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LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport Enhanced Education Foundation will hold its “Party with a Purpose” fundraiser on Saturday, March 4.
The event will take place at the Lake County Fairgrounds, 401 Martin St.
Doors open at 6 p.m. with a no-host bar, with dinner at 6:30 p.m. and a dance to follow the auction.
People must be 18 or over to attend.
The evening will feature the music of the Funky Dozen.
General seating tickets are $40 per person or $500 for a table for 10.
Tickets are available at Linda’s Hallmark, Clear Lake High School and Terrace School.
While recreational marijuana cannot be sold in California until January 2018, existing medical marijuana growers and future recreational marijuana growers will be eligible as of March 1 for Pacific Gas and Electric’s agricultural energy rate.
The passage of Proposition 64 in November 2016 allows the state to license and regulate recreational marijuana cultivation and businesses.
“Cannabis is a legal crop in our state, like almonds and tomatoes. Agricultural growers now will be eligible for the same rate and energy efficiency programs as farmers of other crops,” said Deborah Affonsa, vice president of Customer Service at PG&E.
PG&E customers are eligible for agricultural energy rates if they have received a permit from their local jurisdiction for the cultivation of cannabis and if 70 percent or more of the annual energy use on the meter is for agricultural end-uses such as growing crops, pumping water for agricultural irrigation or other uses that involve agricultural production for sale which do not change the form of the product.
The agricultural energy rate applies both to customers who grow cannabis outdoors and those who grow indoors in commercial greenhouses.
The agricultural energy rate does not apply to residential customers who can legally grow up to six marijuana plants inside a private residence per the state Adult Use of Marijuana Act.
Previously, medical marijuana was not considered an agricultural product by PG&E, and growers were not eligible for the agricultural energy rate.
Because medical marijuana can be grown and sold in California currently, licensed growers of medical marijuana are immediately eligible for the agriculture energy rate.
Cannabis growing operations can use an extremely large amount of electricity and are considered to be equivalent to other energy-intensive operations such as data centers.
“We’ve met with representatives of the emerging legal cannabis industry and listened to their needs. We are here to help our customers make smart, efficient and affordable energy choices. Now that cannabis is in California’s future, our next step is to work with these new agricultural customers and make this industry as energy efficient as possible,” said Affonsa.
PG&E’s agricultural rates are under the jurisdiction of the California Public Utilities Commission and the state of California.
Agricultural customers with questions about rates, rules and energy efficiency programs can learn more at www.pge.com/ag or contact PG&E’s dedicated Agricultural Customer Service Center at 1-877-311-3276.
LAKEPORT, Calif. – The city of Lakeport on Wednesday reopened a city street and a portion of another that had been closed due to recent flooding.
The city said Royale Avenue and Lakeshore Boulevard between Lange Street and the city limits at Beach Lane had been reopened.
Still closed is Lakeshore Boulevard east of Giselman to Lange Street, as the result of continued flooding.
The city will continue to provide updates on the flood conditions through city of Lakeport and Lakeport Police Department Facebook, Twitter and Nixle accounts.
For additional information contact the city of Lakeport Emergency Operations Center at 707-263-5614 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.
NOTICE OF INTENT TO ADOPT A CATEGORICAL EXEMPTION
AND NOTICE OF PROPOSED MINOR USE PERMIT
BY THE LAKE COUNTY ZONING ADMINISTRATOR
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Lake County Zoning Administrator of the County of Lake, State of California, will consider approving Minor Use Permit 16-34 with no public hearing if no written request for a public hearing is submitted by 5:00 P.M., February 22, 2017 to the Community Development Department, Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport, California. Should a timely request for hearing be filed, a public hearing will be held on March 1, 2017 at 2:30 p.m. in Conference Room C, 3rd Floor of the Courthouse.
Minor Use Permit 16-34. Location: 5141 Baylis Point Drive, Lower Lake, APN 043-270-06. Applicant: Ryan Villanueva. Project: In accordance with Lake County Code to allow a 25% reduction of the front yard setback from 30 feet to 22 feet to rebuild a garage. Project planner: Mark Roberts, 707-263-2221 or
Copies of the application, environmental documents, all reference documents, and staff reports associated with each project are available for review through the Community Development Department, Planning Division; Telephone, 707-263-2221.
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT
Robert Massarelli, Director
By: ____________________________________
Michalyn DelValle, Principal Planner
LAKEPORT, Calif. – Hundreds of residents of the city of Lakeport remain under a mandatory evacuation order and dozens of homes have been red-tagged, with officials working to get people back home as quickly and safely as possible.
