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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Clearlake City Council on Thursday voted to approve a new ordinance to implement changes to rules regarding commercial cannabis operations, allowing more of them to open in the city.
Thursday’s discussion about the rule changes was the third meeting in a row in which the council discussed them.
The item begins at the 1:29:15 mark in the video above.
The discussions initially had begun at the Aug. 25 meeting, when staff asked the council if it wanted to increase the maximum number of permittees allowed.
At the time, City Manager Alan Flora said the city had a continued demand for licenses and the city’s existing cannabis businesses were seeing success with their operations.
At the Sept. 3 meeting, Flora returned with more information at the request of the council – relating to the number of permittees, police calls at the facilities, available commercial zoning and financial impacts.
The council at that point gave the go-ahead for changes to the number of businesses allowed and locations.
In his report for the Sept. 17 meeting, Flora said retail dispensaries would continue to be limited to three as they currently are in the city municipal code.
The rule changes would lift the caps on delivery-on dispensaries, which is two, and other cannabis businesses, which is 12, and rather than using a total number as the basis would instead limit them to locations on the city’s Commercial Cannabis Combining District map, Flora said.
In an email before Thursday’s meeting, Flora told Lake County News that there is immediate interest for at least four additional permits.
During the council discussion, staff read a public comment from city resident Joan Mingori, who asked if they wanted the city to be the cannabis capital. She added that she believed it was criminal to not let people speak to the council face-to-face about the matter, a reference to the fact that the council meetings continue to remain closed to in-person participation by the public.
She said there is a growing black market issue and asked why staff continued to bring up the matter, questioning how many of them live in the city.
Councilman Russ Perdock said he disagreed with removing the number cap, pointing out that at the Sept. 3 meeting he had suggested increasing the cap numbers by six.
Councilwoman Joyce Overton, maintaining that she was the only one to be against allowing the cannabis businesses to begin with, said she didn’t think the new rule changes would be a big issue.
Councilman Phil Harris moved to approve the first reading of the ordinance, which was seconded by Vice Mayor Dirk Slooten. The council approved the ordinance 4-1, with Perdock voting no.
In other business on Thursday, the council got an update on animal shelter operations, heard a presentation from Pacific Gas and Electric Co. on public safety power shutoffs, approved the first reading of an ordinance adopting the city’s development impact fee program for transportation, awarded a $455,000 contract to the California Engineering Co. for professional engineering services for the Sulphur Fire Road Rehabilitation Project, approved a radio voting receiver site for the police department, adopted a third amendment to the Fiscal Year 2020-21 budget to appropriate funding for professional services, equipment and supplies, and gave Overton direction on voting for resolutions as the city’s delegate at the 2020 League of California Cities Annual Conference, which is virtual this year.
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- Written by: LAKE COUNTY NEWS REPORTS
The US Forest Service said Monday that the August Complex as a whole had reached 846,752 acres.
The complex was sparked by lightning storms in mid-August. It is burning on the Mendocino, Shasta-Trinity and Six Rivers National Forests and has been divided into three zones – the South, which includes Lake County – as well as the North and West zones.
Officials said the east side of the South Zone is fully contained, and the containment of the entire complex is now 34 percent.
To put this into perspective, officials said the perimeter of the August Complex is more than 568 miles, a greater distance than the drive from Boise, Idaho, to Red Bluff, California.
On Sunday, smoke prevented the use of aircraft to assist in the firing operations around Pillsbury Ranch, but firefighters continued to utilize hand ignition where possible to remove vegetation and increase protection of structures, officials said.
While hand ignition by ground crews is slower than aerial ignition, the Forest Service said it allows for continued progress when smoky conditions make it unsafe to fly.
Dozers and crews continue structure protection and strengthening the control lines west and northwest of Lake Pillsbury. Officials said these lines will be used as both primary and alternate locations for containment of the fire.
Fire crews are widening lines and installing pumps and hose to prepare for future firing and holding operations, the Forest Service said.
The number of structures the complex has destroyed remained at 35 on Monday. Also unchanged is the number threatened – 1,595.
Full containment is still expected on Nov. 15, the Forest Service said.
Evacuations in the complex’s south zone remain in effect for Mendocino and Lake counties.
In Mendocino County, evacuation orders have been reduced to evacuation warnings for zone A, zone C, and a part of zone E, while Pillsbury Ranch and the Lake Pillsbury basin in Lake County are still under mandatory orders. Evacuation information can also be found here.
