COBB AREA COUNCIL
Hybrid PUBLIC MEETING
Thursday August 18, 2022, at 6:30pm
In person and online via Zoom and Facebook
Draft Minutes
6:32 CALL TO ORDER
By chair Cathy McCarthy
Roll Call
Present – Cathy McCarthy: Chairperson, Chris Nettles: Secretary, – Frank Lincoln: Treasurer
Not present, Jake Strickler: Member-at-large, Cindy Leonard: Vice-Chairperson. Joe Schneider: Alternate
Approval of Agenda and Minutes
Motion to approve current agenda:
Frank moved to approve the August 18, 2022, agenda with no changes
Chris seconded
Passed unanimously
Motion to approve past meeting minutes:
Frank moved to approve July 2022 minutes with no changes
Chris seconded
Passed unanimously
AB 361 Brown Act and Virtual Meetings-
Consideration of the Findings Required by AB 361 to Allow Teleconferenced Meetings by this Body to Continue
Motion made by Chris to continue Zoom, Facebook (hybrid) meetings by the Cobb Area Council for September 2022.
Frank seconded
No discussion
Passed unanimously
6:35 Short Announcements
Still looking for Cobbler Festival volunteers – send Message to CAC Facebook page if interested. Shout out to Laurie Lincoln
Glenneth Lambert. – Sculpture Jam will be delayed until next year.
Offering Clay classes – if interested, reach out on (707) 295-6934
Cobbler contest – question about what is acceptable. Must be Cobbler & Must be made from blackberries.
6:40 Public and Board Comment on Non-Agenda Items (3 mins. /individual)
Tom Slaight – Tom delivered a letter to Supervisor Pyska regarding Lake County Board of Supervisor disrespectful treatment of citizen comments.
6:50 Treasurer’s Report- Frank
General Fund: $3359.44
Blackberry Cobbler Festival: $7105.11
Cobb Resource Hub: $1173.21
Emergency Preparedness: $2417.62
T‐shirt sales: $2603.89
Total assets: $16, 659.27
6:55 Supervisor’s Comments- Supv. Jessica Pyska
Climate Resiliency Officer job ad was released by the county – go to the county website if interested.
Tree mortality: PG&E has cut down over 3200 trees in the last couple of months. CLERC has reallocated some of their Fire Protection funds to Fox Dr. neighborhood. Spoke with Sen. McGuire regarding Tree Mortality/beetle kill 2 weeks ago one-on-one. Several big grant opportunities county is working on. In equity around rural counties not being able to compete effectively on certain grant opportunities. Discussing how to level the playing field.
Jessica mentioned that at the state level, they are noticing what we are doing here in Lake County, and she recognized the work that everyone in Cobb is doing on the fire prevention, forest health, and disaster mitigating fronts.
Mentioned large $22M home hardening project funded by FEMA with matching fund from CalOES.hardening 500 homes in 3 years.
Met with Napa and Mendocino supervisor regarding Tree Mortality, building a regional coalition. Declaring emergency using the Lake County template. Also pulling together task forces in their counties. Lake Co continue to remove hazard teres around our roadways and infrastructure.
Resource Conservation District (RCD) and Fire Safe Councils (FSC) are the avenues where the state funnels money for fire protection. We are not strong in either institution. We don’t have a county-wide FSC. RCD has lost a director and board members they are recruiting and there is a set open for L.C. District 1 and At-large/. Jessica ais looking for someone to be on that board.
Projections are that the drought will continue. Remember that Cobb is at the top of several watersheds. Even though there is still much water up here, there needs to be enough to flow downstream. Keep conserving.
District 4 LC Board of Supervisors, Tina Scott, resigned. Rest of the board is stretched thin. Governor will appoint. If you know anyone in District 4 who can run/apply, please encourage them. There is an application on the Governor’s website. Jessica picked up the Diversity Equity and Inclusion meeting. Public forums will start in the winter on Health Equity, Race & Law Enforcement, Education. Great opportunities for the public to contribute
Community Development Director quit. Maria Turner will be interim director. Recruitment for the new director continues.
New Climate Officer will be responsible for creating a Climate Action Plan.
7:10 Fire Season Update – Paul Duncan
Clarified that there are 3 separate programs PG&E is running now:
Hazard tree mitigation
Enhanced vegetation clearance
Normal maintenance
May look intense.
One of our helicopters is being maintained in Sacramento and will return.
2nd crew put in place at Konocti, 31 engines, 6 dozers.
Konocti lookout is not closed. Volunteers are not allowed to be in the tower because it is unsafe. Will fix it after a structural survey
Operation Force Multiplier continues. Handed out of all equipment (Fire extinguisher and McCleod tool). Tools have been used to extinguish 7 fire events. Program will continue next year.
Helipod program: a tank that stays full – portable tank. This is really helpful during this drought. Fire Sirens donated fund to purchase two – $70K
Copters close the ground don’t necessarily mean a fire – may be identifying water sources.
Goats cleared Pine Summit – Tommy the Goat Guy is available for large lot clearing
Reminder: Do not use a metal blade mower for grass – only string weed trimmers.
Committee Reports (3 minutes/individual)
Firewise Communities:
Magdelena:
General state of Firewise communities – we are growing. Loch Lomond has applied and is waiting. Brings Firewise associations to six in the Cobb area.
Had a special meeting to consider Community Wildfire Defense Grant released by US Forest Service. Which non-profit will take the lead? Many opportunities for funding here. Collecting project ideas to include in a grant application. May require matching (in-kind is possible).
County has released the plan for Community Wildfire Protection Plan public input process. Sept – government leaders. October 7th – general public input. Need CWPP for access to grant programs
Cindy – not present
Glenneth – No update for Jones Creek Firewise. PG&E working in neighborhood with undergrounding projects.
Gene – No update
David – No update
Laurie – No update
Communications Committee- Mel
Cobb Alert Net is having 30-40 check-in, about half of last year.
Loch Lomond group is taking off
Watch Duty while good, not as fast, or personal as the Cobb Alert net
Find out more at cobbalert.net or email questions to cobbalertnet@gmail.com
Radios are available at the Cobb Resource Hub
Budget Committee- Chris
Will begin meetings next month
Forest Health Committee- Eliot
Work on ACI continues – MOU signed, Checklist for use is being developed
Next meeting 9/2 at 4p
Moving forward on the Cobb Mountain Watershed Education Program
Economic Development Committee- Joe
Joe not present – no meeting during August
Need liaisons to from Cobb to Middletown Merchants Association or Kelseyville Business associate
Cobbler Festival 2022- Cindy/Cathy
Multiple vendors and other big announcements about the 2022 Cobbler Festival. 59 booths to come visit, August 27th
Blackberry Harvest Diner on 8/26
Sat night Mandala Springs 8/27
Sunday morning hike with Friends of Boggs Mountain 8/28
Pine Grove events on Sunday evening 8/28
Date of Next Regular Meeting: September 15, 2022
Adjournment at 7:57pm