News

KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – On Monday, Dec. 3, celebrated North Bay economist and Sonoma State University professor Dr. Robert Eyler will present the Lake County Economic Development Strategy, a plan based on community visioning forums held earlier this year.

The plan will be presented at a historic joint meeting of the Lake County Board of Supervisors and Clearlake and Lakeport city councils, and the Lake County Economic Development Corp., or LCEDC.

The meeting will take place beginning at 9 a.m. at Kelseyville Presbyterian Church, 5340 Third St.

This year has been one of visioning for the county of Lake.

The Board of Supervisors, county department heads and staff collected the community’s priorities in January visioning forums, and brought forth a 10-year plan, Vision 2028, in April.

Since then, county officials reported that they have been collaborating, internally and alongside city partners and community leaders, to help Lake County face and see beyond its immediate challenges.

As they work together to build a brighter tomorrow, economic development is a high priority. There are endless opportunities for investment, and not enough financial or human resources to address them all.

An integrated and strategic approach is needed, to pave the way for all county residents to enjoy a future of possibility, hope and intelligent growth.

Lake County’s strategy is informed by county residents’ input at June’s economic development-focused community visioning forums, held throughout the county.

The final document was conceived in collaboration with all three Lake County local governments, the Workforce Alliance of the North Bay and LCEDC.

It identifies specific, actionable priorities that can help us begin to confront and reverse the effects of long-term poverty in our communities.

Hundreds of county residents contributed to the development of this plan. Now, every Lake County resident will have a stake and a role to play in implementing the plan, and opportunities to work hard for the betterment of present and future generations.

Some community members expressed during 2018’s forums, and in messages sent to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., that they are tired of seeing Lake County’s economy fall so short of the success of nearby neighbors.

County officials said they are committed to working with community members to provide pathways leading to bright futures, and to making those pathways available to all residents of Lake County. They said the Lake County Economic Development Strategy is a meaningful, positive step.

For more information, call LCEDC, 707-279-1540, Extension 101; the County Administrative Office, 707-263-2580; the city of Lakeport, 707-263-5615; or the city of Clearlake, 707-994-8201.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County Animal Control has a new big group of cats waiting for homes this week.

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

Female domestic short hair

This female domestic short hair cat has an orange tabby and white coat.

She’s in cat room kennel No. 24, ID No. 11423.

‘Batman’

“Batman” is a male domestic short hair cat with a tuxedo coat.

He already has been neutered.

He’s in cat room kennel No. 39, ID No. 11360.

Male domestic short hair

This handsome male domestic short hair cat has an all-black coat.

He already has been neutered.

He’s in cat room kennel No. 53, ID No. 11370.

‘Princess’

“Princess” is a white domestic short hair cat with a white coat and green eyes.

She already has been spayed.

She’s in cat room kennel No. 70, ID No. 11361.

Male domestic short hair

This male domestic short hair has a brown tabby coat.

He’s in cat room kennel No. 117, ID No. 11418.

‘Spooky’

“Spooky” is a male domestic short hair cat with a tuxedo coat.

He’s already neutered.

He’s in cat room kennel No. 120, ID No. 11359.

‘Junior’

“Junior” is a male chocolate point with a short coat.

He already has been neutered.

He’s in cat room kennel No. 122, ID No. 11358.

Female domestic short hair

This female domestic short hair cat has a gray tabby coat.

She already has been spayed.

She’s in cat room kennel No. 130, ID No. 11166.

Female domestic short hair

This female domestic short hair has a brown tabby coat and green eyes.

She’s in kennel No. 140, ID No. 11225.

‘Francis’

“Francis” is a male domestic short hair cat with an all-white coat and gold eyes.

He already has been neutered.

He’s in cat room kennel No. 150, ID No. 11357.

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.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Forecasters are predicting another rainy week ahead as new weather systems reach Northern California.

The National Weather Service in Sacramento reported that a high pressure system is moving over the region, with a series of storms set to arrive on Monday night and Tuesday.