Those were among the main updates offered by the city staffers manning the Lakeport Emergency Operations Center, which hosted a community flood information meeting on Tuesday evening in the council chambers at Lakeport City Hall, 225 Park St.
More than 60 community members were at the meeting to hear the latest flood-related information from city department heads and county officials. Also in attendance were Mayor Stacey Mattina and Mayor Pro Tem Mireya Turner, representatives from the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services and four National Guard members.
Lakeport Police Officer Victor Rico also was on hand to interpret for Spanish speakers in the audience.
In response to the flooding, the worst in 19 years, city staff have been manning the Emergency Operations Center around the clock since mandatory evacuations for Aqua Village, Lucky Four and Will-O-Point trailer parks and the Esplanade neighborhood from Main to K streets were ordered on Feb. 20.
Lakeport Police Chief Brad Rasmussen told Lake County News that, altogether, 225 people were evacuated from within Lakeport’s city limits.
At Tuesday night’s meeting, Rasmussen introduced four National Guard members, explaining their mission and role in assisting with the Lakeport flood emergency.
He said the National Guard’s 579th Engineer Battalion based in Santa Rosa is providing a high clearance vehicle with operators to get police into flooded areas in case of medical or law enforcement emergencies.
“We have several sites in the city that still have significant water on streets and we want to be able to safely get in and get out without destroying or damaging vehicles that shouldn’t be doing that,” he said.
Rasmussen said the National Guard is on standby to respond as long as he feels it’s necessary to have them at the ready.
Community Development Director Kevin Ingram, also acting as the center’s public information officer, gave the group an update on lake and weather conditions.
At the time of the meeting, Clear Lake’s elevation was at about 10 feet on the Rumsey gauge. Flood stage is 9 feet Rumsey and above.
With no rain, there is about an inch and a half of reduction in the lake level each day, Ingram said.
At total saturation level – which is what the county is now experiencing – new rain events add one inch of rise on the lake for every one third of an inch of rain received, Ingram said.
He said the Lake County Water Resources Department has told the city that, even with no additional rain events, Clear Lake won’t get under 8 feet Rumsey by the end of March.
The city is monitoring the forecasts, which call for rain to begin on Saturday and continue through the following Thursday, March 9. However, Ingram noted, “It doesn’t appear to be a significant event,” with half an inch to an inch of rain expected on Saturday and Sunday.
Ingram said the city also is watching the forecast for any sign of wind, which has caused a lot of damage, especially winds coming from the south and the east. So far, there is no wind in the forecast like the high winds the county experienced week before last.
He said the city will send out public notices if there are any changes in that weather forecast.
The update then switched to the matter of the mandatory evacuations.
“All of our evacuation orders still remain in effect, unchanged,” said Rasmussen. “Our goal is to lift those as soon as we can, but before we do that, we need to make sure areas are safe. Some areas are more impacted than others, with more significant issues that we have to address.”
He said the city continues to run its emergency operations center, which is making plans and reviewing issues daily in an effort to get people home as soon as they can.
Rasmussen also gave an update specifically about the situation at Will-O-Point, where he said the evacuation order is expected to last longer than the other areas of the city.
That’s because the California Department of Housing and Community Development has red-tagged all 41 homes in Will-O-Point, Rasmussen said.
He said the police department is working to organize a vehicle recovery operation for Will-O-Point residents. That operation is taking time to set up, with Rasmussen explaining that police have to work with a number of agencies and organizations to evaluate the area for contaminants. He said a notice will be issued once they’re ready to proceed.
“When you see delays, it’s always because of our desire to do these things safely, for you and for our staff,” he said.
Rasmussen said the city also is aware that many Will-O-Point residents have important things they need to recover from their homes, and once the vehicle recovery is completed they will organize a day to take residents in to get those items.
He said that will entail dealing with safety concerns similar to those involving vehicle recovery, noting it will be more complex to set up for homes.
Public Works Director Doug Grider said many road closures remain in place, with just a few lifted. He said they will take a hard look at Royale Avenue on Wednesday with a view to possibly reopening it, depending on whether the water recedes further and there is damage to the road.
Regarding Lakeshore Boulevard from Lange Street to the city limits at Beach Lane, on Wednesday Grider’s staff will conduct debris removal and a street assessment. “If everything comes out the way we think it’s going to, we’ll be opening that section back up to travel.”
