Sufficient proof of a person’s identity, such as a state issued driver’s license, is needed in many situations related to estate planning and estate administration.

Consider, for example, notarizing estate planning documents, obtaining a medallion signature guarantee to transfer securities, opening a bank account, obtaining possession of legal documents, and receiving an inheritance. Let us discuss.

Trusts, deeds, powers of attorney and advance health care directives, amongst others, are all documents that are typically required to be notarized.

According to the National Notary Association’s website, “[n]otarization is the official fraud-deterrent process that assures the parties of a transaction that a document is authentic, and can be trusted. … Above all, notarization is the assurance by a duly appointed and impartial Notary Public that a document is authentic, that its signature is genuine, and that its signer acted without duress or intimidation, and intended the terms of the document to be in full force and effect.”

Notarization requires that the signor provide an acceptable picture proof of identification, such as a driver’s license, passport, or tribal card, provided it either is current or was issued within five years.

Unfortunately, some senior citizens no longer have a driver’s license. Such seniors can still obtain a state issued “non-driver’s proof of identity” which is adequate proof of identity.

Alternatively, California allows a notary to accept the sworn statement of two credible witnesses each of whom knows the signor and has their own acceptable government issued proof of identity.

Next, a so-called, “medallion guarantee stamp” is required to transfer securities and to open a brokerage account, such as when transferring a decedent’s brokerage account.

According to the National Notary Association’s website, “[a] Medallion Signature Guarantee is used primarily when a customer transfers or sells securities, and it represents an assurance by the financial institution that the signature on the transaction is genuine and the financial institution accepts liability for any forgery. These guarantees are performed by specially assigned bank employees.”

A medallion guarantee stamp is typically obtained from a bank or brokerage with whom one has an open account. Like a notarial act, a medallion stamp requires a valid government issued proof of identification.

Opening a bank account may not only require presenting a government issued proof of identify but sometimes can also require providing other supporting legal documents, such as a trustee’s certification of trust (to open a trust account), or certified court issued letters of administration of a decedent’s estate and a certified court order (to open a personal representative’s account in a probate). These supporting documents prove the person’s representative authority.

Taking possession of legal documents at a bank safe or from an attorney’s office will also require proof of identification. With a bank safe, however, it is also necessary for the person to have the key to the safe deposit box.

Receiving an inheritance may require identifying oneself to a bank (to claim a pay on death benefit) or to an administrator or trustee of a decedent’s estate when a person’s current name differs from the name used in the estate planning document.

A so-called “one and the same” affidavit may be sufficient. The affidavit is a sworn statement under penalty of perjury that the person is known by two or more names. It requires a notarial act known as a jurat, which itself requires proof of identification of the name used to sign the affidavit.

Clearly not having an acceptable government issued identification issued within the last five years can be an obstacle to estate planning or estate administration.

While not everyone needs a driver’s license, everyone should at least consider maintaining a current non-driver’s state issued form of identification, a current passport or a current tribal card.

Dennis A. Fordham, attorney, is a State Bar-Certified Specialist in estate planning, probate and trust law. His office is at 870 S. Main St., Lakeport, Calif. He can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and 707-263-3235.

Nature likes spirals — from the whirlpool of a hurricane, to pinwheel-shaped protoplanetary disks around newborn stars, to the vast realms of spiral galaxies across our universe.

Now astronomers are bemused to find young stars that are spiraling into the center of a massive cluster of stars in the Small Magellanic Cloud, a satellite galaxy of the Milky Way.

The outer arm of the spiral in this huge, oddly shaped stellar nursery called NGC 346 may be feeding star formation in a river-like motion of gas and stars. This is an efficient way to fuel star birth, researchers say.

The Small Magellanic Cloud has a simpler chemical composition than the Milky Way, making it similar to the galaxies found in the younger universe, when heavier elements were more scarce. Because of this, the stars in the Small Magellanic Cloud burn hotter and so run out of their fuel faster than in our Milky Way.

Though a proxy for the early universe, at 200,000 light-years away the Small Magellanic Cloud is also one of our closest galactic neighbors.

Learning how stars form in the Small Magellanic Cloud offers a new twist on how a firestorm of star birth may have occurred early in the universe's history, when it was undergoing a "baby boom" about 2 to 3 billion years after the big bang (the universe is now 13.8 billion years old).

The new results find that the process of star formation there is similar to that in our own Milky Way.

Only 150 light-years in diameter, NGC 346 boasts the mass of 50,000 Suns. Its intriguing shape and rapid star formation rate has puzzled astronomers. It took the combined power of NASA's Hubble Space Telescope and the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope, or VLT, to unravel the behavior of this mysterious-looking stellar nesting ground.

"Stars are the machines that sculpt the universe. We would not have life without stars, and yet we don't fully understand how they form," explained study leader Elena Sabbi of the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore. "We have several models that make predictions, and some of these predictions are contradictory. We want to determine what is regulating the process of star formation, because these are the laws that we need to also understand what we see in the early universe."

Researchers determined the motion of the stars in NGC 346 in two different ways. Using Hubble, Sabbi and her team measured the changes of the stars' positions over 11 years. The stars in this region are moving at an average velocity of 2,000 miles per hour, which means that in 11 years they move 200 million miles. This is about 2 times the distance between the Sun and the Earth.

