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Clearlake City Council to consider year-round use for ballfields, hear update from police chief
CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Clearlake City Council this week will consider a request to allow the Redbud ballfields to be used year-round and get an update from the city's police chief on impacts from state legislation and a voter initiative.
The council will meet in closed session at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, April 23, to discuss litigation and labor negotiations before convening in open session at 6 p.m. in the council chambers at Clearlake City Hall, 14050 Olympic Drive.
South Shore Little League is going to the council to ask to amend its use agreement for the Redbud ballfields to provide for year-round use.
Hundreds of children participate in the league, which in recent years has made significant upgrades to the ballfields and associated facilities.
In other news, Clearlake Police Chief Craig Clausen will report to the council on the effects of the state's correctional realignment and Proposition 47 – passed by voters last November to reduce some felonies to misdemeanors – on the city. The council also may give direction to staff following the presentation, based on the agenda.
The council also will get a presentation from Jill Ruzicka, a senior analyst with the Lake County Administrative Office, regarding the county's marketing program, and an update from Susan Jen and Wally Holbrook on the status of the “Way to Wellville” effort and how the city fits in.
Also on the agenda is a public hearing on the confirmation of the assessment of administrative penalties for failure to abate public nuisances on a number of city properties.
On the meeting's consent agenda – items considered noncontroversial and usually accepted as a slate on one vote – are warrant registers, minutes of the March 11 Lake County Vector Control District meeting, and receipt of the Department of Housing and Community Development letter regarding the city's adopted housing element.
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Lakeport City Council to discuss prezoning ordinance, bond counsel agreement
LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport City Council this week will hold a public hearing on a prezoning ordinance relating to the city's sphere of influence and consider an agreement for bond counsel.
The council will meet in closed session at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 21, to discuss a case of existing litigation with the county of Lake over the former sheriff cutting off Lakeport Police's access to shared law enforcement records before convening in public session at 6 p.m. in the council chambers at Lakeport City Hall, 225 Park St.
On Tuesday the council will conduct a public hearing and is expected to adopt a proposed ordinance amending the prezoning map in the South Main Street and Soda Bay Road Area of the Lakeport Sphere of Influence.
In February the council approved a resolution that approved general plan amendments including the reduction of the sphere of influence, and modified general plan policies and actions to address land use, conservation, infrastructure, utilities and growth, and amended the general plan land use map.
The report to the council from Community Development Director Kevin Ingram and Special Project Coordinator Richard Knoll said the Lakeport Planning Commission proposed the action in order to be consistent with the Lakeport General Plan.
Under council business, Finance Director Dan Buffalo will take to the council the request to approve and authorize City Manager Margaret Silveira's signing of an agreement with the Weist Law Firm to serve as bond counsel to the city for financing with USDA Rural Development.
On the meeting's consent agenda – items considered noncontroversial and usually accepted as a slate on one vote – are ordinances; warrant registers for Feb. 10, March 26 and April 8; minutes of the council's regular April 7 meeting; and authorization of acceptance of the one and one and a half million gallon potable storage tank repair and recoating project, and recordation of a notice of completion with the county of Lake.
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042115 Lakeport City Council agenda packet
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New dock installation under way at Library Park
LAKEPORT, Calif. – The city of Lakeport is in the midst of installing new docks at Library Park.
The project began last week, and Public Works Superintendent Doug Grider said he hopes the work with be done by Tuesday or Wednesday.
Grider estimated that it has been around 30 years since the city installed new docks at the park.
In January, the Lakeport City Council approved the purchase order for the new aluminum docks, which were bought from The Dock Factory and Supply Co. in Lakeport for $226,336.43, as Lake County News has reported.
“My staff is doing the installation,” said Grider, with The Dock Factory available for technical consultation.
He said the installation so far has gone very smoothly.
Overall, there will be nearly 300 feet of new dock, plus some new gangway, pile guides and a swim ladder, based on the city's purchase documents.
Grider said that with the new docks there is roughly the same amount of dock surface area as before. However, a portion that had been removed several years ago to close off the swim beach is being reinstalled to keep that area safe.
