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Opinion
As mobile home park owners, we can understand Mr. Strasser’s frustration with the process as set forth in his letter published (“Strasser: What is at stake with rent control initiative,” Feb. 16, http://bit.ly/N5FBrl ).
However, we are also frustrated with Mr. Strasser and the Save our Seniors group for wanting to push forward with an ordinance when their issues are being resolved without the need of the ordinance and without additional costs to all the taxpayers of Lake County, which they do not seem to understand will be required with a rent control ordinance.
A nonprofit organization has purchased one park and another park offers subsidies to needy seniors.
Many parks in the county offer a long-term lease which was put together over five years ago with input from a panel including representatives of the Board of Supervisors, owners of mobile home parks and residents of parks.
This lease includes most things covered by a rent control ordinance. The rent increases on the long-term lease are based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) covering real increases and not the Social Security cost of living increase which is not based on reality. There is an agreed-upon minimum and maximum annual increase in the lease based on CPI.
Mr. Strasser stated that the majority of the Board of Supervisors seemed hostile to rent control. Before unsuspecting voters sign a petition or vote for an ordinance, we suggest you talk with your elected city and county officials and ask what their research tells them will be the real cost of administering a rent control ordinance in order to comply with state law.
Also consider what will happen in Lake County if owners of parks are bound by an ordinance which does not even allow them to pass through increased costs which are government mandated (water, sewer, fire fees, taxes, etc.) unless over 50 percent of the residents agree to pay them.
Lake County has some of the lowest rents in all of California and most park owners are willing to work with their residents who have financial issues. Tying the increase in rents to a Social Security Index based on the age of residents who are not even qualified to receive Social Security does not make any sense.
If the government wants to subsidize housing costs, then they should buy the properties and subsidize the residents.
Business owners who are doing their best to maintain their properties, keeps the rents as low as possible and have good resident relations should not have to be penalized for those efforts.
There is an effort afoot to pass a tax to improve the quality of Clear Lake which in turn will help the economy. A rent control ordinance will create the opposite result. It will lead to the deterioration of properties due to restraints placed on owners unnecessarily and to the County’s detriment.
Jerry McQueen and his wife Mary Ann own Northport Trailer resort in north Lakeport, Calif.
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- Written by: Jerry McQueen
Kelseyville’s Christmas in the Country in December was very memorable.
It was the first time in 20 years that Mother Nature rained on our parade. We desperately needed it but it did put a damper on the evening. What surprised me was how many people came out in the freezing wet weather to be a part of the event.
First things first: A huge thank you to all of Kelseyville’s friends who came out to decorate Main Street for the holidays on Nov. 16. Eric and Christie Schofield and Christie’s son Lucas, Dave Morse, Cooper Dodd, Vincent Price and Susan Martin, Helen Finch, Bob and Jeanette Bartley, Kathleen Ahart, Marilyn Holdenried, Ron Chips, Brenda Young, Barbara McIntyre, Eduardo Alatorre, Nick Buttitta,
Trena Pauly and a big thank you to Mike at Kelseyville Pizza for donating all the pizzas for lunch.
The big candle decorations on the light poles were put up by Bill Dawson, Jim Merriman and the Kelseyville Lions Club.
Main Street setup on the day of the event came together thanks to the hard work of Ernie Ostern, who built the candy cane parade barricades, stores them for us each year and helps us set them up. His patience and hard work was greatly appreciated. Thanks also to Kathleen Ahart and Sinda Knight.
We can’t thank Mike Linnell enough for all of his work as the parade coordinator. He does a great job every year and this year he had help from Walter and Wanda Herpe. Linnell starts in October sending out parade notices and also does the printing of the parade handouts.
This year because of the weather the parade was a little smaller, with snow falling on all sides of Kelseyville. I couldn’t believe how many participants showed up to make the parade spectacular. The floats were wonderful and everyone in the parade made the evening so much fun. Thanks to all of you. Only at a country parade like ours do people turn out no matter what the weather throws at us.
Again this year we want to thank the California Highway Patrol volunteers, Ed McDonald, Al Reynolds and John Wickersham, the CHP Explorers and Larry Caravario. Thanks for keeping us safe.
Westamerica Bank opened its doors for Santa, Rob Brown, who put smiles on all the little ones' faces. The photographer, Dawn Smith of Color Splash Photos, did a wonderful job and donated all the proceeds to Lake County foster children for Christmas gifts. God bless you.
We want to thank Carolyn Morris for allowing us to use her painting of “Kelseyville Parade” for our posters again this year. It depicts our Christmas in the Country so beautifully. Thanks also to David Neft for the music in the bank.
Kelseyville Fire House had our pretty live town Christmas tree looking bright and festive. Hopefully it’ll grow another foot or two next year. It has been so fun watching it grow each year.
We thank Kelseyville Presbyterian Church, St. Peter's Catholic Church and Kelseyville United Methodist and Unitarian Universalist Community for the food, singing and holiday joy and Marie at the Saw Shop Gallery Bistro for displaying the miniature quilts.
Cleanup after the parade, cold, tired and wet, I cannot thank all of you enough. Ernie Ostern; Marilyn Holdenried; Linda Goff; Tom and Cindy Goff and their children, Jessica, Raelyn and Tasha; and Dave Morse and Eric Schofield.
T he merchants did a wonderful job of inviting everyone in from the cold to visit and enjoy something warm to drink and goodies to eat. Our Main Street business owners are so amazing and friendly. They make everyone feel welcome.