But this cluster is relatively far away, inside a neighboring galaxy. This means the amount of observed motion is very small and therefore difficult to measure. These extraordinarily precise observations were possible only because of Hubble's exquisite resolution and high sensitivity. Also, Hubble's three-decade-long history of observations provides a baseline for astronomers to follow minute celestial motions over time.

The second team, led by Peter Zeidler of AURA/STScI for the European Space Agency, used the ground-based VLT's Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) instrument to measure radial velocity, which determines whether an object is approaching or receding from an observer.

"What was really amazing is that we used two completely different methods with different facilities and basically came to the same conclusion, independent of each other," said Zeidler. "With Hubble, you can see the stars, but with MUSE we can also see the gas motion in the third dimension, and it confirms the theory that everything is spiraling inwards."

But why a spiral?

"A spiral is really the good, natural way to feed star formation from the outside toward the center of the cluster," explained Zeidler. "It's the most efficient way that stars and gas fueling more star formation can move towards the center."

Half of the Hubble data for this study of NGC 346 is archival. The first observations were taken 11 years ago. They were recently repeated to trace the motion of the stars over time. Given the telescope's longevity, the Hubble data archive now contains more than 32 years of astronomical data powering unprecedented, long-term studies.

"The Hubble archive is really a gold mine," said Sabbi. "There are so many interesting star-forming regions that Hubble has observed over the years. Given that Hubble is performing so well, we can actually repeat these observations. This can really advance our understanding of star formation."

The teams' findings appear Sept. 8 in The Astrophysical Journal.

Observations with NASA's James Webb Space Telescope should be able to resolve lower-mass stars in the cluster, giving a more holistic view of the region. Over Webb's lifespan, astronomers will be able to repeat this experiment and measure the motion of the low-mass stars. They could then compare the high-mass stars and the low-mass stars to finally learn the full extent of the dynamics of this nursery.

The Hubble Space Telescope is a project of international cooperation between NASA and ESA. NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, manages the telescope. The Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) in Baltimore conducts Hubble science operations. STScI is operated for NASA by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, in Washington, D.C.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — While a week of record-breaking temperatures across Northern California isn’t over just yet, a break in the late summer heat wave is in sight.

The National Weather Service’s excessive heat warning for a large swath of California will remain in effect until 10 p.m. Friday.

In Lake County, forecasters are warning of dangerously hot conditions on Friday, with temperatures of up to 110 degrees Fahrenheit.

That’s been the case all this week, with reports of temperatures that topped 110 degrees coming in from around Lake County, peaking midweek.

This week’s hot temperatures have led the California Independent System Operator, or Cal ISO — which operates the state’s energy grid — to issue several energy emergency alerts and flex alerts because of the stress on the power supply as Californians try to stay cool.

Cal ISO said Thursday night that it has issued a flex alert for 4 to 9 p.m. Friday.

“We are grateful to Californians and our many partners across the West who continue to help the #ISO work through this very challenging week,” Cal ISO said in a Thursday night tweet.

While the National Weather Service is anticipating more “unseasonably hot afternoon temperatures” continuing through Friday, there’s hopeful news in the forecast.

The agency said a significant cooling trend will occur this weekend with below normal temperatures likely next week.

Forecasters said temperatures will begin to moderate this weekend as a trough — an area of low pressure in the atmosphere — approaches the North Coast. The National Weather Service said troughs extend toward the equator and usually are associated with cool, wet weather.

Moisture from Hurricane Kay is expected to spread over the North Coast from Saturday night to early Sunday, although the Lake County forecast does not indicate rain will result. However, conditions are expected to be cooler.

“An upper level trough will linger across the area next week resulting in cooler weather and below normal high temperatures,” the National Weather Service said in its long-range forecast.

The specific Lake County forecast calls for daytime temperatures dropping into the high 80s to low 90s on Saturday, and then into the lower 80s through Monday, and into the high 70s through Thursday.

Nighttime temperatures will range from the high 60s over the weekend into the low 50s through late next week.

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.

WASHINGTON, DC — The Department of the Interior on Thursday announced the Board on Geographic Names has voted on the final replacement names for nearly 650 geographic features featuring a derogatory term used to describe Native American women, including 80 in California.

The final vote completes the last step in the historic efforts to remove the word “squaw” — a term that has historically been used as an offensive ethnic, racial and sexist slur, particularly for Indigenous women — from federal use.

“I feel a deep obligation to use my platform to ensure that our public lands and waters are accessible and welcoming. That starts with removing racist and derogatory names that have graced federal locations for far too long,” said Secretary Deb Haaland. “I am grateful to the members of the Derogatory Geographic Names Task Force and the Board on Geographic Names for their efforts to prioritize this important work. Together, we are showing why representation matters and charting a path for an inclusive America.”

Three sites in Lake County are included and are being renamed:

• Big Sq__ Valley will now be known as Habematolel Valley.
• Little Sq__ Valley is now Log Valley.
• Sq__ Valley Creek is now Habematolel Creek.

Among neighboring counties, Mendocino County had five sites renamed, and one each in Colusa, Glenn and Sonoma counties.

The list of new names can be found on the U.S. Geological Survey website with a map of locations, which also can be viewed above.

