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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
The board will meet beginning at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 23, in the board chambers on the first floor of the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport.
The meeting can be watched live on Channel 8, online at https://countyoflake.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx and on the county’s Facebook page. Accompanying board documents, the agenda and archived board meeting videos also are available at that link.
To participate in real-time, join the Zoom meeting by clicking this link.
The meeting ID is 882 6588 4847, pass code 431334. The meeting also can be accessed via one tap mobile at +16699006833,,88265884847#,,,,*431334#.
During Tuesday’s workshop, the board will receive a Vision 2028 overview and fiscal presentation from County Administrative Office staff, as well as hearing presentations from department heads.
As part of the discussion, the board will consider the county’s updated legislative priorities.
Those priorities are water reliability, wildfire resilience, tree mortality and hazardous vegetation removal, fire insurance, Lake Pillsbury, housing supply, addressing homelessness, economic development and working with partner agencies to support efforts to reduce opioid fatalities.
The board also will discuss setting its own priorities during the workshop.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
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- Written by: Lake County News reports
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA — Woodland Community College, part of the Yuba Community College District, celebrated the completion of its state-of-the-art Performing Arts and Culinary Center, funded by voter-supported Measure J.
The college held a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Woodland campus to commemorate the milestone on Friday.
“The Performing Arts and Culinary Center is a testament to Woodland Community College's commitment to providing a holistic education experience for its students,” said Dr. Shouan Pan, Yuba Community College District chancellor. “The new facility is equipped with cutting-edge resources and spaces dedicated to both performing arts and culinary arts, creating an environment that fosters creativity, skill development and collaboration.”
WCC President Dr. Lizette Navarette agreed.
“Education in the arts encourages us to think critically and creatively about the world around us. The Performing Arts and Culinary Center represents a significant investment in the future of education and the arts in our community,” she said. “Woodland Community College looks forward to showcasing student talent through performances and culinary offerings that further connect it to the community.”
Key features of the Performing Arts and Culinary Center include:
State-of-the-art performance spaces: The center boasts adaptable theater and performance spaces equipped with modern audiovisual technology, providing a platform for students to showcase their talents in music, drama and dance. Additionally, the building has a high-density costume storage and fabrication shop, changing rooms, a greenroom and a scene shop.
• Culinary Arts Kitchen: A fully equipped culinary arts kitchen allows students to hone their culinary skills under the guidance of experienced instructors. This space is designed to provide hands-on experience in a professional kitchen setting.
• Collaborative learning spaces: The center includes dedicated spaces for collaborative learning and practice, encouraging interdisciplinary collaboration between performing arts and culinary arts students. The large lecture room contains engaging features, tiered level seating, and student workstations which can be moved around to create workgroups or provide other flexible learning layouts.
• Sustainability: The courtyard has sustainable landscaping and furnishings to provide students and visitors with opportunities to gather or share a meal. All lighting is LED highly efficient lighting and many areas have daylight harvesting features to maximize energy efficiency.
• Community engagement: The Performing Arts and Culinary Center is not only a resource for students but also a hub for community engagement. The 2D art room is spacious with a large gallery walk to showcase Woodland Community College student talent.
College officials, community leaders, faculty, and students are welcome to attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony. Attendees will have an opportunity to tour the new facility following the ribbon cutting.
Measure J, approved by voters in 2006, initiated prompt development at Yuba and Woodland Colleges. The majority of major projects funded by Measure J, including the construction of two satellite campuses, new classrooms, and science and computer labs, were successfully completed by 2014.
Ongoing efforts are directed toward finalizing a new facility at Woodland Community College and implementing various modernization projects on both campuses.
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- Written by: LAKE COUNTY NEWS REPORTS
The 2024 Rental Affordability Report was released by ATTOM, a leading curator of land, property and real estate data.
The report shows that both renting and owning a three-bedroom home continue to pose significant financial burdens for average workers, consuming more than one-third of their wages in the vast majority of county-level housing markets.
But median rental rates still require a smaller portion of average wages than major home-ownership expenses on three-bedroom properties in 296, or 88%, of the 338 U.S. counties with enough data to analyze.
That gap extends trends from 2023 even as rents have commonly risen faster than home prices over the past year around the U.S.