Grider estimated that the city's old docks were having to be rebuilt – at a substantial cost – about every two to three years, as the wooden decking kept wearing out.
As for what happens to the old docks, Grider said that will be up to the council.
He said he plans to suggest an advertised auction with sealed bids.
The county of Lake also at one point had expressed interest in some of the recently rebuilt docks, and Grider said the city likely will approach the county and give it the first option to take them.
Considering that it's likely to be another 30 years before the city gets new docks, Grider said, “I hope the community takes ownership and buy-in on these new docks and helps keep them in good shape.”
If anyone sees the docks being vandalized, he asked that they contact city officials or police immediately.
Grider said the community's money was spent to purchase the docks.
“Treat them like they're your own because, in a way, they are,” he said.
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Animal Care and Control in search of new veterinarian; temporary vet willing to help
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County Animal Care and Control is putting out the call for a new veterinarian and hoping to bring on a temporary vet to keep the agency's clinic going.
Animal Care and Control opened its onsite veterinary clinic at the shelter – located at 4949 Helbush outside of Lakeport – in March 2012, an effort aided by community donations.
Initially, Dr. Anthony Wong served as the clinic's vet, with Dr. Jennifer Bennett coming on as the clinic's contract vet in the summer of 2013, according to Animal Care and Control Director Bill Davidson.
However, Bennett resigned effective April 30, and has already left to take a job in Seattle, said Davidson.
While the rest of April runs out, Davidson said Bennett has hired relief vets to keep the clinic going.
So far, Davidson has had a frustrating search for Bennett's successor, even though the contract position can pay as much as $100,000 annually.
“I have been trying for the last seven weeks to find a veterinarian who will come to work here full-time,” said Davidson. “It’s been very hard to find anyone who’s interested. There are a lot of people who are qualified. The problem is in attracting them to Lake County.”
He's had only a few inquiries for the contract, which he said seems to be a matter of Lake County's rural and remote location.
“One of the predominant issues is how isolated we are – a quiet and rural lifestyle suits me but not everyone,” he said.
“The second thing is if you’re a contract worker you don’t have medical, dental or retirement. We don’t provide that. Not having benefits is something that kind of turns people off,” he added.
As of Thursday morning, however, there was the possibility of at least a temporary reprieve from having to shut down the clinic while a recruitment takes place.
Davidson said Animal Care and Control was contacted Thursday morning by Dr. Richard Bachman, the director of the Contra Costa County animal shelter's veterinary medical program and a consultant to Lake County Animal Care and Control on the clinic feasibility study that preceded its opening. He also worked at the clinic in its early days.
Bachman has tentatively agreed to accept the veterinary contract, Davidson said.
“He's a temporary fix until we can find a more permanent solution,” said Davidson.
The matter must go before the Board of Supervisors for final approval. Davidson said he's asking to have it included on the board's May 5 agenda.
The clinic was opened three years ago with a view toward dropping the costs of adoptions and therefore increasing the numbers of pets going to new homes – thus reducing euthanasia and addressing the county's cat overpopulation problem.
It's an effort that has worked, according to Davidson.
“This is one program that has been outstanding in helping the community,” he said.
The clinic has been at the heart of the shelter’s population control program for cats, which has helped cut the county's high cat euthanasia rate in half over the last several years.
He said cats that come into the community cat program are spayed, neutered and vaccinated, so they can’t contribute to overpopulation.
“We’re spaying and neutering every stray cat we can get our hands on, and it’s making a difference,” said Davidson.
In the 2013-14 fiscal year, 1,200 cats were altered in the program, with Davidson estimating the number will be less for this current year due to Bennett having been out on medical leave.
“This is the first year we’ve seen the effect and it’s working, it really is working,” he said, adding that one of his officers reported that he's seeing a difference in the numbers of cats out in the communities.
The community cat program, which has been open to everyone wanting to spay or neuter community cats, had been closed due to Bennett's departure, Davidson said.
However, with Bachman offering to come on board, “We will open it up again,” Davidson said of the program.
For those interested in applying for the veterinary contract at the shelter clinic, contact Davidson at 707-263-0278.
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