News

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport City Council is set to consider a contract with the new city manager when it meets this week.

The meeting will take place via webinar beginning at 6 p.m. Tuesday, July 7.

The agenda can be found here.

To speak on an agenda item, access the meeting remotely here or join by phone by calling 877-309-2071 or toll-free, 951-384-3421. The access code is 879-799-541; 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 This 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, July 7.

Please 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.

The agenda can be found here.

A closed session will be held at 5:30 p.m. to discuss labor negotiations regarding the city manager.

In open session, the council will consider approving the agreement for city manager services between the city and Kevin Ingram.

Ingram, formerly Lakeport’s Community Development director, was named assistant city manager in January as part of the city’s succession plan.

With the announcement last month that current City Manager Margaret Silveira intends to retire at the end of July, the city has been negotiating with Ingram for a final contract.

The report from City Attorney David Ruderman said the proposed contract with Ingram will be effective Aug. 1 and last for two years and eight months, through March 31, 2023. When the initial term ends, it will automatically renew in additional one-year increments unless the city council provides advanced notice of nonrenewal.

“The contract provides that the City Manager is an ‘at will,’ exempt employee with an initial base annual salary of $140,844. He is entitled to an annual performance bonus of up to $1,500 and to consideration of a cost of living adjustment when such is provided to other at-will management employees in the City,” Ruderman wrote.

Under the contract, Ingram will receive regular CalPERS retirement benefits, life insurance and long-term disability insurance equal to that provided to management employees, 20 days per year of vacation leave, sick leave of one day per month, administrative leave of 80 hours per year, a car allowance of $400 per month, a cell phone stipend and technology allowance. The contract requires Ingram to reside within a 30-minute drive from City Hall.

Additionally, the contract allows for the council to terminate the contract before the end of the term for cause. However, if the council terminates the contract without cause, Ingram would be entitled to severance equal to six months of his base salary, which increases by one month after each year of employment, capped at 12 months.

Also on Tuesday, the council will hold a hearing on the proposed resolution to adopt the housing element update of the general plan.

The council also will hold a protest hearing to allow recipients of a notice to abate dry vegetation creating fire hazard conditions on private property to express objections and be provided with due consideration as to why their property should not be abated.

Under council business, Silveira will ask the council to approve a resolution directing staff to begin the application process to change Westside Park Road to Charlie’s Way, in honor of the late Charlie Jolin, who was a driving force behind the park’s creation.

Finance Director Nick Walker will present the proposal to prepare a written report containing a description of each parcel of real property within the city and the City of Lakeport Municipal Sewer District to which delinquent water and sewer user charges, fees and penalties are applicable and the amount of the delinquent water and sewer user charge, fee, and penalty for
each such parcel the period of June 1, 2019, through May 31, 2020.

In other business, the council will consider approving an amendment to the franchise agreement with Lakeport Disposal Inc., adopt a resolution officially naming the building donated by the Bank of America at 500 N. Main St. in honor of Silveira, and award a construction contract to Team Ghilotti, Inc. for the Second Street Sidewalk Improvement Project.

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 June 16; confirmation of the continuing existence of a local emergency for the Mendocino Complex fire; confirmation of the continuing existence of a local emergency for the February 2019 storms; confirmation of the continuing existence of a local emergency for the October 2019 public safety power shutoff; confirmation of the continuing existence of a local emergency for the COVID-19 public health emergency; Introduction of the proposed safety assessment placard ordinance to the Lakeport Municipal Code and schedule a public hearing for Aug. 4; adoption of the resolution approving and adopting a policy authorizing the use and acceptance of electronic signatures (e-signatures) on city documents; and approval of the retirement incentive agreement between the city of lakeport and Margaret Silveira.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Board of Supervisors is set to discuss a trust donation that is meant to fund a new park and the approval of a major south county resort and residential development.

The meeting will begin at 9 a.m. Tuesday, July 7.

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, please join the Zoom meeting by clicking this link at 9 a.m. The meeting ID is 952 8462 1642, password 535290.

Written comments on any agenda item may be submitted by email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

In an untimed item, Public Services Director Lars Ewing will ask the board to consider an update on a trust that provides for a new park in the Clearlake Oaks area and to give direction to staff on what actions they should take next.

Ewing’s report to the board explains that Lake County Parks and Recreation is named as the major beneficiary of property and other assets of the John T. Klaus 1994 Trust.

The trust’s terms call for the county to use more than 600 acres near Clearlake Oaks, near the roundabout at Highway 20 and Highway 53, as a new public park.

