LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – After a strong January, Lake County’s real estate prices have slacked off a bit, but overall sales numbers show 2018 outpacing 2017, according to a new report.

The Lake County Association of Realtors reported that the February median sales price for single family residences in Lake County decreased by 13.8 percent when compared to the January median.

“January’s median of $271,450 was the highest median sales price reported in over 10 years so some pull back is not unexpected,” commented 2018 LCAOR President Melissa Chapman. “Early indicators in March have shown an uptick in buyer activity and we hope that translates into closed sales.”

The February median was $234,000 with 51 sales being reported. The 51 sales were one less than the 52 sales reported in January.

On a year-over-year basis, 2018 February sales exceeded 2017 February sales by 8.5 percent. The number of sales in February 2017 were 47.

The 2018 February median sales price of $234,000 was 4 percent higher than the 2017 February median sales price of $225,000.

Conventional loan financing was used in 47.1 percent of the transactions with FHA loans being used in 11.8 percent of the overall deals. In February of 2017 conventional loans were used in 36.2 percent of the reported sales.

Cash financing was used in 27.5 percent of the sales, up from 15.4 percent in January 2018 and up from 21.3 percent in February of 2017.

The California Association of Realtors, or CAR, reported existing, single-family home sales in California totaled 422,910 in February on a seasonally adjusted annualized rate, up 3.3 percent from January and up 5.4 percent from February 2017.

February’s statewide median home price was $522,400, down 1 percent from January and up 8.8 percent from February 2017.

With single family home pricing raising rapidly throughout the state buyers have increasingly turned to condominiums driving their median price to a new record high.

Mortgage rates have been on the rise since breaking the 4 percent barrier in January.

The 30-year, fixed-mortgage interest rates averaged 4.33 percent in February, up from 4.03 percent in January and from 4.17 percent in February 2017, according to Freddie Mac. The five-year, adjustable mortgage interest rate also edged higher in February to an average of 3.60 percent from 3.47 percent in January and from 3.24 percent in February 2017.

LAKE COUNTY NUMBERS AT A GLANCE

February 2018
Median price: $234,000
Units sold: 51
Median days to sell: 37

January 2018
Median price: $271,450
Units sold: 52
Median days to sell: 58

February 2017
Median price: $225,000
Units sold: 47
Median days to sell: 55

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Lake County Campus of Woodland Community College is hosting a speaker series on climate change on the first three Wednesdays of April from 5 to 7 p.m. each evening in Room 209.

Everyone is invited to attend these informative and timely presentations that include the opportunity for questions and discussion about the impact of climate change in all aspects of our lives.

The series is free and open to everyone. Healthy snacks will be provided to all attendees.

The presentations will be moderated by Shelly Ryan, a long-time museum and public educator on the topics of natural history, environmental issues and climate change.

In 2006 she wrote her master's thesis on educating the public on climate change, and in 2012 she took training from former U.S. Vice-President Al Gore on his climate change presentation.

Since then she has given climate change and sustainability talks in many parts of northern California as well as Costa Rica, where she lived for two and a half years.

Then, on Thursday, April 19, the Lake County Campus will present its annual Earth Day Festival with information booths, activities for children, and more.

The festival will be in the campus plaza between the administration and culinary buildings from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

For more information on all these activities, call the Lake County Campus at 707-995-7900 or visit the campus Web site at http://lcc.yccd.edu .

The Lake County Campus is located at 15880 Dam Road Extension in Clearlake.

The schedule and list of speakers is published below.



Wednesday, April 4, 5 to 7 p.m.

Greg Bertelli: “Behavior and implications for Lake County of the Rocky, Valley and Tubbs fire”

Chief Greg Bertelli is Division Chief with Cal Fire for the Lake County region and the fire chief for the South Lake County Fire Protection District serving Loch Lomond, Cobb, Middletown and Hidden Valley. He was the initial attack incident commander for the Rocky, Valley and Tubbs fires.

Jim Steele: “Why does the lake look green?”

