LAKEPORT – A ballot initiative that would put a vote on allowing safe and sane fireworks in the city before residents is on the Lakeport City Council agenda this Tuesday.

The council will hold a budget workshop with staff beginning at 4 p.m., with the regular council meeting to begin at 6 p.m. at Lakeport City Hall, 225 Park St.

The meeting agenda can be downloaded at www.cityoflakeport.com/departments/docs.aspx?deptID=88&catID=124 .

The fireworks initiative effort began after the council voted 3-2 this spring to ban safe and sane fireworks in the city, as Lake County News has reported.

City Clerk Janel Chapman will present to the council a certificate to initiate petition, which sets forth the numbers of valid signatures gathered by the fireworks initiative's proponents.

Chapman reported that 693 signatures were gathered, and 424 of them were found to be sufficient.

Her report explains that the council has three options. For one, it can accept an ordinance that the initiative's proponents authored, which puts additional restrictions on sales and sets aside a portion of funding for public safety.

Alternately, the council can order the election or request a study period in order to come up with a compromise, according to Chapman.

Chapman notes that time is of the essence if the election is to take place, as the city must submit a request for a consolidated election with the county to the Board of Supervisors in the first week of August. A resolution calling for that election would need to be adopted no later than the Aug. 4 council meeting.

“Given the apparent split in the Council's view of Safe and Sane Fireworks, it makes sense to put the matter to the voters and to do so at the consolidated November election in order to avoid the cost of a special election,” Chapman wrote in her report.

The council also may delay discussing an appeal of the Lakeport Planning Commission's approval of an OmniPoint Communications/T-Mobile use permit for a cell tower at 280 Third St.

A letter to the council from Allen Potter of Eagle Consulting, T-Mobile's agent, said the company is analyzing the possibility of co-locating a cell facility on the top of the Lake County Courthouse on N. Forbes.

Convening jointly as the Lakeport Redevelopment Agency, the council will conduct an annual review of the agency's policy for investing idle funds and adopt a resolution on investing the money.

City Engineer Scott Harter will take to the council contract change order No. 3 for the South Main Street Drainage Project. The change order will reduce the contract amount by $4,665.79.

The council also will adopt a resolution authorizing an application to the Department of Housing and Community Development for HOME funds. Redevelopment Director Richard Knoll's report to the council notes that the city is seeking $800,000 from the program to fund first-time homebuyer and housing rehabilitation programs.

Following the public portion of the meeting, the council will hold a closed session to discuss labor negotiations with the Lakeport Employees Association, an anticipated case of litigation and a pending lawsuit, Lakeport v. Browning.

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