CLEARLAKE, Calif. — The Clearlake City Council is set this week to consider approving a new Cal Fire map that rates thousands more acres within the city as being in the highest fire hazard severity zone.

The council will meet at 6 p.m. Thursday, May 15, in the council chambers at Clearlake City Hall, 14050 Olympic Drive.

The agenda can be found here.

The meeting will be broadcast live on the city's YouTube channel or the Lake County PEGTV YouTube Channel.

Community members also can participate via Zoom. The webinar ID is 899 0339 3920, the pass code is 024684. One tap mobile is available at +16694449171,,82771053751#, or join by phone at 669-444-9171 or 646-931-3860.

The council meeting will start with a presentation on May’s adoptable dogs, a proclamation declaring May 18 to 24 as Public Works Week and a presentation by Police Chief Tim Hobbs, who will give an update on Proposition 36, an initiative passed by voters last year to increase the penalties for drug and theft offenses.

On Thursday, the council will hold three public hearings.

The first is to discuss and consider Ordinance 281-2025, which will designate fire hazard severity zones in the Local Responsibility area as required by state law.

The zones are shown in a new map released to the public in February.

That new map adds a total of 14,000 acres of Lake County land to the “very high” fire hazard severity zone, marking an 878% increase in acreage designated the highest severity category, as Lake County News https://www.lakeconews.com/news/81111-cal-fire-s-new-fire-hazard-map-expands-very-high-zones-across-lake-county-local-officials-express-concernhas reported.

In Clearlake, the acreage rated as “very high” increases from 1,583 to 4,054 acres.

So far, city officials said they have had little to no public comment on the map, which officials are concerned could have a negative impact on the county, especially when it comes to fire insurance ratings, which the map isn’t supposed to be used to set.

If the first reading of the ordinance passes, a second reading and adoption will be set. The cities and the county have until July 1 to approve the map.

The council’s second public hearing involves the closeout of the Community Development Block Grant Covid 2/3 Funds for the Senior Community Center Upgrades, with the third being to consider adoption of fees related to Ordinance No. 280-2025, which authorizes bingo games for charitable purposes only.

Under business, the council will consider letters of opposition to SB 226 (Cabaldon) regarding community college territory transfers, and also will discuss a presentation regarding Safe Routes to Schools plans for Burns Valley and Pomo Elementary schools.

On the meeting's consent agenda — items that are considered routine in nature and usually adopted on a single vote — are warrants and council minutes; continuation of the emergency declarations for the winter storms and Boyles Fire; adoption of the update to Resolution 2024-15, HOME Application to increase the requested not-to-exceed amount to $10,200,000; and an update to the City Council meeting calendar to include June 19 as a regular City Council
meeting date.

The council also will hold a closed session for a performance evaluation of City Manager Alan Flora and discuss litigation with Highlands Mutual Water Co.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, and on Bluesky, @erlarson.bsky.social. Find Lake County News on the following platforms: Facebook, @LakeCoNews; X, @LakeCoNews; Threads, @lakeconews, and on Bluesky, @lakeconews.bsky.social.