Jim Steele is the current Lake County supervisor for District 3 and board chair. Steele retired from state service after 30 years as an ecologist and adjunct professor at Sacramento State University where he taught environmental policy and administration and freshwater ecology as adjunct professor. The next 15 years were spent as a consultant in environmental permitting for water rights and endangered species.

Wednesday, April 11, 5 to 7 p.m.

Randal Stuart MacDonald: “What can we do about climate change? Let's put a price on carbon pollution!”

Randal MacDonald is a volunteer with the Citizens' Climate Lobby, or CCL, and a steering committee member of CCL's Santa Rosa Chapter. He is a former elected official who spent a decade working in government and politics in Oregon before going into private business. MacDonald is the chief technology officer for Wild Iris Medical Education Inc.

Carol Cole-Lewis: “Have impact and make income through solar”

Carol Cole-Lewis is a community activist, perhaps best known in Lake County for having started the Time Bank of Thrive Lake County with Steve Elias in 2011. She is now a solar social entrepreneur with Upstart Energy helping to deliver on the promise of solar electricity generation throughout Lake County.

Wednesday, April 18, 5 to 7 p.m.

Dr. Will Tuttle: “Conscious eating: Being healthy and saving the planet”

Dr. Will Tuttle, visionary educator and musician, is author of the international best-seller, “The World Peace Diet.” A former Zen monk and recipient of the Courage of Conscience Award, he has created eight CD albums of uplifting original piano music and is a vegan since 1980.

Dr. Dave Veazey: “Climate change throughout Earth history”

Dr. Dave Veazey is director of the TrueNorth Health Foundation in Santa Rosa. Dr. Veazey lived in Fairbanks, Alaska where he conducted climate change research in atmospheric chemistry and the chemical composition of cloud condensation nuclei.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – On Tuesday night the Lakeport City Council received an update on city staff’s efforts to get federal funding and approval for 2017 flood repair projects.

Public Works Director Doug Grider gave the council the latest news on his department's progress on projects that center primarily around the city’s Library Park, which had been closed for weeks and sustained significant damage during the flooding that took place in January and February of last year.

While it’s been a slow and complicated process, Grider and his staff’s efforts have so far garnered the city $250,000 from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, with Grider estimating that the city could ultimately recoup between $1.5 million and $2 million, which would cover almost all of its repair costs.

City Manager Margaret Silveira emphasized the city’s gratitude for help from the federal and state agencies involved in the repair funding process.

Some of the key projects in Library Park – such as seawall and sidewalk repair – are still in the process of being approved and so the chain-link fence that cordons off the damaged areas of the park from the public will stay up for another summer. Silveira said the goal is to do that work when the lake is lowest, with a target date of this fall.

The process

During his Tuesday night presentation and in a followup interview on Wednesday with Lake County News, Grider explained the process that the city is following in seeking FEMA funding for the repair projects.

Grider explained that two separate presidential disasters were proclaimed in response to the floods. The first declaration was in January, the second in February.

“Once the president makes a declaration then FEMA comes in,” he said.

Under the January declaration, Grider said the city submitted eight projects, including three small road projects scattered throughout the city that are the result of isolated roadway failures; a road project involving damage to the culvert headwalls on North Street; the Fifth Street boat docks, which Grider said will be removed and repaired; debris removal; protective measures; and the First Street boat ramp.

Grider said the First Street boat ramp has been denied by FEMA, and the decision hasn’t yet been made whether or not to appeal it. He said the city has strategies in place for dealing with that project, including some available insurance coverage.

The other seven appear to still be going through the process, with tentative approval. The city just needs the last piece in getting final approval, which is an obligation letter, he said.

Debris removal and protective measures already were completed. “The city is slowly getting funding coming in to pay for those,” Grider said.

Grider said the city’s second disaster declaration, for February 2017, had 12 projects, 10 of them approved and two that were denied.

Projects include repairs on Green and Sayre streets, Loch Drive, Esplanade at E Street, and Esplanade at Konocti Avenue, the Third Street dock, along with more projects at Library Park, including replacing decomposed granite, ADA-accessible bark for the playgrounds, sod replacement, park lighting repair, the park irrigation system, debris removal and protection measures, the seawall and sidewalks behind the seawall, Grider said.

