COBB AREA COUNCIL
Hybrid PUBLIC MEETING
Thursday October 20, 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,; Christopher Nettles: Secretary;; Frank Lincoln: Treasurer, Joe Schneider: Alternate
Not present:, Jake Strickler: Member-at-large,
Vacant – Vice-chairperson
Pledge of Allegiance to the U.S. Flag.
Approval of Agenda and Minutes
Agenda approval motion:
Chris moved to approve the agenda
Laurie seconded
Passed unanimously
Motion to approve September, 2022 Minutes
Eliot moved to approve September 2022 minutes
Joe seconded
Passed unanimously
Nominations and Elections
Current Alternate, Joe Schneider to assume vacant seat for the remainder of the term (end of 2023).
Nominations and Elections of New Alternate to serve the remainder of this term (end of 2022).
Mel McMurrin nominated by Cathy McCarthy
Nomination seconded by Chris Nettles
Mel accepted nomination
No other nominations put forward
Mel Mc Murrin unanimously elected to Alternate seat
The regular annual nominations and elections to fill vacant seats on Cobb Area Council will take place at November Meeting for the two-year term beginning January 2023.
Alternate election for 2023 (1 year) term will also occur at the November meeting
PG&E Spokesperson Melinda Riviera re: Vegetation Management and Undergrounding
Discussion with public comments
Watch on Facebook from 10:15 to 1:01:19: https://fb.watch/gR_o5QJvac/
Public and Board Comment on Non-Agenda Items (3 mins./individual)
Statements from candidates in November elections
- Cherise Reynolds
- Harris – Yuba Community College Board
- Larry Allen – MUSD
- Allison Berlogar – MUSD
- Annette Lee / Chris Ochs – MUSD
Tom Slaight – Regarding Lake County Recreational Center
Treasurer’s Report- Frank
In the black!
All in balance one check outstanding for $5.60
General Fund:$3036.76
Blackberry Cobbler Festival: $14,998.25
Cobb Resource Hub: $1124.62
Emergency Preparedness: $2417.62
T‐shirt sales: $2603.89
Total assets: $24,186.74
Supervisor’s Comments- Supv. Jessica Pyska
- Thank you to all who attended to hear from PG&E. PG&E needs to do the tree work because it has been neglected for so long and to keep the community safe. PG&E also needs to clean up after themselves. Email or call PG&E if they leaving behind slash. If you do not get a response email Supv. Pyska with the details Jessica.Pyska@lakecountyca.gov, They also need to following appropriate standards and rules. They also need to be accountable to the public, which they’ve now tried to do with the phone number provided.
- Applied for a grant to develop a Climate Action Plan.
- Hope to have the Climate Resiliency Officer in place within the next few weeks.
- Brought in $17M in the past year.
- Broadband strategic plan is moving forward at the county level. More to report in Nov
- Tree mortality – PG&E is doing the heavy lifting for getting Tress down. Calfire is doing their part. County Public Works is still trying to get their tree program going. Declared emergency in May, but have not heard from the state. Trying to have a regional approach. The required match is difficult for a small county like Lake – we need help from the state for these $ matches.
- Community Wildfire Protection Plan is out for comment now.
- Ballots went out without the COBB Water Board candidates on them. If you are service by Cobb Water and don’t have the board election on you ballot, a new ballot is on its way soon.
- Clearlake recreation center is being constructed behind the Safeway. Aquatic center is still under consideration. $45M for both projects.
Fire Season Update – Paul Duncan
- Still are in fire season. No unpermitted burns until fire season is officially over (declared).
- CalFire will be using a new online-only burn permit system – coming soon.
- Full staffing will continue in to December
- Equipment received to help with Access Road egress improvement project.
- Several controlled burns are going on around the county – TREX/ Tribal burns are happening.
- Air Curtain Incinerator will be burning next week.
- Does not make sense to keep pines on ground because they rot within two years.
7:50 Committee Reports (3 minutes/individual)
- Firewise Communities:
Now is a good time to turn in recording sheets for Firewise Community certification.
Magdalena – Firewise is a recognition program that may open the door for insurance benefits. Safer from Fire framework may also offer insurance discounts. We are close to 7 Firewise communities in Cobb. Lake County Prescribed Burn Association is meeting. Got to tribalrestoration.org for more details on prescribed burns and cultural land management practices.
Cindy – Estates neighborhood. No Report
Glenneth – Jones Creek Crossing neighborhood
Gene – BottleRock neighborhood
David T. – Cobb View neighborhood
Laurie – no report
Communications Committee- Mel
Non-fire season mode. Only have about 30-40 people checking-in on Wednesdays.
Reasons for check-ins: 1) to hear test alert; 2) make sure radios work; 3) to get used to speaking and listening to the radio “jargon”; 4) get acquainted with Calfire use of radio frequencies; 5) log volunteer hours for Firewise communities.
These types of radio networks are important because they do not go down the power goes out.
For more information go to cobbalert.net
Budget Committee- Chris
Working on CAC 2023 budget. Question raised about whether T-shirt fund is restricted. It is not.
Forest Health Committee- Eliot
Committee will be meeting next week
Another test burn of the ACI will happening next wek
Text Greg if you are interested in getting some of the wood –707-529-2048
Will be starting a Watershed Stewardship Program for property owners along Kelsey, Adobe, & Cole creeks.
Economic Development Committee- Joe
LCBS and Cobb Water Company have a contract and ready to more forward with the broadband trial in several Cobb neighborhoods.
Need to form the Cobbite of the Year committee
Consideration of the Findings Required by AB 361 to Allow Teleconferenced Meetings by this Body to Continue ( AB 361 Brown Act and Virtual Meetings)
Moved, seconded, and approved to continue hybrid format for next meeting.
Date of Next Regular Meeting: November 17, 2022 Hybrid meeting
7:50p Adjournment
Moved by Chris, Seconded by Dave, unanimously approved.