The final vote reflects a months-long effort by the Derogatory Geographic Names Task Force established by Secretary’s Order 3404, which included representatives from the Department’s Bureau of Indian Affairs, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, National Park Service, Office of Diversity, Inclusion and Civil Rights, Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, and the U.S. Geological Survey and the Department of Agriculture’s U.S. Forest Service.

During the public comment period, the Task Force received more than 1,000 recommendations for name changes. Nearly 70 Tribal governments participated in nation-to-nation consultation, which yielded another several hundred recommendations.

While the new names are immediately effective for federal use, the public may continue to propose name changes for any features — including those announced today — through the regular BGN process.

The renaming effort included several complexities: evaluation of multiple public or Tribal recommendations for the same feature; features that cross Tribal, federal and state jurisdictions; inconsistent spelling of certain Native language names; and reconciling diverse opinions from various proponents. In all cases, the Task Force carefully evaluated every comment and proposal.

In July, the Department announced an additional review by the BGN for seven locations, including in California, that are considered unincorporated populated places. Noting that there are unique concerns with renaming these sites, the BGN will seek out additional review from the local communities and stakeholders before making a final determination.

Secretary's Order 3404 and the Task Force considered only the sq___ derogatory term in its scope. Secretary’s Order 3405 created a Federal Advisory Committee for the Department to formally receive advice from the public regarding additional derogatory terms, derogatory terms on federal land units, and the process for derogatory name reconciliation. Next steps on the status of that Committee will be announced in the coming weeks.

Baby boomers, men and non-Hispanic White and Asian individuals are the nation’s most likely to own retirement accounts, according to newly released data from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The 2021 Survey of Income and Program Participation, or SIPP, includes new questions that help shine a light on how people were preparing for retirement in 2020.

It highlights differences in retirement assets by generations, sex, race and ethnicity.

This report also updates similar estimates for 2013 from a recently released paper that used data from the 2014 Social Security Administration Supplement and the 2014 SIPP.

Overall ownership rates

The SIPP has historically asked individuals to report whether they own any retirement accounts, which are categorized into:

• 401(k), 403(b), 503(b), and Thrift Savings Plans: employer-sponsored defined-contribution plans that deliver tax benefits. Employees choose how much to contribute, subject to annual contribution limits, and some employers match employee contributions.
• Individual Retirement Accounts (IRA) and Keogh accounts: defined-contribution plans that also provide tax benefits for retirement savings. Individuals choose how much to contribute, subject to annual contribution limits. The plans have account values that can provide income during retirement.
• Defined-benefit and cash balance plans: plans that typically deliver regular payments to support retirees. Payments from a defined-benefit plan often depend on an employee’s earnings and length of service, while cash balance plans define the benefit in terms of a stated account balance.

Among working-age individuals (ages 15 to 64), the most common type of retirement accounts in 2020 were 401(k)-style accounts (34.6%). About 18% of working-age individuals had an IRA or Keogh account, and 13.5% had a defined-benefit or cash balance plan.

The median value of 401(k)-style accounts was $30,000 and the median IRA or Keogh value was $30,820 — not statistically different.



Demographics of ownership

Overall rates, however, mask substantial inequality among those who own retirement accounts.

In 2020, working-age baby boomers ages 56 to 64 were the most likely to own at least one type of retirement account (58.1%).

Generation or Gen X members ages 40 to 55 were the next most likely to own retirement accounts (56.1%).

About half (49.5%) of Millennials ages 24 to 39 owned at least one type of retirement account but only 7.7% of Generation or Gen Z members ages 15 to 23 owned a retirement account.

While members of Generation Z were least likely to own a retirement account as of 2020, they also have the most time to accumulate additional retirement savings. According to previous work showing SIPP estimates for 2013, only 17.7% of Millennials owned retirement accounts when they were ages 15 to 31.

Current SIPP estimates show how Millennials’ retirement account ownership grew as they aged and gained labor market experience. Future SIPP estimates will show the evolution of retirement account ownership for Gen Z members as they age and accumulate labor market experience.

Men were slightly more likely (47.8%) than women (43.5%) to own a retirement account in 2020.

There were also differences in ownership by race and Hispanic origin.

About 54% of non-Hispanic White individuals owned a retirement account, and 46.8% of non-Hispanic Asian individuals owned a retirement account.

About 37% of non-Hispanic Black individuals and 36.1% of “Other” non-Hispanic individuals (i.e., American Indian or Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander or multiracial) owned at least one retirement account but the difference is not statistically significant.

Ownership rates (28.3%) were lowest among Hispanic individuals.



Saving for retirement

The 2021 SIPP featured new questions on employee and employer contributions to retirement accounts sponsored by an individual’s main employer. For each account type, individuals were asked whether they made contributions, and if so, how much.

This article focuses on employee contributions but the SIPP also asked owners of 401(k)-style and IRA or Keogh accounts whether their employer made contributions, and if so, the amount contributed.

The amount individuals receive from their defined-contribution plans (401(k)-style and IRA or Keogh accounts) when they retire is based on contributions and investment gains or losses.

Although employees may contribute to a pension plan, defined-benefit plans guarantee a specified monthly benefit at retirement based on salary history and length of service, rather than total contributions and investment returns.

Some individuals may own retirement accounts without actively making contributions.

