Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow Lake County News on Twitter at http://twitter.com/LakeCoNews , on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lake-County-News/143156775604?ref=mf and on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/user/LakeCoNews .

From left, Clearlake City Council members-elect Jeri Spittler and Joey Luiz, and Lakeport City Council members-elect Tom Engstrom and Stacey Mattina are preparing to take their seats in December 2010. Courtesy photos.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – With the preliminary results now in, the declared winners in the contests for seats on the Clearlake and Lakeport city councils are getting ready to roll up their sleeves and take a hand in local government.

In Clearlake, preliminary results show that Jeri Spittler and Joey Luiz led a field of nine, receiving 19.9 and 16.6 percent of the vote, respectively, based on totals released by the Lake County Registrar of Voters Office.

In Lakeport, businesswoman Stacey Mattina topped a field of seven candidates, followed by retired police chief Tom Engstrom, who had dropped out of the race in September, although he decided Tuesday to accept the seat, as Lake County News has reported.

Mattina received 20.7 percent of the vote, with Engstrom receiving 18.2 percent. Mayor Jim Irwin was defeated in his campaign for a second term.

Spittler said Wednesday that she loves the community and the results make her feel that the community loves her back. She said she was “feeling the love.”

She anticipates she and Luiz “are going to have a blast” on the council.

Spittler's immediate goals will be to have a thorough audit completed of the city's finances. “I want to be able to say this is exactly where we're at when we get started,” said Spittler, who is herself a business owner who understands the importance of fiscal responsibility.

She also wants to look at city benefit packages, city projects and reevaluate how the city spends its money. All cities are having financial problems right now, not just Clearlake, she said.

Another goal is to introduce a program that invites students to do community improvement projects. “That's something we haven't ever had, is young people getting involved in our city,” Spittler explained.

Both Spittler and Luiz were firm in their opposition to the proposed regional shopping center with a Lowe's home improvement center, and Spittler believes the support they received shows the community's opposition to the project.

Like Spittler, this will be Luiz's first time in elected office. He ran for supervisor in 2008 in District 1 but was knocked out in the primary.

“I wouldn't have won yesterday had I not done that in 2008, because that really opened my eyes to what it takes to mount a campaign and how to approach voters,” he said Wednesday.

Luiz said he wants to stick with his platform, including working on priorities for redevelopment.

That includes holding community meetings – such as those hosted by the Lake County Redevelopment Agency on the Northshore – to gather input from residents about what projects they want, he said.

“I saw how effective that was,” Luiz added.

He said he'd like to see the millions of dollars in redevelopment bond proceeds put to work to improve the community, not used for the Lowe's project.

As for working with the current council members, Luiz said he has worked well with Curt Giambruno on the skatepark committee as well as chamber issues. “We disagree on some things but we both respect each other.”

He said the same applies to Mayor Judy Thein, although he recently criticized her publicly for a commentary she wrote about sewer system negotiations with county.

Luiz said he's looking forward forward to working with Vice Mayor Joyce Overton. “I think we agree on 80 percent of the vision for the city.”

At the other end of the lake, Mattina said she was “just completely excited and thankful for all the support. I know a lot of people rallied.”

Having previously served on the city's Measure I Committee, Mattina became interested in running for office after she saw that she could have an impact. This will be her first time in elected office.

During the campaign, she said many people spoke to her about issues including the city's roads.

Mattina met with city staff during the campaign and plans additional meetings soon. It's too early, she said, to name any big projects she'll take on in the term ahead.

Right now she said she's “keeping an open mind and just being there for the citizens.”

Engstrom said he appreciates the faith and trust voters have put in him, given his other commitments, including a nine-year, unpaid commitment to work with Mormon congregations around the North Coast. He pledged to serve the community “to the best of my ability.”

He added, “Your support, input and prayers are greatly appreciated.”

All of the council members-elect will be seated in December.

Registrar of Voters Diane Fridley has 28 days to certify the election, with her office reporting Wednesday that it has a large number of absentee and provisional ballots yet to count.

