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House Gun Violence Prevention Task Force Chair Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-05), House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler (NY-10) and House Judiciary Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security Subcommittee Chairwoman Sheila Jackson Lee (TX-18) have introduced H.R. 7910, Protecting Our Kids Act.

The authors said this legislation includes common sense measures supported by the American people that will help end gun violence and save lives.

“We are all heartbroken by the senseless shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, the hate inspired grocery store shooting in Buffalo, as well as the countless lives lost every day to gun violence that are not covered by the media,” said Thompson. “I am proud to join Chairman Nadler and Chairwoman Jackson Lee in introducing the Protect our Kids Act. This live-saving legislation offers families more than thoughts and prayers. It provides common sense measures to help us end gun violence by raising the age to purchase certain firearms, cracking down on gun trafficking, ghost guns and bump stocks, supporting safer storage of firearms, and banning large capacity magazines often used in mass shootings.

“As a lifelong hunter and gun owner, I believe in a law-abiding individual’s right to own a firearm. We also have a responsibility to help keep our schools, streets and communities safe. The Protect our Kids Act respects the Second Amendment while also taking steps necessary to help combat gun violence and help save lives.

“The House, under the leadership of Speaker Pelosi, has taken action to pass multiple common sense gun violence prevention measures that would save lives including my bipartisan legislation, H.R. 8, the Bipartisan Background Checks Act. And we will take further action to pass red flag legislation and the Protect our Kids Act upon our return to Washington next week.

“Despite the overwhelming support of the American people, Senate Republicans have failed to show the courage needed to face the gun lobby and help save lives. The time to act is now.”

The House Judiciary Committee Democrats will markup H.R. 7910, the Protecting Our Kids Act, on Thursday.

H.R. 7910 would:

• Raise the lawful age to purchase a semiautomatic centerfire rifle from 18 to 21 years old.
• Establish a new federal offense for the import, sale, manufacture, transfer or possession of a large capacity magazine, with exceptions for certain law enforcement uses and the possession (but not sale) of grandfathered magazines; allow state and local governments to use the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program to compensate individuals who surrender large capacity magazines through a buyback program.
• Establish new federal offenses for gun trafficking and straw purchasers and authorize seizure of the property and proceeds of the offense.
• Establish voluntary best practices for safe firearm storage and award grants for Safe Firearm Storage Assistance Programs.
• Establish requirements to regulate the storage of firearms on residential premises; create criminal penalties for violation of the requirements.
• Build on ATF’s regulatory bump stock ban by listing bump stocks under the National Firearms Act and statutorily banning the manufacture, sale, or possession of bump stocks for civilian use.
• Build on ATF’s regulatory ban of ghost guns by ensuring that ghost guns are subject to existing federal firearm regulation by amending the definition of “firearm” to include gun kits and partial receivers and changing the definition of “manufacturing firearms” to include assembling firearms using 3D printing.

Following the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School, then-Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi appointed Rep. Mike Thompson Chairman of the House Gun Violence Prevention Task Force.

This group, consisting of more than 185 Members of Congress, said it is devoted to finding common sense solutions to our nation’s ongoing gun violence epidemic.

LAKEPORT, Calif. — Hospice Services of Lake County will present the seventh annual Hike for Hospice, a fundraising and friend-raising event, on Saturday, June 11, starting at 9 a.m., at Highland Springs Park.

Hikers and walkers who want to participate in the hike are encouraged to pre-register at https://secure.qgiv.com/event/hsolcp2p, call 707-263.6222, or register on the day of the hike.

Each hiker 12 years and older is asked to donate $10 for registration, and a $25 donation qualifies hikers for an event T-shirt.

Hikers or teams of hikers are encouraged to have family and friends sponsor their hikes by donating to Hospice Services of Lake County.

Participants may invite their supporters to go online and donate on their behalf, or they may collect donations and bring them to the event as they check in to hike.

Hikers will start their trek after checking in by 9 a.m. at Highland Springs Park, 3600 E. Highland Springs Road, with an anticipated end time of 10:30 a.m.

Check-in begins at 8 a.m. at the picnic area near the reservoir. Hikers may choose one of four expertly marked hiking trails by trailblazer Kim Riley. Trails are one, two, three or 4.5 miles long. Hikes range from very gentle to a bit more challenging.

As hikers return, the fun continues with refreshments, lively music and awards given in categories such as “most money raised by an individual and team” and “most creatively dressed individual/team.” Creative apparel is highly encouraged.

