How to resolve AdBlock issue? Lakeport City Council to hold goal-setting workshop, discuss software and consulting
LAKEPORT, Calif. – This week the Lakeport City Council will meet to discuss goals for the city, and consider authorizing purchases and payments for software and consulting services.
The council will meet for a goal-setting working at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 4, in the council chambers at Lakeport City Hall, 225 Park St., to be followed by the regular meeting at 6 p.m.
At the start of the meeting, Lakeport Police Chief Brad Rasmussen will introduce new police volunteer Larry Howerton and report on volunteer activities.
Under council business, the council will discuss authorizing City Manager Margaret Silveira to execute an amendment with Tyler Technologies in an amount not to exceed $21,321 for the purchase, data conversion and implementation of the building and permitting, code enforcement modules and the IG Workforce extensions as part of the Incode financial software.
Public Works Director Mark Brannigan will seek the council's approval to also authorize Silveira to pay the invoice for training and implementation on a work and asset management software application.
The application is to cost $9,880 and Brannigan proposes to split the costs for it equally between roads, water and sewer funds at the cost of $3,293.33 for each fund.
Finance Director Dan Buffalo will take to the council a purchase order for P2 Capital Advisors, not to exceed $5,000, for the provision of continuing disclosure consulting services to assist staff in meeting continuing disclosure requirements of various bond issues under city management.
On the meeting's consent agenda – items considered noncontroversial and usually accepted as a slate on one vote – are ordinances, minutes of the regular Feb. 18 meeting, the Feb. 19 warrant register, and authorization for the city manager to enter into an agreement for labor relations and personnel management consulting services with Nickolaus and Haeg.
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030414 Lakeport City Council agenda packet.pdf
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County's assessor-recorder won't seek reelection
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The man who has served Lake County for more than a decade as assessor-recorder said he will not run for reelection.
“After considerable thought I have decided I will not seek another term as Lake County assessor-recorder,” Doug Wacker said in a statement released to Lake County News.
“However, I plan to finish my term, which ends December 2014,” Wacker added.
Wacker, 60, said it's been his honor to serve the people of Lake County as assessor-recorder these past 13 years, and he's appreciated the support of his staff, other county departments and the Board of Supervisors.
The Board of Supervisors appointed Wacker assessor-recorder in April 2001, succeeding Dan Irwin.
After defeating then-Assistant Assessor-Recorder Michael Wochna in the March 2002 primary election, Wacker went on to run unopposed in 2006 and 2010.
The Lake County Registrar of Voters Office told Lake County News that Wacker had until March 7 to decide if he would seek reelection.
By the end of his term, Wacker said he will have reached 37 years in the property assessment field.
With Wacker's seat now open, a field is forming to succeed him.
Richard Ford, the county's assistant auditor-controller, and Lakeport businessman Logan Weiper, were the initial candidates in the assessor-recorder race, as Lake County News has reported.
Now, Ford and Weiper have been joined by a third candidate, Sorhna Li Jordan, according to the Registrar of Voters Office.
Jordan, of Hidden Valley Lake, holds a juris doctorate from the University of San Francisco and has served on the Lake County Grand Jury.
Last year, Jordan applied to the county to fill the remaining term of Treasurer-Tax Collector Sandra Shaul.
The Board of Supervisors later in 2013 would appoint Deputy Treasurer-Tax Collector Barbara Ringen to the treasurer-tax collector job. Ringen will run in her first election this year.
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Clearlake City Council votes to pursue another sales tax measure in June
CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Clearlake City Council voted 3-2 Thursday to place a 1-percent general sales tax measure on the June 3 ballot.
As a general tax, revenue will be placed in the general fund for use at the council's discretion. However, the stated intention of the current council is to direct revenue toward road improvements, code enforcement and animal control.
According to City Manager Joan Phillipe, the council's only option, at this time, in placing the measure on the June ballot is to do so as a general tax.
She said a specific tax would require a public hearing prior to adoption of a resolution for ballot inclusion. She said there is not adequate time before the March 7 deadline to meet noticing requirements for a public hearing.
The deadline to withdraw the measure is March 12, Phillipe said in response to a question by Vice Mayor Gina Fortino Dickson.
The city currently has in place Measure P, which mandates that 63 percent of the general fund be allocated to the police department.
Phillipe said any revenue generated from the proposed general tax measure would have to comply with that mandate.
“Based on a projection of $1.4 million generated annually by a one percent tax, the split would generate about $820,000 allocated to the police department and $518,000 allocated to roads,” she said.
Phillipe said staff developed an idea to address allocation concerns. The plan would move certain positions into the police department for operation.
She said the idea would be to create a team or task force that would encompass staffing for code enforcement, crime suppression and contract animal control services as well as roads.
“The funding ratio is clearly not the same (as the previous special tax initiative) but the basic tenets are covered with the addition of crime suppression,” she said.
