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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
LAKEPORT – Lakeport's Westshore Pool renovation is nearing completion this week, as the contractor begins testing the pool's mechanical equipment.
Lakeport City Engineer Scott Harter reported Thursday that Pool Time, the company which has conducted the pool renovations, filled up the pool on Wednesday.
For the past few months, the pool has been undergoing a complete renovation. Pool Time stripped off its plaster to expose the underlying structure in order to repair and, in some cases, completely replace its plumbing. The company then put a fresh layer of plaster on its surface.
On Thursday tests were under way on the pool's mechanical system, including its pump, filters and skimmers, to see if everything was working properly, Harter said.
The project has suffered some delays due to weather and unforeseen repairs, Bob Dwyer, Pool Time's project manager, reported.
Many of the repair issues required Dwyer going back to the City Council for change orders. The initial bid rewarded to Pool Time on the project was $313,370; that amount later grew to $370,515 to cover additional repairs. Harter estimates another $10,000 will cover the cost for additional work on the pool outside of the initial project scope.
The pool's repair has been covered mostly by Measure I sales tax funds, with $168,000 come from a state grant.
In recent weeks, said Dwyer, work has gone smoothly since they were past the “discovery phase” of finding more problems in the 4,300 square foot pool.
“In roughly about a week we should be signed off,” said Dwyer.
Still to be done, he said, is filtering out the plaster dust in the pool that resulted from the new plastering on its surface.
Even with the extra work, Dwyer said they came close to meeting their initial completion date of April 13.
As to when the pool will be ready for swimming, Harter said, “I don't have an idea on that yet.”
Before the pool goes back into service, said Harter, the Channel Cats swim team has volunteered to do work on the pool's picnic area and bathrooms, which they'll be assisted in doing by the city's park crew.
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
MIDDLETOWN – An Alameda County man convicted of stalking the governor and possessing drugs was arrested Wednesday on a probation violation.
Lt. Patrick McMahon of the Lake County Sheriff's Office reported that Jeffrey Miller, 45, of Oakland was arrested Wednesday after voluntarily leaving a drug treatment program that was part of his probation.
LCSO Deputies Mike Morshed and Brian Martin responded to a call from a Middletown resident that Miller was at her residence after having left the Personal Support Group facility near Anderson Springs, McMahon reported.
The deputies subsequently arrested him, according to McMahon. Miller was booked at the Lake County Jail and is being held on a no-bail probation violation charge.
Miller was sentenced in Alameda County Superior Court to complete a drug program with PSG after being convicted in that county for drug possession and stalking Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, according to McMahon.
The Associated Press reported last month that an Alameda County court ordered Miller to stay away from Schwarzenegger and his family for 10 years, undergo psychiatric treatment for substance abusers and serve three years' probation due to his repeated threats to kill the governor and First Lady Maria Shriver. Miller had pleaded no contest to the charges.
Miller crashed through the gates at a Coast Guard station in Alameda in February 2006, made threats against Schwarzenegger and was arrested, according to the Associated Press. Miller, who reportedly suffers from mental illness and addiction to methamphetamine, later was released to his father's custody.
However, he was back in custody last June, after he turned himself in to authorities, telling them he had drugs and he wanted to kill Schwarzenegger, according to the Associated Press.
The Associated Press reported that the California Highway Patrol – which is responsible for providing the governor's security – considered Miller a real security concern.
McMahon reported that Miller also is on misdemeanor probation out of Marin County on stalking charges. Those charges, the Associated Press reported, arose from Miller's 2005 conviction for stalking two women.
Authorities from Alameda and Marin County, and CHP's Protective Services Division were notified of Miller’s arrest and are working cooperatively to determine a resolution of his custodial status, McMahon reported.
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
CLEARLAKE – Clearlake's City Council has a full slate of issues tonight, which run the gamut from medical marijuana to city development agreements.
One of the first items listed under “Business” on the council's lengthy agenda includes a public hearing regarding the consideration of adopting an interim urgency ordinance to extend a temporary moratorium on medical marijuana.
City Administrator Dale Neiman said the ordinance went into effect last year. This urgency ordinance, drafted by the city attorney, would extend the temporary moratorium for one more year.
The reason for taking that action, said Neiman, is because of lawsuits under way around the state involving medical marijuana and its regulation by cities.
“We want to wait until that litigation is resolved,” said Neiman, before the city makes a decision on how to approach the issue.
Council looks at Lake Glenn Subdivision
One issue scheduled for this evening's meeting that's expected to draw a lot of attention is consideration of a final map for the Lake Glenn Subdivision, which is near the senior center and borders Rumsey Road, Neiman said.
The 32-lot subdivision is in the second of its three phases, said Neiman.