Forest Order No. 08-20-13 remains in effect for the August Complex. Residents and property owners may return to their properties within the Mendocino National Forest in Glenn County, but access to the Forest Service closure area for other purposes, including hunting and recreation, is prohibited.
Properties accessed via a Forest System road may require a permit from the US Forest Service. Contact the Mendocino National Forest at 530-934-3316 for more information.
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
On Monday, Lake County’s COVID-19 caseload rose to 512, up by 53 since the last report on Friday. Of those, 96 are active and continue to be monitored by Public Health, 405 are recovered and one is hospitalized.
Dr. Gary Pace also reported Lake County’s 11th COVID-19-related death, which he said was not associated with a recent outbreak at a skilled nursing facility, Lakeport Post Acute.
Public Health departments in all 58 counties reported Monday a statewide total of about 789,000 cases and more than 15,000 deaths from COVID-19.
As of Monday, all three of Lake County’s skilled nursing facilities have COVID-19 cases – two of them with residents who have contracted the virus and one has cases involving staff only – based on the California Department of Public Health’s skilled nursing facility COVID-19 dashboard.
Lakeport Post Acute has 36 confirmed cases in residents, 21 in staff and seven deaths so far, according to state and local officials.
Pace said another facility – which he did not name – has two resident cases and four staff have tested positive.
The California Department of Public Health’s skilled nursing facility COVID-19 dashboard indicated that that second facility with both residents and staffers who have tested positive for COVID-19 is Rocky Point Care Center in Lakeport.
Meadowood Nursing Center in Clearlake also has staffers – last reported at two by local officials – who have tested positive for the virus.
“It appears the usual course is a staff member becoming infected in the community, and bringing it to work,” Pace said of the spread of the virus in skilled nursing facilities. “Multiple other situations of COVID infection are arising in care workers and local businesses.”
He continued, “Labor Day was two weeks ago today, and post-holiday increases are common. We have all been sacrificing many normal experiences for six months now. It is tough to maintain a high level of vigilance; masking, avoidance of social gatherings and proper social distancing all seem to be decreasing in our communities.”
Given the increase in cases, Pace said Lake County’s latest numbers are consistent with the state’s most restrictive tier, purple or Tier 1, in its Blueprint for a Safer Economy.
Pace said if the local case growth trend continues, the state will force Lake County to close indoor dining and add other restrictions.
“Schools not open for on-site instruction by the time we get to that point will not be able to open until we get back into the Red Zone – Tier 2 – and stay there for two weeks. These are state mandates. We sacrifice local control when we fail to take basic precautions known to slow the spread,” he said.
“Most of us want to keep businesses open, and resume on-site learning at schools as soon as it is safe,” Pace said. “How do we accomplish this? Slowing transmission in the community by wearing masks and avoiding gatherings with people outside of our households. Indoor gatherings are high risk, and may have particularly serious consequences if you or someone in your family works in a setting with vulnerable people – like a nursing home, homeless shelter, hospital or jail.”
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
The meeting will begin at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 22.
The supervisors will meet in the board chambers on the first floor of the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport, for a hybrid meeting format which also will include the opportunity for community members to continue to participate virtually.
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 at 9 a.m. The meeting ID is 993 7987 0523, password 835361.
To submit a written comment on any agenda item please visit https://countyoflake.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx and click on the eComment feature linked to the meeting date. If a comment is submitted after the meeting begins, it may not be read during
the meeting but will become a part of the record.
At 9:02 a.m., the board will consider a reference filed with the Registrar of Voters Office to challenge the ordinance the board passed on Aug. 18 to provide for graduated levels of enforcement of Public Health orders, including the imposition of fines.
At 10 a.m., the board will present several proclamations, including to Bob Malley, who has spent more than a decade on the Lake County Planning Commission, to Det. Jerry Pfann of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office who is retiring this month, another marking the 100th anniversary of Disabled American Veterans, one declaring Friday, Sept. 25, as Native American Day in Lake County, and will honor Lakeport resident Lydia Meraz for her heroic actions in saving the life of 3-year-old Darius Apar.
At 11:15 a.m., the board will continue a discussion from Sept. 1 regarding issues with the Treasurer-Tax Collector’s Office, including a proposed vote of no confidence and request for resignation of Treasurer-Tax Collector Barbara Ringen.