“Also included in the estate are funds from other trust assets – which include other off-site properties, bank accounts and a commercial property lease in the Bay Area – with the purpose of paying for park improvements and ongoing park maintenance costs,” Ewing wrote in his report.

“Public Services staff has toured the property and is of the opinion that it is an excellent opportunity for a park, particularly given the dedicated financial resources that come with it,” Ewing reported. “The trustee has provided inventory and appraisal documents that list bank accounts totaling approximately $1.5 million, appraisal values of properties owned by the trust and not yet sold amounting to approximately $650,000, and recurring annual lease income of approximately $127,000 from a property in Livermore that has been leased to an oil change business for over twenty years.”

He said the trust’s conditions require that the park be called “John T. Klaus Park,” with one-third of the land on the “rear of the property” to be reserved as a refuge for wildlife. The rest of the park to be developed for sporting and athletic activities for youth.

Ewing said staff is seeking direction from the board. If the board recommends moving forward, Ewing is suggesting a number of next steps, including carrying out a property search, establishing a funding mechanism to accept the receipt of assets, preparing a resolution accepting the trust assets and initiating the appropriate California Environmental Quality Act review.

In other news, at 9:30 a.m., the board will consider the approval of the Guenoc Valley Mixed Use Planned Development Project, which includes a major resort and residential development to be built over several years.

At 9:02 a.m., the board will get an update on COVID-19 from Public Health Officer Dr. Gary Pace and at 3 p.m. will hold an economic development workshop with county department heads.

The full agenda follows.

CONSENT AGENDA

5.1: Approve change to board’s annual meeting calendar for 2020.

5.2: Approve advance step increase of Client Support Assistant I/II, Step 5 for Ms. Hailey Keller.

5.3: Approve late travel claim for Staff Services Analyst Daniel McAtee in the amount of $138.35 and authorize the auditor-controller to process payment.

5.4: (a) Waive the formal bidding process, pursuant to Lake County Section Code 38.2, as it is not in the public interest due to the unique nature of goods or services; and (b) approve the agreement between the county of Lake and Manzanita House for adult residential support services and specialty mental health services for fiscal year 2020-21 for a contract maximum of $153,300 and authorize the board chair to sign the agreement.

5.5: Approve Resolution 2020-25 of the City Council for the city of Clearlake calling for and providing for and giving notice of the general municipal election to be held in the city of Clearlake, county of Lake, state of California, on the third day of November 2020 for the purpose of electing three City Council members, each to hold a term of four years, or until their successors are elected and qualified, and requesting approval of the Lake County Board of Supervisors for election services to be provided by the County Elections Department.

5.6: Adopt Resolution authorizing the 2020-2021 Grant Project-Lake County Victim Witness Assistance Program and authorize the chair to sign the certification of compliance.

5.7: Approve annual renewal of Veterans Subvention Program Certificate of Compliance and Medi-Cal Cost Avoidance Program Certificate and authorize the board chair to sign.

5.8: Approve contract between county of Lake and the Regents of the University of California for training services in the amount of $126,480, from July 1, 2020, to June 30, 2021, and authorize the chair to sign.

5.9: Approve three-year lease agreement between county of Lake and Penna Realty Property Management for the property located at 16170 Main St. in Lower Lake, Units C, D, and G, in the amount of $83,355 per fiscal year, from July 1, 2020, to June 30, 2023, and authorize the chair to sign.

5.10: Approve contract between county of Lake and Adams Ashby Group for HOME and CDBG loan portfolio management services in the amount of $45,000, from July 1, 2020, to December 31, 2022, and authorize the chair to sign.

5.11: (a) Approve agreement between the county of Lake and Megabyte Systems Inc., for FY 2020-21 MPTS property tax system maintenance, online business property filing licensing/support and the transient occupancy tax licensing/support, in the amount of $197,368.13 and authorize the chair to sign; and (b) approve web services addendum to the agreement between the county of Lake and Megabyte Systems Inc. for FY 2020-21 online tax bills and e-payment processing services, in the amount of $4,601.14, and authorize the chair to sign.

TIMED ITEMS

6.1, 9:01 a.m.: Public input.

6.2, 9:02 a.m.: Consideration of update on COVID-19.

6.3, 9:30 a.m.: Consider and approve Guenoc Valley Mixed Use Planned Development Project (AM 18-04; DA 18-01, GPAP 18-01; RZ 18-01 & RZ 20-01; GPD 18-01; SD 18-01, SD 20-01, UP 18-49 and UP 20-02).

6.4, 3 p.m.: Economic development workshop with county department heads.