The two projects that were denied were the repairs on Esplanade at E Street and at Konocti Avenue. Grider said they’ve filed an appeal on the E Street project and appear to be likely to get it, while they never received an official denial letter on the Konocti Avenue project and are trying to get clarification to submit an appeal.

Grider said the city went ahead and fronted its own money to replace the bark in the playgrounds, and it looks like the city will get reimbursed for that work.

Another project that’s already been finished is repairing the park’s lighting, which included checking all of the wiring connections and grounds, and making necessary repairs such as replacing broken globes, he said.

Also completed is the park irrigation project, which Grider said involved Public Works staff digging out every sprinkler head in the park, cleaning and testing them, and repairing the irrigation lines. The city will be reimbursed for those costs.

He said the repairs to the crank up dock at Third Street is upcoming. “We’re hoping they can repair it where it’s at.”

Perhaps the biggest project of them all is the seawall replacement. Not only is it substantial in scope – the wall measures 536 feet long – but Grider said several other projects depend on it.

He said the old seawall is built of cinder blocks. FEMA appears to be in agreement with the city that the new seawall should be built of steel sheet piling.

The sidewalks and center promenade are separate from the sheet piling wall, but Grider said the seawall needs to be completed first due to the order of progression. Because there are failures under the sidewalk, materials will need to be compacted underneath the new sidewalk and up against the seawall.

Grider said he hopes to have confirmation from FEMA within the next 30 to 60 days that the seawall project has been approved so they can begin the environmental process that will be necessary due to federal funding plus the county, state and federal permits needed because the project involves Clear Lake.

The city is trying to get all of its projects wrapped up with insurance companies and with FEMA, and hopes to have a meeting with officials the first week of April, Grider said.

Grider said he can’t believe the city has gotten as many projects approved as it has.

“It was worth sticking to our guns and following all of the steps,” he told Lake County News, noting that it appears that the city will be made whole.

He said that the city is going through the process to save city residents and taxpayers money, and while they apologize for the inconvenience of the delays, they don’t want the city to be hit with a $2 million bill.

Council members on Tuesday night praised Grider for his work, with Silveira also crediting the city’s success to Grider and his staff’s efforts.

In other council action on Tuesday night, council members set an April 3 public hearing on a new ordinance to move to June 1 the date to have hazardous vegetation such as weeds abated on city properties, unanimously approved appointing Cindy Ustrud, Jen Hanson and Ben Moore to the Parks and Recreation Commission and also approved the mayor’s appointment of Councilwoman Stacey Mattina and Councilman Kenny Parlet to the city’s finance committee, which will work on creating an investment strategy for the city.

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. – Beginning fall 2018, all first-time students will not pay fees at the Woodland Community College’s main campus or Lake County and Colusa County campuses.

The “WCC Promise” program, scheduled for a fall 2018 semester launch, requires new WCC students to enroll in at least 12 units as a full-time student.

Students must also choose a short-term occupational certificate, university transfer preparation, or an associate degree as their academic program of choice when enrolling at WCC.

Successful fall 2018 WCC full-time Promise students who return in the spring semester of 2019 will enjoy the same free college benefit for that term as well.

The WCC Promise program incentivizes students to enroll as full-time students and to continue from the first semester to the next.

National research shows these student behaviors are associated with academic program completion.

Since full-time California Community College student fees total more than $550 each semester, parents and students will save well over $1,000 for the 2018 fall and 2019 spring semesters.

The WCC Promise will also save tens of thousands of dollars for those parents who might otherwise send their son or daughter to a four-year institution immediately after high school.

Woodland Community College is recognized for its four-year transfer programs to the UC and CSU institutions as well as its short-term career certificates.

“It was only a few decades ago when a high school diploma ensured Americans had the skills they needed for good paying jobs,” said WCC President Dr. Michael White. “Today, over 65 percent of all job openings require a college degree or skill set acquired only with some level of college education. A workforce certificate or associate’s degree from Woodland Community College will absolutely translate to a better life via the individual’s skill acquisition and upward social mobility.”

