LAKEPORT – The Lakeport City Council will hear a presentation on quagga mussels, look at applying for grant funding to help local businesses and consider hiring a new police officer at its next regular meeting, set for this Tuesday.

The council and staff will meet at 5 p.m. for a budget workshop before the regular meeting convenes at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Aug., 4, in the council chambers at Lakeport City Hall, 225 Park St.

The agenda and accompanying staff reports can be downloaded at www.cityoflakeport.com/departments/docs.aspx?deptID=88&catID=102 .

Carolyn Ruttan of the county's Water Resources Division will give the presentation regarding quagga mussels during public presentations. This past week, the Board of Supervisors agreed to offer the city at least one quagga mussel decontamination stations.

On Tuesday, the council also is scheduled to hold a public hearing and adopt a resolution approving an application and contract execution for funding from the Economic Development Allocation of the State Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program.

The $300,000 grant for which the city is applying would be used for business assistance loans, specifically for working capital, equipment, and inventory, according to a staff report. Because the grants are competitive, city staff recommends the council approve leveraging business loan program funds to enhance the grant applications.

If the city receives the grant, it would be able to fund five to seven business loans and create eight to 10 jobs for targeted income persons, staff reported.

In redevelopment business, the council – sitting jointly as the redevelopment agency – will receive a status report on several improvement projects in the city's redevelopment area. Those projects include 562 S. Main St. (Performance European); Forbes and Martin Street east of the county fairgrounds; Martin Street alley extension project (TJ’s Bar and Grill / Saving Bank of Mendocino); and First and Main (Ross Kauper).

Also acting in joint capacity as the council and the City of Lakeport Municipal Sewer District, members will consider a financial assistance application to the State Revolving Fund for $2.2 million to complete projects recommended in the Sewer Master Plan of 2008.

Kevin Burke, the city's police chief and interim city manager, is taking to the council a request to accept $241,237 awarded to the city from the COPS Hiring Recovery Program grant, which is part of the American Recovery and Investment Act of 2009.

Along with that request, Burke will ask the council to consider an exemption from the current hiring freeze in order to hire a police officer pursuant to the program. His report to the council explains that Lakeport Police applied for the grant in May to replace one of the police officer positions that had been eliminated in connection with the prior fiscal year budget.

Burke's report explains that 7,200 law enforcement agencies applied for the grants, which fully funds an entry level police officer position for three years, including salary and benefits. By accepting the grant, the city must commit to retaining the police officer for at least one additional year, Burke said.

In other business, the council will consider giving staff direction regarding temporary occupancy agreement for property at 280 Third St., where Roy Muhlhauser is remodeling a mixed-use project consisting of two professional offices and a small residential unit. The agreement, signed in January of 2007, was up at the end of July, and all the required improvements have not been finished, according to a report from City Attorney Steve Brookes.

The council also will hold a closed session to discuss an anticipated case of litigation and hold a conference with labor negotiators regarding the Lakeport Employees Association, which last month asked to begin impasse proceedings, as Lake County News has reported.

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