CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The city of Clearlake continues to work through the early stages of its new marijuana cultivation permitting process, enacted earlier this year.

The Clearlake City Council passed a new city marijuana cultivation ordinance in February that was based on the work of an ad hoc committee that included council members, business people and a dispensary owners, as Lake County News has reported.

In addition to banning commercial cultivation, the ordinance requires a city-issued permit in order to legally cultivate marijuana.

The permits are good from May through April of each year, the city reported.

The period for applying for the permits ended May 1, but City Manager Greg Folsom said that, because May 1 was a Sunday, they continued to accept applications through the end of the day Monday, May 2.

The permits require an annual $150 registration that city officials said will help offset the city’s cost to administer the program.

Altogether the city issued 47 of the permits, for total revenue of $7,050, Folsom said.

That's far less than the city's administration originally had anticipated. At one point this spring Folsom estimated that if they issued 500 permits, they could take in about $75,000, which would have helped to fund code enforcement operations and staff.

“That was the potential,” said Folsom, explaining that number was based on the number of grows in the city at the time. “We were hopeful that it will grow to be something like that.”

In the final fiscal year 2016-17 budget the council accepted in June, Finance Director Chris Becnel included $15,000 in permit revenue from the new ordinance.

“The start-up of this permitting has been somewhat slower than anticipated,” Becnel's budget narrative said.

As for why he thinks why more permits weren't sought and issued, Folsom said, “I think it's a combination of things.”

For one, he said that the permits all seemed to come in at the last minute, indicating a lot of people may still not know about the new ordinance or its requirements.

“We want people to comply,” Folsom said. “We weren't trying to catch people.”

He said city code enforcement staff currently are working closely with the Clearlake Police Department on the larger, non-permitted, commercial grows and are expected to transition into compliance checks on the existing permits soon.

Clearlake Police Lt. Tim Celli told Lake County News that his agency doesn't oversee the permit process, and is separately pursuing its work to seek out illegal commercial grows.

The department has announced the eradication of numerous large grows in the city over the last few months.

Celli and his staff reported to the council in May that so far this year they do not have any homicides associated with marijuana, unlike the situation in 2015, in which there were six homicides that had that connection.

For more information regarding the city’s medical marijuana cultivation ordinance, visit the city’s Web site at www.clearlake.ca.us .

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 Board of Supervisors this week will again discuss a proposal to separate the Water Resources and Public Works departments, get a report from the American Red Cross on Valley fire fundraising and assistance, and continue discussing an agreement for repayment of costs for removing a crane from the lake in 2011.

The board will meet beginning at 9 a.m. Tuesday, July 12, 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 and online at http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Boards/Board_of_Supervisors/calendar.htm . Accompanying board documents, the agenda and archived board meeting videos also are available at that link.

In an item timed for 9:30 a.m., Supervisor Jim Steele is asking the board to once again consider separating the Public Works and Water Resources departments, approve revisions to the Water Resources director classification and establish the minimum qualification criteria, and approve a broader-than-normal advertising process because of Clear Lake's unique attributes.

The two departments currently are headed by Scott De Leon.

In March, the board had discussed separating the two departments, but ultimately decided to leave the configuration as it was.

In his memo to the board for the Tuesday meeting, Steele said that a lake manager requires specialized technical background and that the county may be losing grant dollars by not having a separate department head overseeing the lake.

He also suggested that the Public Works Department has to focus efforts on Valley fire recovery.

“Without a carefully chosen and well supported Director, the Water Resources Department will
flounder to understand the lake ecosystem and advise the Board,” Steele wrote. “Clear Lake is the underpinning of the economy in many areas such as fishing, vacationing, second home and resort vacationers as well as birding and other forms of ecotourism. Continuing to develop those attributes will help make up for lost resort capacity due to the recent fires but also support recovery funding.”

In another timed item on Tuesday, at 10 a.m. the board will receive a report from the American Red Cross regarding funds raised for Valley fire survivors and the funds the organization has expended to assist those survivors. Board Chair Rob Brown has requested the presentation.

Also on Tuesday, in an untimed item, the board will continue its consideration, begun last month, of an agreement with Martin Scheel for the repayment of abatement costs associated with the removal of a submerged crane in Clear Lake.   

The crane, which Scheel was using in his former construction business, went into the lake in November 2010 during a storm. He did not have the means to remove it on his own, so the county proceeded to have it removed.

The county's cost to have the crane abated totaled $59,945.07. Scheel signed the crane over to the county, which sold it for scrap, recovering $4,039. That leaves a total cost of $55,906.07, county officials reported.

At its June 14 discussion, the board opted to put off the decision to give Scheel an opportunity to seek out a loan. Scheel told Lake County News he already has tried to secure such a loan but was unsuccessful.

The full agenda follows.

CONSENT AGENDA

7.1: Adopt resolution correcting typographical errors in Resolution 2016–97 amending the position allocation chart for fiscal year 2016-17 to conform to the recommended budget.

7.2: Approve minutes from the Board of Supervisors meeting held on May 3, 2016.

7.3: Authorize the Registrar of Voters to render all services necessary to conduct the city of Lakeport’s General Municipal Election on Nov. 8, 2016, for the purpose of electing three members of the city council, and request to consolidate said election with the State General Election, pursuant to the city’s Resolution No. 2581 (2016).

7.4: Authorize the Registrar of Voters to render all services necessary to conduct the city of Clearlake’s General Municipal Election on Nov. 8, 2016 for the purpose of electing three members of the city council, submit Measures V, W, and X to the electors, and authorize the Registrar of Voters to prepare the official canvass of votes cast, pursuant to the city’s Resolution No. 2016-24.     

7.5: Approve Resolution No. 1516-11 of Lake County Board of Education Updating a Conflict of Interest Code.

7.6: Approve resolution of the board of trustees of the Konocti Unified School District ordering a school bond election, and authorizing necessary actions in connection therewithin, pursuant to the district's Resolution 31-15-16.

7.7: (a) Adopt resolution accepting official canvass of the Presidential Primary Election held on June 7, 2016; (b) approve certification of county elections official results of the official canvass of the election returns and the results of the 1% manual tally of randomly selected voting precincts for the June 7, 2016, Presidential Primary Election; and (c) approve certification of county elections official results of the canvass of write-in votes cast for qualified candidates at the June 7, 2016, Presidential Primary Election.

7.8: Approve annual renewal of the veterans subvention program certificate of compliance and the Medi-Cal Cost Avoidance Program Certificate and authorize chair to sign.

7.9: Approve amendment two to the agreement between the county of Lake and SHN Consulting Engineers & Geologists Inc., for technical services in support of the implementation of cleanup and abatement order R5-2015-0713 at the Eastlake Landfill, for an additional amount of $80,300 and a contract total of $116,560, and authorize chair to sign.

7.10: Approve permit for Tom's Aircraft Enterprises to conduct aeronautical activities at Lampson Airport for FY 2015-2016 and authorize chair to sign.     

7.11: Sitting as the Lake County Watershed Protection District Board of Directors, approve the award of bid for the 2016 demolition project, Lake County, CA, Bid No. WR16-01, to Coleman Construction, in the amount of $107,038 and authorize the Water Resources director to sign the contract and notice of award.

TIMED ITEMS

8.2, 9:15 a.m.: Presentation regarding the actions of community members who generously donated to help provide the opportunity to host a peer support training set for November in Lake County.          

8.3, 9:30 a.m.: Discussion and consideration of (a) separating the Public Works and Water Resources Departments; (b) approve revisions to the Water Resources Director classification and establish the minimum qualification criteria; and (c) request an advertising process broader than normal because of the unique nature of the position and value to the county’ economy.   

8.4, 10 a.m.: Informational report by American Red Cross on funds raised for Valley fire survivors and funds expended to assist Valley fire survivors.

8.5, 11 a.m.: Assessment appeal hearing, sitting as the Lake County Local Board of Equalization, Spanish Canyon Investments LLC - Application No. 03-2014 - 2881 Meadow Dr., Lakeport, CA (APN 044-481-14) David Costa - Application No. 06-2014 - 5199 Fife Rd., Lucerne, CA (APN 033-525-05).

NONTIMED ITEMS

9.2: Consideration and Approval of North Coast Opportunities to operate HCD’s Rapid Re-Housing Program on behalf of Lake County for a two-year period, commencing approximately October 2016, subject to ratification by the Lake County Continuum of Care.

9.3: Consideration and approval of notice of award and contract for the Foard Road at Anderson Creek Bridge Replacement Project to Bridgeway Civil Constructors Inc. in the amount of $724,382 and authorize the chair to execute the agreement and notice of award.   

9.4: Consideration and approval of notice of award and contract for the Dry Creek Road at Dry Creek Bridge Replacement Project to Bridgeway Civil Constructors Inc. in the amount of $794,766 and authorize the Chair to execute the Agreement and Notice of Award.

9.5: Consideration of continuing the proclamation of a declaration of a local emergency due to wildfire conditions.

9.6: Consideration and approval of 2016 Emergency Management Performance Grant (EMPG) application in the amount of $138,467.