For careers requiring a baccalaureate degree, the same upward social mobility is realized when the individual transfers after two years from WCC and later graduates from a university, White explained.

“Our college has been providing free classes to high school students, called dual enrollment, for two or three years now. Our new WCC Promise program now offers that life-changing opportunity to every new fall 2018 WCC student.”

Summer and fall 2018 WCC class schedules will be available in print and online in April.

Parents and students are encouraged to visit the campus Web site at https://LCC.yccd.edu/ for more information as the fall 2018 registration period nears.

Admissions, counseling and financial aid office hours are posted on the Web site for those parents and students wishing to take advantage of this exciting WCC Promise program.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lake County Board of Supervisors proclaimed Tuesday National Agriculture Day.

Lake County has a long and rich agricultural history, starting in the 1850s when early settlers planted the first vineyards.

The first Bartlett pears were planted in 1890 and continue to be a county’s mainstay.

The county’s agricultural industry brings in more than $113 million from the major crops of pears, wine grapes, and walnuts with olives, nursery, livestock and field, seed vegetable crops adding to the landscape.

Lake County farmers are stewards of the land, contribute to our local economy, support local charities and organizations, ensure the production of safe food and promote agricultural education in the community.

Sharron Zoller is a member of the Lake County Chapter of California Women for Agriculture.

NORTH COAST, Calif. – Authorities in Lake and Mendocino counties made two arrests in connection to the operation of a hash lab discovered on Tuesday.

Joseph John Scorese, 30, of Lakeport and Joseph Dean Loren, 36, of Willits were arrested in the case, according to a report from Lt. Norm Taylor of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.

Taylor said that on Tuesday the Lake County Sheriff’s Office Narcotic Unit, with the assistance of the County of Mendocino Marijuana Eradication Team, or COMMET, and Mendocino Major Crimes Task Force served a search warrant in the 6600 block of Highway 20 in Potter Valley in Mendocino County.

When the teams arrived, they contacted and detained Scorese and Loren on the property, Taylor said.

Detectives discovered the entire residence had been modified into an industrial butane hash – or marijuana – oil extraction laboratory capable of producing commercial high volume concentrated cannabis, according to Taylor.

Taylor said Scorese and Loren were in possession of a sophisticated and explosive closed loop butane/propane chemical extraction system which occupied several rooms in the residence. They also were storing five large cylinders totaling hundreds of pounds of the explosive chemicals in the living room for continuous hash oil production.

Detectives located and seized a total of 48.3 pounds of BHO, or concentrated cannabis, product with a street value of more than $768,000, along with 1,150 pounds of marijuana used in the extraction process and extensive, detailed pay and owe ledgers indicating the suspects recently sold more than $100,000 of the illicit substance, Taylor said.

The laboratory equipment with an estimated value of more than $250,000 was seized as evidence. In addition to the BHO lab, Taylor said detectives located and dismantled a marijuana alcohol extraction lab.

Taylor said $5,700 of cash and a 2017 Jeep Rubicon were seized pending asset forfeiture proceedings.

Scorese and Loren were placed under arrest for felony violations of manufacturing a controlled substance using a chemical process and misdemeanor violations of possessing marijuana for sale. Taylor said both subjects were transported and booked in the Mendocino County Jail.

Bail for each was set at $50,000, with jail records indicating that Loren posted bail and was released late Tuesday and Scorese was released early Wednesday morning.

KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – Nearly eight and a half years after Konocti Harbor closed its doors to the public, the resort has been sold.

On Wednesday afternoon, the sale of the famed Kelseyville resort closed escrow and its change in ownership was recorded at the Lake County Recorder’s Office, according to Phil Smoley of Country Air Properties.

Smoley confirmed that his company was the broker for the resort’s buyers.

Separately, a representative of the buyers confirmed to Lake County News that they are a Bay Area group and that more information about their plans for the resort will be forthcoming.

Terms and conditions have not been disclosed.

Smoley said it was amazing to be part of the transaction and his company is looking forward along with everyone else to the future for Konocti Harbor Inn and Lake County.