He said there are major concerns about the area of Lakeshore Boulevard from Giselman to Lange Street, where they’ve identified severe road damage, including undermining of the pavement on the lake side.
“We can’t tell how far that undermining goes,” he said, adding that it extends at least 200 feet.
Grider said the city is strategizing about how to deal with getting traffic back on Lakeshore Boulevard. Once the water recedes enough to get the southbound lane open, he anticipated putting a timed signal in place to control traffic in that one lane.
He also reminded people to not drive in the water in areas that are closed. That’s important because of concerns about the possibility of sinkholes and debris. Grider said it also causes wakes that can go into nearby homes that aren’t otherwise flooded.
A woman asked Grider about concerns about sewage in the water. Grider said it didn’t come from Lakeport’s municipal sewer system. “We know for a fact that we’ve had no leaks, no spills.”
Rather, he said any fecal matter is believed to be coming from inundated farmlands and backyards, and actually is more animal waste.
Paul Harris, the city’s utilities superintendent, oversees the water and sewer systems. He said flooding is always challenging for a wastewater system, as the water finds its way in, so they’ve been proactive in checking manholes and cleanouts.
There has been stormwater inflow into the system, and pumper trucks were set up at the C Street pump station to keep up with the flow, Harris said.
“We’ve been trying to stay ahead of it. The flows are coming back down,” he said.
He said the city sent out an advisory asking the community conserve water, which helped the system, and he thanked the community for their efforts.
“We’ve had no sewer spills through this event at all,” Harris said, adding that the city is actively preparing for future rains, thinking about the city’s long-term storage reservoir and monitoring pump stations.
Harris reiterated the city’s request that people take precautions regarding the flood water, noting that there are septic and private systems that could have failed or been compromised.
In response to questions about the impacts on drinking water, Harris replied, “The water supply has always been fine,” explaining that it’s well water from the Scotts Valley area.
Denise Pomeroy, director of the Lake County Public Health Department, also was on hand to urge people to avoid contact with the lake water and to follow law enforcement rules for safety.
“Our team is out doing health assessments now,” she said, explaining that the assessments of homes, restaurants and the water began on Monday and involve her agency and the planning department. Reports will be released to the public when they’re completed.
The city received high marks from community members for the proactive efforts to keep people informed and handle the emergency.
The following is a rundown of important topics for evacuees and city residents.
The Lakeport Emergency Operations Center
The center remains open. It had run around the clock since Feb. 20, and on Tuesday was scaled back to Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. City residents with questions are urged to call the center’s information line at 707-263-5614.
How to find a roundup of city alerts and information
The city of Lakeport’s Web site at http://cityoflakeport.com/hot-details.aspx?id=205 has a full rundown of city health and safety advisories issued for the flood event, from issues regarding not driving on closed roadways to avoiding flood water contact, to school dropoffs, assembling emergency kits and how to sign up to receive messages from the city’s emergency telephone notification system.
How to sign up for Nixle text and email alerts
One of the ways the city of Lakeport issues notifications and emergency notices to community members is through the Nixle alert system.
To sign up for text alerts, text your zip code to 888777. To get email alerts, go to www.nixle.com and sign up for a free account.
Evacuation centers
There are two evacuation centers open for community members displaced by the floods.
The shelters are located at the Lakeport Seventh-day Adventist Church, 1111 Park Way, telephone 707-263-6002, and the Lakeport National Guard Armory, 1431 Hoyt Ave.
The Red Cross urges people impacted by the flood to register with the Safe and Well List at https://safeandwell.communityos.org/zf/safe/add so family and friends can locate them.
What to do if your home has been flooded
If your home or business is inundated, contact the Lake County Community Development office at 707-263-2221 and Lake County Environmental Health at 707-263-1164 before reoccupying the structure.
Employ professional service for septic system repair and maintenance.
Because flood waters can contain unhealthy substances, potentially increasing transmission of communicable diseases. The following general precautions are advised:
– Reduce flow into your drains with strict water conservation measures.
– A void contact with floodwaters.
– Wash your hands frequently.
– Disinfect or discard objects that have been in floodwater.
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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Three men have been sentenced for crappie fishing violations.
Chief Deputy District Attorney Richard Hinchcliff said Eugene Law, Freeman Law and Lawrence Law were convicted in related cases.
In September of 2015, local California Department of Fish and Wildlife, or CDFW, wardens started receiving citizen complaints that Freeman Kwei Law, a resident of Paradise Cove in Lake County, was catching over-limits of crappie from Clear Lake and possibly selling them in the Bay Area, Hinchcliff said.
