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This latest development puts 22 percent of Lake County’s population into this new priority level.
According to the latest data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, Lake County is home to 14,333 residents aged 65 or older out of a total population of 64,195.
“There is no higher priority than efficiently and equitably distributing these vaccines as quickly as possible to those who face the gravest consequences,” said Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday. “Individuals 65 and older are now the next group eligible to start receiving vaccines. To those not yet eligible for vaccines, your turn is coming. We are doing everything we can to bring more vaccine into the state.”
Those in Phase 1A – health care workers and long-term care residents – remain the highest priority to receive vaccines. Demand for the vaccines continues to far exceed supply.
“With our hospitals crowded and ICUs full, we need to focus on vaccinating Californians who are at highest risk of becoming hospitalized to alleviate stress on our health care facilities,” said Dr. Tomás Aragón, director of the California Department of Public Health and State Public Health Officer. “Prioritizing individuals age 65 and older will reduce hospitalizations and save lives.”
Following a bipartisan letter from nine governors including Gov. Newsom on Jan. 8, the Centers for Disease Control announced changes on Tuesday to its vaccine plan including making more of the coronavirus vaccine supply available to all states.
Along with the increase in vaccine supply, the federal government encouraged states to expand the pool of those eligible to receive the vaccine to individuals 65 and older.
The governor also announced a new system to let people know if they are eligible to receive a vaccine, and if not yet eligible, to register for a notification via email or text when they are eligible. That system is expected to launch next week.
A second phase of that system will help counties, cities and others run mass vaccination events. This will include a way for eligible members of the public to schedule their vaccination appointments at those events.
Community vaccination events are only one way for eligible Californians to receive their vaccines. When available, the public can also go to their doctor or pharmacy to receive the vaccine.
Newsom has laid out the goal of 1 million additional vaccines administered by the end of this week.
The state, at Newsom’s direction, is tackling the vaccination challenge with a multipronged approach.
That includes increasing the number of people who can provide vaccinations by more than 100,000 health care professionals.
Last Monday, 36,000 dentists were added to the pool of health care providers who can administer the COVID-19 vaccines. The state has already received anecdotal reports of dentists actively administering vaccines after completing the required COVID-19 training.
This expansion comes on the heels of a similar waiver in late December allowing pharmacy technicians overseen by licensed pharmacists to administer COVID-19 vaccines. There are 69,000 pharmacy technicians in California.
The Governor’s Office reported that it has convened meetings with leaders across the public and private health care system and received commitments to cooperatively accelerate the pace of vaccine administration.
For more information on the state’s efforts to distribute a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine in a fair way to everyone who wants it, visit the Vaccinate All 58 webpage.
On Tuesday morning, State Sen. Mike McGuire was among the state and local officials who discussed the project, which is based on a proposed property swap between the county and the state of California.
In exchange for the Lakeport National Guard Armory at 1431 Hoyt Ave., which is being vacated after the guard unit consolidated with another one, the county will trade the state a 15.5-acre property at 15837 18th Ave. in Clearlake.
That property in Clearlake, in turn, is set to be developed with 100 new affordable housing units, officials said Tuesday.
The state will require, at minimum, that 50 percent of those units meet the “affordable” criteria, including 12.5 percent being very low, 12.5 percent being low and 25 percent being moderate, with units expected to range between one and three bedrooms, said Jason Kenney, deputy director of the state Department of General Services’ Real Estate Services Division.
McGuire told the board on Tuesday that the project is the result of an “incredible partnership” between local and state officials over the past two years.
“We all need a little bit of hope in our lives right about now,” said McGuire, referring to COVID-19, civil unrest and last week’s insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, adding he believes this project will bring hope, as well as a new headquarters for the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.
He said the 100 new homes will be adjacent to the city of Clearlake’s largest shopping center and Adventist Health Clear Lake Hospital.
The development, as it would be pointed out during the meeting, also will be situated closely to Woodland Community College’s Clear Lake Campus as well as a major new transit hub that will serve areas ranging from the Bay Area to Shasta County.
McGuire said the county and the sheriff’s office have had an interest in moving the agency into the state-owned armory, but the price tag had been too expensive. That meant they needed an innovative approach, which is what this proposal offers.
Once completed, the state will transfer the ownership of the armory to the sheriff’s office. He pointed out that the armory is on the same campus as the Lake County Jail and the county’s emergency operations center, offering the sheriff’s office operational efficiencies.
He said the armory will be an improvement over the sheriff’s current headquarters at 1220 Martin St. in Lakeport in that it doesn't leak or have foundation issues, and that it has a commercial kitchen, a vault and storage.
