LAKEPORT, Calif. – Another candidate has come forward to announce that she will be seeking the District 4 seat on the Board of Supervisors.

Lakeport resident Tina Scott is joining the race for the District 4 supervisor seat, the territory of which includes Lakeport, Highland Springs, Scotts Valley, Finley, Lampson Airport area and part of the reclamation area near Upper Lake.

Scott so far joins a field that includes Martin Scheel, a Lakeport City Council member who announced his candidacy last month for the seat, currently held by Anthony Farrington.

Farrington, who is in his fourth term on the Board of Supervisors, said he will not seek reelection.

Scott serves on the Lakeport Unified School District School Board. She was appointed to the board with a unanimous vote in 2014 and is currently serving her first full term after running unopposed in 2015.

While on the school board she was instrumental in passing the $17 million Measure T bond, which will fund a new community pool and equip classrooms with 21st learning capabilities.

“This is an exciting time for our students,” Scott said.

Scott and her husband, Douglas, have lived in Lake County for more than 15 years, moving here from Sonoma County. “I wanted the best place to raise a family,” she said.

In that time the Scotts have fostered more than 60 youth. They are now parents of 10 children: five adopted from Child Protective Services, three biological children and two adopted after Doug Scott's sister died from cancer.

Three of their children have graduated from Clear Lake High School and are now attending California State Universities.

Tina Scott volunteers in many different organizations in the county. She serves as a Juvenile Justice Commissioner, is a court appointed child advocate with CASA and tutors weekly at Lakeport Elementary School with Schools of Hope.

She also has done volunteer work as a member of the parent teacher organization, where she has served as president at Terrace Middle School for the past three years and was treasurer for four years at Lakeport Elementary.

Scott is a full-time student at Mendocino College and has plans to attend California State University, Fullerton in the fall through online classes. She is pursuing a degree sociology with a minor in political science.

For the past four years, she and her husband have sponsored both basketball and baseball teams under the name of “The Scott Family.” She also serves on the board of directors for Westshore Youth Basketball League.

“I believe that when children participate in sports, it promotes a healthy living, team-building and personal growth. It is also an outlet to keep the youth out of trouble and off the streets,” she said.

Doug Scott currently is in Iraq, where he is embedded with the US armed forces. He is a field engineer working on airborne surveillance systems that keep our military men and women safe and locate people that threaten our national security.

Tina Scott has dedicated her life to Lake County since she moved here. “I saw that there was a need for a strong leader, and jumped at every chance to do so. I plan to be as active of a leader as District 4 supervisor and will keep my open door policy to listen to all the community’s questions and concerns, as I have while serving on Lakeport Unified School Board.”

She added, “I want to make our town an even better version of itself for our residents and its visitors.”

Scott has received endorsements from several community members and leaders.

“Tina is one of the most competent people I know. I have worked with her in school organizations such as PTO for the Lakeport Schools, and her level of dedication and professionalism is to be admired. She will make a great member of the Board of Supervisors,” said Lake County Assessor-Recorder Richard Ford.

“After many years of working with Tina in many capacities, I feel she would make a great county supervisor,” said Dan Camacho, president of Lake County Sheriff's Activities League and a local business owner.

“Tina Scott will make an excellent supervisor. She is hardworking, thorough, conscientious and committed to any task she takes on. I know Tina will give it her all as a supervisor and do what is in the best interest of Lake County,” said Wendy Mondfrans, a county probation officer.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Clearlake City Council will hold a special meeting to get a progress report on the current fiscal year budget, consider adopting a resolution for budget adjustments and review goals for this fiscal year.

The meeting will begin at 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 4, in the council chambers at Clearlake City Hall, 14050 Olympic Drive.

On the agenda is the midyear progress report and the midyear financial review for the fiscal year ending 2016.

As part of the midyear progress report the council will get an update on the status of the 2015-16 fiscal year goals to date and discuss the significant achievements of the first half of the fiscal year, according to City Manager Greg Folsom.

Finance Director Chris Becnel's report for the meeting looks at revenues and expenses for the current fiscal year.

Becnel's report outlines five areas where significant budget adjustments totaling approximately $264,910 are recommended.

Those areas are animal control, $34,268; community development, $102,000; legal fees, $83,075; engineering, $39,067; and the Clearlake Police Department Nixle service, $6,500.

Staff will review all of those areas with the council, with staff recommending the council consider discussing long-range planning opportunities for equipment replacement as part of the review.

The council also is expected to adopt a resolution approving the recommended midyear budget adjustments.

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 Mid Year Financial Review

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – On Jan. 22 Clearlake Vice Mayor Gina Fortino Dickson represented the city of Clearlake in Sacramento at the League of California Cities’ first policy committee meetings in 2016.

Fortino Dickson serves on the Community Services Policy Committee, which is integral to the League’s policy-making process.

“My city benefits from the league’s policy committees because we are able to weigh in on issues that will affect our budgets and shape future policies. Without these meetings our influence on the state’s decisions would be greatly diminished,” said Fortino Dickson.

“The community service committee entertained a myriad of issues to focus on for this year,” she said. “When all was said and done the more than 20 topics of concern had been filtered to three of the more pressing issues for cities. Those included the issue of homelessness and the many impacts it has on communities, as well as addressing the ramifications of Prop 47 and AB 109 on cities since inception.”

