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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Board of Supervisors will hold its annual governance meeting this week.
The meeting will begin at 9 a.m. Friday, April 16, in the board chambers on the first floor of the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport.
The meeting can be watched live on Channel 8, online at https://countyoflake.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx and on the county’s Facebook page. Accompanying board documents, the agenda and archived board meeting videos also are available at that link.
To participate in real-time, join the Zoom meeting by clicking this link at 9 a.m.
The meeting ID is 978 7624 1197, passcode 191027. The meeting also can be accessed via one tap mobile at +16699006833,,97876241197#,,,,*191027# US.
All interested members of the public that do not have internet access or a Mediacom cable subscription are encouraged to call 669-900-6833, and enter the Zoom meeting ID and passcode information above.
To submit a written comment on any agenda item please visit https://countyoflake.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx and click on the eComment feature linked to the meeting date. If a comment is submitted after the meeting begins, it may not be read during the meeting but will become a part of the record.
During the meeting, the board will meet with county department heads.
Friday’s meeting is a workshop only, and no action will be taken.
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 meeting will begin at 9 a.m. Friday, April 16, in the board chambers on the first floor of the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport.
The meeting can be watched live on Channel 8, online at https://countyoflake.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx and on the county’s Facebook page. Accompanying board documents, the agenda and archived board meeting videos also are available at that link.
To participate in real-time, join the Zoom meeting by clicking this link at 9 a.m.
The meeting ID is 978 7624 1197, passcode 191027. The meeting also can be accessed via one tap mobile at +16699006833,,97876241197#,,,,*191027# US.
All interested members of the public that do not have internet access or a Mediacom cable subscription are encouraged to call 669-900-6833, and enter the Zoom meeting ID and passcode information above.
To submit a written comment on any agenda item please visit https://countyoflake.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx and click on the eComment feature linked to the meeting date. If a comment is submitted after the meeting begins, it may not be read during the meeting but will become a part of the record.
During the meeting, the board will meet with county department heads.
Friday’s meeting is a workshop only, and no action will be taken.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
With approval on Wednesday by the Assembly Appropriations Committee, a measure to allow state and local court employees to receive a paid holiday in celebration of California Native American Day will go to the full Assembly.
Assembly Bill 855 was introduced by Assemblymember James C. Ramos (D-Highland).
“This is one more step forward in statewide recognition of the history, culture and contributions of California’s Native Americans,” Ramos said.
AB 855 would amend the Code of Civil Procedure to recognize California Native American Day as a judicial holiday to provide proper recognition for Native American people and celebrate their history in the state.
It would not create an additional paid holiday for Judicial Council employees but would exchange Columbus Day for California Native American Day.
Court personnel are currently the only state workers receiving the paid Oct. 12 holiday.
“Our state Judicial Council brought the idea for this bill forward, and I thank them for their initiative,” Ramos said. “For more than 20 years, I have worked to help create a day that recognizes California’s First People and their history. California has the greatest number of Native Americans residing within its boundaries, and it is fitting that we begin to expand our commemoration of this holiday.”
The Judicial Council, which is sponsoring AB 855, voted in January to seek authority to ensure California Native American Day is designated as a judicial holiday.
Ramos noted paid judicial holidays are designated in a different code section from holidays recognized by other state agencies. Non-judicial holidays are designated in the Government Code, but court holidays are established in the Code of Civil Procedure.
“The Judicial Council of California and its chair, Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye, are committed to providing equal access and fairness in our justice system,” said Judge Marla O. Anderson, chair of the Judicial Council’s Legislation Committee. “By recognizing the importance of Native Americans we not only acknowledge our shortcomings in our state’s past treatment of them, we also celebrate their past and current contributions to our state.”
Co-authors are Assemblymembers Ed Chau (D-Monterey Park), Lorena Gonzalez (D-San Diego), Chris Holden (D-Pasadena), Ash Kalra (D-San Jose) and Eloise Gómez Reyes (D-Riverside).
Assembly Bill 855 was introduced by Assemblymember James C. Ramos (D-Highland).
“This is one more step forward in statewide recognition of the history, culture and contributions of California’s Native Americans,” Ramos said.
AB 855 would amend the Code of Civil Procedure to recognize California Native American Day as a judicial holiday to provide proper recognition for Native American people and celebrate their history in the state.