UNTIMED ITEMS

7.2: Consideration of Advisory Board Appointments Lake County Resource Conservation.

7.3: Consideration of Cannabis Tax Internal Grant Program.

7.4: Consideration of John T. Klaus Trust and direction to staff for future efforts.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – On Thursday, July 9, Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-05) will hold a virtual town hall on the coronavirus response.

The town hall will take place from 7 to 8 p.m. Pacific Time.

Thompson will be joined by special guest Ron Klain, the former White House Ebola Response coordinator, for a discussion about health care and what must be done to shore up our response to the spread of coronavirus.

This is the 10th in a series of virtual town halls.

All constituents of California’s Fifth Congressional District and members of the press are invited to join.

This event will be held over Zoom and interested participants must email Thompson’s office 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.

The event will also be streamed on Facebook Live via Thompson’s page.

Thompson represents California’s Fifth Congressional District, which includes all or part of Contra Costa, Lake, Napa, Solano and Sonoma counties.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – A 4.0-magnitude earthquake on Sunday morning was felt across Lake County and the North Coast.

The quake occurred at 9:14 a.m. Sunday, the US Geological Survey reported.

The USGS said the quake’s epicenter was in northern Sonoma County, 3.3 miles southwest of Cobb and 13.4 miles north northeast of Healdsburg, at a depth just below the earth’s surface.

Nearly 160 shake reports were filed from around Lake County, as well as Sonoma, Mendocino and Napa, San Francisco and as far away as Valley Springs.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – If you’ve planted a summer garden, it won’t be long before tomatoes, zucchini and the like will be bursting forth from their vines, perhaps in such abundance that you won’t know what to do with them all.

To help out, I’ve compiled a quartet of vegetable-forward recipes that will enable you to (hopefully pleasantly) consume such garden bounty.

Featured in the recipes are some of the most commonly grown summer vegetables – tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, eggplant and bell peppers – as well as favorite garden herbs like basil and parsley.

The first recipe featured is gazpacho, a cooling, tomato-based soup that originated in the southern region of Andalusia in Spain. This chock-full-of-veggies dish is sometimes referred to as a blended or liquid salad, and when you see the recipe, you’ll understand why. It utilizes summer garden bounty or farmers’ market fare quite handily.

There are a number of theories about the origin of gazpacho, with the most prevalent being that it’s based on a soup of bread, olive oil, vinegar and garlic that arrived in Spain with the Romans. Many current recipes include the use of stale bread as part of the base.

With the introduction of tomato and cucumber from the New World and Asia respectively, gazpacho became a standard Spanish dish first in the province of Andalusia. Popular then with all classes of people, it’s still widely served as cold refreshment during the heat of Spanish summers.

There are many versions of gazpacho, not all with tomatoes. The most popular and well-known, however, are those which make full use of this luscious fruit and thankfully so, as tomatoes are an absolute powerhouse of nutrition!

Gazpacho was once considered to have healing properties, especially as a remedy for stomach issues. As Miguel de Cervantes wrote in Don Quixote, “I’d rather have my fill of gazpacho than be subject to the misery of a meddling doctor.”

Next up is Panzanella, a bread and tomato salad that hails from Tuscany. Sixteenth-century Florentine poet and artist Agnolo Bronzino sang the praises of a dish interpreted to be a version of it, making it very likely that this salad has been a staple there for more than five centuries.

The name Panzanella is thought to be a portmanteau of the Italian word for bread, pane, and zanella, the name of the deep plate in which it’s typically served.

A traditional Panzanella utilizes stale bread soaked in water and squeezed dry, but I enjoy using a rustic loaf of bread that can stand up to the dressing and the juices of the tomatoes. Wait an hour or so before eating so the bread has time to absorb all the liquid deliciousness.

It was interesting to learn that until the 20th century, Panzanella was based on onions, not tomatoes. While onions continue to be used in the salad, tomatoes are truly one of the stars.

Tomatoes that are ripe, juicy and full of flavor should be used. Feel free to mix colors and types. If garden or farmers’ market tomatoes are not available, heirloom tomatoes or those sold on the vine are recommended.

A full two cups of a sliced chiffonade of basil are included in the recipe. An easy way to do this is to roll a group of leaves up cigar style before slicing.

While traditionalists in Florence may not approve, olives, capers and other tangy ingredients are often added to enhance the flavor of the salad. I use a combo of kalamata and green olives, but feel free to use what you like best.

