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- Written by: LAKE COUNTY NEWS REPORTS
Batjer has served as president of the California Public Utilities Commission, or CPUC, since 2019 and was named chair of a new Department of Motor Vehicles DMV Reinvention Strike Team by the governor.
Batjer previously served as the first-ever secretary of the California Government Operations Agency.
“Marybel stepped up early in my administration to lend her decades of experience in government administration to better serve Californians,” Newsom said. “With her exemplary leadership, smarts, humility and commitment to public service, she has made our state stronger. She has been key to improvements at the DMV, to helping protect victims and ratepayers and pushing utilities to embrace needed reforms. I thank Marybel for her distinguished service to the people of our state and wish her well in her next chapter.”
Reynolds will begin her new role as president of the CPUC effective Dec. 31.
“As my lead energy policy expert, Alice has been indispensable in our work to move California toward a cleaner, affordable and reliable energy future, navigate the bankruptcy of the state’s largest investor-owned utility and accelerate the state’s progress toward meeting our clean energy goals, among other critical issues. I look forward to her leadership as President of the California Public Utilities Commission,” said Governor Newsom.
Alice Busching Reynolds, 55, of Sacramento, has been senior advisor to the governor for Energy since 2019.
She served as senior advisor for climate, the environment and energy in the Office of Gov. Edmund G. Brown Jr. from 2017 to January 2019, deputy secretary for law enforcement and general counsel at the California Environmental Protection Agency from 2011 to 2017 and deputy attorney general at the California Department of Justice, Office of the Attorney General from 2002 to 2011.
Reynolds was an attorney at Sonnenschein Nath and Rosenthal LLP from 1998 to 2001 and at Furth, Fahrner and Mason from 1995 to 1998.
She earned a juris doctor degree from the Santa Clara University School of Law.
This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $228,964. Reynolds is a Democrat.
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- Written by: LAKE COUNTY NEWS REPORTS
“The level of organized retail theft we are seeing is simply unacceptable,” said Gov. Newsom. “Businesses and customers should feel safe while doing their holiday shopping. That’s why California is substantially increasing CHP’s presence, especially near retail areas, and will be investing even more to aggressively curb retail crime. As a small business owner myself, I am resolved to holding these criminals accountable and protecting our local businesses.”
Since the weekend’s string of robberies, the administration has coordinated with local mayors, police departments and retailers to address the increase in felony theft.
The state has increased the California Highway Patrol presence in highly-trafficked shopping areas.
Saturation patrols will continue through the holiday season to assist allied partners in the apprehension of criminals as well as to improve public safety.
Addressing retail crime and safety has been a top priority for the Newsom Administration. In July, Governor Newsom joined law enforcement leaders and Big 13 mayors to reestablish CHP’s Organized Retail Crime Task Force. Since its inception, the Task Force has held 773 investigations, leading to the arrests of 240 individuals and over $18.9 million in stolen merchandise recovered.
The Organized Retail Crime Task Force is responsible for collaborating with allied law enforcement agencies and district attorneys to identify and prosecute organized theft rings, recover lost merchandise, collaborate with the retail industry to reduce theft and improve safety for shoppers.
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
The board will meet beginning at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 23, 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 989 2102 5973, pass code 917285. The meeting also can be accessed via one tap mobile at +16699006833,,98921025973#,,,,*917285#.
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.
In an item timed for 9:06 a.m., which was held over from last week, the board will discuss the letter in opposition to PG&E’s application for “Recovery of Recorded Expenditures Related to Wildfire Mitigation, Catastrophic Events, and Other Recorded Costs.”
“We are aware approval of this application would be expected to result in a 4.9% rate increase for most residential customers. In Lake County, this would mean increasing the energy costs for vulnerable residents in communities that have seen poor energy reliability in recent years,” the draft letter states.
It continues, “Customers reliant on PG&E’s Middletown Substation, for example, experienced 205 outages in the period from January 1 to September 13, 2021, alone, the average duration of which was 8.2 hours. Our residents served by the Konocti substation experienced 155 outages in the same period, with those outages spanning an average of 11.9 hours. 83% of all outages faced by Lake County residents in the just over 8 months surveyed were due to planned work, PG&E equipment, or PSPS Events, and this surveyed period notably omits the fall 2020 season that included multiple PSPS Events.”
The letter also notes that PG&E’s application is outside of the “normal cycle of anticipated PG&E rate increases,” and will increase ratepayer costs “without adding considerable certainty that power will be available is inappropriate.”
