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CLEARLAKE OAKS, Calif. – On Friday the Clearlake Oaks County Water District Board will hold the second and last of two hearings required under state law as it prepares to raise water and sewer rates.
The public hearing will take place at 10 a.m. Friday, April 24, at the district's administrative office, 12952 E. Highway 20.
The documents associated with the proposed increase can be seen below, picked up from the district’s administrative office during regular business hours or downloaded from the district’s Web site at www.clocwd.org .
The proposed changes include a billing system that would switch from active accounts to all service connections, and a 3-percent per-year increase from 2016 to 2018 on the water side. Totals can be seen in the graphics shown here or in the public hearing notice below.
General Manager Matt Bassett told Lake County News that the district needs to implement the rate increases for both sewer and water services in order to help finance capital expenditure projects, specifically, upgrading aging infrastructure.
On the water side alone, Bassett said the 1960's-era infrastructure is responsible for a 60-percent water loss due to leaks for the first three months of this year.
Under the guidelines of Proposition 218, passed by voters in 1996, governments must follow certain rules when increasing or implementing new charges, fees or assessments.
Proposition 218 requires notices and public hearings, and that such new costs be put before property owners on a ballot.
The district's first public hearing on the proposed increases took place April 16.
Bassett said it went well, and while there were some vocal opponents, only about 50 of the possible 2,200 votes came in negative.
He said there would have needed to be more than 1,100 no votes to stop the increases from moving forward.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
April 2015 - Clearlake Oaks County Water District water and sewer rate ordinance
MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – The search for a Hidden Valley Lake man ended on Tuesday with the discovery of his body.
The body of Stephen Christopher Carter, 48, was located at approximately 12:17 p.m. Tuesday by family members, according to Lt. Steve Brooks of the Lake County Sheriff's Office.
Carter's body was in a wooded area on his family's property between Lower Lake and Hidden Valley Lake, Brooks said.
Evidence, items and information gathered during the course of the search and investigation indicated that Carter died of self-inflicted injuries, Brooks said.
Carter, a well-known local attorney who had for many years led the county's public defender contract, was reported missing by his family on Saturday after leaving home the previous day, as Lake County News has reported.
On Monday Lake County Search and Rescue spent the day looking for Carter in an area near where his car was found off of Highway 29 north of Hidden Valley Lake.
Det. Kellie Joseph told Lake County that 35 people had participated.
A California Highway Patrol helicopter from Redding also had been involved in the search, according to Brooks.
The search had been set to continue on Tuesday morning,
However, during the investigation, officials found out that Carter had obtained a firearm. Sheriff Brian Martin told Lake County News that due to concerns about safety for searchers on the ground, he decided to scale back the search at that point.
At the same time, Brooks said he was attempting to bring in more resources, including an aircraft with forward looking infrared – or FLIR – capabilities and then possibly tracking dogs.
Meanwhile, Carter's wife Angela – accompanied by her sister – decided to walk the property. Brooks said they were the ones who found him.
Brooks said initially that because Carter's body was found in extremely rough terrain, a helicopter was brought in to assist with recovery
Four Cal Fire firefighters, however, were able to walk the body out using a stokes basket – a type of stretcher – so the helicopter was canceled, Brooks said.
He said Highway 29 was closed briefly while the recovery took place.
This story has been updated: Sheriff Brian Martin clarified that the decision to scale back the search was his.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
UPPER LAKE, Calif. – The boards of the Upper Lake Union Elementary School District and the Upper Lake Union High School District will hold another joint meeting on Wednesday night to continue discussing criteria for a potential unification.
The meeting will take place beginning at 6 p.m. Wednesday, April 22, in the cafeteria at Upper Lake High School, 675 Clover Valley Road.
This will be the third joint meeting this year that the boards have had as they consider possibly making the two districts one entity.
The process includes the consideration of a number of criteria required by state education code.
On March 4, the boards approved the first three: the reorganized districts will be adequate in terms of number of pupils enrolled; the districts are each organized on the basis of a substantial community identity; and the proposal will result in an equitable division of property and facilities of the original district or districts.
The last time the two district boards came together, on March 25, they approved three more: addressing the potential for segregation and discrimination in a unification process, that the unification will not result in substantial cost increases to the state and that there will be a sound educational program.
Board members also discussed three other criteria, which will be up for approval on Wednesday: that the unification would not result in a significant increase in school housing costs, that the unification is primarily designed for purposes other than to significantly increase property values and that bringing the two districts together would not cause a substantial adverse effect on the fiscal management or fiscal status of the new unified district.
