LAKEPORT, Calif. — The Lakeport City Council will consider a contract to recruit a new police chief and discuss whether to allow storefront cannabis businesses and temporary cannabis events in the city when it meets this week.

The council will meet Tuesday, Jan. 16, at 6 p.m. in the council chambers at Lakeport City Hall, 225 Park St.

The agenda can be found here.

The council chambers will be open to the public for the meeting. Masks are highly encouraged where 6-foot distancing cannot be maintained.

If you cannot attend in person, and would like to speak on an agenda item, you can access the Zoom meeting remotely at this link or join by phone by calling toll-free 669-900-9128 or 346-248-7799.

The webinar ID is 973 6820 1787, access code is 477973; the audio pin will be shown after joining the webinar. Those phoning in without using the web link will be in “listen mode” only and will not be able to participate or comment.

Comments can be submitted by email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. To give the city clerk adequate time to print out comments for consideration at the meeting, please submit written comments before 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 16.

The meeting will start off with a proclamation designating January as Human Trafficking Awareness Month.

On Tuesday’s agenda, the council will be asked to consider an agreement with Bob Hall and Associates for the executive recruitment of a new chief of police and approve a budget amendment in the amount of $27,000 for the expenditure.

Police Chief Brad Rasmussen intends to retire this fall. He’s also running for the District 4 supervisorial seat.

The council also will hold a study session on retail storefront cannabis businesses and temporary cannabis events and consider whether or not Lakeport should permit such operations and events.

“If City Council elects to permit retail storefront cannabis businesses and/or temporary cannabis events staff would come back to the Planning Commission at a future date with a draft ordinance for review. Once the prospective draft ordinance(s) are reviewed by the Planning Commission, staff will bring the item back to City Council for further review and potential action,” Community Development Director Joey Hejnowicz wrote in his memo to the council.

In other business, on the agenda is a presentation from the Lake County Water Resources Department regarding the “Clear Lake Integrated Preparedness and Resilience Plan for Dreissenid Mussel Management: A Rapid Response and Transition to Containment Plan.”

Rasmussen will ask the council for a five-year contract extension for the Automated License Plate Reader cameras, there will be a presentation of the first quarter financials update and the council will consider adopting a resolution appointing representatives to represent and vote on behalf of the City at the League of California Cities, Redwood Empire Division Business meetings and represent the City and vote at Division Legislative Committee meetings.

On the consent agenda — items considered noncontroversial and usually accepted as a slate on one vote — are ordinances; minutes of the City Council’s regular meeting on Dec. 19; approval of application SCC2023-002, with staff recommendations, for the street closure at 5th and Main for the Rotary Crab Feed; approval of application G2024-003, with staff recommendations, for the reserved parking spaces on Park and Third streets for the Clearlake Environmental Research Center Hometown Wildfire Safety Collaboration; and adoption of a resolution approving the Successor Agency of the Lakeport Redevelopment Agency Recognized Obligation Payment Schedule 24-25 for the period of July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025.

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.