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Lakeport Police logs: Saturday, Jan. 10
Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026
00:00 EXTRA PATROL 2601100001
Occurred at Lake County Law Library on 3D....
Clearlake City Council want voters to decide on clerk, treasurer positions
CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Should the offices of Clearlake's city clerk and treasurer continue to be elected or be changed to appointed decisions?
The Clearlake City Council wants the city's voters to decide.
The council on Thursday evening directed City Manager Greg Folsom to draft a resolution and other necessary documents and bring them back for authorization either in March or April.
That will allow the city to include questions about how the two offices should be filled on the November ballot.
It was noted at the meeting that it was important to have the matters before voters this November, as neither of the offices are up for election this year.
The discussion begins at the 57:32 minute mark in the video above.
Folsom reported that both positions currently are elected, and neither require any qualification other than being a registered voter.
Melissa Swanson has served as the city's elected clerk since 2006. Although the city clerk's salary is only $300 per month, Swanson also is a city administrative employee, Folsom said.
Folsom said the city clerk's job is a critical, full-time position. The clerk prepares the agenda for the council meeting, must be knowledgeable about rules and regulations regarding public noticing and the Brown Act, and makes sure meetings are adequately recorded and minutes prepared.
He said the city would have major problems if, in the future, a city clerk was elected that wasn't adequately trained or couldn't fulfill the position's duties.
He cited issues in the cities of Pleasant Hill and Carson as examples of potential problems.
In Pleasant Hill, the clerk has another full-time job and hasn't prepared minutes for over a year, he said.
In Carson, the city clerk – formerly the city's mayor – had reportedly harassed employees and was banned from city hall in September amidst concerns that he could become violent, according to media reports. He was removed from office in a recall election held on Tuesday.
Folsom said there is a lot of potential for problems if the wrong kind of person gets into the job.
He cited numbers from the League of California Cities showing that, of the state's 482 cities, only 132 – or 27 percent – still have elected clerks.
The city of Lakeport's clerk position has long been a hired one. In January the Lakeport City Council voted to amend the municipal code in order to give the city manager the power to hire the city clerk, as Lake County News has reported.
In the case of the city of Clearlake's treasurer's job, it's technically been vacant since 2006, when longtime City Treasurer Elmer Maryatt retired.
Since then, city administrative staff – including Swanson – have taken turns fulfilling the job's duties.
Folsom said the city manager now acts in lieu of an elected person in that position.
While the need for the city treasurer, according to Folsom, is quite minimal, he said having an inadequately educated person in that position could be detrimental to the city.
The treasurer's job also has a $300 per month stipend, Folsom reported.
Councilwoman Joyce Overton said she has wanted to put the issues of the two offices and whether they should be elected or appointed before voters for a long time.
Councilman Bruno Sabatier said he believed the positions were created for the sake of democracy and the balance of power, and while he said he didn't mind putting the matters on the ballot, he felt they should be preserved as elected offices, not appointed.
Vice Mayor Gina Fortino Dickson wanted to clarify how the positions would be hired. Folsom said the city clerk could be hired either by the council or the city manager.
Noting that city staff wear multiple hats, Folsom said the director of finance would take over the treasurer's duties, or he would step in when necessary.
“That makes sense, absolutely, to me,” said Fortino Dickson.
During public comment, city resident Marie Weathers asked about how many hours a month the city treasurer works. Folsom said he didn't even know if it would be an hour a month.
Fortino Dickson asked about the cost of putting the positions on the ballot.
Swanson said the city didn't have a cost estimate at that point, however, she pointed out that there already will be a three council positions on the November ballot, and a total of as many as six city items on the ballot altogether. For all of those items, she estimated the cost could range between $12,000 to $15,000.
Fortino Dickson asked if the added items would increase the cost. Swanson said no, explaining that the clerk and treasurer jobs would constitute two separate questions on the ballot. She pointed out that if the positions become appointed, there would be future savings from not having to put them on the ballot.
The council reached consensus to have staff move forward with the process of placing the position question on the November ballot.
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Clearlake City Council approves updated skate park rules, transaction fee for credit charges
CLEARLAKE, Calif. – On Thursday the Clearlake City Council voted to make some necessary updates to the city's skate park rules and approved adding a charge for credit card transactions used to pay for city services and fees.