Consider an individual who quits a job with an employer-sponsored 401(k) to open their own business. They still have that 401(k) but can no longer contribute. Others may be experiencing financial hardship that prevents them from contributing to their retirement accounts.

So, to understand how people save for retirement, we need to consider not only who owns retirement accounts but also who contributes to their retirement accounts and the value of those contributions.

In 2020, 92.1% of 401(k)-style account owners and 81.1% of IRA or Keogh account owners contributed to their employer-sponsored retirement accounts, regardless of the frequency of their contributions. A smaller share (57.7%) of pension holders contributed to their employer-sponsored defined-benefit or cash balance plan.

The median total amount employees contributed in 2020 to their own IRA or Keogh account was $2,514. The median amount they contributed to their 401(k)-style accounts ($3,599) and pension plans ($3,257) was slightly higher. Future research will examine employer contributions in combination with employee contributions.



What is the SIPP?

The Survey of Income and Program Participation is a nationally representative longitudinal survey administered by the U.S. Census Bureau that provides comprehensive information on the dynamics of income, employment, household composition and government program participation.

Beginning with the 2021 interview, the SIPP asked a series of questions sponsored by the Social Security Administration (SSA) about employer-sponsored retirement and pension plan coverage. These questions are a revised version of questions included in the 2014 SSA Supplement and the Retirement and Pension Plan Coverage Topical Module administered as far back as the 1984 SIPP panel.

The new questions provide insight into employer-sponsored retirement plans offered by current and prior employers, income withdrawn or received from these accounts and amounts contributed to retirement accounts by employers and employees.

Survey statistics are subject to sampling and nonsampling error. For technical documentation and more information about SIPP data quality, visit the Technical Documentation page.

Maria G. Hoffman and Mark A. Klee are survey statisticians in the Census Bureau’s Social, Economic, and Housing Statistics Division. Briana Sullivan is an economist in the Social, Economic, and Housing Statistics Division.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. — If you’re looking for a new dog that enjoys some fun and activity, check out the available canines at Clearlake Animal Control.

The City of Clearlake Animal Association also is seeking fosters for the animals waiting to be adopted.

Call the Clearlake Animal Control shelter at 707-273-9440, or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to inquire about adoptions and schedule a visit to the shelter.

Visit Clearlake Animal Control on Facebook or on the city’s website.

The following dogs are available for adoption. New additions are at the top.

‘Bluey’

“Bluey” is a male retriever mix with a short black coat.

He has been neutered.

He’s been on a visit with a foster family and enjoys time in the pool.

He is dog No. 50552999.

‘Andy’

“Andy” is a male American pit bull mix with a short gray and white coat.

He is dog No. 48995415.

‘Bear’

“Bear” is a male Labrador retriever-American pit bull mix with a short charcoal and fawn coat.

He has been neutered.

He is dog No. 48443153.

‘Big Phil’

“Big Phil” is a 13-year-old male American pit bull terrier mix with a blue coat.

He has been neutered.

He is dog No. 49951647.

‘Hakuna’

“Hakuna” is a male shepherd mix with a tan coat.

He has been neutered.

He is dog No. 50176912.

‘Hondo’

“Hondo” is a male Alaskan husky mix with a buff coat.

He has been neutered.

He’s dog No. 50227693.

‘Kubota’

“Kubota” is a male German shepherd mix with a short tan and black coat.

He has been neutered.

Kubota is dog No. 50184421.

‘Mamba’

“Mamba” is a male Siberian husky mix with a gray and cream-colored coat.

He has been neutered.

He is dog No. 49520569.

‘Matata’

“Matata” is male shepherd mix with a tan coat.

He has been neutered.

He is dog No. 50176912.

‘Sadie’

“Sadie” is a female German shepherd mix with a black and tan coat.

She has been spayed.

She is dog No. 49802563.

‘Terry’

“Terry” is a handsome male shepherd mix with a short brindle coat.

He gets along with other dogs, including small ones, and enjoys toys. He also likes water, playing fetch and keep away.

Staff said he is now getting some training to help him build confidence.

He is dog No. 48443693.

‘Willie’

“Willie” is a male German shepherd mix with a black and tan coat.

He has been neutered.

He is dog No. 50596003.

‘Ziggy’

“Ziggy” is a male American pit bull terrier mix with a short gray and white coat.

He has been neutered.

Ziggy is dog No. 50146247

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.

The third Zonehaven update showing that zone CLE-E148 was no longer under evacuation and zone CLE-E147 has been reduced to an evacuation advisory. By 10:30 p.m., this last evacuation advisory was lifted. Courtesy image.

This story is being updated on a rolling basis.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — A structure fire that’s moved into vegetation has prompted evacuations in a portion of the city of Clearlake.

The Tana fire was first reported shortly before 4 p.m. in the area of Crawford and Tana avenues.

Shortly after 4 p.m., the Clearlake Police Department reported that an immediate evacuation has been called for all residences in the area of Crawford and Tana avenues due to the fire.

Minutes later, fire radio traffic indicated a total of three structures were on fire and the fire had jumped to the west side of Highway 53, where a 100 foot by 100 foot spot was burning in the area of Pine and 31st avenues.

Power lines were reported to be down in the area, and at around 4:15 p.m. incident command reported that all power lines had been deenergized.

Before 4:20 p.m., another structure was reported to be on fire in the area of Utah and Armijo avenues.

