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State Controller Betty T. Yee’s Government Compensation in California Web site this week published new information on special districts around the state.
The Web site now includes 2016 self-reported data from special districts – a total of 157,150 positions across the state and $8.28 billion in wages.
The newly published data are from 3,017 special government districts that focus on air quality, fire, health care, transportation, water and more.
The list of special districts includes 45 from Lake County, among them, Lake County Vector Control, the fire districts, Hidden Valley Lake Community Services District, cemetery, water and conservation districts.
Users of the site can:
· View compensation levels on maps and search for compensation by region;
· Narrow results by name of entity or by job title;
· Build charts; and
· Export custom reports or raw data.
For example, the available data show nine of the top 10 highest-paid special district employees in 2016 worked for health care districts, topping out with a salary of $1,235,939.
California law requires cities, counties, and special districts to annually report compensation data to the state controller.
The state controller also maintains and publishes state government and CSU salary data.
No such statutory requirement exists for superior courts, UC, community college districts, fairs and expositions, First 5 commissions, or K-12 education providers; their reporting is voluntary.
A list of entities that did not file or filed incomplete reports is available here.
All Lake County special districts reported as required this year.
The Web site now includes 2016 self-reported data from special districts – a total of 157,150 positions across the state and $8.28 billion in wages.
The newly published data are from 3,017 special government districts that focus on air quality, fire, health care, transportation, water and more.
The list of special districts includes 45 from Lake County, among them, Lake County Vector Control, the fire districts, Hidden Valley Lake Community Services District, cemetery, water and conservation districts.
Users of the site can:
· View compensation levels on maps and search for compensation by region;
· Narrow results by name of entity or by job title;
· Build charts; and
· Export custom reports or raw data.
For example, the available data show nine of the top 10 highest-paid special district employees in 2016 worked for health care districts, topping out with a salary of $1,235,939.
California law requires cities, counties, and special districts to annually report compensation data to the state controller.
The state controller also maintains and publishes state government and CSU salary data.
No such statutory requirement exists for superior courts, UC, community college districts, fairs and expositions, First 5 commissions, or K-12 education providers; their reporting is voluntary.
A list of entities that did not file or filed incomplete reports is available here.
All Lake County special districts reported as required this year.
NORTH COAST, Calif. – Firefighters are battling a wildland fire along Highway 101.#GrapeFire Update: approx 100 acres 0% containment pic.twitter.com/EjBv35aVFp
— CAL FIRE Mendocino (@CALFIRE_MEU) September 19, 2017
The Grape fire was first reported just after 12:30 p.m. Tuesday on Highway 101 at mile post marker 14 near Hopland, according to reports from Cal Fire and the California Highway Patrol.
Cal Fire’s latest report late Tuesday afternoon put the fire at 100 acres with no containment.
The agency said eight aircraft, 12 engines, four crews, four water tenders, eight chief officers and two dozers are assigned.
The CHP reported that one lane of the highway was closed north of mile post marker 14 due to the fire and was expected to be closed until close to midnight.
Additional information will be posted as it becomes available.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – The Middletown Area Town Hall on Thursday hosted an update from Six Sigma Ranch and Winery on plans to host an upscale camping site at its Lower Lake property, and also heard an update on plans for a large housing and resort development near Middletown.
Christian Ahlmann, whose family owns Six Sigma Ranch, made the presentation on “Huttopia” at the MATH meeting, held at the Middletown Community Center on Thursday evening. Ahlmann’s presentation begins at the 22-minute mark in the video above.
The Ahlmanns purchased the 4,300-acre property now known as Six Sigma Ranch in 2000, and have since built a respected winery, vineyard and cattle operation at the site, where they also host tours and events.
Ahlmann said his family has discussed for a long time the idea of offering accommodations at the ranch. It’s an expensive proposition, and while they have had a number of different companies propose various ideas, before now they’ve ultimately said no.
