CLEARLAKE – The Clearlake City Council has enthusiastically accepted a report that lays out a vision for the city's future.
The Clearlake Vision Task Force presented its report, the culmination of several months of committee meetings, to the City Council and Planning Commission in a special joint meeting on Aug. 29 at City Hall.
Before hearing the report presentation, Clearlake Mayor Judy Thein presented a proclamation to city Interim Community Development Director Irwin Kaplan, who was the primary force behind the task force's creation over the past eight months.
Thein heralded Kaplan, whose last official duty was to oversee the report presentation, for the impact he'll leave on the city.
"It was easy to catch the 'Irwin fever,'" said Thein, adding that Kaplan gave the city "a gift of vision and hope."
Kaplan replied, "This has been a labor of love for me."
He said the 50-member committee worked together to create the document, despite some disagreements beyond the way.
Outlining the report's important points
Committee member and local businessman Vince Metzger participated in presenting the nearly 60-page report during the nearly two-and-a-half-hour-long meeting.
Metzger first introduced Planning Commissioner Al Bernal, a committee member who Metzger credited with creating an "unbelievable" summary vision document, which is the introduction for the main task force report.
Bernal explained that, during the task force meeting process, it occurred to him that they were striving for a number of results for the city, which the task force was envisioning in the year 2020.
Key points, said Bernal, were preserving the area's natural beauty, creating a retail center, developing a balance between development and the city's rural elements, creating affordable housing and transitioning from a small resort town to a "world class small city."
Next to speak was attorney and task force member Robert Riggs, who discussed the reports conservation and land use elements.
Riggs, who explained that he is a parent of three, said he has successfully raised all of his children in Clearlake, a fact which he said speaks to what the city is and what the future holds for it.
Moving forward, Riggs said there need to be safeguards in development, including a tree protection ordinance focusing on oaks and laurels, and control of predevelopment activities. That's because, he said, "Things can happen that are irreversible."
Infrastructure also is important, said Riggs, who next spoke of the need for paved streets. New development, he said, should pave its fair share of streets in Clearlake.
"There's some very good news in our report," said Riggs – particularly that the city's sewer system can support the addition of quality, affordable homes.
The task force created a list of values, beginning on page 27 of the report, focusing on
wildlife, plants, trees, soils, native vegetation; the importance of natural features such as Clear Lake, Borax Lake, Anderson Marsh and Cache Creek; the city's sensational scenery; and native culture, said Riggs.
Other important goals include sustainability, said Riggs. "Green power is something that we felt should be on the city's agenda."
The task force's land use vision also touched on the area along Lakeshore beginning at Austin Park and continuing to Redbud Park, said Riggs. "That's viewed as being the natural urban center."
It's there that Riggs said the task force proposed creating a walkable environment, with sidewalks added and traffic calming measures in place, along with a greenscape and a gazebo. The area would be anchored by recreation and a "Museum of the Lake."
A vision for Lakeshore Drive
Task force member Jim Scholz credited Kaplan with his impact on the city. "I think the city's going through a very positive phase right now, and Irwin's a big part of that."
The report, Scholz said, included 14 points on beautification, calling for more trees, a design theme for Lakeshore Drive, Code Enforcement activities and improvement incentives for property owners.
Along Lakeshore, the task force wants to see a promenade with trees, flowers, street lighting, good restaurants and a plaza that will attract local residents and visitors alike, Scholz explained.
"I think this is a very common vision," said Scholz. "I think we'd all like to see this happen."
He added, "Nice things don't just happen, you have to make them happen.
With that in mind, the task force suggested improving the streets, and endorsed a half-cent sales tax in order to do so, said Scholz. The report also proposed using redeveloping assessment districts to pave the streets, since the city doesn't have the money to do so, and suggested using a demonstration assessment district to show how it can work.
Quoting Riggs at one of the task force meetings, Scholz said, "If you don't fix the streets, nothing else matters."
Scholz said he believes the city now has staff and officials in place willing to take on the streets, including City Administrator Dale Neiman. Scholz said he wife, Susanne, recently visited Fortuna – where Neiman formerly worked – and came back with the news, "They have nice streets."
Scholz said Neiman told him that the city has enough money to set up a demonstration assessment district. "I'm encouraged, and I hope everyone else is encouraged."
