LAKEPORT – Topping the Lakeport City Council's short Tuesday agenda will be a report on adding a local landmark to the National Register of Historic Places.
The meeting will begin at 6 p.m. at Lakeport City Hall, 225 Park St.
Under council business, Community Development Director Richard Knoll will deliver to the council a report regarding an application to place the Carnegie Library on the National Register of Historic Places.
At its Dec. 4 meeting, the council received word that the Friends of the Lake County Museum had made a request to have the library placed on the register.
City Manager Jerry Gillham told Lake County News in a later interview that the city was concerned that they had not been included in the initial nomination process.
“I'm just concerned that if we fail to meet any of the requirements it will put some of our federal funding for other things at risk,” said Gillham.
At the Dec. 4 meeting, Councilman Jim Irwin asked what the designation would mean if the city wanted to demolish the library.
But Gillham said there are no plans to tear the library down, and the city couldn't even if it wanted to due to the building's historic status. Gillham said the building already has historic listings at local and state levels.
Still, Gillham said that, with the city's strained budget this year, there are no plans to renovate the library any time soon.
Jon Hopkins, who chairs the Friends of the Lake County Museum Board of Directors, said the effort to seek the library's inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places began a few months ago.
Some of the board members were looking into the issue of preserving historic buildings as a way of enhancing the community's reputation, said Hopkins.
“We feel that we can assist with any interest in the community to look at how to deal with an historic building like the Carnegie Library,” Hopkins explained.
Hopkins said the Friends of the Lake County Museum were interested in helping open the discussion on how best to preserve the building.
Gillham said city staff has been looking at the issue since the last meeting. The city, he added, plans to work with the museum group on the status subject.
In other business scheduled for Tuesday, City Engineer Scott Harter will bring a third contract change order to the council for the South Main Street Rehabilitation Project and the council will discuss an appointment to the Vector Control District Board.
The council must also discuss rescheduling or canceling its Jan. 1, 2008, meeting.
Following the public meeting, the council will adjourn into closed session to discuss property negotiations related to Green Ranch and labor negotiations with the Lakeport Employees Association and Lakeport Police Officers Association.
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at
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