The full agenda follows.
CONSENT AGENDA
5.1: Adopt proclamation commending Bob Malley for his 10+ years of service as a planning commissioner.
5.2: Adopt proclamation honoring the 100th anniversary of Disabled American Veterans.
5.3: Adopt proclamation declaring Friday, Sept. 25, 2020, as Native American Day in Lake County, California.
5.4: Adopt proclamation commending Lydia Meraz for heroic actions in saving the life of 3-year-old Darius Apar.
5.5: Adopt resolution amending Resolution No. 2020-133 adopting the Final Recommended Budget for Fiscal Year 2020-21.
5.6: Approve change to board’s annual meeting calendar for 2020.
5.7: (a) Waive the formal bidding process, pursuant to Lake County Code Section 38.2, as it is not in the public interest due to the unique nature of goods or services; and (b) approve the agreement between the county of Lake and Resource Development Associates for implementation and maintenance of the Network of Care Website for Fiscal Year 2020-21 for a contract maximum of $48,000 and authorize the board chair to sign the agreement.
5.8: (a) Waive the formal bidding process, pursuant to Lake County Code Section 38.2, as it is not in the public interest due to the unique nature of goods or services; and (b) approve the agreement between the county of Lake and Vista Pacifica Enterprises Inc. for adult residential support services and specialty mental health services for Fiscal Year 2020-21 for contract maximum of $78,000 and authorize the board chair to sign the agreement.
5.9: Adopt resolution to amend the budget for FY 2020-2021 by appropriating unanticipated revenue for Public Health Services and authorize the Health Services director to sign necessary documents to secure these funds.
5.10: Sitting as the Kelseyville County Waterworks #3 Board of Directors, (a) approve Proposed Private Lateral Grant Program to assist property owners for the replacement costs of private laterals to reduce inflow and infiltration; and (b) adopt resolution canceling reserves in the amount of $15,000 to fund the program.
5.11: (a) Adopt resolution revising the Fiscal Year 2020-2021 adopted budget of the county of Lake by canceling reserves in Fund 295 Special Districts Administration Equipment, in the amount of $30,000 to make appropriations in Budget Unit 8695, Object Code 786.62-74; (b) authorize the Special Districts administrator / assistant purchasing agent to issue a purchase order not to exceed $30,000 to Industrial Electrical Co. for the purchase of a 15 KW generator for the Special Districts Administration building.
5.12: Adopt proclamation commending Jerry Pfann on his retirement.
5.13: Approve mileage reimbursement for Al Acrey, quagga mussel monitor in the amount of $983.32 and authorize the auditor to pay.
TIMED ITEMS
6.1, 9:01 a.m.: Public input.
6.2, 9:02 a.m.: Consideration of direction to the Registrar of Voters regarding the referendum against Ordinance No. 3097, “An Ordinance of the County of Lake to Provide for Graduated Levels of Enforcement of Public Health Orders Through Education and Training and the Imposition of Administrative Fines”, adopted by your Board on Aug. 18, 2020.
6.3, 10 a.m.: Presentation of (a) proclamation commending Bob Malley for his 10+ years of service as a planning commissioner; (b) proclamation commending Jerry Pfann on his retirement; (c) proclamation honoring the 100th anniversary of Disabled American Veterans; and (d) proclamation declaring Friday, September 25, 2020, as Native American Day in Lake County; and (e) proclamation commending Lydia Meraz for heroic actions in saving the life of 3-year-old Darius Apar.
6.4, 10:10 a.m.: Presentation of Employee Service Awards.
6.5, 11:00 a.m.: Public hearing, consideration/discussion of naming existing unnamed roads in the Jerusalem Valley area of Middletown.
6.6, 11:15 a.m.: Continued from Sept. 1, presentation on continuing issues regarding Treasurer/Tax Collector’s Office, vote of no confidence and request for resignation of Barbara Ringen.
CLOSED SESSION
8.1: Public Employee Evaluations: IT Director Shane French, Social Services Director Crystal Markytan.
8.2: Conference with legal counsel: Existing litigation pursuant to Government Code section 54956.9(d)(1) Center for Biological Diversity v. County of Lake, et al.
8.3: Conference with legal counsel: Existing litigation pursuant to Government Code section 54956.9(d)(1) California Native Plant Society v. County of Lake, et al.
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