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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
LOWER LAKE, Calif. – The Konocti Unified School District Board of Trustees will meet Wednesday evening for a continued discussion on how to craft the coming year's budget in order to deal with $2.8 million in reduced funding.
The meeting will begin with a closed session at 5:30 p.m. in the Carol McClung Conference Center, located at 9430 B Lake St., Lower Lake.
The board will begin open session at 6:15 p.m.
The zero base budget model being crafted by district Superintendent Dr. Bill MacDougall and his administrative staff will be the focus of a board workshop on the 2012-13 budget.
MacDougall's report to the board explains that, despite having cut over $1 million annually from the district's budget every year since 2008-09, Konocti Unified will need to prepare for a $2.8 million cut next year.
That significant amount, according to MacDougall, is in part due to the governor proposing to eliminate the home to school transportation.
“This means that every dollar we spend on transportation next year will need to be offset by either staff reductions and/or elimination of services for students,” his report for the Wednesday meeting said.
Rather than taking the approach used in previous years to making cuts, MacDougall has used a zero base budget process, which he said requires the district “to begin with a vision of the services we want for our students and then to determine what are the minimum services, programs and positions required to achieve that vision. Instead of continually taking pieces off the original structure, we are developing a new foundation (zero base) and building a new structure. In short, we are planning for continued success.”
The board initially discussed the zero base model at a Feb. 1 meeting, as well as a special budget workshop last Saturday, as Lake County News has reported.
MacDougall reported that several question and answer sessions were held with parents, staff and other stakeholders earlier this month to explain the process and address concerns.
The Wednesday agenda calls for the board to review recommended transportation revisions in the zero base process and give direction to the administration regarding implementation of those revisions.
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- Written by: Lake County News reports
LAKEPORT, Calif. – In an effort to increase parental involvement and build relationships with organizations and members in the community, the Lakeport Unified School District has established a new community/school partnership coordinator.
District officials reported Tuesday that they were pleased to welcome Cheryle Trammell-George as the new coordinator.
Trammell-George has extensive experience in project management, volunteer coordination and is an active volunteer in the Lake County community, according to the Tuesday report.
“She brings enthusiasm and an unwavering spirit of working together toward success, both for our students and for our community,” said Lakeport Unified School District Superintendent Erin Smith Hagberg, Lakeport Unified School District Superintendent.
Developing the community/schools partnership project will involve conducting an extensive assessment of district needs followed by engaging volunteers and other resources to meet those needs, according to Hagberg.
In the new position Trammell-George will encourage parents to seek out ways that they can help in their child’s classroom and also ways community members and organizations can be more involved contributing to those needs critical to the education of district students.
Trammel-George is a firm believer that “it takes a village.”
“Once we have a concise idea of what our schools need, and those needs are communicated, I am certain community members will fill many of these needs,” said Trammell-George.
The district said the position was made possible through fund development efforts of LUSD's Parent Teacher Organizations, Booster Club and the Lakeport Enhanced Education Foundation.
The Lakeport Unified School District is currently looking for volunteers to mentor, read to children, serve as classroom guest speakers, participate in fundraisers and much more.
“Community members are encouraged to think about what portion of their time and expertise can be offered to our students,” said Trammell-George. “Enhancing our childrens’ education by contributing time and resources to schools is the best investment that one can make in our future.”
For more information regarding these opportunities and possibilities contact Cheryle Trammell-George at 707-262-3009 or
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- Written by: Lake County News reports
CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Seven people were arrested Sunday for various charges after police responded to the report of a burglary, which turned out to be unfounded.
Clearlake Police Sgt. Rodd Joseph said several suspects were arrested, including Clearlake residents Georgia Walker, 23, Austin Johnson, 19, Johnny Arizmendez, 28, and 27-year-old Justin Thomas Cordero; Nicholas Troy Brooks, 32, of Clearlake Oaks; Ashley Buller, 21, of Roseville; and Abran Chavez, 24, of Granada Hills.
Joseph said that at 4:30 p.m. Sunday Clearlake Police officers responded to a report of a residential burglary in progress at a home located at the corner of Lasky and Davis avenues.
When officers arrived, they spoke to a witness who stated the suspects were last seen going into a home located in the 4000 block of Frye Avenue, Joseph said.
Officers went to the Frye Avenue address and contacted several subjects inside the home. Joseph said three of the subjects were either on parole or probation.
He said Clearlake Police officers conducted a parole/probation search of the home. During contact with the subjects several were exhibiting symptoms of being under the influence of a controlled substance.
Walker, Buller, Johnson, Chavez and Arizmendez were arrested for being under the influence of a controlled substance. Chavez, who also allegedly was found to be in possession of drug paraphernalia, was additionally charged, Joseph said.
Following a probation search of a parked vehicle, Arizmendez was found to be in possession of almost 7 grams of suspected methamphetamine, more than 90 dosage units of Hydrocodone without a prescription and a scale, according to Joseph.
Joseph said Arizmendez additionally was charged with possession of controlled substances for sale and transportation of a controlled substance. He is alleged to be an active “Norteno” criminal street gang member and was additionally charged with participating in a criminal street gang and probation violation.
Cordero was found in possession of almost 7 grams of suspected methamphetamine and was charged with possession of a controlled substance for sales. He also was charged with a probation violation and is an active “MS13” “Sureño” criminal street gang member, Joseph said.
Brooks was found to be in possession of approximately 2 grams of suspected methamphetamine, and drug paraphernalia. Joseph said Brooks also was charged with a parole violation.
The original residential burglary call was determined to be unfounded as the home is a vacant abandoned residence, Joseph said.
