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On Thursday, Jan. 7, Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-05) will hold his first virtual town hall of the new 117th Congress and the 17th in a series of virtual town halls since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
The town hall will take place from 7 to 8 p.m.
It will be streamed on Facebook Live via Thompson’s page and will also be held on Zoom.
This is a general town hall, open to questions on all topics within Thompson’s jurisdiction as a member of Congress.
All constituents of California’s Fifth Congressional District and members of the press are invited to join.
Those who want to take part on Zoom must email Thompson’s office atThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. in order to join, as the platform has a capacity of 500 people. Interested participants will be notified via email with instructions on how to join.
Thompson represents California’s Fifth Congressional District, which includes all or part of Contra Costa, Lake, Napa, Solano and Sonoma counties.
The town hall will take place from 7 to 8 p.m.
It will be streamed on Facebook Live via Thompson’s page and will also be held on Zoom.
This is a general town hall, open to questions on all topics within Thompson’s jurisdiction as a member of Congress.
All constituents of California’s Fifth Congressional District and members of the press are invited to join.
Those who want to take part on Zoom must email Thompson’s office at
Thompson represents California’s Fifth Congressional District, which includes all or part of Contra Costa, Lake, Napa, Solano and Sonoma counties.
NORTH COAST, Calif. – Mendocino County District Attorney David Eyster announced Monday that effective immediately he has directed all deputy prosecutors to file peremptory challenges to disqualify and prevent Superior Court Judge Clayton Brennan from hearing any pending criminal case or future cases that will be filed in which a defendant is charged with animal cruelty.
Likewise, the DA has also directed his deputy prosecutors to file peremptory challenges to disqualify and prevent Judge Brennan from hearing any criminal case in which the district attorney has alleged that the defendant personally used a firearm in the commission of a felony.
The announcement comes a few weeks after Brennan’s controversial decision in the case of “Thunder the Wonder Dog.”
Brennan allowed Thunder’s former owner, Katie Rhiannon Smith, 35, of Caspar, have her felony animal cruelty conviction reduced to a misdemeanor and to serve no jail time after she shot her dog in the woods in December 2019, as Lake County News has reported.
Eyster said he also will seek appellate review of Brennan’s decision in the Smith case.
California jurisprudence and statutory law allow district attorneys to refuse to accept a judge on a particular case or certain types of cases if it is believed that the judge is “so biased against the People that he or she cannot be entrusted with the fair administration of justice,” Eyster said.
In issuing his directive, Eyster continued, “The judge currently sitting in the Ten Mile Court in Fort Bragg has betrayed community standards and community trust. He has made it abundantly clear that he has no use for, does not value, and is biased against law enforcement and the community’s ongoing efforts to seek justice against those who victimize animals and use firearms to commit felonies.
“Accordingly, I deem him legally unfit to sit as a judge on the types of criminal cases described above,” said Eyster.
When asked if the peremptory challenges to Judge Brennan will occur only in cases involving animal cruelty or cases where it has been charged that the defendant has personally used a firearm, Eyster said the question of the scope and definition of cases for which Judge Brennan will be disqualified remains an open question being evaluated by the district attorney and his senior attorneys.
Likewise, the DA has also directed his deputy prosecutors to file peremptory challenges to disqualify and prevent Judge Brennan from hearing any criminal case in which the district attorney has alleged that the defendant personally used a firearm in the commission of a felony.
The announcement comes a few weeks after Brennan’s controversial decision in the case of “Thunder the Wonder Dog.”
Brennan allowed Thunder’s former owner, Katie Rhiannon Smith, 35, of Caspar, have her felony animal cruelty conviction reduced to a misdemeanor and to serve no jail time after she shot her dog in the woods in December 2019, as Lake County News has reported.
Eyster said he also will seek appellate review of Brennan’s decision in the Smith case.
California jurisprudence and statutory law allow district attorneys to refuse to accept a judge on a particular case or certain types of cases if it is believed that the judge is “so biased against the People that he or she cannot be entrusted with the fair administration of justice,” Eyster said.
In issuing his directive, Eyster continued, “The judge currently sitting in the Ten Mile Court in Fort Bragg has betrayed community standards and community trust. He has made it abundantly clear that he has no use for, does not value, and is biased against law enforcement and the community’s ongoing efforts to seek justice against those who victimize animals and use firearms to commit felonies.
“Accordingly, I deem him legally unfit to sit as a judge on the types of criminal cases described above,” said Eyster.
When asked if the peremptory challenges to Judge Brennan will occur only in cases involving animal cruelty or cases where it has been charged that the defendant has personally used a firearm, Eyster said the question of the scope and definition of cases for which Judge Brennan will be disqualified remains an open question being evaluated by the district attorney and his senior attorneys.
The California Racial and Identity Profiling Advisory Board on Monday announced the release of its fourth annual report on racial and identity profiling in policing in the state as required under the Racial and Identity Profiling Act of 2015, or RIPA.
The report contains an analysis of the nearly four million vehicle and pedestrian stops conducted by California’s 15 largest law enforcement agencies in 2019.
The report also examines civilian complaint data, provides recommendations from the board, and shares best practices in a number of areas, including on bias-free policing policies, bias by proxy and crisis intervention, and training.
In addition to the board’s latest report, the California Department of Justice is highlighting recently expanded access to RIPA data on stops in schools and search discovery rates through online dashboards on OpenJustice.
Ultimately, this latest RIPA report aims to directly contribute to the conversation on police reform through data and research, policy recommendations, and accountability mechanisms that will help give communities, legislators, and law enforcement tools for innovative and critically-needed action.