Board Chair Bruno Sabatier also plans to send his own letter to the CPUC, which points out that the proposed increase is especially unfair to residents of Lake County, who don't have access to natural gas but must rely on electricity and propane.
The full agenda follows.
CONSENT AGENDA
5.1: Approve revisions to the procedure for placing items on the Board of Supervisors agenda.
5.2: Approve agreement between county of Lake and Hope Rising for the Smart Start — Bright Future Initiative for $75,000 for fiscal year 2021-22 and $75,000.00 for fiscal year 2022-23 for a total amount of $150,000.00 and authorize the chair to sign.
5.3: Approve Amendment No. 1 to the agreement between the county of Lake and Hilltop Recovery Services for Substance use disorder intensive outpatient program and outpatient drug free service for FY 2020-21 in the amount of $182,082.76.
5.4: Approve Amendment No. 2 to the agreement between the county of Lake – Lake County Behavioral Health Services as lead agency for the Lake County Continuum of Care and Social Solutions Global Inc. for the service and coordination of activities involved with the Lake County Continuum of Care Homeless Management Integration System Software for fiscal years 2020-24 and authorize the board chair to sign the amendment.
5.5: Adopt resolution authorizing the Behavioral Health director to execute and sign any subsequent amendments or modifications to the original standard agreement between the county of Lake and the Department of Housing and Community Development for the California Emergency Solutions and Housing Program grant funds.
5.6: Approve Board of Supervisors meeting minutes for Oct. 26, Nov. 4 and Nov. 5.
5.7: Adopt resolution authorizing the 2022-2023 Grant Project-Lake County Child Advocacy Center Program and authorize the chair to sign the certification and assurance of compliance.
5.8: Approve Budget Transfer in BU 1451, Registrar of Voters, to add a capital asset in account 62-71 for the purchase of workstations.
5.9: Approve the continuation of a local health emergency related to the 2019 Coronavirus (COVID-19) as proclaimed by the Lake County Public Health officer.
5.10: Approve the 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.
5.11: Approve continuation of a local health emergency by the Lake County Health officer for the Cache fire.
5.12: Approve the continuation of a local emergency due to the Pawnee fire incident.
5.13: Approve the continuation of a local emergency In Lake County in Response to the LNU Lightning Complex wildfire event.
5.14: Approve the continuation of an emergency declaration for drought conditions.
5.15: Approve the continuation of a local emergency due to COVID-19.
5.16: Approve the continuation of a local emergency due to the Mendocino Complex fire incident (River and Ranch fires).
5.17: Approve the agreement between the county of Lake and VFA Inc. for facility condition assessments and capital planning software, and authorize the chair to sign.
5.18: Approve the agreement between the county of Lake and SCS Engineers for phase one engineering design services for the Eastlake Landfill Expansion Project.
5.19: Approve continuation of a local emergency by the Lake County Sheriff/OES director for the Cache fire.
5.20: Approve the Department of Boating and Waterways 2022/23 application for financial aid in the amount of $ 472,784.28 ; and authorize the sheriff to sign.
5.21: (a) Waive the formal bidding process, pursuant to Lake County Code Section 2-38.4, Cooperative Purchases. (b) Approve purchase of a 2022 Ford F150 Regular Cab Pickup 4X4; and (c) authorize the Special Districts administrator/assistant purchasing agent to issue and sign a purchase order not to exceed $35,000 to Downtown Ford Sales, Sacramento.
TIMED ITEMS
6.2, 9:06 a.m.: Consideration of a letter of opposition to A.21-09-008, which would be expected to result in an effective 4.9% rate increase for most PG&E residential customers.
UNTIMED ITEMS
7.2: Consideration of ordinance amending Urgency Ordinance No. 3108 requiring all persons, regardless of COVID-19 vaccination status, wear face coverings in county facilities.
7.3: Consideration of (a) board appointment of delegate and alternate to the Rural County Representatives of California, or RCRC, Board of Directors for 2022; (b) board appointment of delegate and alternate to the RCRC Golden State Finance Authority Board of Directors for 2022; (c) board appointment of delegate and alternate to the RCRC Golden State Connect Authority Board of Directors for 2022; and (d) board appointment of delegate and alternate to the RCRC Environmental Services Joint Powers Authority Board of Directors for 2022.
7.4: Consideration of the following advisory board appointments: Child Care Planning and Development Council.
