NORTH COAST, Calif. – Caltrans reports that the following road projects will be taking place around the North Coast during the coming week.

Included are Mendocino County projects that may impact Lake County commuters.

LAKE COUNTY
 
Highway 20

– Caltrans will perform routine maintenance from Bruner Drive to Widgeon Way through Friday, Jan. 23. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., weekdays. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.

MENDOCINO COUNTY
 
Highway 1

– Caltrans will perform routine maintenance from Mallo Pass Creek to the Greenwood Creek Bridge through Friday, Jan. 23. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., weekdays. Motorists should anticipate 10-minute delays.
 
Highway 101

– Caltrans will perform slide repairs near the Korean War Veterans Memorial Bridge (near Frog Woman Rock). Northbound traffic will be restricted to one lane 24 hours per day, seven days per week. Motorists may experience minor traffic slowdowns.
 
– Emergency roadway repairs just south of Ridgewood Ranch Road will continue. Traffic will be restricted to one lane in each direction of travel 24 hours per day, seven days per week. Motorists may experience minor traffic slowdowns.
 
– Emergency slide debris removal from .5 to .3 miles south of the Haehl Overhead Bridge will continue. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., weekdays. Motorists should anticipate 15 minute delays.
 
– Highway construction from Casteel Lane to the north Willits railroad crossing will continue. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., 7 days per week. Motorists should anticipate 10-minute delays.
 
– Bridge rehabilitation at the Arnold Bridge Overhead will continue. Traffic will be restricted to one lane in each direction of travel from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m., weekdays. Motorists may experience minor traffic slowdowns.
 
– Bridge rehabilitation at the Jitney Gulch Bridge will continue. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m., weekdays. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.
 
– Bridge rehabilitation at the Bridges Creek Bridge will continue. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m., weekdays. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.
 
– Bridge rehabilitation at the South Fork Eel River Bridge will continue through Friday, Jan. 23. Traffic will be restricted to one lane in each direction of travel from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m., weekdays. Motorists may experience minor traffic slowdowns.
 
– Bridge rehabilitation at the Piercy Separation will continue. Traffic will be restricted to one lane in each direction of travel from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m., weekdays. Motorists may experience minor traffic slowdowns.
 
– Pavement repairs near Piercy will continue through Friday, Jan. 23. Southbound traffic will be restricted to one lane from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., weekdays. Motorists may experience minor traffic slowdowns.
 
– Bridge rehabilitation at the South Fork Eel River Bridge will continue. Traffic will be restricted to one lane in each direction of travel from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m., weekdays. Motorists may experience minor traffic slowdowns.
 
Highway 128

– Culvert rehabilitation at various locations from Wendling Street to the Ornbaun Creek Bridge line will continue through Friday, Jan. 23. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., weekdays. Motorists should anticipate 10-minute delays.
 
Highway 162

– Emergency culvert repairs about 1.0 mile south of the Rodeo Creek Bridge will continue. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., weekdays. Motorists should anticipate 10-minute delays.
 
Highway 271

– Bridge rehabilitation at the Reynolds Overcrossing, the McCoy Creek Bridge, and the South Fork Eel River Bridge will continue. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m., weekdays. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.

Caltrans wishes to advise motorists to drive with caution when approaching work areas and to be prepared to stop at traffic control stations.
 
The Caltrans Traffic Operations Office has reviewed each project and determined that individual project delays are expected to be less than the statewide policy maximum of 30 minutes, unless noted otherwise above. (Bold type denotes a change from the previous bulletin.)

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lake County Democratic Central Committee will hold its next meeting on Thursday, Feb. 5.

The group will meet at 6:30 p.m. in the Lakeport Senior Center conference room, 527 Konocti Ave.
 
The agenda for the February 5, 2015 meeting includes reports from representatives for Congressmen Mike Thompson and John Garamendi, Assemblyman Bill Dodd and State Sen. Mike McGuire, as well as reports from the Stonewall Democratic Club Chair and the representative from the Lake County Democratic Club.
 
Meetings are open to the public and committee membership is open to all registered Democrats.
 
The Lake County Democratic Central Committee is the official governing body of the Democratic Party in Lake County.
 
For more information about the Democratic Party in Lake County visit www.lakecountydemocrats.org or www.facebook.com/LakeCountyDemocrats .
 
Contact the Democratic Party of Lake County at 707-533-4885 or by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – The Rotary Club of Middletown is holdings its 24th annual crab feed this Saturday night, Jan. 24, at the Lion's Club building on Central Park Road.

Tickets are still available at either Middletown Florist or by emailing club President Rick Hamilton at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

For the ticket price of $60 per person you get all-you-can-eat crab, pasta, salad and French bread.

There is a full bar and you can also bring your own wine.

In addition there is a silent auction and a live auction.

This is Middletown Rotary's largest fundraiser and the monies go to support local high school scholarships, Little League sponsorship along with supporting numerous other local nonprofits such as the Gibson Museum, Lake Family Resource Center and People's Services.

SACRAMENTO – In November 2014, California voters passed Proposition 1, a $7.5 billion water bond that will make needed investments in the state’s water management systems and support the goals of the California Water Action Plan.

The bond provides $2.7 billion to increase the state’s water storage capacity and designates the California Water Commission as the state agency responsible for developing and adopting a program to appropriately allocate these funds for the public benefits of eligible water storage projects.

“In approving the water bond, California voters have entrusted this Commission with a huge responsibility and it is one that we do not take lightly. We are committed to developing an investment program that will improve the health of our water management system and yield far-reaching public benefits for all Californians,” Commission Chair Joe Byrne said at the commission's Wednesday meeting.