Sahar Durali, co-chair of the board and associate director of litigation and policy at Neighborhood Legal Services of Los Angeles, noted that 2020 “has shown us that the work of the Racial and Identity Profiling Advisory Board is more critical than ever before.”
Durali continued, “This year’s RIPA report contains detailed data analysis of police stops and searches across racial and identity groups, as well as comprehensive best practices for law enforcement agencies to root out racial and identity profiling in their practices, policies, and culture and be accountable to their communities. I want to extend my deepest thanks and appreciation to the dedicated staff at the Department of Justice and community members who continually show up to RIPA Board meetings and offer us their experiences and expertise for their efforts this year.”
“On behalf of the California Police Chiefs Association, it has been my honor to represent our association alongside the many distinguished members of the RIPA Board. The data in this report will be used by our profession to evaluate our practices as we continue to strive for police services that are fair and impartial,” said Chief David Swing, co-chair of the board and past-president of the California Police Chiefs Association. “We know that successful policing outcomes are founded in strong community partnerships, we hope the information in this report will result in positive outcomes in our communities. I am ever grateful for the peace officers throughout our state who serve their communities with honor, working diligently each and every day to improve the quality of life for those they serve.”
“Another year of collecting RIPA data means a greater opportunity to address police reform with hard data,” said California Attorney General Xavier Becerra. “I want to thank the members of the RIPA Board — and our team at the DOJ involved in preparing this report — for helping make this critical information available to all. The more data we have about policing in our state, the more targeted and precise we can be in our reform and interventions.”
The information collected under RIPA includes data on peace officers’ perceptions of the demographics of stopped individuals.
The purpose of collecting information on officer perceptions is to attempt to systematically document and analyze stops and searches to determine whether disparities can be found across demographics and geographies.
The perceived demographic information collected includes a number of characteristics such as race or ethnicity, gender, age, disability status, English fluency and LGBT identity.
There are a number of methodologies to analyze stop data that can help determine if bias may exist, and the report relies on several well-established methods as reference points.
However, as noted in the report, there are important limitations and caveats for each methodology that should be kept in mind when interpreting the data.
Some of the key findings from the 2019 round of data collection and first full year of RIPA data include:
– Reason for stop: Across all racial and ethnic groups, the most common reason peace officers reported for initiating a stop was a traffic violation (85%) and the next most common reason was reasonable suspicion of criminal activity (12.1%). People who were perceived as Black had the highest proportion of their stops (21%) for reasonable suspicion while those who were perceived as Middle Eastern or South Asian had the lowest (4%).
– Use of force: People who were perceived as Black or Hispanic were more likely to have force used against them as compared to those perceived as White, whereas those perceived as Asian were less likely. The odds of having force used during a stop were 1.45 times greater for people perceived as Black, and 1.18 times greater for people perceived as Hispanic, as compared to those perceived as White.
– Weighted residential population compared to stop data: Using data from the 2018 American Community Survey, people who were perceived as Black were overrepresented in the stop data (+9.3% Points) and people perceived as Asian were underrepresented (-6.6% Points) as compared to population estimates.
– Veil of darkness analysis: This method analyzes stops that were made during the intertwilight period, which is the time of day that can either be light or dark depending on the time of year. The proportion of individuals stopped after dark during this period was compared across perceived racial or ethnic groups. Having a lower proportion of stops occur in the dark compared to people perceived as White may indicate bias. People perceived as Hispanic were the least likely (-1.4% Points) to be stopped after dark compared to those perceived as White. Although not statistically significant, individuals perceived as Asian were the only group that were more likely (+0.2% Points) to be stopped after dark compared to those perceived as White.
Search Rates: Search rates refer to the proportion of stops that involved a search. People who were perceived as Black were searched at 2.5 times the rate of people perceived as White. While officers stopped more than twice as many people perceived as White as compared to people perceived as Black, there were more individuals who were perceived as Black who ended up being searched, detained on the curb or in a patrol car, handcuffed, or removed from vehicles.
Search discovery rates: The search discovery rate refers to the proportion of individuals that officers searched who were found to be in possession of contraband or evidence. Compared to individuals who were perceived as White, search discovery rates were highest for people who were perceived as multiracial (+1.7% Points) and lowest for people who were perceived as Middle Eastern or South Asian (-2.8% Points). Altogether, individuals perceived as Black, Hispanic, and Native American had higher search rates despite having lower search discovery rates compared to individuals who were perceived as White.
For more on the data, members of the public are encouraged to review the online RIPA data dashboards available on OpenJustice.
The dashboards provide a unique look at the data and give the public unprecedented access to information on stops and searches conducted by California’s largest law enforcement agencies.
The two newest dashboards go into greater detail regarding on-campus stops of K-12 public school students and search discovery rates and outcomes of stops. The dashboards currently provide a look into the first wave of RIPA stop data and are in the process of being updated to incorporate the latest round of RIPA data collected during 2019.
For more on the information contained in the 2021 Board report, members of the public are also encouraged to review the fact sheet and report appendices. The report appendices contain tabulated summaries of the data.
A copy of the report is available here.
A fact sheet on the 2021 RIPA report is available here and below.
A copy of the report appendices is available here.
More information about the board is available here.
In addition to the two RIPA data dashboards referenced above, a general dashboard is available on the DOJ website here.
The report contains an analysis of the nearly four million vehicle and pedestrian stops conducted by California’s 15 largest law enforcement agencies in 2019.
The report also examines civilian complaint data, provides recommendations from the board, and shares best practices in a number of areas, including on bias-free policing policies, bias by proxy and crisis intervention, and training.
