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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
Following a discussion near the end of its two-hour meeting, the council voted unanimously to keep Dirk Slooten as mayor and Russell Perdock as vice mayor.
Councilwoman Joyce Overton praised Slooten for his work, noting the Clearlake Promise Program, which the council approved earlier in the meeting, which Slooten pursued with Woodland Community College to help local students.
She said Perdock also had done a good job and she would like to keep them in place for another year.
Councilman Russ Cremer also said they’d both done a good job, but argued for the more common annual rotation, which he said is necessary to give all council members a chance to be mayor.
Cremer — who acknowledged that he had served back-to-back mayoral terms — said he wanted to see Perdock move up to the mayor’s spot and the council’s newest member, David Claffey, become vice mayor for the new year.
Overton, who noted they’ve had people serve in the mayor’s post for more than one year at a time, said she felt Slooten was the most experienced in handling development.
Claffey said the council is fortunate in having four members who have served as mayor. Looking at the challenges in 2022, and with the city having made a significant investment in land, Claffey said he was exceptionally confident with Slooten being in meetings with commercial developers. He also praised Perdock for his work in advocating for the Hope Center and the Blue Zones projects.
Claffey said he liked the continuity of having the two men remain in their positions for the coming year. “I think you’ve done a fantastic job.”
Cremer said he was not castigating Slooten or Perdock on their specialties. “What I’ve learned this year is there is life after being mayor.”
Claffey moved to appoint Slooten as mayor and Perdock as vice mayor, with Overton seconding.
Before the vote, Supervisor Bruno Sabatier weighed in, noting the mayor's job is just a post and amazing things happen when the seat is switched. He also wanted to see Claffey as vice mayor, and while they can have reasons for not changing, “I think it’s good to see that change.”
Planning Commissioner Erin McCarrick supported the move to keep the leadership in place for another year, noting she thinks it’s helpful for new residents to have consistency.
Overton said she didn’t agree with Sabatier. She said it helps to have someone like Slooten with experience in negotiation and knowledge of development in the mayor’s position.
The vote that followed was 5-0.
“Thank you. I’m humbled. I hope to do my best,” said Slooten, noting that there are numerous projects in the works that have the possibility of transforming the city. He said he would do his utmost to have those projects come to a successful conclusion in 2022.
Also on Thursday, the council approved the Clearlake Promise Program, an agreement with Woodland Community College spearheaded by Slooten that will devote $55,000 over the coming two academic years to help local students pay for college.
The council also visited with one of the city shelter’s adoptable dogs, reviewed the annual photo contest winners, received an update on the first anniversary of the Hope Center’s opening and heard from staff about the Cache fire cleanup, which is now nearly complete.
Cremer asked to pull from the consent agenda approval of the Cannabis Equity Program, raising concerns over language regarding criminal convictions for participants, with the council ultimately tabling the item.
In other business, the council continued to Jan. 6 a public hearing to consider a development agreement with Ogulin Canyon Holdings LLC to allow a cannabis operation located at 2185 Ogulin Canyon Road — a property formerly owned by the city — in order to give staff the chance to process an appeal filed against the project.
Before the public portion of the council meeting, the council held a closed session. City Attorney Ryan Jones announced action from the closed session, which included unanimous votes on three separate items.
The council authorized Jones to engage in a national opioid settlement with Janssen and state drug distributors, voted to initiate litigation against McKinsey and Co. over opioids and directed the risk authority to negotiate a settlement with Melinda Wymer over her claim against the city.
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
Appointed to fill the seats are veteran county educator Annette Lee and businesswoman and teacher Allison Berlogar. Both women also have children attending school in the district.
The first of the board vacancies was created when LaTrease Walker abruptly resigned her seat during a heated Oct. 13 meeting in which a group of angry community members confronted the board over COVID-19-related mandates.
Walker, elected in 2018, sided with those against the mandates, saying her own children would not be vaccinated.
The following month, Trustee Thad Owens resigned. He also was elected in 2018 and is a principal in the Konocti Unified School District.
Middletown Unified Superintendent Tim Gill told Lake County News that in his resignation letter, Owens did not give a reason for his decision to leave the board.
The district held a public recruitment for board candidates and received applications from 10 community members.
In addition to Berloger and Lee, Michael Beehler, Kelly Fairless, Todd Fiora, Janina Hoskins, Chris Ochs, Bryan Pullman, Charise Reynolds and Kurtis Woodard applied for the board positions.
