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Clearlake City Council to consider planning commission appointments, midyear budget review
CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Clearlake City Council's agenda this week includes the process for appointing two members of on the city's planning commission and a midyear review of the city's budget.
The council will meet beginning at 6 p.m. Thursday, March 12, in the council chambers at Clearlake City Hall, 14050 Olympic Drive.
City Manager Joan Phillipe's report to the council explains that terms for two of the planning commission's five seats expired on Wednesday. She said three applications have been received.
In the past, applicants have been interviewed by the council during meetings. However, Phillipe said staff is proposing an alternative method of selection this time.
Her report suggests that Mayor Denise Loustalot appoint an ad hoc committee of two council members, the planning commission's chair and a city staffer – to be appointed by Phillipe – to conduct interviews and make a recommendation to the council at its March 26 meeting.
Also on the agenda, Finance Manager Chris Becnel will present the midyear budget review.
Becnel's report highlights $173,000 in savings due to spending decreases and lower-than-anticipated costs.
He said total adjustments for revenue and expenditures before the midyear adjustments total $428,000 to the positive, and is proposing $302,541 in reallocated spending as well as $125,459 that he suggests be set aside for unanticipated expenses for the rest of the fiscal year.
Also on the agenda is the biannual presentation by Highlands Senior service Center Executive Director Linda Burton on the center's operations; Clearlake Waste Solutions' annual report, required under its franchise agreement with the city; and a resolution approving the city's associate membership in the California Enterprise Development Authority, authorizing the city to join the Figtree Pace Program and authorizing the authority to conduct contractual assessment proceedings and levy contractual assessments in the city.
On the meeting's consent agenda – items considered noncontroversial and usually accepted as a slate on one vote – are warrant registers and minutes from the Jan. 14 Lake County Vector Control meeting, a report for the determination to terminate the declaration of local emergency in response to the Dec. 11 storm and approval of a request for reclassification of the secretary/permit technician to assistant planner.
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Westside Community Park Committee to host March 21 meeting on park equestrian area
LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Westside Community Park Committee has begun a planning process to add an equestrian area to the park and is set to hold a special meeting on the project.
The committee will host the meeting at 10 a.m. Saturday, March 21, for the purposes of viewing the site and receiving public comment.
The site is located at the west end of Westside Park Road, which intersects Parallel Drive just north of the Kathy Fowler Auto Dealership in Lakeport.
Last August, the committee received approval from the Lakeport City Council to begin the process of developing the equestrian area, as Lake County News has reported.
Since then, a subcommittee has been established to oversee the process. Carol Thorn, secretary of the Westside Community Park Committee, chairs the group.
Other committee members are Carol Maxwell, a member of the Westside Community Park Committee board of directors, Jaxan Christensen and Sally Green. All are horse people and active in the county’s horse community.
A conceptual drawing and brochure were created by Virginia Vovchuk, according to Dennis Rollins, chairperson of the Westside Community Park Committee.
“The purpose of the conceptual drawing is to help the community visualize what development might include and could possibly look like,” Rollins said.
Rollins emphasized that the current goal is to evaluate the needs of the various horse groups and work to develop a plan that can meet as many of those needs as possible.
“We are eager to visit the many horse groups to discuss this exciting project and hear from them about how the park might meet their needs,” said Thorn.
Rollins added, “We may not be able to meet all of the needs due to space and financial limitation but we need the information Carol’s committee will gather to provide us with a starting point.”
Early suggestions for development have included an arena with spectator seating, round pen, trail trial obstacle training course, horse camping sites and parking for trucks and trailers.
“Additional suggestions will be added to this list based upon the input received through the subcommittee,” Thorn said.
The Westside Community Park Committee has requested the Konocti Regional Trails Committee explore a potential trailhead from this area. The ultimate destination of the trail would be Bureau of Land Management administered land to the west.
Currently, the two biggest needs, according to Rollins, are raising funds and finding an engineer to create the plan.
“This will be an expensive project partly because it involves providing road access and water,” Rollins said.
The Westside Community Park Committee hopes that an engineer with an interest in an equestrian facility will offer services pro bono or on a reduced cost basis to help make this a reality.
Visit the committee's Web site at http://www.westsidecommunitypark.org/ for more information about the project.
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Rushing honored as Fourth Assembly District 'Woman of the Year'
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – Former Lake County Supervisor Denise Rushing was honored Monday in the state Capitol as the 2015 Woman of the Year for the 4th Assembly District.
Every year, the state Assembly honors one woman from each of the state’s Assembly Districts who has significantly contributed to her local communities.
“I am humbled to receive this honor, and I want to recognize that any accomplishments credited to me were done with the support of others,” said Rushing. “Serving Lake County has been a tremendous privilege, and I will continue working to better our community and ensure a sustainable future for generations to come.”
Rushing served eight years on the Lake County Board of Supervisors until January of this year, deciding not to seek a third term.
Sas served on numerous community boards and commissions. During her time on the board, Rushing built a track record advancing environmental stewardship and revitalizing the Northshore.
“Denise has been a dedicated public servant, and really exemplifies the spirit of commitment to community,” said Assemblyman Bill Dodd. “We are very fortunate to have caring, hard-working people like her in our district.”
Among her achievements, Rushing championed 3.2 megawatts of county-sponsored solar installations, supported county preservation of 1,500 acres atop Mt. Konocti in perpetuity and took part in an update to the Lake County General Plan that will help shape the future of Lake County for years to come.
Rushing also spearheaded progress on the Middle Creek wetland restoration, a project vital to the health of Clear Lake, and led revitalization efforts along the Northshore of Clear Lake including refurbishing the Lucerne “Castle” and the opening of Marymount California University Lucerne Campus, supporting the Live Oak and Lucerne Alpine Senior centers, and advancing the plaza, pier and seawall at Third Avenue in Lucerne.
Rushing is now the vice president of institutional relations for the National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity and founder of the Dancing TreePeople Organic Farm Community in Upper Lake, where she works, writes and lives with her partner Loretta McCarthy.
Dodd represents the Fourth Assembly District, which includes all or portions of Lake, Yolo, Napa, Sonoma, Solano and Colusa counties. You can learn more about the district at www.asm.ca.gov/dodd .
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Middletown Area Town Hall to hold discussions on road, arts, community projects
MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – The Middletown Area Town Hall this week will host presentations on arts and community projects.
MATH will meet in the activity room at the Middletown Community Center, 21256 Washington St., beginning at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 12.
Meetings are open to the community.
Agenda items include a presentation from Jesse Robertson regarding the Lake County/City Area Planning Council's State Active Transportation Program.
Gigi Stahl, Lake County Trails coordinator, will update the group on trails projects, and Lisa Kaplan will introduce the new Middletown Art Center, scheduled to have its opening reception on March 28.
Steve Greenberg will discuss with the group the Hartman Event Center, which is proposed to be built in Hidden Valley Lake and has been the subject of disagreements in that community over the project's necessity.
Other agenda items include public comment, approval of the Feb. 12 regular meeting minutes and changing the April 9 meeting date to April 10 in order to accommodate the schedule of Assemblyman Bill Dodd, who will attend the meeting.
The board of directors includes Chairman Fletcher Thornton, Vice Chair Claude Brown, Secretary Ken Gonzales, and members Charlotte Kubiak and Mike Tabacchi.
MATH – established by resolution of the Lake County Board of Supervisors on Dec. 12, 2006 – is a municipal advisory council serving the residents of Anderson Springs, Cobb, Coyote Valley (including Hidden Valley Lake), Long Valley and Middletown.
Meetings are subject to videotaping.
For more information email
Email Elizabeth Larson at [email protected] . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson