How to resolve AdBlock issue? 
News
- Details
- Written by: CALIFORNIA CONTROLLER’S OFFICE
State Controller Malia M. Cohen was sworn in Monday, Jan. 2, as California’s chief fiscal officer.
The oath of office was administered by Gov. Gavin Newsom.
“I am proud and honored to serve as California’s state controller,” said Cohen. “The work to create a more equitable California has already begun. I look forward to ensuring fiscal accountability, with an eye toward transparency and innovation.”
Cohen was elected in November 2022, following her service on the California Board of Equalization, or BOE.
She is the first Black woman to serve as California’s state controller.
She was elected to the BOE in November 2018 and was Chair in 2019 and 2022.
As controller, she continues to serve the board as its fifth voting member.
Before being elected to the BOE, Cohen served as president of the Board of Supervisors of the city and county of San Francisco.
As a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, she served as the chair of the Budget and Finance Committee and president of the San Francisco Employees’ Retirement System.
Cohen was born and raised in San Francisco and proudly attended public school. She received her bachelor’s degree in political science from Fisk University and a master’s degree in public policy and management from Carnegie Mellon University.
She and her husband reside in San Francisco along with their daughter.
As the chief fiscal officer of California, Cohen is responsible for accountability and disbursement of the state’s financial resources.
The controller has independent auditing authority over government agencies that spend state funds.
She is a member of numerous financing authorities, and fiscal and financial oversight entities including the Franchise Tax Board. She also serves on the boards for the nation’s two largest public pension funds.
- Details
- Written by: CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA — California is heading into the new year with a deep snowpack thanks to recent storms.
The Department of Water Resources, or DWR, on Tuesday conducted the first snow survey of the season at Phillips Station.
The manual survey recorded 55.5 inches of snow depth and a snow water equivalent of 17.5 inches, which is 177% of average for this location.
The snow water equivalent measures the amount of water contained in the snowpack and is a key component of DWR’s water supply forecast.
Statewide the snowpack is 174% of average for this date.
California is expected to see continued rain and snow over the next seven days, with the threat of flooding in parts of California.
Conditions so far this season have proven to be strikingly similar to last year when California saw some early rainstorms and strong December snow totals only to have the driest January through March on record.
“The significant Sierra snowpack is good news but unfortunately these same storms are bringing flooding to parts of California,” said DWR Director Karla Nemeth. “This is a prime example of the threat of extreme flooding during a prolonged drought as California experiences more swings between wet and dry periods brought on by our changing climate.”
One year ago, the Phillips survey showed the seventh highest January measurements on record for that location.
However, those results were followed by three months of extremely dry conditions and by April 1 of last year, the Phillips survey measurements were the third lowest on record.
More telling than a survey at a single location are DWR’s electronic readings from 130 stations placed throughout the state.
Measurements indicate that statewide, the snowpack’s snow water equivalent is 17.1 inches, or 174% of average for this date.
This January’s results are similar to results in 2013 and 2022 when the Jan. 1 snowpack was at or above average conditions, only for dry weather to set in and lead to drought conditions by the end of the water year (Sept. 30).
In 2013, the first snow survey of the season also provided promising results after a wet December similar to today’s results.
However, the following January and February were exceptionally dry, and the water year ended as the driest on record, contributing to a record-breaking drought. In 2022, record-breaking December snowfall was again followed by the driest January through March period on record.
“Big snow totals are always welcome, but we still have a long way to go before the critical April 1 total,” said DWR’s Snow Surveys and Water Supply Forecasting Unit Manager Sean de Guzman. “It’s always great to be above average this early in the season, but we must be resilient and remember what happened last year. If January through March of 2023 turn out to be similar to last year, we would still end the water year in severe drought with only half of an average year's snowpack.”
On average, the Sierra snowpack supplies about 30% of California’s water needs and is an important factor in determining how DWR manages the state’s water resources.
Its natural ability to store water is why the Sierra snowpack is often referred to as California's “frozen reservoir.” A below-average snowpack impacts water users across the state, putting further stress on the environment and critical groundwater supplies.
Current climate research indicates the state will see bigger swings from extreme heat and dry conditions to larger and more powerful storms that deliver temporary large boosts to the state snowpack as well as flood risk.
DWR conducts five snow surveys at Phillips Station each winter near the first of each month, January through April and, if necessary, May.
The next survey is tentatively scheduled for Feb. 1.
- Details
- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
LAKEPORT, Calif. — There is officially a new sheriff in Lake County.
