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Opinion
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- Written by: Betsy Cawn
The more recent area of vulnerability, located just north of town at the Clover Creek Diversion Channel — a constructed flood protection facility — is entangled in Department of Public Works management of multi-agency requirements for state permits, while high-dollar consultants hired by DPW in 2021 continue to drag out the “design” process that substitutes for work in what is known as Flood Zone 8.
Additional problems created by designation of the entirely manmade flood control facility as “habitat” by former DPW staff render the diversion channel’s routine maintenance subject to environmental constraints that are not warranted for strictly constructed flood prevention systems.
A special meeting conducted by the consultants in Upper Lake a couple of weeks ago was described by the West Region Town Hall chairman on Feb. 21 as mystifying, since the last three years of outspoken community members providing “feedback” in public forums appeared to be unknown (or irrelevant) to new consultant representatives.
Much, if not most, of the town was built long before FEMA existed. Agricultural levees erected by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, long anticipated to fail in the former reclamation area, were maintained by the state until responsibility was “transferred” to the County DPW, which cannot do more than respond to storm damage when necessary (most preventive maintenance is not funded).
It is hard to accept that county leadership, following the 2005 disaster, did not address obvious risks by correcting the official floodplain mapping and establishing regular maintenance schedules for flood protection facilities and property owners.
Upper Lake citizens are right to pursue corrective action by the Board of Supervisors before the next disaster happens.
Betsy Cawn runs the Essential Public Information Center. She lives in Upper Lake, California.
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- Written by: David Claffey
From my perspective, I would like to see someone in this position that not only has the vision of what the district could be but is also capable of delivering.
As an example, Clearlake’s rise has been meteoric over the last five years. Thanks to our talented and dedicated city staff, we have given our downtown park a facelift, slashed crime, fully funded a plan to resurface and pave more than 50 miles of roads, and forged some major economic development victories in housing, hospitality, and healthcare.
Most notable, the long-delayed redevelopment of the former Pearce Field site into a commercial hub finally began last year after decades of hurdles. That can only happen when vision meets capability.
The city makes up a substantial slice of District 1, and much of the development I just described will have a direct impact on the residents that will be represented by one of these five candidates.
Our city needs a supervisor who will value the incredible strides we’ve made in improving our community and stand side by side with city leadership to ensure that momentum doesn’t falter. Someone who appreciates that a healthy, vibrant Clearlake is a benefit to the district and all of Lake County.
I believe John Hess is that candidate.
John has served on the Lake County Planning Commission for the last eight years and understands how complex and challenging it can be to bring new opportunities to a rural county. There is an appreciation for the care and effort that has gone into the city’s most recent wins, and support for even more.
Add to that his unmatched government experience serving members of both parties. He has an already well-worn path for dialog with our state and federal representatives and his three endorsements from those officials are clear evidence of his connection. I haven’t quite figured out how his work around nuclear arms control could benefit Lake County, but it’s a pretty good indication that his judgment and leadership have long been trusted.
Finally, it’s clear he has the best interests of our county at his core. I encourage you to watch one of the many forums online in which these five superb candidates have participated. John continues to impress me with the depth of his answers. For someone who is not an incumbent, his grasp of the pressing challenges facing district 1 is evident.
John is my top choice for District 1 and I’m pleased to be able to support him.
David Claffey is a member of the Clearlake City Council. He lives in Clearlake, California.
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- Written by: Carolynn Jarrett
It seems a group called Citizens for Healing, C4H, has taken the suggestion of an unnamed retired lawyer to submit a proposal to the Board of Geographic Names, or BGN, to change the name of Kelseyville to “Konocti.”
The article states that the board has the authority to change names which are “determined to be derogatory or offensive.”
The local Board of Supervisors will be asked to comment on the name change and the decision by BGN might occur in August or at the latest, by the end of the year.
Although I live in Clearlake and have no pony in this race I have to admit I was gobsmacked by C4H making this end run around allowing the Kelseyville community to decide this issue.
I agree that the actions of Kelsey and Stone were egregious, but you can’t change history, you can only add more information, so that everyone can have all the pertinent facts. Add another plaque which describes their crimes to the monument already there.
And as for naming the town “Konocti” … we have enough Konoctis around the lake already.
I’m sure tribal historians could come up with something better. How about a Pomo word for “Place-where-people-made-an-end-run-around-the-community”?
Carolynn Jarrett lives in Clearlake, California.
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- Written by: John Carlisi
Surprisingly, as a businessperson, he does not seem to understand the difference between spending and investing. He suggested the private sector should be responsible for providing the service.
Well, the private sector has been providing the internet for over 20 years and has yet to meet the needs of rural areas.
Mr. Bridges offered a solution — use Starlink, it works great, he has it at home.
He also suggests we use the money the county has been awarded for broadband to fix our roads.
Let me fill Mr. Bridges in on a few facts.
1. More than 30 million Americans live in areas where there is no internet access with minimally acceptable speed. This is a particular problem in rural communities. The U.S. government is expanding broadband access with a nearly $50 billion investment in infrastructure, planning, digital inclusion, and workforce development and Lake County is on track to receive approximately $82 million of those funds which will mean many high-paying jobs for our residents, a big boost to our economy and reliable, affordable high-speed internet access.
2. There are many issues with Starlink such as the need for unobstructed views in our densely treed county, its installation expense (up to $1,000 in equipment and installation costs and a monthly charge of $120) putting it out of reach for most Lake County residents. But my major concern is that Starlink is another large corporation that we are putting in charge of our essential services. And one that has lost $885 million in public funds because its services were not affordable to working class people. Aren’t we all already sick and tired of dealing with corporations like PG&E and ATT? These corporations’ whole motivation is to make a profit, which makes them a very poor partner for rural areas such as ours.
3. The purpose of the “Broadband for All” program is to bring the entire nation into the 21st century in communications. Like it or not, each day the internet gets more integrated into our personal and business lives. How many of you are taking advantage of telehealth visits or working remotely, or even just a good family movie night?
4. Mr. Bridges does not have the most basic concept of how grant funding works. You cannot accept a grant for a specific purpose and then just spend it elsewhere. Trade broadband funding for fixing local roads? Politicians go to jail for less.
Many of the solutions Bridges puts forward are based on his personal experience, or by talking to a small group of his acquaintances, who have very similar backgrounds to his own. I am not convinced that he has the desire to expand his knowledge – especially now that his line in the sand of his dedication to the job of supervisor has been upped to “I’ll give it 40 hours, that’s full time.” Lake County deserves so much better.
Supervisor Pyska is just that. She has shown herself to be the leader we deserve. She works tirelessly to ensure she is representing all in this diverse community. She serves on local, state, and federal committees that focus on issues that are priorities for Lake County. She is bringing millions of our tax dollars back home to invest in areas such as broadband which will equip Lake County to bring prosperity to all and equip us to compete in the 21st century. And she is just getting started.
Re-elect Supervisor Jessica Pyska.
John Carlisi lives in Cobb, California. He is the chair and CEO of the Neighborhood Development Collaborative, a national nonprofit that owns and operates affordable housing for working class families and engages in local economic development. In Lake County, he serves on the board of Lake County Broadband Solutions, LLC a local wireless internet service provider, or WISP, with over 400 subscribers, both households and businesses.