This event is supported by many generous sponsors committed to the compassionate care provided by Hospice Services including Calpine, Sutter Lakeside Hospital, Lake County Tribal Health, VanDerWall Engineering, Strong Financial Network, Jonas Energy Solutions, Chapel of the Lakes Mortuary and Crematory, California Exterminators Alliance, Shelly Reed/Century 21 Epic, Adventist Health Clear Lake, Lincoln Leavitt Insurance Agency Inc, Michaels Insurance Services, Sterling Mortgage, The UPS Store, Carlton Tire, Twin Pine Casino and Hotel, Lucerne Roofing Corp., Community First Credit Union, Lake Parts Inc. and Aponte Barrel Works.

Highland Springs Park is off Highway 29 past the Lampson Field Airport. Donations from this event will support the Wings of Hope children’s programs and serve the special needs of Hospice patients.

For more information, to register to hike or to sponsor a hiker, go to www.lakecountyhospice.org, or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 707-263-6222.

Janine Smith-Citron is director of development for Hospice Services of Lake County.

KELSEYVILLE, Calif. — Kelseyville Presbyterian Church is inviting the community to come and join in the celebration of its 150th anniversary.

The church was founded in 1872, just 11 years after the county of Lake was formed.

It serves the community in a variety of ways, from hosting a regular food pantry that has continued during the pandemic to being an important meeting space for groups and organizations.

The church will host a preview of its celebration from 4 to 6 p.m. Friday, June 3.

Stop in and see the storyboards that reflect the rich history of the church within the Kelseyville community.

All are welcome to join the congregation on Friday evening for the preview or on Sunday, June 5, for their special worship service beginning at 9:30 a.m. with an old hymn sing-along.

Kelseyville Presbyterian is located at 5340 Third St.

For more information call the church at 707-279-1104.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — This June, Lake County voters will find themselves deciding on a key financial position in the county’s government, but one that they will not have seen on the ballot as part of a contested election in some time.

After nearly 10 years in the office, Treasurer-Tax Collector Barbara Ringen will retire at the end of this year.

Ringen has worked for the county of Lake for more than 30 years. The Board of Supervisors appointed her to the treasurer-tax collector job in 2013 after the departure of Sandra Kacharos — who was elected in 2006 and again in 2010, without a contest — for an out-of-county position. Before Kacharos, Kay Litton held the job for 15 years.

Since her appointment, Ringen has been elected twice, both in uncontested elections.

Her last term has been a rocky one, with the Board of Supervisors at one point trying to force her to resign, which she initially agreed to do before pushing back. The board also had considered a no confidence action against her in the summer of August 2020 but ultimately didn’t take it.

Her office failed for several years to hold tax defaulted property sales and after the sales resumed, the city of Clearlake’s dissatisfaction with the number of properties from its jurisdiction that made it into the sales led to a lawsuit against the county and Ringen filed in August 2020 that is still in play.

With Ringen retiring, and with no one from her office running — the assistant treasurer has only been in that job for three years — it left an open seat and has led to the first contested election for the treasurer-tax collector’s job in decades.

First to throw his hat into the ring was Patrick Sullivan, Lake County’s tax administrator, a position he accepted in 2018. He announced his candidacy in December.

Sullivan, who also is a licensed attorney, has extensive experience in key projects that have brought additional revenue to the county, from cannabis tax to transient occupancy tax collection from vacation home rentals, to helping better manage the county’s investments.

Those projects have required him to work across departments, which helped him become knowledgeable about the Treasurer-Tax Collector’s Office and other fiscal agencies.

Sullivan sees improving the county’s financial resources as being a path to improving the quality of life for Lake County residents.

Locally, no other candidates came forward to succeed Ringen. “There's not a clear line of succession and in most counties there is,” said Sullivan.

But when the filings closed for the office on March 11, there was another name to go before voters — Paul Flores.

Flores moved to the county earlier this year but he said his family has had a vacation home in Lakeport for decades.

“It’s been a really strange campaign,” said Sullivan, who said he’s run it “full steam ahead,” with more than 150 endorsements from county leaders and residents on his website.

Part of that strangeness came from Flores’ sudden appearance in the race. He worked in the Lake County Treasurer-Tax Collector’s Office 20 years ago but left for Southern California, a move he said was necessitated because his wife, a Southern California native, felt too isolated here.

