LAKEPORT – The Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to approve an option to purchase agreement on a vacant property in Middletown that county officials want to turn into a town center and park.

The property, owned by the Norman G. Alumbaugh Revocable Trust, is about a city block in size and is composed of five parcels, with frontage on Highway 29/Calistoga Street.

The 2009-10 final budget includes the $500,000 appropriation for the property – most of which comes from geothermal resource royalties, said County Administrative Officer Kelly Cox.

He said the county looked at the land because of its ideal location, located in the 21000 block of Calistoga Street and situated next door to the location of the planned new Middletown Library, senior center and sheriff's substation, and directly across the street from the old library.

Cox said the current $500,000 asking price is less than the property's current owner purchased it for several years ago, and down from the original asking price of $700,000. He said both he and District 1 Supervisor Jim Comstock met with the property owner to discuss the potential purchase.

“Middletown really does need something like this,” said Cox.

He said the goal is to develop a town center and central gathering place, which Middletown currently doesn't have.

Although the town does have a larger park a few miles from downtown, along with a nature preserve and a swimming pool, “They don't really have a park like this,” said Cox.

He said the Middletown Area Town Hall also has been discussing the proposal.

“If we were to do a redevelopment plan in Middletown I think this would be one of the recommendations,” said Cox.

He said the property has large, mature trees. “It could be developed into a really attractive and heavily used town square facility,” Cox said.

Comstock said having a nice park facility in the heart of Middletown, which is the main entrance to the county for many Bay Area visitors, would be a “tremendous benefit” to the county and its residents.

With the owner willing to drop the asking price, Comstock said it's the right time to seize the opportunity to purchase the property.

Cox told the board that county officials looked at other downtown properties in seeking a park space, but concluded that the other properties they looked at were best developed for other uses.

“It is at the best location at the best time,” Comstock added.

Supervisor Anthony Farrington asked why the option to purchase agreement was ahead of the appraisal. Cox said the appraisal is expected to arrive any day and, if the land is appraised for less money, he would bring it back to the board.

“Typically this is the way we always used to buy property,” said Cox, explaining that more recently county staff has come to the board for a direct purchase.

Supervisor Rob Brown said he had concerns about the proposal, particularly the fact that the county hadn't even begun work on the library and planned sheriff's substation yet.

“I just have a problem buying more and more land,” Brown said.

Supervisor Jeff Smith said he had mixed emotions about the proposal, but he was open to considering it and wanted to see the appraisal. He added that it seemed like a fairly good price.

Cox said that, based on the work they've done in the county's redevelopment area, he's positive that if Middletown was a redevelopment area the county would be urged to create a town center.

“This is really the only opportunity to do that with frontage on Highway 29, which it would have,” he said.

Farrington said he also had concerns about the proposal. When county staff brings back the appraisal, Farrington said he wants them also to bring information on the total budget for the new library project so they can make sure they have enough money for the projects.

Comstock moved to approve the option to purchase agreement, which Smith seconded. The board approved the agreement 4-1, with Brown voting no.

The agreement calls for escrow on the land to close no later than Oct. 31. Cox's report to the board noted that a a process to obtain a finding of general plan conformance and a California Environmental Quality Act clearance also is under way.

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 .

CLEARLAKE – A two-hour meeting of community leaders yielded some important first steps on the road to creating an action plan to deal with a growing homeless issue.

The meeting, held in the Clearlake City Hall council chambers Monday, was attended by about 24 people from different community groups that offer services and support for particular populations in need.

Clearlake City Council member Joyce Overton called the summit last week to get the work started.

As one attendee pointed out, many people don't know where to start when looking for help. The effort is looking not only at getting the word out about what's available but in coordinating services to help meet the most needs possible.

Just how many homeless are to be found in Lake County isn't a clear number. Hedy Montoya of Catholic Charities' Middletown office said Monday that estimates range from between 1,100 and 1,600, with more to be added due to the foreclosure crisis, to as many as 6,500 people – 10 percent of the county's entire population – if different definitions are used.

Montoya said she's aware of people living in cars and even camping out on Boggs Mountain.

For its purposes, the ground defined homelessness as not having permanent housing, Montoya said.

Catholic Charities of Santa Rosa Executive Director Larry Lakes made the trip over to facilitate Monday's meeting with the group.

In summing up the meeting's discussion points, Lakes noted, “The group decided we wanted to do something this year.”

Lakes explained that there is stimulus funding, approved earlier this year, that can help keep people in their homes.

The funds – under the Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program, or HPRP – can help keep eligible applicants in their homes for as long as 18 months by paying rent or utilities, he said.

Sonoma County already has received $1.3 million, with the federal government wanting to see the money put quickly to use, he said.

Locally, four groups – Lake County Community Action Agency, Catholic Charities, Community Care and Lake Family Resource Center – have applied for more than $1 million in the HPRP funds, officials said at the meeting.

Lake County Community Action Agency Executive Director Georgina Lehne said they're expecting any day to hear if they've received the money.

Those funds, Lakes said, could help between 700 and 1,400 people.

Unlike some application processes, this one favors collaboration, and having the groups all seeking the funds is a benefit, Lakes said.

Lakes said those funds can be used over a two-year period. He said Sonoma County has offered to share its homeless data tracking system, which all counties receiving the funds are required to have as it helps get a continuum of care started. Sharing the system can save between $80,000 and $120,000, Lakes said.

As the group continues moving forward, Lakes advised them, “The most important thing you can continue to do is continue,” he said, nothing that sometimes people can fall away, leaving just a few standard bearers to push the effort forward.

“It's going to have to take the community to fix this,” he said.

Lakes said it's a “wonderful process” and added, “there could be help coming.”

Overton told the group that she wants to continue the “Warm for the Winter” campaign that she worked on last year, which gave blankets, coats and other warm clothing, along with tents to the local homeless, since a shelter facility wasn't available.

The group is pursuing several avenues for creating a shelter environment, which the county currently lacks. Those options include seeking out a vacant building or a church, trailers or vacant land for a possible new building, Lakes said.

Montoya told Lake County News after the meeting that she felt the group had made some head way in its quest to start the process and discover what they can do in the next 60 days, as winter approaches.

“It's a learning curve for all of us,” she said.

Montoya said the food piece of the puzzle already is in place, with groups like Catholic Charities already serving many of the community's most vulnerable members.

Catholic Charities serves 600 people a month from Middletown to Kelseyville, said Montoya.

“There's never enough food,” she said.

Overton said she was very pleased with the turnout. “I thought it went great,” she said afterwards.

The group has already scheduled additional meetings in the council chambers, including two on Tuesday, Sept. 29. The first, at 4 p.m., will be for food providers, while a 5 p.m. meeting for the group's leadership. Another general meeting will be held from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 7.

Community members interested in being a part of the effort are welcome to attend.

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 .

LAKEPORT – When the Board of Supervisors meets Tuesday it will consider approving an agreement for an environmental impact report for a geothermal project and discuss selling the last of its watercraft decontamination units.

The meeting will begin at 9 a.m. in the board chambers at the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St. TV Channel 8 will broadcast the meeting live.

The agenda can be downloaded at www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Boards/Board_of_Supervisors/BOS_Agendas.htm .

Community Development Director Rick Coel is taking to the board a proposed agreement with the firm EDAW/AECOM for preparation of an environmental impact report (EIR) for Bottle Rock Power's steamfield extension project at the Binkley Ranch leasehold on Cobb. The discussion is untimed.

Coel's report notes that the contract amount is for $429,717, down from the original bid of $584,077, thanks to county staff's negotiations with the firm. The negotiations also shortened the time frame for the project's completion, from August 2010 to June 2010.

“This is a high priority project and the Community Development Department will work diligently with EDAW to get the EIR completed on time,” Coel wrote in his report to the board.