In addition to the board’s latest report, the California Department of Justice is highlighting recently expanded access to RIPA data on stops in schools and search discovery rates through online dashboards on OpenJustice.
Ultimately, this latest RIPA report aims to directly contribute to the conversation on police reform through data and research, policy recommendations, and accountability mechanisms that will help give communities, legislators, and law enforcement tools for innovative and critically-needed action.
Sahar Durali, co-chair of the board and associate director of litigation and policy at Neighborhood Legal Services of Los Angeles, noted that 2020 “has shown us that the work of the Racial and Identity Profiling Advisory Board is more critical than ever before.”
Durali continued, “This year’s RIPA report contains detailed data analysis of police stops and searches across racial and identity groups, as well as comprehensive best practices for law enforcement agencies to root out racial and identity profiling in their practices, policies, and culture and be accountable to their communities. I want to extend my deepest thanks and appreciation to the dedicated staff at the Department of Justice and community members who continually show up to RIPA Board meetings and offer us their experiences and expertise for their efforts this year.”
“On behalf of the California Police Chiefs Association, it has been my honor to represent our association alongside the many distinguished members of the RIPA Board. The data in this report will be used by our profession to evaluate our practices as we continue to strive for police services that are fair and impartial,” said Chief David Swing, co-chair of the board and past-president of the California Police Chiefs Association. “We know that successful policing outcomes are founded in strong community partnerships, we hope the information in this report will result in positive outcomes in our communities. I am ever grateful for the peace officers throughout our state who serve their communities with honor, working diligently each and every day to improve the quality of life for those they serve.”
“Another year of collecting RIPA data means a greater opportunity to address police reform with hard data,” said California Attorney General Xavier Becerra. “I want to thank the members of the RIPA Board — and our team at the DOJ involved in preparing this report — for helping make this critical information available to all. The more data we have about policing in our state, the more targeted and precise we can be in our reform and interventions.”
The information collected under RIPA includes data on peace officers’ perceptions of the demographics of stopped individuals.
The purpose of collecting information on officer perceptions is to attempt to systematically document and analyze stops and searches to determine whether disparities can be found across demographics and geographies.
The perceived demographic information collected includes a number of characteristics such as race or ethnicity, gender, age, disability status, English fluency and LGBT identity.
There are a number of methodologies to analyze stop data that can help determine if bias may exist, and the report relies on several well-established methods as reference points.
However, as noted in the report, there are important limitations and caveats for each methodology that should be kept in mind when interpreting the data.
Some of the key findings from the 2019 round of data collection and first full year of RIPA data include:
– Reason for stop: Across all racial and ethnic groups, the most common reason peace officers reported for initiating a stop was a traffic violation (85%) and the next most common reason was reasonable suspicion of criminal activity (12.1%). People who were perceived as Black had the highest proportion of their stops (21%) for reasonable suspicion while those who were perceived as Middle Eastern or South Asian had the lowest (4%).
– Use of force: People who were perceived as Black or Hispanic were more likely to have force used against them as compared to those perceived as White, whereas those perceived as Asian were less likely. The odds of having force used during a stop were 1.45 times greater for people perceived as Black, and 1.18 times greater for people perceived as Hispanic, as compared to those perceived as White.
– Weighted residential population compared to stop data: Using data from the 2018 American Community Survey, people who were perceived as Black were overrepresented in the stop data (+9.3% Points) and people perceived as Asian were underrepresented (-6.6% Points) as compared to population estimates.
– Veil of darkness analysis: This method analyzes stops that were made during the intertwilight period, which is the time of day that can either be light or dark depending on the time of year. The proportion of individuals stopped after dark during this period was compared across perceived racial or ethnic groups. Having a lower proportion of stops occur in the dark compared to people perceived as White may indicate bias. People perceived as Hispanic were the least likely (-1.4% Points) to be stopped after dark compared to those perceived as White. Although not statistically significant, individuals perceived as Asian were the only group that were more likely (+0.2% Points) to be stopped after dark compared to those perceived as White.
Search Rates: Search rates refer to the proportion of stops that involved a search. People who were perceived as Black were searched at 2.5 times the rate of people perceived as White. While officers stopped more than twice as many people perceived as White as compared to people perceived as Black, there were more individuals who were perceived as Black who ended up being searched, detained on the curb or in a patrol car, handcuffed, or removed from vehicles.
Search discovery rates: The search discovery rate refers to the proportion of individuals that officers searched who were found to be in possession of contraband or evidence. Compared to individuals who were perceived as White, search discovery rates were highest for people who were perceived as multiracial (+1.7% Points) and lowest for people who were perceived as Middle Eastern or South Asian (-2.8% Points). Altogether, individuals perceived as Black, Hispanic, and Native American had higher search rates despite having lower search discovery rates compared to individuals who were perceived as White.
For more on the data, members of the public are encouraged to review the online RIPA data dashboards available on OpenJustice.
The dashboards provide a unique look at the data and give the public unprecedented access to information on stops and searches conducted by California’s largest law enforcement agencies.
The two newest dashboards go into greater detail regarding on-campus stops of K-12 public school students and search discovery rates and outcomes of stops. The dashboards currently provide a look into the first wave of RIPA stop data and are in the process of being updated to incorporate the latest round of RIPA data collected during 2019.
For more on the information contained in the 2021 Board report, members of the public are also encouraged to review the fact sheet and report appendices. The report appendices contain tabulated summaries of the data.
A copy of the report is available here.
A fact sheet on the 2021 RIPA report is available here and below.
A copy of the report appendices is available here.
More information about the board is available here.