During a special board meeting Wednesday night at Middletown High School, board members Misha Grothe, Zoi Bracisco and Larry Allen interviewed the 10 applicants in open session following a random number draw by candidates to determine interview sequencing, Gill said.
Gill said each candidate was asked the same five questions and the opportunity was provided for public comment following the interviews. There was no public comment.
Following the board’s deliberation, the trustees voted to appoint Lee and Berlogar, who then were sworn in, Gill said.
Lee is a longtime educator who currently teaches at Woodland Community College. She formerly served as dean of the college’s Clear Lake Campus.
Lee, who holds a master's degree in business administration, graduated from Middletown Unified and has two children currently attending schools in the district. The district said Lee “brings a wealth of education knowledge to the board and will be a valuable asset.”
Berlogar is a longtime community member and business owner. She has taught for the district as well as been an active volunteer. She has two children, one of whom graduated from the district and the other who is attending school in Middletown Unified.
“Her ties to the community and perspective as a parent and former teacher are a welcome addition to the dynamic of the board,” the district said in a Thursday statement.
The board thanked all of the applicants for putting themselves up for consideration for the positions and for participating in the interview process.
“Their willingness to stand up and serve their community and students is admirable and appreciated. We look forward to leading the district forward and striving to bring the best possible education to our students,” the district statement said.
Pursuant to California Ed Code section 5092 and 6091, members of the public are advised that unless a petition calling for a special election containing a sufficient number of signatures is filed in the office of county superintendent of schools within 30 days of the date of these provisional appointments, they shall become effective appointments.
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- Written by: Anderson Marsh Interpretive Association
AMIA has been presenting this Christmas event for more than 25 years. It features tasty Christmas baked goods, hot apple cider and coffee, and performances by local musicians singing Christmas carols and holiday songs. Santa is always present to greet children of all ages.
With long-planned repairs to the Anderson Ranch House about to commence — including painting, window repairs and foundation work — State Parks has taken advantage of the pause in indoor activities at the ranch house to remove the furniture and other historic objects contained in the ranch house for much-needed cleaning and refurbishing.
“With the ranch house disrupted by maintenance projects, and the still-lingering COVID health concerns about crowded indoor events in small spaces, we thought it prudent to cancel the event this year,” said AMIA Board Member Henry Bornstein. “We plan on resuming this event next year, when we hope to be able to gather together at the ranch house to enjoy each other’s company and holiday cheer.”
For further information, contact AMIA at
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- Written by: Cal Fire
The transition is effective Monday, Dec. 28, at 8 a.m. in Sonoma, Lake, Napa, Colusa, Yolo, and Solano counties.
That’s nearly a month earlier than the transition took place last year.
It’s the latest fire season transition over the past decade, which has seen the fire season extend further into the late fall and early winter months.
Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit Chief Shana Jones reminded residents that safe residential pile burning of forest residue by landowners is a crucial tool in reducing fire hazards.
State, federal and local land management and fire agencies will also be utilizing this same window of opportunity to conduct prescribed burns aimed at improving forest health on private and public lands.
Cal Fire will continue to maintain staffing to meet any potential threat, as well as maintaining the ability to strategically move resources to areas that remain at a higher threat level.
Cal Fire also will continue to monitor weather conditions closely and still has the ability to increase staffing should weather conditions change or if there is a need to support wildfires or other emergencies in other areas of the state.
The 2020 fire season has been a very active year, even more so than in 2019. Statewide, Cal Fire and firefighters from many local agencies responded to over 8,000 wildfires within the State Responsibility Area that burned over 1.4 million acres.
In the Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit, Cal Fire responded to over 600 wildfires that charred over 434,000 acres.
During the cooler winter months, Cal Fire will continue to actively focus efforts on fire prevention and fuels treatment activities as guided by the state’s Strategic Fire Plan and localized unit fire plans.
These will be done through public education, prescribed burns and various types of fuel reduction projects. These activities are aimed at reducing the impacts of large, damaging wildfires, public safety and improving overall forest health.
Residents are urged to still take precautions outdoors in order to prevent sparking a wildfire. A leading cause of wildfires this time of year is from escaped landscape debris burning. Before you burn, ensure it is a permissive burn day by contacting the local air quality district and then make sure you have any and all required burn permits.
During burning, make sure that piles of landscape debris are no larger than 4 feet in diameter, provide a 10-foot clearance down to bare mineral soil around the burn pile and ensure that a responsible adult is in attendance at all times with a water source and a shovel.
For more ways to burn safely visit www.ReadyForWildfire.org.