Cal Fire sent a full wildland dispatch to join local fire agencies, with Copter 104 and air attack arriving on scene shortly before 4:30 p.m. At that time they indicated the spot fire on the west side of the highway had been mitigated.

At that time, more air tankers were en route and expected to arrive shortly, based on radio traffic. Not long afterward, tankers were reported to be at scene, making drops.

As of 4:45 p.m., evacuation orders were in effect for Zonehaven zone CLE-E147 on the west side of Highway 53, and CLE-D148, the area which covers the Avenues. Information on the evacuation zones is available at Zonehaven.

Law enforcement was reporting over the radio that many residents are refusing to leave their homes.

Incident command has requested an immediate need for engines to respond to 30th and Pine avenues for structure protection.

With a fire reported in Laytonville and a structure fire in Calistoga, Cal Fire dispatched asked for the release of some of the units. Tankers were diverted to Laytonville shortly after 5 p.m.

Just after 6 p.m., the Clearlake Police Department updated the evacuation map to show that Zonehaven zone CLE-E147 remained under an evaluation order, while CLE-E148 had been reduced to an advisory evacuation.

At 6:20 p.m., police said Highway 53 from 18th Avenue to 40th Avenue had reopened.

The Cal Fire battalion chief on scene reported that the fire was contained at 6:25 p.m.

As of 7:20 p.m., police said zone CLE-E148 is no longer under evacuation and residents can return home. Zone CLE-E147 has been reduced to an evacuation advisory.

The Clearlake Police said just after 10:30 p.m. that all evacuation advisories and orders were lifted, and that Crawford Avenue north of Utah Street will remain closed to traffic.

More information will be added to this story as it becomes 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.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — A proposal for new homes and apartments near Westside Community Park will advance to a public hearing before the Lakeport City Council later this month.

In a unanimous vote at its Tuesday night meeting, the council approved introducing the Waterstone Residential housing project’s zone change ordinance and scheduled a public hearing for Sept. 20 for the ordinance and adoption of the mitigated negative declaration and general plan amendment for the proposed project.

The Lakeport Planning Commission discussed the project at its Aug. 10 meeting and recommended the council’s approval of it.

Waterstone Residential, owned by Peter Schellinger, is proposing the Parkside Residential Project, which will include 128 new apartment units and 48 cluster homes on the 15.16-acre property at 1310 Craig Ave.

Schellinger said the apartments will have solar power as part of his aim for them to be net zero. The homes will be plumbed for solar.

The project is on a portion of the Schellinger Subdivision, a 96-lot single-family residential subdivision approved in 2005 that included three phases. Peter Schellinger is the nephew and son of the original developers, Schellinger Brothers.

The first phase consisted of 31 lots, of which 17 were constructed and 14 remain vacant, with the Schellingers still hoping to develop them.

Community Development Director Jenni Byers said the project’s second and third phases did not submit for a final map and were never developed, and so the tentative vesting map has now expired.

Byers said that zoning allows the property to be developed with 19 units per acre, or up to 292 total units. However, she said Waterstone is proposing a density of 11 units per acre.

She said that due to legislative changes, the city is being robbed of its ability to approve some projects. The developer could put a home, an accessory unit and a junior accessory unit all on one parcel due to recent laws, which amounts to a triplex. As such, 195 units could be built with no review at all.

Byers said she is concerned about legislation to hold local governments to doing their job and allowing for more home building. She said she wanted to show the tremendous pressure the state is putting on cities and jurisdictions.

Lake County has lost 10% of its housing to wildfires in recent years, and due to the Mendocino Complex — which led to the evacuation of the entire city of Lakeport in the summer of 2018 — Byers said staff and the council understand the fire threat.

The project was shared earlier this year with then-Lakeport Fire Chief Jeff Thomas and he had no issues with layout. Thomas, who attended via Zoom, said in a message that Cal Fire did not respond to a request for comment on the project.

Comments submitted ahead of the meeting included a letter from Kim Costa, representing a group of Parkside Subdivision residents, and one from Dennis Rollins, chair of the Westside Community Park Committee, asking that park mitigation fees charged for the project be allocated directly to the paving at the park’s parking lot.

City acknowledges impacts, sees opportunities

Peter Schellinger said his uncle had been working for years to develop the second and third phases of the original development after the Great Recession, but the cost of infrastructure prevented it.

He said he founded Waterstone with one of the larger homebuilders in the country. He wants to create a mixture of housing types to create a better community and reduce the cost per unit so it would become more economically feasible to proceed with projects on land that was undevelopable in current form.

Schellinger hired the original architect of the Parkside Subdivision, Jon Worden, in order to keep a similar character in building design, and resemble what was built in phase one.

The cluster homes, at around 1,200 square feet, are considered a midlevel housing option, with Schellinger estimating home prices of about $400,000 per home.

“We are excited to present this tonight and hope we’ll get your support,” Schellinger said.

City Manager Kevin Ingram said staff wouldn’t argue that the project didn’t represent an impact on the existing neighborhood.

Over the last several years, the city has worked actively with the prior developer to get that existing development up and off the ground. “We need housing in Lakeport but unfortunately the economy was just not allowing that previous development to play out,” said Ingram, attributing it to the escalating costs of construction.

