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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
This year’s document is presented online in the OpenGov format, which allows users to look at various graphics and explanations of the different budget units.
The document shows that revenue for all city funds totals $18,274,194 in the 2020-21 budget, down from the total $23,446,230 for the 2019-20 budget.
City Manager Alan Flora noted in his introduction to the budget that 2020 was supposed to be “that year” – the one in which Clearlake’s history was put behind it and the city “walked into the better future this community deserves.”
What the city got instead – like so many other cities, businesses, organizations and individuals nationwide and worldwide – is a year filled with unexpected challenges which have shuttered businesses, led to major job losses, stretched financial resources and caused many other hardships.
At Thursday night’s meeting, Flora told the council, “It’s definitely a unique situation that we’re living in.”
In his budget explanation, Flora pointed out some of the positives, such as how the community found ways to support each other while many city projects continued. “We found ways not to let our progress stop, but to look beyond this pandemic to a new day,” he wrote.
Even so, Flora told the council that they can expect hardships, including that the city will see some of its revenue sources down by 10 percent or more.
The picture is not entirely bleak, however. Flora said all of staff’s budget projections indicate that Clearlake will not be as impacted as some other communities which more heavily rely on tourism and, as a result, “are seeing staggering reductions in workforce and revenues.”
Actions Flora said the city has taken include departments keeping spending at “status quo” levels, with only scheduled salary increases; eliminating or reducing one-time expenses and contract services; no new projects or initiatives; and freezing most unfilled positions.
There “are a lot of conflicting opinions out there about where we’re headed,” Flora said.
He said that Beacon Economics, an independent economic research and consulting firm based in Los Angeles, is forecasting that the 2020 coronavirus recession will be one of the sharpest but shortest on record. Just how quickly the state’s economy returns to full speed rests largely on the willingness of the public and consumers to return to their regular routines.
Flora pointed out that the state of California will have to make considerable budget cuts this year, but that he doesn’t believe that the situation ultimately will be as extreme as projected.
He said the California Department of Finance’s revenue forecast, which calls for no growth in the United States’ gross domestic product, is likely overly pessimistic, and noted that most California job losses so far have occurred in lower-paying sectors of the economy, which have a lower impact on state revenues.
He said forecasts are for a V-shaped recovery, with pre-COVID-19 levels of production expected in the United States by year’s end, at which point national unemployment – most recently reported to be at 13.3 percent – is expected to be back in the 5-percent range.
Flora said there are drops in revenue sources such as sales tax, with the city also facing the possibility of deferred sales tax payments until later in the new fiscal year, a measure the governor is allowing to help businesses.
During the discussion, both Vice Mayor Dirk Slooten and Mayor Russ Cremer said they believed fiscal quarters coming up – not the current one – will actually be the most telling in understanding the financial picture.
Flora noted during the meeting that the city currently doesn’t have a finance director, and he credited Police Chief Andrew White and City Clerk/Administrative Services Director Melissa Swanson with stepping up to help craft the new budget.
Making adjustments
Flora said that in the 2019-20 fiscal year the city’s personnel costs were undercalculated. In the new budget, the city has adjusted its allocation of several positions, and has unfunded unfilled positions such as associate planner and facilities maintenance worker jobs.
They also are budgeting salary savings by not filling some jobs temporarily, like keeping a community service officer job open for six months, and keeping two police officer jobs vacant for two and six months, respectively.
There will be adjustments for the city council’s health insurance costs, reduced projects and equipment to balance reduced revenue from the Measure V road tax, and the use of additional fund balance from gas tax and SB 1 funding for projects, Flora said.
Areas that Flora said will see little or no adjustments include the budgets for the city attorney, city manager, finance, parks/city engineer/community center, administrative services, building maintenance, Community Development Block Grant and low- and moderate-income housing programs.
Several capital projects will move forward. Flora said they include road work on Pearl, Emory and Mullen, chip sealing and a local partnership project on Modoc and Second.
Facilities and infrastructure work that Flora said will continue, funded through Series A bonds and grants, are Austin Park, the new animal shelter, the Public Works corporation yard, improvements to the senior/community center and Airport Road.
