LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport City Council’s three newest members took their oaths of office on Tuesday evening.
Kenny Parlet, Martin Scheel and Marc Spillman were sworn in and seated at the regular meeting, which ran 45 minutes.
They succeed outgoing members Suzanne Lyons, Bob Rumfelt and Roy Parmentier. Parmentier was absent from the meeting.
Mayor Stacey Mattina started the meeting with a moment of silence for the victims of last week’s Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.
The council then moved on to business, including acceptance of resolutions accepting the results of the Nov. 6 election and approval of the certificate of the county of Lake’s result of the election canvass.
Deputy City Clerk Kelly Buendia then administered the oath to Parlet, Scheel and Spillman, and Lyons and Rumfelt left the dais, receiving hugs and handshakes as they departed.
The new council then chose its leadership for the coming year, with Spillman nominating Engstrom for mayor. No other nominations were made, and Engstrom quipped, “I hear the train a comin’,” before being elected mayor.
Scheel nominated Mattina for mayor pro tem, and she also was elected. She and Engstrom switched seats, exchanging a hug as the did so.
“This is not something I expected,” said Engstrom. “It is an honor to represent the people we serve in Lakeport in this capacity.”
He thanked Mattina for her work as mayor this past year, noting that she handled hotly contested issues with dignity and professionalism. Engstrom additionally thanked Lyons and Rumfelt for their work.
During citizen’s input, Lakeport resident Bob Bridges – who this fall had rallied citizens to fight proposed water and sewer rates which the council ultimately approved – congratulated the new council, and asked them all to think of how their votes affect city residents.
Bridges, a senior county counsel with the county of Lake, suggested the city needed an effective marijuana ordinance. “Now is the time to do it,” before the growing season, said Bridges, who has been tasked with defending the county’s marijuana ordinance in court.
Engstrom said a committee is set to meet Thursday afternoon to begin that process. Bridges offered his help.
Carol Hays of the Lakeport Main Street Association presented the group’s business of the quarter award to Paul and Barbara Breunig of Hillside Honda.
Breunig, the association’s board president, then presented awards to the winners of the holiday decorating contest. First place for business was Sanducci's Cottage restaurant, 1090 N. Main St., with Rocky Point Care, 625 Sixteenth St., taking second place.
In the residential category, the Bussard family of 842 Central Park Ave. once again received top honors, with the Domagalski family’s decorations at 1075 N. Forbes St. earning them second place.
The council then considered adopting an ordinance implementing uniform cost accounting that establishes informal bidding procedures under the Uniform Public Construction Cost Accounting Act of 1983.
Finance Director Dan Buffalo said the policy is meant to assist cities with a set of accounting standards for public works projects.
His written report said the act allows agencies “to perform, or procure contract services to perform, public works projects without the need to engage in formal bidding requirements, up to certain dollar thresholds,” so long as an agency adopts and practices cost accounting procedures outlined in the California Uniform Construction Cost Accounting Commission’s manual.
It allows for public agencies to perform projects with its own personnel on projects up to $45,000 or engage a contractor using alternative bidding procedures.
Those procedures include using a negotiated contract or standard purchase order for projects less than $45,000; projects of or below $175,000 by negotiated contract pursuant to the act; or projects in excess of $175,000 by formal bidding procedures pursuant to the act.
City Engineer Scott Harter said it allows for smaller projects to move more quickly.
Parlet asked if it would streamline projects in terms of time, money or both. Both, said Buffalo.
Harter said the county has been using the process for 15 years.
During the public hearing, Dave Meek of Meek Construction suggested the city needed to reduce its insurance requirements, which are higher than the county’s, because they make it difficult for small contractors to compete for city work.
Nancy Ruzicka said many projects go to out-of-county firms, and she hoped that drain wouldn’t continue regarding professional services, goods and other services.
Harter clarified that the ordinance does not speak to professional services, explaining it was for construction.
The council approved the ordinance 5-0.
Engstrom asked the new council members to look over a list of committees in the coming weeks and decide on which they would like to serve.
“There’s plenty to choose from. Most of us serve on two or three committees,” said Engstrom.
“Five, thank you very much,” Mattina replied.
Spillman thanked Lyons, who recently had invited her to his home and gave him a stack of folders and paperwork to read. “I appreciate that and the input that she gave me,” he said, also thanking Rumfelt.
Engstrom pointed out that Lyons also had left Spillman a page full of notes on the desk calendar where she previously had sat.
Parlet thanked the department heads for helping him get up to speed, and said he has enjoyed living in Lakeport for 42 years. He said he looks forward to making a difference, and helping making Lakeport an even better place to live than it is now.
Scheel also thanked staff for being accommodating, and offered his appreciation to Rumfelt, Lyons and Parmentier for their service. He said he was looking forward to getting the job done.
City staff extended their welcomes to the new council members.
While their first meeting had lasted 45 minutes, Engstrom advised the new council members, “Don’t expect that every week.”
Email Elizabeth Larson at
How to resolve AdBlock issue? 
