Police Chief Allan McClain, whose department oversees Code Enforcement, presented the items to the council.
The issue of administrative penalties covered eight properties, levying a total of $18,200 in fees – ranging between $700 and $2,500 on each lot – to cover required cleanup, according to the staff report.
Eldon McGowan, whose mother’s property was listed, said his mother had died about a month ago and he had been engaged in caring for her full time. That, he said, prevented him from cleaning up the property.
“I’m not against cleaning my property … I just buried my mother,” McGowan said.
McGowan was facing a $2,500 assessment. If he can’t pay it, that amount will be placed as a lien against the property.
John Sawyer, who was trying to purchase one of the properties, said he had cleaned it up himself on behalf of the owners and so disputed a $700 assessment.
Charles Green, who was facing a total assessment of $5,000, sent a friend to speak on his behalf, who explained that Green is a snowbird who is currently living in the desert and can’t receive mail, so he wanted his hearing pushed back to April.
Vice Mayor Chuck Leonard pointed out that Green received his abatement notice last May, before he should have left for the desert.
Councilman Roy Simons emphasized personal responsibility in cleaning up property. “I don’t really have any sympathy left in me.”
Leonard said he was glad to see code cases moving forward. “People need to clean up these properties. These things don’t need to go on for years and years.”
Councilmember Judy Thein, who joined in the unanimous vote for the assessment, said the council’s action reinforced the city’s zero-tolerance position.
In a separate item on the agenda, the council took up the issue of Grant Meyer's property at 3981 Pine Ave., and voted unanimously for abatement.
Meyer went before the council twice last year for lengthy and contentious hearings.
The Meyer case has been ongoing for five years, Simons pointed out.
City staff reported that his property has dilapidated, uninhabitable structures which have been red-tagged; garbage; junk vehicles; pooled oil or hazardous substances; and weeds and brush.
In December Meyer was given an additional notice giving him until Jan. 8 to resolve the issues once and for all, which staff reported that he failed to do.
“It’s one of the worst pieces of property I’ve ever seen,” said Simons. “There’s no excuse to not go forward and abate this property immediately.”
Mayor Curt Giambruno asked Meyer, “Are you going to give us anything new, that you have not already discussed with us in past hearings?”
The answer to that, ultimately, was no.
During his appearance before the council, Meyer made rambling, circular arguments that sounded the same as his previous statements to the council.
An angry Meyer accused city staff of withholding information about his efforts to clean up the property as part of a conspiracy, and he accused City Council members of perjuring themselves during the hearing.
He demanded to call as witnesses Code Enforcement staff who have previously testified on the property to the council.
McClain said Meyer had offered nothing new, and made no progress in cleanup. “At this point staff has no other recommendation that we need to go forward with the abatement.”
He added, “It hasn’t been changed, it hasn’t been touched. We have the same issues. All the violation that are noted here are still present.”
Giambruno reminded Meyer that he asked city staff to come to his property previously, only to kick them off.
Thein agreed that the report on Meyer’s situation contained nothing new, and that she didn’t want to spend another hour arguing what hadn’t changed.
Meyer raised his voice, accusing Thein of perjuring herself. Giambruno gaveled Meyer, the first of three such gavelings during the evening, and warned him that one more outburst would result in him being escorted from the building.
Leonard asked Meyer, “You’re saying that you have cleaned the place up?”
“It’s all cleaned as far as I’m concerned,” said Meyer.
But when Leonard asked for dump receipts – an item the city's Code Enforcement notices to Meyer had required as proof of corrective action – Meyer replied, “It’s irrelevant that I have dump receipts or not.”
From the audience, Clearlake resident Jim Scholz called, “It’s very relevant.”
Simons asked Meyer if he recalled their meeting at the property a year ago, when Meyer invited him there to see it. Simon reminded him that he told Meyer at the time that the only person who could solve the problem was Meyer himself.
“You people have gotten in my way of progress,” said Meyer, who again accused council members of perjuring themselves.
Councilmember Joyce Overton asked Meyer if he brought witnesses or pictures to defend his position. Meyer replied that he didn’t have to, that it was the city’s burden to prove there was a problem.
McClain said he visited the property earlier that day and there were no changes. He volunteered to allow Meyer question him if it was necessary as part of the hearing.
Meyer continued to try to disrupt the meeting, claiming he could prove city statements were perjury.
McClain told the council that if Meyer had a real issue with city staff that there is a process that will trigger an internal affairs investigation.
The police chief also told the council that Code Enforcement planned to go before a judge to ask for a court order to carry out the abatement. Simons asked McClain how long it would take to get a court order. McClain didn’t anticipate it would be long.
“Our belief is, he will have to be physically removed from the property,” McClain said.
Thein moved to have the property abated, with Leonard offering a second and the council voting unanimously to abate Meyer’s property.
“I object to this proceeding moving forward without giving me a hearing,” Meyer responded to the vote.
Giambruno gaveled Meyer for the third and last time and told him the hearing was finished, after which Meyer left the building.
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at
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