Ratatouille, a stewed vegetable dish from the French region of Provence (specifically Nice), is a wonderful way to use many vegetables at once. Though recipes and cooking times vary, tomato, garlic, onion, zucchini, eggplant, bell pepper and some combination of herbs common to that region are typically included.

The name of the dish is derived from a French verb meaning “to stir up,” and if you’ve ever cooked ratatouille, you’ll know that a lot of stirring is involved!

Despite its relatively recent genesis (1877), there are numerous methods of preparation. Julia Child and others recommend that each type of vegetable be cooked individually prior to combining. One reason for this is the belief that the taste of each vegetable will stand out.

Another method, one which I employ in the recipe below, is to stagger the addition of each vegetable to the pan according to its cooking time. This encourages a wonderful marriage of flavors and lessens the complexity of preparation.

Eggplant, utilized in ratatouille, provides a platform for a plethora of flavors, changing like a chameleon when paired with different sauces and spice combinations. The flesh of eggplant is spongy and somewhat bitter in its raw state, though more recent cultivated varieties are not quite as bitter as their ancient counterparts.

Salting eggplant prior to cooking rids the flesh of bitterness, as well as collapsing cell walls to close up the spongy holes that would otherwise absorb endless amounts of oil. To do this, peel and slice (or, depending on the dish, cube) the eggplant and generously salt it as you layer the slices into a colander. Allow it to drain over a bowl or the sink for 20 to 30 minutes, rinse, pat dry, and prepare as usual.

Our final recipe is tzatziki, a refreshing Greek salad made from cucumber and yogurt and flavored with herbs, typically either dill, mint, thyme or parsley.

In addition to a salad, tzatziki can also be in the form of a dip, sauce or cold soup.

The term “cool as a cucumber” is more than a cliché. Cucumbers truly are a cooling food, which is one reason why it’s especially nice to have them around in the midst of the summer heat. They’re commonly featured in the cuisine of countries throughout the world with hot climates.

Versions of the cooling combination of cucumber and yogurt are found in a variety of places, including Turkey, India, the Balkans and throughout the Middle East.

Not only do cucumbers have a cooling effect when consumed internally, they cool the skin externally, such as when they’re used to treat sunburn.

Although a variety of herbs may be used to flavor tzatziki, our version contains dill.

If you don’t have Greek yogurt on hand, other yogurt can be strained to produce a similar consistency. To do this, place the yogurt in a strainer lined with paper towels or cheesecloth atop a bowl several hours or overnight. Refrigerate it during the process. This allows liquid to drain off, leaving behind a thickened, richer yogurt. You’ll be surprised at the amount of water that appears in your bowl.

If you’re using this method, be sure to strain enough yogurt as it reduces in size by about half. Since the recipe calls for two cups of Greek yogurt, strain four cups to be sure you’ve got enough.

I hope you enjoy the summer’s bounty through these recipes or otherwise. And remember, a simple sandwich with garden tomatoes can make for an amazingly delicious lunch. To this end, as a bonus, I’ve included a recipe for basil aioli that can be slathered on good bread to pair with fresh tomatoes.

Enjoy!

Gazpacho

While some gazpacho recipes call for blending the entire batch of veggies into a puree, I prefer to puree only half of it to maintain an interesting texture and satisfying crunch.

3 large tomatoes, diced
1 cucumber, peeled and diced
2 bell peppers, chopped (combine red, green, yellow or other colors)
1 red onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
¼ cup red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 cups tomato juice
¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
¼ cup fresh basil, chopped
Juice of 1 lime
Tabasco sauce and salt and pepper to taste

Combine vegetables in a large glass bowl.

Add remaining ingredients and mix well.

Add half the mixture to a food processor and blend until smooth.

Combine puree with original mixture and chill for 4 hours before serving.

Garnish with diced avocado or cilantro, if desired.

Serves four.

Tuscan Bread Salad with Summer Vegetables (Panzanella)

The trick to this salad is being sure all ingredients are bite sized. Choosing the bread is also key. A rustic bread that will hold up well is recommended, and day-old bread is fine, if you’ve got it. Sliced bread will not work well. Feel free to sub cucumber for the zucchini.

About 6 cups of bite-sized pieces of bread
2 cups sliced basil leaves
1 cup red onion, thinly sliced
1 cup zucchini, cut lengthwise into quarters and sliced (roughly one medium zucchini)
2 cups diced ripe tomatoes (garden, heirloom or those sold on the vine are recommended)
½ cup pitted kalamata olives, cut in half
½ cup pitted green olives, cut in half (or quartered, if large)
1 cup bite-sized pieces of fresh mozzarella
Pine nuts for garnish (optional)

Dressing:

4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Fresh ground pepper and coarse salt to taste

Make dressing by whisking ingredients together. It’s best to do this first so flavors have an opportunity to combine.