Hinchcliff said it is illegal to possess more than 25 crappie at a time, illegal to sell sport caught fish in California, and illegal to transport live fish from the waters where they are caught.
In September of 2015 wardens with the CDFW Special Operations Unit, with the assistance of local game wardens, began a surveillance operation into Freeman Law’s fishing activities, Hinchcliff said.
The lead warden in CDFW’s Special Operations Unit contacted the Lake County District Attorney’s Office. Hinchcliff, who handles the fish and wildlife prosecutions in Lake County, assisted wardens with obtaining a surveillance warrant for the operation and later search warrants.
Numerous CDFW wardens assisted in the undercover surveillance investigation from September 2015 to April 2016, Hinchcliff said.
Hinchcliff said the investigation involved Law’s illegal fishing activities in Lake County, as well as his activities in San Francisco, where he owned a second home.
During the operation, investigators also identified two other suspects in the illegal fishing activities, Lawrence Sil Law and Eugene Kwei Law, both relatives of Freeman Law and residents of San Francisco, Hinchcliff said.
During the months-long surveillance, Hinchcliff said investigators obtained evidence that Freeman Law gave some of the fish away as gifts, which is not illegal, but also that some of the fish were being sold illegally.
Hinchcliff said they also obtained evidence that Freeman Law was catching over-limits of crappie, possessed over-limits of crappie and was illegally transporting live crappie from Clear Lake.
On April 14, 2016, search warrants were served on three locations, including Freeman Law’s residences in Lake County and San Francisco, and Lawrence Law’s residence in San Francisco, Hinchcliff said.
Lawrence and Eugene Law were observed leaving Freeman Law’s residence at 5:30 a.m. and the three warrants were simultaneously served when they reached Lawrence Law’s residence at 8:20 a.m., according to Hinchcliff.
Lawrence and Eugene Law were found in joint possession of 169 crappie they had just transported from Clear Lake. Hinchcliff said Lawrence Law also had five crappie in his freezer and 12 crappie in a pond in his yard.
At Freeman Law’s residence in San Francisco warden’s found approximately 100 crappie in his freezer, while at his residence in Lake County wardens found 187 frozen crappie and 148 live crappie, Hinchcliff said.
In total, more than 600 crappie were located in the three locations and only 75 were legally possessed, according to Hinchcliff.
In addition, Hinchcliff said wardens seized Freeman Law’s Toyota truck and Boston Whaler fishing boat.
He said wardens also seized fishing equipment at Freeman Law’s residences, much of it in unopened packaging, including 57 fishing poles, 53 reels, ice chests, an under water camera, two trolling motors, terminal tackle, and hundreds of fishing lures. Wardens estimated the seized fishing equipment to be worth approximately $20,000.
On Oct. 3, 2016, Hinchcliff filed complaints against the suspects in the Lake County Superior Court, charging them with numerous fish and game violations occurring in Lake and San Francisco counties. Freeman and Lawrence Law also were charged with conspiracy to commit fish and game violations.
On Jan. 17, Eugene Law pleaded no contest to illegal possession of crappie, Hinchcliff said.
Hinchcliff said Eugene Law was placed on three years’ probation and fined $5,948. The probation can be terminated after one year if he pays the fine in full and does not violate probation.
On Feb. 24, Lawrence Law pleaded no contest to two counts of illegal possession. He was placed on three years’ probation and fined $5,520. Hinchcliff said the probation can be terminated after two years if he pays the fine in full and does not violate probation.
On Feb. 24, Freeman Law pleaded no contest to two counts of illegal possession and one count of unlawful sale of crappie. He was placed on 5 years’ probation, fined $30,138, and the fishing equipment valued at approximately $20,000 was ordered forfeited, Hinchcliff said.
Hinchcliff said the truck and boat will be returned. The probation can be terminated after two years if he pays the fine in full and does not violate probation.
The terms of probation for the Law’s include search conditions for fish and game violations, fishing license revocation and no fishing of any kind, they cannot be in the presence of anyone who is fishing, they can not possess any live fish, and they cannot possess any sport caught fish, Hinchcliff said.
Hinchcliff and local wardens are planning on having the CDFW and the District Attorney’s Office work together to have the forfeited fishing equipment donated to a good cause in Lake County.
At this time, he said they are looking into donating to children who like to fish and who lost their possessions in the Valley fire or Clayton fire, to a local high school bass fishing club or some other similar project.
