City Manager Jerry Gillham took the final 2007-09 Lakeport business plan to the council for approval on Jan. 15.
The plan, Gillham told Lake County News in a later interview, was formed through a series of city workshops held last fall, and has been a work in progress over the last four months.
Gillham's staff report attributed the city's current difficult fiscal position to a “lack of organization accountability.”
The nine-page plan is meant to move the city forward in a positive direction, said Gillham, by making sure projects are completed on time.
The plan, he added, has a larger meaning.
“This is kind of your contract with the community,” Gillham told the council.
Along with the city's downtown transformation, Gillham said the culture of the city, internally, is intended to change.
“We're changing the culture of the organization to be result-oriented, not character-oriented,” he said.
Councilman Ron Bertsch said he's impressed with the plan.
Bertsch also pointed out to Gillham that the plan, which sets deadlines on pages of city projects, “is really going to affect your evaluation, one way or the other.”
The plan sets out five areas of action: items to be completed in the first 100 days, ongoing issues, projects to be completed this fiscal year and over the next two years, and partnerships.
In the “first 100 days” in the plan's public safety category, projects to be completed include specialized code enforcement, vehicles, tents and junk; explore a specialized code enforcement/animal control program; and enact stronger parking and abandoned auto enforcement activities.
First 100 day projects in the administration category are using area-wide partnerships to create a Clear Lake Foundation; reexamining existing franchises and contracts, and consider amendments for the city's benefit – especially those involved with using city facilities and assets; and finalizing the garbage franchise agreement.
The Clear Lake Foundation is one item, at least, that appears to be under way.
The foundation had its first meeting Dec. 7, as Lake County News previously reported. Its membership includes leadership from around the county, including Supervisor Anthony Farrington, Clearlake City Councilmember Judy Thein, Boeger, Burns (an honorary member), Lakeport Mayor Buzz Bruns (who serves as vice chairman) and Lakeport Councilman Roy Parmentier, the chair. The group's office is located at Lakeport City Hall.
The foundation was added into the city's business plan, Gillham told Lake County News, because he said it needs to be an activity blessed by the city.
“The city is an integral part of it,” said Gillham, adding that both the cities of Lakeport and Clearlake have standing in the foundation.
He added, “The cities aren't actually going to fund it at all,” which he said will be done through separate fundraising.
Gillham said the foundation was the idea of developer Matt Boeger who, along with partner Mark Mitchell, is proposing to build the 1,200-unit Cristallago development outside of Lakeport.
Boeger brought the idea to the city along with Jim Burns, another developer who also has been an advisor to the city on redevelopment issues, according to statements by Clear Lake Foundation officials.
The Clear Lake foundation is supposed to be a catalyst for positively impacting the recreation and environment conditions of Clear Lake, said Gillham. “This group has the potential to do that.”
So far, however, it's mostly Gillham – who is the foundation's president – who is working on the foundation's behalf, along with volunteers Paula Bryant, the secretary/treasurer, and legal counsel Mike Ewing.
Other plan timelines
In the upcoming fiscal year, the city's business plan has numerous projects lined up: continuing to work with developers in creating new waste water capacity and developing capacity projects, marketing Dutch Harbor as a marina property, strategizing possible options for the Green Ranch, updating and adopting city personnel rules, examining alternative funding for parks and grounds, including ongoing maintenance of Westside Park and the Westshore swimming pool, and facilitating/encouraging construction of a new Mendocino College campus.
Ongoing projects include working with Barry Johnson and all developers in creating “win-win” outcomes, lakebed weed eradication, following the chain of command, government transparency, a community center, television/radio access to council meetings, creating a downtown WiFi network, updating the city's data system and mainframe, laying out an annexation plan for areas including Parallel Drive and South Main Street, paving roads and streets and beginning Phase II of Westside Park.
To see the full report click here.
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at
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