LAKEPORT – The Lakeport City Council, sitting jointly as the leadership of the city's redevelopment agency, will consider awarding bids for downtown projects at its Tuesday meeting.

The council will hold a workshop at City Hall with city staff on the 2008-09 budget beginning at 4 p.m. The regular council meeting will begin at 6 p.m.

Redevelopment is proposing right-of-way improvements at 562 S. Main, and the council will consider proceeding with preliminary design engineering on the project, as well as granting a bid for the Third Street and City Hall parking lot improvements.

The council also is expected to direct staff to incorporate in the 2008-09 Redevelopment Agency budget a proposal for capitalization of the frontage and property improvement grant/loan program.

Two public hearings are planned during Tuesday's meeting. The hearings will be held for Ordinance 874, which would amending the city's Zoning Ordinance to limit the maximum number of guest bedrooms in a bed and breakfast inn to five; and a request for a use permit by Gregory Gill, who is seeking a use permit to allow the operation of a bed and breakfast inn without food service in a low density residential zoning district, at 2 16th St.

City Engineer Scott Harter will bring to the council a list of projects to be considered for funding under Proposition 1B.

The list includes street drainage and pedestrian improvements from Campbell Lane to Industrial Avenue on S. Main, estimated cost of $362,250, useful life of 20 years; double chip seal with a micro paving on six roads – Armstrong, 16th, Forest Avenue, Forbes Street, and Second and Third streets, at an estimated cost of $298,564.70 and a useful life of seven to 10 years; installation of pedestrian improvements on Martin Street from Estep to Forbes, local match of $80,000 with an estimated life of 20 years; replace faded, paint-based crosswalks with thermoplastic crosswalk markings throughout the city, estimated cost of $40,000 and useful life of five to seven years; match for Forbes Creek Trail improvements, including pedestrian and bicycle trail facility adjacent to Westside Park Road, $25,000 for an estimated life of 15 to 20 years.

As part of a lengthy list of consent agenda items – which usually don't require action and are accepted as a group – the council will receive a report on the Dutch Harbor property.

The property, one of the last pieces of undeveloped property along the lakeshore and next door to the Lakeport Unified School District's Natural High School property, is considered to have “significant development potential.”

According to a report from Redevelopment Manager Richard Knoll, the city's 2007-09 Business Plan includes an item regarding development of a concept plan “for a marina or other appropriate use” of the land.

In 2006, the city signed an agreement with developer Matt Boeger that gave him first right of refusal on the property. However, Knoll's report notes that Boeger has not submitted a plan for the land, although he has expressed “willingness to work with the city on a mutually beneficial approach for the property.”

Knoll's report stated that having the property developed would create positive tax benefits for both the city and the Redevelopment Agency, and the land will be included in a Waterfront Properties Improvement Plan the city is working on currently.

The report notes that a “positive and meaningful end result” for Dutch Harbor would include assembling it with adjoining land for a development.

 

However, despite this long-running goal of the city, in recent years the school district has been unwilling to sell or trade the city for Natural High, citing its value, as Lake County News has reported.

In other business, the council will present a proclamation for Motorcycle Awareness Week, and consider events applications for Fifield Enterprises LLC's grand opening evening using parts of Library Park and the City Hall parking lot on June 7, and the Kiwanis pancake breakfast on Sept. 19.

A closed session for negotiations regarding the Hotaling property and a performance evaluation for City Manager Jerry Gillham will be held after the council completes business in the open meeting.

Lakeport City Hall is located at 225 Park St.

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

{mos_sb_discuss:3}