However, when Flores heard about Ringen’s retirement, he said he set his sights on the job. In February Flores registered as a voter in Lake County, a step necessary to run for office.

Flores said he has been living in Lake County on and off for six months but he says allegations that he’s a carpetbagger” aren’t fair. He said he has long standing roots in the county, spends time every summer here, his children were born here, his daughter works for a local doctor and his sister lives in Lucerne.

In a recent forum held by the Middletown Area Town Hall, Flores said he’s “coming in as an outsider” and feels he doesn’t need endorsements initially nor does he want to get entangled with them. Instead, he said he’s interested in policy, process and procedure.

At that same forum, Flores said the choice comes down to being between “insider versus an outsider” — meaning Sullivan and himself, respectively.

Part of the criticism of Flores has arisen from the resume he has circulated to prospective voters that shows him with a Long Beach address. He acknowledged during an interview with Lake County News that handing out that resume with an out-of-county address was a mistake.

During the interview for this story he also displayed several significant gaps in his knowledge about Lake County’s government, including the $21 million in raises the Board of Supervisors approved during the pandemic, local sales tax measures and the status of the county’s investment pool, something he said he’s particularly interested in improving.

Sullivan’s background and history

Patrick Sullivan grew up in Sonoma County, completed his undergraduate studies at the University of California, San Diego and then came back to Northern California.

Sullivan, 37, attended law school at Golden Gate University and during law school served as a law clerk for two years in the Sonoma County District Attorney’s Office. Today he is a licensed attorney and is a member of the Lake County Bar Association.

His experience in government includes working for six and a half years for the Mendocino County Treasurer-Tax Collector’s Office, where he was an elected trustee of that county’s pension’s investment pool and benefits system.

He and his wife, Anakalia “Andrea” Kaluna Sullivan, have been married for eight years and have three young children. Andrea Sullivan also heads up the county’s indigent defense contract.

It was while Patrick Sullivan was working for the county of Mendocino that Lake County’s new tax administrator’s job opened in 2018. It felt tailored to him and “seemed like a good opportunity for us.”

At the time they were living in Ukiah and his wife was commuting to Lake County. In 2019 they first moved to Upper Lake where they lived until a few months ago, when they moved to Lakeport.

As tax administrator, a job located in the County Administrative Office, Sullivan has been key to completing some complex projects that have benefited the county’s finances, including bringing vacation rental owners into compliance with paying transient occupancy tax, or bed tax, like hotels, motels and resorts do.

He’s also played an important role in developing and improving the county’s cannabis tax program, and monitoring the county’s cannabis tax revenues.

Sullivan helped bring $15.7 million in state grants to the county to support at-risk students, fund code enforcement, combat illegal cannabis cultivation and state investment in the community.

He also assisted with making tax-defaulted property data publicly available and played a role in the tax sharing agreement reached between the county of Lake and the city of Lakeport for the South Main Street annexation area.

One of the accomplishments he’s most proud of is helping the county to bring on a licensed and credentialed financial adviser to handle its investments. Sullivan took the lead on that collaborative effort between the Board of Supervisors, the Treasurer-Tax Collector’s Office and the firm the county hired, Chandler Asset Management.

Sullivan said counties normally delegate the investment authority to the treasurer-tax collector, but they’re not usually well equipped to do it. Last year the board took that responsibility back from Ringen’s office and went out for a request for proposals, ultimately hiring Chandler.

With that adviser in place, Sullivan said the county is making investments and purchasing safe, stable instruments, and Chandler is helping the county revamp its investment policy.

Chandlers’ target is just under two years to develop a normalized portfolio like would be seen in a peer county, he said.

Sullivan said he decided to run because he’s worked with the treasurer-tax collector extensively in his current job. Because he’s familiar with the office’s duties and since he’s worked on initiatives that plug into it, he said it made sense that the only way for him to see some of his projects to their completion is to become treasurer-tax collector.

Since all of his goals and ideas rely on having competent employees in place, “Staffing is one of my biggest concerns,” he said.

He explained that it’s been difficult to recruit and retain staff in the Treasurer-Tax Collector’s Office, with experienced people transferring to other departments or leaving altogether. As a result, the level of experience in the office is declining, which Sullivan finds scary.

However, he’s hopeful due to recent hires, which he believes are helped by the millions of dollars in raises the Board of Supervisors approved. Sullivan said those raises make Lake County more competitive.