In addition to the two RIPA data dashboards referenced above, a general dashboard is available on the DOJ website here.
Ripa Quick Facts 2021 01 by LakeCoNews on Scribd
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Board of Supervisors will bid farewell to its longest-serving member, welcome his successor and select its leadership as it holds its first meeting of the new year this week.
The meeting will begin at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 5.
The supervisors will meet in the board chambers on the first floor of the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport, for a hybrid meeting format which also will include the opportunity for community members to continue to participate virtually.
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 996 2072 4673, password 325048.
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.
As the meeting gets started at 9 a.m., Supervisor Rob Brown is scheduled to offer remarks and the board will present to him a commendation for his 20 years of service.
The oath of office will then be administered to District 1 Supervisor Moke Simon and District 4 Supervisor Tina Scott, who were reelected to their second terms in last year’s primary, and to new District 5 Supervisor Jessica Pyska, Brown’s successor, who was elected in November.
Afterward, the outgoing chair, Simon, will hold the election for chair and vice chair of the board as well as for the Lake County Board of Equalization and for the Lake County In-Home Supportive Services Public Authority Board of Directors.
At 9:19 a.m., the board is scheduled to reappoint to two-year terms Lake County Planning Commission members John H. Hess III, District 1; Everardo Chavez Perez, District 2; Batsulwin A. Brown, District 3; and Christina Price, District 4; and appoint new District 5 Commissioner Lance Williams.
In other timed items, at 9:35 a.m. the board will present a proclamation designating the month of January 2021 as Human Trafficking Awareness Month in Lake County.
At 9:45 a.m. the board will consider forming the Lake County Agricultural Advisory Committee.
At 10:30 a.m., Public Health Officer Dr. Gary Pace will give an update on COVID-19.
In an untimed item, the supervisors will consider temporarily closing their board chambers for in-person meetings due to the COVID-19 case surge.
The board also will consider a letter in support of the Lake County Fair, which like other fairs across the state is facing big financial challenges due to the pandemic.
The full agenda follows.
CONSENT AGENDA
5.1: Adopt proclamation commending Rob Brown for 20 years of service as a member of the Lake County Board of Supervisors.
5.2: Adopt resolution approving Agreement No. 20-0709-020-SF with California Department of Food and Agriculture to authorize execution of the Asian Citrus Psyllid Winter Trapping Program in the Amount of $8,647 beginning Oct. 1, 2020, through April 30, 2021.
5.3: Approve the agreement between the county of Lake and Debra Sally DVM for veterinary services for the remainder of the 2020-2021 Fiscal Year in the amount of $8,000 and authorize the board chair to sign the agreement.
5.4: Approve agreement between county of Lake and Behavioral Health Services as lead agency of the Lake County Continuum of Care and Elijah House for Fiscal Year 2020-21 in the amount $102,200 and authorize the chair to sign.
5.5: Approve agreement between county of Lake and Behavioral Health Services as lead agency of the Lake County Continuum of Care and Hope Is Rising Lake County for Fiscal Years 2020-21 and 2021-22 in the amount of $220,000 and authorize the chair to sign.
5.6: Adopt resolution to authorize the standard agreement between county of Lake and the Department of Health Care Services for the period of July 1, 2020, through June 30, 2023, and authorizing the Behavioral Health director to sign the standard agreement.
5.7: Adopt proclamation designating the month of January 2021 as Human Trafficking Awareness Month in Lake County.
5.8: Approve amendment to the lease agreement between the county of Lake and the Senate Rules Committee, California Legislature for a district satellite office.
5.9: a) Approve Amendment A1 to Agreement #19-5042 between the county of Lake and California Department of Social Services for resource family approval program services in the amount of $85,120 for the term of July 1, 2019, to June 30, 2021, and b) adopt resolution authorizing the director of Social Services to sign the amendment.
5.10: Approve memorandum of agreement between the Lake County Sheriff’s Office and Yuba County Sheriff’s Office for mutual aid provided during the North Complex fire and authorize the sheriff/coroner to sign.
5.11: Approve memorandum of agreement between the Lake County Sheriff’s Office and various entities for mutual aid provided during the LNU Complex fire and authorize the sheriff/coroner to sign.
5.12: (a) Adopt resolution approving the Lake County Sheriff's Office to apply for state of California, Department of Parks and Recreation Off-Highway Vehicle Grant funds and (b) authorize the sheriff/coroner or his designee to sign the project agreement.
5.13: (a) Approve letter of agreement between the Lake County Sheriff's Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration of the United States Department of Justice in the amount of $275,000 for the period Oct. 1, 2020, to Sept. 30, 2021; and (b) authorize sheriff to sign the agreement and (c) authorize the chairman to sign workplace certifications and grant assurances.
TIMED ITEMS
6.1, 9 a.m.: Remarks from outgoing Supervisor Rob Brown and presentations/commendations thereto.
6.2, 9:15 a.m.: Administer oath of office to District 1, District 4 and District 5 supervisors.
6.3, 9:16 a.m.: Election of chair of the Board of Supervisors and vice-chair of the Board of Supervisors for 2021 (outgoing chair conducts election).
6.4, 9:17 a.m.: Sitting as the Lake County Board of Equalization, election of chair and vice-chair of the Lake County Local Board of Equalization for 2021.
6.5, 9:18 a.m.: Sitting as the Lake County In-Home Supportive Services, election of chair and vice-chair of the Lake County In-Home Supportive Services Public Authority Board of Directors for 2021.