City Manager Greg Folsom introduced to the council the first reading of an ordinance to update the rules for the city's skate park.
Government code provides public agencies with immunity when a “hazardous recreational activity” results in injury to people or damage to property, he reported.
He said the law mandates that skateboard park operators require helmets, elbow pads and knee pads, and skateboard facilities like Clearlake's that are operated by a local public agency and not supervised on a regular basis can meet that requirement by following certain rules, including adopting an ordinance that requires the use of that safety equipment and posting signs notifying users of that requirement.
Folsom said that in 2015 AB 1146 was passed, which adds nonmotorized bicycles, scooters, inline skates, roller skates and wheelchairs under the liability protection as long as they are included to the ordinance requiring safety equipment and the associated signage.
The city's current ordinance also doesn't allow the use in the park of skateboards and bicycles at the same time. Folsom recommended that the provision be removed because it's not being enforced and, as a result, is creating a liability for the city.
Michele Bush, whose son Ricky grew up riding at the park, urged the council to remove language that closed the skate park during regular school hours, and asked instead that it be open from sunrise to sunset.
Bush said there are older riders who use the park and it wouldn't be fair to close off the park to them.
She also pointed out that there is a new generation of children coming up now – her little grandson included – who will soon be riding bikes, skateboards and scooters, and there is interest in developing a part of the park for the younger children to use.
Retired Councilman Chuck Leonard said some of the same problems for the park exist now as when he was on the council several years ago.
“I just don't understand why we're still going through the same thing,” Leonard said, adding that he wanted those who use the park to show more respect with regard to the rules.
Councilwoman Joyce Overton agreed with Bush's request to remove the language to close the park during school hours.
Councilman Bruno Sabatier said he also wanted to keep the park open from sunrise to sundown, noting there is definitely an older crowd of people who use the park and they don't deserve to have it shut down.
He said he also would like to see age limits changed, as currently 12 is the youngest age for park users. Sabatier said he realized that age limit was based on state law, and that he wanted to take that issue to state Sen. Mike McGuire.
Sabatier said he also found the maximum fine for a violation at the park, at $1,000, to be too high, and asked to see it reduced.
During the discussion Mayor Russell Perdock said he remembered when Andy Johnson – the young man for whom the park was named – and a group of young people came to the council a decade ago to ask that the city build the park. He said they took great pride in the park and took good care of it.
Perdock said he felt some of that care has been lost since then, but he applauded the young people and adults who are still trying to take care of the park. Noting recent vandalism, he said abuse of the park only takes it from the community.
He added of the park, “It is one of the positive things that we have to offer our youth.”
The council reached consensus to lower the maximum fine from $1,000 to $500, with Lt. Tim Celli, the city's acting police chief, noting that the change in fine amount actually would remove a conflict with the city's police code, which has a maximum fine of $500.
Another of Thursday's main items of business was a resolution to adopt a 2.1 percent transaction fee for cumulative credit card charges in excess of $1,999.99 per customer.
City Finance Director Chris Becnel explained that in June the city finally began to accept credit cards for payment of services the city provides as well as various taxes and fees owed to it.
He said credit card usage typically results in a fee being charged to the merchant – in this case, the city – that ranged from 0.5 percent to 2.65 percent, depending on the credit card used.
Originally, the expectation was that most of the charges would be significantly less than $1,000 and the city would be willing to absorb those fees, he said.
“What in fact has happened is that there have been a few fairly significant transactions, in the thousands of dollars. Not very many, just a few,” Becnel said.
From Sept. 1 through Jan. 31, approximately $120,068.20 was charged, incurring fees to the city of $2,437.18. Becnel said the vast majority of the cost to the city came from nine transactions totaling $102,339.48 that incurred a 2.1-percent fee plus $0.90 for a total of $2,150.03.
The amount of fees the city is having to absorb has gotten “a little larger than we thought it would be,” Becnel said.
Councilwoman Denise Loustalot, who owns a business, noted, “This is a pretty standardized thing that most businesses do by charging a fee” for using a credit card.
The council approved the fee resolution unanimously.
