NORTH COAST, Calif. – Cal Fire said firefighters are making progress on a wildland fire burning in Mendocino County and fully contained another in Solano County.

Work to contain the Moose fire in Mendocino County is continuing while firefighters have reached the 100-percent containment mark on the Timm fire in Solano County.

By Tuesday night, the Moose fire – which began Monday evening off Moose Road and Bus McGall Road northwest of Hopland – remained at 225 acres, with containment up to 35 percent, Cal Fire said.

No structures have been damaged or destroyed. Earlier on Tuesday, the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office had reported that evacuation orders in the McNab Ranch area had been lifted.

One firefighter suffered a minor injury on the incident, Cal Fire said.

Cal Fire said firefighters continue to make steady progress in adding depth to the containment lines and extinguishing interior hotspots. They’ve been challenged by the rough terrain – steep mountains, deep ravines, rock outcroppings and rolling debris – and increased temperatures.

Resources assigned include 461 firefighters, 23 hand crews, 22 engines, nine water tenders, two helicopters and two dozers, Cal Fire said.

Cal Fire doesn’t so far have an estimated date of containment for the fire, the cause of which remains under investigation.

In Soloano County, firefighters were able to contain the Timm fire after several hours of effort on Tuesday afternoon.

The fire began shortly after 2:30 p.m. on Allendale and Timm roads. Cal Fire said it burned a total of 81 acres in grass. No structures or infrastructure were threatened or destroyed.

Cal Fire said full containment on the incident was quickly reached with the help of three air tankers, a helicopter and two dozers, along with two hand crews, five engines, two water tenders and 74 firefighters.

That fire’s cause also remains under investigation, Cal Fire said.

Editor’s note: The original story said Sonoma not Solano County. We regret the error.

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NORTH COAST, Calif. – The Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office said Tuesday afternoon that evacuation orders have been reduced to warnings for the Moose fire near Hopland, but residents of the area are still urged to be vigilant.

The fire, which began on Monday evening, is now reported to be 225 acres, with containment remaining at 25 percent, Cal Fire said.

The Moose fire is burning in steep terrain and brush in the area of Moose Road and Bus McGall Road northwest of Hopland, officials said.

The sheriff’s office said 10 structures have been threatened but none destroyed.

On Monday evening officials issued evacuation orders for the McNab Ranch area including Valley View Road, Bus McGall Road and Moose Road, and an evacuation warning for another part of the McNab Ranch area covering the north end of Feliz Creek Road and Feliz Creek Drive.

The sheriff’s office said the evacuation orders have been reduced to evacuation warnings. Residents in these areas are still encouraged to remain diligent and conscious of their surroundings as the evacuation orders and warnings can change at any time depending on the fire activity.

Resources that Cal Fire said remain assigned to the fire on Tuesday include 300 firefighters, 15 engines, 10 crews, five air tankers, four water tenders, three dozers and two helicopters.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport City Council is planning a special meeting to discuss the application to annex an area along South Main Street and a resolution regarding the formation of an underground utility district.

The council will meet at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 13, in the council chambers at Lakeport City Hall, 225 Park St.

On the agenda is a resolution to authorize the city’s application to the Lake Local Area Formation Commission, or Lake LAFCo, for the South Lakeport Annexation project.

The 136-acre area along South Main Street – which includes 50 parcels – is reported to be the most lucrative commercial corridor in the unincorporated county.

As a result, the potential annexation has been a source of dispute between the city of Lakeport and the county of Lake for nearly a decade.

Community Development Director Kevin Ingram’s report to the council explains that the proposed annexation area has been within the city's adopted sphere of influence – which he defined as “a planning boundary outside of an agency’s legal boundary (such as a city limit line) that designates the agency’s probable future boundary and service area” – for more than 25 years.

“There are number of reasons that this area of unincorporated South Lakeport is recognized as an area of logical expansion for the City but perhaps the greatest reason is the fact that Lakeport’s municipal sewer district has been providing service to these properties since 1985,” Ingram’s report explains.

He said the Lake County Sanitation District operates the wastewater collection system, but the wastewater is treated at the city's wastewater treatment facility. The city also plans to install a new water main in the annexation area in conjunction with the upcoming South Main Street and Soda Bay Road Rehabilitation Project.