“It’s serious business,” he said.
Ahlmann explained, “We're very careful with the brand. We want to do it right,” and not have something “hokey” on the property.
Recently they were approached by a representative of Huttopia, a French company that specializes in offering “nature campsites” in 43 locations across France.
According to its Web site, Huttopia’s sites are located “in unspoilt natural environments, beautiful pitches for tents, caravans and campers, wood and canvas lodges that blend in harmoniously with the site, swimming pools, and a whole range of activities for you to enjoy a wonderful holiday.”
Ahlmann termed Huttopia’s offerings as “glamping” – the term to describe glamorous or luxury camping – with everything from small tents to more upscale, deluxe tents.
Huttopia opened its first North American site in 2015 in Sutton, Canada and followed up this June by opening in the first Huttopia in the United States in the White Mountains near Albany, New Hampshire. Ahlmann and his wife visited the Sutton location and he recounted his visit in a blog post here.
Ahlmann said the company purchases or leases land for its projects. In this case, it will lease land from Six Sigma Ranch for a small fee.
After visiting Huttopia himself, Ahlmann said he thought it would work well in Lake County.
He said his family has signed a letter of intent with Huttopia, but added, “We haven’t made a contract yet.”
Ahlmann said Six Sigma representatives have met with the county and, at first glance, a review of the basic project doesn’t appear to show big environmental impacts and is in line with the county’s interests.
He said they would love to have people from the Bay Area come up to stay at the ranch. “People who stay in nice tents like nice wine.”
In Ahlmann’s opinion, Huttopia fits with Lake County better than a Marriott.
If all goes well with the planning process, Huttopia would start building next year and have the site in place by the end of 2018, Ahlmann said.
Unlike other Huttopia sites, the one at Six Sigma Ranch would be able to operate year-round, which Ahlmann said is one reason why the company likes the site so much, although Huttopia officials have voiced concerns about California’s planning processes.
Ahlmann said the Huttopia at Six Sixma will have a range of offerings from simple tents to more upscale tents and cabins featuring bathrooms and camp stoves, a setup that he said will be similar to camping facilities in national parks. All of the tents will have decks.
He said Huttopia wants to build 150 tents in phases that will be spread out across an area of between 100 and 150 acres on the property. The tents will be accessed through the same entrance as the winery.
“When you drive into the property you won’t really see them,” Ahlmann said.
Community Development Director Bob Massarelli, who was on hand at the meeting to also give an update on the Guenoc Valley project, confirmed that his staff met with Six Sigma for a preapplication meeting.
He said an application for the project had yet to be submitted at that point, but that he didn’t see any issues.
During the discussion, Ahlmann also reported that the project will generate transient occupancy tax, also known as bed tax, which is an important tourism-related revenue stream for county government.
In response to a question, he also confirmed that fire safety and an evacuation plan will be part of the review process for the project.
In other south county project news, Massarelli gave the group a brief update on the latest regarding the Guenoc Valley project, located at Langtry Farms.
Chinese developer Yiming Xu and his firm, Lotusland Investment Holdings Inc. of San Francisco, are proposing to build the project on an area that encompasses 16,000 acres, with 1,200 residential units, 1,200 hotel units and as many as nine different resorts with their own themes and architecture. He said 14,000 acres will be preserved in a natural state.
He said his staff is still in the process of getting proposals from consultants to perform the project’s environmental impact report.
The request for proposals was sent out to 15 consulting firms around the state, with an original deadline of Sept. 11, Massarelli explained.
However, Massarelli said some of the consultants have asked for more time, so the deadline was extended to Sept. 25. He said he expects to get proposals from five to six consultants, which will be a good-sized pool from which to choose.
A consultant selection committee has been formed of department heads and outside individuals, and Massarelli said he would report back to MATH at its October meeting about that selection process.
Massarelli said the county has not yet received an application for the project or much new information on the developer’s plans.