The report also explains that the final EIR will need to be completed by next June so the Lake County Planning Commission can consider the use permit application. A rezone of the leasehold also is necessary.

The board also will consider giving direction on the possible sale of the third county-owned watercraft decontamination unit. That discussion also is untimed.

The county already has sold two of its four units, purchased last year, to Los Angeles County, and gave another to the city of Lakeport. County staff is proposing offer the last unit, which the city of Clearlake turned down, to Los Angeles County as well, which is purchasing the others for $16,234 each.

Timed items

9 a.m.: Approval of consent agenda.

9:05 a.m.: Citizen's input. Any person may speak for three minutes about any subject of concern,

provided that it is within the jurisdiction of the Board of Supervisors and is not already on today's agenda.

9:15 a.m.: Assessment appeal hearing, Lynn McIntyre, Application No. 15-2009 - Assessment Parcel

No. 042-236-520; located at 16720 Dam Road, Clearlake.

9:45 a.m.: Consideration of proposed option to purchase agreement for purchase of real property located at 15771 Douglas St., 21248, 21238 and 21268 Calistoga St. and 21249 Washington St.,

Middletown (APNs 024-403-05, 024-403-06, 024-403-07, 024-403-08 and 024-403-09), the agreed purchase price is $500,000 and the seller is Norman G. Alumbaugh, Trustee of the Norman G. Alumbaugh Revocable Trust.

10 a.m.: Consideration of request for waiver of Environmental Health fees in the amount of $1,438 and building permit fees in the amount of $4,937, for a total of $6,375, located at 10865 Pine Point Road, Cobb (APN 051-012-110 - Floridalma Alvarez and Youri Bezdenejnykh).

10:15 a.m.: Presentation of opinion research and survey of property owners regarding recreational activities/opportunities.

11:15 a.m.: Presentation of proclamation expressing appreciation to Marr B. Olsen Inc. General & Concrete Contractors, Granite Construction Co., Denton & Sons Trucking, Konocti Arts Society, Kelseyville Lumber and Kelseyville Business Association for their assistance with improvements to the Kelseyville’s Historical Monument.

11:20 a.m.: Discussion of taking a position in response to letter from Callayomi County Water District regarding Lake County Upper Putah Creek Watershed Water Rights.

1:30 p.m.: Public hearing for a protest hearing for proposed increase of water charges and fees for County Service Area No. 16 - Paradise Valley; and (b) consideration of proposed ordinance amending the charges and fees for County Service Area (CSA) No. 16 - Paradise Valley.

Nontimed items:

– Supervisors’ weekly calendar, travel and reports

– Consideration of request for board direction regarding possible acquisition of property located at 13885 Lakeshore Drive.

– Discussion/consideration of proposed first amendment to agreement between county of Lake and Jeri E. Owens, M.D. for specialty mental health services (an increase of hours from 20 to 40 per week; not to exceed $242,400).

Consent agenda:

– Approve minutes of the Board of Supervisors meetings held on August 25, September 1 and 8, 2009.

– Adopt proclamation expressing appreciation to Marr B. Olsen Inc. General & Concrete Contractors, Granite Construction Co., Denton & Sons Trucking, Konocti Arts Society, Kelseyville Lumber and

Kelseyville Business Association for their assistance with improvements to the Kelseyville’s Historical Monument.

– Approve agreement between the county of Lake and the Lake County.

– Winegrape Commission for funding marketing and economic development projects in the amount of $10,000 and authorize the chair to sign.

– Approve agreement between the county of Lake and the Lake County Chamber of Commerce for marketing, economic development and visitor information services in the amount of $63,000 and authorize the chair to sign.

– Adopt Resolution No. _____ accepting the relinquishment of real property from the California Department of Transportation located at Collier Avenue and State Route 20, Nice.

– Adopt Resolution No. _____ approving Agreement No. 09-0379 with the state of California, Department of Food and Agriculture for compliance with the Egg Inspection/Federal Shell Egg Surveillance Agreement and authorizing execution thereof.

