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- Written by: Lake County Behavioral Health Services
On Friday, April 22, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., the community is invited to Circle of Native Minds’ new location at 525 N. Main St. in Lakeport; the entrance is at the rear of the building on Forbes Street.
Circle of Native Minds is a cultural healing and resource center for members of all seven Lake County-connected tribal nations.
It is dedicated to supporting and preserving Native American culture, especially the healing capabilities of cultural activities, gatherings and events.
Center lead Thomas Leon Brown, the Pathfinders group of local tribal elders and the entire Lake County Behavioral Health Services Department are honored to announce and celebrate the center, its new location and the people it serves.
Highlights of the grand reopening include free Indian tacos, the Elem Pomo Dancers, blessings and messages of hope for our community. The center’s staff will also be in attendance to answer questions or just chat.
“Heckathama” is a powerful word in the Elem Pomo language. Elder Brown explains, “It means ‘How are you?’ and is used to welcome people into our space. The Circle was created to meet the needs of the Native American community through our culturally-enriched traditional ways, using traditional songs, blessings, ceremonies, prayers, medicines and language.”
Elder Brown continues, “You are invited as we provide a place to open your heart for peace and harmony from the great spirits of our ancestors for wellness and goodness. OH!”
The Circle is funded by the Mental Health Services Act, and is a program of Lake County Behavioral Health Services.
For additional information, or questions regarding this event, please contact Thomas Leon Brown or Carrie Manning at Lake County Behavioral Health Services, 707-263-4880.
- Details
- Written by: LAKE COUNTY NEWS REPORTS
The sheriff’s office said the home invasion assault occurred at 10 p.m. Sunday in a neighborhood on Edgewater Drive in the Kelseyville Riviera.
A male subject forced his way into a residence and assaulted an adult female until he was confronted by the woman’s husband, according to a report from sheriff’s spokesperson, Lauren Berlinn.
Berlinn said the assault victim’s husband was able to physically restrain the intruder and remove him from the residence. The intruder then ran away on foot.
The subject who broke into the home is described as a white male adult with short hair, wearing a dark-colored hooded sweatshirt.
Berlinn said the man was reported to have a tattoo on his upper chest, but no description of the tattoo could be provided.
The motive behind the assault is unclear and the man who committed it is still at large, Berlinn said.
The sheriff’s office is asking those living in the Edgewater and surrounding neighborhoods to review any cameras or video doorbell cameras for footage of any suspicious subjects.
Anyone with information related to this incident is asked to contact Det. Dean Preader at 707-262-4231 or
The sheriff’s office reminds everyone to remain vigilant, lock their doors at night and be aware of strangers in the neighborhood.
To report suspicious activity, contact the Lake County Sheriff’s Office Dispatch at 707-263-2690.
- Details
- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
The California Nurses Association, or CNA, reported that more than 8,000 registered nurses and health care workers will take part in the strike.
The union said it’s protesting Sutter Health’s refusal to address proposals about safe staffing and health and safety protections, including issues with contact tracing and stockpiling personal protective equipment.
The one-day strike will run from 7 a.m. Monday to 6:59 a.m. Tuesday, the union said. Picketing will take place from 7 to 11 a.m. and 2 to 6 p.m.
In Lakeport, the picketing is expected to take place at the hospital’s entrance on Hill Road East.
That’s the same location where nurses at Sutter Lakeside were stationed during an informational picket at the hospital in March. In that picket, 15 facilities also were impacted, as Lake County News has reported.
At the time of the informational picket last month, union officials had reported that they were not yet at the point of calling a strike.
However, the union said nearly unanimous strike authorization votes followed in March.
Sutter Health released a statement on Sunday evening that says, “Despite resuming negotiations with the involvement of a federal mediator, the California Nurses Association has refused to call off their strike beginning 7 a.m. Monday.
“Work stoppages at 18 of our sites — even for a single day — require complex and costly preparation, and obligate us to make plans that our teams, patients and communities can rely on. Given the uncertainty of a looming strike, and in order to provide surety for our patients, communities and care teams, we will staff our hospitals on Monday with the contracted replacement workers where needed,” the Sutter Health statement continued.
“We hope the CNA union will call off this strike so our nurses can return to work and do what they do best — care for our patients. We remain committed to continue bargaining as long as negotiations are progressing effectively toward averting the strike,” Sutter Health’s statement concluded.