The specific Lake County forecast calls for cloudy conditions on Monday, and a high chance of rain beginning on Monday night and continuing through Wednesday.

Chances of showers also are forecast from Thursday through Sunday, based on the local forecast.

The National Weather Service said that there is expected to be lighter rainfall on Wednesday, followed by a stronger storm system forecast to bring more rain to lower elevations and snow to mountain passes.

Lake County’s temperatures this coming week will range between the high 40s and the high 50s during the daytime and from the high 30s to the low 40s at night, the National Weather Service said. Light winds also are forecast on Monday and Tuesday.

The latest forecast for rain follows a stormy Thanksgiving week in which rainfall totals for Lake County ranged from about an inch and a half around Clear Lake to up to 5 inches in Lake County northern mountains, according to National Weather Service precipitation observations.

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 Lakeport City Council last week approved having the city manager give final approval to an engineering contract for a replacement Library Park seawall.

Public Works Director Doug Grider discussed with the council at its Tuesday meeting what he described as the “ongoing saga of the seawall,” damaged by storm wave action during the early 2017 flooding.

Based on city documents, approximately 525 lineal feet of seawall supporting a concrete promenade and handrail is to be replaced, with the existing sidewalk is to be removed to reveal voids which will be backfilled.

Grider said his staff sent out two requests for proposals for the project. The first time, no one responded. So the second time his staff went through every professional magazine they could find, called 30 firms, followed up by telephone and advertised with every known agency to reach engineering firms who could do the project.

Ultimately, the city received two responses – from MGE Engineering Inc. and GHD Inc. MGE Engineering Inc. was ranked the highest by a consultant selection committee, he said.

By Tuesday, no firm agreement with MGE had been reached, with Grider explaining that they were still working out the details of the professional service agreement.

“We want to keep this process moving. We desperately want to get going on this design,” said Grider, adding that he wanted to have the matter resolved before the council’s next meeting, at the start of December.

Attorney Jon di Cristina of the firm Colantuono, Highsmith & Whatley, PC was filling in for colleague David Ruderman, who serves as Lakeport’s city attorney but was absent for the meeting.

Di Cristina gave the council recommended language for an updated motion authorizing City Manager Margaret Silveira to make the decision to select the engineering firm and execute a professional services agreement with that firm so the matter doesn’t need to return to the council.

Councilman George Spurr asked about whether or not the city is getting about half a million dollars from the Federal Emergency Management Agency for the seawall replacement.

Grider’s report noted that the approved preliminary budget for the new sheet pile seawall is $522,000.

In response to Spurr’s question, Grider explained that the city isn’t set to get a specific amount. Rather, it will be dependent on the final cost. He said FEMA will pay 75 percent of the project total, the state will pay a portion and the city’s actual share will be approximately 6.78 percent.

Spurr asked if staff knew what the engineering portion would cost. Grider said they didn’t, but that a general rule of thumb is that engineering is typically 10 percent of whatever the project cost is.

Councilman Tim Barnes moved to approve di Cristina’s suggested motion, which the council approved 5-0.

On Tuesday Finance Director Nick Walker also presented to the council a resolution approving the City of Lakeport Municipal Sewer District and Lakeport Municipal Financing Agency of Lakeport Investment Policy for idle funds.

Walker noted that, over the last few years, the city hasn’t had much of an investment policy.

In March, a city investment committee was recommissioned “with the expressed purpose of evaluating the City’s current cash portfolio and exploring new ways of prudently diversifying it. The City had received several investment proposals from various broker/dealers specializing in municipal securities which have brought attention to opportunities that warrant consideration. The primary focus will remain capital preservation, a core tenet explicitly stated in the investment policy. But greater emphasis than before will be placed on returns and portfolio growth. Due to market volatility and uncertainty in the US economy, a conservative approach will be employed,” Walker’s written report explained.

Councilwoman Stacey Mattina was concerned about the inclusion of mutual funds, explaining that she didn’t believe that was how the city’s funds should be invested.