9.7: Continued from June 14, consideration of an agreement between the county of Lake and Martin Scheel for the repayment of abatement costs associated with the removal of a submerged crane in Clear Lake.   

CLOSED SESSION

10.2: Conference with legal counsel: Significant exposure to litigation pursuant to Gov. Code Sec. 54956.9 I(d)(2)(e)(1) – One potential Claim.

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 former Austin Resort building, owned by the city of Clearlake, will soon be a thing of the past.

On Tuesday, crews from Walberg Inc. began the demolition of the dilapidated building, located at 14061 Lakeshore Drive in downtown Clearlake, across from City Hall.

The demolition should be completed within two days, according to City Manager Greg Folsom.

Folsom reported that this is the fourth building the city has torn down in the Lakeshore Drive corridor in the last few months as part of an enhanced effort to clean up key areas of Clearlake.

Previously, the city has torn down the former Clear Lake Chamber of Commerce building on Golf Avenue and two other abandoned buildings located next to Howard’s Grotto that had been taken over by the homeless and drug users, Folsom said.

Folsom said the city was able to utilize a combination of grant funding from the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery, or CalRecycle, and existing bond funds to pay for the demolitions.

“I can’t tell you how happy and excited I was to drive by this morning and see the demolition of this eyesore building finally happening,” said Mayor Russ Perdock. “It’s going to be a major improvement to the Lakeshore Drive corridor.”

In addition to the demolitions in the Lakeshore Drive corridor, Folsom said the city is currently in the process of getting approval from CalRecycle to demo burned out residential properties throughout the city limits where the owners of the properties have not taken responsibility to clean up the properties themselves.

Once those burnouts are demolished, the city will place a lien on the properties so that the owners will ultimately be held responsible for the cost of cleaning up their property, Folsom said.

“The City Council has placed a priority on improving the city and demolishing these blighted buildings is part of that plan,” Folsom said. “The challenge for us is finding funding for these projects and, fortunately, CalRecycle has a program that is helping us tremendously.”

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LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport City Council on Tuesday approved an agreement for design documents for upgrades to the Carnegie Library, met a new police officer and staff interns, approved issuing bonds to refinance obligations of the former city redevelopment agency and got an update on the county's mussel prevention program.

The council started off the meeting with introductions to the new interns and officer.

Kelly Buendia, the Administrative Services director and city clerk, introduced intern Savannah Rasmussen, who will start her second year at California State University, East Bay in the fall.

Rasmussen, a 2015 graduate of Clear Lake High School, is the daughter of Police Chief Brad Rasmussen.

Lt. Jason Ferguson introduced new Lakeport Police Officer Joe Medici, who was sworn in as the agency's newest officer late last month.

Medici moved from Orange County to take the Lakeport Police job, his first as a police officer. He started his new position just in time to be out on the streets with fellow officers for the annual July 4 celebration.

Ferguson also introduced police intern Natalie Sylar, a 2011 Clear Lake High School graduate who is majoring in criminal justice at California State University, Chico.

He said Sylar has been doing ride-alongs as well as helping with property and evidence. “We can't get her to go home,” he said.

City Manager Margaret Silveira also introduced interim Finance Director Ginny Feth-Michel, who will help oversee that department while the city completes its recruitment for the successor to Finance Director Dan Buffalo, who is leaving shortly for a new post with the city of Ukiah. Feth-Michel retired last year as Fort Bragg's assistant city manager.

In another presentation, the council heard an update from Carolyn Ruttan of Lake County Water Resources on the county's mussel prevention program and plans for expanded efforts to keep quagga and zebra mussels out of Clear Lake.

Ruttan has managed to secure hundreds of thousands of dollars in grant funding over the last few years to improve the program, which now includes several ramp monitors and supervisors who help ensure that boats have been inspected and cleared before launching onto Clear Lake.

One of the meeting's main items of business was the council's approval of the proposed professional services agreement between the city and San Francisco-based Garavaglia Architecture.

The agreement covers the development of design and construction documents for Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant accessibility upgrades to the Carnegie Library, across the street from city hall.

Community Development Director Kevin Ingram presented the item to the council.

“This isn't for construction but this is for the architectural design of our ADA improvements,” Ingram said.

Ingram's written report to the council said the design work is estimated to cost $34,900. Altogether, the city has $140,000 in Community Development Block Grant funds for the project's design and construction, along with the contingency cost.

Ingram said the library – which was built in 1918 – can't currently be opened to the public due to accessibility issues, mainly the lack of access to the second floor, which now can only be reached by stairs.

He said the city will need to install a lift for wheelchairs to reach the second floor and improve the bathrooms to make them ADA-compliant, along with some other unspecified improvements.

