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Lake County Public Health Officer Dr. Gary Pace confirmed the six new cases on Wednesday.
The new cases bring Lake County’s case total to 20, Pace said.
Regarding the newly confirmed cases, Pace said, “Most are connected with a previous case, so we would consider it a cluster. No one is in the hospital at this point.”
Of Lake County’s 20 cases, 10 are active and 10 are recovered. No deaths locally have been reported.
This is the largest number of new cases reported at once in Lake County so far during the pandemic. With the two cases confirmed on Memorial Day, it brings this week’s confirmed cases to eight.
As of Wednesday, more than 1,700 of Lake County’s 64,000 residents had been tested for COVID-19, according to Public Health’s latest reporting.
Pace had reported to the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday that a special test site had been set up on Friday in response to concerns about one of Lake County’s active COVID-19 cases. At that time, they tested 95 people.
The first 40 tests results came in over the weekend, yielding two positive test results which were reported on Monday, as Lake County News has reported.
Pace told the board on Tuesday that another 55 test results were expected to come back any day.
However, Pace did not respond to Lake County News’ questions about whether or not the latest six cases came from among those pending test results from the Friday site.
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CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Clearlake City Council is planning a special meeting to discuss the sale of two parcels that formerly made up the Austin Resort property.
The council will meet virtually at 9 a.m. Wednesday, May 27.
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 Lake County PEG TV’s YouTube Channel.
Comments and questions can be submitted in writing for City Council consideration by sending them to City Clerk Melissa Swanson at
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.
To give the city council adequate time to review your questions and comments, please submit written comments prior to 8 a.m. Wednesday, May 27.
The key business on Wednesday’s special meeting agenda relates to the proposed sale of the Austin Resort properties to Bailey Building and Loans LLC, which wants to build a destination resort at the site.
The sale will be taken up in two separate items because the property consists of two parcels.
The first is the 4.74-acre parcel located at 14061 Lakeshore Drive and owned by the city’s redevelopment successor agency since 1997.
The second property, located at 14071 Lakeshore Drive, is 2.94 acres. The former redevelopment agency also purchased the property in 1997 and in 2001 sold it to the city.
City staff is seeking approval from the council to authorize separate purchase and sale agreements for the two properties between the respective property owners – the redevelopment successor agency and the city – and Bailey Building and Loans LLC.
The council initially approved a letter of intent to sell the properties to Bailey Building and Loans in March. Last week, the Clearlake Planning Commission held a special meeting during which it found the proposed sale to be in conformance with the city’s general plan.
City Manager Alan Flora said the property has been envisioned by the city as the site for public space and a new resort.
“The Austin Resort property has had mixed interest in redevelopment over the years,” Flora’s report to the council for Wednesday’s meeting explained.
“The Redevelopment Agency portion of the property has been available for sale, but no significant or viable interest until the past several months,” Flora wrote.
He said representatives of the company met with city staff and Mayor Russ Cremer and Vice Mayor Dirk Slooten to discuss the opportunity at the site.
The company is proposing to buy both parcels for $915,350, Flora reported.
Flora said the city would receive 100-percent of the proceeds from the sale of 14071 Lakeshore, or $350,407, and 15.73 percent of the proceeds from the sale of 14061 Lakeshore parcel, which would total $88,815, based on calculations from the Lake County Auditor-Controller’s Office.
Other taxing entities also would receive funds from the sale of the property owned by the successor agency. Flora said the biggest share would go to the Konocti Unified School District, which would receive 44.7 percent or $252,534.
The oversight board for the former successor agency still has to meet to discuss the proposed sale; that meeting is set for June 8.
On the meeting's consent agenda – items that are not considered controversial and are usually adopted on a single vote – is the approval of Amendment No. 1 to the management and administrative services agreement with Regional Government Services for consulting services, with an amount not to exceed $45,000, and authorize the city manager to sign.
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On Tuesday Behavioral Health Services Administrator Todd Metcalf went to the board to ask it to consider amending an agreement with the Harbor Warming Center Project for the COVID-19 shelter for the homeless.
The center is located in Lakeport in the former Record-Bee building on Main Street. Originally it was supposed to close in the spring but has been extended for additional months in order to offer a location for the homeless to shelter in place.
The amendment increases the contract maximum from $79,511.74 to $152,664.66.
Metcalf said this second round of funding allows the shelter to continue operating through the end of June.
“I think giving the Hope Harbor Center another month is definitely needed,” said Supervisor Tina Scott, explaining that the center is looking for strategies on how to wind down.
She said the center has done great work and helped its clients to get other services. “It’s really been a win-win for the community.”
Metcalf said he had some other ideas for the money “but this is the obvious place it needs to go.”
He also noted the ongoing discussions on how the center will close and transition its clients. Metcalf said they are trying to come up with some creative solutions to mitigate some of the homelessness problem here in Lake County.
Scott moved to approve the amendment, which Supervisor EJ Crandell seconded and the board approved 5-0.
In other business, the board ratified an order issued on Friday by Sheriff Brian Martin, acting as director of the Office of Emergency Services, that allows business owners to temporarily use county-owned right of way and property – such as sidewalks – in order to be able to meet social distancing guidelines.
As part of that item, the board voted to send a letter to Caltrans asking that it also allow local businesses temporary use of state-owned properties during the reopening phases.
Also on Tuesday, the board considered returning to in-person board meetings.
Board members favored a hybrid approach that included having the board return to the chambers but continuing to do live Zoom and Facebook streams – along with the Granicus feed on the county website – in order to allow more people to participate without having to crowd into the chambers.
Board Chair Moke Simon suggested the board could resume meeting in person on June 9.
He said he liked that the live streams on Zoom and Facebook have opened up the meetings for more people to be involved and for the government to be more transparent. Other members of the board agree.
County Administrative Officer Carol Huchingson said she can start drafting guidelines for resuming the in-person meetings.
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The council will meet at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 27.
To speak on an agenda item, access the meeting remotely here or join by phone by calling 951-384-3421 or toll-free, 866-901-6455. The access code is 293-316-205; the audio pin will be shown after joining the webinar. Those phoning in without using the web link will be in “listen mode” only and will not be able to participate or comment.
Comments can be submitted by email to
During the Wednesday afternoon meeting, the council will consider approving the acquisition of 810 N. Main St. from the Hotaling family and authorizing City Manager Margaret Silveira to execute the related documents, including the grant deed to be signed by 11 Hotaling family members.
The purchase price is $50,000.
County property records show the parcel as being an acre and a half in size, and running along the lakeshore and into the lakebed next to the former Natural High property at 800 N. Main St.
The city has been in negotiations for the property for some time. It’s part of the land the city wants to use for a new lakefront park, along with the five-acre parcel at 800 N. Main St., owned by the Lakeport Unified School District.
In February, the city received a $6 million state grant to fund the new park, as Lake County News has reported.
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Lakeport City Council Agend... by LakeCoNews on Scribd