In other business council members approved the adoption of a resolution declaring an intention to move forward with granting Golden State Water Co. an updated franchise with the city.
“We're not adopting the franchise this evening,” Becnel explained, noting an additional discussion of the proposed franchise would take place next month.
Becnel said Golden State Water has had a franchise to provide water in the city since incorporation and even before.
“The only real modification is that we're putting in the franchise fee,” he said.
The updated franchise would allow for a franchise fee of up to 2 percent of the company's gross annual receipts, which is expected to generate $20,000 annually, according to Becnel. He said the franchise fee percentage is set by the state.
There was no public input nor comment from a Golden State Water Co. representative, and the council approved the resolution 5-0.
The council also gave additional direction to staff regarding a proposed warming center ordinance that the planning commission is to take up at a future meeting, reached consensus to direct staff to draft a resolution to put before voters this fall the questions of whether the city clerk and treasurer positions should be elected or appointed, received the 2015 annual solid waste and recycling report, presented a proclamation for March for Meals month and voted to approve Overton and Vice Mayor Gina Fortino Dickson being appointed to a new city ad hoc marketing committee
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Lakeport City Council to hold goals workshop
LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport City Council has called a special meeting this week to discuss goals as part of the budgeting process.
The council will meet for the special session at 8:30 a.m. Friday, Feb. 26, in the front conference room at Lakeport City Hall, 225 Park St.
The agenda calls for discussion and setting of goals for fiscal year 2016-17.
The goals the council establishes will guide city staff as it begins to craft the next fiscal year budget.
The public is invited to attend.
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Clearlake City Council to consider ordinance for updated skate park rules, new water franchise
CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Clearlake City Council this week will discuss an update to city skate park rules, an updated water franchise agreement, and whether the city clerk and treasurer positions should be elected or appointed.
The council will meet beginning at 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 25, in the council chambers at Clearlake City Hall, 14050 Olympic Drive.
At the start of the meeting, the council will present a proclamation for March for Meals month.
City Manager Greg Folsom will take to the council the first reading of an ordinance amending the rules and regulations for the city-owned and operated skate park.
In order to be in compliance with state laws that offer public agencies that run skateboard facilities immunity when a “hazardous recreational activity” results in injury or damage to property or persons, the city must make some minor language changes, according to Folsom's report.
“Additionally, our current ordinance regulates the use of skateboards and bicycles by disallowing concurrent use of these types of recreational devices,” Folsom wrote. “This rule is not being adhered to and is causing a liability to the City by not being enforced. Staff is recommending removing this provision.”
He said there will be a cost to update the skate park signs accordingly, but it's not expected to be a significant amount.
The council also will consider adopting resolution 2015-10 declaring an intention to grant Golden State Water Co. a franchise to supply the city with water.
The company has had a franchise to supply water to Clearlake since before the city was incorporated in 1980. However, according to Finance Director Chris Becnel's report, the city and the company have agreed to modify the franchise agreement for the payment of a franchise fee to the city pursuant to Public Utilities code.
That fee, Becnel reported, shall be equal to 2 percent of the company's gross annual receipts. Becnel estimated that the franchise likely will generate $20,000 in new fees for the city annually.
In other business, the council will discuss whether the city clerk and treasurer positions should be elected or appointed, and if it should direct staff to prepare an ordinance regulating warming centers and refer it to the Clearlake Planning Commission for its recommendation.
Also on the agenda will be a public hearing to consider implementing fees on certain large credit card charges, the 2015 annual solid waste and recycling report, and consideration of a marketing ad hoc committee.
On the meeting's consent agenda – items considered noncontroversial and usually accepted as a slate on one vote – are warrant registers; minutes of the Feb. 4 and 11 council meetings; minutes of the Jan. 13 Lake County Vector Control District meeting; consideration of the second reading and adoption of Ordinance No. 182-2016 prohibiting camping on private property; consideration of second reading and adoption of Ordinance No. 183-2016 relating to animal control services; authorization for the mayor to sign letters to Assemblyman Bill Dodd and state Sen. Mike McGuire addressing the declining gas tax; and award of an engineering design services contract with Coastland Engineering for an amount not to exceed $162,852.
Email Elizabeth Larson at