Early Wednesday evening social media posts began to circulate by local real estate agents who are not part of Country Air Properties about the sale being completed, which Smoley acknowledged was a reason for addressing the sale publicly.

“The big thing is, long-term, it’s going to be so good for everybody in the county. That's what the main focus should be,” he said, adding he was constrained from saying more at the present time.

Konocti Harbor Resort and Spa’s possible sale has been one of the most speculated about topics in Lake County since it closed its doors to the public in November 2009.

A series of potential buyers have all stepped up to purchase the property, owned since 1959 by Lakeside Haven, the convalescent trust fund of Local 38 of the United Association of Plumbers, Pipefitters and Journeymen.

However, all of those previous efforts have fallen through due to a variety of issues, one of the key ones being the funding needed to renovate the resort.

This story is developing and Lake County News will post additional updates on the resort’s purchase as they become available.

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.

LOWER LAKE, Calif. – The Lake County Sheriff’s Office said a suspicious device that had been located on Wednesday morning in Lower Lake has been rendered safe and Highway 53 has been reopened.

The Napa County Sheriff's Office Bomb Squad rendered the object safe on Wednesday afternoon, authorities said.

Highway 53 in the area also has been reopened, the sheriff’s office reported.

While the device resembled an improvised explosive, it did not appear that the device was an explosive, authorities said.

The discovery of the object was reported to the sheriff’s office at about 10:30 a.m. Wednesday. It had been located in front of a business on Highway 53 near Highway 29 in Lower Lake.

The roadway in the area had been closed for close to three hours while the bomb squad responded.

LOWER LAKE, Calif. – The Lake County Sheriff’s Office said that a portion of Highway 53 near Lower Lake has been closed temporarily in response to the discovery of a suspicious device.

The device – which resembles an improvised explosive – was reported found in front of a business on Highway 53 near Highway 29 in Lower Lake at about 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, according to a report from Lt. Norm Taylor.

Taylor said sheriff's deputies have secured the scene while they await the arrival of the Napa County Sheriff's Office Bomb Squad.

A portion of Highway 53 will remain closed until the operation is complete. Taylor said traffic will be routed around the area through Main Street Lower Lake.

Citizens are asked to avoid the area until further notice, Taylor said.

Taylor said no further information is available at the time of this report.

Separately, the California Highway Patrol issued a report on the highway closure just before 1 p.m. that estimated it would continue for about two hours.

The Lower Lake discovery comes a day after a bomb threat led to the evacuation and temporary closure of Twin Pine Casino in Middletown. Authorities have so far not linked the two incidents.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Board of Supervisors on Tuesday gave unanimous support to Sheriff Brian Martin’s proposal to offer hiring incentives to deputy sheriff candidates in order to help address a personnel shortage.

Martin proposes to implement a $5,000 bonus per person for up to 10 deputy candidates.

The board supported moving forward on the idea sooner rather than later; Martin had asked to institute the incentives beginning on July 1, but got the go-ahead to begin on April 1.

Staff emphasized that the funds will not come from the county’s stretched general fund but rather a special state allocation given to sheriff’s offices for special purposes.

Martin’s memo to the board for Tuesday’s meeting explained that the sheriff’s office has had recruitment and retention difficulties for years, noting that contributing factors include a less-competitive wage and benefits package, competition for qualified candidates by neighboring agencies and a decline in the interest for law enforcement amongst people entering the workforce.

Martin said that his agency has responsibility for law enforcement services in the unincorporated county where approximately 44,700 people live.

Citing a report on police officer ratios, Martin said for a law enforcement agency serving a population of 25,000 to 49,999 people, the average ratio of full time officers is 1.8 per 1,000 residents. For all populations of all sizes, the ratio is 2.5 per 1,000.

Based on those statistics, the average number of full-time officers for agencies serving a population the size of unincorporated Lake County’s is 80, based on Martin’s report.

Martin’s budget has 66 full-time deputy sheriff classification positions allocated, with 47 of those filled. It may soon be down to 46 because a longtime deputy now has a conditional job offer from a local police department, Martin said.

