The city of Fort Bragg is holding its mid-year budget workshop today. Topics of discussion for today’s meeting include updates on the capital improvement program, FY’s 2025 performance report, the budget goals for FY 2025-26, and usage of Measures T and U, along with staffing needs across the organization. This and so much more, beginning at 4:30 at Town Hall in person or via Zoom.
As part of the 2025 federal funding requests, the city of Clearlake has chosen wildfire resilience and public safety projects. City Manager Alan Flora says those projects include the Early Wildfire Detection & Public Safety Camera System, which cost $475,000, the Highlands Mutual Water Tank Replacement, with a price tag of $2.4, and a citywide Hydrant Testing & Water System Analysis which is priced at $1.25 million. In previous years, Congressman Mike Thompson has been able to secure more than $6 million for the Burns Valley Sports Complex.
It was everything science at the 39th Annual Mendocino County Science and Engineering Fair & S.T.E.A.M. Expo. at Mendocino College. At the Science and Engineering Fair, students from grades 3 through 12 got an opportunity to display their projects, which were created to solve difficult problems and highlight innovative solutions. Meantime, the S.T.E.A.M. Expo featured all kinds of activities provided by educators, students, and community organizations that highlighted science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics or Steam (S.T.E.A.M.). 20 schools from the county showed up. The top ten projects selected will advance to the 74th California Science & Engineering Fair, which will be held April 12 and 13 at California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks.
California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara announced a guarantee from insurers for increased coverage and options. He was at the Capitol yesterday and spoke of new legislation for fair compensation for wildfire survivors and better protection for business properties. He also proposed changes which would allow insurance companies to more effectively assess risks using catastrophe models in order to set rates. In return he says, insurers must provide improved coverage in high wildfire risk areas and help property owners transition from the FAIR Plan.
