The Clearlake Planning Commission has some new members. The City Council interviewed several candidates for the position at its meeting on Thursday and came away selecting Derek Counts and Ray Silva for the two positions. They’ll serve on the planning commission for the first time, while the council also reappointed Fawn Williams who is finishing up her first term. City Clerk/Administrative Services Director Melissa Swanson and Commissioner Terry Stewart did not seek another term. Another incumbent, Robert Corker also wanted another term, but Lake County News reports he failed to submit the required letter of intent before the end of his term. Counts is a 2009 graduate of Lower Lake High who says he left home but decided to come back to go to school–based on the city’s Clearlake College Promise Program, which supports students who continue their education beyond high school. He says that inspired him to get involved in the community. He went to Woodland Community College and now works as an X-Ray tech at Sutter Hospital. New member Ray Silva lives in the Highlands Harbor area and has served on several other city boards and commissions.
The Lake County Farm Bureau is holding an informal meeting this week to hear about the latest developments involving the Clear Lake Hitch. Representatives of California Water Resource Control Board, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Habematolel Pomo of Upper Lake and Lake County Department of Water Resources will be there to outline progress saving the fish, and take questions. The small minnow-like fish has seen its number drop in recent years, and this year, the US Fish and Wildlife Service proposed listing it as a threatened species. The state listed it 11 years ago. This is the latest meeting to get public opinion about the proposal, with a comment period ending on Monday. The Farm Bureau and the Lake County Water Resources Board both have info in the Hitch–and it’s ecological and cultural significance
Another blast of winter is on the way for the mountains. The forecast for the Sierras calls for at least 3 feet of snow in the higher elevations. Thankfully, nothing like that is on the way here as we get ready for the new season that officially gets here on the 20th.