6.6, 9:19 a.m.: Appoint/reappoint members of the Lake County Planning Commission for a two-year term (a) reappoint District 1 Commissioner John H. Hess III; (b) rReappoint District 2 Commissioner Everardo Chavez Perez; (c) reappoint District 3 Commissioner Batsulwin A. Brown; (d) reappoint District 4 Commissioner Christina Price; and (e) appoint District 5 Commissioner Lance Williams.
6.7, 9:30 a.m.: Public input.
6.8, 9:35 a.m.: Presentation of proclamation designating the month of January 2021 as Human Trafficking Awareness Month in Lake County.
6.9, 9:45 a.m.: Consideration of formation of the Lake County Agricultural Advisory Committee.
6.10, 10:30 a.m.: Consideration of Update on COVID-19.
UNTIMED ITEMS
7.2: Consideration of chairman's recommended 2021 committee assignments for members of the Board of Supervisors.
7.3: Consideration of letter of support for Lake County Fairgrounds.
7.4: Consideration of temporarily closing the Board of Supervisors Chambers for in-person meetings.
7.5: (a) Consideration of amendment to the County of Lake COVID-19 Public Health Emergency Worksite Protection Protocol; and (b) consideration of request to form a board ad hoc committee to work with department heads regarding this protocol.
7.6: Consideration of an Agreement between Lake County Health Services and KnoQoti Native Wellness Inc., for RFP #LCHS 20-002 Prevention, Detection and Support: A Lake County COVID-19 Initiative for Native American-Focused Outreach for a one time cost of $70,900 and authorize the board chair to sign.
7.7: Consideration of the following advisory board appointments: Animal Control Advisory Board, Emergency Medical Care Committee, Glenbrook Cemetery District, Hartley Cemetery District, Kelseyville Cemetery District, Lake County Public Authority Advisory Committee, Lake County Resource Conservation District, Lucerne Area Town Hall, Maternal Child and Adolescent Health, Spring Valley CSA No. 2 Advisory Board.
7.8: Discussion of changes to state management standards for treated wood waste and direction to staff for future efforts.
CLOSED SESSION
8.1: Conference with legal counsel: Existing litigation pursuant to Government Code section 54956.9 (d)(1) – Citizens for Environmental Protection and Responsible Planning v. County of Lake, et al.
8.2. Conference with legal counsel: Significant exposure to litigation pursuant to Government Code section 54956.9 (d)(2) (e)(3) – Claim of Lillie.
8.3: Conference with legal counsel: Existing litigation pursuant to Government Code section 54956.9 (d)(1) – Sabalone v. County of Lake.
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. Tuesday, Jan. 5.
The supervisors will meet in the board chambers on the first floor of the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport, for a hybrid meeting format which also will include the opportunity for community members to continue to participate virtually.
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 996 2072 4673, password 325048.
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.
As the meeting gets started at 9 a.m., Supervisor Rob Brown is scheduled to offer remarks and the board will present to him a commendation for his 20 years of service.
The oath of office will then be administered to District 1 Supervisor Moke Simon and District 4 Supervisor Tina Scott, who were reelected to their second terms in last year’s primary, and to new District 5 Supervisor Jessica Pyska, Brown’s successor, who was elected in November.
Afterward, the outgoing chair, Simon, will hold the election for chair and vice chair of the board as well as for the Lake County Board of Equalization and for the Lake County In-Home Supportive Services Public Authority Board of Directors.
At 9:19 a.m., the board is scheduled to reappoint to two-year terms Lake County Planning Commission members John H. Hess III, District 1; Everardo Chavez Perez, District 2; Batsulwin A. Brown, District 3; and Christina Price, District 4; and appoint new District 5 Commissioner Lance Williams.
In other timed items, at 9:35 a.m. the board will present a proclamation designating the month of January 2021 as Human Trafficking Awareness Month in Lake County.
At 9:45 a.m. the board will consider forming the Lake County Agricultural Advisory Committee.
At 10:30 a.m., Public Health Officer Dr. Gary Pace will give an update on COVID-19.
In an untimed item, the supervisors will consider temporarily closing their board chambers for in-person meetings due to the COVID-19 case surge.
The board also will consider a letter in support of the Lake County Fair, which like other fairs across the state is facing big financial challenges due to the pandemic.
The full agenda follows.
CONSENT AGENDA
5.1: Adopt proclamation commending Rob Brown for 20 years of service as a member of the Lake County Board of Supervisors.
5.2: Adopt resolution approving Agreement No. 20-0709-020-SF with California Department of Food and Agriculture to authorize execution of the Asian Citrus Psyllid Winter Trapping Program in the Amount of $8,647 beginning Oct. 1, 2020, through April 30, 2021.
5.3: Approve the agreement between the county of Lake and Debra Sally DVM for veterinary services for the remainder of the 2020-2021 Fiscal Year in the amount of $8,000 and authorize the board chair to sign the agreement.
5.4: Approve agreement between county of Lake and Behavioral Health Services as lead agency of the Lake County Continuum of Care and Elijah House for Fiscal Year 2020-21 in the amount $102,200 and authorize the chair to sign.
5.5: Approve agreement between county of Lake and Behavioral Health Services as lead agency of the Lake County Continuum of Care and Hope Is Rising Lake County for Fiscal Years 2020-21 and 2021-22 in the amount of $220,000 and authorize the chair to sign.
5.6: Adopt resolution to authorize the standard agreement between county of Lake and the Department of Health Care Services for the period of July 1, 2020, through June 30, 2023, and authorizing the Behavioral Health director to sign the standard agreement.
5.7: Adopt proclamation designating the month of January 2021 as Human Trafficking Awareness Month in Lake County.
5.8: Approve amendment to the lease agreement between the county of Lake and the Senate Rules Committee, California Legislature for a district satellite office.
