LAKEPORT, Calif. – During a brief Lakeport City Council meeting Tuesday evening, Lake County Chamber of Commerce officials presented a check to the city to help cover the cost of the Independence Day fireworks display.

The main item of business during the 20-minute meeting was the presentation by chamber Chief Executive Officer Melissa Fulton and chamber President Jim Magliulo of the check for $3,463.82.

“We look forward to working with the city in the future on this and other projects,” said Fulton.

Fulton and Magliulo said this year's fireworks were very good.

“I got nothing but compliments about the fireworks this year. They were spectacular,” said Magliulo.

City manager Margaret Silveira said the fireworks company is talking about setting the fireworks to music next year.

The chamber's donation – as well as recent donations by the Lakeport Main Street Association and other organizations – will help cover the costs of the fireworks, which this year ran about $16,500, city Finance Director Dan Buffalo told Lake County News.

In other council business, at the start of the meeting, when the council emerged from a closed session, Mayor Tom Engstrom said that after discussing two cases of potential litigation, this council gave staff direction and unanimously accepted a settlement agreement with the county regarding property tax administrative fees.

Silveira said Lakeport is going to be able to recover about $46,000 in the agreement, which resulted from a November 2012 court ruling by the California Supreme Court.

In that case, Alhambra v. County of Los Angeles, the California Supreme Court ruled in favor of 47 plaintiff cities in Los Angeles County that had disputed the calculation method used by County auditors to assess property tax administration fees to cities on an annual basis, according to a report from the league of California cities.

Silveira's of the city of Clearlake also will be able to recover costs.

Also on Tuesday, Lakeport Police chief Brad Rasmussen reported to the council that there was a home invasion robbery on Friday night with the neighbor discharging a weapon at the suspects, which were known to the victims. He said one person is in custody and another remains at large.

Rasmussen said a full report is expected to be issued on that robbery on Wednesday.

He also reported that his agency is preparing to bring on a new police officer, who will be introduced at an upcoming meeting.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.