CNA said Sutter Health’s registered nurses and health care workers have been in negotiations since June 2021 for a new contract, “with little to no movement on key issues.”
The union is urging Sutter Health’s management to invest in nursing staff and agree to a contract that provides safe staffing that allows nurses to provide safe and therapeutic care and
pandemic readiness protections that require the hospitals to invest in personal protective equipment stockpiles and comply with California's PPE stockpile law.
“The Sutter nurses voted for this strike,” said Renee Waters, a trauma neuro intensive care RN with 26 years of experience, in a statement released by the union.
Waters said they are striking because Sutter is not transparent about the stockpile of personal protective equipment supplies and contact tracing.
“They resist having nurses directly involved in planning and implementation of policies that affect all of us during a pandemic,” said Waters, who added that “a fair contract is needed to retain experienced nurses, have sufficient staffing and training, and ensure we have the resources we need to provide safe and effective care for our patients. Nurses are fighting back against Sutter putting profits before patients and health care workers.”
Email Elizabeth Larson at
- Details
- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
The board will meet beginning at 9 a.m. Tuesday, April 19, 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 914 8812 1115, pass code 495681. The meeting also can be accessed via one tap mobile at +16699006833,,91488121115#,,,,*495681#.
All interested members of the public that do not have internet access or a Mediacom cable subscription are encouraged to call 669-900-6833, and enter the Zoom meeting ID and pass code information above.
To submit a written comment on any agenda item visit https://countyoflake.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx and click on the eComment feature linked to the meeting date. If a comment is submitted after the meeting begins, it may not be read during the meeting but will become a part of the record.
At 11 a.m., Lake County Water Resources will host and introduce a presentation by U.S. EPA Region 9 staff on the Sulphur Bank Mercury Mine Superfund site.
The EPA’s site project manager Carter Jessop, along with staffers Karen Jurist and Gavin Pauley will lead a presentation in which they discuss the EPA’s upcoming recommended cleanup plan and opportunities for community engagement.
The 160-acre Sulphur Bank Mercury Mine Site is located in Clearlake Oaks on the Clear Lake shoreline, next to the Elem Colony. It was added to the U.S. EPA’s Superfund Clean Up program in 1990.
While there have been cleanup activities at the site already, it remains a source of mercury contamination for Clear Lake and “represents a direct risk for anyone entering the property,” according to the report to the board from Marina Deligiannis, deputy Lake County Water resources department director and, Angela DePalma-Dow, Invasive Species Program coordinator.
The report explains that EPA is preparing to release its recommended cleanup plan to the public this year. The agency wants to update the board and community on how to access the plan, and how to participate and collaborate in upcoming meetings.
In other business, at 10:30 a.m. the board will get a presentation from Ygrene Energy Fund on commercial property assessed clean energy programs as an element of a county economic development strategy.
In an untimed item, the board will hear about opportunities identified by county department heads regarding improving employee recruitment and retention. During the discussion, the board also will consider recommended revisions to county personnel rules.
The full agenda follows.
CONSENT AGENDA
5.1: Adopt resolution temporarily reducing the cannabis cultivation tax rate and temporarily limiting cultivation tax to canopy area.
5.2: Second Reading of Ordinance Amending Ordinance 3062, revising Section 2-192.1, Article XXVI, Chapter 2 of the Lake County Code, Providing Authority to Execute Leases and Licenses.
5.3: a) Reaffirm action taken on Jan. 4, 2022, to approve Amendment No. 1 to the agreement between the county of Lake – Behavioral Health Services as lead agency for the Lake County Continuum of Care and Elijah House Foundation for Services funded under the Emergency Solutions Grant Coronavirus (ESG-CV) Program for Fiscal Year 2021-2022 and b) authorize the board chair to sign.
5.4; Approve Amendment No. 1 to the agreement between county of Lake and Lisa Warner, MBA, for support services for managed care for a new contract maximum of $50,000.00 for fiscal year 2021-22 and authorize the board chair to sign.
5.5: Approve memorandum of understanding between the county of Lake and Rural Communities Housing Development Corp. for the No Place Like Home Permanent Supportive Housing Project on Collier Avenue in Nice and authorize the board chair to sign.
5.6: Approve Amendment No. 3 between county of Lake and Manzanita House for adult residential support services and specialty mental health services to decrease the contract maximum by $30,000 for a new contract maximum of $164,150 for fiscal year 2021-22 and authorize the board chair to sign.