“The design team is really focused on incorporating it into the environment,” he said.
Massarelli said the Aman resort chain is involved with the project. He referred to Aman’s Utah resort – Amangiri, located at Canyon Point, where rooms range from $2,000 to $4,600 a night – for how it blends into the environment.
He said Guenoc Valley’s project will have equestrian and outdoor facilities, with some of those amenities to be open to the community at large.
A village center proposal has been removed from the plans in order to show support for the community and not detract from downtown Middletown, he said.
He’s hired one staffer to handle the project’s environmental studies and is recruiting a senior planner to handle permitting.
Lotusland has given the county a $65,000 deposit to cover planning expenses, which will be raised to $100,000 once an application is submitted, Massarelli said.
The developer will have to deposit $250,000 with the county when the contract is signed with the consulting firm that will conduct the environmental impact report, according to Massarelli.
Massarelli said the amount of planning work on the project involved is expected to run into the high six figures and possibly the seven figures.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – A Napa man was seriously injured on Saturday afternoon in a solo-vehicle crash near Middletown.
Stephen Mann Jeffries, 61, was injured in the wreck, which the California Highway Patrol’s Clear Lake Area office said occurred at 12:50 p.m. Saturday on Butts Canyon Road.
The CHP said Jeffries was driving his 2007 Nissan Pathfinder westbound on Butts Canyon Road, west of Oat Hill Road, when he lost control of his vehicle.
Jeffries’ Nissan veered across the eastbound lane of Butts Canyon Road and left the roadway, traveling onto the dirt shoulder before the front of it hit a tree, the CHP said.
The CHP said Jeffries suffered major injuries and was transported by REACH air ambulance to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital.
The report stated that Jeffries was using his seat belt at the time of the wreck.
The CHP said the cause of the crash remains under investigation.
Email Elizabeth Larson atThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
Stephen Mann Jeffries, 61, was injured in the wreck, which the California Highway Patrol’s Clear Lake Area office said occurred at 12:50 p.m. Saturday on Butts Canyon Road.
The CHP said Jeffries was driving his 2007 Nissan Pathfinder westbound on Butts Canyon Road, west of Oat Hill Road, when he lost control of his vehicle.
Jeffries’ Nissan veered across the eastbound lane of Butts Canyon Road and left the roadway, traveling onto the dirt shoulder before the front of it hit a tree, the CHP said.
The CHP said Jeffries suffered major injuries and was transported by REACH air ambulance to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital.
The report stated that Jeffries was using his seat belt at the time of the wreck.
The CHP said the cause of the crash remains under investigation.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The final days of summer are expected to wind down with cooler temperatures and a chance of rain this week, according to the latest forecast.
The National Weather Service’s Sacramento office reported that a weather system on its way into the area is expected to bring rain to the region’s mountains and possible snow in the Sierra crest.
The specific Lake County forecast anticipates daytime highs in the low 70s and nighttime lows in the low 40s for much of the week, with daytime temperatures expected to rise into the low 80s this weekend, when nighttime temperatures also are expected to rise in the low 50s.
The coolest weather of the week is expected on Wednesday, when daytime temperatures are forecast to drop as low as the mid 60s and the high 30s at night.
Those cooler temperatures coincide with a forecast of rain this week.
The National Weather Service said there is a 20-percent chance of rain beginning on Tuesday night, with a 30-percent chance of rain also predicted on Wednesday.
Winds with speeds ranging up to 15 miles per hour and wind gusts up to 20 miles per hour are forecast around the county through Wednesday night, the forecast said.
Email Elizabeth Larson atThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
The National Weather Service’s Sacramento office reported that a weather system on its way into the area is expected to bring rain to the region’s mountains and possible snow in the Sierra crest.
The specific Lake County forecast anticipates daytime highs in the low 70s and nighttime lows in the low 40s for much of the week, with daytime temperatures expected to rise into the low 80s this weekend, when nighttime temperatures also are expected to rise in the low 50s.