“The water main is necessary to establish a looped system connecting the City's dead-end water mains on South Main Street and Parallel Drive. Establishing a looped system will reduce maintenance requirements and improve water quality in the system,” Ingram said. “The installation of the new water main will also make it possible for properties within the annexation area to choose to connect to the City's system. The extension of water service to the annexation area will also benefit public safety by enabling installation of fire hydrants along South Main Street and Soda Bay Road.”

Ingram’s report explains that, based on a 1997 tax-sharing agreement between the city and county, the city would pay the county $210,000 in sales tax payments over the first six years after annexation takes place.

Also on the agenda is the adoption of a resolution declaring the council’s intent to form an underground utility district along 11th Street and North Main Street.

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081319 Lakeport City Council special meeting agenda packet by LakeCoNews on Scribd

LAKEPORT, Calif. – An apartment building that sustained major damage in a November fire is slated for repairs and renovations, with the plans to go to the Lakeport Planning Commission this week.

The commission will meet beginning at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 14, in the council chambers at Lakeport City Hall, 225 Park St.

On the commission’s Wednesday agenda is an architectural and design review for the Bel Aire Apartments, located at 1125 N. Main St.

The art deco-style building, which city officials said was constructed in the 1930s and 1940s, was damaged on Nov. 11 by a fire that appeared to have burned primarily on the second floor and on the roof, as Lake County News has reported.

The fire rendered the building uninhabitable, and since November it has been kept closed off to the public.

Jonathan Bridges, on behalf of building owners Mike and Pat McCollum of Sebastopol, has applied for the architectural and design review that the commission is set to consider.

Specifically, the owners want to redesign the exterior of the two-story, 14-unit, 10,720-square-foot building.

The staff report for the meeting explains that the owners want to demolish the existing flat roof and change it to a pitched roof with brown roof shingles.

The renovation plans also call for keeping the existing concrete walls, but covering up or removing the building’s notable art deco fixtures – many of which were damaged or destroyed in the fire – and replacing them with modern trim, according to the staff report.

The owners plan to paint the building and the trim a light tan color called “Swiss coffee.” The report said there are no planned changes to the building’s 12 carports and two uncovered parking spaces in the rear of the building.

Planning staff indicate in the report that the proposed changes conform to city planning rules and design criteria.

Regarding the building’s art deco design, the report notes, “Although there is a significant desire to protect the historical integrity of the downtown area, this building does not reflect the time period or the historical appearance the City is working to preserve. A condition shall be added that the applicant shall provide detailed photographs of the ‘art deco’ elements of the existing building that can be used if any future developer would like to return the building to that ‘art deco’ design.”

Also on Wednesday, the commission will receive an update on the 11th Street Corridor project.

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081419 Lakeport Planning Commission agenda packet by LakeCoNews on Scribd

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Lake County Fair has announced that the grand marshal of this year’s event is Dr. Brian L. Grey.

The Lake County Fair will be held Aug. 29 to Sept. 1.

Qualifications for the fair grand marshal include exceptional leadership skills, longtime involvement with the fair and a life of service to their community.

Grey has been a long-time fair supporter. He was recognized by the Lake County Fair Board for his outstanding contributions to the youth of Lake County.

“Brian is the epitome of what we seek in a grand marshal,” said Lake County Fair Chief Executive Officer Courtny Conkle.

“I'm thrilled that Brian accepted our nomination as grand marshal,” Conkle said. “He is an outstanding member of our community, and he has a long history with the fairgrounds, especially supporting the kids at the Junior Livestock Auction. He is an incredibly humble person, so him accepting the nomination to represent the fair means the world to us."

Grey will lead the opening night parade on Thursday, Aug. 29, along with the fair board and will cut the ribbon, officially kicking off the 2019 Lake County Fair.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The latest testing of nearly two dozen sites on Clear Lake shows that there are four areas where cyanobacteria levels have triggered warnings.

Big Valley Band of Pomo Indians and Elem Indian Colony are conducting the water testing on a regular basis.

The most recent results reflect testing largely conducted on Aug. 5, and four areas of Clear Lake demonstrated concerning levels of cyanotoxins, which are produced by blue-green algae, officials said.

Readings of 20 micrograms per liter, or µg/L, trigger “danger” level warnings.

Testing results from July 26 and Aug. 5 showed the following areas of concern:

– Lily Cove (LC01) with a lab result from July 26 of 150 µg/L; danger zone (red). This site is not yet a regular sampling site; however the danger level from preliminary Abraxis strip testing done on July 26 was confirmed with a lab result.

– Austin Park Beach (AP01) had a lab result of 48 µg/L on July 22, which decreased to 1.9 µg/L on Aug. 5; caution zone (yellow).

– Sulphur Bank Mine (SBMMEL01) with a lab result from Aug. 5 of 0.92 µg/L; caution zone (yellow).

– Cache Creek Shady Acres (SHADY01) had a lab result of 25 µg/L on July 26, which decreased to 0.87 µg/L on Aug. 5; caution zone (yellow). Lab results improved from danger to caution or below caution level from additional testing done in between sampling events, July 26 to Aug. 5.

In addition, Redbud Park (RED01) had a lab result of 32 µg/L on July 26 which decreased to 0.41 µg/L on Aug. 5, which is below the caution zone. Its results also improved because of additional testing between July 26 and Aug. 5.

Lake County Public Health urges boaters and recreational users to avoid direct contact with or use of waters containing cyanobacteria in Lake County.

The recommendation is based on the potential health risks from cyanobacteria, which is currently blooming at varying levels in the Lower Arm and Oaks Arm of Clear Lake.

Cyanobacteria can pose health risks, particularly to children and pets. Health officials urge people to choose safe activities when visiting natural bodies of water, particularly where blooms are visible.

It is strongly recommended that people and their pets avoid contact with water and avoid swallowing lake water in an algae bloom area.

For current cyanotoxin lab results, please visit the Big Valley Band of Pomo Indians cyanotoxin monitoring Web site.

For more information and resources, visit the County’s cyanobacteria pages at http://www.lakecountyca.gov/cyanobacteria/ and http://www.lakecountyca.gov/cyanohealth/ .

NORTH COAST, Calif. – Firefighters are trying to stop a wildland fire that is burning between Hopland and Ukiah.

Cal Fire’s Mendocino Unit said the Moose fire was at 85 acres and 25-percent contained as of Monday evening.

The fire started off Moose Road and Bus McMcGall Road – in the area known as McNab Ranch, north of Hopland – shortly after 5 p.m. Monday, Cal Fire said.

Officials said the fire was burning to the southeast in brush and grass oak woodland in steep terrain.

Lake County residents reported seeing the fire’s smoke plume, especially from the Lakeport area.

Structures are threatened, which prompted evacuation orders for the McNab Ranch area including Valley View Road, Bus McGall Road and Moose Road, and an evacuation warning for another part of the McNab Ranch area covering the north end of Feliz Creek Road and Feliz Creek Drive, according to Cal Fire.

Cal Fire said Bus McGall Road at Valley View Road is closed.

There are approximately 300 firefighters at the Incident with additional personnel and equipment arriving throughout the night, Cal Fire said.

Other resources Cal Fire said are assigned include 10 crews, two helicopters, 15 engines, three dozers, four water tenders and fie air tankers.

Authorities said the fire’s cause is under investigation.

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.

KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – Cal Fire said the Golf fire has reached 100-percent containment.

The fire, which began burning at around 1 p.m. Thursday off Soda Bay Road at Golf Drive in the Black Forest, was fully contained as of Sunday evening, Cal Fire said.

It burned a total of 20 acres but did not damage or destroy any nearby homes, dozens of which were evacuated for a day due to the fire’s close proximity. Evacuations and road closures were lifted on Friday afternoon.

Officials said one firefighter of the hundreds that had been assigned suffered a minor injury.

Cal Fire said over the weekend that its investigators concluded that the fire was caused by an “improperly discarded cigarette,” as Lake County News has reported.

Four firefighters and an engine remain assigned to the incident. Cal Fire firefighters will be checking for smokes in the fire area over the next several days.

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.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Board of Supervisors’ agenda this week include several key water-related matters, from groundwater to lake health and the Potter Valley Project.

The board will meet beginning at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 13, in the board chambers on the first floor of the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport.

The meeting can be watched live on Channel 8 and online. Accompanying board documents, the agenda and archived board meeting videos also are available at that link.

At 9:15 a.m., the board is scheduled to consider a request from members Eddie Crandell and Bruno Sabatier to create a standing committee to support and facilitate the Middle Creek Restoration Project.