5.9: a) Approve Amendment A1 to Agreement #19-5042 between the county of Lake and California Department of Social Services for resource family approval program services in the amount of $85,120 for the term of July 1, 2019, to June 30, 2021, and b) adopt resolution authorizing the director of Social Services to sign the amendment.
5.10: Approve memorandum of agreement between the Lake County Sheriff’s Office and Yuba County Sheriff’s Office for mutual aid provided during the North Complex fire and authorize the sheriff/coroner to sign.
5.11: Approve memorandum of agreement between the Lake County Sheriff’s Office and various entities for mutual aid provided during the LNU Complex fire and authorize the sheriff/coroner to sign.
5.12: (a) Adopt resolution approving the Lake County Sheriff's Office to apply for state of California, Department of Parks and Recreation Off-Highway Vehicle Grant funds and (b) authorize the sheriff/coroner or his designee to sign the project agreement.
5.13: (a) Approve letter of agreement between the Lake County Sheriff's Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration of the United States Department of Justice in the amount of $275,000 for the period Oct. 1, 2020, to Sept. 30, 2021; and (b) authorize sheriff to sign the agreement and (c) authorize the chairman to sign workplace certifications and grant assurances.
TIMED ITEMS
6.1, 9 a.m.: Remarks from outgoing Supervisor Rob Brown and presentations/commendations thereto.
6.2, 9:15 a.m.: Administer oath of office to District 1, District 4 and District 5 supervisors.
6.3, 9:16 a.m.: Election of chair of the Board of Supervisors and vice-chair of the Board of Supervisors for 2021 (outgoing chair conducts election).
6.4, 9:17 a.m.: Sitting as the Lake County Board of Equalization, election of chair and vice-chair of the Lake County Local Board of Equalization for 2021.
6.5, 9:18 a.m.: Sitting as the Lake County In-Home Supportive Services, election of chair and vice-chair of the Lake County In-Home Supportive Services Public Authority Board of Directors for 2021.
6.6, 9:19 a.m.: Appoint/reappoint members of the Lake County Planning Commission for a two-year term (a) reappoint District 1 Commissioner John H. Hess III; (b) rReappoint District 2 Commissioner Everardo Chavez Perez; (c) reappoint District 3 Commissioner Batsulwin A. Brown; (d) reappoint District 4 Commissioner Christina Price; and (e) appoint District 5 Commissioner Lance Williams.
6.7, 9:30 a.m.: Public input.
6.8, 9:35 a.m.: Presentation of proclamation designating the month of January 2021 as Human Trafficking Awareness Month in Lake County.
6.9, 9:45 a.m.: Consideration of formation of the Lake County Agricultural Advisory Committee.
6.10, 10:30 a.m.: Consideration of Update on COVID-19.
UNTIMED ITEMS
7.2: Consideration of chairman's recommended 2021 committee assignments for members of the Board of Supervisors.
7.3: Consideration of letter of support for Lake County Fairgrounds.
7.4: Consideration of temporarily closing the Board of Supervisors Chambers for in-person meetings.
7.5: (a) Consideration of amendment to the County of Lake COVID-19 Public Health Emergency Worksite Protection Protocol; and (b) consideration of request to form a board ad hoc committee to work with department heads regarding this protocol.
7.6: Consideration of an Agreement between Lake County Health Services and KnoQoti Native Wellness Inc., for RFP #LCHS 20-002 Prevention, Detection and Support: A Lake County COVID-19 Initiative for Native American-Focused Outreach for a one time cost of $70,900 and authorize the board chair to sign.
7.7: Consideration of the following advisory board appointments: Animal Control Advisory Board, Emergency Medical Care Committee, Glenbrook Cemetery District, Hartley Cemetery District, Kelseyville Cemetery District, Lake County Public Authority Advisory Committee, Lake County Resource Conservation District, Lucerne Area Town Hall, Maternal Child and Adolescent Health, Spring Valley CSA No. 2 Advisory Board.
7.8: Discussion of changes to state management standards for treated wood waste and direction to staff for future efforts.
CLOSED SESSION
8.1: Conference with legal counsel: Existing litigation pursuant to Government Code section 54956.9 (d)(1) – Citizens for Environmental Protection and Responsible Planning v. County of Lake, et al.
8.2. Conference with legal counsel: Significant exposure to litigation pursuant to Government Code section 54956.9 (d)(2) (e)(3) – Claim of Lillie.
8.3: Conference with legal counsel: Existing litigation pursuant to Government Code section 54956.9 (d)(1) – Sabalone v. County of Lake.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport City Council will start off the year with a discussion regarding the city’s response to COVID-19 and appointments of council members to various committees and boards.
The council will meet at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 5.
The meeting will be by teleconference only. The city council chambers will not be open to the public.
The agenda can be found here.
Click here to join the meeting.
To access the meeting by phone call 669-900-9128 or 346-248-7799. The webinar ID is 973 6820 1787, access code is 477973; the audio pin will be shown after joining the webinar. Those phoning in without using the web link will be in “listen mode” only and will not be able to participate or comment.
Comments can be submitted by email toThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . To give the City Clerk adequate time to print out comments for consideration at the meeting, please submit written comments prior to 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 5.
Indicate in the email subject line "for public comment" and list the item number of the agenda item that is the topic of the comment. Comments that read to the council will be subject to the three minute time limitation (approximately 350 words). Written comments that are only to be provided to the council and not read at the meeting will be distributed to the council prior to the meeting.
On Tuesday, the council will meet new Utilities Operator III Mark Fetzer and present a proclamation designating January 2021 as Human Trafficking Awareness Month in the city of Lakeport.
