CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Clearlake City Council announced Thursday that it planned to temporarily reappoint the city's former finance director and also decided to go out to recruitment for a new city treasurer.
Following a 40-minute closed session, the council sat down to begin the regular open meeting shortly after 6 p.m., at which time Mayor Joyce Overton reported that they were hiring back Michael Vivrette on a temporary basis.
The vote was 4-1, with Council member Judy Thein voting no, Overton said.
Vivrette had left the city abruptly last spring after many years of service. He was succeeded briefly by Roy Mitchell, who resigned in October.
Clearlake resident Estelle Creel questioned having Vivrette back on staff, saying that he, a council member – referring to Thein – and former City Administrator Dale Neiman had sat as the only three members of a committee that gave out business loans. She said seven members were required.
Overton replied that she was looking into the matter of the committee and its actions, but that it didn't have anything to do with his ability to work on the city's finances or close its books.
In other finance-related business, City Clerk Melissa Swanson, who temporarily is filling the city treasurer position at the council's direction, asked council members for their opinion on how to fill the job, which hasn't been filled on a permanent basis since Elmer Maryatt left in 2006.
Vice Mayor Joey Luiz said he felt the perception about having Neiman fill in as city treasurer – a measure directed in Clearlake's municipal code when the position is vacant and no one runs for the job – had a public perception that was “shaky.”
Luiz wanted the city to hold a recruitment. While that hasn't worked in the last several years, looking out at a large audience, Luiz said, “For some reason there seems to be a little more interest in city affairs lately.”
Council member Jeri Spittler said she wanted a recruitment as well.
Thein said, “I'm fine with going out for applicants,” but she added that she wanted to make sure that if unqualified people apply they don't have to be chosen.
“This job does have a lot of detail involved with it,” said Thein, a former city finance department staffer who worked with Maryatt.
Councilman Curt Giambruno also approved seeking applicants, noting he had been part of trying to recruit before.
Swanson said she will put together a press release to get the recruitment going.
In his report to the council, interim City Administrator Bob Galusha, also the city's engineer, gave some brief updates on road projects, as well as a possible grant that could help downtown improvements, and said he planned to bring a more full report on roads to the council at an upcoming meeting.
Overton made several appointments of council members to city boards and commissions, and announced that the board of the public access TV station had met Wednesday night and planned to ask Mediacom for financial support for the station in the form of a 1-percent fee pass-through
She also requested – and received – the council's support for beginning to research starting a junior city council to involve local students in the city government.
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at
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