CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Clearlake City Council is set to hold a special meeting to discuss a polling effort on a sales tax proposal and the purchase of a property to house, among other things, the city's animal control operations.

The meeting will begin at 6 p.m. Thursday, April 21, in the council chambers at Clearlake City Hall, 14050 Olympic Drive.

The firm Fairbanks, Maslin, Maullin, Metz and Associates will present to the council the outcome of a transportation sales tax polling effort.

Public Works Director Doug Herren's report to the council explains that last year the council created a Road Revenue Ad Hoc Committee to explore ways to fund repairs to the city's crumbling road infrastructure, with one of those options being a sales tax measure.

Late in 2015, the city received funding through the Area Planning Council to contract with the firm to do an extensive phone survey “to see if there was the support to move forward with a road tax measure that would only fund road infrastructure needs,” Herren said.

The results of the survey were positive, which led to the ad hoc committee recommending to the city council that a one-cent sales tax specific to road maintenance should be put on the November ballot.

The consulting firm will go over the results with the council on Thursday and answer questions, with staff asking for direction from the council on how to proceed.

Also on Thursday, the council will consider a resolution appropriating Series A bond funds for a contract to purchase a 21-acre property at 2185 Ogulin Canyon Road.

The negotiated price for the property is $251,000, which closing costs and percolation testing bringing the total cost to $260,000.

The report from City Manager Greg Folsom explains that the property is intended to be used for an animal control facility, as well as a new city corporation yard and police department storage facility.

Currently, the city's corporation yard, police storage and temporary animal shelter are located at the Public Works yard at the city-owned airport property. The city is working with a developer interested in purchasing and developing the property, which will make it necessary to move those city facilities elsewhere, according to Folsom.

The Ogulin Canyon Road property is within the Highlands Park Redevelopment Project Area, which Folsom said will allow the city to use the Series A bond proceeds for the purchase.

Folsom said city staff has been engaged in negotiations for the property for several months, and is still in the process of conducting due diligence studies.

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