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- Written by: Lake County News reports
The nomination period runs from Monday, July 15, to 5 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 9.
A list of offices currently up for election can be found on the city’s website.
“The election process at the local level is the heartbeat of our community. It ensures every voice is heard and every vote counts,” said Administrative Services Director/City Clerk Melissa Swanson. “The Administrative Services Department is committed to transparency and accountability, and we are excited to assist residents who are looking to serve Clearlake as City Council members.”
Nomination papers will be issued by Swanson. Interested candidates can make an appointment by email at
If any incumbent does not file to run for office by the deadline on Aug. 9, the filing period for that office will extend until 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 14.
Candidates must be registered voters of the city of Clearlake.
The city of Clearlake is a general law city of the state of California operating under the city council/manager plan.
The council is the legislative body, and its members are the community’s decision makers.
The City Council approves the budget, determines public services, and focuses on community goals, major projects and long-term considerations like growth, financing and strategic planning.
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- Written by: Lake County News reports
Ryan, 42, takes over as the Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit, or LNU, chief following Mike Marcucci’s retirement on June 28.
Ryan has intricate knowledge of the unit, having served the entirety of his 24-year Cal Fire career in LNU, and has worked in all five of its divisions since joining the agency as a firefighter in 2001.
“We are excited to have Chief Ryan in this leadership role for the Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit,” said Cal Fire Northern Region Chief George Morris III. “He has comprehensive knowledge of the region, its vast range of vegetation types, political climates, population centers and has fought through its dynamic fire history over the course of his 24-year Cal Fire career.”
In addition to his unit chief duties, Ryan also assumes command as fire chief for the Napa County Fire Department and the South Lake County Fire Protection District.
“I grew up here, have been serving our communities for the past 24 years and have seen the many partnerships evolve as we all come together to work towards keeping our communities safe,” Ryan said. “It will take the continued collaboration on every level, investments in our people, resources and technology that will allow us to fulfill our mission.”
Ryan has served as an incident commander-trainee for Cal Fire’s Incident Management Team 2, is a Type 1 Operations section chief and a qualified air tactical group supervisor.
He has served on many cadres, including being the cadre lead for the Northern Region C-234 firing operations class.
He most recently served as the unit’s deputy chief of state operations since September 2023.
In that role he oversaw LNU’s operations across the six North Bay counties that make up the Unit, the Emergency Command Center in St. Helena as well as the aviation and camp programs.
The year prior, Ryan was the assistant chief of LNU Central Division Operations with responsibilities encompassing training, safety, fleet and capital outlay.
From 2019 to 2022 he was a battalion chief for the training bureau with oversight of all training and EMS operations for the Unit and the Napa County Fire Department.
From 2011 to 2019 Ryan served in the rank of fire captain, working out of Cal Fire stations in Petaluma, Leesville, Clearlake Oaks and inside the LNU Training Bureau, and was a rotational helitack captain at Boggs Mountain.
As a firefighter he worked at Stations 38 in Gordon Valley and 24 at Spanish Flat, in addition to being on the Boggs Mountain Helitack crew.
In 2007 he promoted to the rank of fire apparatus engineer where for four years he was
assigned to the Schedule A program at Station 12 in Yountville.
Ryan, a Sonoma County resident, grew up in the Sonoma Valley and graduated from Sonoma High School in 2000.
He holds an Associate of Science Degree from Butte College.
- Details
- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
The board will meet beginning at 9 a.m. Tuesday, July 16, in the board chambers on the first floor of the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport.
The meeting can be watched live on Channel 8, online at https://countyoflake.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx and on the county’s Facebook page. Accompanying board documents, the agenda and archived board meeting videos also are available at that link.
To participate in real-time, join the Zoom meeting by clicking this link.
The meeting ID is 865 3354 4962, pass code 726865. The meeting also can be accessed via one tap mobile at +16694449171,,86533544962#,,,,*726865#. The meeting can also be accessed via phone at 669 900 6833.
At 11 a.m., the board will receive a presentation on the Golden State Finance Authority ReCoverCA Homebuyer Assistance Program.
The program, funded by a $28 million grant from the California Department of Housing and Community Development, is designed to help low- and moderate-income residents, both homeowners or renters, of the most impacted and distressed California counties to relocate outside of high fire hazard severity zones.
A workshop on the program will take place at 7 p.m. Wednesday, July 24, at the Clear Lake Masonic Lodge in Clearlake.
The full agenda follows.
CONSENT AGENDA
5.2: Approve closure of the Auditor-Controller/Clerk’s Office from noon to 5 p.m. on Friday, July 26.
5.3: Approve agreement between county of Lake and Sacramento Behavioral Healthcare Hospital for acute inpatient psychiatric hospital services and professional services associated with acute inpatient psychiatric hospitalizations in the amount of $50,000 for fiscal year 2024-25 and authorize the board chair to sign.
5.4: Approve Board of Supervisors meeting minutes for Feb. 7, 2023, and Feb. 27, 2024.
5.5: Approve Resolution 2024-23 of the Clearlake City Council 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 fifth day of November, 2024, 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: Approve the supplemental services agreement with Strata Architecture Planning Management for architecture and engineering consulting services for multiple county building roof projects in an amount not to exceed $258,855 and authorize the chair to sign the agreement.