The coolest weather of the week is expected on Wednesday, when daytime temperatures are forecast to drop as low as the mid 60s and the high 30s at night.
Those cooler temperatures coincide with a forecast of rain this week.
The National Weather Service said there is a 20-percent chance of rain beginning on Tuesday night, with a 30-percent chance of rain also predicted on Wednesday.
Winds with speeds ranging up to 15 miles per hour and wind gusts up to 20 miles per hour are forecast around the county through Wednesday night, the forecast said.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
A bill meant to bridge the “digital divide” and bring greater broadband investment to California’s rural areas is heading to the governor’s desk.
AB 1665, joint-authored by several bipartisan members of the Assembly, including Lake County’s representative, Cecilia Aguiar-Curry (D-Winters), along with Eduardo Garcia (D-Coachella) and Brian Dahle (R-Bieber), was approved on the Senate Floor Wednesday before heading back to the Assembly for concurrence on Friday.
The bill passed with overwhelming bipartisan support in both houses of the Legislature.
This bill is the result of the successful negotiation of a $330 million bill package to expand broadband access and digital literacy in communities deprived of a reliable Internet connection.
Several past efforts to increase funding to close the connectivity gap between the “haves” and the “have-nots,” known as the “digital divide,” were intensely opposed by the largest telecommunications and cable companies.
After a three-year stalemate, this bill represents a cooperative effort between legislators of both houses and both parties, consumer advocates, and representatives from the telecommunications and cable industries to invest in broadband access and rural development.
“After years of failed efforts, I am proud that our group was finally able to break through,” said Aguiar-Curry. “I’ve been working on this issue as a local official for over a decade. I’ve watched families get their first email address, and farmworkers finally able to talk to their kids’ teachers despite their long work hours. I’ve witnessed how Internet access can transform a community. AB 1665 will transform communities across California.”
The California Advanced Services Fund, or CASF, is a state program aimed at closing the digital divide.
The CASF does not depend upon general fund dollars, but instead is funded by a small, existing surcharge on in-state phone bills.
The current goal of this program is to incentivize the expansion of broadband infrastructure to 98 percent of California households.
AB 1665 expands this goal to 98 percent of households in every geographic region of the state. This new goal creates a target that cannot be achieved by serving urban and suburban areas alone; it will ensure broadband infrastructure projects funded by AB 1665 are focused in rural California.
“I am happy my colleagues supported AB 1665 and took this important step towards getting much-needed Internet service to historically unserved and underserved communities across the state,” Assemblymember Dahle said. “This bill will provide services to rural areas of the state that have long been forgotten, or seen as too difficult and remote to provide service. I am proud to be a part of this bipartisan effort to close the digital divide and bring rural regions of our state up to speed.”
Assemblymember Eduardo Garcia added, “Legislative success for the ‘Internet for All Now Act of 2017’ will help increase connectivity to Californians stuck on the wrong side of the digital divide. This feat is attributed to the dedicated efforts of our bipartisan coalition of coauthors, who rallied together from all corners of our state to rectify our broadband infrastructure shortfall. Internet access has become a passport to health, economic, and educational opportunities. By extending funding into the California Advanced Services Fund we can provide access to this modern day necessity for our state’s most vulnerable communities.”
AB 1665 passed with a vote of 36-2 on the Senate Floor before receiving a final 68-8 vote of approval in the Assembly.
In a rare display, a group of Assembly members formed behind the joint-authors to stand with them in support as the vote took place.
AB 1665 is now on the governor’s desk, where the joint-authors say they will fight to ensure the bill is signed into law.
“I want to thank Communications and Conveyance Committee Chairman Miguel Santiago for helping convene an extensive stakeholder process, which ultimately led to our successful effort,” said Aguiar-Curry. “This is 2017. In today’s global economy, having Internet access is not an option; it is a necessity. People don’t start businesses in areas where they can’t even send an email. When we invest in providing Internet for all, we are investing in education for all, access to health care for all, and economic development for every community in our state.”