5.7: Approve Amendment No. 1 to the agreement between county of Lake and Clover Valley Guest Home for adult residential support services and specialty mental health services to increase the contract maximum by $27,000 to a new contract maximum of $87,000 for fiscal year 2021-22 and authorize the board chair to sign.
5.8: Approve Amendment No. 2 to the agreement between county of Lake and Davis Guest Home to increase the contract by $50,000 for a new contract maximum of $236,000 for fiscal year 2021-22 and authorize the board chair to sign.
5.9: Approve continuation of resolution authorizing teleconferenced meetings during a state of emergency continue to exist.
5.10: Approve continuation of a local health emergency by the lake county health officer for the Cache fire.
5.11: Approve second amendment to the agreement for professional services, contractor/consultant for med-health preparedness response, between county of Lake Health Services Department, and Marsh EMS Consulting, and authorize board chair to sign second amendment.
5.12: Approve continuation of a local health emergency related to the 2019 Coronavirus (COVID-19) as proclaimed by the Lake County Public Health officer.
5.13: Approve continuation of a local health emergency and order prohibiting the endangerment of the community through the unsafe removal, transport, and disposal of fire debris for the LNU Complex wildfire.
5.14: Approve continuation of a local emergency due to COVID-19.
5.15: Approve continuation of an emergency declaration for drought conditions.
5.16: Approve continuation of a local emergency in lake county in response to the LNU Lightning Complex wildfire event.
5.17: Approve continuation of a local emergency by the Lake County sheriff/OES director for the Cache fire.
5.18: (a) Approve agreement between the county of Lake and the state of California Department of State Hospitals, or DSH, to allow for the DSH to compensate the county when the sheriff’s office coordinates telehealth video interviews with inmates in the sheriff’s custody and (b) authorize the sheriff to sign all documents.
5.19: Adopt resolution amending Resolution No. 2021-116 establishing position allocations for fiscal year 2021-2022, budget unit no. 2201, sheriff/coroner.
5.20: Approve contract between county of Lake and North Coast Opportunities Inc. for the Housing and Disability Advocacy Program, from July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2024, and authorize the chair to sign.
5.21: Approve contract between county of Lake and North Coast Opportunities Inc. for the Housing Support Program for the term of Dec. 1, 2021, to June 30, 2022, in the amount of $774,816, and authorize the chair to sign.
TIMED ITEMS
9:05 a.m.: Pet of the week.
6.3, 9:07 a.m.: Lake County Department of Health Services monthly update.
6.4, 9:30 a.m.: Presentation of Lake County Behavioral Health Services' fiscal year 2021-22 External Quality Review Final Report.
6.5, 10 a.m.: Public hearing, consideration of general plan amendment (GPAP 20-02), rezone; (RZ 20-02) and initial study (IS 20-91) for Greg Hanson.
6.6, 10:30 a.m.: Consideration of a presentation by Ygrene Energy Fund on commercial property assessed clean energy, or PACE, programs, as an element of a county economic development strategy.
6.7, 11 a.m.: Consideration of a presentation by US EPA Region 9 staff of the Sulphur Bank Mercury Mine Superfund Site. The site’s Project Manager, Carter Jessop, Karen Jurist and Community Involvement Coordinator Gavin Pauley will be leading the presentation to provide an update on the site and EPA’s upcoming recommended cleanup plan (“Proposed Plan”) and opportunities for community engagement.
UNTIMED ITEMS
7.2: a) Consideration of a presentation regarding department head-identified opportunities to improve employee recruitment and retention; and b) consideration of recommended revisions to county personnel rules.
7.3: a) Discussion of interest apportionment with the treasurer–tax collector; and b) update on the status of the tax sale.
7.4: Consideration of the following advisory board appointment: Lower Lake Waterworks District.
CLOSED SESSION
8.1: Conference with labor negotiator: (a) chief negotiator: M. Long; county negotiators: C. Huchingson and P. Samac; and (b) employee organizations: LCDDAA, LCDSA, LCCOA, LCEA, LCSEA and LCSMA.
8.2: Conference with temporary representatives designated to meet with confidential A and B employees regarding salaries and benefits.
8.3: Conference with temporary representatives designated to meet with county department heads regarding salary and benefits and unrepresented management employees.
8.4: Conference with legal counsel: Existing litigation pursuant to Government Code section 54956.9 (d)(1): Nichols v. County of Lake, et al.
Email Elizabeth Larson at