CategoriesCobb Abatement Monitoring, Uncategorized by

Hobergs Update Sept 20, 2018

[et_pb_section admin_label=”section”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_slider admin_label=”Slider” show_arrows=”on” show_pagination=”on” auto=”on” auto_ignore_hover=”on” parallax=”off” parallax_method=”off” remove_inner_shadow=”off” background_position=”default” background_size=”default” hide_content_on_mobile=”off” hide_cta_on_mobile=”off” show_image_video_mobile=”off” custom_button=”off” button_letter_spacing=”0″ button_use_icon=”default” button_icon_placement=”right” button_on_hover=”on” button_letter_spacing_hover=”0″] [et_pb_slide background_position=”default” background_size=”default” background_color=”#ffffff” image=”http://cobbareacouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Slide1.jpg” use_bg_overlay=”off” use_text_overlay=”off” alignment=”center” background_layout=”dark” allow_player_pause=”off” text_border_radius=”3″ header_font_select=”default” header_font=”||||” body_font_select=”default” body_font=”||||” custom_button=”off” button_font_select=”default” button_font=”||||” button_use_icon=”default” button_icon_placement=”right” button_on_hover=”on”] [/et_pb_slide][et_pb_slide background_position=”default” background_size=”default” background_color=”#ffffff” image=”http://cobbareacouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Slide3.jpg” use_bg_overlay=”off” use_text_overlay=”off” alignment=”center” background_layout=”dark” allow_player_pause=”off” text_border_radius=”3″ header_font_select=”default” header_font=”||||” body_font_select=”default” body_font=”||||” custom_button=”off” button_font_select=”default” button_font=”||||” button_use_icon=”default” button_icon_placement=”right” button_on_hover=”on”] [/et_pb_slide][et_pb_slide background_position=”default” background_size=”default” background_color=”#ffffff” image=”http://cobbareacouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Slide2.jpg” use_bg_overlay=”off” use_text_overlay=”off” alignment=”center” background_layout=”dark” allow_player_pause=”off” text_border_radius=”3″ header_font_select=”default” header_font=”||||” body_font_select=”default” body_font=”||||” custom_button=”off” button_font_select=”default” button_font=”||||” button_use_icon=”default” button_icon_placement=”right” button_on_hover=”on”] [/et_pb_slide][et_pb_slide background_position=”default” background_size=”default” background_color=”#ffffff” image=”http://cobbareacouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Slide4.jpg” use_bg_overlay=”off” use_text_overlay=”off” alignment=”center” background_layout=”dark” allow_player_pause=”off” text_border_radius=”3″ header_font_select=”default” header_font=”||||” body_font_select=”default” body_font=”||||” custom_button=”off” button_font_select=”default” button_font=”||||” button_use_icon=”default” button_icon_placement=”right” button_on_hover=”on”] [/et_pb_slide][et_pb_slide background_position=”default” background_size=”default” background_color=”#ffffff” image=”http://cobbareacouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Slide5.jpg” use_bg_overlay=”off” use_text_overlay=”off” alignment=”center” background_layout=”dark” allow_player_pause=”off” text_border_radius=”3″ header_font_select=”default” header_font=”||||” body_font_select=”default” body_font=”||||” custom_button=”off” button_font_select=”default” button_font=”||||” button_use_icon=”default” button_icon_placement=”right” button_on_hover=”on”] [/et_pb_slide][et_pb_slide background_position=”default” background_size=”default” background_color=”#ffffff” image=”http://cobbareacouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Slide6.jpg” use_bg_overlay=”off” use_text_overlay=”off” alignment=”center” background_layout=”dark” allow_player_pause=”off” text_border_radius=”3″ header_font_select=”default” header_font=”||||” body_font_select=”default” body_font=”||||” custom_button=”off” button_font_select=”default” button_font=”||||” button_use_icon=”default” button_icon_placement=”right” button_on_hover=”on”] [/et_pb_slide][et_pb_slide