– Adopt Resolution No. _____ approving Agreement 09-0436 with the state of California; Department of Food and Agriculture and authorizing execution and signature for pest exclusion activities for

fiscal year 2009-10.

– Approve agreement between the county of Lake and Fisch Drilling for the installation of five landfill gas (LFG) monitoring wells at the Eastlake Landfill in the amount of $18,555 and authorize the chair to sign.

– Adopt Resolution No. _____ approving the application for grant funds from the State Department of Parks and Recreation Habitat Conservation Fund Program for improvements to Mt. Konocti (which

includes the installation of benches, signage, trash and recycling receptacles, tables and restrooms).

– Approve amendment to facility space license agreement between the county of Lake and Yolo County Flood Control for tower space on Mt. Konocti Buckingham Peak Communication site and authorize the

chair to sign.

– Approve federal annual certification report (pertaining to asset forfeiture funds).

– Approve equal employment certification form (pertaining to justice assistance grants).

– Adopt Resolution No. _____ amending Resolution No. 2009-145, establishing position allocations for fiscal year 2009-10, Budget Unit No. 5011 – Department of Social Services (deleting one vacant

supervising integrated case worker and adding one eligibility supervisor).

– Approve Second Amendment to contract between the county of Lake and Robinson Rancheria Citizens Business Council for prevention and early intervention services (total compensation in the amount of $43,378), and authorize the Social Services Director to sign.

– Adopt Resolution No. _____ accepting conveyance of real property (paper subdivision parcels near Lucerne - APNs 033-124-210, 033-124-070, 033-212-140, 033-212-150, 033-043-070, 033-132-220, 034-611-350 and 034-802-170).

– (a) Waive the formal bidding process for engineering services for the redevelopment of the Lucerne 3rd Avenue Plaza and make a determination that competitive bidding would produce no economic

benefit to the county; and (b) approve agreement between the Lake County Redevelopment Agency and De Leon Engineering for engineering services for the redevelopment of the Lucerne Third Avenue

Plaza (not to exceed $21,520), and authorize the chair to sign.

The board also will meet in closed session to discuss labor negotiations, potential litigation, property negotiations and conduct a performance evaluation of County Administrative Officer Kelly Cox.

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 .

LAKEPORT – Lakeport City Hall has a fresh new look thanks to the creative talent of local artist John Eells' colorful abstracts.

The paintings are all on exhibit in the building's lobby where they can be easily viewed by the public whenever City Hall is open.

These thought-provoking works are each quite different and individual and each has it's unique color scheme.

The titles conjure up the mysteries of our universe: "The Seventh Seal," "Untold Riches," "Listen," "Small Wonders."

The Lake County Arts Council invites you to spend some time with these paintings. Wonder about them. Ask them to talk to you. Feel their mystery.

The current one man exhibit in the Lakeport City Hall lobby is part of The Lake County Arts Council's Art in Public Places program.

Paintings by local artists may also be seen throughout the county courthouse and at the Visitor's Center in Lucerne.

LAKEPORT – Last Tuesday the Board of Supervisors put its seal of approval on the county's eighth and final area plan.

The Shoreline Communities Area Plan – which takes on the complicated issues of the Northshore's paper subdivisions and commercial zoning along Highway 20 – was accepted in a unanimous vote on Tuesday afternoon, following a more than two-hour hearing.

The plan can be found on the county Web site at www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Community_Development/Documents.htm .

Community Development Director Rick Coel said it was the last area plan to be completed.

The county's eight planning areas – Shoreline, Middletown, Lower Lake, Cobb, Kelseyville, Lakeport, Upper Lake/Nice and the Rivieras – complement the county's general plan, the new version of which was finalized last fall, and offer more precise reflections of the characteristics of the specific areas they represent, said Senior Planner Kevin Ingram.