Neighbors have voiced concerns aimed primarily at making sure the subdivision's future homes are of comparable quality to those built earlier by Bay Area developer Robert Adelman, said Neiman.
Neiman said he's talked to about half a dozen neighbors, who also have wanted the minimum house sizes in the subdivision to stay at 1,200 square feet.
Adelman received permission from a previous Community Development director to reduce the minimum square footage to 1,000 square feet, said Neiman, who added Adelman has agreed to return to the 1,200 square foot size.
Homes built in the subdivision between 2002 and 2006 ranged between $118 and $220 per square foot in price, Neiman said. The minimum sales price for future homes would be at $200 per square foot, or $240,000.
Neiman said he hopes the council will be able to address the neighbors' concerns and clear up misinformation that he said exists about the development.
Business park development on the agenda
In other development news, in January the city began negotiating with Katz Kirkpatrick Properties of Roseville regarding an exclusive negotiation agreement for developing the 26-acre Clearlake Commercial Development Site – also known as the Clearlake Business Park – near the Outrageous Waters location.
This evening, the council will consider entering into that agreement, said Neiman.
Katz Kirkpatrick has developed close to 50 shopping centers, many in Northern California, with clients including Kohl's, Home Depot, Target, Raley's and Wal-Mart, according to a company background.
As part of the agreement, Katz Kirkpatrick would submit a conceptual plan, there would be an environmental study and appraisal, eventually leading to the city selling the developer the property, said Neiman.
“When we enter into this agreement, it basically establishes a process for working though all those details,” Neiman explained.
If the agreement stays on schedule, Neiman said, in two years a development plan and sale could be completed.
The council will hold a closed session on the business park agreement and negotiations on the Austin Resort property.
Neiman said the city continues to discuss a possible development at the old Austin Resort with the firm Income Property Specialists.
“I'm optimistic we'll reach an agreement,” he said.
The process to complete the agreement would take another year, said Neiman. Necessary steps would include an environmental review, permitting, and a disposition and development agreement that would include what project would be developed and a purchase price for the developer.
“We're trying to negotiate the best project we can for the community,” said Neiman.
He added that there will be “plenty of public review” through that process.
Lots of applicants for Vision Task Force
Also on the agenda, the council will make appointments to its Vision Task Force, which officials hope will help chart a course for the city's future.
Neiman said the city has received 50 applications for membership, which the council opened last month to local business and property owners.
As a result of the interest, the main task force is being split into two, one dealing with social issues, the other infrastructure and planning. Neiman said he expects all applicants will be appointed to serve on one of those committees.
Before the regular council meeting at 6 p.m., the council will hold a special meeting at 2:30 p.m. for a study session followed by a closed session discussion of litigation against the city by RMM Environmental.
The council meets at 6 p.m. Clearlake City Hall, 14050 Olympic Drive.
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SACRAMENTO – The State Senate Committee on Transportation & Housing on Tuesday passed three bills by Sen. Patricia Wiggins: SB 735 (CalTrans tracking of recycled materials), SB 773 (vehicle length exemptions for livestock carriers), and SB 861 (North Coast Railroad Authority).
A fourth measure, SJR 4 (Klamath River salmon), was also approved today by the Senate Natural Resources & Water Committee.
Following are brief summaries of each of the Wiggins bills approved in their respective committees:
– SB 735, to require the state Department of Transportation (Caltrans) to establish a system for tracking the amount of recycled aggregated materials used in highway construction projects and report the information to the Legislature every two years (the Senator’s goal is to help divert usable materials such as recycled asphalt and crushed concrete away from landfills and toward road construction).
– SB 773, to waive trucking restrictions on U.S. Highway 101 for local cattle ranchers (the restrictions have forced many North Coast ranchers to ship their livestock out of the area and then re-load them on to bigger trucks elsewhere, increasing costs).
– SB 861, to enable the North Coast Railroad Authority to reallocate $5.5 million of Traffic Congestion Relief Program revenues toward environmental cleanup.
– SJR4, to declare Legislative support for efforts in Congress to provide assistance to fishing communities, businesses and individuals to mitigate the economic losses caused by declining populations of Klamath River fall chinook salmon.
Patricia Wiggins represents California’s 2nd Senate District, which includes part of Solano County plus all of Humboldt, Lake, Mendocino, Napa & Sonoma counties.
To read committee analysis of the first three bills visit the following links.
– http://info.sen.ca.gov/pub/07-08/bill/sen/sb_0701-0750/sb_735_cfa_20070405_162138_sen_comm.html
– http://info.sen.ca.gov/pub/07-08/bill/sen/sb_0751-0800/sb_773_cfa_20070405_162219_sen_comm.html
– http://info.sen.ca.gov/pub/07-08/bill/sen/sb_0851-0900/sb_861_cfa_20070405_162250_sen_comm.html
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