LAKEPORT, Calif. – During a brief Tuesday morning meeting the Board of Supervisors approved sheriff's office purchases and a contract update.

Sheriff Brian Martin went to the board to ask for approval to purchase 11 mobile audio video – or MAV – units for the 11 pursuit vehicles recently ordered from Ukiah Ford. The 11 MAV units cost $71,517.60.

The MAVs are mounted in each vehicle to record the activities of deputies during pursuits, according to Martin's report to the board. “It provides enhanced evidence collection as well as recorded statements for use at a later date.”

Martin was seeking the board's approval to waive the formal bidding process – finding the competitive bidding process would produce no economic benefit to the county – in order to purchase the units from the vendor WatchGuard. The agency already is using an older WatchGuard unit in its pursuit vehicles.

He told the board Tuesday that the new MAVs also can be used as body cameras.

Supervisor Jim Comstock moved to approve waiving the normal bidding process, with the board approving the motion 4-0. Board Chair Anthony Farrington was absent.

Also on Tuesday, the board approved the second amendment to the county's contract with Glass Architects for facility design services for Lake County Behavioral Health's Clearlake facility expansion.

Public Works Director Scott De Leon and Deputy Director Lars Ewing went before the board with the request for the amendment, which Ewing explained covered construction administration services.

Last year, at Public Works staff's suggestion, the board had approved deferring construction administration services until the project's design was further developed and its scope was more clearly defined.

“That's where we are now,” said Ewing.

The second amendment called for the design services to not exceed $201,770 – an increase of $65,220. The board approved it 4-0.

In other news, the board put off taking any action on Agricultural Commissioner Steve Hajik's request to send a letter to Congressman Mike Thompson supporting the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

Hajik said he was approached by a lobbyist – Emily Lynn Smith of the Sacramento-based firm KP Public Affairs – who asked for the support letter.

“It could help trade,” Hajik said.

Supervisor Jim Steele said the proposal made it look like the county was speaking for the entire state on the manner.

“I'm diametrically opposed to this process the ways it's laid out here,” Steele said.

Supervisor Rob Brown, who chaired the meeting in Farmington's absence, asked Hajik during the meeting to touch base with Assemblyman Bill Dodd, state Sen. Mike McGuire and the Lake County Farm Bureau, which Hajik noted is in transition while searching for a new executive director.

“That would be valuable input,” Brown said of the Farm Bureau's contribution.

Finley pear farmer Phil Murphy questioned the board about which of them actually had read the bill.

“We're going to have regulations rammed down our throats by foreign companies” that do not have our best interests at heart, he said.

Murphy said the bill also proposes getting rid of country of origin labeling and local vendor preference. He asked if they wanted to hand over our democracy to foreign corporations.

Brown said they weren't considering taking action at that point. “We're asking these questions, Phil.”

Supervisor Jeff Smith added that the only way to bring the matter forward was to put it on the agenda and discuss it in public.

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

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport City Council on Tuesday night conducted a brief meeting with two main items of business, relating to zoning and bond counsel matters, ultimately approving both.

Special Projects Coordinator Richard Knoll took to the council a proposed ordinance to amend the prezoning map for the South Main Street and Soda Bay Road area of the Lakeport Sphere of Influence.

Knoll said the ordinance – which the council held the first reading of and introduced at its April 7 meeting – was the culmination of a process than began in January when the council approved a focused general plan update.

Subsequently, the Lakeport Planning Commission held a number of public meetings and workshops as part of the process, and on Feb. 17 the council approved a resolution adopting the addendum to the general plan environmental impact report, along with several general plan amendments, Knoll said.

Knoll said the resolution the city approved reduced the city's sphere of influence – removing some agricultural land – and modified general plan policies and actions to address land use, conservation, infrastructure, utilities and growth. It also amended the general plan land use map.

Because of those changes, Knoll said the Lakeport Planning Commission recommended followup action by the council in order to be consistent with the city's general plan.

The goal, Knoll explained, was to adopt prezoning that would be consistent with the general plan land use map as well as with county zoning in the S. Main Street and Soda Bay Road area. That's an area the city ultimately wants to annex.

“California law permits cities to prezone land outside of city limits within spheres of influence, in the same way that they would approve regular zoning within the city limits,” said Knoll, explaining that such prezoning is done before a city formally annexes land.

Another benefit to the city in prezoning, he said, is that it allows the city to be the lead agency on the California Environmental Quality Act review for an annexation project. Otherwise, the Local Agency Formation Commission, or LAFCO, would be the lead agency.

“A key thing about prezoning is that as far as the city is concerned, prezoning doesn't affect permissible land use or other land use regulations,” said Knoll, adding, “That activity still rests with the county.”