5.7: Approve the site license agreement with New Cingular Wireless PCS LLC and California Internet LP for occupancy of tower on Buckingham Peak, which will provide $300/month to the county and authorize the chair to sign the agreement.
5.8: Approve amendment No. 2 between the county of Lake and Keefe Group for a one-year contract extension for fiscal year 2024-25 with no change from the original contract and authorize the chairperson to sign.
5.9: a) Waive the formal bidding requirement; and b) authorize the sheriff/coroner or his designee to issue a purchase order in the amount not to exceed $50,500 to Dell Marketing L.P. for 20 computers and monitors for the Sheriff's Office and 20 computers and monitors for the Lake County Jail/Hill Road Facility.
TIMED ITEMS
6.2, 9:03 a.m.: Pet of the week.
6.3, 9:04 a.m.: New and noteworthy at the library.
6.4, 9:20 a.m.: Public hearing, consideration/discussion of naming a certain existing unnamed road, Gliderport Road, Middletown.
6.5, 10:15 a.m.: Presentation on Lake County Behavioral Health Services Mental Health Services Act annual update for fiscal year 2024-25 and approval of modifications to the three-year plan spanning 2023-24, 2024-25 and 2025-26.
6.6, 10:45 a.m.: Public hearing, consideration of resolution appointing road commissioner for the county of Lake.
6.7, 11 a.m.: Consideration of presentation on Golden State Finance Authority ReCoverCA Homebuyer Assistance Program.
6.8, 11:30 a.m.: Consideration of debt management policies and actions: a) Rescind prior fund balance policy, and approve fund balance, general reserve, and debt management policy; b) Approve Lake County Debt Advisory Committee policy; c) Consideration of two options for financing the Armory Repurposing Project (Lake County Sheriff’s headquarters), and direction to staff, as appropriate; d) Direction to staff to bring back final bond issuance agreement for approval; e) Authorize the county administrative officer to sign all applicable documents prior to the final bond issuance agreement.
6.9, 1 p.m.: Consideration of Lake County Tourism Improvement District 2023 Annual Marketing Report.
6.10, 1:30 p.m.: Hearing, consideration of: a) Appeal (AB 23-03) of Planning Commission’s decision to revoke a major use permit (UP19-15) for Legendary Farms, at 2290 Soda Bay Road, Lakeport (APN 008-010-29) for high severity violations and deem Justin Smith and Melissa Smith responsible persons; and b) Appeals (AB 23-02 Roberto Estrada; and AB 23-04 Michael Wegner) of the Planning Commission’s decision to deem these persons as responsible persons for the high severity violations at Legendary Farms (UP19-15).
6.11, 2 p.m.: Presentation of billing and fiscal data from Lake County Behavioral Health Services and status of repayment to short-term loan from the general fund.
UNTIMED ITEMS
7.2: Consideration of agreement between county of Lake and Community Behavioral Health for substance use disorder medication assisted treatment services in the amount of $3,060,036 for fiscal year 2024-25.
7.3: Consideration of the agreement between county of Lake and New Life Health Authority dba New Life LLC for substance use disorder outpatient drug-free services, intensive outpatient treatment services, and narcotic treatment program services in the amount of $10,000,000 for fiscal year 2024-25.
7.4: Consideration of amendment No. 3 to the agreement between County of Lake and Community Behavioral Health for specialty mental health services in the amount of $13,000,000 for fiscal years 2023-26.
7.5: Erratum, consideration of appointments to local area plan advisory committees (Cobb Mountain, Kelseyville, Lakeport, Lower Lake, Middletown, Rivieras, Shoreline Communities and Upper Lake/Nice).
CLOSED SESSION
8.1: Conference with legal counsel: Significant exposure to litigation pursuant to Gov. Code Section 54956.9(d)(2), (e)(1) – Two potential cases.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
- Details
- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
The council will meet Tuesday, July 16, at 6 p.m. in the council chambers at Lakeport City Hall, 225 Park St.
The agenda can be found here.
If you cannot attend in person, and would like to speak on an agenda item, you can access the Zoom meeting remotely at this link or join by phone by calling toll-free 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
The council will hear a presentation by a representative of Vet Connect and also will receive the Visit Lake County annual report.
On Tuesday, Administrative Services and City Clerk Director Kelly Buendia will present an agreement with public relations firm Tripepi Smith, which will provide communications and social media services with a total budget not to exceed $35,000.
Community Development Director Joey Hejnowicz will introduce an ordinance to amend sections of city municipal code to create a ministerial approval process for lot line adjustments and set a public hearing for Aug. 6.
Utilities Director Paul Harris will ask the council to review and consider adopting a drought response plan.
The 17-page plan, included in the agenda packet, discusses the city’s water sources and stakeholders, considers drought stages, essential water uses and activities that would be prohibited at those stages.
On the consent agenda — items considered noncontroversial and usually accepted as a slate on one vote — are ordinances; minutes of the City Council’s regular meeting on July 2; and approval of application 2024-028, with staff recommendations, for the Lake County Wine Association’s Wine Festival and BBQ.
The council also will hold a closed session for conference with legal counsel regarding a case of existing litigation, City of Lakeport et al. v. Amerisourcebergen Drug Corporation et al., and to discuss labor negotiations with the Lakeport Employees Association.
Email Elizabeth Larson at