CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Clearlake City Council this week will consider filling a vacant council seat and take up a proposed development agreement with a cannabis business.

The council will meet in closed session at 5 p.m. Thursday, March 22, to discuss several cases of current and anticipated litigation before the public portion of the meeting begins at 6 p.m. in the council chambers of Clearlake City Hall, 14050 Olympic Drive.

On the agenda is the consideration of an appointment of a new council member to fill the remaining term of Russ Perdock, who resigned Feb. 1 in order to apply for the city police chief job, as Lake County News has reported. The term for the vacant seat ends in November.

On Feb. 22, the council directed staff to advertise the vacancy and accept applications, with a March 15 deadline.

City Clerk Melissa Swanson reported that she received six applications for the seat. Applicants are Sheryl Almon, Russell Cremer, Jennifer Fitts, Cheryl Marinaro, James Reed and Dirk Slooten.

Swanson’s report for the meeting said that an ad hoc committee that included Mayor Bruno Sabatier, Vice Mayor Phil Harris and herself met Monday to review the applications.

The ad hoc committee is recommending Marinaro, a Realtor, and Slooten, the chair of the Clearlake Planning Commission, be interviewed and considered for appointment, Swanson said.

The appointee would then be given the oath and seated at the April 12 council meeting, according to Swanson.

In other business, the council will hold a public hearing to consider adoption of a development agreement with Eric Sklar of Clearlake Growth Fund No. 1 for commercial cannabis operations – including manufacturing, distribution and a delivery-only dispensary – to be located at 2935 Ogulin Canyon Road.

The meeting also will include several presentations, including a proclamation declaring Vietnam Veterans Day; a presentation by Pacific Gas and Electric Co.; the annual Public, Education and Government Channel’s audit report; the Clearlake Waste Solutions 2017 annual report; and a presentation by Adventist Health Clear Lake on the 340B Drug Program.

Items on the consent agenda – items considered noncontroversial and usually accepted as a slate on one vote – are warrant registers; minutes of the Jan. 4, 11 and 25, and Feb. 1; consideration of continuation of a declaration of local emergency issued on Oct. 9 and ratified by the council on Oct. 12 in response to the Sulphur fire; and consideration of adoption of the facilities coordinator/deputy city clerk position.

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