Last but not least I want to thank our sponsors. Without their generosity we couldn’t have done it: Bob and Jeanette Bartley, Bob Bartley Pumps Inc.; Ruth Stewart, Kelseyville Pharmacy; Dallas Woll and Victoria, Roto Rooter of Lake County; Kelseyville Business Association, Pear Festival; Itzia Rico, Studebakers Coffee House & Deli; and Rian Sommerfield, Nestegg Investments.
One last time, I want to thank everyone who showed up for the parade, all the participants in the parade and the people that helped put on the event. It truly is “A Wonderful Life!”
Mary E. Morse is event coordinator for Christmas in the Country in Kelseyville, Calif.
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- Written by: Mary Morse
There will be a hearing March 6 at 3:30 p.m. The court is being asked by the local mobile home park owners to do a pre-ballot review of our rent control initiative in an effort to keep it off the ballot.
In truth, I don’t know what the outcome will be. I have been thinking about the legal issues for months, but today, I want to talk about what is really going on, and what is at stake.
Fairgrounds Village Senior Park, my park, had been owned by a woman who occasionally raised the rent small amounts, as was her due. There was, I am told, little grousing among the tenants.
The park was sold and the new owners smelled blood: There is no rent control in Lake County, and, the elderly poor are pretty much defenseless, or so they imagined.
Moreover, the majority of the Board of Supervisors has been openly hostile to rent control, even though over 100 municipalities in California have rent control ordinances for mobile home parks.
And lastly, the tenants are captive: As a practical matter, mobile homes are not mobile. Our homes are on their land and can’t be moved. They raised the rents many times the increase in the cost of living index.
Let me be clear. Most of the park owners have been fair. In fact, unbelievably, a few of them signed our petition to put the initiative on the ballot! And, they will, under the initiative, be entitled to a cost of living increase automatically.
I don’t know how this case will be decided; clearly our initiative is not perfect, but the case law says it does not have to be.
I recently discovered that with 25 signatures I can have the California State Office of Legislative Counsel draw up a new version of the initiative, and, it will be airtight.
So, should we lose in court, like the Terminator, played by Arnold Schwarzenegger famously quipped, “I’ll be back.”
As long as you folks continue to show your overwhelming support, I will gather signatures.
And to the sharks swimming out there: You picked the wrong county. We don’t mind you making money, but not by gouging seniors.
Nelson Strasser lives in Lakeport, Calif. He is a member of “Save Our Seniors,” which gathered enough signatures to place senior mobile home park rent control initiatives on the June county ballot and the November Lakeport municipal ballot. The initiatives are being challenged in court by a coalition of Lake County mobile home park owners: http://bit.ly/1bqjVvq .
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- Written by: Nelson Strasser
In response to Tom McFarling’s Feb. 8 letter regarding dangerous mountain bike riding on Lake County Trails and the new Strava app (McFarling: 'Strava' causes concerns on local trails, http://bit.ly/1grf8gw ) , I offer the following opinions.
I am an experienced equestrian of over 60 years; involved in training, backcountry riding with pack strings and trail building.
Mountain biking evolved in Marin County back in the 1970s when riders took to public trails with balloon tire bikes without permission.
After many conflicts and incidents, bikes were restricted to fire roads and not the narrow footpaths used by hikers and horseback riders. Bikes are going far faster than equestrians and hikers, dangerous on narrow trails with cliffs, blind corners and a lot of trees or brush. Other counties restrict bikes to wide fire roads.
There is not just a perception about this danger, but documented injuries and deaths to other users from mountain bikes.
Bicycles now have sophisticated suspension equaling the dirt bikes of the 1970s and nearly as fast. Riders are often wearing face helmets and full body armor.
The hazard comes in the fact that these trails are the same footpaths which hikers walk watching birds, exercising or simply out to have “family time,” equestrians and joggers enjoying the serenity of nature.
The state prohibits bikes on public sidewalks for safety reasons and they do come under the auspices of the Motor Vehicle Code.
How can people, hiker or equestrian, indulge in safe recreation when they face the possibility of being struck by a mountain biker hurtling down a trail at 20-plus miles per hour or 29 feet every second with more energy than a bullet leaving the muzzle of an AK-47? (Hiker/horse 6 feet /sec.)
The county has a “user agreement” allowing the high school racing mountain bike team to train at Highland Springs, which seems contrary to the fact that the county has a fiduciary responsibility to the citizens of keeping them safe. I have called Scott De Leon, head of Public Works and a signatory on the document, but he has not returned my call after two weeks.
In early January, an experienced rider on a well-trained horse in Folsom was thrown after an altercation with speeding mountain bikers, breaking her pelvis in three places along with five ribs, and dislocating another bone.
Horses can be trained to accept traffic, loud noises, crowds, loose dogs and wildlife but any animal, be it horse or human, is going to jump out of the way when a speeding vehicle is coming directly at them from the front or behind.
Already, many of our State Parks have become unsafe for hikers and equestrians, with Annadel, Wilder Ranch and China Camp simply being avoided by both. Illegal trail building and resource damage cost counties thousands of dollars also.
Boggs State Forest has mountain bikers training at a fast speed for sanctioned races on a constant basis. Both Youtube and Strava are proof of all these activities.
This isn’t a case of a few bad apples, but a regular occurrence countrywide. Bicycles also need to be removed from public trails for it has become a venue for racing via Strava.
Drag racing, ski racing, stock cars, horse racing all have specific venues where they practice and race. Why should the county allow racing when the public has a right to quiet, safe enjoyment of their public lands?
Perhaps the county can find a separate location for mountain bikers to develop their own trails and practice their sport. There are also hundreds of miles of ORV trails in this county that are more suited.
Dave Lowrie lives in Kelseyville, Calif.
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- Written by: Dave Lowrie