Sullivan said he would be more active in recruitment and plans outreach efforts involving the community colleges. The goal is to create opportunities within the office so staff doesn’t leave for another department. “That’s so important, to give people a path forward, within the office.”

As he’s looking at the improvements he wants to make, Sullivan is mindful of a larger shift taking place at the county due to retirements.

Sullivan, as part of a younger generation of government leaders, said he’s concerned about the amount of institutional knowledge the county is losing not just with Ringen but with Auditor-Controller/County Clerk Cathy Saderlund, who is retiring in January and whose deputy Jenavive Herrington is running unopposed; and with the April departure of county administrative officer and his former boss, Carol Huchingson.

Flores’ background and history

“My family’s been coming up here since the 1950s,” and has owned property here since the 1960s, Flores said.

The property the family owns now includes a home on Esplanade in Lakeport. Flores said he met his wife on the home’s opposing dock.

In 1997, after he had been held up in four separate armed robberies — two of them involving a gun being held to his head — Flores said his wife wanted to leave Southern California. So they came to Lake County and lived in Point Lakeview near Lower Lake.

Flores, 54, worked for the Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians for a short time before joining the county of Lake in January 1998. He worked first as an IT analyst until March 2000, when he moved over to the Treasurer-Tax Collector’s Office which he said he did at the request of then-Treasurer-Tax Collector Kay Litton.

During his time at the county, Flores said he turned on the Megabyte property tax tracking software for the county 20 years ago and built its accompanying modules.

He remained in the job of deputy treasurer-tax collector until October 2002, when he said he returned to Long Beach because his wife was unhappy living in Lake County.

His resume shows he was a financial and administrative analyst for California State University, Long Beach, from July 2004 to July 2015. Flores said he doubled the efficiencies and was moved around to other units; he made eight moves in 11 years, which he said was a matter of his being successful in making improvements in various departments.

Flores said he ran into health issues and decided to purchase and remodel his dream home. He then took off two years to work under his own property management company.

He said he realized he still had plenty of work in him, and that he needed an 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. work routine because self-employment wasn’t for him and he loves public service.

In July 2017, he went to work for Volt Information Sciences in Orange for a year and a half before he was hired by the county of Orange’s Treasurer-Tax Collector’s Office in July 2019 as a cash analyst and assistant cash manager, where he remained until June 2020, managing $10 billion in cash and improving operational and forecasting efficiencies.

Then the COVID-19 pandemic began and Flores left after finishing a contract with Orange County. That’s when he said he went off to do his own thing.

Regarding career accomplishments, Flores said he brought on the Megabyte system in Lake County in 2000. He said he also introduced the bulletproof glass at the Lake County Treasurer-Tax Collector’s Office based on his experience being robbed at gunpoint in Southern California.

In Lake County, he put the fiber internet connection into place for several departments — Victim Witness, the Veterans Service and Special Districts — and started the project that placed wireless internet equipment on Mount Konocti to get the sheriff’s office and library online before he was transferred to the Treasurer-Tax Collector’s Office.

He said one of his finest projects was rolling out the average daily balance calculation and program that helped Cal State, Long Beach and 23 other campuses. He also improved cash forecasts and fixed issues in various units, and recovered hundreds of thousands of dollars by introducing better processes.

“I’m a troubleshooter and I hunt for problems,” Flores said.

He said the pandemic shrank the needs and wants of the government. He had a goal of getting another government job and went in for several interviews but a new opportunity didn’t materialize.

Once he realized Ringen was retiring, he said he focused on getting her job, believing he’s a good candidate with his treasury and finance background. Flores said he did not apply to Lake County for any of the many job openings here but just kept his eye on the prize of the treasurer-tax collector’s job.

Flores said he feels that he has so much experience in repair, analysis and fixing systems that it makes sense to come back to the office he was in 20 years ago with new skills.

He said he has his wife’s “tentative” support to come back to Lake County. “She felt so isolated 25 years ago when we were living up here,” he said.

She’s been a teacher for 30 years and he’s hoping she’ll move to Lake County after retiring. He’s also hoping his other adult children will follow.

He doesn’t categorize himself as the better candidate. “I think I offer different skills,” he said, including system engineering, IT, automation and knowledge of the use of data. “I have a stronger set of IT skills than Patrick will offer,” and a deeper tool chest based on his time in public service.