The city issued a request for proposals in May and received two, which were vetted by a committee of staff and local professionals. Committee members concluded Garavaglia Architecture is the most qualified firm, Ingram said.

He pointed out that the firm has worked previously with the city on the library's reuse feasibility study.

“They have a long record of similar projects on historical structures,” Ingram said of the firm.

Garavaglia's proposal to the city said its previous projects involving historic buildings include the Patterson House/Ardenwood Farm rehabilitation and Niles Plaza, both in Fremont; the Moraga Hacienda accessibility study; the Marconi Conference Center in Marshall; the Monterey Custom House; a historic structure report created for Chico's Bidwell Mansion, owned by the California State Parks Department; the Presidio Post Chapel feasibility study in San Francisco; the Palo Alto History Museum rehabilitation; the Angel Island Immigration Station Hospital Museum and Interpretive Center project; the Guest House Museum master plan in Fort Bragg; accessibility improvements and seismic stabilization at the William Hood Mansion in Santa Rosa; and the Toscano Hotel Complex in Sonoma.

Councilman Martin Scheel said he was excited to be moving forward.

Wilda Shock, who chairs the Lakeport Economic Development Advisory Committee, encouraged the council to approve the agreement. LEDAC has been involved in studying uses and needed upgrades for the library.

She said she worked with Mike Garavaglia and his team on the feasibility study, and found them to be competent, thorough and very knowledgeable about historical structures.

Shock also reminded everyone of the proper pronunciation of “Carnegie” – with the emphasis on the second syllable – as the Scottish steel magnate Andrew Carnegie, who made available funds to build such libraries across the country, pronounced his name.

Scheel moved to approve the agreement, with the council supporting the motion unanimously.

In other business, Buffalo, at his last council meeting, presented a recommendation to issue refunding bonds, which are anticipated to give the city significant savings in the form of interest on outstanding bonds of the former redevelopment agency. He called it a simple refinance.

The council unanimously approved that proposal, and also approved a professional services agreement with JJACPA for independent auditing services and the second amendment to the professional services agreement with NHA Advisors for independent, registered municipal financial advisory services.

Also on Tuesday, Ferguson gave the council a recap of the police response during the city's July 4 holiday, which he said was surprisingly busy for a Monday.

He said there were more issues this year than last, with four missing children and one elderly adult, all of whom were quickly reunited with their families.

There also was a stabbing incident in Library Park which resulted in an arrest as well as a verbal altercation, Ferguson said.

There also was an overall heavy call volume. Ferguson said the Lakeport Police Department received 47 calls for service, which was very high for the day.

Among those were calls for illegal fireworks. Ferguson said there were quite a few issues with illegal fireworks in the city, which he wasn't expecting. He estimated it may have been the most illegal fireworks issues the department has encountered.

At one point five police units with lights and public address systems had to disperse about 200 people setting off fireworks in the Safeway area, where he said there were a lot of illegal fireworks.

“We stayed very busy,” he said.

Mayor Marc Spillman said he has received a lot of comments from community members about large explosions from fireworks that clearly weren't the safe and sane type the city allows around the July 4 holiday.

“We really struggled trying to track them all down,” Ferguson said.

In his last report to the council, Buffalo thanked Silveira, the council and the community for the opportunity to serve them, noting he won't be a stranger and will always consider Lakeport his home.

Buffalo has been with the city for eight years, six of those years as finance director. Silveira recalled him coming to her after the previous finance director left and saying he could do the job. At that point, he was working as the city's code compliance officer.

Council members praised Buffalo for his work, and noted how that he had exceeded their expectations when they gave him the chance to move into the position.

“It's bittersweet,” Buffalo said, adding, “This is a great organization to work for.”

Silveira said the city has been fortunate to have Buffalo as finance director, and that he will be missed as an employee, friend and team member.

After Buffalo announced his intended departure last month, the city quickly began a recruitment for a new finance director. Silveira told the council they have some good candidates and will hold interviews on Friday.

The council also held a closed session at 5:30 p.m., prior to the beginning of the regular meeting, to discuss labor and property negotiations. No reportable action was taken in that session, Spillman reported.

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.

070516 Lakeport City Council agenda packet

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport City Council will hold a special town hall next week to discuss economic priorities.

The meeting will take place beginning at 6 p.m. Tuesday, July 12, in the council chambers at Lakeport City Hall, 225 Park St.

The theme of the meeting will be “Engaging Lakeport: Deciding Community Priorities in a Downsized Economy.”

Community members are encouraged to attend and share ideas on how to keep Lakeport an excellent place to live, work and shop.