There was no public comment on the budget before Councilman Phil Harris moved to approve it, Councilman Russ Perdock seconded and the council approved it 5-0.
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
During the webinar, Matt Pender, director PG&E's Community Wildfire Safety Program, said the season for PSPS events remains Sept. 1 and beyond, when weather patterns tend to move toward dry winds from the east.
The goal is to make such PSPS events shorter in duration. However, while Pender said they think that longer events of three to five days are relatively unlikely – last year, Lake County was without power for six days – he said longer events are possible depending on the weather.
One of the main speakers for the Wednesday webinar was Carl Schoenhofer, senior manager of PG&E’s Humboldt and North Valley divisions.
He acknowledged that PG&E was in Butte County Superior Court this week for its role in the November 2018 Camp fire that destroyed the town of Paradise and killed 84 people.
On Monday, PG&E pleaded guilty to 84 counts of involuntary manslaughter and one count of unlawfully starting a fire, the result of a March agreement reached with the Butte County District Attorney’s Office.
Following the Monday court appearance, Butte County District Attorney Mike Ramsay called the plea “unprecedented in nature” and “a historic moment.”
“The lessons we've learned from the fire are being taken to heart and driving comprehensive changes currently underway at PG&E,” Schoenhofer said. “These changes are being done to make sure the tragedy that occurred in that community never occurs again. We cannot replace everything that was lost, but we hope by pleading guilty and accepting accountability compensating the victims and rebuilding paradise to honor those that were lost will help this community move forward.”
Measures to reduce size, scope of PSPS events
Schoenhofer then turned to the measures the company is now taking, explaining that the number of high fire threat areas in the PG&E service area have increased by more than 50 percent in the last eight years.
As a result, the company has implemented the PSPS when severe weather – including high winds and dry conditions – threatens a portion of the electric system. He said the most likely electric lines to be shut off will be those that pass through the high fire threat areas, although power to homes and businesses miles away could experience outages if the transmission lines that serve those areas are in the threat area.
While no single factor will drive a public safety power shutoff event, Schoenhofer said the deciding factors generally include a red flag warning issued by the National Weather Service. Factors contributing to those red flag warnings are low humidity levels and high winds.
He said PG&E has looked at weather model data collected over the last 30 years and developed a conservative estimate of the number of potential PSPS events that can be expected to occur.
In 2019, Lake and Mendocino counties had four PSPS events while the historical weather analysis would have anticipated maybe one event per year, he said.
Schoenhofer said PG&E is making PSPS events smaller in size and shorter in length. The company’s goal this year is to reduce the number of customers affected by a PSPS by nearly one-third compared to last year. When the shutoffs do occur, the company plans to shorten the duration and restore customers twice as fast after the severe weather event has passed.
The company is installing more than 600 devices systemwide that are capable of redirecting power and limiting the size of the outages so fewer communities are without power. Schoenhofer said they also are installing microgrids that use generators to serve portions of communities that include community resource centers, hospitals, police and fire stations, and gas stations and markets.
The restoration process will be sped up by using more helicopters to inspect potential damage to power equipment. He said PG&E has increased the contracted helicopters from 35 to 65 and is commissioning new airplanes for patrols that will utilize infrared equipment capable of nighttime inspections.
Weather stations and cameras part of preparedness plan
Dave Hotchkiss, PG&E’s public safety specialist, said the company is adding approximately 400 new weather stations this year for a total of 1,300 stations by the end or by 2022. This will equate to roughly one weather station per 20 circuit miles in the high fire threat areas.
In Lake County, Hotchkiss said PG&E currently has 20 weather stations installed with four additional remote automated weather stations that are either operated by the United States Forest Service or Cal Fire. In Mendocino County, PG&E has 30 weather stations, with another seven that are Forest Service or Cal Fire stations.
He said the data collected by these stations is streamed in real-time and available to municipalities, fire agencies, county and state Office of Emergency Services officials, and the public online. The company’s website also offers real-time weather information.
Earlier this week, the California Public Utilities Commission approved a proposal by PG&E to create microgrids to reduce the number of customers affected by public safety power shutoff, or PSPS, events, as Lake County News has reported.
