LAKEPORT — The city council meeting will begin an hour early at 5 p.m. today in city chambers to allow time for its third goal setting discussion. City manager Jerry Gillham will present the results from a nearly three-hour goal setting workshop held last week. During the meeting, less than 10 Lakeport citizens?superseded in number by a full attendance of city council members and most of the city staff?voted on what they thought were the most important goals for the city”s future.
One such goal suggested by Lakeport resident Andrea Anderson was for more transparency in city government. Anderson is in a wheelchair and cannot attend meetings due to Dial-A-Ride”s limited service. The only available recording of the meetings are tape cassettes. Anderson recently purchased a Web camera for the city and plans to offer it to the council so videos of the meetings can be made available on the city”s Web site.
Another Lakeport citizen, Suzanne Lyons, echoed Anderson”s request for more transparency. She asked for lucid, publicly available documentation of where the city”s money comes from and how the city spends it throughout the year. In addition, Lyons said, discussion between council members, staff and citizens is impeded when citizen input on agenda items is requested before the items are explained. “We have no idea what you”re talking about if you ask for comments before explaining the topic,” Lyons said to council members at the workshop. In response, Gillham nodded and said, “We can do that.”
According to a statement on the agenda, “any person may speak for three minutes on any agenda item; however, total public input per item is not to exceed 15 minutes, extended at the discretion of the city council. This rule does not apply to public hearings. Non-timed items may be taken up at any unspecified time.”
On Tuesday”s agenda is an application from the Silver Circle VW Club requesting the closure of Park Street to hold a car show on Saturday, June 28, 2008, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. In a public hearing, the city will adjourn as city council and reconvene as the city of Lakeport municipal sewer district to adopt a resolution, rescind a resolution and amend a resolution establishing rates, fees and charges for the Lakeport municipal sewer district.
In council business, city engineer Scott Harter will approve a contract change order for the South Main Street rehabilitation project (South Main Street road improvements). Police Chief Kevin Burke will introduce an ordinance adding a chapter to the Lakeport Municipal Code relating to consumption of alcohol by minors in non-public places.
Community development director Richard Knoll will report to council members an update on nuisance property complaints.
At the last council meeting, citizens spoke up about two properties on Esplanade Road in Lakeport, and after checking them out Knoll has determined they need to be cleaned up.
Knoll will also address a prior appeal made by councilman Ron Bertsch and his wife Barbara Bertsch that was denied by the city”s planning commission. That decision is on the agenda to be overturned and the appeal approved by the council.
In a closed session, city manager Gillham will give a public employee performance evaluation. The session will re-open to the public followed by a report on the closed session.
Contact Elizabeth Wilson at ewilson@record-bee.com.