While the numbers could change because of those ballots, as they did in the June primary, it usually doesn't involve a change in candidates' placements, according to a previous interview with Fridley.

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Don Anderson was declared the winner in the district attorney's race based on a preliminary count of ballots released early Wednesday morning by the Lake County Registrar of Voters.

Anderson took 7,597 votes, or 53.3 percent of the vote, compared with his challenger, local defense attorney Doug Rhoades, who garnered 6,663 votes, or 46.7 percent.

The registrar still has thousands of provisional and absentee ballots to count before certifying the election in the weeks ahead.

“I know how the Giants feel now,” said Anderson Wednesday. “I just feel pleased and delighted. It's hard to express it. I had such a great team behind me.”

He added, “This really was a team effort,” with many good people on his campaign committee, along with the support of friends and family.

Rhoades said Wednesday afternoon that, while he was obviously disappointed after 13 months of hard work on the campaign trail, he was grateful for the support he received.

“I'm very grateful to the 6,600 people who voted for us,” he said. “We ran a good campaign, we ran on issues, and I'm very thankful to the people of Lake County who gave us their support.”

He said of the campaign that it was “a pretty affirmative experience.”

Earlier on Wednesday Rhoades called and congratulated Anderson, and said he looked forward to working with him.

At his Wednesday Rotary meeting in Lakeport, Rhoades said fellow members sang, “For He's A Jolly Good Fellow.” The post-election show of support choked him up, he said.

Anderson said he hasn't yet made contact with outgoing District Attorney Jon Hopkins regarding the transition. He said he wants to begin closing down his private practice, including finishing and settling cases before the start of the year. He gets to work as district attorney Jan. 5.

During a debate on Sept. 30, Anderson had stated that he intended to keep Chief Deputy District Attorney Richard Hinchcliff in that spot for as long as Hinchcliff wanted the job.

Anderson is standing by that statement, noting that there are not going to be changes with the position in the near future “or maybe ever.”

“Rich is good at what he does, I plan to learn a lot off of Rich,” Anderson said. “I think we'll work real good together.”

Anderson also has begun looking at how to implement sentence bargaining, a practice both he and Rhoades promoted on the campaign trail.

Anderson said it's a decades-old practice that is used both for some kinds of felonies and all misdemeanor cases.

It allows defendants to know, going in, what their sentence will be, he said. Legal definitions explain that it allows defendants to work out agreements for lighter sentences in return for agreeing to a stated – not a reduced – charge.

While Lake County does use it for misdemeanors, the county hasn't adopted it for felonies. The practice is used in almost every county in California but Lake, Anderson said.

He said it will improve the process both for defendants and the system as a whole, through fewer cases going to court, less trial time and savings to taxpayers.

“It's just a fair way of doing it,” Anderson said. “We're just really catching up to what the rest of the state is doing.”

He plans to speak with district attorneys in other counties to see how it can be implemented, then he will meet with Stephen Carter of Lake Legal Defense and the county's judges.

“I don't see why we can't have a good draft of a sentence bargaining protocol three or four months from me taking office,” he said.

Getting other policies and procedures in place in the office “is going to take some time,” he said.

Anderson said a priority for him is opening a Clearlake office.

He plans to interview every District Attorney's Office employee to get to know their strengths, and from that process he plans to choose someone to assist him with opening the office in the south county.

From there, he intends to go to the Board of Supervisors for funding. He said he'll look first for existing government offices where they can locate, and if none are available he will look to rent in the private sector.

That process, Anderson said, “will be started right away, as soon as I find the right people to work on it.”

He also is beginning to form a citizens advisory committee, and plans to soon put out a press release seeking applicants.

“It's just my idea,” he said, noting that he doesn't know if it's being done by other district attorneys.

Anderson said he's looking for a diverse group of about 15 people to take part in what will be a volunteer, informal group. He's already had a lot of people expressing interest in the committee, which may be in place by the time he takes office in January.

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