Aguiar-Curry represents the Fourth Assembly District, which includes all of Lake and Napa counties, parts of Colusa, Solano and Sonoma counties, and all of Yolo County except West Sacramento.
AB 1665, joint-authored by several bipartisan members of the Assembly, including Lake County’s representative, Cecilia Aguiar-Curry (D-Winters), along with Eduardo Garcia (D-Coachella) and Brian Dahle (R-Bieber), was approved on the Senate Floor Wednesday before heading back to the Assembly for concurrence on Friday.
The bill passed with overwhelming bipartisan support in both houses of the Legislature.
This bill is the result of the successful negotiation of a $330 million bill package to expand broadband access and digital literacy in communities deprived of a reliable Internet connection.
Several past efforts to increase funding to close the connectivity gap between the “haves” and the “have-nots,” known as the “digital divide,” were intensely opposed by the largest telecommunications and cable companies.
After a three-year stalemate, this bill represents a cooperative effort between legislators of both houses and both parties, consumer advocates, and representatives from the telecommunications and cable industries to invest in broadband access and rural development.
“After years of failed efforts, I am proud that our group was finally able to break through,” said Aguiar-Curry. “I’ve been working on this issue as a local official for over a decade. I’ve watched families get their first email address, and farmworkers finally able to talk to their kids’ teachers despite their long work hours. I’ve witnessed how Internet access can transform a community. AB 1665 will transform communities across California.”
The California Advanced Services Fund, or CASF, is a state program aimed at closing the digital divide.
The CASF does not depend upon general fund dollars, but instead is funded by a small, existing surcharge on in-state phone bills.
The current goal of this program is to incentivize the expansion of broadband infrastructure to 98 percent of California households.
AB 1665 expands this goal to 98 percent of households in every geographic region of the state. This new goal creates a target that cannot be achieved by serving urban and suburban areas alone; it will ensure broadband infrastructure projects funded by AB 1665 are focused in rural California.
“I am happy my colleagues supported AB 1665 and took this important step towards getting much-needed Internet service to historically unserved and underserved communities across the state,” Assemblymember Dahle said. “This bill will provide services to rural areas of the state that have long been forgotten, or seen as too difficult and remote to provide service. I am proud to be a part of this bipartisan effort to close the digital divide and bring rural regions of our state up to speed.”
Assemblymember Eduardo Garcia added, “Legislative success for the ‘Internet for All Now Act of 2017’ will help increase connectivity to Californians stuck on the wrong side of the digital divide. This feat is attributed to the dedicated efforts of our bipartisan coalition of coauthors, who rallied together from all corners of our state to rectify our broadband infrastructure shortfall. Internet access has become a passport to health, economic, and educational opportunities. By extending funding into the California Advanced Services Fund we can provide access to this modern day necessity for our state’s most vulnerable communities.”
AB 1665 passed with a vote of 36-2 on the Senate Floor before receiving a final 68-8 vote of approval in the Assembly.
In a rare display, a group of Assembly members formed behind the joint-authors to stand with them in support as the vote took place.
AB 1665 is now on the governor’s desk, where the joint-authors say they will fight to ensure the bill is signed into law.
“I want to thank Communications and Conveyance Committee Chairman Miguel Santiago for helping convene an extensive stakeholder process, which ultimately led to our successful effort,” said Aguiar-Curry. “This is 2017. In today’s global economy, having Internet access is not an option; it is a necessity. People don’t start businesses in areas where they can’t even send an email. When we invest in providing Internet for all, we are investing in education for all, access to health care for all, and economic development for every community in our state.”
Aguiar-Curry represents the Fourth Assembly District, which includes all of Lake and Napa counties, parts of Colusa, Solano and Sonoma counties, and all of Yolo County except West Sacramento.