Allen Markowski, another task force member, spoke about the importance of using technology to improve the city's future. Technology, he said, could bring more money from other sources into the community. In addition, it could assist in educating the business community. He encouraged the city to create its own wireless network.
A need to keep the momentum going
Planning Commissioner Bill Perkins, who also sat on the task force, said despite some short lived chaos and disagreements at some meetings, the group has "truly amazing" results. That was thanks, in part, to the ground rule Kaplan set for them, which included respecting each others' ideas, and listening and thinking before speaking.
Kaplan, Perkins added, encouraged them to think about the future, Perkins said. "What do you want to leave your grandchildren? What do you want your city to be?"
Although the very diverse group had few unanimous votes on anything, Perkins said they did reach a consensus to approve the final document.
"We all have to compromise on individual items and keep the vision moving forward," he said.
He said the group hoped to see the City Council enacts its proposals, which will require getting the entire community involved. With Kaplan leaving, the community needs to find a way to keep the vision moving forward.
Council welcomes task force report
The council praised the task force's efforts.
"I am just so proud of everybody in this room," said Councilman Curt Giambruno.
He said he couldn't believe it when 50 people signed up, on the spot, to participate in the task force process at an April meeting. "I really, really appreciation what all of you have done."
"All I can say is, 'Wow!'" said Thein. "This is beyond my expectations."
She said she supports keeping the vision moving forward. "This is something that we needed for so long."
Councilman Roy Simons didn't offer praise. Rather, he said he had worked on a similar vision committee 25 years ago and "nobody was interested."
In order for this new plan to work, the city needs an income, and the only industry available, he said, is tourism.
"Without an income, this thing is just nothing," he said, waving the vision report in the air.
Councilwoman Joyce Overton thanked participants, and asked Kaplan how the final document fits into the general plan. Kaplan said the general plan is the city's constitution, that it follows a format created by the law but is filled with locally created policies.
"Somebody should be able to take this document and conform it to the state guidelines for a general plan without having to ask too many policy questions," he said.
Overton questioned Riggs' statements on the city sewer capacity. Riggs said his statements were based on information provided by Mark Dellinger, head of the county's Special District department.
Overton agreed with the need to focus on tourism, "which means we have to bring activities here," she said, adding that they can't work against each other.
Planning Commission members also greeted the document with enthusiasm.
Planning Commissioner Gina Fortino-Dickson called the task force report a "document of hope."
Commissioner Carl Webb said he had originally been skeptical that 50 people could reach a consensus on the document. To have them come together the way they did "is just absolutely awesome."
He added that putting the task force report to work " is not going to happen overnight. It's going to take a lot of time and a lot of effort, including volunteerism.
Webb urged the council to accept the report and not put it on a shelf. "It doesn't need to be gathering dust like so many other studies and projects have done that have been completed in the past."
Bernal added that many of the report's goals will require money, which in turn requires an improvement of the of the city's economic climate through retail and tourism. "That, I believe, will be fundamental to a lot of the things we need to do."
Report doesn't get unanimous praise
Despite a positive response from community members who spoke at the meeting – including Carolyn Jarrett, a Konocti Unified School District board member, who said she had never seen such an optimistic atmosphere in the city – that response wasn't unanimous.
More than one city resident felt the document was incomplete. In particular, Alice Reece, who also sat on the task force, said the report was flawed and the task force itself failed to represent a true cross-section of the community, which in turn led to its failure to create a plan that referenced the city's poor.
Reece said she also was concerned that the city was going to use the document as its new general plan without considering its shortcomings, and that it would base its future policies on the report.
Kaplan pointed out that, with more time, the task forced could have done more. "This is the beginning of the dialogue," he said. "As a document, it's going to need to be fleshed out."
Responding to Reece, Metzger said he wasn't in agreement with all of the report, that some subjects weren't dealt with due to lack of expertise. "There was a certain incompleteness here that we probably didn't acknowledge."
Giambruno made the motion to accept the report and continue following through on its suggestions. Overton seconded and the council – minus Councilman Chuck Leonard, who was attending training out of town – voted 4-0 to approve the report.
Click here to view the Vision Task Force Report.
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