Month: November 2017

Minutes- November 16, 2017
COBB AREA COUNCIL
PUBLIC MEETING
Thursday November 16, 2017, 6:00-8:00pm
Little Red Schoolhouse/Cobb Mountain Lions Club
15780 Bottle Rock Rd., Cobb, CA 95426
PRESENT: Cindy Leonard, Jessica Pyska, Eliot Hurwitz (Chair), Barbara Flynn, Gary Prather, Ron Haskett
30 people in attendance
Chair called the meeting to order at 6:02PM
Agenda
• CALL TO ORDER (shut down cell phones; rules of participation)
SHORT ANNOUNCEMENTS
Magdalena- 3 folks need handyman tools and landscaping tools, please contact her if you have any
Barbara- December 2nd, Christmas in the Village at the Brick Oven. 6:00. Santa will visit.
Lion’s Club bingo will be third Friday of every month
Christmas dinner at the Lion’s Club for all the public. Donations needed.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES from October, 2017
MOVED to accept the Minutes of October, 2017 as is: Barbara Flynn: SECONDED: Ron Haskett. MOTION CARRIED: All ayes to accept the Minutes of October, 2017 as is.
TREASURER’S REPORT, Gary Prather: $52.00 paid for Post Office Box, $27.95 paid to Jessica Pyska for website. Current balance $2,203.32
PUBLIC and BOARD COMMENT ON NON-AGENDA ITEMS (3 mins./individual)
Short reports from CAC Committees as needed
Glenneth shared the following report from Karl Parker:
COBB ABATEMENT MONITORING COMMITTEE—Report to Cobb Area Council
1 SOIL TESTING—GREAT NEWS!! Earlier this week, I received the following message from Ray Ruminski, Director of Environmental Health:
“We have received and reviewed the report from Schutze & Associates : SOIL TESTING REPORT: SAMPLING FOR ASBESTOS AND METALS and CONFIRMATION SAMPLING FOR LEAD, Former Hoberg’s Resort ( noted Project No. SCS601.1, October 31, 2017).
Based on the sampling and analysis for metals after debris and soli removal, I agree with conclusions and recommendations in the report that the site of the burned structures has been adequately remediated and that no additional work is required. I consider that the cleanup goals established for this portion of the Valley Fire area have been met. “
2 CONCRETE REMOVAL—You may have noticed the foundations of the old lodge complex being broken up and gathered into piles. As previously reported, the plan is to move the concrete away from the road closer to the ridge where it will be ground up and recycled as road base. Progress on this part of the project will be impacted by weather conditions – heavy rains will make it increasingly difficult to operate heavy equipment in the mud.
3 WOOD PROCESSING—Work continues. The reduction in the wood remaining on the property is now clearly visible from Highway 175, although a substantial amount remains. Processing will continue through the next several months.
4 EROSION CONTROL—An erosion control plan has been prepared by Cort Munselle Engineering of Healdsburg, California, and will be submitted to Ray Ruminski for review and approval. The primary goal will be to stabilize conditions as much as possible and install barriers in order to prevent excessive silt content in the water running downstream off the property.
Respectfully submitted, Karl E. Parker
Cobb Area Plan update: Eliot met with County. The revision will begin most likely in January. We will want a lot of input from the people of Cobb.
Joan Moss gave an update from the Board of Supervisors meeting.
-The Red Net fire dispatch will be passed to the control of the Fire Dept.
-The Supervisors are considering allowing Mendocino fire debris to be taken to Lake County dump
Communications update- Mel: goTenna mesh, devices connect to each other automatically. Currently sold out on Amazon ($180 per pair), but he is going to get them as soon as available. These will work even if cell towers are down. He will continue to research and let us know his findings. 900mhz range. He is still recommending that people get radios ($54) plus license ($70). BTECH GMRS-V1 Two-way radio. He suggests that we all bring our radios to the next meeting.
Eliot said that the Middletown Rancheria gave $22,000 to complete purchase of sirens. One in Cobb, one in Loch Lomond. Magdalena talked to Del with OES and he says he is still trying to figure out what action they will tell the public when the siren goes off. Joan Moss: Lake County disaster meeting, Dell is working to map out area to finish disaster plan for Lake County (including evacuation plan). Madeline says Chief Mike Wink has re-submitted agreement with Calpine and it was approved last night. The Fire District can now install the sirens and they should be installed very soon.