Closing the deal on the armory is dependent on the land swap for the housing development, McGuire said. Once that’s done, the armory’s keys could be turned over to the county later this spring.
The county’s 15.5-acre property in Clearlake – which once had been proposed for a veterans housing facility – will then be developed.
“It is a fantastic location for affordable housing,” said McGuire, adding, “You couldn't ask for a more central buildout.”
He said the state has had interest from three developers interested in building housing at the site. A developer is expected to be selected within the next 60 to 90 days and that, depending on the funding allocation, construction could start in 2022 or 2023.
McGuire said the county will give the state a 99-year lease on the land.
Development proposals due in February
Kenney referred to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s January 2019 executive order, which directed state agencies to identify excess state-owned property “for sustainable, innovative and cost-effective housing developments to address California’s shortage of affordable housing.”
He said with Lake County’s history of fires and housing needs, the project checks a number of boxes. “But it also is innovative.”
Kenney said additional legislative authority was needed to make the proposal work, and they got that in the last budget cycle.
He said the project wouldn’t have happened had McGuire, the sheriff and the county not worked to bring it forward. “The synergy has been fantastic here.”
The state is now in the solicitation phase for a developer. Kenney said final proposals are due Feb. 26, with three very qualified developers aiming for the city. The county and the city have been invited to be part of the proposal evaluation process, and Kenney said they are excited and eager to see the proposals.
Board Chair Bruno Sabatier, whose district includes the city of Clearlake, said it will probably be one of the biggest developments in the city of Clearlake in some time.
Sheriff Martin said of the effort, “I just can't possibly thank everybody enough.”
He said his department headquarters is very dated, and although there have been some improvements, it’s really not a suitable place for a law enforcement facility – but the armory is.
When he heard the National Guard Unit was consolidating and vacating the location, Martin said he wanted to jump on it. “It’s quite a good opportunity for us.”
The site will also offer the opportunity to have wildland fire response training courses, he said.
Martin said he’s looking forward to a place that the sheriff’s office can call home for many years. “I know we’re not done yet but this is a major step in getting there.”
Clearlake City Manager Alan Flora said this has been a great example of a real collaborative project.
“We’re looking forward to a great project,” Flora said.
Flora recognized McGuire’s leadership and commitment, noting that he refused to let anything slip and used his influence to make sure it happens.
County Administrative Officer Carol Huchingson said it’s an understatement to say that the project team is enthusiastic.
She said staff was seeking direction from the board to authorize county staff to take all the steps to seal the deal, adding that they will need the guiding hand of County Counsel Anita Grant.
“We’re excited,” Huchingson said.
Supervisor Moke Simon said the project will benefit the entire county and open up other office space for the county government.
The newest board member, Jessica Pyska, noted, “This is so exciting,” and fellow board members Tina Scott and EJ Crandell both thanked McGuire.
McGuire said it’s the Lake County way to find solutions when challenges are in the way. “We’re just about to cross the finish line.”
He also noted that this will be the first rural development in this state housing program, as the Department of General Services has so far been very focused on urban areas.
Sabatier said Clearlake is an opportunity zone, and with these positive new developments going in, he suggested it’s a catalyst for bringing other commercial developments to the region.
Asked about the timeline for the armory’s conversion to the sheriff’s headquarters, Martin said it will be a significant project that will take a few years.
Right now he and county staff are looking for funding and grants to pay for the improvements.
The board gave staff unanimous consensus to proceed with finalizing the land swap.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – The Middletown Area Town Hall will kick off the new year with a board election, a discussion regarding bylaws revision and a Fire Safe Council presentation.
MATH will meet at 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 14, via Zoom. The meeting is open to the public.
To join the Zoom meeting click on this link; the meeting ID is 935 1671 5770. Call in at 888-788-0099.
At 7:10 p.m., the group will hold an election for three seats – two at-large and one representing Middletown proper.
During MATH’s December meeting, Ken Gonzales, Monica Rosenthal and Paul Baker, the current secretary, were nominated and accepted their nominations, as Lake County News has reported.
At 7:25 p.m., town hall members will vote on additional revisions to the bylaws, including a clarification regarding board elections.
At 7:40 p.m., Wendy Collins will give a presentation regarding the South Lake Fire Safe Council.
There also will be opportunities for public input and discussion of items on the February agenda.
The MATH Board includes Chair Tom Darms, Vice Chair Sally Peterson, Secretary Paul Baker, and at-large members Rosemary Córdova and Lisa Kaplan.
MATH – established by resolution of the Lake County Board of Supervisors on Dec. 12, 2006 – is a municipal advisory council serving the residents of Anderson Springs, Cobb, Coyote Valley (including Hidden Valley Lake), Long Valley and Middletown.