7.5: Consideration of Amendment No. 1 to the agreement between the county of Lake and Sierra Vista for acute inpatient psychiatric hospital services and professional services associated with acute inpatient psychiatric hospitalizations for fiscal years 2020-21, 2021-22, and 20202-23.
7.6: Consideration of agreement between county of Lake — Lake County Behavioral Health Services as lead agency for the Lake County Continuum of Care and Worldwide Healing Hands for Fiscal Year 2021-22.
7.7: a) Consideration to waive the formal bidding process according to Purchasing Requirements Section 38.2(a) 2) as the unique nature of services precludes the competitive bidding requirements, and b) consideration to approve contract between county of Lake and North Coast Opportunities Inc. for the Emergency Child Care Bridge Program for Children in Foster Care, in an amount that shall not exceed the California Department of Social Services allocation, from July 1, 2021, to June 30, 2024, and authorize the chair to sign.
CONSENT AGENDA
8.1: Conference with negotiators regarding the sale of county-owned property Located at 1111 Whalen Way, Lakeport, CA (APN: 21-1781-01); price and terms of payment (a) county negotiators C. Huchingson, S. Parker, S. Carter and (b) Elijah House.
8.2: Public Employee Evaluation: Title: Interim Health Services Director Carol Huchingson.
8.3: Existing Litigation pursuant to Gov. Code sec. 54956.9 (d)(1) — IN RE NATIONAL PRESCRIPTION OPIATE LITIGATION MDL NO. 2804 Case No. 17-MD-2804.
8.4: Conference with legal counsel: Existing Litigation pursuant to Gov. Code sec. 54956.9 (d)(1) — City of Clearlake v. County of Lake, et al.
8.5: Public employee appointment pursuant to Gov. Code Section 54957(b)(1): Interview of Health Services director and appointment of Health Services director.
8.6: Public Employee Evaluation: Title: Director: Registrar of Voters Maria Valadez.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
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- Written by: Suzanne Leigh
Now a new study by researchers at UC San Francisco has identified one factor that buffers the likelihood of a “health shock” culminating in a nursing home stay of at least 30 days.
Older adults who said they could count on a friend or relative to “help with personal care if needed,” in the event of a hospitalization of at least two days or a new diagnosis of a life-threatening condition, reduced their risk of requiring institutional care over a two-year period from 14.2% to 10.9%.
In the study, which published in JAMA Internal Medicine on Nov. 15, the UCSF researchers tracked data from 4,772 adults who had been enrolled in the Health and Retirement Study, a nationally representative, longitudinal study that assessed changes in disability, health and wealth as participants transitioned from the workforce to retirement.
The UCSF cohort was restricted to those aged 65 and older who lived alone in the community and managed activities of daily living, ranging from basic self-care to finances and home maintenance. They found that 68% of these participants experienced a sudden adverse change in their health status.
‘Unnerving’ number of seniors without assistance
Among the older adults living alone, 38% were unable to identify a friend or family member to help them in the event of a serious health issue, a number that lead author Sachin Shah, MD, from the UCSF Division of Hospital Medicine, described as “unnerving.”
“I think they are quite vulnerable. We see it in the hospital all the time,” he said. “We admit people who could be OK at home if they only had a little support.”
Many older adults are able to take care of themselves until they experience a health crisis, said senior author Kenneth Covinsky, MD, of the UCSF Division of Geriatrics. “They may have been able to walk without help, shower, dress and manage their medications, but after a health shock, they can no longer do so. This question can identify those at risk.”
Possible solutions, according to the researchers, is for more cities to implement programs in which older adults requiring assistance in their home can be matched with salaried caregivers or have a friend or family member receive a salary for their own caregiving.
“This would be in keeping with the preferences of most older adults to remain in their homes, and would reduce the tremendous cost of institutional care both to older adults and to insurers,” said Shah.
The researchers found no difference in mortality and self-care ability between those older adults living alone who could identify social support and those who could not.
Co-authors: Other authors are Margaret C. Fang, MD, from the UCSF Division of Hospital Medicine; S. Rae Wannier, MPH, of the UCSF Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics; and Michael Steinman, MD, from the UCSF Division of Geriatrics.
Funding: The study was supported by the National Institute on Aging (R03AG060090, P30AG044281, K24AG049057), the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (K24HL141354) and the UCSF Division of Hospital Medicine.
Competing Interests: Dr. Fang reports grants from NHLB/NIH during the study and grants from PCORI outside the submitted work. The other authors report grants from NIH/NIAS during the study.
Suzanne Leigh writes for UC San Francisco.