Ingram said the city appreciated the opportunity to work with Schellinger’s team to come up with a model to get more housing in play. They’ve pressed a number of developers for more starter home models and Ingram said Schellinger’s property offers a great opportunity to the city.

He said the existing land use designations at the site allow for the density that’s being proposed. What it doesn’t allow for is the apartment type design, which was what was spurring Schellinger’s request of the council.

With traffic being a big concern for residents, Ingram said it would be warranted for the city to see how traffic is functioning at the project site.

Ingram said the city wanted to hear from the public, noting that staff can see it from the 40,000 foot level, but it’s good to hear from the neighbors.

“It’s my opinion that this is a good project that requires the council’s attention,” he said.

Opponents raise water, traffic concerts

The council heard from several community members who chiefly challenged the project on the grounds of fire safety, water supply and traffic.

Sky Hoyt, who does not live in the subdivision, raised concerns about water supply and suggested that tertiary water treatment is needed in the city.

Costa said the neighbors are trying to educate themselves and understand the state’s housing mandates. She said they are trying to be reasonable in their thinking, and wanted the city to be mindful of the neighborhood already there.

For her, safety was a big issue, including ingress and egress, and traffic. She suggested a medium housing option was necessary.

Her attorney, Andre Ross, suggested to the council that there are health, safety and welfare issues that need to be looked at closely before project approval, adding he believed the developer was abandoning the original subdivision. He said the developer should be put on a slower track.

Schellinger said he appreciated engaging with the community. Referring to the larger density that the current zoning allows, he explained, “We’re not doing that. I don’t think you want that. That's not a really cohesive development scheme.”

He said a lot of work went into the plan, and with it a lot of sensitivity. Schellinger said he doesn’t blame residents for being disappointed, as there is a lot of disappointment around the original project not working. But he believes the new plan is a good one.

Referring to the 14 single family home lots still undeveloped in the first phase, he said his uncle would not have endorsed this new development plan knowing he was going to hold those 14 lots to develop someday.

Byers said people have an incorrect idea of what affordable housing means. Schellinger is going for a grant for the neighborhood’s streets system, she said, not to make it low income.

During her life, she said she’s needed every type of housing that the development offers, from the time she was a single mom in college who needed affordable housing, to later graduating and making enough to buy a house and now moving into something smaller.

Schellinger said the cluster homes will be eligible for a down payment assistance program through Cal Home; qualifying applicants can make up to 120% of the average median income.

Lakeport has the ability to access that program. “We’re really excited about that,” he said, explaining those homes make up the “missing middle” in the housing market that not many people have been able to figure out and address.

He said they are not talking about homeless housing, which is a different development concept altogether, with completely different financing, requiring a huge subsidy and an ongoing fund for the services.

The people who will live in the new development aren’t homeless, they’re productive and contributing to society, he said.

Councilman Michael Green said that while he was on the Lakeport Planning Commission, he never had a project anywhere close to Schellinger’s come before him.

He said Schellinger is bringing in a different type of housing configuration. Acknowledging there are water supply problems, Green said shutting down this project isn’t the thing to ask, it’s to have the city stop allowing hookups.

Green and other council members thanked both Schellinger and those who spoke against the project for their input.

Mayor Stacey Mattina said it’s reasonable for the neighbors to be disappointed. She loves the Parkside neighborhood and its homes, and had been looking forward to seeing it finished.

“All these years have passed and we still have nothing,” she said.

Green moved to introduce the project and set it for a second reading, with Councilman Kenny Parlet seconding and the council approving the motion 4-0.

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.

NORTH COAST, Calif. — Pacific Gas and Electric Co. will hold an interactive, virtual town hall for North Coast residents next week to discuss its work to improve operations.

The town hall will take place from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Monday, Sept. 12.

The event can be accessed through this link; by phone at 669-900-6833, conference ID 859 7981 8979; or through PG&E’s website, www.pge.com/webinars.

PG&E said its regional team will discuss its local approach to improving customer service and safety, and introduce local leadership teams, including Regional Vice President Ron Richardson.

Last year, PG&E began transitioning to a Regional Service Model by grouping together counties with similar characteristics into five separate regions. For the North Coast, the counties are Humboldt, Lake, Marin, Mendocino, Napa, Siskiyou, Sonoma, Trinity.

The company said this approach is bringing it closer to its customers and helping address issues more efficiently and effectively at the local level.

During the town hall, PG&E experts will provide a brief presentation, after which participants will have the opportunity to ask questions.

Participants will be able to hear about recent work; learn about wildfire prevention efforts, including safety outages; prepare for wildfire season with safety updates; and provide feedback and ask questions of the local leadership team.

Closed captioning will be available in English, Spanish and Chinese and dial-in numbers will be available for those who aren’t able to join online.

For the full webinar events schedule, additional information on how to join and recordings and presentation materials from past events, visit www.pge.com/webs.

More information and resources to help you and your family prepare for and stay safe in the event of an emergency can be found at www.safetyactioncenter.pge.com/.

 

The 1960s and 1970s were a golden age of infrastructure development in the U.S., with the expansion of the interstate system and widespread construction of new water treatment, wastewater and flood control systems reflecting national priorities in public health and national defense. But infrastructure requires maintenance, and, eventually, it has to be replaced.

That hasn’t been happening in many parts of the country. Increasingly, extreme heat and storms are putting roads, bridges, water systems and other infrastructure under stress.

