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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — With 10 days left before Sheriff Brian Martin retires, the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday appointed Lake County’s longtime Probation Department chief to fill the sheriff’s post for the next two years.
The board selected Rob Howe, who served with the Lake County Sheriff’s Office for 19 years beginning in October 1992, reaching the rank of captain before leaving in September 2011. He took the role of chief probation officer in March 2012.
Howe told Lake County News that he’s glad to be given the opportunity to lead the department which he once oversaw as chief of staff.
Over the course of two hours on Tuesday morning, the board held public interviews of Howe and the second candidate, Lt. Lucas Bingham.
Howe, whose given name is Eutice but more commonly goes by the first name of Rob, will serve until Jan. 2, 2025, at which point the next sheriff — who will be elected — will take office.
Capt. Chris Chwialkowski will be acting sheriff in the gap after Martin retires on Dec. 30 and until Howe takes the oath of office on Jan. 2. A ceremonial swearing-in ceremony for Lake County’s elected officials will take place on Jan. 10, the board’s next meeting.
On Tuesday afternoon, Howe told Lake County News he was being inundated by phone calls and emails in the wake of the board’s decision.
“My reaction is excitement. I’m certainly looking forward to getting back to the sheriff’s office,” Howe said. “I think I’m going to do a good job for this county in the interim position.”
Howe said he had never been through a public interview process before. While he had some nerves, he said he was pleased with how it went.
“I’m happy with how I did but I thought Luke Bingham did well too,” said Howe.
He acknowledged it will be different, noting that he’s “not a Facebook guy” like Martin, but that he will be embracing social media as part of the department’s community outreach efforts.
Two qualified candidates
Board members said it was a hard decision due to the qualifications and merits of the two men.
Both Howe and Bingham grew up in Lake County, raised their families here and have worked their entire careers in county law enforcement agencies. Bingham also is a veteran of the United States Air Force.
Each gave thoughtful, careful answers to the board’s questions. They offered visions for the future of the agency that relied heavily on community policing, transparency, respect and integrity, with goals of addressing the sheriff’s office’s staffing challenges and continuing Martin’s successful outreach efforts, with a view to future improvements.
During the discussion that followed after the board’s lunch break, supervisors said the decision was a difficult one because of the quality of both candidates.
The board ultimately selected Howe because of a unique advantage he offered — namely, that he does not intend to run for sheriff in two years, which allows other potential sheriff candidates to come forward.
A campaign can be divisive for the sheriff’s office when it involves a sitting sheriff, Howe said. “I’ve been through it twice in my years, and there’s just no winning in it.”
Howe said he doesn’t say “never” in such matters, and would only run if he didn’t think there were suitable candidates available.
That’s not expected to be the case. Howe said he’s hearing about people who plan to run who he would support.
The interviews also revealed that Bingham — who ensured the board he would support Howe if appointed — intends to run for sheriff in 2024.
The only public comment offered during the meeting was from Chwialkowski, who recognized the tough decision the board had to make. He said both Howe and Chwialkowski are capable individuals.
Chwialkowski said sheriff’s office staff is excited that Bingham has decided to run for sheriff, and that he has support in the agency.
Plans for the agency
Howe brings to the job a background that includes time working on patrol, in investigations and at the Lake County Jail, and serving as chief of staff at the rank of captain under former Sheriff Rod Mitchell.
He said he wants to facilitate a smooth transition, with a primary goal of improving staffing at the sheriff’s office. Howe said the agency has been very innovative, including visiting academies and recruiting online. “They’re doing a lot of good things.”
Asked by Supervisor Bruno Sabatier about diversifying staffing, Howe said that in the Probation Department he already has achieved what they are looking for: More than 50% of his staff are female, and more than 50% identify as a racial minority.
He said he didn’t do anything special — his agency just treats people right. “I don’t know how innovative you have to be, you just have to be open and fair from the start.”
Howe credited Martin for setting the bar for community engagement, particularly through social media and online outreach, and he hopes to continue what the sheriff’s office is doing successfully.
During his interview, Bingham, a Middletown High School graduate, spoke about how he and his parents had been Sheriff’s Search and Rescue and Posse volunteers when he grew up. He left to serve in the Air Force, then returned, attended Napa Valley College and was hired by the sheriff’s office, where he has worked for 24 years.
“My entire career has always been about learning something new,” he said. Around the office, there is a joke about him: “I’ll take any training that’s available to me, including underwater basket weaving.”
Bingham has completed more than 2,400 hours of Peace Officer Standards and Training, or POST, certified training, and has achieved every POST certificate. Two weeks ago, he completed the executive development course, generally reserved for police chiefs and seconds-in-command.