In their report to the board, Crandell and Sabatier are asking the board to consider creating a new standing committee called the Middle Creek Restoration Coalition “to ensure that current and future leaders of Lake County are keeping their eye on and involved in this project as it is an important project to see through to completion.”

At 9:30 a.m., in a matter continued from Aug. 6, the board – sitting as Lake County Watershed Protection District Board of Directors – will consider adopting a resolution to form the Big Valley Groundwater Sustainability Agency.

Interim Water Resources Director Scott De Leon is recommending the action after the Lake County Watershed Protection District was notified by the California Department of Water Resources that the Big Valley Groundwater Basin Alternative Sustainability Plan had not been accepted, as Lake County News has reported.

“In order to maintain local and sustainable management of the Big Valley groundwater basin, it is in the best interest for the County that the Board of Directors of the Lake County Watershed Protection District approve the resolution authorizing the District to form the Big Valley Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA). The formation of a GSA complies with State regulations and is necessary to obtain funding for the development of a Big Valley Groundwater Sustainability Plan,” De Leon said in his report.

At 9:45 a.m., the board will discuss and consider the potential impacts to Lake Pillsbury in the event the Scott Dam is decommissioned and possible county action in response to Pacific Gas and Electric’s decision to withdraw its license application for the Potter Valley Project.

In an untimed item, the board will consider a recruitment strategy for hiring of a Public Health officer now that Dr. Erin Gustafson has tendered her resignation in order to take the public health medical director for San Bernardino County. Her last day with Lake County is Aug. 30.

The full agenda follows.

CONSENT AGENDA

5.1: Approve long distance travel from Oct. 28 to 31, 2019, for County Administrative Officer Carol Huchingson to attend meetings in Washington, D.C. with federal representatives to advocate for additional disaster recovery funds for Lake County.

5.2: Approve leave of absence request for Behavioral Health business software analyst Gary Leininger from Oct. 31, 2019, to Dec. 31, 2019, and authorize the chair to sign.

5.3: (a) Waive the formal bidding process, pursuant to Lake County Section Code 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 Manzanita House for adult residential support services and specialty mental health services for Fiscal Year 2019-20 for a contract maximum of $153,300 and authorize the board chair to sign the agreement.

5.4: (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 Clover Valley Guest Home for adult residential support services and specialty mental health services for Fiscal Year 2019-20 for a contract maximum of $116,800 and authorize the board chair to sign the agreement.

5.5: (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 Redwood Community Services Inc. for the Transitional Age Youth Peer Support Program for Fiscal Year 2019-20 for a contract maximum of $40,000 and authorize the board chair to sign the agreement.

5.6: Approve Advance Step hiring of Ms. Patricia Messner in the position of Mental Health Specialist II, at Step 5, due to candidates extraordinary qualifications.

5.7: Approve the continuation of a local emergency due to the Atmospheric River Event 2019.

5.8: Approve the continuation of a local emergency due to the Mendocino Complex fire incident (River and Ranch fires).

5.9: Approve the continuation of a local emergency due to the Pawnee fire incident.

5.10: Approve the continuation of a local emergency due to the Sulphur fire incident.

5.11: Approve the continuation of a local emergency due to the Clayton fire.

5.12: Approve the continuation of a local emergency due to the Atmospheric River Storm 2017.

5.13: Adopt resolution of the Board of Supervisors approving Amendment #A-1 to the Standard Agreement #16-5022 between the county of Lake and California Department of Social Services for resource family approval program services and authorizing the director of Social Services to sign the amendment.

5.14: Approve agreement between the county of Lake and CivicSpark in the amount of $51,000 for Two Civic Spark Fellows to develop and implement an ARCGIS-based asset management program and authorize the Special Districts administrator to sign.

TIMED ITEMS

6.2, 9:06 a.m.: Consideration of continuation of a local health emergency and order prohibiting the endangerment of the community through the unsafe removal, transportation and disposal of fire debris for the Mendocino Complex fire.

6.3, 9:15 a.m.: Consideration of creating a standing committee to support and facilitate the Middle Creek Restoration Project.

6.4, 9:30 a.m.: Continued from Aug. 6, sitting as Lake County Watershed Protection District, Board of Directors, adopt resolution to form the Big Valley Groundwater Sustainability Agency.