The analysis for this report incorporated 2024 rental prices and 2023 home prices, collected from ATTOM’s nationwide property database, as well as publicly recorded sales deed data licensed by ATTOM. Those two data sources were combined with average wage figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
“Finding an affordable home remains a daunting prospect around the country for average workers, regardless of whether they want to buy or rent. Continuously increasing home prices contribute to the escalation of rental costs, making both buying and renting properties a challenging endeavor across most of the United States.,” said Rob Barber, CEO at ATTOM. “But the latest data shows that even as rents are growing faster, they remain more affordable than owning.”
The current situation favoring renting over buying reflects a combination of housing market trends that offer limited straightforward options for home seekers but ultimately lean towards the advantage of rentals.
Over the past year, both rental rates and home prices have continued to rise in most of the country. Rental rates have climbed even faster in a majority of counties with enough data to analyze.
That has happened as elevated home prices have become further and further out of reach for average workers, preventing those with marginal finances from obtaining mortgages and leaving them with few options other than renting. Home prices kept going up in 2023 despite rising mortgage rates, in part because of a tight supply of homes for sale.
Still, despite renting and ownership consuming more than a third of average wages in most local markets, rents haven’t escalated enough to keep them from being the more affordable option for average workers. That trend has held throughout the country but remains most pronounced in the most populous urban and suburban markets.
Changes in rents outpacing home price trends in nearly two-thirds of U.S
Median rents for three-bedroom homes have increased more over the past year, or declined less, than median prices for single-family homes in 210, or 62%, of the 338 counties analyzed in this report.
Counties were included in the report if they had a population of 100,000 or more, at least 100 sales from January through November of 2023 and sufficient data showing changes in three-bedroom rents from 2023 to 2024.
Changes in three-bedroom rents commonly have ranged from 3% decreases to 15% increases while changes in median sale prices for single-family homes last year typically ranged from 3% losses to 7% gains.
Most populous counties have widest affordability gaps between renting and owning
Renting a three-bedroom home, while still difficult for average workers, is most affordable in 2024 compared to owning a median-priced single-family home in the nation’s largest counties. In almost three-quarters of markets with populations of at least 1 million, the portion of average local wages consumed by renting is at least 10%age points lower than the portion required for typical major home ownership expenses.
Comparisons assume a home-purchase mortgage based on a 20% down payment. Major ownership expenses include mortgage payments, property taxes and insurance.
Among 45 counties with a population of at least 1 million included in the report, the biggest gaps are in Honolulu, Hawaii (median three-bedroom rents consume 67% of average local wages while typical single-home affordability consume 134%); Kings County (Brooklyn), NY (72% for renting versus 136% for owning); Alameda County (Oakland), CA (51% for renting versus 108% for owning); Santa Clara County (San Jose), CA (29% for renting versus 83% for owning) and Orange County, CA (outside Los Angeles) (88% for renting versus 136% for owning).
The only two counties with a population of more than 1 million where it is more affordable to buy than rent in 2024 are Riverside County, California (median rents consume 101% of average local wages while typical home ownership costs consume 91%) and Wayne County (Detroit), MI (22% for renting versus 19% for owning).
Renting three-bedroom homes stretches budgets but remains most affordable in South and Midwest
The report shows that the median three-bedroom rent requires more than one-third of the average local wage in 274 of the 338 counties analyzed for the report (81%).
Among the 64 markets where median three-bedroom rents require less than one-third of average local wages, 59 are in the Midwest and South.
The most affordable for renting are Jefferson County (Birmingham), AL (22% of average local wages needed to rent); Wayne County (Detroit), MI (22%); Ingham County (Lansing), MI (22%); Genesee County (Flint), MI (23%) and Caddo Parish (Shreveport), LA (23%).
Aside from Wayne County, the most affordable counties for renting among those with a population of at least 1 million are Cuyahoga County (Cleveland), OH (24% of average local wages needed to rent); St. Louis County, MO (24%); Allegheny County (Pittsburgh), PA (26%) and Philadelphia County, PA (28%).