It would not create an additional paid holiday for Judicial Council employees but would exchange Columbus Day for California Native American Day.
Court personnel are currently the only state workers receiving the paid Oct. 12 holiday.
“Our state Judicial Council brought the idea for this bill forward, and I thank them for their initiative,” Ramos said. “For more than 20 years, I have worked to help create a day that recognizes California’s First People and their history. California has the greatest number of Native Americans residing within its boundaries, and it is fitting that we begin to expand our commemoration of this holiday.”
The Judicial Council, which is sponsoring AB 855, voted in January to seek authority to ensure California Native American Day is designated as a judicial holiday.
Ramos noted paid judicial holidays are designated in a different code section from holidays recognized by other state agencies. Non-judicial holidays are designated in the Government Code, but court holidays are established in the Code of Civil Procedure.
“The Judicial Council of California and its chair, Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye, are committed to providing equal access and fairness in our justice system,” said Judge Marla O. Anderson, chair of the Judicial Council’s Legislation Committee. “By recognizing the importance of Native Americans we not only acknowledge our shortcomings in our state’s past treatment of them, we also celebrate their past and current contributions to our state.”
Co-authors are Assemblymembers Ed Chau (D-Monterey Park), Lorena Gonzalez (D-San Diego), Chris Holden (D-Pasadena), Ash Kalra (D-San Jose) and Eloise Gómez Reyes (D-Riverside).
LAKEPORT, Calif. – The city of Lakeport has received a major grant in the latest round of state funding to conduct roadway safety projects.
Caltrans said it has awarded more than $227 million to fund safety projects designed to reduce traffic deaths and serious injuries on city and county roads. Funding is provided through the federal Highway Safety Improvement Program.
Lakeport Public Works Director Doug Grider said the city applied last year for the competitive grant to replace the signs identified in a sign inventory the city had performed in 2020.
The grant – which he called “a big one” – is for $261,000. The city received notification last week.
It will replace 547 signs and prevent the city from having to spend general funds on the project.
To be replaced are warning signs – yield, curve and slippery road conditions – along with regulator, guide and city-specific signs, such as street signs, Grider said.
According to the Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System, nearly 64 percent of traffic deaths in California occur on city or county roads, underscoring the significance of funding local safety improvements.
Caltrans selected a total of 266 projects statewide for funding for safety enhancements that include new traffic signals, roundabouts, turn lanes, rumble strips and guard rails, and projects focusing on safety improvements at intersections. There were reported to be 469 grants applications submitted.
“Safety is always our No. 1 priority,” said Caltrans Director Toks Omishakin. “These projects will enhance systemwide safety features, including expanded access to protected walkways and bikeways, and will move us closer to our goal of reducing serious injuries and fatalities on California roadways.”
“In addition to the upgrades Caltrans is making along state highways, I’m pleased that our district was able to identify and provide funding for local projects to bring safety improvements for communities in Humboldt and Lake Counties,” stated Matt Brady, Caltrans District 1 director.
Grider said the Lake Area Planning Council’s Technical Advisory Committee, which includes the county and the two cities, has work elements like studies that they need to complete, such as the pavement management program.
In addition, the state mandates that every three to five years they come out and check the reflectivity of street signs. “That was coming up due,” Grider said.
The Lake Area Planning Council hired a consultant to do the sign survey for the county, the city of Clearlake and Lakeport, Grider said. That survey listed all of the defective signs.
He said that study was necessary in order to seek the funding. “If you want to get any money, you have to have a study.”
Ukiah-based Davey-Bates Consulting, which works with the Lake Area Planning Council, helps administer the work elements and also assisted the city of Lakeport with putting together its application, Grider said.
Grider credited the firm with helping his staff work through the process, noting the company regularly works with state transportation staff. “That is just a huge help.”
There are still some steps to complete, including sending in some additional paperwork to request the funding. He said there will be environmental rules to follow even for existing signs. “We’re not doing any digging, we're just replacing existing signs.”
He said they will have to put out a bid package for a contractor to complete the project. “This is too big for city staff.”
That contractor bid will need to be approved by the Lakeport City Council, Grider said.
Grider said the city has completed sign replacement before, but he doesn’t think it’s ever been done on this magnitude.