6.5, 9:45 a.m.: Discussion and consideration of impacts to Lake Pillsbury in the event Scott Dam is decommissioned and possible county action in response to PG&E's decision to withdraw its license application for the Potter Valley Project.

UNTIMED EVENTS

7.2: Consideration of the following appointments: Lower Lake Waterworks District One Board of Directors.

7.3: Consideration of recruitment strategy for hiring of new Public Health officer.

CLOSED SESSION

8.1: Conference with legal counsel: Significant exposure to litigation pursuant to Gov. Code section 54956.9(d)(2)(e)(3): California River Watch.

8.2: Conference with legal counsel: Decision whether to initiate litigation pursuant to Gov. Code section 54956.9(d)(4): One potential case.

8.3: Conference with legal counsel: Significant exposure to litigation pursuant to Gov. Code section 54956.9(d)(2)(e)(1): One potential case.

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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County Animal Care and Control has many new young cats and kittens waiting to be adopted.

The following cats at the Lake County Animal Care and Control shelter have been cleared for adoption.

Domestic short hair kitten

This male domestic short hair kitten has a buff coat and gold eyes.

He is in cat room kennel No. 39a, ID No. 12669.

Domestic short hair kitten

This male domestic short hair kitten has a gray tabby coat and gold eyes.

He is in cat room kennel No. 39b, ID No. 12670.

Domestic short hair kitten

This female domestic short hair kitten has a tortie coat.

She is in cat room kennel No. 39d, ID No. 12679.

Domestic short hair kitten

This male domestic short hair kitten has an orange tabby coat.

He is in cat room kennel No. 39e, ID No. 12680.

Domestic short hair kittens

These male domestic short hair kittens have orange tabby and white coats.

They are in cat room kennel No. 112a, 112b and 113c, ID Nos. 12590, 12595 and 12596.

Domestic short hair kitten

This female domestic short hair kitten has a short white coat and gold eyes.

She is in cat room kennel No. 138a, ID No. 12674.

Domestic short hair kitten

This young female domestic short hair cat has a tortie coat and green eyes.

She has already been spayed.

She is in cat room kennel No. 149a, ID No. 12575.

Domestic short hair kitten

This young female domestic short hair cat has a tortie coat and green eyes.

She has already been spayed.

She is in cat room kennel No. 149b, ID No. 12576.

Lake County Animal Care and Control is located at 4949 Helbush in Lakeport, next to the Hill Road Correctional Facility.

Office hours are Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday. The shelter is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Visit the shelter online at http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control.htm.

For more information call Lake County Animal Care and Control at 707-263-0278.

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.

 

A year after China upended global materials markets by banning imports of much solid waste, the effects are still rippling around the globe. Many U.S. recyclers are awash in materials they formerly sent to China for processing. Some cities with few options are burning recyclables in incinerators.

What would it take to reduce U.S. waste management headaches? These five essential reads offer some insights.

1. Embrace the circular economy

Waste is inevitable when products are designed to be used and then thrown away. Clyde Eiríkur Hull, professor of management at Rochester Institute of Technology, offers an alternative: a circular economy in which products are used, then recycled and remanufactured into new products.

Major U.S. companies, including GM, Caterpillar and Staples, are saving money through recycling and remanufacturing. But Hull says this could be greatly scaled up if the federal government required products to be designed with future reuse in mind and taxed goods that did not comply.

“In an entirely circular economy, the U.S. would most likely still import stuff from abroad, such as steel from China. But that steel would wind up being reused in American factories, employing tax-paying American workers to manufacture new goods,” he writes.

2. Get serious about recycling plastic

Of all materials in the waste stream, plastics pose the biggest challenge. They are used in a myriad of consumer goods, including many single-use items such as straws and cutlery, and can take centuries to break down. Kate O'Neill, professor of global environmental policy at the University of California, Berkeley, compares plastic waste to J.R.R. Tolkien’s One Ring, which “can be permanently destroyed only through incineration at extremely high temperatures.”

O'Neill identifies a number of steps to boost plastic recycling in the United States. They include better consumer education about sorting and disposal; less reliance on single-stream collection, which mixes plastics with other materials; more investment in scrap processing facilities; and steps to manage specific plastic products that are hard to recycle, such as 3D printer waste.

