LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Board of Supervisors held off on making a decision Tuesday regarding three Northshore business owners' appeal of a major use permit to allow for a new Dollar General store in Nice.

Members of the board wanted more time to consider concerns raised by the community, as well as their own misgivings.

In particular, Supervisor Anthony Farrington said he was concerned that Dollar General – a Tennessee-based “small box” retailer with more than 11,000 stores nationwide – not become “the face of Lake County.”

A corporation representative said Dollar General is exploring three store sites in addition to the two – located at 3539 and 3577 Highway 20 in Nice and 13090 E. Highway 20 in Clearlake Oaks – that the Lake County Planning Commission approved at its May 8 meeting.

Supervisors agreed to continue the discussion at 9:45 a.m. Tuesday, June 24.

Businessmen Avtar Singh, owner of Nice Market; Jagtar Singh, owner of Marina Market; and Mohammed Sadiq, who owns the Nice Tower Market, filed the appeal of the planning commission's approval of the Nice store.

Community Development Director Rick Coel, who along with his staff suggested that the board deny the appeal, said a major use permit for the Nice store was necessary because it's larger than the 5,000-square-foot space allotted in its zoning area.

Coel said the community commercial general plan designation, where the store will be located, is meant to provide a full range of commercial retail and service commercial establishments.

Those businesses are meant to meet the immediate shopping and personal needs of residents and visitors, said Coel, adding that a high priority is given to services and employment opportunities.

Senior Planner Kevin Ingram said the Community Development Department contacted the Northshore Business Association as part of its regular review process and received no comments on the project. The appellants also previously had offered no statement on the store plans.

At the May 8 planning commission meeting, there were business owners who spoke in favor of the plan. “Overall they felt it was a value to the community,” Ingram said.

Mitigations being implemented for the project include taking into consideration nearby legal, conforming uses such as residences, the planners said.

Concerns raised over impact on local business

Avtar Singh said he has to sell products at a specific price level in order to make ends meet. “We have to make a 30-percent profit to cover expenses.

He told the board, “I don't have a future if I lost my business.”

When Supervisor Jim Comstock asked Singh why he didn't raise his concerns at the planning commission meeting, Singh replied that he hadn't known about the meeting.

John Sheehy of Nice said he also hadn't known about the May planning commission meeting. He said he saw the possibility of a negative impact on the community and the attempts to develop the Holiday Harbor property if the store was allowed to move forward.

Deputy County Administrative Officer Alan Flora acknowledged that Dollar General isn’t Macy’s.

“This type of retail establishment fits the demographic nature of a number of the communities that we have on the Northshore, and is consistent with retail services that they would be looking for,” Flora said.

Sheehy suggested that the store’s presence wasn’t consistent with the Northshore Redevelopment Plan.

Supervisor Rob Brown said that plan was great “but not realistic,” and the county couldn’t stop all development due to the vision of one consultant. Brown added, “The plan is the easy part.”
 
Sadiq told the board that Dollar General will offer about 80 percent of the products he sells “way cheaper” than he can.

Clearlake Oaks resident Marv Butler, who owns Garden Court salon and beauty supply shop in Nice, was in favor of the store.

He said Dollar General will carry some similar items to his inventory, however, “I don't find that a problem.”

Butler added, “I enjoy competition, it keeps me up to snuff.”

John Hathaway, who owns the Woodpecker shop on Highway 20 in Nice, also supported the project.

Returning to the microphone, Butler said he visited the Dollar General in Santa Rosa, and found the inventory’s average price ranged between $1 and $20, with some more expensive items.

“It is a general store. It is not a grocery store,” he said.
 
Butler also pointed out that the stores don’t sell cigarettes or alcohol.

Supervisor Jeff Smith asked staff if Dollar General had a liquor license. Coel said no.

However, Dan Dover of Cross Development, the company who applied for the permits on behalf of Dollar General, told the board that the corporation plans to eventually apply for a beer and wine license for the local store.

Dover said they’ve designed the store – which will have a prefab metal structure – with a pedestrian friendly access to the rear of the building, which will be pointed toward Holiday Harbor.

From the design perspective, Dover said they have gone to great lengths to modify elevations of the building and give it a more Mediterranean look.

He said it will be a general merchandise store with seven to 10 employees, who he said will be hired locally. An outside manager may be brought in to get the store going.

“From our perspective it will increase competition, and competition generally is a good thing,” said Dover.

