CLEARLAKE – Budget amendments for this fiscal year, extending the life of the city's redevelopment plan and new emergency response procedures are among the items of business the Clearlake City Council will take up at its first meeting of the year Thursday.

The open portion of the council meeting will begin at 6 p.m. Thursday. The council will convene for a closed session at 5:15 p.m. to discuss a potential property purchase on Davis Avenue, the city attorney's appointment and a possible case of litigation.

Council business will include a public hearing on amending the budget for fiscal year 2007-08, although City Administrator Dale Neiman said Wednesday that he expects that item may be continued because he wants to offer the council more detail.

The budget amendments proposed have to do specifically with streets, said Neiman. “In terms of how we're spending our street money, I want to make some changes.”

In particular, Neiman said he wants to ask to ask the council for direction on which projects they'd like to spend about $400,000 of Proposition 1B money.

Neiman said the city needs to buy some new road repair equipment, adding that some of the city's current equipment is “junk.”

There also is crack sealing that needs to be done on Lakeshore Drive and Old Highway 53, along with needed street overlays, he said. “What we need to do is get the biggest bang for our buck.”

Another public hearing will consider amending the five-year implementation plan for the Highlands Park Community Redevelopment Plan.

Neiman said the council, which sits jointly as the board of directors for the redevelopment agency, will look at two amendments.

One will deal with a $500,000 debt the redevelopment agency owes the city's housing fund, said Neiman. A second amendment for consideration will update the plan and extend its life.

Neiman will also present to the council updated emergency response procedures.

When Neiman worked for the City of Fortuna, a large earthquake hit there, he said. “It was an absolute mess. Nobody knew what they were doing.”

So he, the police department and Public Works have created a set of response procedures, which create a central location for emergency calls and prioritize how responses will be handled, he said.

“One of my goals is to get it formalized,” said Neiman.

In other business, other items for the council's consideration Thursday include: a resolution confirming an assessment for administrative penalties for a failure to abate a public nuisance; abatement of the property of Grant Meyer, located at 3981 Pine Ave.; a possible amendment to the city's sign regulations; rejection of a $1,000 claim by Buffey Marie Herman; an amendment to an agreement with Best, Best and Krieger for providing the city with legal services; a job description and salary level for the Public Works supervisor position; a contract for vehicle maintenance and repairs of city vehicles; and mayor's appointments for 2008.

The meeting will be held at Clearlake City Hall, 14050 Olympic Drive.

E-mail Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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