LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Firefighters held the LNU Lightning Complex to a small amount of growth overnight, but on Friday a new evacuation order was issued in Lake County in response to the incident.

As of Friday morning, the complex’s acreage stood at 219,067, up from 215,000 on Thursday night. Containment is now at 7 percent, up from zero, Cal Fire reported.

The fire is burning in southern Lake County as well as across Napa, Solano, Sonoma and Yolo counties, with 30,500 structures threatened. So far, 480 structures have been destroyed and 125 damaged.

Resources assigned on Friday included 1,059 personnel, 102 engines, 31 water tenders, 11 helicopters, 12 hand crews and 34 dozers.

Late Friday morning, officials issued a new evacuation order in Lake County for all areas and residents north and south of Morgan Valley Road – north of the evacuation line previously established on Wednesday – from Highway 29 and Hofacker Lane to Morgan Valley Road, east of Sky High Ridge Road (extending north to Highway), south of SR-20 and west of the Lake County line.

An evacuation warning was issued for all areas and residents along Morgan Valley Road between Rocky Creek Road and Reiff Road.

The portions of the complex burning within Lake County are the Aetna and Round fire, which have merged with the larger Hennessey fire, which also includes the Gamble, Green, Markley,
Spanish and Morgan fires.

Cal Fire said the Hennessey fire was 194,942 acres and 7-percent contained as of Friday morning.

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 Shannon Ridge Family of Wines announced it has acquired Steele Wines of Finley.

Shannon Ridge has purchased the Lake County winery facilities and their diverse portfolio of brands and trademarks, including Shooting Star, Stymie and Writer's Block.

"This merger represents the perfect solution for both parties," says Shannon Ridge founder and president, Clay Shannon. "Strategically, the increased production capacity and storage space allows us to continue our expansion goals while providing the Steele Wines family of brands a local partner to further their market distribution."

Shannon Ridge can now easily surpass its 310,000 annual case volume and continue to champion 21st-century winemaking methods for high-elevation varietals.

Shannon’s mission since 1996 has been to promote Lake County as a premier wine-producing region in California, combined with an unwavering commitment to sustainable operations.

To underscore this point: only 45 percent of the winery's 2,500 acres have been converted to vineyards, preserving the rest of the property for natural wildlife to pass through peacefully.

Shannon Ridge plans to use the newly acquired facilities not only for the increased winemaking capacity and storage – 2,500 tons and 6,000 barrels, respectively – but also for introducing a new on-site property experience, “Shannon Mercantile,” at the current Steele tasting room in Kelseyville.

In addition to the Shannon Ridge and Steele wine portfolios, the planned Lake County establishment will offer the ranch's grass-fed lamb, farm eggs, and other home goods and merchandise.

“We aim to make Shannon Mercantile a family-friendly destination where folks can enjoy their wine with a picnic lunch on the lawn, movie nights on warm summer evenings, and festivities to celebrate various holidays throughout the year,” Shannon said.

Shannon aims to make the mercantile a go-to destination in Lake County. It’s tentatively scheduled to open in spring 2021.

Steele Wines celebrated its 28th anniversary in 2020 and has spent nearly the last three decades specializing in producing high-quality, small-batch (under 1,000 cases), varietals sourced from the finest vineyards in Lake and Mendocino counties.

After 50 years of winemaking in California, founder Jed Steele will assume a supporting role in the winery, assisting in the production of Steele Wines and enjoying retirement at his properties in Lake County, Montana, and Florida.

Shannon ridge was advised in this transaction by former and now-retired Shannon Ridge chief financial officer, Don Chase of Don Chase Wine Industry Management Services.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – In a brief discussion at its Thursday night meeting, the Clearlake City Council voted to approve the first reading of an ordinance that will raise the monthly salary amount for council members.

The council had held an initial discussion on the topic at its Aug. 6 meeting and directed City Attorney Ryan Jones to return with a draft ordinance, as Lake County News has reported.

The current monthly salary for council members is $300, an amount that Jones said was set in 1989.

While, by state statute, that’s the maximum amount for cities with a population of under 35,000, Jones told the council at its Aug. 6 meeting that the law allows for 5-percent annual raises.

As such, the council faced the option of raising the current monthly amount by $465 – which is the amount of a 5-percent raise over the past 31 years – to a total of $765.

However, at its last meeting, the council settled on a smaller total figure, $500.

On Thursday, Jones presented a draft ordinance with the $500 monthly amount.