The Clearlake Police Department thanked the witnesses who came forward and provided the necessary information which led to these arrests.
Anyone with information about a crime occurring in the City of Clearlake is urged to call police at 707-994-8251. Callers may remain anonymous.
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
LAKEPORT, Calif. – In its first meeting, the newly formed board tasked with overseeing the phaseout of the Lake County Redevelopment Agency voted to transfer several agency-held properties to the ownership of the county, which helped fund many of the purposes either all or in part.
The oversight board for the successor agency to the former Lake County Redevelopment Agency met Monday morning at the Lake County Courthouse in Lakeport and decided to transfer the properties, including the Lucerne Hotel, Holiday Harbor in Nice and Clarks Island in Clearlake Oaks.
The state Department of Finance now has three days to review the decisions before they can become final. County staff intended to notify the agency of the actions on Monday afternoon.
Oversight board members include Eric Seely, the redevelopment agency’s deputy director; Supervisor Denise Rushing, who was elected the board chair; Lake County Superintendent of Schools Wally Holbrook, elected the board’s vice chair; Michelle Buell, director of business services for the Lake County Office of Education; Holly Harris, member of the public; and Jay Beristianos, Northshore Fire Protection District chief. Kathy Lehner, president/superintendent of Mendocino College, also is a member but was unable to attend.
Also at the meeting were County Administrative Officer Kelly Cox and members of his staff, including Debra Sommerfield, Matt Perry, Jeff Rein, Kathy Barnwell and Alan Flora; County Counsel Anita Grant and one of her deputies, Lloyd Guintivano; and County Clerk/Auditor-Controller Cathy Saderlund.
Cox told the group that the county took “the high road” and didn’t move properties and funds around in an effort to shield them from the redevelopment phaseout, which he expects will save the board some work in having to make the kinds of reversals other oversight boards may face.
He said the county is fully prepared to comply both with the spirit and the letter of the law to end redevelopment, noting it’s in the county’s best interest to make sure the dissolution is done quickly and properly.
Perry said the state is ordering redevelopment agencies to be dissolved “expeditiously” and in a manner that maximizes the value of properties.
Properties acquired through the use of tax increment revenue – the increase in property tax valuation seen in redevelopment areas – are to be sold, according to the new guidelines, he said.
In the absence of redevelopment, the county and other taxing agencies will see an increase in the tax revenues they receive, according to county staff.
Current projections are for the county general fund to receive $563,253 annually; $37,202 for the county roads department; $22,834 to the county’s library system; $189,394 to Northshore Fire Protection District; and $708,984 to schools in the redevelopment agency area.
Once it established its leadership, reviewed enforceable obligations, and approved its budget and the use of county administrative staff, the board discussed action to take on the redevelopment agency’s main assets, chief among them the Lucerne Hotel – known as “The Castle” – and Holiday Harbor.
Marymount College is in talks with the county about locating a college campus at The Castle, and is sending a delegation to visit the county later this month, Flora said.
The Castle is considered one of the agency’s most important assets due to the amount of money and effort put into its remodel, he said.
The county loaned the agency $1.35 million to purchase the building from a group of churches in 2010. Administrative office staff said a Sept. 10, 2010, loan agreement between the county and agency makes the funding source an “extremely straightforward” matter.
“The county bought this,” Cox said of the building.
While state legislation involving redevelopment dissolution does not allow the agency to pay back the $5 million it was loaned from the county general fund, Flora said staff believes the county can take The Castle since county funds – and not tax increment revenue – purchased the building.
Cox explained that the county’s ultimate goal – to see the property used for a purpose like a college campus – will benefit all of the taxing entities far more than if it were merely sold.
County staff said Holiday Harbor – purchased to be Nice’s town center – also was purchased with about $1.9 million in county loans.
The group voted separately to transfer the Lucerne Hotel, Holiday Harbor as well as several other assets – parcels for parking at the Lucerne Hotel, beachfront parcels next to Holiday Harbor, Clarks Island in Clearlake Oaks, parcels for the Clearlake Oaks Senior Center, the Lake County Sheriff’s Lucerne substation, Nylander Park in Clearlake Oaks, Harbor Village, Alpine Park and the Third Avenue Plaza and the Lucerne Promenade – to county ownership.
Only the Lucerne Hotel transfer didn’t get a unanimous vote. Beristianos voted against it citing “public safety” issues if the county had to remain responsible for its maintenance.
The board also voted to direct the successor agency to pursue the appropriate method of disposing of paper subdivision lots donated to the agency.
The lots, which cover the hillsides above Nice and Lucerne, were used to help finance the Lucerne Hotel’s construction in the 1920s, Rushing said.
However, in the decades since, the lots – many of which are not suitable for building due to steep terrain, lack of roads and utilities – have been sold and resold, and have become a target of squatting and illegal dumping.
Rushing said she would like to see the county continue to work to get the parcels off the market and use them to create open space.
The board also voted to sell a parcel on Boggs Street and to provide $80,000 to match a grant for a sidewalk project in Clearlake Oaks.
Additionally, the group voted unanimously to terminate an agreement with Rural Communities Housing Development Corp. for a multifamily low-income housing project in Nice.
The county entered into a contract for the project in 2005 and committed $1,248,000 to it, with nearly $627,000 spent, according to county staff.
With the county having no further obligations to build low-income housing as part of redevelopment, the oversight board thought that taking the more than $621,000 that remains and distributing it elsewhere was the better choice.
The board’s meetings and activities will be reported on the county’s Web site at http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Redevelopment/Successor_Agency/Oversight_Board.htm.
The oversight board will next meet March 5.
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