Also on Wednesday, the boards will get a status report that covers the list of questions and answers on unification provided by the districts and also will receive a draft feasibility report on the two districts' proposed unification.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
NORTH COAST, Calif. – A sea lion pup got help from some deputies this week after it was found wandering on Highway 1.
Mendocino County Sheriff's deputies found the pup while on routine patrol at 1 a.m. Sunday, according to Capt. Greg Van Patten.
The deputies were on Highway 1, just south of Fort Bragg, when they observed a small animal moving slowly in the roadway and stopped to render aid, Van Patten said.
Due to the darkness and the dense fog, Van Patten said the animal was very difficult to see and would certainly have been struck by a vehicle if the deputies had not stopped.
Deputies discovered the small animal was a California sea lion pup, about 30 inches in length and weighing approximately 20 pounds. Van Patten said the pup had walked about a quarter mile from the ocean.
The sea lion pup had an orange tag attached to its front flipper and was extremely friendly with the deputies, rubbing against their legs for attention, Van Patten said.
Van Patten said the deputies contacted the Marine Mammal Center, based in Sausalito, which identified the sea lion pup from the flipper tag. The center told the deputies that the pup had been released from their rehabilitation center, where it learned to interact with people.
Based on the information provided by the sheriff’s deputies, the Marine Mammal Center staff determined the sea lion pup's health had remained stable since its release and it was not in any type of distress, Van Patten said.
At the direction of the Marine Mammal Center, Van Patten said the sheriff's deputies were asked to assist the sea lion pup back to the ocean.
Van Patten said the sea lion pup was grateful to receive a ride from the sheriff’s deputies and climbed into the rear of the patrol vehicle.
The pup was transported by the sheriff’s deputies and successfully released back to its natural habitat, Van Patten said.
To report an injured or distressed marine mammal, the Marine Mammal Center can be contacted 24 hours a day, seven days a week, at 415-289-SEAL.
KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – The Ely Stage Stop & Country Museum will present the third in a series of living history events from noon to 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 25.
Local historians come on site on the fourth Saturday of each month to share stories from the past.
Floraine Chalk will be the visiting historian on Saturday.
Chalk has lived in Kelseyville all of her life, living on the same ranch as did her parents, Louise and Elvin Saderlund.
Besides running the prune orchard on the family ranch, her father owned and operated many businesses in Kelseyville and the surrounding areas.
Chalk will be available to the public in the Ely main house starting at noon to visit and answer questions.
Come visit with Chalk and learn how much Kelseyville has changed over the years. She has many great stories to relate.
Home to the Lake County Historical Society, the stage stop is located at 9921 State Highway 281 (Soda Bay Road) in Kelseyville, near Clearlake Riviera, just north of Highway 29-Kit's Corner.
Current hours of operation are 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. each Saturday and Sunday.
Visit www.elystagestop.org or www.lakecountyhistory.org , check out the stage stop on Facebook at www.facebook.com/elystagestop or call the museum at 707-533-9990.
CLEARLAKE, Calif. – A Clearlake Oaks man wanted in connection to a shooting last month has been taken into custody, with police still seeking a second suspect.
On Monday, Tyler Bradfield Koho, 27, surrendered himself at the Lake County Jail and was booked on a count of attempted murder, according to Sgt. Nick Bennett of the Clearlake Police Department.
Just after 9:30 p.m. March 11 Clearlake Police officers were dispatched to the 4000 block of Old Highway 53 on the report of a shooting, Bennett said.
Initial police reports had indicated one person had been wounded, but Bennett's latest report said there were two victims. One, a 20-year-old Clearlake man, was shot in the stomach; the second, a woman, suffered facial injuries as a result of the shooting, but was not actually hit directly by a round from the firearm.
Shortly after the incident, police identified Koho as the suspect, with the followup investigation leading police to identify 41-year-old Clearlake resident Charles Lamont as also being involved in the shooting, Bennett said.
Based on the investigation, Bennett said warrants were issued for both Koho and Lamont by a Lake County Superior Court judge. The warrants charged both men with attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon, with bail set at $1 million on each.
As a result of arrangements made by Koho's attorney and Clearlake Police detectives, he surrendered himself at the jail on Monday, Bennett said.
Bennett said the warrant on Lamont is still outstanding.
Lamont is considered to be armed and dangerous, as Bennett said he is aware of his outstanding arrest warrant on attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon charges.
The victims in this case have since been released from the hospital, Bennett said.
Anyone with information in relation to this case is encouraged to contact Det. Ryan Peterson at the Clearlake Police Department at 707-994-8251, Extension 320.