He also reported that the law does not allow the council to set up an automatic 5-percent raise each year. The council would have to take separate action to do that in the future.

The current annual cost for the council members’ salaries totals $18,000. By raising it to $500 per month, the total cost would rise to $30,000. Jones’ report said the additional funds would come from the city’s general fund.

That amount does not include the cost of health coverage for council members. A specific figure for that was not included in Jones’ report.

Following Jones’ brief presentation, there was no council discussion before Councilman Phil Harris – who had asked last month for the matter to be brought forward for discussion – moved to approve it, with Councilman Russ Perdock seconding.

The vote was 4-1, with Vice Mayor Dirk Slooten voting against it. Slooten had made clear at the Aug. 6 meeting that he thought it was a bad time to raise council members’ salaries.

If the council approves the ordinance’s second and final reading at its next meeting, the ordinance and the salary increase will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2021.

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. – Clearlake Animal Control has five dogs awaiting their new families this week.

The following dogs are ready for adoption or foster.

‘Bella’

“Bella” is a female American Bully mix.

She has a short beige and tan coat.

She is dog No. 3537.

‘Diesel’

“Diesel” is a male border collie mix with a black and white coat.

He is dog No. 4023.

‘Isis’

“Isis” is a female American Staffordshire Terrier mix with a brindle and white coat.

She is dog No. 3732.

‘Lady’

“Lady” is a female German Shepherd mix.

She has been spayed.

She is dog No. 3683.

‘Wilbur’

“Wilbur” is a male American Bully mix with a short gray and white coat.

He is dog No. 3999.

Clearlake Animal Control’s shelter is located at 6820 Old Highway 53, off Airport Road.

Hours of operation are noon to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. The shelter is closed Sundays, Mondays and major holidays; the shelter offers appointments on the days it’s closed to accommodate people.

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.

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

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.

NASA's Terra satellite was able to capture the huge swath of smoke that has been generated by the California wildfires and dispersed by the winds surrounding those fires on Thursday, Aug. 20.

The NASA Worldview website has an application that can measure distances within the app and measuring this smoke trail showed the trail's northeast to southwest trail is approximately 1,214 miles long.

The smoke has moved as far north and east as Pocatello, Idaho and as far west and south as mid-Baja California, Mexico.

Although the smoke did not go into Baja California it has remained offshore over the Pacific Ocean.

Fire is devastating, and the effects of smoke on humans can also be devastating. The smoke released by any type of fire (forest, brush, crop, structure, tires, waste or wood burning) is a mixture of particles and chemicals produced by incomplete burning of carbon-containing materials.

All smoke contains carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and particulate matter (PM or soot). Smoke can contain many different chemicals, including aldehydes, acid gases, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), benzene, toluene, styrene, metals and dioxins.

The type and amount of particles and chemicals in smoke varies depending on what is burning, how much oxygen is available, and the burn temperature. Exposure to high levels of smoke should be avoided.

Individuals are advised to limit their physical exertion if exposure to high levels of smoke cannot be avoided. Individuals with cardiovascular or respiratory conditions (e.g., asthma), fetuses, infants, young children, and the elderly may be more vulnerable to the health effects of smoke exposure.

From the Worldview site: "Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) (or Aerosol Optical Thickness) indicates the level at which particles in the air (aerosols) prevent light from traveling through the atmosphere. Aerosols scatter and absorb incoming sunlight, which reduces visibility. From an observer on the ground, an AOD of less than 0.1 is “clean” (lightest yellow) - characteristic of clear blue sky, bright sun and maximum visibility. As AOD increases to 0.5, 1.0, and greater than 3.0, aerosols become so dense that sun is obscured (ranging from yellow to dark red on the scale). Sources of aerosols include pollution from factories, smoke from fires, dust from dust storms, sea salt, and volcanic ash and smog. Aerosols compromise human health when inhaled by people, particularly those with asthma or other respiratory illnesses. Aerosols also have an effect on the weather and climate by cooling or warming the Earth, helping or preventing clouds from forming. Since aerosols are difficult to identify when they occur over different types of land surfaces and ocean surfaces, Worldview provides several different types of imagery layers to assist in the identification."

In the image below there are many areas that are completely obscured by smoke including Los Angeles, Las Vegas, parts of San Francisco and into Idaho, following along the trail of smoke from the fires and out into the Pacific Ocean.

NASA's Earth Observing System Data and Information System, or EOSDIS, Worldview application provides the capability to interactively browse over 700 global, full-resolution satellite imagery layers and then download the underlying data. Many of the available imagery layers are updated within three hours of observation, essentially showing the entire Earth as it looks "right now.”

