LAKEPORT – On Tuesday, the Lakeport City Council, sitting jointly as the Lakeport Redevelopment Agency, will consider its five-year implementation plan for redevelopment, which includes a possible amendment adding eminent domain to the tools it can use for property acquisition.

The council's regular meeting, which begins at 6 p.m. at City Hall at 225 Park St., will be preceded by a 5 p.m. mid-year budget review workshop for the council and staff.

Convening jointly as the council and the Lakeport Redevelopment Agency, council members will take public comment on the proposed Lakeport Redevelopment Agency Five-Year Implementation Plan (2009-2014) with a view toward approving it.

The current plan's goals include assembling land for projects “through conventional means without the use of eminent domain.”

However, listed 11th among 15 redevelopment objectives, programs, projects and expenditures, is a proposed amendment to add eminent domain's use.

“The Redevelopment Agency will consider the amendment of the Redevelopment Plan to add land, to allow the use of eminent domain, extend the plan time frames or other amendments,” the plan states.

Among the other objectives and projects, the plans lists the assembly and acquisition of properties with “underperforming” land uses in the project area, including Lakeport's downtown and the Lakeport Boulevard-S. Main Street intersection; a search for developers for a hotel in the project area; and efforts to prepare a Waterfront Development Plan for the area north of Third Street to Clear Lake Avenue, and from Third Street south to Lakeport Lagoons.

The agency also intends to continue working on new development and redevelopment within the project area. High priority sites listed in the plan include downtown Lakeport, the lakefront areas between Lakeport Lagoons and Clearlake Avenue, Main Street between Lakeport Boulevard and Sixth Streets, Dutch Harbor and the Main Street School site (Natural High), North Main Street between Seventh and Clear Lake Avenue, Lakeport Boulevard and South Main Street area, Indian Prayer or Campbell Hill area, and the Vista Point Shopping Center.

Under redevelopment, council members also will receive and file update report on Avalon Housing Project.

In presentations, Terri Persons of the Lake County/City Area Planning Council will give the council an update on the Lake County 2030 Regional Blueprint Planning Program. The Area Planning Council is coordinating the plan for the county.

The county's population is expected to grow 56 percent by 2030, according to information provided by the Area Planning Council. In an effort to plan for those changes and what services will be needed, the council will host a series of community workshops beginning next month which will be used to guide the county's growth.

Interim City Manager Kevin Burke will take to the council a new Bevins Street maintenance agreement between the city and the county.

Burke's report to the council explains that the city and county had a previous agreement which expired on June 30, 2004, the purpose of which was to offset street maintenance costs that resulted from the Lakeport Transfer Station entrance to Lakeport Boulevard and the section of Lakeport Boulevard from Bevins Street to the Highway 29 southbound onramp.

That previous agreement, said Burke, called for annual payments to the city of $6,470.

The new agreement will retroactively compensate the city in the amount of $15,636 – or $3,909 per year – which covers the years going back to the old agreement's 2004 expiration, Burke reported.

Going forward, the new agreement accounts for a significant decline in the number of vehicles going to the transfer station and the drop in garbage tonnage.

Burke's report notes that city and county staff have worked for the past three months to resolve the long-running issue and have agreed on a new annual amount of $4,500 per year, which begins this fiscal year. That amount both reflects a 58-percent decrease in transfer station traffic and a significant increase in asphalt costs.

The contract states that it remains in effect as long as the transfer station reamins in operation.

Upon signing the agreement, the county is to immediately pay the city $20,136, which covers the past-due amount and this year's $4,500 payment, according to the contract language.

In other business, the council will receive and file financial information regarding the golden handshake retirement plan. They also will direct city staff to offer the plan to certain job classifications the council has chosen, prepare and post the calculation of the city's estimated cost, and prepare a resolution on the plan for a future meeting.

City Engineer Scott Harter with take to the council a notice of completion for cape seal on various city streets, and the Lakeport Regional Chamber of Commerce will request funding for the July 4 fireworks.

The council also will hold a closed session to discuss property negotiations for Green Ranch, located at 1473 Martin St.

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

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