Mattina asked if mention of mutual funds as an investment option could be taken out of the document, and Walker said yes. “For the future I would just feel better if that wasn't in there,” she said.

Councilman Kenny Parlet said he disagreed, and Mattina explained, “It’s the people’s money and I think we should have no risk.”

Parlet said he had a problem with closing the door forever on an opportunity, with Silveira explaining that it would have to be improved by the investment committee.

Councilman George Spurr said if the council receives quarterly reports on the investments and don’t like the directly, they can stop it.

“I think this is a great step forward,” said Parlet, who moved to approve the resolution. Barnes seconded Parlet’s motion, which ultimately was unanimously approved by the council.

The council also approved the purchase of two vehicles, a three-quarter ton service truck for the utilities department from Redwood Ford for an amount not to exceed $32,078.68 and a small utility pickup from Matt Mazzei of Lakeport for a bid price of $25,975.84.

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.

112018 Lakeport City Council agenda packet by LakeCoNews on Scribd

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – A teenager riding a dirt bike was seriously injured on Sunday when he collided with a vehicle in Clearlake.

The Clearlake Police Department said the crash occurred at 9 a.m. Sunday in the area of 32nd Avenue near Irving Avenue.

Police said 70-year-old Clearlake resident Dolores Burden was driving a 2014 Honda Pilot west on 32nd Avenue near Irving Avenue at the posted speed limit while a 17-year-old male was riding a dirt bike north on Irving Avenue towards 32nd Avenue.

The dirt bike rider failed to yield the right of way to the vehicle on 32nd Avenue and drove directly into its path, police said.

Burden was unable to avoid a collision, and the front of her vehicle struck the motorcycle, police said.

Police said the juvenile – whose name was not released – was ejected from the motorcycle and sustained major injuries. He was transported to an out-of-county hospital. Burden was uninjured.

The Clearlake Police Department reminded motorists to drive safely and always follow posted speed limits. Additionally off-highway vehicles – dirt bikes, ATV and UTV – are not allowed to operate on roadways in the city of Clearlake.

NORTH COAST, Calif. – The Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office is seeking the public’s help in locating a male subject who may have committed a murder as well as a Eureka man who is missing.

Lt. Shannon Barney said that shortly before 1:15 p.m. Saturday a citizen reported a vehicle fire at mile marker 100 on north Highway 1, just south of the town of Leggett.

The citizen reported seeing an adult male, possibly in his 50s, wearing a white jumpsuit and heavy logging-style boots fleeing the scene. Barney said the witness indicated the man's legs appear to be on fire as he was last seen running onto a private gated logging road to the southeast of Highway 1.

Personnel from the California Highway Patrol, Leggett Valley Fire Department and Cal Fire responded to the scene to extinguish the fire and discovered a deceased male inside the vehicle, which Barney said was a van.

Barney said emergency personnel saw what appeared to be numerous bullet holes in the side of the van and a gun was located on the ground nearby.

The Mendocino County Sheriff's Office initiated a criminal investigation into a possible homicide based upon witness statements and evidence located at the scene. Barney said the Mendocino County Inter-agency SWAT Team was requested to assist with a search of the nearby logging roads where the man in the jumpsuit was last seen.

A search of the area was conducted but the subject was not located. Barney described the individual as a white male, in his 50s, approximately 6 feet tall and weighing approximately 180 pounds. The man may have suffered burns to his legs and hands, and may have singed hair.

The burned vehicle, a 2004 White Ford Econoline Van (California Lic. #8Y79772), was registered to 58-year-old Frank Pinckney of Eureka, Barney said.

Barney said the vehicle is a utility van with a lift gate on the rear and a large mirror attached to the back door.

He said Pinckney is missing and family members are concerned for his well being.

The Mendocino County Sheriff's Office is asking for the public's assistance in the case, Barney said.

Anyone with information related to the suspect or anyone who might have seen Frank Pinckney or his vehicle in the past several days is asked to contact the Sheriff's Office Communications Center at 707-463-4086 or the Sheriff's Tip Line at 707-234-2100.