Coel and Ingram took the final draft of the plan – which has been the subject of two March town halls and four Planning Commission meetings – to the board for final approval. The plan covers the communities of Lucerne, Kono Tayee, Paradise Valley, Glenhaven, Clearlake Oaks and Clearlake Park.

Ingram explained than work on the plan originally began in 2000, when an advisory committee was appointed to assist with the work. However, due to the building boom that followed, coupled with Community Development staff turnover, the process wasn't completed.

He said a new advisory committee was appointed to carry on with the work in 2008. That group consisted for Judy Barnes, Donna Christopher, Holly Harris, Diana Hershey, Iris Hudson, Travis Lipscomb, Wanda Quitiquit, Clay Shannon, William Tett and John Tomkins.

The committee held 10 meetings on the plan, which Ingram said offers an overview of planning issues and “guidelines for the longterm growth and development of the shoreline community over the next 20 years.”

Ingram said the plan uses general plan estimates of 2 percent annual growth in established community growth boundaries and a 0.75 percent annual growth rate in the remaining rural areas as it looks at how much additional housing will be needed in the decades to come.

“Lake County, as a whole, has a high vacancy rate in existing housing compared to national/state averages,” Ingram said. “The shoreline communities area is no exception.”

Planners believe a majority of the area's housing needs over the coming 20 years can be satisfied within the existing community growth boundaries, Ingram said.

Some of the plan's key concepts mirror the general plan, including developing the community growth boundaries, which identify areas of future development. Those boundaries, Ingram explained, are meant to avoid urban sprawl and concentrate development in areas where it already exists.

Another key concept, Ingram explained, is the development of town centers, such as 13^th Avenue and the Promenade in Lucerne and Clearlake Oaks' Plaza and commercial district.

The third concept, found in the plan's chapter four, took on the thousands of paper lots contained in subdivisions in the hills above the shoreline communities, he said.

“These lots were subdivided at the beginning of last century but never included necessary infrastructure, including roads, water and sewer,” said Ingram.

Many of those lots also exist on slopes of more than 30 percent or in tributary creek channels, Ingram said.

The committee dedicated considerable time and tremendous effort to come up with a plan to address what Ingram said were “the multitude of problems associated with these lots.”

Ingram said the committee created a “substandard older subdivision” zoning designation specifically to apply to the paper subdivisions.

That zoning designation requires roads and emergency access, as well as geotechnical studies for building to take place. Ingram said a more longterm approach to the subdivisions is to limit unrestricted access to them, encourage consolidation of the properties and stop the continuing cycle of resale. All of that is meant to increase public safety and stop illegal activities, including dumping and off-highway vehicle riding on private lands.

Highway 20's beautification and safety is the center of another key plan concept, Ingram said.

“Highway 20 is the lifeblood of the planning area,” he said, with it offering a major thoroughfare between interstates as well as a local tourist pathway.

The ability to see and enjoy the lake was the focus of concern as well. “The advisory committee clearly stated in their meetings that they had some huge concerns with the disappearance over time of viewshed to and from the lake,” Ingram said.

Larger homes replacing older, smaller homes as well as development of previously vacant lands have played a part in that decreasing viewshed. So Ingram said the committee created guidelines and design standards for projects on the shoreline, with a view to balancing the viewshed's preservation with property rights. Those guidelines are just meant to be a starting point.

Some of the plan's other key concepts include reducing erosion and sediment, fire protection in wildland areas, improvements to water and sewer services, protection of scenic resources, enhancing recreational opportunities, and commercial resort uses and attractions.

The plan also eliminates some zoning designations, such as the mobilehome combining district, which allowed for the placement of singlewide mobile homes, as well as the “unclassified” designation, which covers 9,230 acres of the plan area, particularly east of Clearlake Oaks. Most of the currently zoned unclassified areas would go to rural lands or suburban residential reserve zoning, said Coel.