Redwood Valley had sirens, but decided it would be better for people to shelter in place. Lots of lessons to be learned from the failed systems there.
Cathy looked into the programs with NOAH program, like Crescent City.
Gary suggested everyone get a scanner so you can always flip it on if you are wondering what is going on. They cost about $100
Barbara agrees that we should make a plan, since our community is so easily cut off from communication in and emergency
Joan attended the Hazard Mitigation meeting yesterday with OES and they are creating a plan.
Ron also agrees that we need to prepare ourselves, not to wait for someone to make a plan for us.
John Carlisi- We should talk to hospitals, fire dept., etc to find out their plan. We can talk to Sutter Lakeside
Magdalena- It is apparent that we don’t (for example) have enough ambulances to take people away. If we can get some basic training, then at least we can set up a triage area to assist with an emergency. Another good program is Fire-Wise community program, a grant program to get defensible space clearing.
Eliot said perhaps Jon can tell us if the Lion’s club could help to organize the training. We should plan a workshop in January for emergency preparedness. Magdalena said the Red Cross might have money to help with this.
CERT program training.
Ken can schedule for the Ham radio test, which is this Saturday in Ukiah
Mr. Curtola suggests that we keep things small, just make sure you know your 5 closest neighbors and take care of them in an emergency. Let’s not wait to get everyone certified and trained, let’s just make a phone tree and keep it simple for right now.
PRESENTATIONS/DISCUSSIONS
Report on the Cobb Water System Consolidation by Ben Murphy, General Manager of Cobb Area Water District
Loch Lomond is not participating, nor is Mtn. of Attention. or Whispering Pines or Cobb Mtn. Water
After the fire it was determined that the consolidation was the best plan for recovery. Eight systems will be combined. About 20% of the pre-fire numbers have come back.
Sphere of Influence: 8 systems participating, but this area also protects water districts in areas nearby that are not participating in case of emergency. Keeps those districts from the danger of being taken over. If these areas want to later join, they would have to pay all the fees. You pay by the acre, so it would be very expensive!! Whispering Pines is very complicated, so $15 to 20 million to put in infrastructure, so that area is not participating in this phase.
This is a great opportunity for us to move forward, have control, upgrade our system. In the future our base rate will be lower.
Cost: $22 million in upgrades, $12 million of that in severely distressed systems.
Funding that has been raised: ~$10 million, needing an additional $10 million ?
Possible Bond?
If we don’t consolidate, we will accrue a lot of debt, for example Starview.
The goal in 5 years after consolidation is that we have monthly bills of $50, the costs would be much, much higher if we do not consolidate and do not take advantage of the grant money.
Many areas have tar-wrapped steel that was installed about 50 years ago and are failing. New fire regulations find our systems inadequate.
This consolidation process is underway and hopes are that approval will happen by August 2018.
What can we do? Call state representatives, let them know that we need this project. Tell them that they need to lean on the finance dept to push forward this project. 1,000 homes will be impacted for safe, reliable drinking water. And perhaps just as important is to upgrade our infrastructure to help create a fire safe community!
Eliot: We will have the talking points and phone numbers as a handout at our next meeting
We will not see any rates being raised without community input.
Jessica: How many jobs will be generated? Ben: Maybe 2, hopefully after consolidation as long-term employees.
Construction work will go out to bid, a big construction company will hired to do project to federal standards.
The original Pine Grove tank is not useable because of surface water contamination. It is too complicated to use that water for fire hydrants
Alpine Meadows should speak now if they want to participate.
Case: The water board is looking for an additional board member. Meeting is the second Wednesday of every month. John Carlisi is possibly interested.
Update from Robert on the Rainbow Bridge:
The permit is received, a couple of days of dry weather then we can pull up asphalt, and a plan is being formed to remove both bridges (because of rules of Fish and Wildlife). K rail and cyclone fence will be installed. The bridge is now officially owned by the water company. The engineering will most likely going to cost $50,000. We hope the bridge installation will cost under $20,000. Robert says the Fish and Wildlife organization has been very good to work with. Robert will let us know when we need to help. This will be very important when the creek banks need to be “vacuumed”, since nothing can be allowed to fall into the creek.
Move to adjourn at 7:35. Motion Gary , Seconded Inez
Minutes taken by Cindy Leonard