For more information email
Email Elizabeth Larson at
The webinar will take from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Pacific Time.
This event will be held over Zoom and interested participants must email Thompson’s office at
Interested participants will be notified via email with instructions on how to join.
The event will also be streamed on Facebook Live via Thompson’s page, https://www.facebook.com/RepMikeThompson/.
This will be his second webinar since the most recent COVID-19 relief legislation was signed into law.
All constituents of California’s Fifth Congressional District are invited to join.
Thompson represents California’s Fifth Congressional District, which includes all or part of Contra Costa, Lake, Napa, Solano and Sonoma counties.
The year 2020 broke disaster records across the country in destructive and expensive ways. The Atlantic had so many hurricanes, meteorologists ran out of tropical storm names for only the second time. Across the Midwest, extreme storms flattened crops and tore up buildings. Western states repeatedly broke records for their largest wildfires on record. Globally, it was tied for the hottest year on record.
All told, in 2020 the U.S. had 22 billion-dollar weather and climate disasters, six more than any previous year, NOAA announced on Jan. 8. Such disasters affect millions of Americans and are particularly devastating for low-income communities and communities of color. They destroy homes, schools and businesses. They put lives at risk.
Families, communities and taxpayers are paying the price, yet many of these losses could be avoided with smart policies.
For example, the National Institute of Building Sciences estimates that updating and improving building codes alone could save $4 for every $1 spent and create 87,000 new jobs. Similarly, reforming land use and zoning rules can help avoid putting families at risk. An estimated 41 million Americans currently live in homes at risk of flooding and millions more are at risk from wildfires.
And yet, these actions are rarely taken. Local governments – which have authority over zoning and building codes – have a strong financial incentive to keep on building, even in risky places. The federal government – which has the greatest financial incentive to prevent damage before it occurs – has little to no authority over building codes or land use.
Federal policy can, however, incentivize local governments to use their authority to reduce risk. A new federal administration that is attuned to the growing risks created by global warming could take advantage of that influence.
We are disaster scientists – engineers and policy researchers who study how to prevent or reduce disasters. We recently published suggestions for how the new administration can reform U.S. disaster policy. If done right, modern disaster policy would endorse development that accounts for risk, promote climate-proof investments in infrastructure, advance social justice and protect society’s most vulnerable populations.
Here are four key reforms that could get bipartisan support, reduce federal spending and protect American lives.
Get a better grip on how disaster money is spent
Without careful oversight, disaster funds can end up being spent on ineffective projects or not spent at all.
For example, the Department of Housing and Urban Development is a major source of disaster funding, but the precise amount it spends and how has sometimes been a mystery. Following the hurricanes of 2017 and 2018, HUD received more disaster funding to distribute than any other agency, but by 2019 less than 1% had been spent. It took more than two years for HUD to approve disaster relief spending after the 2018 California fires. The Government Accountability Office concluded that HUD needed better oversight of how funds are spent and more staff, and the Congressional Research Office has suggested that Congress may wish to consider limits on federal disaster relief spending.
Disaster spending is notoriously difficult to track because, although the Federal Emergency Management Agency is the nation’s central disaster authority, almost every federal agency administers some level of disaster funding and disaster funds are often mixed with other programs. This all makes it difficult to hold agencies accountable.
That said, increased oversight, including audits by the GAO, improved record-keeping, making records publicly accessible and consistently measuring whether funded projects build resilience could help turn this around.
Get everyone on the same page
Reducing risk often requires the work of multiple federal agencies, but if agency actions are not coordinated, they can create complications, duplications and waste.
For example, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is building a seawall on New York’s Staten Island based on a calculation that the wall would protect homes – but some of those homes have since been removed by a FEMA and HUD project.
FEMA and HUD both fund property acquisitions to support flood risk reduction, but their funding programs work on different timelines, which can complicate local officials’ efforts.
Numerous other agencies are also involved in risk reduction and recovery. The Small Business Administration gives out loans. The Department of Education funds the reopening of schools. The Department of Transportation funds repairs for roads and bridges. The efforts of these agencies and more need to be coordinated to build resilient communities.
The new administration could order interagency task forces to define clear roles for each agency, establish methods for coordination, and create long-term plans for national resilience.
Change state and local government incentives
State and local governments might be more inclined to take steps to protect communities from disasters if they had to pay for a larger share of the aftermath.
When public buildings and infrastructure are damaged in a disaster, the federal government will pay for 75% of the recovery cost if the damage exceeds a certain threshold. The idea is for federal assistance to kick in when state and local governments are overwhelmed. However, that threshold is just US$1 million plus $1.55 per person in the state – an extremely low threshold.
FEMA is attempting to raise these thresholds, but the increase may not go far enough and is unlikely to be sufficient on its own.