He said he wants to slow down a bit and enjoy public service, noting that whether he or Sullivan is elected, the county will be in good shape.

Flores said he hopes to work for the next five to 10 years. “I just feel that Lake County is a really good fit for me.”

He then hopes to retire and live in Lake County permanently. “Whether I win or not, I love Lake County.”


The forum for treasurer-tax collector's candidates begins at 1:35:40.


What they are hearing from the community

Flores, who has been walking neighborhoods in Lake County’s different communities, said the biggest complaint that he’s heard from the community, particularly in Lakeport and Clearlake, is the roads.

He said he hasn’t dug into the issue with roads, adding that he hasn’t heard about crime being the main issue.

For Sullivan, “The biggest question I get is about payment processing,” he said, explaining the frustration people experience when their checks sit uncashed for months.

In small rural counties like Lake, where a treasurer-tax collector’s office has less than 10 staffers, Sullivan said they can get overwhelmed with tens of thousands of pieces of mail all at once.

However, Sullivan said he thinks there are some things the county can do, including using a service which can more quickly process checks. He said he doesn’t yet know which solution is best, but they need to be explored due to the limited number of employees.

First things first for the new treasurer-tax collector

When asked about his first priority if elected, Flores said it was straightening out the county’s investment and earnings, and making sure the quarterly reports are made as required.

At that point in the interview, he was asked if he knew that the county had hired an investment firm last year that is now handling those responsibilities, and which had submitted the latest quarterly report to the Board of Supervisors on May 10. Flores said he wasn’t aware of that.

Other priorities would be streamlining treasury operations and looking at issues associated with tax defaulted land sales, which he said “was a problem 20 years ago but it has grown in magnitude because of the fires.” He suggested a coalition of public and private concerns could be formed to take a look at the problem.

Flores said there was little turnover at the county when he worked there 20 years ago and he doesn’t know what happened. “I’m here to help,’ he said. “I’m not here to point fingers.”

He suggests there’s a morale problem causing turnover, that there needs to be outreach to find out how other small counties handle it. He also is considering bringing in high school students with accounting backgrounds and collaboration with junior colleges to fill jobs.

Flores said he would also put out a regular community newsletter reporting on financial matters. He’s also considering forming an advisory committee to advise the Treasurer-Tax Collector’s Office on best practices.

For Sullivan, “This is probably going to be a pretty action packed term,” he said.

He said he’s at the point where he believes he knows enough to know that he doesn’t know enough, and that he wants to have a very clear grasp of who is doing what.

“I’d like to understand what projects everyone has, what they feel is going well, if there is something they foresee as being a problem,” and what changes in practice they suggest. He said he wants to hear all of that from staff.

In addition to recruitment, training and retention, Sullivan wants to modernize the county’s payment options, improve online access, and streamline tax collections and hold timely tax sales, an effort meant to address the concerns that have arisen during Ringen’s tenure.

January will not just be the first month for the new treasurer-tax collector, but that’s when the next installment of cannabis taxes will be due.

Due to the challenges the industry has been experiencing, the supervisors agreed to push back the payments. Sullivan said the January payment will be for the cultivation done this year.

This article has been updated to clarify the uses of $15.7 million in state grants and revenues Sullivan helped bring to the county.

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.

NORTH COAST, Calif. — A day marked by ritual and ceremony, Mendocino College bid a fond farewell to graduating students at its 49th Commencement on Friday, May 20.

It was the first in-person ceremony since 2019, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic; therefore graduates from 2020, 2021 and 2022 were all invited to participate.

In his opening remarks, Superintendent/President Tim Karas reminded the graduates, “Education is the great equalizer in this country. You can contribute to that goal. Use all your knowledge, skills, and experience to build communities, shine a light on inequities, and encourage others to join us. Embrace your journey. You can do anything.”

During the ceremony, two students spoke to their fellow graduates.

Graduate Rachel Nichole Klena, who received an Associate's Degree in human services paraprofessional, spoke about her success despite the multiple challenges and obstacles throughout her educational journey.

“Up until I walked onto this path of higher education, I lived a life of “somedays,” “used to’s” and “what-ifs,”” said Klena in her speech. “Yes, I had survived, and yes, my children (woohoo, I love and thank you guys, I thank my wonderful family, [my kids, grandkids, partner, and dear friends] for their support) and they also are finding their paths now, but before school, I never had a journey to adhere to, a mission of my own. I had ... just only ... survived.”