During the brief public hearing that followed Knoll's presentation, Lakeport resident Suzanne Lyons, pointing to the areas of commercial and industrial zoning in the ordinance maps, said some people think the city already has too much underutilized commercial property.

Councilwoman Stacey Mattina asked how much of the land is vacant. Knoll didn't have a number off the top of his head, but said, “There is some land that is vacant, not a tremendous amount.”

He said there is also the potential for redevelopment of the land in this area. At some point the area will be provided with a full range of urban services, including a municipal water system. That could be the event that spurs some additional land development.

Knoll added that all of that land currently is available to development.

Mattina moved to adopt the ordinance, which the council approved 5-0.

In other business on Tuesday, the council voted unanimously to approve an agreement with the Weist Law Firm – a firm the city has used in the past – to serve as bond counsel to the city for financing with USDA Rural Development.

The city is seeking that funding to finance the new Lakeport Police Department headquarters at 2025 S. Main St., according to Finance Director Dan Buffalo.

Buffalo said using bond counsel when issuing debt is a best practice. He said bond counsel advises the city to ensure that it is in compliance with federal, state and local laws.

“It's a specialized service and it's one that's required to have a retainer for this project through the USDA application,” he said.

Mattina asked if such services were ever done in-house at the city. Buffalo said no.

“It's a very specialized type of law,” said City Attorney David Ruderman, who added that it requires a particular type of errors and omissions insurance that really only specialized practitioners have.

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.

042115 Pre Zoning Maps

042115 Lakeport City Council agenda packet

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Clearlake City Council this week will consider a request to allow the Redbud ballfields to be used year-round and get an update from the city's police chief on impacts from state legislation and a voter initiative.

The council will meet in closed session at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, April 23, to discuss litigation and labor negotiations before convening in open session at 6 p.m. in the council chambers at Clearlake City Hall, 14050 Olympic Drive.

South Shore Little League is going to the council to ask to amend its use agreement for the Redbud ballfields to provide for year-round use.

Hundreds of children participate in the league, which in recent years has made significant upgrades to the ballfields and associated facilities.

In other news, Clearlake Police Chief Craig Clausen will report to the council on the effects of the state's correctional realignment and Proposition 47 – passed by voters last November to reduce some felonies to misdemeanors – on the city. The council also may give direction to staff following the presentation, based on the agenda.

The council also will get a presentation from Jill Ruzicka, a senior analyst with the Lake County Administrative Office, regarding the county's marketing program, and an update from Susan Jen and Wally Holbrook on the status of the “Way to Wellville” effort and how the city fits in.

Also on the agenda is a public hearing on the confirmation of the assessment of administrative penalties for failure to abate public nuisances on a number of city properties.

On the meeting's consent agenda – items considered noncontroversial and usually accepted as a slate on one vote – are warrant registers, minutes of the March 11 Lake County Vector Control District meeting, and receipt of the Department of Housing and Community Development letter regarding the city's adopted housing element.

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

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport City Council this week will hold a public hearing on a prezoning ordinance relating to the city's sphere of influence and consider an agreement for bond counsel.

The council will meet in closed session at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 21, to discuss a case of existing litigation with the county of Lake over the former sheriff cutting off Lakeport Police's access to shared law enforcement records before convening in public session at 6 p.m. in the council chambers at Lakeport City Hall, 225 Park St.

On Tuesday the council will conduct a public hearing and is expected to adopt a proposed ordinance amending the prezoning map in the South Main Street and Soda Bay Road Area of the Lakeport Sphere of Influence.

In February the council approved a resolution that approved general plan amendments including the reduction of the sphere of influence, and modified general plan policies and actions to address land use, conservation, infrastructure, utilities and growth, and amended the general plan land use map.

The report to the council from Community Development Director Kevin Ingram and Special Project Coordinator Richard Knoll said the Lakeport Planning Commission proposed the action in order to be consistent with the Lakeport General Plan.

Under council business, Finance Director Dan Buffalo will take to the council the request to approve and authorize City Manager Margaret Silveira's signing of an agreement with the Weist Law Firm to serve as bond counsel to the city for financing with USDA Rural Development.

On the meeting's consent agenda – items considered noncontroversial and usually accepted as a slate on one vote – are ordinances; warrant registers for Feb. 10, March 26 and April 8; minutes of the council's regular April 7 meeting; and authorization of acceptance of the one and one and a half million gallon potable storage tank repair and recoating project, and recordation of a notice of completion with the county of Lake.

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.

042115 Lakeport City Council agenda packet

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The city of Lakeport is in the midst of installing new docks at Library Park.

The project began last week, and Public Works Superintendent Doug Grider said he hopes the work with be done by Tuesday or Wednesday.

Grider estimated that it has been around 30 years since the city installed new docks at the park.

In January, the Lakeport City Council approved the purchase order for the new aluminum docks, which were bought from The Dock Factory and Supply Co. in Lakeport for $226,336.43, as Lake County News has reported.

“My staff is doing the installation,” said Grider, with The Dock Factory available for technical consultation.

He said the installation so far has gone very smoothly.

Overall, there will be nearly 300 feet of new dock, plus some new gangway, pile guides and a swim ladder, based on the city's purchase documents.

Grider said that with the new docks there is roughly the same amount of dock surface area as before. However, a portion that had been removed several years ago to close off the swim beach is being reinstalled to keep that area safe.

Grider estimated that the city's old docks were having to be rebuilt – at a substantial cost – about every two to three years, as the wooden decking kept wearing out.

As for what happens to the old docks, Grider said that will be up to the council.

He said he plans to suggest an advertised auction with sealed bids.

The county of Lake also at one point had expressed interest in some of the recently rebuilt docks, and Grider said the city likely will approach the county and give it the first option to take them.

Considering that it's likely to be another 30 years before the city gets new docks, Grider said, “I hope the community takes ownership and buy-in on these new docks and helps keep them in good shape.”

If anyone sees the docks being vandalized, he asked that they contact city officials or police immediately.

Grider said the community's money was spent to purchase the docks.

“Treat them like they're your own because, in a way, they are,” he said.

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

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County Animal Care and Control is putting out the call for a new veterinarian and hoping to bring on a temporary vet to keep the agency's clinic going.

Animal Care and Control opened its onsite veterinary clinic at the shelter – located at 4949 Helbush outside of Lakeport – in March 2012, an effort aided by community donations.

Initially, Dr. Anthony Wong served as the clinic's vet, with Dr. Jennifer Bennett coming on as the clinic's contract vet in the summer of 2013, according to Animal Care and Control Director Bill Davidson.

However, Bennett resigned effective April 30, and has already left to take a job in Seattle, said Davidson.

While the rest of April runs out, Davidson said Bennett has hired relief vets to keep the clinic going.

So far, Davidson has had a frustrating search for Bennett's successor, even though the contract position can pay as much as $100,000 annually.

“I have been trying for the last seven weeks to find a veterinarian who will come to work here full-time,” said Davidson. “It’s been very hard to find anyone who’s interested. There are a lot of people who are qualified. The problem is in attracting them to Lake County.”

He's had only a few inquiries for the contract, which he said seems to be a matter of Lake County's rural and remote location.

“One of the predominant issues is how isolated we are – a quiet and rural lifestyle suits me but not everyone,” he said.

“The second thing is if you’re a contract worker you don’t have medical, dental or retirement. We don’t provide that. Not having benefits is something that kind of turns people off,” he added.

As of Thursday morning, however, there was the possibility of at least a temporary reprieve from having to shut down the clinic while a recruitment takes place.

Davidson said Animal Care and Control was contacted Thursday morning by Dr. Richard Bachman, the director of the Contra Costa County animal shelter's veterinary medical program and a consultant to Lake County Animal Care and Control on the clinic feasibility study that preceded its opening. He also worked at the clinic in its early days.

Bachman has tentatively agreed to accept the veterinary contract, Davidson said.

“He's a temporary fix until we can find a more permanent solution,” said Davidson.

The matter must go before the Board of Supervisors for final approval. Davidson said he's asking to have it included on the board's May 5 agenda.

The clinic was opened three years ago with a view toward dropping the costs of adoptions and therefore increasing the numbers of pets going to new homes – thus reducing euthanasia and addressing the county's cat overpopulation problem.

It's an effort that has worked, according to Davidson.

“This is one program that has been outstanding in helping the community,” he said.

The clinic has been at the heart of the shelter’s population control program for cats, which has helped cut the county's high cat euthanasia rate in half over the last several years.

He said cats that come into the community cat program are spayed, neutered and vaccinated, so they can’t contribute to overpopulation.

“We’re spaying and neutering every stray cat we can get our hands on, and it’s making a difference,” said Davidson.

In the 2013-14 fiscal year, 1,200 cats were altered in the program, with Davidson estimating the number will be less for this current year due to Bennett having been out on medical leave.

“This is the first year we’ve seen the effect and it’s working, it really is working,” he said, adding that one of his officers reported that he's seeing a difference in the numbers of cats out in the communities.

The community cat program, which has been open to everyone wanting to spay or neuter community cats, had been closed due to Bennett's departure, Davidson said.

However, with Bachman offering to come on board, “We will open it up again,” Davidson said of the program.

For those interested in applying for the veterinary contract at the shelter clinic, contact Davidson at 707-263-0278.

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