The least affordable counties for renting are spread mostly through the South and West, including Collier County (Fort Myers), FL (153% of average local wages needed to rent); Santa Barbara County, CA (131%); Monterey County, CA (outside San Francisco) (107%); Indian River County (Vero Beach), FL (102%) and Riverside County CA (101%).
Aside from Riverside County, the least affordable for renting among counties with a population of at least 1 million are Orange County, CA (outside Los Angeles) (88% of average local wages needed to rent); Los Angeles County, CA (83%); Kings County (Brooklyn), NY (72%) and Palm Beach County (West Palm Beach), FL (70%).
Most-affordable home ownership markets still in South and Midwest; least affordable in West and Northeast
The report shows that major expenses on a median-priced single-family homes require more than one-third of average local wages (assuming a 20% down payment) in 296 of the 338 counties analyzed for the report (88%).
The most affordable markets for owning are Wayne County (Detroit), MI (19% of average local wages needed to own); Montgomery County, AL (21%); St. Louis City/County, MO (23%); Bibb County (Macon), GA (23%) and Caddo Parish (Shreveport), LA (23%).
Aside from Wayne County, the most affordable for owning among counties with a population of at least 1 million are Allegheny County (Pittsburgh), PA; (27% of average local wages needed to own) Cuyahoga County (Cleveland), OH (27%); St. Louis County, MO (30%) and Harris County (Houston), TX (35%).
The least affordable markets for owning among those analyzed are Marin County, CA (outside San Francisco) (164% of average local wages needed to own); Santa Cruz County, CA (160%); Orange County, CA (outside Los Angeles) (136%); Kings County (Brooklyn), NY (136%) and Honolulu County, HI (134%).
Aside from Orange, Kings and Honolulu counties, the least affordable counties among those with a population of at least 1 million are Alameda County (Oakland), CA (108% of average local wages needed to own) and Queens County, NY (105%).
Rents growing faster than wages in majority of markets
Median three-bedroom rents are increasing more than average local wages in 197 of the 338 counties analyzed in the report (58%). They include Los Angeles County, CA; Harris County (Houston), TX; Maricopa County (Phoenix), AZ; San Diego County, CA, and Orange County, CA (outside Los Angeles).
Average local wages are growing faster than average rents in 141 of the counties in the report (42%), including Cook County (Chicago), IL; Kings County (Brooklyn), NY; Miami-Dade County, FL; Queens County, NY, and San Bernardino County, CA.
Wages growing faster than home prices in nearly 60% of nation
Average weekly wages are rising faster than median home prices in 197 of the 338 counties in the report (58%), reversing a pattern seen in 2023. They include Los Angeles County, CA; Cook County (Chicago), IL; Harris County (Houston), TX; Maricopa County (Phoenix), AZ, and San Diego County, CA.
Median home prices are rising faster than average weekly wages in 141 of the counties analyzed in the report (42%), including Orange County, CA (outside Los Angeles); Kings County (Brooklyn), NY; Miami-Dade County, FL; Broward County (Fort Lauderdale), FL, and Middlesex County, MA (outside Boston).
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- Written by: Lake County News reports
LAKEPORT, Calif. — The Rotary Club of Lakeport will hold its drive-thru crab feed and online auction on Feb. 17 at the Silveira Center in Lakeport.
This event has been carefully crafted to allow guests to pick up crab from the comfort of their vehicles and dine in the comfort of their own home.
The drive-thru crab feed will feature two pounds of the finest cracked crab, one pound of shrimp, salad and bread. Each meal will be thoughtfully packaged for convenient pickup. Quarts of delicious clam chowder can be purchased as an “add-on” item.
In addition to these scrumptious delights, the Rotary Club of Lakeport is excited to host an online auction, offering a diverse array of items and experiences for bidding. Participants can browse, bid, and win from the comfort of their homes, adding an extra layer of excitement to the event.
“This drive-thru crab feed and online auction is a testament to our commitment to community engagement and service,” said Pam Harpster, president-elect.
Proceeds from the event will support Rotary Club of Lakeport's community projects, scholarships and charitable initiatives, furthering their impact on the local community.
Tickets for dinners must be purchased no later than Feb. 9.
The online auction will run from Feb. 9 to 19.
For more information, ticket purchases and online auction, please visit www.lakeportrotary.org, email