3. Pursue plant-based plastics – and composting

Conventional plastics are derived from fossil fuel, but they can also be made from renewable biological compounds that break down more easily, such as plant sugars. A key challenge with these products is making items that are strong enough to hold up during use but still biodegradable.

“A straw and cup that disintegrate halfway through your road trip are not much use at all,” observes Michigan State University biochemist Danny Ducat, whose lab is using photosynthetic bacteria to synthesize bioplastic feedstocks.

Bioplastics also require investments at the end of their life cycles, Ducat notes. Like other plant-based materials, such as food scraps, they will only degrade readily in composting facilities, where microbes break them down in the presence of oxygen. Buried in landfills, they will persist for decades or centuries, much like conventional plastics. They also are likely to persist if they end up in other cold places with little oxygen, such as the Arctic or deep ocean waters.

“This means that any breakthroughs in materials science need to be coupled with sustainable methods for bioplastic production and a well-oiled system to direct bioplastic goods into composting facilities,” Ducat writes.

4. Recycle more steel and aluminum

Recycling is much more developed for metals than it is for plastics. In the United States, about 65 percent of old steel products and 40 to 65 percent of discarded aluminum products are recycled. But Daniel Cooper, assistant professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Michigan, asserts that more could be done.

As Cooper explains, the United States exports or throws away a lot of cheap scrap metal, and imports expensive new metal. “As an already industrialized country, the U.S. needs little new metal to meet domestic demand,” he points out. More federal support for metals recycling, he asserts, could slash new steel and aluminum imports.

In addition to saving the money and resources that go into producing new metals, such a policy would cost Americans much less than the tariffs President Donald Trump has imposed on imported steel and aluminum.

5. Reconsider waste incineration

Is burning trash instead of recycling it such a bad thing? Bucknell University economist Thomas Kinnaman thinks it’s worth a new look.

As Kinnaman acknowledges, waste incineration is much less popular in the United States than in other regions, including Japan and western Europe. Early U.S. waste combustion plants generated high levels of air pollutants, including hazardous substances such as dioxins, and often were sited in low-income and minority communities.

Incineration still has clear disadvantages. It’s more expensive than landfilling, and Kinnaman sees some evidence that once countries burn more than 40 percent of their waste, it starts to replace recycling. Nonetheless, he contends, expanding its use in the United States – which currently burns less than 13 percent of its solid waste – could be more socially responsible than shipping plastic scrap to developing countries that are ill-equipped to dispose of it.

Editor’s note: This is a roundup of previously published stories.

Jennifer Weeks, Environment + Energy Editor, The Conversation

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

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The long-running effort to establish a new animal shelter for the city of Clearlake took a major step forward on Thursday, when the council approved a staff proposal for a new facility.

Aiding that proposal is a $10,000 pledge toward the project from the Animal Coalition of Lake County, whose members were credited with playing a key role in assessing shelter options as part of the city’s Animal Control Ad Hoc Committee.

Clearlake Police Chief Andrew White, whose department oversees Clearlake Animal Control, took this next phase in the “long discussed project” to the council on Thursday.

The discussion begins at the 26:20 mark in the video above. The staff report is on page 136 of the agenda packet published below.

White said a new and improved shelter was a priority project when he was hired last year, adding he was pleased to report its progress.

The city’s animal shelter is housed in an old hangar building at the Public Works Corporation Yard, located on the city’s former Pearce Field airport site.

“Clearly the facility was not built for the current use and we lack adequate space to take the volume of animals that are taken in,” said White.

The indoor areas often are doubled up over the intended capacity of eight kennels, he said. There is no space for the city’s new contract vet to do exams and lack of space for quarantine.

Over the past year the city started working with an ad hoc committee to narrow down new shelter options, and find something financially feasible and sustainable. White said the Animal Coalition has been involved in that effort, advocating both for animals and the community’s needs in a new facility.

He said the options they considered included relocating the facility to a site in Ogulin Canyon, moving to a building next door to City Hall, renovating current buildings or building new ones.

The proposal that White said was the one that the committee and city staff agreed upon is to purchase and install two modular kennel buildings with heating and cooling, a combined capacity of 18 kennel boxes and 18 runs, a storage room, cat room, exam room and lobby area, an office, proper fencing, Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant access, new pathways and walkways, and landscaping.