Two recent examples – an intense heat wave that pushed California’s power grid to its limits in September 2022, and the failure of the water system in Jackson, Mississippi, amid flooding in August – show how a growing maintenance backlog and increasing climate change are turning the 2020s and 2030s into a golden age of infrastructure failure.

I am a civil engineer whose work focuses on the impacts of climate change on infrastructure. Often, low-income communities and communities of color like Jackson see the least investment in infrastructure replacements and repairs.

Crumbling bridge and water systems

The United States is consistently falling short on funding infrastructure maintenance. A report by former Federal Reserve Board Chairman Paul Volcker’s Volcker Alliance in 2019 estimated the U.S. has a US$1 trillion backlog of needed repairs.

Over 220,000 bridges across the country – about 33% of the total – require rehabilitation or replacement.

A water main break now occurs somewhere in the U.S. every two minutes, and an estimated 6 million gallons of treated water are lost each day. This is happening at the same time the western United States is implementing water restrictions amid the driest 20-year span in 1,200 years. Similarly, drinking water distribution in the United States relies on over 2 million miles of pipes that have limited life spans.

The underlying issue for infrastructure failure is age, resulting in the failure of critical parts such as pumps and motors.

Aging systems have been blamed for failures of the water system in Jackson, wastewater treatment plants in Baltimore that leaked dangerous amounts of sewage into the Chesapeake Bay and dam failures in Michigan that have resulted in widespread damage and evacuations.

Inequality in investment

Compounding the problem of age is the lack of funds to modernize critical systems and perform essential maintenance. Fixing that will require systemic change.

Infrastructure is primarily a city and county responsibility financed through local taxes. However, these entities are also dependent on state and federal funds. As populations increase and development expands, local governments have cumulatively had to double their infrastructure spending since the 1950s, while federal sources remained mostly flat.

Inequity often underlies the growing need for investment in low-income U.S. communities.

Over 2 million people in the United States lack access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation. The greatest predictor of those who lack this access is race: 5.8% of Native American households lack access, while only 0.3% of white households lack access. In terms of sanitation, studies in predominantly African American counties have found disproportionate impacts from nonworking sewage systems.

Jackson, a majority-Black state capital, has dealt with water system breakdowns for years and has repeatedly requested infrastructure funding from the state to upgrade its struggling water treatment plants.

Climate change exacerbates the risk

The consequences of inadequate maintenance are compounded by climate change, which is accelerating infrastructure failure with increased flooding, extreme heat and growing storm intensity.

Much of the world’s infrastructure was designed for an environment that no longer exists. The historic precipitation levels, temperature profiles, extreme weather events and storm surge levels those systems were designed and built to handle are now exceeded on a regular basis.

Unprecedented rainfall in the California desert in 2015 tore apart a bridge over Interstate 10, one of the state’s most important east-west routes. Temperatures near 120 degrees Fahrenheit (49 C) forced the Phoenix airport to cancel flights in 2017 out of concern the planes might not be able to safely take off.

A heat wave in the Pacific Northwest in 2020 buckled roads and melted streetcar cables in Portland. Amtrak slowed its train speeds in the Northeast in July 2022 out of concern that a heat wave would cause the overhead wires to expand and sag and rails to potentially buckle.

Power outages during California’s September 2022 heat wave are another potentially life-threatening infrastructure problem.

The rising costs of delayed repairs

My research with colleagues shows that the vulnerability of the national transportation system, energy distribution system, water treatment facilities and coastal infrastructure will significantly increase over the next decade due to climate change.

We estimate that rail infrastructure faces additional repair costs of $5 billion to $10 billion annually by 2050, while road repairs due to temperature increases could reach a cumulative $200 billion to $300 billion by the end of the century. Similarly, water utilities are facing the possibility of a trillion-dollar price tag by 2050.

After studying the issue of climate change impacts on infrastructure for two decades, with climate projections getting worse, not better, I believe addressing the multiple challenges to the nation’s infrastructure requires systemic change.

Two items are at the top of the list: national prioritization and funding.

Prioritizing the infrastructure challenge is essential to bring government responsibilities into the national conversation. Most local jurisdictions simply can’t afford to absorb the cost of needed infrastructure. The recent infrastructure bill and the Inflation Reduction Act are starting points, but they still fall short of fixing the long-term issue.

Without systemic change, Jackson, Mississippi, will be just the start of an escalating trend.

Paul Chinowsky, Professor of Civil Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara has submitted his insurance pricing regulation that would recognize and reward wildfire safety and mitigation efforts made by homeowners and businesses to the California Office of Administrative Law.

The regulation is the first in the nation requiring insurance companies to provide discounts to consumers under the Safer from Wildfires framework created by the California Department of Insurance in partnership with state emergency preparedness agencies.

The Office of Administrative Law has 30 working days to determine whether the proposed regulation satisfies the requirements of the state’s Administrative Procedure Act. Once approved, the regulation text will be filed with the California Secretary of State and become state law.

“My Department is laser-focused on doing everything we can to protect consumers and hold insurance companies accountable,” said Commissioner Lara. “My groundbreaking regulation will help more Californians find insurance they can afford. It aligns insurance discounts with fire safety actions being expedited by our state emergency leaders and local governments. And, most importantly, it will save lives by helping California become safer from wildfires.”