He said the board has worked collaboratively with his office to address its staffing challenges, including previously reclassifying five deputy sheriff positions to deputy sheriff/trainee positions, which he said has allowed him to add four deputies to the street while obtaining multi-year commitments from them in exchange for the opportunity to attend the academy.

“I am very grateful for this, and intend to continue that program. Despite these efforts, attracting qualified applicants continues to be a challenge,” Martin wrote in his report.

That led to him proposing a $5,000 hiring bonus for up to 10 candidates per fiscal year, through the end of 2019. He cited examples of other agencies that offer such incentives, including the cities of Eureka, Modesto and Santa Cruz, and the Napa County Sheriff’s Office.

Martin recommended using funds from the Rural Sheriff’s Budget Unit 2206 for the hiring bonuses. Those funds, he explained, are a result of AB 443 passed in 2001 and enacted in Government Code Section 30070.

“Pursuant to state law, Lake County is allocated $500,000 each year for our Rural Sheriff’s Budget. The funds are specifically earmarked to enhance law enforcement efforts and recruiting and retaining qualified Deputy Sheriff staffing will most certainly meet this goal,” he explained in his report.

Martin went over his written report with the board ahead of its discussion.

Supervisor Rob Brown said he totally supported the proposal, and appreciated Martin’s creativity.

Brown added that one of the biggest challenges for county workers is insurance. “Our employees are getting raped by the insurance companies.”

When Brown asked when Martin was proposing to start the incentives, he said on July 1, at the start of the next fiscal year.

Brown asked if the county could start sooner. “I’d start it today if you’d authorize that,” said Martin.

“Is there any reason that we can’t do that?” Brown asked, with staff and board members not able to offer any reasons.

Noting that there were only three and a half months left in the fiscal year, Brown said, “If we’re going to do it, I think we need to get it started right away.”

Supervisor Jeff Smith thanked Martin for the proposal and agreed that he also wanted it to start immediately.

County Administrative Officer Carol Huchingson said a minor revision to the ordinance was necessary in order to update the date. She also wanted to make sure the funding was in the right place for the current fiscal year.

“This is absolutely not general fund money,” said Huchingson, explaining that she wanted to emphasize that point due to the recent community visioning forums about the community’s financial challenges.

She said the funds are part of a special state allocation that can’t be used directly for salaries but for uses like Martin suggested.

“It is a wonderful and creative solution,” Huchingson said, adding the county’s classification and retention committee also supported the proposal.

Brown suggested making the hiring incentives effective on April 1, which would give staff the time to update the resolution. Huchingson said that would give them plenty of time, with Martin adding that he didn’t believe he would have any deputy candidates ready for hire before that date.

Martin indicated during the discussion that if the incentives are successful, he wants to bring them back to the board for consideration of making them permanent.

The board voted 5-0 to approve the proposal by Martin, who then left to respond to a bomb threat at Twin Pine Casino in Middletown.

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 set an April public hearing for an update to city rules regulating the removal of hazardous vegetation.

Community Development Director Kevin Ingram introduced the proposed ordinance amending the Lakeport Municipal Code to change the date in which dry vegetation creating fire hazard conditions on private property must be abated from early July to June 1.

Ingram said the Tuesday night discussion was for the purpose of introducing the public hearing next month.

“This is a very important issue,” he said.

City rules currently address hazardous vegetation removal, including allowing the city to abate properties as a result of it. Ingram said the city also has been working with Lakeport Fire to aggressively deal with properties with vegetation issues.

However, Ingram said city code puts the deadline to abate hazardous vegetation as the first working day following the July 4 holiday. Ingram said that’s not consistent with a lot of communities, which have June 1 as the deadline.

He said the proposal is to formally amend city code to reflect that date, adding that changing the date would help make the community safer.

Lakeport Fire Chief Doug Hutchison addressed the council in support of the proposed ordinance.

“We've been working on this the last few years,” he said.

Hutchison said the No. 1 complaint his department gets – besides those complaining about people who aren’t moving down their vegetation and weeds – is why people are given so long to do it. By July, fire season is well under way

“Lakeport is not immune to what happened to Lower Lake by any means,” Hutchison said, in an apparent reference to the August 2016 Clayton fire.