With many Public Works projects now underway, Grider said he expects the sign replacement work will take place next year.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – The Kelseyville Unified School District will provide in-person summer school for all interested students weekdays July 6 through 30.
Classwork will take place from 8 a.m. to noon, then a half-hour lunch with dismissal at 12:30 pm.
Depending on enrollment, summer school will be offered at the following school campuses with transportation provided: Kelseyville High, Mountain Vista Middle, Kelseyville Elementary and Riviera Elementary.
Kelseyville Learning Academy students may also participate in summer school, either by attending a school-site program or continuing with the independent study homeschool model.
On-campus COVID safety protocols will remain in place, including required face coverings and social distancing.
For Kelseyville Elementary and Riviera Elementary, summer school will focus on critical skills in math, reading, and writing to bridge learning gaps and help prepare students for the next school year.
Mountain Vista Middle School will offer two programs: The Summer Math Academy, designed to address targeted math standards, and the AVID Excel Summer Bridge program for English Learner students.
Kelseyville High will offer credit-recovery and learning-loss programs based on the number of students who register.
Those interested in registering their student should do so by May 17.
Visit the Kelseyville Unified website at www.KVUSD.org for access to the registration form or contact your child’s school for more information.
Classwork will take place from 8 a.m. to noon, then a half-hour lunch with dismissal at 12:30 pm.
Depending on enrollment, summer school will be offered at the following school campuses with transportation provided: Kelseyville High, Mountain Vista Middle, Kelseyville Elementary and Riviera Elementary.
Kelseyville Learning Academy students may also participate in summer school, either by attending a school-site program or continuing with the independent study homeschool model.
On-campus COVID safety protocols will remain in place, including required face coverings and social distancing.
For Kelseyville Elementary and Riviera Elementary, summer school will focus on critical skills in math, reading, and writing to bridge learning gaps and help prepare students for the next school year.
Mountain Vista Middle School will offer two programs: The Summer Math Academy, designed to address targeted math standards, and the AVID Excel Summer Bridge program for English Learner students.
Kelseyville High will offer credit-recovery and learning-loss programs based on the number of students who register.
Those interested in registering their student should do so by May 17.
Visit the Kelseyville Unified website at www.KVUSD.org for access to the registration form or contact your child’s school for more information.
LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport Police Department is encouraging drivers to put down their mobile devices and focus on the road in April, which is Distracted Driving Awareness Month.
Throughout the month of April, Lakeport Police officers will be focusing on educating the public on the dangers of distracted driving and enforcing distracted driving laws.
Current California laws make it illegal for drivers to hold a phone or other electronic device while behind the wheel of a motor vehicle.
Drivers who are under the age of 18 are not allowed to use a phone for any reason, including hands-free.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported that in 2019 distracted driving killed 3,142 people, a 10-percent increase from 2018.
To help allied agencies across the state in the collective mission of reducing the number of distracted driving-related collision deaths, the department is asking the community to take action against distracted driving and drive responsibly.
If you need to send a text you should wait until you can pull over at a safe location and park. Don’t scroll through any smartphone apps while driving. If you have any passengers in your vehicle you should designate one of them as your “texter.”
Remind your friends and family when they are in the driver’s seat that driving is where their focus should be. If your driver is texting or otherwise distracted, tell them to stop and focus on driving.
Ask your friends to join you in pledging not to drive distracted.
The Lakeport Police Department said it’s committed to educating the public on the dangers of distracted driving and enforcing California law, and asked the community to join its staff in working to make the community and all of California safer.
Throughout the month of April, Lakeport Police officers will be focusing on educating the public on the dangers of distracted driving and enforcing distracted driving laws.
Current California laws make it illegal for drivers to hold a phone or other electronic device while behind the wheel of a motor vehicle.
Drivers who are under the age of 18 are not allowed to use a phone for any reason, including hands-free.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported that in 2019 distracted driving killed 3,142 people, a 10-percent increase from 2018.
To help allied agencies across the state in the collective mission of reducing the number of distracted driving-related collision deaths, the department is asking the community to take action against distracted driving and drive responsibly.
If you need to send a text you should wait until you can pull over at a safe location and park. Don’t scroll through any smartphone apps while driving. If you have any passengers in your vehicle you should designate one of them as your “texter.”
