Minutes | July 21, 2022

COBB AREA COUNCIL

Hybrid  PUBLIC MEETING

Thursday July 21, 2022 at 6:30pm

In person and online via Zoom and Facebook

Draft Minutes

 

6:31 CALL TO ORDER

By chair  Cathy McCarthy

Roll Call

Present – Cathy McCarthy: Chairperson, , Chris Nettles: Secretary, Joe Schneider: Alternate- Frank Lincoln: Treasurer

Not present, Jake Strickler: Member-at-large, Cindy Leonard: Vice-Chairperson

Approval of Agenda and Minutes

Agenda approval motion:

Chris to approve the agenda

Frank seconded

Passed unanimously

 

Motion to approve June Minutes

Eliot moved to approve June 2022 minutes

Chris seconded

Passed unanimously

 

6:35 Short Announcements

Blackberry festival coming up on Aug 27 – CAC expresses our full appreciation to the sponsors od our 2022, 2nd Annual Blackberry Cobbler Festival

 

6:40 Public and Board Comment on Non-Agenda Items (3 mins./individual)

 

Tom Slaight requested clarification on the conduct of participants when addressing issues in front of the Cobb Area Council. Cathy acknowledged her role in maintaining order and setting the appropriate tone in CAC meetings.

 

Mel announced a post-op meeting of the Cobb Alert Net exercise on Saturday at Mountain High

 

6:50 Treasurer’s Report- Frank

 

In the black!

General Fund: $3359.44

Blackberry Cobbler Festival: $5715.86

Cobb Resource Hub: $1723.33

Emergency Preparedness: $2417.62

T‐shirt sales: $2603.89

Total assets: $15, 820.14

 

6:55 Supervisor’s Comments- Supv. Jessica Pyska

Updated CAC on fuel reduction projects with CLERC (Clear Lake Environment Research Center) – contractor back on the Fox Drive neighborhood.

North Shore Fire Protection District built out a fuels crew this season in partnership with the tribal community. Supvs Pyska & Simon allocated some discretionary funds to equipment to that crew. They will also be working in the Fox Dr. neighborbood.

 

PG&E is taking down many trees in the Wildcat and Salmina Meadows area. PG&E is having difficulty obtaining the cooperation of some landowners. Please work with them, because fuel reduction helps the entire community.

 

Bookmobile coming soon to Cobb. Will have books has well a Chromebooks, WiFi, hotspots, etc.

 

$640K will fund a Climate Resilience Officer for the county. The job add will be going out early in the next couple of week.

 

$1m allocation from geothermal resources to fund a Cobb parks project – Forest Lake and a trail to peak of Cobb Mountain identified.

 

7:10 Fire Season Update – Paul Duncan

2nd Fire crew added at Konocti Camp.

Air Curtin Incinerator will be back up & running when weather permits

There were two recent fire incidents along Bottlerock road, Crews all did an excellent job keeping those fires contained.

Fire Sirens purchased new helipods for portable water tanks on the helicopers

A masticator is coming soon for clearing important escape routes

One final signup for Operation Force Multiplier (last round in 2022)

No open outdoor burning right now.

 

7:15 CalTrans HWY 175 Bridge Project Information- Presented by Cal-Trans

 

May watch the presentation on Facebook live video from 34 to 38 mins,

 

There was a discussion about a signaling system for managing 1 lane traffic both ways. The community was concerned about the one-way traffic control not being managed by live people at the actual site. CalTrans agreed to reconsider this arrangement. If there are complaints about the construction please contactor Granite Construction or Danielle Ruiz at CalTrans. There will be no impacts to water quality as the clean water from the creek will be diverted around the project.

 

7:45 Cobb Mountain Water Update – Ben Murphy, General Manager Cobb Water District

 

Water levels are two weeks ahead of normal, seeing what we normally would in August. – Please conserve! (Expect to be ok for the full season)

 

Working with Lake County Broadband Service for an agreement to put antennas on one of the water tanks that will support a broadband services trial in a few Cobb neighborhoods.

 

Grant updates – 3 new applications for drinking water improvements to Pine Grove, Alpine Meadows, Starview & Adams Springs. These projects are behind the Mount Hannah & Pineview Heights.

 

Weight capacity and speeding questions presented. Speed bumps were placed on the bridge, but doesn’t seem to deter people from speeding. Bridge had 80k capacity, it is well beyond the specs for this capacity. Bolts are regular checked.

 

7:50 Committee Reports (3 minutes/individual)

Firewise Communities:

Magdelena

Had an evacuation fire evacuation safety training for a small

summer camp along North Siegler Road and it involved

four adults and six kids – kids inspected cars for evacuation supplies

 

2 new volunteers for the home assessment program – 9 homes assessed, 5 scheduled, 17 waiting to be conducted. Need additional volunteers.

 

Conducted Fire Safe Council workshop Firewires Communities have grown to 17 from 4 in 2018 and two more in the works.

 

No chipping in August. Too dangerous in the high heat.

 

Cindy – Not available

 

Glenneth – Not available

 

Gene – Not available

 

David T. – CLERC starting on smaller parcels in Fox Drive area

 

Laurie – starting new Firewise Community in Gordon Springs area

 

 

Communications Committee- Mel

 

Cobb Alert Net has 240 – 265 members, 25 total GMRS radios

Cobb Resource Hub has $10 Retivis rt22 radios for sale

 

Budget Committee- Chris

Starting 2023 Budget planning in August, Chris N, Frank L. & John Carlisi are on the committee. If you want to contribute to this committee, contact Chris Nettles: cdnettles@gmail.com

 

Request from chair to add Communications Committee to 2023 Budget

 

Forest Health Committee- Eliot

 

ACI will start burning material from the contractors working on local projects

 

Announced Watershed Education Program, stay tuned for more details soon. (kicking off in Feb

 

Economic Development Committee- Joe

 

Glenneth proposed a Sculpture Jam weekend in Oct.

 

Econ Development committee taking a month off because of the activities associated with planning for the Blackberry Cobbler Festival.

 

Need liaisons between CAC and Middletown Area Merchants Association or Kelseyville Business Owner’s Association.

 

Need volunteers for the Blackberry Cobbler Festival, please contact Cobb Area Council if interested. Cobbmccarthys@gmail.com for vendor applications. ($35 for goods, $50 for food vendors

 

8:15 Motion for Special Saturday Meeting

Tabled until further notice.

 

8:20 Date of Next Regular Meetings: August 18, 2022

 

8:15 Adjournment