Hutchison said the 1981 Cow Mountain fire moved from the Ukiah side to the Lakeport area in just one day, whereas it had been estimated it would take four.

He said when the September 2015 Valley fire moved with such speed that when it was modeled 1,500 different times, “at no time could the computer predict it would move that far, that fast.”

“We're in a new era. Unpredictable is the predictable,” Hutchison said.

He said Lakeport has been lucky. Besides the 1981 Cow Mountain fire, the other closest near miss occurred in 1994 along Highway 29 at Sixth Street. The fire didn’t move toward town thanks to the winds. A few homes were lost and it did $400,000 in damage. The fire district also lost an engine.

“We’re not immune,” Hutchison said of Lakeport, noting that once a fire gets seated in a community, as it did in Santa Rosa in October, vegetation doesn’t even matter any more. In such cases a fire will seek fuel, and Lakeport – a tightly packed older city is vulnerable.

Councilman Kenny Parlet noted that safe and sane fireworks sales – which in Lake County are only allowed in Lakeport due to a special measure passed by voters several years ago – currently begin before the July 1 weed abatement deadline.

He said of the proposed change in deadline, “I think moving it back to June is very prudent.”

Councilman George Spurr agreed, as did Councilwoman Stacey Mattina.

“It’s good to hear a little history, too,” said Mattina. “I haven’t all of these stories.”

Mayor Mireya Turner recalled that when she worked in the county’s emergency operations center during the Valley fire, the word Cal Fire kept using to describe the fire was the word “unprecedented.”

“We're in a whole new era,” Turner said, adding that any measure they can take to strengthen the fire department’s ability to protect the city is a smart idea.

Mattina moved to introduce the proposed ordinance and set it for for April 3 hearing, with the council approving the motion 5-0.

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.

032018 Lakeport City Council agenda packet by LakeCoNews on Scribd

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Clearlake City Council this week will consider filling a vacant council seat and take up a proposed development agreement with a cannabis business.

The council will meet in closed session at 5 p.m. Thursday, March 22, to discuss several cases of current and anticipated litigation before the public portion of the meeting begins at 6 p.m. in the council chambers of Clearlake City Hall, 14050 Olympic Drive.

On the agenda is the consideration of an appointment of a new council member to fill the remaining term of Russ Perdock, who resigned Feb. 1 in order to apply for the city police chief job, as Lake County News has reported. The term for the vacant seat ends in November.

On Feb. 22, the council directed staff to advertise the vacancy and accept applications, with a March 15 deadline.

City Clerk Melissa Swanson reported that she received six applications for the seat. Applicants are Sheryl Almon, Russell Cremer, Jennifer Fitts, Cheryl Marinaro, James Reed and Dirk Slooten.

Swanson’s report for the meeting said that an ad hoc committee that included Mayor Bruno Sabatier, Vice Mayor Phil Harris and herself met Monday to review the applications.

The ad hoc committee is recommending Marinaro, a Realtor, and Slooten, the chair of the Clearlake Planning Commission, be interviewed and considered for appointment, Swanson said.

The appointee would then be given the oath and seated at the April 12 council meeting, according to Swanson.

In other business, the council will hold a public hearing to consider adoption of a development agreement with Eric Sklar of Clearlake Growth Fund No. 1 for commercial cannabis operations – including manufacturing, distribution and a delivery-only dispensary – to be located at 2935 Ogulin Canyon Road.

The meeting also will include several presentations, including a proclamation declaring Vietnam Veterans Day; a presentation by Pacific Gas and Electric Co.; the annual Public, Education and Government Channel’s audit report; the Clearlake Waste Solutions 2017 annual report; and a presentation by Adventist Health Clear Lake on the 340B Drug Program.

Items on the consent agenda – items considered noncontroversial and usually accepted as a slate on one vote – are warrant registers; minutes of the Jan. 4, 11 and 25, and Feb. 1; consideration of continuation of a declaration of local emergency issued on Oct. 9 and ratified by the council on Oct. 12 in response to the Sulphur fire; and consideration of adoption of the facilities coordinator/deputy city clerk position.

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.