He also has been selected for the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s highly competitive National Academy in Quantico, Virginia, in 2024, and expects to complete his bachelor’s degree in 15 months with California Coastal University.
Going forward, Bingham said he wants to get a plan for a leadership program in the sheriff’s office back on track. He had talked to Martin about it and started the ground work, but the pandemic put it on the back burner.
“I would like to get that moving again. I think that’s very important,” he said, along with having an employee assistance program that can help employees deal with the stress of the job while also offering an important recruitment tool.
Sabatier said the quality and experience of both candidates spoke highly to the sheriff’s office and the county as a whole. “I’m very proud that that is the representation that Lake County has.”
The board ultimately chose Howe over concerns about the appointed sheriff having to run a campaign in less than two years.
Supervisor Moke Simon was the lone board member who wanted to choose Bingham.
Supervisor Michael Green moved to appoint Howe as sheriff-coroner, with Supervisor Jessica Pyska seconding. The vote was 4-1, with Simon voting no.
On the advice of County Counsel Anita Grant, Green made a second motion to appoint Howe effective Jan. 2. Pyska also seconded and the vote was 5-0.
On Tuesday evening, Lakeport Police Chief Brad Rasmussen updated the Lakeport City Council on Howe’s selection.
“I’m looking forward to working with him over the next two years,” Rasmussen said.
Lakeport Mayor Stacey Mattina called Howe “a perfect choice” as Lake County’s next sheriff.
Editor’s note: This article has been clarified regarding Howe’s date of employment with the Probation Department. He worked for the Lake County Sheriff’s Office until September 2011 and took the chief probation officer job in March 2012.
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When the meeting convened, Mayor Stacey Mattina, Mayor Pro Tem Kenny Parlet and Councilman George Spurr were on the dais, with Councilman Michael Froio absent.
Their first order of business was accepting the certification of the Nov. 8 general election and receiving the resignation letter of Mireya Turner.
Turner resigned in August to accept the Lake County Community Development director job but at that point already had filed to run for a third term. Since she was elected on Nov. 8, she had to once again resign.
Then it was time to bid goodbye to Spurr, who the council had appointed in September to serve out the remaining months of Turner’s unfinished term. He had previously served one term on the council before deciding not to run for reelection and leaving the council at the end of 2020.
Mattina gave Spurr a big wrapped package. “We could not have done this without you,” she said, adding he hadn’t had the easiest meetings during the last few months.
Spurr thanked them before stepping down off the dais.
Mattina, who was elected to her fourth term in November, then went to stand along with new council members Kim Costa and Brandon Disney to take their oaths of office.
The council held a special meeting on Dec. 12 and 13 in order to select two community members to fill the seat Turner had been elected to as well as the seat vacated by Michael Green, who was appointed to the Board of Supervisors.
Costa and Disney, who were selected during that special meeting, will serve two years until the next municipal election in 2024, at which point Froio and Parlet also will be up for election.
After they took their oaths, the three took their seats along with Parlet, who moved to make Mattina mayor for another year. That vote was 4-0.
Parlet also nominated Froio as mayor pro tem, noting he had spoken to him about it and Froio was amenable to filling the role. The council also voted unanimously for that motion.
Also on Tuesday, new Lakeport Fire Chief Patrick Reitz came to the meeting to say hello.
Reitz joined the Lakeport Fire Protection District as chief on Nov. 1.
He said he’s been meeting with City Manager Kevin Ingram and other city staff. “I think that we’re going to make a good team,” Reitz said.
In other business, the council approved professional services agreements with NHA Advisors LLC, part of the city’s finance team, and with the Lake Family Resource Center for the Crisis Intervention Responder Program, and Chief Building Official Bethany Moss updated the council on the Clean Water Program.
There were several announcements about city leadership during Tuesday’s meeting.
As part of the consent agenda, the council approved the first amendment to Ingram’s employment agreement. That amendment gives him a raise of 6% effective on Dec. 6, which will raise his annual salary to $149,295. On July 1, he will receive another 3% increase, giving him an annual salary of $153,774.
During council and staff communications, Ingram reported that Paul Harris, who has been the city’s utilities superintendent, will now be utilities director, and Ron Ladd, who has been Public works superintendent, will now be Public Works director.
Ingram called those title changes “very well deserved” for both men.
He said the council will next meet on Jan. 3, at which time they will discuss council member appointments to various committees.
Disney and his wife are expecting a baby and so he said he will not be able to make that meeting. “We are very excited for you,” said Mattina.
Costa thanked everyone for the warm welcome. She said she is looking forward to the experience on the council, adding that she thinks it will be an “enjoyable adventure.”
Mattina said she is glad to be on the council for another term and grateful to be reelected.
“We have a lot going on in the city. I’m really excited for this next year. It’s going to be busy and fun. I’m glad you guys are along for the ride,” she said.
