The council will convene at 5 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 1, for the review of the annual financial report before the regular meeting convenes at 6 p.m. in the council chambers at Lakeport City Hall, 225 Park St.
The council's public hearing will consider the adoption of a mitigated negative declaration of environmental impact on the initial study and environmental review of the proposed 197-acre South Main Street/Soda Bay Road Annexation Project, which includes 54 parcels. The report for the item is posted below; the annexation item begins on page four.
The Lakeport Planning Commission approved the annexation's mitigated negative declaration at its Oct. 12 meeting and also voted to recommend to the council that the study and negative declaration be forwarded to the Lake County Local Agency Formation Commission, according to city documents.
The city is getting some pushback on the proposed annexation from the county of Lake, which is asking that a full environmental impact report be completed.
A memorandum to the planning commission from County Administrative Officer Kelly Cox earlier this month said the county's comments and recommendations have been “consistently ignored or brushed aside” by the city, which is the project's lead agency.
“The Lead Agency's willingness to disregard the City's own General Plan brings the entire draft environmental document into question, and begs the question, 'why has this proposed annexation project been given such a high-priority when the land is clearly not required for efficient and timely development?'”
Cox cites a Lake County News article on June 9 about the city's budget hearings, during which it was stated that city staff was proposing the annexation to bring in revenue. The city's 2011-12 budget also states that annexing South Main Street provides an opportunity to enhance the city's revenues.
“It would appear that the Lead Agency's ability to craft an adequate environmental document which addresses all of the proposed project's potentially significant environmental impacts, including inconsistency with the City's General Plan, has been blurred with dollar signs and ultimately is in question,” Cox wrote.
Also on Tuesday, the council will conduct a public hearing on a speed zone ordinance – which will update municipal code with language based on recently completed engineering and traffic surveys performed – and consider a staff proposal to reduce the scope of the Phase 2 Downtown Improvement Project.
City Engineer Scott Harter will take to the council the Parallel Drive water main project and ask for the awarding of the base bid and alternate two to Preston Pipelines Inc. of Milpitas.
In other business, an ordinance will be introduce to add an article to the City of Lakeport Municipal Code to provide support for Public, Educational and Governmental (PEG) cable television access facilities with a pass-through fee on customers' bills. The council also will set a public hearing for the second reading on Tuesday, Dec. 6, at 6 p.m.
The council will make a presentation to members of the Lake County Channel Cats in recognition of their participation in the Zone Champions swim match, and Mayor Suzanne Lyons will present prizes to the winners of the Library Park restroom poster contest.
The council also will hold a closed session to discussion labor negotiations with unrepresented employees; a case of pending litigation, Operating Engineers Local Union No. 3 and Lakeport Police Officers Association v. City of Lakeport; and a case of anticipated litigation.
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at
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