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The LNU Lightning Complex continued to blaze through five counties on Thursday, burning another 84,000 acres and destroying or damaging hundreds of more structures.

Cal Fire said Thursday evening that the fire had grown to 215,000 acres – up from 131,000 reported that morning.

So far, firefighters have not been able to achieve any containment on the fire, according to the report.

On Thursday night, Cal Fire said there have been four fatalities associated with the fire – three in Napa County and one in Solano County – and four civilian injuries.

The complex continues to threaten 30,500 structures. It has destroyed 480 and damaged 125 structures, numbers that had grown by several hundred over the course of the day, Cal Fire said.

Multiple fires in the complex have merged on the north side of Lake Berryessa into the Hennessey Fire, which stretches across Napa County. Those fires are moving into large areas of timber, Cal Fire said.

In Lake County, the Aetna and Round fires also have merged into the main Hennessey fire, which Cal Fire said had burned 192,000 acres with zero containment. It includes the Gamble, Green, Markley, Spanish and Morgan fires.

Cal Fire stated in its Thursday evening report that, “Significant fire growth is expected throughout the rest of the operational period.”

The agency reported extreme fire behavior with short- and long-range spotting that are continuing to challenge firefighting efforts. The fires are continuing to make runs in multiple directions and impact multiple communities.

On Thursday the firefighting force grew substantially, with an almost doubling of firefighting personnel, up to 1,059, with 102 engines, 31 water tenders, 11 helicopters, 12 hand crews and 35 dozers also assigned.

In a Thursday evening video, Sheriff Brian Martin – who earlier in the day issued a state of emergency in Lake County in response to the complex – reported that State Sen. Mike McGuire had visited the fire scene that day.

Martin said state and local officials worked behind the scenes to get more resources assigned to the fire. Even so, he said he’s not seeing the level of resources he’d like to see. “There just aren’t resources.”

On Thursday evacuation orders for several areas of southern Lake County remained in effect, along with an evacuation advisory issued in the afternoon for Middletown proper.

Martin reported that the LNU Lighting Complex is different from past fires – such as the Valley – that moved with devastating speed.

This fire is not moving as quickly, which Martin said gives south county residents time to prepare to evacuate. “Let’s use this time,” he said.

Elsewhere around the region, the August Complex, which began Sunday on the Mendocino National Forest, had burned 117,365 acres by Thursday evening, with containment up to 6 percent.

The complex consists of 35 fires on the Glenn County side of the forest. It had nearly doubled overnight but on Thursday firefighters were able to hold it to 1,335 acres, according to Forest Service officials.

Heavy smoke created an inversion layer, which officials said kept the temperatures cooler and helped moderate the spread of the fire.

More firefighting personnel also were added to the ranks fighting the August Complex, with the Forest Service reporting on Thursday night that 353 personnel are now assigned.

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. – On Thursday, Sheriff Brian Martin declared a state of emergency in Lake County in response to the LNU Lightning Complex, which has burned into southern Lake County and prompted the evacuation of thousands of residents.

Martin declared the emergency in his capacity of director of the county’s Office of Emergency Services.

It cites “conditions of extreme peril to the safety of persons and property” resulting from “fires related to the LNU Lightning Complex.”

As of Thursday morning, the LNU Lightning Complex was up to 131,000 acres, with no containment, Cal Fire reported.

The complex grew by nearly 7,000 acres overnight as it continued to grow across Lake, Napa, Solano, Sonoma and Yolo counties.

It is threatening 30,500 structures, with 105 so far destroyed and 70 damaged, Cal Fire said.

Cal Fires said 587 firefighting personnel, 69 engines, 27 water tenders, eight helicopters, nine hand crews and 28 dozers are assigned. Air tankers remain in short supply due to fires across the state.

Two fires within the complex – the Round and the Aetna – are burning within Lake County, according to the Thursday report.

The Aetna fire, south of Middletown, is 4,500 acres and the Round fire, located south of Hidden Valley Lake, is 4,000 acres, with no containment on either, Cal Fire reported.

Previously the Morgan fire – now merged with the 105,000-acre Hennessey fire – was reported to be in Lake County. However, Cal Fire mapping shows it is holding just on the other side of the Lake County line, and burning in Napa and Yolo counties.

The fires prompted initial evacuations to the southeast of Lower Lake on Tuesday with more evacuations ordered on Wednesday that covered areas including Jerusalem Valley and Hidden Valley Lake, and areas surrounding Middletown. Those orders remained in effect on Thursday, officials said.