After wishing everyone a merry Christmas and Happy New Year, Mattina adjourned the council’s final 2022 meeting.
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The Lake County Board of Education and the Lucerne Area Town Hall will hold their special meetings about an hour apart on the evening of Wednesday, Dec. 21.
At 5 p.m., the Lake County Board of Education will meet at the Lake County Office of Education, 1152 S. Main St., in Lakeport.
The single agenda item is the $5.2 million Tribal Homeless Housing Assistance and Prevention Program grant, awarded by the California Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency to the Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians in November.
The grant was written by the tribe’s administrator, Tom Jordan, and Ana Santana, a Lake County Office of Education employee.
The grant language claims that the Office of Education was the “primary partner” in the plan, but Superintendent of Schools Brock Falkenberg said the agency knew nothing about the plan or the grant.
It was not until Falkenberg investigated the matter that he reported finding out that the grant writers had intended for LCOE to run the facility, which he said they will not do because it’s not within LCOE’s scope.
Dozens of other secondary “partner” organizations also were named, but so far none have confirmed being part of the project or knowing about it.
At 6 p.m., the Lucerne Area Town Hall will hold a special meeting at the Lucerne Elementary School Multipurpose Room, 3351 Country Club Drive, also to discuss the plan for the hotel.
The meeting also will be available via this Zoom link.
The meeting ID is 871 6990 6960, password: 13931
The town hall, or LATH, had been meeting at the Lucerne Hotel but last week the owner, Andrew Beath, told them they could no longer meet there if they were going to discuss his proposed sale of the building to the Scotts Valley Pomo.
District 3 Supervisor EJ Crandell followed up by sending out a cancellation notice and setting the next meeting date for January. However, the town hall bylaws give the authority for scheduling meetings to the chair.
LATH Chair Kurt McKelvey wanted to hold the meeting before the end of the month, when it’s been reported that escrow may close on the 94-year-old building, around which the community was built.
McKelvey has once again invited Jordan to attend and speak to the community, but he has declined because of other plans. Jordan has asked to be on the agenda for January.
The meeting will include consideration of a resolution condemning the plan.
LATH also will discuss county maintenance issues within Lucerne, consider making the third request to Public Services for a definite date on when the harbor will be dredged, and discuss a community cleanup initiative and a resolution on the syringe exchange program.
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The earthquake occurred at 2:34 a.m. Tuesday offshore. It was centered 7.7 miles west southwest of Ferndale, according to the United States Geological Survey.
It has spawned dozens of aftershocks. As of Tuesday night, the USGS site showed nearly 60 aftershocks, the biggest of which was a 4.9-magnitude earthquake that occurred just five minutes after the main quake.
On Tuesday afternoon, as county emergency officials were preparing to hold a press conference on the situation, they were startled by still another aftershock that shook Rio Dell City Hall.
Also during that meeting, the battery backup system went down momentarily, a reminder that across the region, tens of thousands of people remained without power. As of 7 p.m. Tuesday, the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office reported 40,000 people were still without power.
Officials also reported that the aftermath of the quake included damage to schools, structure fires, offline water systems that led to boil water orders, damaged gas lines and other critical utility infrastructure such as cell towers, as well as damage done to bridges and roads leading to closures, and dozens of homes had been red-tagged due to earthquake damage.
Humboldt County Sheriff William Honsel said 12 people were confirmed injured, with the expectation that reports of still more injuries may come in.
His agency also reported two people had died as the result of medical emergencies that occurred at the time of the quake.
Shortly after 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Honsel’s office reported that he had declared a local emergency in response to the quake.
An hour later, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office proclaimed a state of emergency for Humboldt County to support the emergency response.
Newsom activated the State Operations Center to coordinate with local and tribal governments and provide any needed resources such as shelter, food and water, and aid in damage assessments of buildings and roadways.
The Governor’s Office of Emergency Services reported that it was working with local utilities to rapidly restore power.
The emergency proclamation enables Humboldt County to access resources under the California Disaster Assistance Act, directs Caltrans to formally request immediate assistance through the Federal Highway Administration’s Emergency Relief Program and supports impacted residents by easing access to unemployment benefits and waiving fees to replace records such as marriage and birth certificates, among other provisions.
Newsom also directed state agencies and departments to take appropriate action as necessary to provide support to local communities, including the California Department of Transportation to ensure the safety of roadways, the California Highway Patrol to protect public safety, the California Department of Public Health and Emergency Medical Services Authority to aid local hospitals, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection to help address any possible additional emergencies and the California Geological Survey for continued earthquake monitoring.
Updates are being posted on the Humboldt County Office of Emergency Services Facebook page and the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office website.
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