 “The importance of the public benefits associated with water storage projects cannot be overstated. We look forward to a thorough and thoughtful public process – guided by significant stakeholder input and collaboration – to determine how to best invest in multi-purpose projects that provide these critical benefits,” he continued.

“The bond calls for this funding to begin at the end of 2016.  Between now and then, we are absolutely committed to creating a program that will result in great water projects, is mindful of the public’s trust that we spend this money efficiently and benefits our state, its people, and our environment,” Byrne concluded.

The commission will initiate a stakeholder engagement process to collect feedback and ideas about how to develop Water Storage Investment Program guidelines and regulations.

Interested parties are encouraged to provide input at commission meetings and upcoming working sessions, or by participating in a Water Project Survey that will be available on the commission’s website later this month. 

More information is available at https://cwc.ca.gov/Pages/PublicBenefits1.aspx or by emailing the commission at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

The California Water Commission consists of nine members appointed by the governor and confirmed by the State Senate.

It advises the director of the Department of Water Resources on matters within the department’s jurisdiction, approves rules and regulations, and monitors and reports on the construction and operation of the State Water Project.

California’s comprehensive water legislation, enacted in 2009, gave the commission new responsibilities regarding the investment of public funds for the public benefits of water storage projects, and developing regulations for the quantification and management of those benefits.

SACRAMENTO – State Treasurer John Chiang on Wednesday announced the suspension of administrative fees for the Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) Loss Reserve Program, which allows California homeowners to finance energy and water efficiency projects through property assessment payments over a five-, 10- or 20-year period.

“This popular program enables homeowners to finance energy-efficient windows, heating and air-conditioning systems, solar power and water conservation measures,” Chiang said. “I hope that by cutting fees we will make it more affordable for more Californians to make green investments in their own homes.”

The program, which currently supports $350 million of PACE financing, is part of the State’s larger efforts to promote California-based jobs and reduce greenhouse gas emissions while limiting air and water pollution.

The fees were cut when the California Alternative Energy and Advanced Transportation Financing Authority (CAEATFA), chaired by Chiang, adopted emergency regulations at a meeting Tuesday in Sacramento.

The most active PACE program is the Western Riverside County of Government’s Home Energy Renovation Opportunity (HERO) Program, which has enrolled $189 million in financings.

Another $80 million has been enrolled by a similar program in neighboring San Bernardino County. A complete list of local programs can be found at http://www.treasurer.ca.gov/caeatfa/pace/participants.asp .

“We in Sonoma County are very pleased that Treasurer Chiang took no time in removing the fees for the CAEATFA loss reserve program. This program protects mortgage lenders from any losses that could result from a PACE assessment,” said David Sundstrom, Sonoma County’s auditor-controller and treasurer-tax collector. “Removing the fees will help promote energy efficient retrofits and move us toward our goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and our dependency on foreign oil.”

Previously, the program required participants to pay an administrative fee of one quarter of one percent of the principal value of each enrolled financing, or roughly $50 for each $20,000 of financing.

Suspension of the program’s administrative fee could save enrolled PACE programs and homeowners an estimated $750,000 annually.

The PACE Loss Reserve program has supported 17,401 financings since its launch.

It covers first mortgage lenders for PACE payments paid while the first mortgage lender is in possession of a foreclosed property and losses incurred resulting from PACE assessments being paid before the outstanding balance in a forced sale.

Visit the Treasurer’s Web site, http://www.treasurer.ca.gov/caeatfa/pace/index.asp , to learn more about the PACE Loss Reserve Program.

SACRAMENTO – In a continuing effort to further its new mission to provide a safe, sustainable, integrated and efficient transportation system to enhance California’s economy and livability, Caltrans has released the “Complete Streets Implementation Action Plan 2.0,” an updated strategy on how the department will work to continue to address the safety and mobility needs for all modes of transportation.

“This plan illustrates and details all the current efforts underway at Caltrans to further integrate ‘complete streets’ into everything we do, from the earliest stages of system planning through project delivery and maintenance and operations,” said Caltrans Director Malcolm Dougherty. “However you choose to travel, Caltrans’ complete streets policy ultimately means you will have more safe and convenient choices for getting around.”

This updated plan includes 109 additional action items to further integrate complete streets into all Caltrans functions and processes. It includes action items such as:

– The development of a State Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan.
– Collecting complete streets data and performance measures.
– Continuing to revise Caltrans’ manuals to be consistent with and supportive of complete streets.
– Complete Streets Overview Training Course for Caltrans staff in all departmental functions.
– Supporting district complete street plans and partnerships.

Streets are made “complete” by addressing the needs of all users of the system – including bicyclists, pedestrians, transit riders and motorists – in a way appropriate to the local community.

Streets allowing for safe travel by any mode benefit communities, regions and the state by:

– Providing mobility options and access for non-drivers.
– Decreasing vehicle trips and associated air pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions.
– Supporting increased physical activity and improving public health and safety.
– Improving livability, revitalizing communities and decreasing transportation costs.

The original Complete Streets Implementation Action Plan consisted of 73 action items from 2010-2013, with more than three-quarters now complete or with substantial progress made.

This includes highlights such as a complete streets update to the “Highway Design Manual”; release of “Complete Intersections: A Guide to Reconstructing Intersections and Interchanges for Bicyclists and Pedestrians”; and an update of System Planning Guidelines to include multimodal elements in Transportation Concept Reports.

As new activities related to complete streets occur, they are documented and added to the plan on the Caltrans complete streets Web site at http://dot.ca.gov/completestreets .

Also, as part of its effort to increase the construction of multimodal local streets and roads, Caltrans recently endorsed National Association of City Transportation Officials guidelines that include innovations such as buffered bike lanes and improved pedestrian walkways.