There are eight standing league policy committees including administrative services, community services, employee relations, environmental quality, housing, community and economic development, public safety, revenue and taxation, and transportation, communications, and public works.

These committees evaluate proposed legislation as it related to existing policy and make recommendations for legislation where the league currently does not have policy.

“These meetings provide an opportunity for city officials to learn about statewide proposals affecting California cities and have their voices heard by the league and translated into direct advocacy efforts,” said League Executive Director Chris McKenzie.

The league's policy-making process allows the issues facing California cities to be debated and the organization's policy directions to be established.

Close to 400 city officials serve on the league's policy committees and add their collective expertise, wisdom and opinions to the policy debate that is the foundation of league policy. The recommendations from the policy committee are forwarded to the league board of directors.

Following the January meetings in Sacramento, the league’s policy committees will meet April 7 to 8 in San Diego, June 2 to 3 in Sacramento and in October during the League’s annual conference in Long Beach as needed.

For more information on the league’s policy development process please visit its Web site at www.cacities.org/polcomm .

Established in 1898, the League of California Cities is a nonprofit statewide association that advocates for cities with the state and federal governments and provides education and training services to elected and appointed city officials.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The city of Clearlake is beginning a recruitment to fill a vacancy on the Clearlake Planning Commission.

After more than a decade of service to the city of Clearlake, Planning Commissioner Bill Perkins has decided to step down from the commission for personal reasons. His final commission meeting has not yet been decided.

Perkins joined the commission in March of 2005. His term doesn't end until March of 2017, according to City Clerk Melissa Swanson.

The city of Clearlake is beginning to solicit applications for Perkins' seat, with the Clearlake City Council to decide on the appointment.

Applicants must be residents of the city of Clearlake and be available to meet the first and third Tuesday evening of each month. Planning commissioners receive a stipend of $25 per month.

Commissioners are designated filers under the Fair Political Practices Commission and must file periodic statements of economic interest disclosing financial interests within the jurisdiction of the city, according to Swanson.

The deadline to apply for the seat is March 10, Swanson said.

The duty of the planning commission is to hear and act on land use applications, act as the advisory agency for the city in connection with the administration of the subdivision map act of the state and city’s subdivision regulations, and act in an advisory capacity to the council on zoning, general plan and other land use issues.

“We have an outstanding group of planning commissioners and it was a pleasure working with Commissioner Perkins. The city of Clearlake greatly appreciates the time and effort he put into the planning commission for so many years,” said City Manager Greg Folsom.

For more information on applying for appointment to the Clearlake Planning Commission, view the city’s Web site at www.clearlake.ca.us , visit Clearlake City Hall at 14050 Olympic Drive, or contact Swanson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 707-994-8201, Extension 106.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Board of Supervisors took action on Tuesday to appoint a longtime county employee to be the next county administrative officer.

Following a closed session discussion at the end of its regular meeting, the board emerged on Tuesday to vote unanimously to appoint Social Services Director Carol Huchingson to succeed County Administrative Officer Matt Perry, according to Board Chair Rob Brown.

Perry's retirement begins at the end of business on Friday, April 1. Huchingson's appointment becomes effective the following day, Brown said.

Since Oct. 13, Huchingson also has been serving as the Valley fire long-term recovery coordinator for the county, a position the board appointed her to a week after the fire was reported to be fully contained.

Reached by phone on Tuesday afternoon as she was working on the set up for the After the Fire Rebuilding Summit and Open House in Middletown, Huchingson told Lake County News, “I'm just excited to have the opportunity and look forward to guiding the county through the complete recovery process while also maintaining the county's financial solvency and much more.”

Huchingson started with the county in June 1993.

In her role as Social Services director, she has overseen one of the county's largest and most complex departments.

Social Services includes adult and child protective services, housing, the In-Home Supportive Services Public Authority, CalWorks, food stamps, foster care, the public guardian and much more. Revenue comes from sources including the state and federal governments.

“We have every bit of confidence in her ability to do it,” said Brown of Huchingson's appointment to the county's top administrative position.

He said he has worked with Huchingson throughout his nearly 16 years on the board. Watching her perform as recovery coordinator during the last four months has made him even more confident in her ability to manage the county's government.

“She's a tremendous asset to the county and will continue to be in this role,” Brown said.

In November Perry announced his retirement, with the recruitment for his successor beginning that same month, as Lake County News has reported.

Perry, who was appointed in 2012 after the retirement of Kelly Cox, said he would begin the process of preparing the 2016-17 fiscal year budget before he retired.

Brown said seven individuals applied for the county administrative officer job. The candidates went through interviews on Jan. 25, with three or four finalists interviewed by the board on Jan. 26.

As she moves into her new role, Huchingson expects to transition out of the long-term recovery coordinator role.

“I anticipate continuing to lead the task force but in terms of coordination our intention really is to, as issues and concerns come up, to pass them to the departments that would respond to them,” she said.

As the coordinator, she's been more directly involved in recovery-related issues, but while she would still have a hand in those matters after she becomes county administrative officer, she expects to no longer take the lead but to let the department heads take over.

The county must now start the recruitment process for a new Social Services director, a process that Brown said is expected to start soon.

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.