Registrar Maria Valadez administered the oath to Howe as colleagues, family and friends — including his predecessor, Brian Martin, who retired as sheriff on Dec. 30 — looked on.
Martin and Howe embraced after the swearing-in.
Sheriff’s staff have welcomed Howe to the job, saying they’re excited to have him back in an agency which he once helped lead.
In October, after having won a third term unopposed in the June primary, Martin announced he was retiring at year’s end.
The Board of Supervisors appointed Howe as sheriff on Dec. 20 to fill a portion of Martin’s third term.
The law requires that an appointee fill the post until the next general election, when voters will choose the new sheriff.
Howe will serve until January of 2025, at which point the new sheriff elected in the fall of 2024 will take over.
A Lake County native, Howe served 19 years with the sheriff’s office, reaching the rank of captain and chief of staff under then-Sheriff Rod Mitchell. He left the agency in the fall of 2011 and took over the Lake County Probation Department in March 2012 as chief probation officer.
One of the reasons the board cited for selecting Howe is that he said he does not intend to run for sheriff in 2024, which will allow him to focus on running the agency rather than a campaign.
In the two-day gap between Martin’s official retirement date and Howe’s swearing-in, Capt. Chris Chwialkowski, the second highest ranking member of the sheriff’s office after Martin, was appointed by the supervisors to fill the sheriff’s job.
The law required that Howe be sworn in by noon on Monday, County Counsel Anita Grant told the board at the Dec. 20 meeting.
While Howe’s official swearing-in was Monday, he and elected department heads, including supervisors, the assessor-recorder, treasurer-tax collector and county clerk/auditor-controller, also will take their oaths of office at the start of the Board of Supervisors’ first meeting of the year on Tuesday, Jan. 10.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
- Details
- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
The council will meet beginning at 6 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 5, in the council chambers at Clearlake City Hall, 14050 Olympic Drive.
The meeting will be broadcast live on the city's YouTube channel or the Lake County PEGTV YouTube Channel. Community members also can participate via Zoom or can attend in person.
The agenda can be found here.
Comments and questions can be submitted in writing for City Council consideration by sending them to City Clerk Melissa Swanson at
To give the council adequate time to review your questions and comments, please submit your written comments before 4 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 5.
Each public comment emailed to the city clerk will be read aloud by the mayor or a member of staff for up to three minutes or will be displayed on a screen. Public comment emails and town hall public comment submissions that are received after the beginning of the meeting will not be included in the record.
Thursday’s meeting will include several presentations.
The first will be for a proclamation in remembrance of retired Judge Richard Freeborn, who died Sept. 30.
The council also will hold a presentation to city employees and volunteers in recognition of their service, offer a proclamation declaring January 2023 as Human Trafficking Awareness Month and get an update on recreation and events.
Council business on Thursday will include consideration of an employment services agreement with Timothy Hobbs for the police chief job.
Hobbs was appointed interim chief after the departure last month of Chief Andrew White, who is starting his new job this week as police chief of the Bay Area city of Martinez.
Also on Thursday, the council will hold two public hearings.
The first is for the second reading for the acceptance and implementation of the 2022 California Building Standard Codes, and adopting by reference the 2021 Uniform Swimming Pool, Spa/Hot Tub Codes; 2021 Uniform Solar, Hydronics & Geothermal Codes; 2021 International Building Codes; 2021 International Residential Codes and the 2021 International Fire Codes.
The second hearing will be to consider Resolution 2023-03 authorizing the extension of the temporary closure of certain roads, to reduce illegal dumping and to protect the environment, and the public health and welfare.
The council also will consider mayor appointments as well as appointments of its members as representatives to the CalCities Redwood Empire Division, to represent the city and vote at the Division Legislative Committee meetings.
On the meeting's consent agenda – items that are not considered controversial and are usually adopted on a single vote – are warrant registers; authorization for an agreement in the amount of $43,500 with American Ramp Co. for design services for the Austin Skate Park Project; and an amendment to the Management Benefit Plan Section 6-2.5 Executive Leave Account to establish consistency to executive leave banks for management employees; Resolution No. 2023-04.
After the open portion of the meeting, the council will hold a closed session to discuss a potential case of litigation and to hold a conference with legal counsel regarding a case, City of Clearlake v. Testate & Intestate Successors of Bailey Lumbers Co., et al., Case No. CV421697, Lake County Superior Court.
Email Elizabeth Larson at