Dollar General believes the Northshore population can support the store. “There is plenty of opportunity in the community,” Dover said.

Dover also gave a price comparison between items sold at local stores and how they would be priced at Dollar General. The local prices he offered were the highest found for the particular products.

Those comparisons included:

• 75-ounce bottle of Tide laundry detergent: Dollar General, $10; local competitor, $23.
• Honey Nut Cheerios: Dollar General, $3; local competitor, $7.59;
• One dozen eggs, Dollar General $1.50 to $2; local competitor, $4.89.
• 15.25-ounce can of whole kernel corn: Dollar General, 65 cents; local competitor, $2.69.

Supervisors discuss their concerns

Farrington asked how many stores Dollar General was considering in Lake County, in addition to the Clearlake Oaks and Nice stores.

Dover said they were looking at three other sites.

Supervisor Jim Comstock, who worked for many years in retail, said competition is positive for local businesses and the community, noting they want to keep people shopping at home.

“We all do better if we have competition,” he said.

During the discussion, Supervisor Jeff Smith said Dollar General will take sales tax dollars either from his district – which includes Clearlake – or Farrington’s, which include Lakeport.

However, Smith said the people the board represents want more shopping opportunities, and he believed Dollar General will save them money and driving time.

Farrington said he was concerned about the potential for so many Dollar General stores in Lake County, noting he understands the Kelseyville area is one of the places being considered for a new store.

Brown said he remembered getting comments from concerned business owners in Upper Lake several years ago when a new gas station was opening there. He noted the businesses that expressed concern are still in operation.

He also recalled how that at one time there were three grocery stores in Kelseyville and three in Finley.

“Things happen. Development happens. Competition happens. Change has happened. So there's a lot to consider here,” Brown said.

Board Chair Denise Rushing asked about the development timeline. Coel said Dollar General had indicated the store would be open three to four months after construction began.

The board agreed to bring the item back for continued discussion in two weeks.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Clearlake City Council is set to hear about the latest on the county marketing plan and a community garden project when it meets Thursday.

The council will hold a closed session at 5 p.m. Thursday, June 12, in the city council chambers, 14050 Olympic Drive, for a performance evaluation of City Manager Joan Phillipe before convening in open session at 6 p.m.

On Thursday's agenda is the presentation of a proclamation declaring June 2014 as LGBT Pride Month in the city.

County Senior Administrative Analyst Jill Ruzicka will give the council the update on the county's marketing plan.

Phillipe's report to the council notes that the city contributes $10,000 annually under a contract with the county for marketing services, noting that the council “expressed interest in a presentation as to exactly what the plan entails and how it benefits the city.”

Ruzicka, who gave a similar presentation to the Lakeport City Council in late May, is expected to talk about new social media and Web outreach efforts as part of the plan's refocusing on building the county's brand.

Also on the agenda, Linda Burton, executive director of the Highlands Senior Service Center, will update the council on the status of the community garden project.

The city is in contract with the senior center for the use of the Bowers Lane building, with Phillipe's report to the council noting that the contract specifies that a community garden area is to be part of the facility. She said it's the city's understanding that plot space is to be made available for rent to community members.

Items on the consent agenda – considered to be noncontroversial and accepted as a slate with one vote – include warrant registers and consideration of a resolution approving a temporary street closure for the 57th July 4 BBQ and Parade on Saturday, July 5.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport Fire Protection District has a new chief.

Doug Hutchison, 46, an Air Force veteran, and firefighter and paramedic with more than 30 years' experience, took the oath as Lakeport's new fire chief during the district's Tuesday evening board meeting.

“Our first order of business is a pleasurable one,” said District Board Chair Gerry Mills, before Board Secretary Linda Buckner administered the oath.

Mills also pinned on Hutchison's new badge.

Hutchison comes from the Pacific Northwest. He has worked for 23 and a half years for the Vancouver, Wash. fire department, most recently holding the rank of captain. He said he also has worked in other departments of varying sizes and was a firefighter in the Air Force.

He has lived in rural Oregon with his wife, a firefighter for the city of Portland, and their three young children, ages 8, 5 and 3. While Hutchison is getting settled into his new responsibilities, the rest of his family is still preparing to make the move south.

Hutchison said he and his wife had talked about simplifying their lives, and when he saw the Lakeport Fire chief job posting, decided it was the right position, as he had wanted to be a chief in a smaller town.

He'll now lead a district that includes a total of 11 full-time positions. Included in that number is the chief's job and nine other firefighter spots.

Hutchison spent his first day on the job on Tuesday. It was a good day, and a busy one, he said.

He'll succeed retiring Chief Ken Wells, a 44-year firefighting veteran who became Lakeport's chief in January 2007.

Wells' last official day was April 30, but he has continued to head up the district while Hutchison's hiring was completed.

Wells said he will continue to work with Hutchison as he gets used to the new job.

Right now the two chiefs are going on calls together, and Wells is introducing Hutchison to other local officials and community members.

Wells, a Lake County native, said he has a lot of knowledge of the area that he wants to share with Hutchison.

As for how long Wells will continue to assist the transition, “It's really up to Doug and the board,” he said following the Tuesday night meeting, adding that Hutchison is catching on to the district's workings very quickly.

During Tuesday's meeting, Lakeport City Councilman Marc Spillman offered his congratulations to Hutchison, shaking his hand and presenting him with a city of Lakeport pin.

Spillman also thanked Wells for his contributions, giving him a pin and a handshake as well.

Mills said Spillman's sentiments and gifts illustrated how closely the city and fire district work together.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – A workshop for discussion of the draft 2014-15 fiscal year budget for the city of Clearlake was held last Thursday at City Hall.

City staff received direction amending the proposal for tentative presentation to the Clearlake City Council this Thursday, June 12.

Directions included those that eliminate cost-free health care coverage of council member dependents; limiting health care coverage to council members only results in a $53,285 annual savings.

City Manager Joan Phillipe said all department heads were involved in the development of the draft budget. She said staff has been working to evolve the format of the budget so that it is easier to understand.

Phillipe said realistically the document is a “preliminary” budget based on projections and that the “final” budget is essentially adopted at the time of mid-year budget review.

City staff may have an amended proposal prepared in time for the council's consideration at its next regular meeting this week. If not, Phillipe said, it likely will be presented during the first regular meeting in July.

In addition, Phillipe said there will be another workshop, which may or may not occur before budget adoption, for the purpose of discussing goals and objectives and conducting a review of policies.

Financial Consultant Bruce Budman provided the council, and the four members of the public in attendance, with a synopsis of the draft proposal highlighting revenue and expenditures percentages, additions and changes and strategies for balancing the budget.

He also addressed outstanding issues such as those concerning contracted services that are currently being addressed.

According to Budman, 36 percent of the city's general fund revenues are garnered through sales taxes, while 30 percent comes from “other taxes.”

Property taxes represent 19 percent of general fund revenues. He said there is a projected increase of $166,600 in sales taxes over the prior year budget.

Other revenues were identified by Budman as follows: franchise fees, 8 percent; licenses and permits, 4 percent; and interest and rents, fines and forfeitures and other agencies each garner 1 percent. No revenues are collected through the current services or other revenues categories.

Addressing the absence of revenue through current services, Phillipe said the city is in the process of hiring a permanent finance director and that updating the city's fee schedule will be among the first tasks the director will address.

Salaries and benefits consume 74 percent of expenditures from the general fund, Budman said. Materials and supplies account for 21 percent. Debt service, at 3 percent, and transfers out and capital outlay, each at 1 percent, round out expenditure categories.

Budman also provided a review of expenses by department: animal control (3 percent), city engineer (1 percent), building and development review (3 percent), planning (1 percent), non-departmental (6 percent), building maintenance (2 percent), senior/community center (3 percent), elected officials (2 percent), city manager (4 percent), city attorney (1 percent), city clerk (3 percent), finance (6 percent), code enforcement (1 percent), streets and public works (3 percent) and parks (3 percent).

The remaining 59 percent of departmental expenditures is within the police department budget.

Budman said the budget complies with mandates of Measure P, which requires 63 percent of the general fund be allocated to the police department. He clarified the 59 percent discussed at the workshop represents proposed expenditures, not revenues.

He said Measure P costs are balanced to revenues. “We are going to spend what we have there but not more,” he said.

Budman said use of police grant funds in the amount of $100,000 for personnel costs assisted in balancing the budget, as did a planned vacancy in the department. Police Chief Craig Clausen said the position, which vacant represents a budget savings of $60,529, has not been filled in some time. Additionally, Budman noted a history of turnover within the department.

Clausen said there currently is a viable candidate for the job; however, he said he was waiting a hire decision depending upon outcome of budget discussions.

Vice Mayor Gina Fortino Dickson asked if it would be more cost-effective to make the hire in effort to reduce the amount of overtime being expended.

Clausen said hiring of the candidate would not immediately put another officer on the streets with consideration of training time. He said the officer would not likely be able to work alone until about October.

In addition, he said the majority of the overtime expense relates to recent restructuring of the courts, which has move criminal cases to Lakeport courtrooms.

He said when officers are required to testify, they are not available for service in the city, which therefore must be provided by another officer. Clausen said discussions with the court system to address the impacts to local jurisdictions are now underway.

“For example,” he said, “There were six officers who had to be in court today, none of whom testified and will have to go back tomorrow. It's problematic and it hurts our overtime.”

Budman said the draft budget addresses increases in pension and employee medical rates. It funds the risk management reserve at $150,000 and projects a contingency reserve of $211,095. It also sets up a new capital projects fund for bonds.

Budman said the first year repayment of a loan from the general fund to the redevelopment agency (now the successor agency) of nearly $1.7 million is budgeted as is a first year repayment of an overpayment from the general fund to the agency.

To help simplify the document, Budman said the economic development and building development fund was combined with the general fund.

“Having it separate caused confusion in the past,” he said. “Auditors didn't like. It made sense to combine it.”

Ongoing capital projects identified in the draft include the Redbud boat launch project and Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) bike trail and striping project.

Also included is the Olympic Drive/Old Highway 53 project, which Public Works Director Doug Herren said is funded through gas tax and includes carryover funds.

Council members were unanimous in eliminating cost-free health coverage for dependents and limiting coverage to council members only.

The coverage will be in line with that provided to city management, which provides coverage without share-of-cost. Coverage for dependents will be available at the expense of the council member.

Outstanding issues include contracting services for city attorney and animal control services.

Phillipe said interviews for a new attorney were conducted and the city is in the process of making a selection.

She said discussions concerning animal control services are currently directed at determining what will be the next step in the process.

Email Denise Rockenstein at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport Planning Commission will meet this week to hold public hearings on amendments to the city's municipal code and review the city's draft housing element.

The commission will meet beginning at 5 p.m. Wednesday, June 11, in the council chambers at Lakeport City Hall, 225 Park St.

A report from Planning Services Manager Andrew Britton to the commission explains that the city is in the process of updating the housing element.

As part of that process, city staff and the city's consultant reviewed the 2009 Lakeport Housing Element's implementation and identified programs in the city zoning ordinance that were not yet implemented.

The proposed ordinance to the commission includes modifying the city's municipal code in order to implement current housing element programs related to mixed use residential development, multifamily development, emergency shelters, extremely low income and special needs household incentives, employee housing, residential care facilities, residential care homes, and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities.

The commission also will consider the 2014 Draft Housing Element and make a recommendation to Lakeport City Council for its adoption.

Britton's report on the housing element to the council explains that state law mandates that each city and county update their housing element regularly, with specific deadlines established by the State Department of Housing and Community Development.

The housing element – one of seven mandatory elements that comprise a local agency’s general plan according to state law – “is considered to be the primary policy document to guide the development, rehabilitation and preservation of housing for all economic segments of the local population,” Britton reported.

It's an amendment to the general plan that includes analysis of the city’s population, housing and employment characteristics, housing development during the previous housing element cycle, characteristics of the housing market, and housing needs of special populations, Britton's report explained.

He said the housing element includes “a five-year implementation plan with goals, policies and programs developed to meet the housing needs of the City as identified from the public outreach activities as well as our research.”

City staff is recommending that that the planning commission forward to the Lakeport City Council a recommendation to submit the draft housing element – with any proposed changes requested by the commission – to the State Department of Housing and Community Development for a 60-day public review period.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – Robinson Rancheria is pitching in to assist the city of Lakeport in paying for its annual July 4 fireworks display.

At the Lakeport City Council's meeting May 20, Tribal Chair Nicholas Medina and David Rose, general manager of the tribe's casino, presented Mayor Kenny Parlet with a $4,000 check.

Parlet called the donation “a nice enhancement” to the effort to raise the $16,500 needed to pay for the fireworks.

The annual fireworks display draws thousands of people to Lake County.  

This year’s display, produced by Pyro Spectaculars, will feature hundreds of fireworks and is slated to begin at 9:30 p.m. on Friday, July 4.  

The fireworks will be set off over Clear Lake from a barge on the lake.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.