COBB AREA COUNCIL
PUBLIC MEETING
Thursday June 20, 2024 at 6:30pm
MINUTES (Approved July 18, 2024)
CALLED TO ORDER AT 6:40PM
ROLL CALL
Present: Cathy McCarthy, Darlene Warner, Jake Strickler, Mel McMurrin
Absent: Chris Nettles, Joe Schneider
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
Approval of Agenda: Motion by: Darlene, 2nd by: Jake. All in favor, Agenda approved.
Strike Jason Taormino from Agenda
Approval of Minutes: Motion by: Mary, 2nd by: Jake, All in favor. Minutes approved.
Short Announcements (3 minutes each)
Robert – the Lion’s Club campfire was successful. July 6th will be having a Chicken Que, next one will be in August. Bingo is every Saturday night at 7:30pm, with bar open before Bingo at 6:30pm.
Inez – PGE will cut down trees and take the wood away. Took care of two oak trees for free. Pleased with the work they did.
Cathy, from Paul – reminder that it is critical that neighbors maintain their defensible space, especially keeping their Zone Zero (5 feet) clear – it makes homes much more defensible and survivable. Nearly all fires this year have been reburns in areas that have burned before. Dead and downed trees are a component that adds to the difficultly with containment.
Public and Board Comment on Non-Agenda Items (3 mins./individual)
Magdalena submitted in writing, and read aloud by Darlene:
SAVE THE DATE: Friday, August 2 – Cobb Watershed Education and Restoration Program
The Cobb Watershed Education and Restoration Program (Cobb WERP) will hold its next workshop in the sub-watershed of Schwartz Creek behind the Cobb fire station on August 2 from 9:30AM – 3:30PM.
Our education and restoration team will be taking a new, ambitious approach in this workshop, the sixth in the series. We’ll be focusing on the full stretch of Schwartz Creek and its watershed behind the Cobb fire station. The results of the workshop activities will be compiled into a comprehensive, long-range stewardship “prescription” for the creek. Special attention will be given to a tribal-centric, traditional whole-system, “all our relations” perspective on the watershed including an evaluation of how the subdivision, on septic systems, can most gracefully occupy the land. The final prescription will be offered to the area property owners for their voluntary application. The prescription may also be used on a collective basis to apply for substantial grant funding for its partial or full implementation. It’s our hope and expectation that the assessment and prescription model we develop together as a community at Schwartz Spring can become a template for restoration and land resilience work in the entire Cobb Mt. watershed, flowing from the mountain to Clear Lake. We are grateful for the leadership being demonstrated by the Cobb Area Water District in co-hosting this workshop along with several homeowners/landowners in the subdivision, and we invite all members of the Schwartz Spring community to participate. Past participants in the Cobb WERP workshop series, please RSVP today to secure your place in the Schwartz Spring Workshop. For workshop details, email us at directors@sscra.org.
Supervisor’s Comments – Jessica Pyska
The County has hired several new Directors: Social Services Director, Rachael Dillman Parsons; Public Works Director, Glen March (BOS will be approving road work projects at July 9th meeting); Water Resources Director, Pawan Upadhyay, Ph.D. (begins July 1st ); Special Districts Director, Robin Ruddock Borre (begins July 1st). The County is looking to seat LAC committee members – need 9 people from Cobb, need as many people to apply as soon as possible. 4 to 6 meetings, some virtual, some in-person. The first meeting will be the end of July. Visit www.lakecounty2050.com. Risk Reduction Authority Town Hall available for viewing on the RRA’s YouTube channel. Dr. Michael Jones of the UC Davis Co-op Extension did a presentation with Jessica on the Mediterranean Oak Borer Beetle attacking blue and valley oaks in South County. Please watch it. If you think you have these beetles, please call the Agricultural Commissioner. This beetle infestation originated in Calistoga, believed to have come from French oak barrels. Also there is the Lantern Fly attacking the Tree of Heaven. Pilot program funded by PGE in coordination with Earth Foundries and CLERC, have been stockpiling trees at the Air Curtain Burner location to help dispose of 700 trees that PGE left behind. This is not happening anywhere else but here. Earth Foundries will be installing a “Carbonizer” which will run 24/7 for a couple weeks. Guaranteed tonnage is needed before project can begin; County signed an MOU with LakeCoSAN. Carbonizer makes biochar. Water Resources will be experimenting with using biochar created from carbonizer as a filtration method for creeks that feed into Clearlake. If successful, carbonizer would be the local source for biochar. Needs everyone who was mailed a “Right of Entry” permission form to complete it. To fill out online, visit: www.lakecountyca.gov/1748/TreeMortality. This survey will help to adequately account for the number of dead and dying trees along County right-of-ways to prevent road hazards. This program also provides for removal of dead and dying trees on private property at no cost. This is for County roads, not state highways. This Right-of-Entry (ROE) is two-part: 1) gives permission to enter property to do the tree survey; and 2) gives permission to remove the identified trees. Presented video on Tree Mortality and ROE from Tetra Tech. A Flyer was provided by Tetra Tech which is attached and incorporated herewith as “Attachment B.”
Introduction: Ray Buenaventura, Chief Public Defender
Presented a slide presentation giving an overview of background and experience, how Lake County public defender’s office is organized and its oversight, and volunteer work. 30 years as a criminal defense expert attorney including Public Defender, Certified Criminal Law Specialist, has tried over 100 cases from basic shoplifting case to death penalty case and everything in-between, on the Board of Trustees of the State Bar Association, has taught law school courses in Evidence, Election Law, Paralegal Studies, and Legal Research and Writing. Former Mayor of Daly City for 4 terms, resigning in December 2023 at end of 4th term to become Public Defender in Lake County. Accepted position because he saw a need and a purpose – he could make a difference and a change in establishing the Public Defenders Office in Lake County, moving away from the court-appointed LIDS group of contracted lawyers, and into a government/county-funded public defenders office, taking a holistic approach to how defendants are treated from arrest to post-conviction. Currently there are 7 Deputy Defenders, 2 Investigators, and 2 Administrative staff. In January 2025, will begin representing Juvenile cases. Also a Captain with the Civil Air Patrol, and a Command Pilot with Angel Flight Network, a network of volunteer pilots who provide free transportation to people in need for medical treatments, especially in rural areas. For more information visit Angel Flight West’s website: www.angelflightwest.org
Introduction: Jason Taormino, Local Government Affairs, Pacific Gas & Electric
Treasurer’s Report – Chris
Report for May submitted. Attached and incorporated herewith as “Attachment A.” Darlene summarized revenue and expenses from 2/15/24 to 5/16/24. General fund beginning balance at 2/15/24 was $7,449.02 with an ending balance of $6,809.77. Ending balance at 5/16/24 was $6,201.08. Expenses were for storage, Lions Club meeting fees, new checks, and final PG&E bill for the Hub.
Discuss/Approve Authority to continue to rent storage for HUB materials until new location is determined.
Motion by: Robert, 2nd by: Inez. All in favor. Motion approved.
COMMITTEE REPORTS (3 minutes/individual)
Firewise Communities – Magdelena, Cindy, Glenneth, David, Laurie
No report.
Communications Committee – Darlene
Darlene – Cobb Aler Net now has funds transferred over to the CAC general fund. The new repeater is back on the Mountain after a few months. Check-ins have increased from 30 to 50 weekly. Have had a lot of interest, and several new members have joined recently. Gearing up for the Cobbler Festival; will have a booth and a new logo.
Mel: – Ham “Field Day” – Saturday, June 22nd Mel will be in Bogg’s Forest setup at Ridge Camp with other Ham’s, and even more at CalPine Visitors Center from 11am to 11pm. Every 6 months, County Health Services does a test of their Ham radios in hospitals and clinics, which will be on Monday. There was a fire about 500 feet behind house in Siegler Springs area; emphasized importance of having radios on and ready. Explained why alert was localized and chose not to “wake-up” entire mountain.
Forest Health Committee – Eliot
No report.
Economic Development Committee – Chris
An extensive, detailed report was submitted in writing by Sally regarding the ExploreCobb website and social media. Darlene read aloud the summary provided, as well as a few highlights of the report. Written summary: “Engagement increased primarily [due] to increased frequency of posting and to the use of video reels, plus lots of tagging relevant pages. Lots of sharing of video posts done by Visit Lake County and other local sites. Plan is to continue and include a pending series of video ‘interviews’ with local businesses. Also increase sharing to travel websites’ social pages.”
Blackberry Cobbler Festival – Cathy
Vendor spots are full, there will be 96 vendors. Need volunteers. The poster is in the works. The Lion’s Club will be making 1,250 servings of Blackberry Cobbler.
Next Meeting: July 18, 2024 (Cathy will be absent; on vacation)
Adjourned at 8:03pm
Respectfully Submitted,
Darlene Warner, Secretary