An evacuation warning for areas including Middletown proper was issued on Thursday afternoon.

Sheriff Martin told Lake County News on Thursday afternoon that he estimated between 6,000 and 7,000 Lake County residents have been evacuated due to the complex so far.

That estimate does not include how many residents may be impacted if Middletown is forced to evacuate.

Martin said he has not yet had official reports from Cal Fire about damaged or destroyed structures, just secondhand reports from property owners in the Jerusalem Valley area about structures that have burned.

The Board of Supervisors must now ratify Martin’s declaration. Deputy County Administrative Officer Matthew Rothstein confirmed the declaration is on the agenda for the board’s next meeting on Tuesday.

Martin’s full declaration is published below.




WHEREAS, Section 6-5 of the Lake County Code empowers the Director of Emergency Services to proclaim the existence or threatened existence of a local emergency when Lake County is affected or likely to be affected by a public calamity and the County Board of Supervisors is not in session; and

WHEREAS, the Sheriff, as Director of Emergency Services of Lake County does hereby find; that conditions of extreme peril to the safety of persons and property have arisen within the County of Lake, caused by fires related to the LNU Lightning Complex; and

WHEREAS, the Morgan Fire, which began on the 18th day of August, 2020, has already prompted evacuation of portions of southern Lake County, and rapid changes of wind conditions have required great vigilance in light of the possible need of further evacuations; and

WHEREAS, these conditions are beyond the immediate control of the services, personnel, equipment, and facilities of Lake County, and air and other resources are over-tasked, due to significant wildfire activity around the State of California; and

WHEREAS, the County Board of Supervisors of the County of Lake is not in session and cannot immediately be called into session.

NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS HEREBY PROCLAIMED that a local emergency now exists throughout Lake County and all jurisdictions within Lake County; and

IT IS FURTHER PROCLAIMED AND ORDERED that during the existence of said local emergency the powers, functions, and duties of the emergency organization of Lake County shall be those prescribed by state law, by ordinances, and resolutions of the County; and that this emergency proclamation shall expire 7 days after issuance unless confirmed and ratified by the Lake County Board of Supervisors.

AND, IT IS FURTHER PROCLAIMED AND ORDERED that said local emergency shall be deemed to continue to exist until its termination is proclaimed by the Lake County Board of Supervisors.

By: Brian L. Martin
Sheriff/Coroner/OES Director
August 20, 2020


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.

SOUTH LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Lake County Sheriff’s Office has issued an evacuation warning for the Middletown area due to the approach of the LNU Lightning Complex.

The warning includes all areas west of Highway 29 (including areas west of Saint Helena Creek Road), north and east of the Lake/Napa County Line (extending north to the Anderson Springs Road prolongation between the county line and Highway 175), south of Anderson Springs Road, Neft Road and the Boggs Mountain Recreation Area prolongation to the intersection of Hofacker Lane and Highway 29.

This includes Middletown proper, officials said.

“We are asking everyone to take preparations in the event that a mandatory evacuation order is issued,” the sheriff’s office said.

Preparations should include gathering all medications, important documents, making plans for pets, and notifying family members where you may be going.

Those requiring additional time to evacuate or those with pets or livestock should leave the area as soon as possible, the warning stated.

“During a mandatory evacuation, it will be extremely hectic and traffic conditions will be very congested. By evacuating early, you do your part in keeping yourself, your neighbors, and our first responders safe,” the evacuation warning said.

Should an evacuation order be issued and shelter is needed, authorities will direct evacuees to a temporary evacuation point.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – A lightning-caused complex of fires that began on Sunday in the Mendocino National Forest has continued its massive growth, nearly doubling overnight.

The August Complex has burned 116,372 acres, US Forest Service officials reported on Thursday afternoon, up from 65,030 acres reported the night before. It is 3 percent contained.

The complex is made up of 35 fires that were started by lightning across the Mendocino National Forest, most of them burning on the Glenn County side of the forest.

The Thursday report said firefighters have been facing light downslope winds, continuous fuels and very dry fuels, which have kept the fire active.

Structures and power lines are being threatened, and many of the homes and summer cabins have been evacuated within the perimeter of the forest, officials said.

On Thursday, the focus for firefighters is the complex’s east side, with crews going direct where possible while protecting structures and private property.

The Forest Service reported that 293 firefighters and 69 overhead or command personnel are assigned to the fire, along with 15 engines, two helicopters, five bulldozers, five water tenders and six fire crews.