Fortino Dickson said she did not want to miss any opportunity in gaining revenue for the city and cited a loss of funds that would be currently generating had the previous measure been successful. “I'm ready to move forward with improving our community now,” she said.
She said there is an immediate need for code enforcement services in addition to obvious blight in that, the recent passage of the city's marijuana cultivation ordinance requires resources for enforcement.
Fortino Dickson said inaction was not an option and she would support either a June or November ballot as well as another attempt in the second election should the measure fail in the first.
Councilman Joey Luiz said he agreed with Fortino Dickson regarding enforcement of the marijuana cultivation ordinance, which was previously questioned by a member of the public during the public comment portion of the night's meeting.
He said based on results of previous elections, six out of 10 voters support the initiative and opportunity for the public to decide should be provided.
Mayor Denise Loustalot, who provided a second on Luiz's motion for a June ballot, said immediate action was necessary.
Council members Joyce Overton and Jeri Spittler voted against the action, urging the council to seek a November ballot, which could be placed as either general tax or a special tax.
Overton said that while she appreciates the efforts of volunteers who have assisted in presenting the initiative to voters, a lack of walking campaigns has contributed significantly to failure of the measure in numerous attempts. She said door-to-door, face-to-face delivery of information is necessary for success.
A November initiative would provide adequate time to conduct such a campaign, Overton suggested.
“If you keep doing the same thing, you're going to get the same results,” Overton said.
Spittler urged the council to slow down, that rushing creates a red flag in the community. She said she was not comfortable making a decision at this time.
Spittler said suggested further time be provided to research options for including all roads, public and private, into the plans for road improvements.
Citizen Chuck Leonard said private roads should not be an issue. “I don't see how you are going to pave private roads with taxpayer money,” he said. “It's your choice when you buy or rent on that road whether you pave that road or not. The road fairy is not going to come along.”
Spittler said ensuring all roads in the city are accessible for emergency vehicles should be a priority. She said the current plan does not fix the problem.
Leonard said he liked Spittler's idea of a lottery for grading roads not within the city's system. Phillipe said such a lottery is feasible, however, a system should be devised to avoid piecemeal improvements that do not logically connect.
Spittler said in any instance, she would oppose a general sale tax initiative, citing a lack of public trust because of alleged misappropriation of such tax funds in the past. “I won't support a tax that is going into the general fund,” she said.
Citizen Mike Vandiver said he assisted in the effort supporting Measure H, the 1-percent special sales tax initiative presented to voters last November. The initiative failed to gain the two-thirds support it needed for passage by 177 votes.
“I really believe for this measure to work, it needs to be put on the November ballot, not June,” he said. “There is not enough time to get the information out to the people.”
Several other speakers urged the council to wait until November, including representatives of organizations offering their assistance.
Victoria Brandon said the Save the Lake 2014 Committee is supportive of the city's efforts and would like to provide it assistance.
“If you wait until November we can use resources they are using with the lake measure,” she said. “Please wait until November and let us help you, and we really, really will.”
Ed Robey, speaking on behalf of the Sierra Club Lake Group, said the club has decided to support the lake tax measure, which is to be presented in June.
“We would like to support (the city's measure) but it may be difficult to do two taxes at once,” he said, adding the club would assist with a November ballot.
In addition, Robey urged the council to seek a special tax rather than a general tax and suggested limiting the initiative to just roads.
Overton said constituents have conveyed to her a greater desire for code enforcement over road improvements.
“I've been walking and talking to people. When you talk to people, the issue is not roads, it's code enforcement,” she said, later adding, “The majority of them were about the safety of our town and cleaning it up.”
Carl Webb, who serves on the Clearlake Planning Commission, said it would be difficult for the city's tax initiative to compete with the lake tax.
He cited numerous blight issue throughout the city and cautioned against making the measure solely about roads.
Tony King, speaking from the public, urged all council members to work in same direction, despite whichever action was decided upon.
Overton said while she voted against the motion, as it is the council's decision, she will uphold it and make every effort to assist in the measure's success.
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Lakeport officials plan strict enforcement of medical marijuana cultivation ordinance
LAKEPORT, Calif. – City of Lakeport officials said this week that they're planning to begin strict enforcement of a medical marijuana cultivation ordinance passed by the Lakeport City Council last year.
In June 2013, the Lakeport City Council unanimously passed the ordinance, which was the product of a committee of community members and city staffers, as Lake County News has reported.
City officials said they sought to create rules that strike a balance between the concerns of residents regarding the cultivation of marijuana in the community and protecting the rights of patients with the required medical recommendation to cultivate their own medicine, individually or as part of a legitimate collective.
The ordinance, which became law on July 18, 2013, prohibits outdoor grows. It requires that marijuana grows be conducted in accessory outdoor structures with effective odor filtration systems.
The grow structures also must have setbacks from other structures and property lines, with perimeter fencing also required.
While there is no restriction on the number of cannabis plants, the maximum area of the plant canopy is 80 square feet, according to the ordinance.
The document also prohibits medical marijuana cultivation within 300 feet of any school, child care center, park or playground.
Lakeport Police Chief Brad Rasmussen said the rules are designed to allow the cultivation of medical marijuana in residential areas in a manner that will not create nuisance odors or increase public safety threats related to theft, burglary, home invasions and fires.
The ordinance and associated documents can be found on the city of Lakeport's Web site, http://www.cityoflakeport.com/docs/Ordinance-No--889-Marijuana-Cultivation--718201331815PM.pdf or http://www.cityoflakeport.com/departments/docs.aspx?deptID=39&;catID=224 .
Once the ordinance was passed, the city undertook a public education campaign last summer and fall, seeking voluntary compliance.
Rasmussen said his agency and the Lakeport Community Development Department provided public education related to the ordinance.
Now, they intend to move forward with taking strict enforcement action on medical marijuana grows that are not in compliance with this ordinance, Rasmussen said.
Rasmussen has emphasized that city staff intend to address noncompliant grows based on a complaint-driven process.
The city will use its administrative citation process to handle noncompliant grows, with growers potentially facing infractions that can bring citations.
Information about the process can be found at http://www.codepublishing.com/CA/lakeport/html/Lakeport08/Lakeport0830.html#8.30 .
Rasmussen urged community members to review the ordinance and contact Lakeport Police or Community Development Department staff with any questions.
He said the city also can provide information about a secure structure specifically designed for medical marijuana cultivation, including the necessary odor filtration system.
Questions can be directed to Lt. Jason Ferguson of the Lakeport Police Department, 707-263-5491 or
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Holford retires from East Lake Resource Conservation District, honored for contributions
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The East Lake Resource Conservation District said goodbye and good luck to a good friend at a recent meeting.
Feb. 13 was the last official meeting for Dwight Holford, a respected and valued member of the district's board of directors.
Board members were sad to see Holford and his wife Joelle leave Lake County.
A recent proclamation by the Lake County Board of Supervisors honoring Holford, presented on Feb. 4, was much deserved and long overdue recognition for a man who has contributed so much to our watershed health and natural resources.
A veteran of the Korean War, married since 1955 to Joelle, Dwight Holford retired from the U.S. Department of Defense after 32 years and moved to Lake County in 1988. The couple did not sit idle.
Holford’s interest in conservation and the environment had led to a bachelor of science degree in fisheries biology from Humboldt State University in 1959. He put his degree and interests to good use in Lake County.
In 1996, Holford was one of the founding directors of the Upper Putah Creek Stewardship. He volunteered and assisted with youth programs as Field Days in the Creek, developed Trout in the Classroom in various Lake County schools and pioneered bioassessment water quality monitoring in Lake County.
Along with Bill Reed and Harry Lyons, he inspired more than one volunteer to go jump in the creek.
Holford also served as watershed coordinator for the Upper Putah Creek Watershed, building exceptional partnerships with federal, state and county agencies; service, youth, environmental and watershed groups; and local tribes and schools.
He managed several successful grants, including those that led to bioassessment training, the mapping and eradication of invasive weeds, recruiting and training of volunteers to collect water samples, watershed restoration projects and workshops, native plant production and long-range planning.
If you’ve heard of a project that helped our natural resources, Holford was most likely involved. He generously shared his knowledge and enthusiasm, taking little or no credit for the work he accomplished and inspired.
His dedication to our natural resources didn’t stay in Lake County – he wanted others to understand the importance of our local watersheds, too.
In 2002, Holford was one of the founding directors of the Sacramento River Watershed Program, which operates through consensus-based collaborative partnerships, research and monitoring, and enhances education among the stakeholders of the Sacramento River Watershed.
This watershed is comprised of numerous tributaries and subwatersheds, including the Upper Putah Creek and Upper Cache Creek Watersheds in Lake County.
Holford served as chairman of water for Garden Clubs Inc., a group with which his wife has been very involved; as a director of the Middletown Senior Center; and the Lake County Fish and Wildlife Advisory Committee. In addition, he was a volunteer for Lake County’s Hunger Task Force and was instrumental in the development of community gardens.
While Holford isn’t one for recognition and awards – his goal has always been seeing that the work gets done – but East Lake Resource Conservation District commended him for his efforts and what he’s done for the community.
The district expressed its deepest appreciation to Holford for his commitment, dedication and invaluable service to local communities, the environment and resource conservation in Lake County. District leaders said it’s been a pleasure and honor to have worked with him.
Linda Juntunen is project coordinator for the Lake County Fire Safe Council.
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