Board Chair Denise Rushing asked Coel about the most controversial issues remaining to be solved. He said zoning along a two-block area on the highway in Lucerne that planners suggest move from commercial highway to multifamily residential and a rezone requested in Clearlake Oaks by Ben Lawson to put a mobile home park on a two-acre lakefront parcel are the “big ones” he said.

Rushing said she had encouraged the group to look at the paper subdivisions and come up with something to help the county go forward in a meaningful way.

Supervisor Jeff Smith said when the lots in those areas come up for tax sale the county needs to pick them up and set them aside, with a view to turning them over to the Bureau of Land Management or other entities that own the surrounding lands.

Supervisor Rob Brown suggested they needed to have a separate discussion about acquiring the lots. Picking up the lots above Lucerne makes sense, but not other more remote areas.

Smith said he believed they should do something to protect people from buying the lots.

“If a fool wants to part with his money, that's his business,” said Brown.

Coel said the older subdivision combining district is meant to help that, and is a red flag to make potential buyers realize that they'll need to provide the roads and infrastructure.

“It's probably the most blunt statement you could make through zoning as far as future ability to construct on those properties,” said Coel.

Property owners argue for commercial zoning

Considerable discussion was devoted to the commercial zoning issues along the stretch of Highway 20 that passes through Lucerne.

Planners want the town's center to be along 13^th Avenue, and limited commercial zoning along the highway in an effort to stop commercial from sprawling throughout the town.

But several property owners, particularly around Second and Third Avenues, and 14^th Avenue, asked the board to allow them to keep their commercial zoning and not change it to multifamily housing, as they believed it would damage property value and severely limit future uses.

Supervisor Anthony Farrington said he preferred the flexibility of C-1 commercial zoning. “Residential development to me right on the highway does not make sense,” he said.

Mixed use with commercial below and residential above made more sense, he added.

Coel said the rationale was that multifamily residential allows for two- or three-story buildings, which could be condominiums or rental units.

Scotty MacNeil, who renovated a property on the highway between Second and Third Avenues and built a Swiss-style chalet which currently houses a Thai restaurant, wanted to offer the board a “quantum think” on the entire plan, and said the county encouraged him to go with the Swiss theme to help revitalize the community.

He said he spent half a million dollars on his property. With C2 commercial zoning, an investor with more money could combine his land with nearly parcels and turn it into a Swiss-style boutique hotel with a glass elevator and rooftop restaurant overlooking the park across the street and Clear Lake.

Lower Lake attorney Ron Green, speaking on behalf of his client Steve Merchen, said Merchen's land on Third Avenue – which had been used as a real estate office and is now rented to a marijuana collective – has always had uses in keeping with the C2 zoning.

The shoreline plan had proposed R1 residential zoning for that parcel, which is located just off the highway. At its Aug. 13 meeting the Lake County Planning Commission proposed changing it to C1 zoning.

Dr. Bob Gardner, the medical director for a clinic located on Highway 20 and 14^th Avenue, said when he started the clinic 13 years ago the property was zoned C2, and he wanted to keep that.

Smith asked about the downside of zoning some of the property to C2. Coel said it allows a wider variety of uses with longer opening hours.

Some of those same uses would be allowed under C1, said Brown, adding that the lots are more limited by their size than they are by their zoning, and none are being downzoned.

Coel told the board, “I'm kinda kicking myself on this one,” explaining that they should maybe have left the commercial highway zoning as it was.

He explained that C1 zoning does not allow lodging but does permit lighter uses like restaurants. Commercial highway – the current zoning of MacNeil's and other properties of concern – and C2 zoning allow lodging and restaurants.

Minor and major use permits, on top of the current zoning, can expand the array of uses significant, Coel said.

After hearing about MacNeil's plans and his investment, information planners didn't previously have, Coel proposed removing the proposal for multifamily residential zoning between Second and Third avenues and keep the current commercial highway zoning.

“I think that's going to be the best fit given the three zoning choices you have and what Scotty's requesting,” said Coel.

MacNeil said he wanted the C2 zoning. “It helps validate my significant investment,” he said, otherwise he believed his property was being devalued.

“If it's not changed, we're not devaluing it,” replied Rushing, adding that if it was changed MacNeil would gain economically.

Farrington said it would be poor planning to make zoning decisions based on financial interests.

Coel said the county's redevelopment agency has a good track record of working with developers when they come in with a plan.

He added that planners are still working with a zoning ordinance more than 20 years old, and his department is now beginning work on updating it, with plans to bring an overhauled draft to the board next year.

“That may help resolve a lot of this conflict you're seeing” regarding different zoning, Coel said.

Rushing passed the gavel to Farrington, the vice chair, in order to move amendments to the plan, including leaving the block between Second and Third avenues commercial highway, placing C1 zoning on Merchen's parcel, and designating planned development commercial on Gardner's property and extending around the corner on 14^th Avenue.

After the board unanimously accepted those amendments, Rushing moved acceptance of the entire plan, which the board also approved 5-0, with a round of applause following from the gallery.

Rushing thanked staff, the committee and the Lake County Planning Commission.

“This was an amazing effort on both the part of staff and the community, so thank you so much,” she said.

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 .

CLEARLAKE – Community leaders will gather in Clearlake Monday to discuss how they can help solve a growing local homeless problem.

The Homeless Coalition Summit will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday, Sept. 21, in the council chambers at Clearlake City Hall, 14050 Olympic Drive.

“This summit is including everybody around the lake,” said Clearlake City Council member Joyce Overton. “This is not just for Clearlake.”

Larry Lakes, the new executive director of Catholic Charities of Santa Rosa, will be the summit's facilitator, said Georgina Lehne, executive director of the Lake County Community Action Agency.

Lehne said the meeting is meant to bring together groups and individuals – nonprofits, churches, senior centers and others – who work with the homeless to see what they can do.

Overton called the summit, which she hopes will result in strategies for helping to address homelessness throughout Lake County. Other hoped-for outcomes are the recruitment of volunteers and the formal formation of a homeless coalition that's been meeting on an informal basis since last year.

She said the community always has had homeless members, adding, “With the economy we're going to be seeing a lot of families and children out on the street.”

With winter right around the corner, it's a pressing concern, said Overton, and she wants to both raise awareness and find ways of sheltering the homeless through the colder parts of the year.

“I feel that this year is going to be worse than ever,” she said.

Last year, Overton worked with a group on the “Warm for the Winter” campaign, which consisted of giving blankets, tents and warm clothing to homeless community members.

Overton said she had calls for help from all around Lake County. The problem, she said, isn't just in Clearlake. “It's everywhere.”

At the time, Overton said they had no place to shelter them, although Calvary Church opened its doors in the daytime to offer them a place to get out of the cold.

Otherwise, “There is no emergency shelter in this county,” said Overton.

Overton believes the foreclosure crisis is resulting in more individuals and families finding themselves without a place to call home.

Lehne said she has some statistical data to show homelessness is growing, and that it isn't just anecdotal. However, she said she's hoping that those who participate in the summit will be able to offer more information to track the situation.

“The need in the community has really grown,” she said.

Lehne said it will be good to have the different groups who see the problem firsthand in the room, so they can share ideas and coordinate services, which will prevent duplication.

Overton said she hopes the group will be able to find stimulus money to fund a shelter.

She also wants to bring to the community a plan to end homelessness, based on Riverside County's “10-Year Strategy to End Homeless,” which was taken to the National League of Cities. Several communities and cities around the nation, including Chicago and Seattle, have their own such plans.

“I really want my community to sign on,” said Overton, who wants to introduce the document this fall, around Thanksgiving.

Overton said US Housing and Urban Development is helping promote the plan, and agency officials have met with Overton and others to discuss solutions.

“The process is just beginning as far as what we can all do to help,” said Lehne.

To see the Riverside plan to end homelessness, visit www.riversidehomeless.org/ .

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 .