The Glenn County Sheriff’s Office has issued a mandatory evacuation order for all areas west of County Road 306 for the full length of Glenn County from the Tehama County line in the north to the Colusa County line in the South, and all areas west to the Mendocino County line.

Evacuation warnings also have been instituted for the area of Newville from County Road 306 along County Road 200 to Black Butte Lake and for the Grindstone Rancheria.

Road closures also are in effect on Highway 162 east of County Road 306, County Road 306 from County Road 303 to the north, County Road 306 from County Road 200 to the south, County Road 200 from County Road 306 west and County Road 308 from County Road 306 to West End.

A temporary evacuation point is located at Willows City Hall, 201 N. Lassen St., with sheltering for animals at the Glenn County Fairgrounds, 221 E. Yolo St. in Orland, telephone 530-720-7252.

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. – Clearlake Police officers early Thursday were on scene investigating a shooting that sent two people to the hospital.

Chief Andrew White said the shooting occurred at Twin Oaks Village, located at 5755 Old Highway 53.

At approximately 9:11 p.m. Wednesday, officers responded to a report of shots fired at the location, White said.

When officers arrived, White said they located numerous subjects, two of them suffering from gunshot wounds.

While attempting to detain the persons involved, one subject ran but was quickly detained by another officer, White said.

White said detectives responded to the scene along with investigators from the Lake County District Attorney’s Office.

He said early Thursday that investigators were processing the scene and interviewing subjects.

The gunshot victims – two male adults – were treated at a local hospital, with White reporting that they were going to be flown out of the county for treatment.

The investigation initially closed the roadway between Old Highway 53 and Cass Avenue to old Highway 53 and Ridgeview.

Shortly after 3:30 a.m., police said both lanes of Old Highway 53 were open but Cypress Avenue remained closed.

Anyone with information regarding this case is encouraged to contact Det. Steve Hobb at 707-994-8251, Extension 321.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – With the city of Clearlake being one qualified candidate short of a full slate to run for the three council seats up for election this fall, the council held a special meeting on Wednesday afternoon to decide a course of action.

The three seats up for election on Nov. 3 are currently held by Phil Harris, who is not seeking reelection, along with Joyce Overton and Russell Perdock.

Last week, when the final filing deadline closed, only Overton and David Claffey, who sits on the city’s marketing committee, had qualified as candidates.

Perdock did not receive enough qualified signatures; candidates must be nominated by no fewer than 20 and no more than 30 registered voters who live in the city limits.

That put the city in the unusual position of having not enough candidates for seats. So city staff asked the council Wednesday afternoon to decide how to approach the situation, which it did during a brief meeting.

“We’re in a unique position tonight, one that doesn’t happen very often,” City Attorney Ryan Jones explained.

Before the council discussed the matter, both Overton and Perdock recused themselves and left the council chambers.

With those two council members recusing, Jones said any resolution or action would need to be supported by the majority of the council – leaving the decision up to Harris, Mayor Russ Cremer and Vice Mayor Dirk Slooten.

Based on election law, the council had to decide on whether to make appointments to fill the seats 75 days before the election, in this case, Aug. 20. Jones said that meant that the council was down to its last day to make the decision.

He presented three options to them.

The first, which Jones called “the default,” is what would happen even without council action. Jones said that option meant going forward with the election even with only two qualified candidates.

At the same time, a qualified write-in candidate could seek the third seat. If there are more than one write-in candidate, Jones said the top write-in vote-getter would get the third seat.

The second option Jones offered was to appoint the two qualified candidates – Claffey and Overton – and then hold an election on Nov. 3 for the third open seat, which also would be contingent on having a qualified write-in candidate.

However, if nobody qualified as a write-in, Jones said the city would have to hold a special election at some point after Nov. 3. In that scenario, the city would have to cover the high cost for a special election – which Jones said could cost tens of thousands of dollars based on past experience – and also would leave the council with an open seat.

Jones’ third option was to appoint an individual for the unnominated third seat and hold an election for the other two seats.

Claffey, who was watching the meeting via Zoom, asked if appointing the two qualified candidates would handcuff them from making appointments over the next four years.

That, as it turned out, was a legitimate concern and one that Jones’ staff report had raised, as Jones said election law prevents a majority of the council from being appointed.

In the scenario where two council members were appointed, should another council member sometime in the near future resign, the council would end up having to hold a special election, he said.