Student-athlete Josue Ismael Jaquez Cigarroa, a Mexican immigrant in DACA, delivered his speech in both English and Spanish.

Cigarroa received an Associate’s Degree in business and hopes to begin working and helping those who require translation in the court system.

In addition to thanking the Mendocino College staff, faculty and programs, Cigarroa said, “My greatest appreciation goes to the baseball program and the athletic department. Thanks to my coaches Brett Ringer, Matt Gordon, Connor Franz, Jeff Truett and Sonny Garza, I was able to play the sport I love for a few years after high school was over. To my baseball teammates that I have been with in these past years. You are not just teammates, you are family.”

Before conferring degrees and certificates to the 219 students in attendance, guest speaker, Lake County's Poet Laureate for 2020-2024, a Fellow with the Academy of American Poets, and Mendocino College alumni, Georgina Marie Guardado wished the graduates with a final farewell. Guardado also read one of her award-winning poems, “Poem for Learning.”

“As a graduate of Mendocino College in 2009, it was an incredible experience to return to the college as the 2022 Commencement guest speaker,” said Guardado. “It was an honor to walk with the Board of Trustees as we led the large graduating class onto the ceremony field. The experience allowed me to reflect on how far I have come in my own journey as an individual and as a learner. I was especially moved by student speeches during the ceremony, in which students shared their stories and how they overcame adversity to obtain an education. I was proud to be able to witness each student walk across the stage as they celebrated their accomplishments and begin their own journeys.”

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Clearlake City Council will discuss assessments for code enforcement cases, approving a resolution to call a November election and a police equipment contract.

The council will meet at 6 p.m. Thursday, June 2, in the council chambers at Clearlake City Hall, 14050 Olympic Drive.

The meeting will be broadcast live on the city's YouTube channel or the Lake County PEGTV YouTube Channel. Community members also can participate via Zoom or can attend in person.

The agenda can be found here.

Comments and questions can be submitted in writing for City Council consideration by sending them to City Clerk Melissa Swanson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

To give the council adequate time to review your questions and comments, please submit your written comments before 4 p.m. Thursday, June 2.

Each public comment emailed to the city clerk will be read aloud by the mayor or a member of staff for up to three minutes or will be displayed on a screen. Public comment emails and town hall public comment submissions that are received after the beginning of the meeting will not be included in the record.

The council on Thursday will get presentations from the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services on the Cache fire recovery and on the Lake County Clean Water Program and stormwater management.

The council also will present a proclamation declaring June 2022 as LGBTQIA+ Pride Month.

Under business, staff is asking the council to confirm assessments totaling $76,959.16 for city funded abatements.

The council also will hear an appeal of an order to abate for 16036 14th Ave. and discuss authorizing the police chief to enter into a contract with Tyler Technologies, Inc. for the purchase of an electronic citation program in the amount of $55,144.

In other business, the council will consider a resolution calling for and giving notice of a general municipal election in November.

Administrative Services Director/City Clerk Melissa Swanson’s report on the item said there are two council seats on the Nov. 8 ballot — which currently are held by Mayor Dirk Slooten and Councilman Russell Cremer — and the city treasurer job, which is vacant.

The filing period for nomination papers and candidate’s statements is July 18 through Aug. 12. If any incumbent chooses not to file nomination papers, the filing period for candidates is then
automatically extended through Aug. 17, Swanson said.

On the meeting's consent agenda — items that are considered routine in nature and usually adopted on a single vote — are warrants; the April 21 council meeting minutes; the second reading and adoption of Ordinance No. 262-2022; continuation of declaration of local emergency issued on Aug. 23, 2021 and ratified by council action on Sept. 16, 2021; adoption of seventh amendment to the FY 2021-22 Budget to appropriate funds for design and planning services; second reading of Ordinance No. 262-2022 adding Chapter 11-6 of the Clearlake Municipal Code establishing edible food recovery regulations in accordance with SB 1383; continuation of authorization to implement and utilize teleconference accessibility to conduct public meetings pursuant to Assembly Bill 361; authorization of execution of the Clean California restricted grant agreement; authorization of amendment to the Operating Engineers Public Trust Agreement; and amendment to California Engineering Co. Inc. engineering consultant contract.

The council also will hold a closed session to discuss labor negotiations with the Clearlake Municipal Employee Association and Clearlake Police Officers Association.

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.