In 2016, FEMA proposed a “disaster deductible” that would make states responsible for a deductible, between $1 million and $53 million, proportional to their hazard risk and resources before federal money would become available. States could earn credits to reduce their deductible by taking risk reduction measures like enforcing building codes or investing in insurance or emergency management programs – just like a safe driver discount for taking a safe driving course. Without leadership, the program lost momentum, but the new administration could improve disaster policy by revisiting this idea.
Local communities could also be encouraged to reduce their risks if Congress amended the National Flood Insurance Program. The program is bankrupt because its rates are too low to cover its costs and not enough people are participating.
Reforming this program will not be easy. If insurance rates rise, low-income residents won’t be able to afford insurance or may choose not to carry it at all, leaving them even more vulnerable to the next flood. Congress knows the program is struggling, which is why instead of reauthorizing it permanently, the program has been temporarily reauthorized 16 times over the last three years.
In essence, this kicks the problem down the road without solving it. Instead, the new administration could prioritize finding a long-term solution.
Put the focus on people
Disaster funding increases the gap between rich and poor because it seeks to make people “whole” – to replace what they had before the disaster. Those who had more get more help; those who had less get less. This, despite the fact that wealthy people are more likely to have assets they can draw on to recover, like a job with paid leave and savings to afford safe temporary housing.
Disaster response needs to take historic injustice into account.
A community that has faced disinvestment, redlining or other forms of injustice often has infrastructure that is more vulnerable to hazards and needs additional support, not less. Ten percent of government-subsidized housing is in floodplains, which puts the residents at greater risk. Addressing underlying vulnerabilities will require coordination among numerous federal agencies and state and local governments.
Achieving effective disaster policy will not be simple. The work begins with Congress and the president making disaster reform a top priority. An executive order in the first 100 days that mandates coordination, reform and consideration of climate change and social equity would be a good first step toward a safer, more resilient nation.
This article has been updated with NOAA’s latest 2020 disaster map.
A.R. Siders, Assistant Professor, Disaster Research Center, University of Delaware; Allison Reilly, Assistant Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Maryland, and Deb Niemeier, Clark Distinguished Chair and Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Maryland
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Allison Panella, executive director of Hope Rising Lake County, the organization which is running the Hope Center, updated the Clearlake City Council at its Jan. 7 meeting.
The center held a ribbon-cutting on Nov. 12 and opened in early December, as Lake County News has reported.
The 20-bed center, located at 3400 Emerson St. in Clearlake, was funded by $4.6 million in state and local grants, including $500,000 in bond funds approved by the Clearlake City Council in April 2020.
With that help, Panella said Hope Rising was able to complete the major renovations to the center – which previously had been a medical office – although they’re still awaiting finishing touches on the kitchen and some partitions.
It was explained during the meeting that the center’s appliances are on backorder due to the pandemic.
Panella told the council that Hope Center is currently full, with 20 “participants” and a waiting list.
At the November opening, Shannon Kimbell-Auth, Adventist Health’s manager for community integration who is head of the Hope Center staff, said they call Hope Center’s residents “participants” because they are participating in their own housing navigation plans.
Panella told the council the center has space for up to 21 participants, with the 21st only being offered if they have the room to admit that individual the following day.
The average age of the participants is 47, with the oldest now being 72 and the young 19, Panella said.
Of the current group, Panella eight consider Clearlake home, while two are from Kelseyville, two from Lakeport, one each from Lower Lake, Spring Valley and Middletown, two are from Mendocino County, one recently moved to Lake County from Washington and two don’t consider themselves to have a home city.
Panella said the group of 20 participants includes 16 who have mental health diagnoses ranging from anxiety to schizophrenia. She added that two of the group are veterans.
Since the center opened, Panella said three participants have been able to exit the program.
The services the center has offered to its participants so far have been wide-ranging, from haircuts to assistance enrolling in college, new clothing, two meals a day and connection to health and wellness services, including optometry, chiropractic and dental care, and outpatient case management and services from Lake County Behavioral Health, Panella said.
She said participants apply for housing daily, and she said another individual is expected to be exiting the Hope Center this week in order to enter a housing facility.
Panella expressed her gratitude to the council for its help in getting the center open.
“Hope Center’s doors wouldn't be open today if it wasn’t for your commitment to this space and this facility,” she said.
She added, “We have a lot of work ahead of us,” but noted that they’re in it for the long haul. “We appreciate your support.”
Mayor Dirk Slooten, who has toured the center, said he’s so happy they’re open, pointing out that three people have already been able to be discharged.
“That is great,” Slooten said.
For more information about Hope Center, visit the Hope Rising website.
Email Elizabeth Larson at