This regulation is part of a comprehensive solution that Commissioner Lara initiated after taking office to protect consumers from climate change-intensified wildfires.

The Department is submitting this regulation as it recognizes National Preparedness Month in September.

Regulations follow extensive public input, Safer from Wildfires partnership

Commissioner Lara directed the Department of Insurance to write regulations to protect consumers and improve market competition after hearing first-hand from consumers about their frustration with insurance companies that did not consider mitigation in their rating plans.

Following town hall meetings in more than 38 counties and an extensive investigatory hearing in 2020, Lara took what he learned from Californians to shape these rules that will promote a fair, transparent and safer insurance market.

In October 2021, Lara shared an initial version of the text of regulation. Following further public input, he formally proposed his regulations in February of 2022.

The regulation incorporates “Safer from Wildfires,” a new framework of wildfire safety measures created in January by a first-ever partnership between the Department of Insurance and the emergency preparedness agencies in Governor Newsom’s Administration, including the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research, and the California Public Utilities Commission.

“Home Hardening retrofits, along with Defensible Space significantly increase a home’s chance of surviving a wildfire,” said Chief Daniel Berlant, Cal Fire deputy director of Community Wildfire Preparedness & Mitigation. “Using the latest fire science and recent wildfire data, these retrofits and landscaping requirements provide a strong path to structure survivability. Cal Fire is currently funding over three hundred million dollars in local wildfire prevention projects to prepare communities against wildfire, but we know it will take every resident doing their part to ensure California is fully protected.”

Regulations will drive down costs and create transparency for consumers

Once approved, the regulation will require all insurance companies to submit new rates that recognize the benefit of safety measures such as upgraded roofs and windows, defensible space, and community-wide programs such as Firewise USA and the Fire Risk Reduction Community designation developed by the state’s Board of Forestry and Fire Protection, which currently includes the counties of Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, and Butte as well as cities and local districts.

Transparency is another important benefit of this regulation, by requiring insurance companies to provide consumers with their property’s “risk score” and creating a right to appeal that score.

“My regulation is the result of listening closely to the needs of consumers and businesses and crafting common-sense, lasting solutions that strengthen our ability to protect Californians from the threat of climate change-intensified wildfires,” said Lara.

The Safer from Wildfires regulation is part of a larger solution he is pursuing for consumers and wildfire survivors that includes working to increase insurance protections and market competition to help protect consumers.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — In the wake of the mayor pro tem’s resignation last week, the Lakeport City Council on Tuesday night directed city staff to begin taking applications for the seat.

Mireya Turner, who was nearing the end of her second term and had filed to seek a third term uncontested, was hired on Aug. 30 as the permanent Lake County Community Development director on a permanent basis.

Citing her new responsibilities, Turner immediately resigned her council seat, leading to the discussion on Tuesday about how to fill it.

City Clerk/Administrative Services Director Kelly Buendia said state law requires the council to take action within 60 days to either make an appointment or call a special election.

Buendia said there wasn’t enough time to call a special election because Turner’s seat expires in December.

If Turner wins the seat in November, as it’s expected she will, she would then have to resign the seat, Buendia said.

She also pointed out that community members could sign up to run as write-in candidates. That candidacy period runs from Sept. 12 to Oct. 25.

Mayor Stacey Mattina, whose seat also is up for election on Nov. 8 and is running unopposed, asked if they could appoint another city commissioner or a former council member to fill the seat until the end of the year, an idea Councilman Kenny Parlet said he liked.

City Attorney David Ruderman explained that while the council could make an appointment, in two years, at the time of the next municipal election, the seat would be on the ballot for the remaining two years, as required by law.

City Manager Kevin Ingram said that, if Turner won her seat and had to resign, leading to an appointment for two years, that opens up the potential for four of the five council seats to be on the ballot at the same time in 2024.

Ingram suggested that the council direct staff to go ahead and prepare a news release to generate a list of potential applicants for the two-year term, while also giving direction to staff to reach out specifically to previous council members and current commission members to find out if any are interested in a short-term appointment.

Ingram said that gives the council the opportunity to weigh both options.

“I like that,” said Mattina.

Councilman Michael Green made a motion based on Ingram’s proposal, which the council approved 4-0.

Ingram told the council that staff would bring the matter back for discussion at the Oct. 18 meeting.

The council then took nominations for mayor pro tem. Michael Froio nominated Green while Mattina nominated Parlet. After two votes, Parlet was elected to the job.

In other business during the meeting, the open portion of which ran just short of four hours, the council held a hearing to introduce a general plan amendment, zoning code amendment and approval of a mitigated negative declaration under the California Environmental Quality Act for the Parkside Residential Project, proposed by Waterstone Residential, at 1310 Craig Ave.

The project, which includes 128 new apartment units and 48 cluster homes on the 15-acre site, is facing opposition from nearby residents who say it will negatively impact their neighborhood.

The project is due for a second hearing on Sept. 20.

The council also heard a presentation on the second phase of a feasibility study on a recreation center and approved the revised 10-year commercial lease agreement with the Lakeport Yacht Club for use of the facility located at 15 Fifth St., at a cost of about $140 a month for the first two years, then rising to $163.75 per month with an annual Consumer Price Index increase on top of that.

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.