background_position=”default” background_size=”default” background_color=”#ffffff” image=”http://cobbareacouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Slide7.jpg” use_bg_overlay=”off” use_text_overlay=”off” alignment=”center” background_layout=”dark” allow_player_pause=”off” text_border_radius=”3″ header_font_select=”default” header_font=”||||” body_font_select=”default” body_font=”||||” custom_button=”off” button_font_select=”default” button_font=”||||” button_use_icon=”default” button_icon_placement=”right” button_on_hover=”on”] [/et_pb_slide][et_pb_slide background_position=”default” background_size=”default” background_color=”#ffffff” image=”http://cobbareacouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Slide8.jpg” use_bg_overlay=”off” use_text_overlay=”off” alignment=”center” background_layout=”dark” allow_player_pause=”off” text_border_radius=”3″ header_font_select=”default” header_font=”||||” body_font_select=”default” body_font=”||||” custom_button=”off” button_font_select=”default” button_font=”||||” button_use_icon=”default” button_icon_placement=”right” button_on_hover=”on”] [/et_pb_slide][et_pb_slide background_position=”default” background_size=”default” background_color=”#ffffff” image=”http://cobbareacouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Slide9.jpg” use_bg_overlay=”off” use_text_overlay=”off” alignment=”center” background_layout=”dark” allow_player_pause=”off” text_border_radius=”3″ header_font_select=”default” header_font=”||||” body_font_select=”default” body_font=”||||” custom_button=”off” button_font_select=”default” button_font=”||||” button_use_icon=”default” button_icon_placement=”right” button_on_hover=”on”] [/et_pb_slide][et_pb_slide background_position=”default” background_size=”default” background_color=”#ffffff” image=”http://cobbareacouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Slide10.jpg” use_bg_overlay=”off” use_text_overlay=”off” alignment=”center” background_layout=”dark” allow_player_pause=”off” text_border_radius=”3″ header_font_select=”default” header_font=”||||” body_font_select=”default” body_font=”||||” custom_button=”off” button_font_select=”default” button_font=”||||” button_use_icon=”default” button_icon_placement=”right” button_on_hover=”on”] [/et_pb_slide][et_pb_slide background_position=”default” background_size=”default” background_color=”#ffffff” image=”http://cobbareacouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Slide11.jpg” use_bg_overlay=”off” use_text_overlay=”off” alignment=”center” background_layout=”dark” allow_player_pause=”off” text_border_radius=”3″ header_font_select=”default” header_font=”||||” body_font_select=”default” body_font=”||||” custom_button=”off” button_font_select=”default” button_font=”||||” button_use_icon=”default” button_icon_placement=”right” button_on_hover=”on”] [/et_pb_slide][et_pb_slide background_position=”default” background_size=”default” background_color=”#ffffff” image=”http://cobbareacouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Slide12.jpg” use_bg_overlay=”off” use_text_overlay=”off” alignment=”center” background_layout=”dark” allow_player_pause=”off” text_border_radius=”3″ header_font_select=”default” header_font=”||||” body_font_select=”default” body_font=”||||” custom_button=”off” button_font_select=”default” button_font=”||||” button_use_icon=”default” button_icon_placement=”right” button_on_hover=”on”] [/et_pb_slide][et_pb_slide background_position=”default” background_size=”default” background_color=”#ffffff” image=”http://cobbareacouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Slide13.jpg” use_bg_overlay=”off” use_text_overlay=”off” alignment=”center” background_layout=”dark” allow_player_pause=”off” text_border_radius=”3″ header_font_select=”default” header_font=”||||” body_font_select=”default” body_font=”||||” custom_button=”off” button_font_select=”default” button_font=”||||” button_use_icon=”default” button_icon_placement=”right” button_on_hover=”on”] [/et_pb_slide] [/et_pb_slider][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”]
COBB ABATEMENT MONITORING COMMITTEE
Report to Cobb Area Council
September 20, 2018
I’ll bet most of you know the Rolling Stones song that reminds us that “you can’t always get what you want… but if you try sometimes, you get what you need…” That message kept running through my head as I prepared this report.

  • Last month, we were very disappointed to report that the July 31, 2018 completion date came and went with a lot of work remaining to be done. In response, Glenneth Lambert and I engaged in another round of passionate discussion with Hobergs management. Tonight I’m happy to report that there has been GOOD PROGRESS over the past month.  Here’s what we did to help move things forward –
  • We urged Dan Nelson to make firewood available to the community as a strategy for getting rid of the significant amount that remained on-site. Although hesitant at first, Dan decided to do this and on August 24 and 25, 121 loads of wood were picked up – an estimated 70 cords. This was a great success!
  • We also renewed efforts to engage Director of Environmental Health Jasjit Kang and Supervisor Rob Brown.
    • Despite the fact that they were in the immediate aftermath of yet another major wildfire disaster, both Supervisor Brown and Jasjit Kang responded quickly and promised to assist.
    • They set up a meeting at the Hobergs property on Monday, September 17, and reached out to other Department heads.
    • Together with Scott Schellinger and Dan Nelson, Glenneth Lambert  and I met with:
    • Michalyn DelValle and Kathy Freeman (Code Enforcement)
    • Michalyn DelValle & Byron Turner (Community Development/ Planning)
    • Doug Gearhart (Air Quality Management District)
    • Jasjit Kang (Environmental Health)
    • Rob Brown (District 5 Supervisor)
    • We toured the property and then sat down for a meeting in the Hobergs office.
  • In our meeting, we focused on two main issues:
    • The status of the Abatement Order issued April 18, 2016.
    • Work remaining to be completed which, while not covered by the Abatement Order, is nevertheless important to address.
  • The outcomes of our meeting were as follows:
    • After touring the property and reviewing former Environmental Health Director Ray Ruminski’s letter dated December 15, 2017, the consensus among those present was that all but two of the conditions stipulated in the April 8, 2016 Abatement Order have been satisfactorily mitigated. The two conditions remaining to be fulfilled are:
    • # 3.a – Removal of scrap metal. Only a small amount remains… maybe a couple of truckloads. Scott and Dan predicted this would be removed in a few days at most.
    • # 4.D.5 – Installation of erosion control measures. This will be reinstalled prior to the onset of winter rain.
    • UPDATE – At 3:11 pm 9/20/18 I received a message stating that Kathy Freeman had visited the site earlier that day, determined that the scrap metal had been removed, and LIFTED THE ABATEMENT ORDER!! This is great news!
    • We discussed other issues of concern — mainly the removal of  remaining wood debris and consolidation of concrete debris. These fall outside the legal requirements of the Abatement Order, but definitely impact the community.
    • As much of the remaining wood will be made available to the community in the form of split firewood and rounds – to be distributed one Saturday per month over the next four months – September 29, and then the 3rd Saturday of the month October – December. 8:00 to 4:00. Details will be available on the CAC web site and Facebook group.
    • Most stumps will remain in place until there is an approved grading plan and permit. This will maintain soil in a stable condition and helping to minimize erosion and runoff.
    • We requested that the concrete rubble located where the main lodge building used to stand be consolidated as much as possible to improve the view for people traveling on Hwy 175.
    • Disabled, damaged and unused vehicles will be removed from the site.

I confess that I’d always imagined/hoped that we would reach a dramatic, discernable end-point for the project, but at this point I’m thinking that while we may not have gotten exactly what we want (the property all groomed and looking like a park), perhaps we’ve gotten at least what we need (a property in the midst of our community that is no longer a threat to public health and safety, according to several key County officials.)
Respectfully submitted,
Karl E. Parker
[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]

CategoriesCobb Abatement Monitoring by

Hobergs Update- August 16, 2018

COBB ABATEMENT MONITORING COMMITTEE
Report to Cobb Area Council
August 16, 2018
• If you were here last month, you will recall Hobergs Development Director Scott Schellinger state that Hobergs management was confident and determined to complete the project by JULY 31, 2018. THAT GOAL WAS NOT MET.
• Glenneth Lambert and I toured the property yesterday, and found that while a significant amount of wood has been removed or converted to chips, a lot of wood in the form of logs, rounds, slash and wood debris remains on the property.
• They told us their plan to use a tub grinder fell through because they could not get liability insurance to cover their workers. So they resorted to chippers, which were significantly slower, and limited as to the size of material they could handle.
• Moving forward, their plan is to remove the remaining wood from the property by truck. We question the viability of this plan, but have not heard a response to our challenge.
• We have also questioned the plan to leave the concrete in place until they are ready to grade the property.
• Besides following up with our concerns in writing, today I wrote the following to Jasjit Kang, Director of Environmental Health:
I am quite certain both of you have your hands full with work related to the latest wildfire disaster! (I’m guessing you were still slammed by the aftermath of the Pawnee Fire when the Mendocino Complex blew up!!)
I know those things are much more urgent priorities, so I’m willing to “take a number” and wait until you and other County staff are able to turn your attention to the situation at Hobergs.
For the record, and for your information, I’m forwarding an email I sent to Dan Nelson and Scott Schellinger last evening, following up on a tour of the property I did with Glenneth Lambert in the late afternoon. If you scroll down past my note, you will see one from Glenneth and then one from Dan Nelson.
To summarize:
In our opinion, the project was NOT completed by July 31, 2018, as promised. Nor was it completed by August 15, 2018. Much work remains to be done.
As I’ve shared before, there is an urgent need to define what constitutes completion. Since we are merely citizens, and have no authority, we need County staff (Environmental Health, Planning Department, Air Quality, other?) to stipulate what is required. Specifically:
• Whether or not ALL the wood debris needs to be processed or removed
• Whether or not the concrete and rubble needs to be processed or removed

Again, I understand FULLY that you and other County staff have your hands full with other more pressing matters right now, so this is not in any way a complaint or criticism. However, as soon as you are able to turn your attention to this “never-ending story”, it will be a HUGE help.
• This is but the latest of several efforts I’ve made to engage the County staff. In June, I had a conversation with Jasjit Kang to see if he’d had success in meeting with the Director of Planning Department, Air Quality Control, and anyone else who had jurisdiction in order to review the Abatement Order and define specifically what work needed to be completed to lift the order.
• Mr. Kang was most apologetic, explaining that he was completely overwhelmed in the aftermath of the Pawnee Fire. Obviously, that situation has been severely exacerbated by the River and Ranch Fires.
• Nevertheless, I forwarded correspondence to Supervisor Rob Brown, in an effort to keep the ball in the air and get whatever help we can to bring this situation to a rapid and satisfactory conclusion. I’ve let him know we understand he may be caught up with the latest fire disaster, but we’re anxious to keep this project on the radar.
• As your representatives and advocates, Glenneth and I will continue to persist. It’s now been more than two years since I put up my hand in the first CAC meeting and volunteered to lead this effort. I was not thinking it would be more than a few months. But life happens how it happens, and here we are…
• To those of you who are frustrated and impatient, I feel your pain!
• To those who long for resolution, I’m right there with you!
• To anyone who has ideas about how to succeed in achieving a successful conclusion, and wants to roll up their sleeves and get involved – we welcome your help!
Respectfully submitted,
Karl E. Parker

CategoriesCobb Abatement Monitoring by

HOBERGS UPDATE – 3/21/2018

Abatement Monitoring Committee members Glenneth Lambert and Karl Parker met today with the new Director of Environmental Health, Jasjit Kang, Environmental Health Specialist James Scott, Hobergs Historical Association Development Director Scott Schellinger and General Manager Dan Nelson.
This was an important meeting — since January we’ve been working to bring Jasjit and James “up to speed” on the project and encourage their engagement in order to establish continuity and regain momentum. Scott and Dan reviewed the work that has been accomplished to date and that remaining to be completed, and outlined future plans for development. We then donned rain gear and took a rather wet, blustery and chilly tour of the property.
The wind-driven rain made it impossible to keep my camera lens clear, but even so I was able to capture a decent record of what we saw. I’ve posted a few of the photos here, along with a group shot taken on a similar tour (with former Environmental Health Director Ray Ruminski) on September 16, 2016. A comparison of the two group photos show clearly the changes that have taken place in the past year-and-a-half.
Supervisor Rob Brown has requested an update on the status of the Hobergs abatement project for the Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday, March 27. This will be a good opportunity for members of the Cobb community to hear about plans for completion of the abatement, as well as to express concerns to the County leadership.
In the meantime, I welcome questions or comments.
Sincerely, Karl E. Parker

CategoriesCobb Abatement Monitoring by

Hoberg's Update- February 15, 2018

1. Work at Hobergs seems to have come to a standstill. Scott Schellinger has told us that this is due to the fact that they are still waiting for the new CalWorks grant to be funded. This will enable them to bring back the work force needed to move forward.
2. One immediate consequence of the work stoppage has been that the erosion control plan has not been implemented. Fortunately, we have not had heavy rains for the past month and a half. And it’s also good to know that the soil contamination has been addressed. Even so, we are concerned and urging Hobergs management to address this issue ASAP. I’ve asked if they would be open to a volunteer crew to roll out wattles and stake straw bales.
3. Since the beginning of the year, we have been working to engage the new Director of Environmental Health, Jasjit (Jesse) Kang. Karl met with Jesse and his assistant, Scott James this afternoon to brief them on the history of the project, and its present status. Our goal is to help them become engaged in order to maintain continuity, momentum and accountability.
4. A meeting with Hobergs management, Mr. Kang and Mr. Scott and the Abatement Monitoring committee is scheduled for Feb 21.
5. We remain committed to the project and will do our best to help bring it to a rapid and successful conclusion.

CategoriesCobb Abatement Monitoring by

Hoberg's Update- December 21, 2017

COBB ABATEMENT MONITORING COMMITTEE
Report to Cobb Area Council
December 21, 2017
1. LETTER FROM ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH DIRECTOR, Ray Ruminski
We reported last month that Ray Ruminski had indicated by email 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. “ Director Ruminski has formalized his conclusions in an official letter dated December 15, 2017. I will now read that letter…
2. CONCRETE REMOVAL, WOOD PROCESSING, ETC.
Work continues. The reduction in the wood remaining on the property is now clearly visible from Highway 175, and the amount remaining has been substantially reduced. Processing will continue through the next several months until it is gone. Work has slowed somewhat, due to the end of the CalWorks grant funding for labor, as well as the holidays. However, new grant funding is expected to come online in January.
3. AESTHETICS At our meeting on December 12, we asked the Hobergs management to do everything possible to improve the “viewscape” – especially the Hwy 175 corridor from Emerford Road to the front entrance. In response, vehicles (e.g the old fire truck) have been moved back and they are now working from front to back to move everything back from the highway.
4. WHAT ABOUT THE MONEY?
A recent comment on the Cobb Mountain Rising Facebook group asked whether the CalWorks grant was being used to line someone’s pockets. Here are the facts, as I know them:
• Hobergs Historical association was provided the EXACT same grant received by other groups including Harbin Hotsprings, and Adidam.
• Hobergs did not receive any money directly from the grant or government. The money did not pass through Hobergs’ books; workers were paid directly by the program.
• Although the labor funded via the grant did provide significant help to the Hobergs cleanup effort, it cost Hobergs owners tens of thousands of dollars to manage those employees with paid staff, fill the gas tanks of the vehicles, rent and fuel the equipment used by the crews.
• Hobergs was the only commercial site in the County that did not receive assistance from the CalRecycle debris removal program.
In response I asked if Hobergs management could provide some information about the cost of the abatement project to date. Here is a partial list of expenses incurred to date:
• $485,000 – HAZMAT contractors, general clean-up crew and clean up management, consultants
• $78,000 – Pre and Final HAZMAT testing
• $75,000 – Dump fees (local)
• $489,000 – Equipment rental costs, Fuel and operators of all the equipment (over a year costs)
I know at times we feel frustrated with the pace of progress, and perhaps wonder what’s going on. But I think these numbers illustrate the depth of Hobergs’ owners’ commitment to the restoration of the property, and Director Ruminski’s letter clearly demonstrates that their efforts have resulted in significant progress.
Respectfully submitted,
Karl E. Parker
hobergs-letter

CategoriesCobb Abatement Monitoring by

Hobergs Cleanup- Report to the Board of Supervisors, August 8, 2017

Report to Lake County Board of Supervisors
Status of Hobergs Resort Cleanup
karl E. Parker, Cobb Abatement Monitoring Committee
August 8, 2017
Due to a personal matter that prevented Scott Schellinger from giving a report to the LC Board of Supervisors this morning, I was asked to fill in for Scott this morning and share what I know on the basis of information that has been provided by the Hobergs management. The information presented herein is current as of August 7, 2017.
This report is organized according to a set of questions Environmental Health Director Ray Ruminski sent to Scott Schellinger in an email dated July 24, 2017:

  • structural debris removal
    • This phase of the project is essentially complete
    • Over 65 loads have gone to the local landfill and over 20 loads to special dumping sites outside Lake County
    • Hobergs Historical Association and its mortgage holders have spent close to a million dollars to date getting the old resort site cleaned up.
  • soil sampling plan for final certification
    • Jakala Environmental Services (which did the specialized HAZMAT removal) referred Hobergs to SCHUTZE & Associates out of Fremont for final soil sampling and any additional clean up if needed.
    • A few weeks ago County Environmental Health Department and Air Quality Control reviewed the contract between Hobergs Historical association and the soil testing company SCHUTZE & Associates. After changes were made by those departments a final agreement was completed and signed. Testing results will be completed no later than August 24th.
    • If any additional clean-up is necessary pending the results, SCHUTZE & Associates is prepared to bring in Jakala Environmental Services to assist in order to ensure completion no later than the end of September.
    • The contractor believes the project is very manageable at this point, and is confident that goal for completion can be met.
  • concrete and masonry rubble
  • The plan is for all concrete to be removed from its current location, crushed on site and recycled for fill, road base, etc..
  • This work cannot be done until the soil testing and certification is complete.
  • logs and wood debris
  • Over 900 cords of firewood have been processed and taken off the property.
  • More than 155 loads of firewood were delivered to local residents at no charge.
  • Over 184,000 Board feet of trees have been moved off the property
  • 80% of all wood has been cleaned off the property and it will be 95% completed by October 15th – the last 5% will remain in piles that will be moved to the back section of the property for future processing
  • Local residents in the Cobb area have noticed and commented on the visible progress.
  • storm water management and erosion control preparation for fall of 2017
  • Munselle Civil Engineering from Healdsburg has been consulted and will be preparing the erosion control plan. The plan will be presented directly to the necessary County departments no later than September 15, 2017 for review and approval.
  • archeological work 
  • John Parker and a crew of helpers have completed their excavation under the remains of the old lodge building. Judging from images he’s shared on Facebook, a great many interesting and significant artifacts were uncovered and are now being processed at Ely Stage Stop. Dr. Parker also served as an observer and consultant during work around the archeologically sensitive site that exists on the property.
  • CONCLUSION: 

Everyone concerned with this project realizes the importance of getting the work completed this year so that it does not drag on into the rainy season.  At this point, Hobergs management states that they feel very confident that the clean-up efforts will be completed by October 15th and that the next couple of months will show a dramatic change in overall appearance of the property.

CategoriesCobb Abatement Monitoring by

Hoberg's Update- May 9, 2017

Members of the Cobb Abatement Monitoring Committee met with Hoberg’s management on May 9, 2017. We were greatly encouraged to see and hear about the progress that has been made over the past few weeks, now that the weather has improved. All HAZMAT structure debris has been removed from the site. As early as next week, soil testing by a certified lab will be conducted to determine what levels of residual contamination remains, and where.
Although from Highway 175 passers-by may wonder how much has been accomplished, anyone familiar with the site can notice a dramatic difference. With the structural debris removed, what now remains are foundations, concrete and masonry structures such as walls and pillars, piles of concrete rubble, and large stacks of logs and wood. Significant progress has been made since our last visit in February!

The photos below are not organized… just a random selection of images to give an idea of how things are looking.
The other significant piece of business on our agenda was to hear preliminary plans for the future development of the property. This was both interesting and exciting. We have asked Development Director Scott Schellinger to make a presentation at the Cobb Area Council meeting on May 18. This will be a great opportunity to learn what’s being planned, and provide input into the planning process. Please plan to attend, and spread the word to friends and community members who may not use Facebook.
Respectfully submitted,
Karl E. Parker
karl.parker@comcast.net
592-1649
CategoriesCobb Abatement Monitoring by

Hobergs Update- February 1, 2017

Abatement Monitoring Committee
Report to Cobb Area Council
February 1, 2017
Two members of the Committee, Glenneth Lambert and Karl Parker, met via phone conference with Hobergs Development Director Scott Schellinger and Manager Dan Nelson on January 31, 2017. The following information was reported during that meeting:
DEBRIS REMOVAL:
Thanks to a spell of dry weather over the past week and a half, considerable progress has been made. Jakela Environmental Services, the contractor for specialized hazardous waste removal, has been able to return and complete six days’ worth of work. As a result, 4 HAZMAT containers filled with debris have been hauled off to special dump sites in either Vacaville or Fairfield. Seven additional sites on the property have been abated. Most of the ridge area is now cleared. Once Jakela has completed the specialized HAZMAT removal, regular crews can move in and complete the clean-up. Weather remains a critical variable, but the end is in sight.
WOOD Processing & REMOVAL
The free firewood program has been suspended and they are trying to get caught up with orders already received. Calls and requests are still being received, and when possible, they have tried to respond. Over the last week and a half, they have moved an additional 2 truckloads each carrying 13 cords of wood off the property. However, during periods of heavy rain they have had to suspend wood processing operations because it’s miserable for the workers, and heavy equipment gets bogged down in the mud. Also, churning up the mud adds to the run-off problem.
WORK FORCE
Some good news: the California Human Resources grant which has provided workers for the abatement project, recently announced that instead of providing $14K per worker, they can earn up to $28K. So Hobergs will be able to hire more workers which will help to accelerate the pace of the cleanup!
Interested people can inquire at the EDD Office in Lakeport – 263-3116.
EROSION CONTROL:
As reported at the January CAC meeting, the primary method of control is ground cover in the form of straw and heavier mulch (wood chips & mulch which have been generated on site. They are also using straw wattles at inlets and baffling whenever possible to help control the flow of water heading toward Putah Creek.
Both Scott and Dan are aware of strong concerns that exist among members of the community and are anxious to address those concerns. In addition to utilizing the methods outlined above, they prioritized the cleanup of the hotel and old lodge building to minimize the washing of HAZMAT into the watershed. They expressed awareness of and concern about causing negative impacts downstream. At this point, most of the asbestos and other hazardous material has been removed from the site.
Scott mentioned the difficulty involved in handling such large volumes of water and runoff from the slopes on the east side of Hwy 175, which have been largely stripped of natural erosion control in the form of ground plants, etc. The challenge of managing such a large volume of water has been daunting.
Scott and Dan would like to set up a time when the committee members could tour the site during daylight hours and see for themselves what efforts have been undertaken to control runoff and erosion. In the meantime, Karl will visit the site and take photos for others to observe.
Responding to concerns about the runoff, Scott stated “It’s in our own best interest to manage the water on the property. Doing so speeds the cleanup operations which will make it possible to begin work developing the site.”
HAZARD TREE REMOVAL:
Lake County Lumber continues to remove hazardous trees from the area.
QUESTIONS or CONCERNS?
Contact Karl Parker @ 592-1649 or karl.parker@mchsi.com

CategoriesCobb Abatement Monitoring by

Hobergs Update- January 19, 2017

Abatement Monitoring Committee
Report to Cobb Area Council
January 19, 2017
The Committee has not met since our last report to the Cobb Area Council 12/15/16, due to the combination of holiday season and succession of storms which have severely curtailed work at Hobergs.
We have been in regular contact with Hobergs management, and today received the following update:
DEBRIS REMOVAL:
The last 3 weeks have been a difficult time for clean up due to the weather.  We were able to send out 4 loads to the landfill. Jakela, our hazardous waste contractors, cannot complete their work until it is dry enough to do so.  We need a window of about a week of dry weather before they can restart.  They are currently scheduled to be back on the job January 23.  While we can’t say for sure when they will be done, they are more than 50% completed and our goal is to have them done by mid February or shortly thereafter, weather permitting.
WOOD Processing & REMOVAL
Since the last report, we have delivered 22-1/2 cords of wood, at no charge, to area residents.  We moved an additional 4 truckloads of 52 cords off the property.
EROSION CONTROL:
Our primary method of control is ground cover in the form of straw and heavier mulch (wood chips which we have generated on site).  We are also using straw wattles at inlets and baffling whenever possible to help control the flow of water.
HAZARD TREE REMOVAL:
Lake County Lumber has made it a priority to assist local homeowners with clearing dead and dangerous trees from their lots. Perhaps most importantly, we removed over twenty trees that were threatening the Woods family property; sadly, not before one of them crashed into the roof of Samantha’s mother’s new home.
Lake County Lumber with the assistance of Hobergs Historical Association has trucked out thousands of dead and dangerous trees. Many of those trees could potentially have created problems with the storms coming through the area.
We are happy to assist people of our community for free or nominal charge depending on the need for heavy equipment. Contact Lake County Lumber (888-869-1287)

CategoriesCobb Abatement Monitoring by

Hobergs Update- November 11, 2016

[et_pb_section admin_label=”section”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”]
Cobb Abatement Monitoring Committee members Jessica Pyska, Jessyca Lytle, Joshua Wood and Karl Parker met with Hobergs Development Director Scott Schellinger on November 29. It was great to see him after an extended absence!
Scott’s report was brief, but encouraging. They have made great progress in the cleanup of the main lodge building, in which more than half of the hazardous waste in the entire project is located. If all goes well, they anticipate completion of this site sometime next week. They have already shipped off six 40-yard containers (240 yards) of the hazardous material requiring specialized disposal in sites outside Lake County. At $8,000 per container, this part of the project is an expensive undertaking!
As soon as the contractor, Jakela Environmental Services, completes the HAZMAT removal, regular crews can move in and complete the cleanup of the building sites quickly. Scott expects that that part of the work will be accomplished soon, depending mainly on the weather.
As the debris removal proceeds, a new challenge emerges, which is the need to remove and dispose of hundreds of stumps that litter the site. The County landfill does not want to take them; it looks like the best solution will be to burn them, but this will require approval from the Air Quality Control Board.
The wood processing is proceeding at a vigorous pace. Since our last meeting, 28-1/2 cords of free wood have been delivered to local residents. Many new orders are coming in. And four loads of 13 cords each have been shipped by transport truck. Despite the steady stream of firewood leaving the site, the amount of wood remaining to be processed is a huge challenge. Among the solutions considered is chipping the wood and shipping the wood to an electric “co-generation” plant.
In our last report, we mentioned that local archeologist Dr. John Parker has been on-site, collecting and documenting artifacts that are being discovered during the debris-removal. It is hoped that at some future date these will be displayed at an on-site museum – for now they are being stored and processed at Ely Stage Stop. On Thursday, December 1, I stopped by Hobergs to document the progress outlined above, and was pleased to find Dr. Parker working away. He gave me a brief tour, some of which can be seen in the photos accompanying this report.
Questions? Comments? Concerns? Please post a note below or contact me at karl.parker@mchsi.com or 592-1649.
Karl Parker, Cobb Abatement Monitoring Committee
[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]