Remind your friends and family when they are in the driver’s seat that driving is where their focus should be. If your driver is texting or otherwise distracted, tell them to stop and focus on driving.
Ask your friends to join you in pledging not to drive distracted.
The Lakeport Police Department said it’s committed to educating the public on the dangers of distracted driving and enforcing California law, and asked the community to join its staff in working to make the community and all of California safer.
Ahead of peak fire season, Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday signed a $536 million wildfire package enabling the state to take urgent action on projects that support wildfire suppression, improve forest health and build resilience in communities to help protect residents and property from catastrophic wildfires in diverse landscapes across the state.
The governor signed SB 85 alongside legislative leaders at a fuels management project in the Lake Oroville State Recreation Area that helped protect a Butte County community from last year’s North Complex Fire.
The legislative package builds on Gov. Newsom’s early action funding for wildfire resilience proposed in his 2021-2022 state budget.
It funds projects to restore the ecological health of forests and watersheds, fuel breaks around vulnerable communities, statewide fire prevention grants targeting projects to advance community hardening, and improvements to defensible space to mitigate wildfire damage.
This early action plan is part of the governor's overall proposed $1 billion investment in forest health and community fire resilience.
“California is taking bold, early action to protect our high-risk communities from the upcoming wildfire season before it starts,” said Gov. Newsom. “This crucial funding will go towards efforts including fuel breaks, forest health projects and home hardening. I thank the members of the Legislature for their partnership as we do more than ever before to build wildfire and forest resilience across the state.”
The administration is spearheading sustainable approaches to thinning California’s vulnerable landscapes, half of which will be funded under the early action legislation.
One of these approaches is to develop a comprehensive framework to expand the wood products market in California to create economic opportunities for the use of forest materials that store carbon, reduce emissions and contribute to sustainable local economies.
Furthermore, the state’s iBank will partner with the Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development, Governor's Office of Planning and Research and other agencies to advance forest- and agricultural-related applications to the Climate Catalyst Fund.
The fund will provide loans, loan guarantees and other credit support to encourage the development of businesses that utilize wood and forest biomass; encourage private-sector innovations in technology, business models, infrastructure and supply chains in woody biomass markets; and promote optimization of state grant funds in the sector.
The Oroville East site is a joint project by Cal Fire, the Department of Water Resources and the Department of Parks and Recreation to thin vegetation around the park, which helped slow the North Complex Fire and prevent it from spreading into the community of Kelly Ridge.
“As the Senate passed the wildfire prevention and resiliency package yesterday, members spoke about the many fires that have torn through their districts. From the coast to inland, north to south, Paradise to San Diego, each of us have watched our communities burn, evacuate, and work to rebuild far too many times,” said Senate President pro Tempore Toni G. Atkins (D-San Diego). “Together, we are just 40 people, but each of us represent the millions of Californians who said goodbye to homes, loved ones, and livelihoods. This bill will help protect those who have lost so much to wildfires and prevent fresh pain from being inflicted across the state. This is an investment in Californians, and it will not be the last. I appreciate the dedication my colleagues, particularly Senators Bob Wieckowski, Susan Rubio, and Mike McGuire, have shown to this critical issue.”
"This wildfire prevention package is a big deal, but it’s not enough. We are not out of the woods on this issue, and we need to act like the woods are in flames. I'm grateful that the Administration and the senate see it the same way,” said Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Lakewood). “Thank you to my colleagues, in particular Assemblymembers Richard Bloom, Phil Ting, Luz Rivas, Laura Friedman, Jim Wood and Cecilia Aguiar-Curry for their hard work on this important issue."
Gov. Newsom last week announced that he is expanding and refocusing the Forest Management Task Force to deliver on key commitments in the Wildfire and Forest Resilience Action Plan issued in January, including the $1 billion in investments.
The Wildfire and Forest Resilience Task Force of federal, local and tribal leaders builds on the state’s collaborative effort to improve the health of forests and reduce wildfire risk to communities.
In March, Gov. Newsom authorized $80.74 million in emergency funds for 1,399 additional firefighters with Cal Fire to bolster fuels management and wildfire response efforts.
For the full text of the bill signed today, visit http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov.