There would need to be some relocating of utilities and the demolition of the current office, but the cost overall, said White, is nominal for the proposed improvements.

He said the city engineer’s office helped with the site plan and project estimate, which with contingencies totals $376,000.

White said there has been a tentative allocation for the project in the city’s budget of $200,000 in Series A bond funds.

To find the remainder of the needed funding, White said the city has been speaking to the United States Department of Agriculture. The city has gotten word from the state USDA Rural Development director that it has support for the project, and the agency is looking forward to the city’s full grant application.

White said the city is eligible for $132,000 in grant funds, which leaves a $45,000 balance. The engineer’s estimate includes $30,000 for contingencies, so the overall cost could drop.

The project cost included close to $26,000 for artificial turf and installation for the animals’ outdoor exercise areas. White said the turf can be washed off and is more durable than grass.

It was also noted during the discussion that the eight existing indoor kennels would be retained in addition to the 18 new kennels in the modulars.

Asked by a community member about backup generation for the new facility during the fire season, White said the city expects to look for funding for that in the next USDA funding cycle.

Councilwoman Joyce Overton questioned the cost of the artificial turf and raised issues with potentially having to move the facility because of plans to sell some of the nearby city-owned property for a shopping center development.

City Manager Alan Flora said they shouldn’t assume the new shelter facility will need to be moved. He said he had spoken with the representative of the group that has expressed interest in buying and developing the former airport site for the shopping center and that there wasn’t concern about leaving the facility there, even if the shopping center is built.

“It remains to be determined how significant the demand is going to be for all of that property,” Flora said.

Flora said there is existing infrastructure at the current site. If the facility were moved to Ogulin Canyon, where there isn’t infrastructure, Flora said the project cost would at least double.

Overton asked why they couldn’t do grass or some other less expensive material. White said they had looked at using real grass, but it didn’t look sustainable.

He said that, if the council was inclined, parts of the project could be scaled back. However, that raised a question: “Do we keep putting duct tape and bailing wire onto a problem or do we make some sort of a meaningful step forward?”

White said there also was discussion with the ad hoc committee about the suitability of locations. He said that in Napa County, the animal shelter has a shopping center built up around it. The current shelter site also has the ability to expand.

“I am very excited to see this progress being made,” said Councilman Phil Harris, who noted it had been one of his big concerns before running for the council.

The council previously had talked about relocating the facility, but kept putting it off, he said. “Taking action to benefit the animals that we have in our care I think is imperative at this point.”

Harris said that after looking at the numbers repeatedly, he found the project to be “extraordinarily affordable.” Recognizing that artificial turf is not cheap, Harris said they need to stick with that material due to its longevity.

“I’m very excited to see this come to fruition because I think it’s way, way overdue,” Harris said.

Councilmen Dirk Slooten and Russell Perdock also agreed that the project was overdue and it needed to move forward.

While Perdock said he agreed with Overton’s concerns about costs, “We just can’t put this off any longer.”

Mayor Russ Cremer made it unanimous, saying he was very excited to see it go forward and that he thinks the artificial turf will be just fine. He called the current shelter a “pig sty.”

After Cremer told staff that there was unanimous council consensus to move forward, the audience gave the council a round of applause.

Flora told the council that, in addition to the grant funding the city plans to seek from the USDA, the city also is eligible for a USDA loan. However, he said staff didn’t think that option was worth the additional red tape and so they wanted to look at eliminating contingencies.

“Our recommendation is to move forward with just the grant and identify other available funding for any overruns,” Flora said.

White said staff intends to go out for bids and so costs could come in higher or lower than the engineer’s estimate.

At the end of the discussion, Rita Laufer, a member of the Animal Coalition, came forward to speak to the council.

“We’d like to donate $10,000 towards this project,” said Laufer.

Turning to White, she said, “We think you’re wonderful.”

White rose from his seat and came forward to give Laufer a hug.

Turning back to the council, Laufer told them, “That grass is no big thing. Let me tell you something, those animals have been waiting a long time to have a nice place. So $25,000 is nothing.”

Perdock joked that Cremer he had lost control of the meeting.

“For $10,000, we’ll live with that,” Cremer said.

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.

080819 Clearlake City Council agenda packet by LakeCoNews on Scribd