Harris said he supported the first option, to let the election go forward for the two qualified candidates and a write-in candidate. He asked about the timeline for the write-in process.

Administrative Services Director/City Clerk Melissa Swanson said the write-in candidacy period would run from Sept. 7 to Oct. 20. Write-in candidates would have to file paperwork required by the Fair Political Practices Commission, fill out nomination papers and get between 20 and 30 qualified signatures of nomination.

Harris said he felt the first option – letting the election go forward for all three seats was the most economically sound method as well as the most versatile. Slooten said he concurred.

“I would agree, it’s the fairest way,” said Cremer, adding it also was probably the most transparent approach.

Harris moved to go forward with the election, which Slooten seconded and Cremer joined in approving 3-0.

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.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Clearlake City Council is set to hold a reading of an ordinance that would raise council members’ salaries and also will consider potential changes to commercial cannabis rules, including considering offering more permits to operations.

The council will meet virtually at 6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 20.

Because of the county’s shelter in place order, Clearlake City Hall remains closed to the public, however, the virtual meeting will be broadcast live on the city's YouTube channel or the Lake County PEG TV YouTube Channel. Community members also can participate via Zoom.

The agenda can be found here.

Comments and questions can be submitted in writing for City Council consideration by sending them to Administrative Services Director/City Clerk Melissa Swanson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. You can also visit the city’s town hall site and submit written comments at https://www.opentownhall.com/portals/327/forum_home. Identify the subject you wish to comment on in your email’s subject line or in your town hall submission.

To give the council adequate time to review your questions and comments, please submit your written comments prior to 4 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 20.

Each public comment emailed to the city clerk will be read aloud by the mayor or a member of staff for up to three minutes or will be displayed on a screen. Public comment emails and town hall public comment submissions that are received after the beginning of the meeting will not be included in the record.

At the start of the meeting, the council will meet the month’s adoptable dogs and get a presentation on the 2020 Census.

Under council business, council members will consider the first reading of an ordinance to amend the municipal code in order to increase the salary of council members.

The council discussed the proposal at its meeting on Aug. 6 and directed staff to come back with a draft ordinance, as Lake County News has reported.

City Attorney Ryan Jones told the council that, by statute, council members’ salaries are set according to population, and the maximum for cities Clearlake’s size is $300. However, the city can still give council members a 5 percent annual raise.

The draft ordinance proposes to raise the salary for each council member from the current amount of $300 per month to $500 per month. Originally the council had considered raising it up to $765, which would include a 5 percent increase for each of the past 31 years, the length of time it’s been since the city council salary was set.

In a report Jones and City Manager Alan Flora authored for the meeting, they note that an automatic 5 percent annual increase is not permissible under state law. Government Code section 36516(a)(4) states that “no ordinance shall be enacted or amended to provide automatic future increases in salary.”

In other business, the council will discuss and give possible direction to staff regarding modifications to commercial cannabis regulations.

In his report on the item, Flora noted that the regulations the council approved several years ago allowed for a maximum of three retail dispensaries and 12 permits for other commercial cannabis uses such as manufacturing, distribution, cultivation, labs or delivery-only dispensaries.

He said the maximum number of permits have been issued and some of the permittees have begun operations.

“Based on the continued demand for space for cannabis activity, and the success of the existing cannabis businesses already operating, it may be appropriate for the Council to consider increasing the cap on maximum permits or another alternative to allow additional permits to be issued within the existing zones already approved for cannabis businesses,” Flora wrote.

Also on Thursday, the council will consider designating voting delegates and alternates for the League of California Cities’ annual conference in October and hold the first reading of an ordinance amending the Clearlake Municipal Code relating to universal garbage collection and authorizing administrative citations to collect unpaid debt.

On the meeting's consent agenda – items that are not considered controversial and are usually adopted on a single vote – are warrant registers; minutes of the July 8, 2020, Lake County Vector Control District Board meeting; disposal of surplus vehicles, Resolution No. 2020-34; authorization to purchase two trailer-mounted mobile traffic signals, with motion sensors and controllers, to replace flaggers in right-of-way work zones; adoption of the first amendment to the Fiscal Year 2020-21 Budget (Resolution 2020-27), appropriating funding for public safety communications equipment, Resolution No. 2020-35; and adoption of a resolution approving an allocation of funding and the execution of a grant agreement and any amendments
thereto from the CDBG-DR Program for $1,157,983 for the Multi-Family Housing Program, Resolution No. 2020-36.

The council also will hold a closed session to discuss two potential cases of litigation.

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.