Combine salad ingredients in a large bowl and toss with dressing.

Allow to sit for an hour before eating so bread can soak up liquid.

If using pine nuts, sprinkle over top of salad. (You may toast them first.)

Serve immediately.

Serves four.

Ratatouille

Olive oil for the pan, about 2 tablespoons
2 or more cloves garlic, crushed and minced
1 large onion, sliced
1 small eggplant, cubed
2 bell peppers, any color, chopped
4 large garden tomatoes, coarsely chopped
3 to 4 small zucchinis, sliced into ¼ inch rounds
Fresh herbs, such as basil, oregano, thyme and rosemary
A nice handful of chopped fresh parsley
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Salt the cubed eggplant and allow to drain for 20 to 30 minutes, then rinse.

Heat oil over medium heat in a 4-quart Dutch oven or heavy saucepan.

Add onions and cook, stirring often, until tender, about 5 minutes or more.

Add garlic and stir.

Add eggplant and pepper, stir to coat with oil, then cover and cook for about 10 minutes.

Add tomatoes, zucchini and herbs (except basil and parsley); cover and cook about 15 minutes, or until eggplant is tender, but not too soft.

Taste and add salt and pepper as needed.

Stir in basil and parsley just before serving.

Serves four to six. While not traditional, I enjoy serving with rice or quinoa.

Greek Cucumber-Yogurt Salad (Tzatziki)

To make a dip or sauce rather than a salad, finely chop, rather than slice, the cucumber. More lemon juice and/or yogurt may be needed to create a thinner consistency.

2 medium cucumbers, peeled, seeded and thinly sliced
2 cups plain Greek yogurt
2 cloves garlic, smashed then minced
Juice of half a lemon
Fresh dill springs (or fresh mint leaves)
Freshly ground black pepper and salt to taste

Combine yogurt, garlic and lemon juice in a bowl.

Add cucumber to yogurt mixture and stir to combine.

Using kitchen scissors, cut small pieces of dill leaves into bowl. If substituting mint, thinly slice leaves and add to bowl. Use more or less depending on your taste. Stir to combine.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serves four as a side salad.

Basil aioli

Combine one large egg, 1 clove crushed garlic, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil in a food processor. Process for a few seconds until mixture is emulsified.

Keep the motor running as you drizzle in just under a cup of extra virgin olive oil. Add 1/3 cup roughly chopped fresh basil and pulse a bit until combined. Scrape the aioli into a container and refrigerate.

Makes about 1-1/2 cups.

All recipes by Esther Oertel.

Esther Oertel is a writer and passionate home cook from a family of chefs. She grew up in a restaurant, where she began creating recipes from a young age. She’s taught culinary classes in a variety of venues in Lake County and previously wrote “The Veggie Girl” column for Lake County News. Most recently she’s taught culinary classes at Sur La Table in Santa Rosa, Calif. She lives in Middletown, Calif.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – As summer heats up, communities are reminded that wildfire season is upon us.

This week, Sen. Mike McGuire will hold a telephone town hall on wildfire preparedness for Lake and Mendocino counties.

The event will begin at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 7.

The town hall will provide the very latest from local Cal Fire chiefs, Mendocino Unit Chief George Gonzalez and Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit Chief Shana Jones, about efforts everyone can take to harden homes and better prepare communities against the threat of wildfires.

Mendocino County Sheriff Matt Kendall and Lake County Sheriff Brian Martin will focus on how law enforcement is gearing up for the fire season given the concerns with the coronavirus and Pacific Gas and Electric officials will cover efforts the utility is making to harden its electrical grid and reduce the frequency and duration of power shutoffs.

“Fire season is here and even with the coronavirus, the state is moving full steam ahead with the hiring of hundreds of new firefighters, expanding the number of fire engines on the road and advancing vegetation management projects to reduce fire load,” Sen. Mike McGuire said. “We hope folks can join us this Tuesday for an important conversation with Sheriff Martin, Sheriff Kendall, local Cal Fire chiefs and representatives from PG&E about preparing for wildfire season.”

To attend, dial 844-721-7241, enter code 6666128 and follow the prompts. You will be connected to the live town hall via telephone and you will be able to listen to the speakers providing critical updates. The town hall will be limited to the first 1,000 participants.

To join the conversation and get involved with the town hall, email questions and comments in advance and in real-time during the telephone town hall to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .