Governor Newsom streamlined and approved a group of infrastructure bills aimed at cutting red tape. The Hill reports the governor also signed the “Budget Bill Jr.” yesterday that amends last month’s draft and is virtually the final budget agreement. The budget reflects a high level of reserves while protecting the public. The infrastructure bills passed last week will help streamline workforce equity, labor agreements and projects for CalTrans and the Department of Water Resources.
And today the California Welcome Center in Ukiah will host a ribbon cutting at 4pm. Guest speakers and performances by local groups will be included in the festivities. Ukiah will now be one of 23 welcome centers in the state. News signs are up and the lobby has undergone some work. The Ukiah Daily Journal reports local governmental and business leaders will staff a team along with tourism professionals to increase tourist services and promote the local community as well as the state.
The California Department of Health Care Services announced funding of over $9 million for the Mendocino County Behavioral Health and Recovery Services. The money will be focused on projects to expand facilities and provide mental crisis and substance use disorder services to residents. Mendocino County is one of 33 projects throughout the state to get the funding. A Psychiatric Health Facility is in the works to help the community in a continuum of care. In a release issued today, the department plans to enhance psychiatric treatment to help with patient’s conditions in a program designed to stabilize people and help return them to a less restrictive setting.
The Lakeport Planning Commission is meeting this week to go over a project by the Lake County Tribal Health Consortium. The meeting is set for tomorrow at 5:30pm in the council chambers at Lakeport City Hall. The agenda includes an application for architectural and design review by the Lake County Tribal Health for a property on Bevins Court. If the application is approved, construction of a patio, shaded structure, bathrooms and an outdoor kitchen will be planned at the property. The Bevins Court Facility would be under 2,000 square feet according to Lake County News.
The California Public Utilities Commission approved the Rural Regional Energy Network late last month to expand access to services for people in rural areas, covering almost half the state. Starting at the beginning of next year, the seven member partnership will work together on programs with more than $177 million in funding to underserved communities. The RuralREN will help utilize energy efficiency programs to customers in 31 counties, including to 66 Tribal Governments. In a release in KymKemp, the group hopes energy efficiency will help with the state’s policies to combat climate change. Member organizations include the Lake Area Planning Council and the Mendocino Council of Governments.
Cal Fire announced a new app to follow California’s Reforestation Efforts in their pine cone survey. It’s the annual Cone Crop Survey that the department is asking for the publics help. The Reforestation Pipeline Partnership announced the Cone Observation Survey for Apple and Android phones. Along with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection officials want to id conifer cone crops in the state that can produce seeds for projects in reforestation and post-fire restoration. They aim to have a Seed Bank and need to collect over 76,000 bushels to meet reforestation needs. Ponderosa pine, Douglas-fir, and more fir trees are needed as they cultivate trees below 6,000 feet in elevation. Check for the Cone Crop Survey app on Cal Fire’s webpage.
CalTrans issued a release on roadwork planned for this week. In Lake County, on Route 29 road work east of Kelseyville began Friday from Route 281 to Private Drive, with lane closures. On Route 175 culvert work began yesterday in Kelseyville near Route 29 with one way traffic from 8am to 4pm. Other culvert work in Kelseyville will happen today from Mathews Road to north of Route 29 with lane closures thru 3pm. On Route 175 bridge work began yesterday at Bottle Rock Road with one way traffic from 7a to 5pm. Also, utility work will happen there from Bottle Rock Road to Road 10. In Mendocino County, CalTrans announced road work on US 101 in Ukiah at Route 253 today and tomorrow with a full off ramp closure from 8a to 4p. Tree work north of Laytonville near Spyrock Road begins today with one way traffic.
The Middletown Area Town Hall is meeting on Thursday for updates on projects and fire season. They’ll meet at 7pm in the Library at Middletown. They’ll begin with an update on fire season from Cal Fire and Callayomi County Water District, according to Lake County News. Later, the group will go over a cannabis project on Jerusalem Grade. The meeting will be open to the public and available via zoom as well.
This year’s Mr. Lake County is Wess Nelson. The Record Bee reports after competing in the pageant Saturday Nelson won the Mr. Lake County Belt. The fundraiser for the Lake County Theatre Company raised $4,000 during their auction, and also earned money with vote, ticket and merchandise sales. It wasn’t all men in the show at the Soper Reese Theatre, ladies performed a choreographed dance and a preview performance of the Lake Theatre’s “9 to 5” by Dolly Parton.
Farmers Insurance is jumping on the bandwagon and getting out of new policies in California. After the company got a spike in applications for homeowners insurance they announced limitations on new policies in the state effective July 3rd. The Press Democrat reports Farmers is following actions by State Farm and Allstate to stop writing new insurance policies. Some warn future insurers could pull back and lead to a crisis of coverage in California. The state is the largest insurance market in the country and fourth largest in the world. Concern about costly wildfires prompted the exodus as well as catastrophic events like floods. State regulations, inflation and catastrophic events have caused cutbacks. Proposition 103 mandates companies may not use AI property analysis to raise rates.
The Mendocino County Animal Shelter is at its capacity for dogs, and has been for months. The shelter now has to euthanize some to make room for others. Sadly, people who are dropping off animals labeled as strays are sometimes found with a microchip naming the same people as owners who are giving up their pets. The shelter is asking people to hold on to strays while they try to locate their owners, before bringing them into the shelter. The shelter faces hard decisions and has exhausted all their options, according to a release. They are running an adoption special to free up kennels. They are also asking that if you are missing your pet, please contact them immediately to get their animal. Animal care services is asking the community for help as high occupancy continues to lead to sad decisions.
A body was found in a Healdsburg parking lot and was identified as a man who assaulted people in the area including hotel employees. An autopsy is scheduled for Thursday. Late last week, Healdsburg police posted details about Abel Garza of Santa Rosa. Residents in the area called police after 9am last Thursday with reports Garza had assaulted two hotel employees knocking one to the ground trying to hit them with his skateboard. Garza was next reported at another hotel on Healdsburg Avenue and climbed onto the roof. Police did not find him until after 10am when he returned to the first hotel with a hammer threatening employees. Police found him lying on the ground unresponsive, according to the Press Democrat. Officials think he was involved in a fight with three employees with one injured. Police are investigating.
The Jackson Demonstration State Forest announced that they have firewood permits available beginning on Thursday at 2pm. The permits will be limited to two cords per household at $20 per permit. The firewood area will be open Thursday and is slated to stay open until the first of October, or until the wood supply is gone. The Forest only has 75 permits available. Due to Sudden Oak Death, sales are limited to Mendocino County residents only, because wood cannot be taken out of the county. There are fire safety rules permit holders must abide by The Cal Fire Fort Bragg office has more information.
The North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board issued a release inviting public comment on a proposal for new requirements to preserve water quality in vineyards. They’ll consider adopting the new regulations by the North Coast Water Board this year, according to MendoFever. A technical advisory group was created last year to implement management practices like ground cover around vines and maintain setbacks to help keep cool temperatures in streams. With programs like the Fish Friendly Farming, California Certified Sustainable and more, over 80 percent of North Coast vineyards have already seen results of conservation practices. 95 percent of vineyards in the North Coast Region are within the Navarro and Russian River watersheds that are also habitats for threatened and endangered species.
There won’t be closures overnight this week at the Pudding Creek Bridge in Fort Bragg. CalTrans and contractor were able to relocate the sanitary sewer main line last week so the closures planned for this week won’t be needed, according to the MendoVoice. Plus, the 10 night scheduled closure for dates in July and September has decreased to only 4 nights while they install the power line. The traffic light Caltrans put up is working better than originally thought, and is reported to work more efficiently than manning the site with flaggers.
