COBB AREA COUNCIL
PUBLIC MEETING
Thursday March 21, 2024 at 6:30pm
In-Person and Online Participation Available
MINUTES (Approved 4-18-2024)
CALLED TO ORDER at 6:32pm
ROLL CALL
Present: Cathy McCarthy, Darlene Warner, Jake Strickler, Joe Schneider, Mel McMurrin
Absent: Chris Nettles
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
APPROVAL OF AGENDA Motion by: Darlene, 2nd by: Jake. All in favor, Agenda approved with Amendment.
Amendments: Suggestion made by Darlene to move guest speakers to 6:40 position, with Jessica and Paul’s reports afterwards in respect of guest speakers’ time. All in agreement.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES Motion by: Jake, 2nd by: Paul. All in favor, Minutes approved.
SHORT ANNOUNCEMENTS
Robert – crab feed was a success. On Saturday, March 30th at Mountain Meadow, there will be an Egg Hunt with Easter Bunny for pictures, and Mountain Meadow will be open during the event. There will be 1,400 eggs to be found and separate sections for infants and toddlers. Age-appropriate toys in the eggs. On April 26th there will be a Campfire sing-along at the Mountain Lions Club.
Public and Board Comment on Non-Agenda Items (3 mins./individual)
Greg, Mountain High Coffee – thanked CAC for the Cobbite business of the Year Award. Feeling disenfranchised with the additional rate hikes from PG&E, it’s hurting his small business. Would like to see an independent panel with the State, and CAC’s small business loan fund money loaned out.
Lake County Community Foundation – Annette L. Kamaloni, Chuck Bevin
Lake County had no way to receive funds, now we do with Lake County Community Foundation, started in August 2023, acting as a fiscal agent for the County. www.lccf.org
Building of H.O.P.E. Center in Clearlake. Urgent need for housing (projects in the works), workforce training, grants. LCCF will provide a roundtable for Lake County for Agencies to talk together. LCCP is in it for the long-haul. Jessica’s comments: planning in times of blue skies. Will prevent our money from going to other Counties, such as Sonoma County after the fires because Lake County did not have a fiscal agent. LCCP will now be our fiscal agent, after several years of work.
Supervisor’s Comments – Jessica Pyska
Commented on Greg’s Public Comment regarding PG&E rate hikes – that they are authorized through the CPUC and are supposed to be for recouping money for vegetation management. The CPUC is the place to give comments and participate in working groups. Also commented on the decommissioning of landlines by ATT and hearings being held at the CPUC. We have a new Government Affairs Representative for PG&E, his name is Jason, and we hope to have him at our May meeting. This summer, PGE will be undergrounding lines from Bottlerock Road to Sulpher Creek Road. Anyone with leftover PGE trees (approximately 1,100) from their vegetation management efforts, contact/email Jessica. Two weeks ago, the generator was installed at Little Red, with thanks to the Red Cross, the Lake County climate team, and Lions Club. The Lions Club can now be utilized as an emergency shelter. Happened quickly, start to finish in about 2 weeks. Our next meeting will start early at 6PM and will be a presentation by the County’s Community Development Department – kicking off our Cobb Area Plan – our local area plan, which is our portion of priorities and ideas for the Cobb Area Plan, to be included in the larger County General Plan, which will take place over the next 2 years or so. A new MAC was just formed for the Kelseyville area – the Big Valley Area Council (BVAC) – last week. In parallel we will be updating the County General Plan over the next 3 years. Escrow on the park property closed on Friday. Cobb Park received a federal grant to cover approximately half the purchase price of the park property. Calpine turns 40 this year. This year, Boggs Forests turns 75 years old; possible celebration (hike, lunch, music, more) on June 22nd.
Fire Season Update – Paul Duncan
The National Weather Service (NWS) is looking for 10 people to be weather spotters for the Cobb area; 2 hours of training provided by NWS, most likely will be at Cobb Fire Station. We do not have a RAWS station, so we there will be one going into Boggs. There will be more clearing up in Boggs, and the work behind the school in the amphitheater area is looking amazing. Copter crews are getting their night-vision qualifications done this year. Burn permit period ends April 30th.
Treasurer’s Report – Chris
Darlene reported that there was no treasurer’s report from Chris, but Chris said there wasn’t any change from last month and that normal monthly expenses would be reflected in next month’s report. Chris had a family emergency.
Committee Reports (3 minutes/individual)
Firewise Communities – Magdelena, Cindy, Glenneth, David, Laurie
Eliot – May 4th is National Wildfire Cleanup Day. Grant received via SSCRA from NFP to assist community Firewise Groups in clearing out flash/brush and cleanup over the next couple of months in preparation for National Wildfire Cleanup Day. Check with your neighborhood Firewise Group.
Communications Committee – Darlene
Mel – had two deep-cycle auto batteries donated for backup power to Mountain repeater. Monthly check-ins still the same amount, would like to hear from people once per month. Asked if there were videos and/or classes on “how to” operate the radios – visit the website: www.cobbalert.net. Getting a 3rd “Ridge” repeater up and running. Darlene – answered a question about emergency siren not being heard well. Mentioned well aware of situation, ideal situation would be additional siren at helitack base, but a new siren costs approximately $50K.
Forest Health Committee – Eliot
No report.
Economic Development Committee – Chris
None. Chris was absent due to a family emergency.
Blackberry Cobbler Festival – Cathy
Met with Jennifer Gayda two weeks ago, will meet with her again next Thursday.
Cobbler Festival will be Saturday, August 24th from 11A to 4P. The new owner of Mountain Meadow venue has agreed to have the festival there still.
CalTrans emailed Cathy asking what we thought of the new bridge: Paul said the bridge is amazing, can’t see it, but there’s beautiful artwork on the side of the rock wall portion. Reflectors are raised rather than inset. Won’t survive snowplows, need to be in-ground, inset. There is a grinder that will inset the reflectors. Jake commented that CalTrans has been going above and beyond with cleaning up fallen tree debris beyond the right-of-way.
Next Meeting: April 18, 2024 at 6:00 *** Early Start time for Community Development Department
ADJOURNED AT 7:52pm
Respectfully Submitted,
Darlene Warner, Secretary