Hotchkiss said PG&E is installing hundreds of new sectional devices in its service territory which separate the grid into smaller parts and keep the lights on for customers during PSPS events. For 2020, 11 such devices are planned to be installed in Lake County and 19 are planned in Mendocino County.
Last year, neither Lake nor Mendocino County had any microgrids established. Hotchkiss said that PG&E is setting up six possible sites this year in Lake County and 10 in Mendocino County.
Enhanced vegetation management is another aspect of PG&E’s effort to minimize fire starts, Hotchkis said.
For 2020 the company is focusing on vegetation work along 34 line miles in Lake County, which he said is an area stretching from Cobb to Middletown and toward Lower Lake and the city of Clearlake. In Mendocino County PG&E has 48 line miles targeted, including portions north of Laytonville toward Leggett and south to Willits and Potter Valley.
Schoenhofer said that since 2019 PG&E has been working with counties and tribes to improve community resource center locations to better serve our customers and communities.
They’re working to secure locations with permanent structures and have received more than 300 site recommendations that they are currently reviewing. Schoenhofer said PG&E has a team exploring options to provide key resources depending on what COVID-19 social distancing precautions may be in place during the fire season. Those options could include a mobile van, a pop-up tent or possibly reconfigured community resource centers.
Pender explained that there are two kinds of microgrids they can use to deploy generation and power up the customers who are safe to energize during PSPS events. They have five substation locations identified for that equipment in Lake County this year.
During the meeting, officials were asked about older equipment, some of which could be more than 100 years old. Older equipment was faulted for the Camp fire.
Pender said that the company, based on its inspections of equipment in 2019, is working on a new inspection cycle where every year equipment in the extreme fire threat area, also known as Tier 3, is inspected, with assets in Tier 2 to be inspected every third year.
The full webinar presentation will be posted in the PG&E website in the near future, the company reported.
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
While the shelter has moved most of its dogs into foster, potential adopters can make appointments to meet and adopt available dogs.
The following dogs are ready for adoption or foster.
‘Bella’
“Bella” is a female American Bully mix with a short beige and tan coat.
She is dog No. 3537.
‘Lady’
“Lady” is a female German Shepherd mix.
She has been spayed.
She is dog No. 3683.
‘Spud’
“Spud” is a male American Staffordshire Terrier with a short brindle and white coat.
He has been neutered.
He is dog No. 3733.
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
Visit Clearlake Animal Control on Facebook or at the city’s website.
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- Written by: Lake County News reports
Due to the current health crisis, vehicles may have been idle for longer periods than normal and have not received the same daily attention to maintenance details.
“We understand the public is eager to get out and travel, but health and safety should remain a priority for everyone on California’s roadways,” CHP Commissioner Warren Stanley said. “Remember, fewer cars and less congested roadways are not an invitation to speed or engage in dangerous behavior behind the wheel.”
As statewide restrictions lessen and travel increases, this summer is likely to see a surge of traffic.
The CHP recommends:
– Drive sober! Never drive after consuming alcohol or while under the influence of legal or illegal drugs.
– Avoid distractions when operating a motor vehicle.
– Make sure vehicle maintenance is up to date. Hot summer temperatures can put stress on engines. Tires, belts and hoses, fluid levels, interior and exterior lights, and wiper blades must all be in good condition.
– Program any mapping systems, whether in your phone or in your car, in advance. Caltrans has a mobile app for traffic information, or visit http://quickmap.dot.ca.gov for highway conditions. Prepare for device malfunctions or loss of connection by knowing your route before you leave.
– Buckle up! Be sure everyone in your vehicle is wearing a seat belt. Check that young passengers are using the correct child safety seat for their height and weight.
– Never leave pets, children, or the elderly alone in a car for any length of time. California laws address how to handle situations in which children or animals are left in vehicles. However, the best approach if you see an unattended child or animal is to call 9-1-1.
– Expect road construction and plan for delays. Remember to “be work zone alert” and move over or slow down when passing any stationary vehicle displaying emergency or warning lights, including emergency vehicles, Caltrans vehicles and tow trucks.