Under council business, City Manager Kevin Ingram will give the council a report on the city’s ongoing response to COVID-19.
Ingram noted that at the council’s regular Dec. 1 meeting, it requested that staff work closely with the League of California Cities to give rural areas a greater voice on COVID-19 relief for local businesses and residents and then bring the item back to the council for further consideration.
He recalled that additional discussion on the topic of the city’s COVID-19 response efforts took place following a presentation from Lake County Public Health Officer Dr. Gary Pace at the council’s Dec. 15 meeting.
“Following that discussion there seemed to be a greater need to revisit more holistically the City of Lakeport’s current COVID-19 response efforts and evaluate whether or not City staff should be doing things differently,” Ingram wrote.
He noted in his report that, as it was being written, “the City along with Lake County are experiencing its largest surge in the number of new COVID-19 cases to date.”
Ingram will review the city’s community and business outreach, as well as its compliance efforts and activities and will invite input from the council and public. His report and the list of activities begins on page 20 of the staff report below.
“Overall, the City remains committed to finding solutions that balance both the public health and economic needs of the City’s residents and businesses,” Ingram wrote.
Also on Tuesday, Mayor Kenny Parlet will appoint council members as liaisons to various boards, committees and commissions.
The council will adopt a resolution appointing representatives to represent and vote on behalf of the city at the League of California Cities, Redwood Empire Division Business meetings and represent the city and vote at Division Legislative Committee meetings.
Finance Director Nick Walker will present a contract award for Willdan Financial Services of Temecula to complete a utility rate study for $44,750.
The council also will hold a budget review and look and first quarter financials and consider executing the first amendment to the Professional Services Agreement with 4LEAF Inc. for building services. The total “not to exceed” amount in the contract is being increased from $25,000 to $50,000.
On the consent agenda – items considered noncontroversial and usually accepted as a slate on one vote – are ordinances; minutes of the regular council meeting on Dec. 15; confirmation of the continuing existence of a local emergency for the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency; and approval of the Recognized Obligation Schedule for the period of July 1, 2021, through June 30, 2022, for presentation and adoption by the Lake County Redevelopment Oversight Board.
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 council will meet at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 5.
The meeting will be by teleconference only. The city council chambers will not be open to the public.
The agenda can be found here.
Click here to join the meeting.
To access the meeting by phone call 669-900-9128 or 346-248-7799. The webinar ID is 973 6820 1787, access code is 477973; the audio pin will be shown after joining the webinar. Those phoning in without using the web link will be in “listen mode” only and will not be able to participate or comment.
Comments can be submitted by email to
Indicate in the email subject line "for public comment" and list the item number of the agenda item that is the topic of the comment. Comments that read to the council will be subject to the three minute time limitation (approximately 350 words). Written comments that are only to be provided to the council and not read at the meeting will be distributed to the council prior to the meeting.
On Tuesday, the council will meet new Utilities Operator III Mark Fetzer and present a proclamation designating January 2021 as Human Trafficking Awareness Month in the city of Lakeport.
Under council business, City Manager Kevin Ingram will give the council a report on the city’s ongoing response to COVID-19.
Ingram noted that at the council’s regular Dec. 1 meeting, it requested that staff work closely with the League of California Cities to give rural areas a greater voice on COVID-19 relief for local businesses and residents and then bring the item back to the council for further consideration.
He recalled that additional discussion on the topic of the city’s COVID-19 response efforts took place following a presentation from Lake County Public Health Officer Dr. Gary Pace at the council’s Dec. 15 meeting.
“Following that discussion there seemed to be a greater need to revisit more holistically the City of Lakeport’s current COVID-19 response efforts and evaluate whether or not City staff should be doing things differently,” Ingram wrote.
He noted in his report that, as it was being written, “the City along with Lake County are experiencing its largest surge in the number of new COVID-19 cases to date.”
Ingram will review the city’s community and business outreach, as well as its compliance efforts and activities and will invite input from the council and public. His report and the list of activities begins on page 20 of the staff report below.
“Overall, the City remains committed to finding solutions that balance both the public health and economic needs of the City’s residents and businesses,” Ingram wrote.
Also on Tuesday, Mayor Kenny Parlet will appoint council members as liaisons to various boards, committees and commissions.
The council will adopt a resolution appointing representatives to represent and vote on behalf of the city at the League of California Cities, Redwood Empire Division Business meetings and represent the city and vote at Division Legislative Committee meetings.
Finance Director Nick Walker will present a contract award for Willdan Financial Services of Temecula to complete a utility rate study for $44,750.
The council also will hold a budget review and look and first quarter financials and consider executing the first amendment to the Professional Services Agreement with 4LEAF Inc. for building services. The total “not to exceed” amount in the contract is being increased from $25,000 to $50,000.
On the consent agenda – items considered noncontroversial and usually accepted as a slate on one vote – are ordinances; minutes of the regular council meeting on Dec. 15; confirmation of the continuing existence of a local emergency for the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency; and approval of the Recognized Obligation Schedule for the period of July 1, 2021, through June 30, 2022, for presentation and adoption by the Lake County Redevelopment Oversight Board.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
On Sunday, Lake County’s two members of Congress, Rep. John Garamendi (CA-03) and Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-05), were sworn into the 117th Congress.
Both men offered their gratitude to their constituents for electing them to office.
Garamendi noted that as he took his oath on Sunday, “I was reminded of the awesome responsibility I have to ‘create a more perfect union,’ to act in all ways consistent with the Constitution, to advance economic and social opportunities for all Americans, to protect our home, the Earth, from the destruction of climate change, and to secure the safety of our country from domestic and foreign threats.”
He continued, “The most pressing and immediate challenge before the 117th Congress is to provide the much-needed resources to defeat COVID-19 and restore the economic wellbeing of Americans that have lost so much due to this pandemic. The health and safety of my constituents is my utmost concern during the coronavirus pandemic. I will take every step to ensure American families have the tools they need to protect themselves from the virus without facing unnecessary economic hardship.”
Garamendi said he will fight throughout this new session of Congress to ensure every American has equal access to an affordable education, and that our K-12 and public university systems are fully supported.
“My work as chairman of the Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness will also continue, where I will work to support the missions at Travis and Beale Air Force Bases, ensure our nation has a strong defense against the recent string of cyber-attacks it has faced, and that our military helps address the global threat posed by climate change. I will also continue my work as a senior member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee to create new jobs in our region by promoting my ‘Make It In America’ and “Buy American’ policies that will help rebuild our nation’s crumbling infrastructure with American materials and workers. I look forward to accomplishing all of this and more with the Biden-Harris Administration,” Garamendi said.
“Yes, I’m excited by the challenge and the work ahead, but I know that I can only succeed in meeting the challenge with the continued support and advice of my constituents. I encourage every Third District resident to write to my office to share their priorities and ideas with me. You can do so by visiting http://garamendi.house.gov,” he said.
Thompson outlined his priorities for the coming session.
“It’s my deep honor to be sworn in to again serve our community in Congress. Our nation faces a crisis unlike any in our lifetimes and we must tackle this challenge together. I will work tirelessly to ensure we have the resources to crush the coronavirus and support the families, workers, small businesses and state and local governments that are struggling. We need more relief and we must work to get this done as soon as possible. This is our most urgent task in the first weeks and months of this year,” Thompson said.
“This Congress, we must also tackle our nation’s most important and pressing problems. Chief among my priorities is addressing the threat of climate change, an issue that poses an existential threat to our planet and to future generations. We must also work to build back our economy that has been hit hard by the virus, including creating jobs that meet the needs of our 21st-century economy,” Thompson said.
“I will continue my work to help end gun violence and ensure our new president signs into law my bill to expand background checks and help keep our communities safe. I’ll also fight to ensure we expand access to high-quality, affordable health care and to rebuild our nation’s infrastructure,” he said.
“Finally, I am committed to redoubling my efforts to bring back every federal dollar and resource to help our community rebuild from the recent fires and to prevent future fires. We must address both fire recovery and prevention at the same time. I know that this new Congress, with the help of President-elect Biden, can address these critical priorities and help make history,” Thompson concluded.
Both men offered their gratitude to their constituents for electing them to office.
Garamendi noted that as he took his oath on Sunday, “I was reminded of the awesome responsibility I have to ‘create a more perfect union,’ to act in all ways consistent with the Constitution, to advance economic and social opportunities for all Americans, to protect our home, the Earth, from the destruction of climate change, and to secure the safety of our country from domestic and foreign threats.”
He continued, “The most pressing and immediate challenge before the 117th Congress is to provide the much-needed resources to defeat COVID-19 and restore the economic wellbeing of Americans that have lost so much due to this pandemic. The health and safety of my constituents is my utmost concern during the coronavirus pandemic. I will take every step to ensure American families have the tools they need to protect themselves from the virus without facing unnecessary economic hardship.”
Garamendi said he will fight throughout this new session of Congress to ensure every American has equal access to an affordable education, and that our K-12 and public university systems are fully supported.
“My work as chairman of the Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness will also continue, where I will work to support the missions at Travis and Beale Air Force Bases, ensure our nation has a strong defense against the recent string of cyber-attacks it has faced, and that our military helps address the global threat posed by climate change. I will also continue my work as a senior member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee to create new jobs in our region by promoting my ‘Make It In America’ and “Buy American’ policies that will help rebuild our nation’s crumbling infrastructure with American materials and workers. I look forward to accomplishing all of this and more with the Biden-Harris Administration,” Garamendi said.
“Yes, I’m excited by the challenge and the work ahead, but I know that I can only succeed in meeting the challenge with the continued support and advice of my constituents. I encourage every Third District resident to write to my office to share their priorities and ideas with me. You can do so by visiting http://garamendi.house.gov,” he said.
Thompson outlined his priorities for the coming session.
“It’s my deep honor to be sworn in to again serve our community in Congress. Our nation faces a crisis unlike any in our lifetimes and we must tackle this challenge together. I will work tirelessly to ensure we have the resources to crush the coronavirus and support the families, workers, small businesses and state and local governments that are struggling. We need more relief and we must work to get this done as soon as possible. This is our most urgent task in the first weeks and months of this year,” Thompson said.
“This Congress, we must also tackle our nation’s most important and pressing problems. Chief among my priorities is addressing the threat of climate change, an issue that poses an existential threat to our planet and to future generations. We must also work to build back our economy that has been hit hard by the virus, including creating jobs that meet the needs of our 21st-century economy,” Thompson said.
“I will continue my work to help end gun violence and ensure our new president signs into law my bill to expand background checks and help keep our communities safe. I’ll also fight to ensure we expand access to high-quality, affordable health care and to rebuild our nation’s infrastructure,” he said.
“Finally, I am committed to redoubling my efforts to bring back every federal dollar and resource to help our community rebuild from the recent fires and to prevent future fires. We must address both fire recovery and prevention at the same time. I know that this new Congress, with the help of President-elect Biden, can address these critical priorities and help make history,” Thompson concluded.