LAKE COUNTY — A new group, called The Clear Lake Foundation, will hold its first meeting on Friday at 3 p.m. in the Lakeport City Council Chambers. The purpose of the foundation is to provide funds and gather input from residents for the restoration, improvement and promotion of Clear Lake.
To protect the lake, some specific concerns will be addressed by the foundation.
Those concerns include how to safeguard the lake from invasive species, such as the quagga mussel. The foundation will look at how the mercury level can be lowered, develop a more positive image of the lake and improve boating and pedestrian access to and around the lake.
“The lake is our showpiece and we need a foundation to preserve and promote it,” said proposed member Roy Parmentier, mayor of Lakeport. “There are about 100 different government bodies that have control of the lake, this will help these outfits get on the same page.”
In light of recent cuts to the Fish and Game budget and the fact that they are already understaffed, there is concern on the part of the foundation that proper coordination is maintained between governing agencies. The concept of creating a community foundation for Clear Lake was developed by developer Jim Burns of Fort Bragg.
It is thought by the organizers to be the first community foundation created for this purpose in the state.
“The impetus for this came from a meeting in Supervisor Tony Farrington”s office with Matt Boeger, developer of the Crystallago project,” Burns said. The foundation plans to meet quarterly, according to Parmentier.
“We”ll probably meet more the first year. It”s taken us about four to five months to put it together.”
The foundation works on the premise that the lake is “too valuable of an asset to risk its future on the ebb and flow of governmental funding,” Burns said.
A goal of the foundation is to secure funds through loans and grants along with public donations and accessing other foundations.
Another goal of the foundation is to act as a sounding board for the community. This will be accomplished by public goal setting meetings along with other open meetings of the foundation.
The foundations methodology will include receiving public input and developing and recommending legislation and guidelines as a result of the public input.
This approach is intended to differ from the “typical process of waiting for a governmental agency to hand down laws and then the community is supposed to react. Public apathy toward the latter approach of governing appears to be at an all-time high,” Burns said.
Farrington said he thought it would be nice if the development community could participate in meeting some of the needs of Lake County. At that point the community foundation concept was developed and one of its goals was established to have the entire development community participate. Boeger is currently pursuing that avenue of funding. “Developers make some money, so that is an area of funding. If you work on projects that benefit the community, the community feels better about you as a developer,” Burns said.
He added that other than coming up with the idea, his participation as a developer stops there.
“The people who are doing this are the committee. I”m not doing it anymore. It”s all the community members who work and live here,” Burns said.
He added that as a consultant he charges $200 per hour, and has spent more than $50,000 in time on the foundation idea in which he “received nothing.” “What benefit would I get, I don”t live there. There”s no additional benefit for me. I just think it”s a good idea and it”s needed.”
Officers of the foundation include Buzz Bruns, Vice Chairman; Jerry Gillham, President; Mike Ewing, Special Legal Counsel; and Paula Bryant, Chief Financial Officer.
The foundation has recruited more than a dozen members who are “prominent citizens in the county” who would likely be successful at fundraising and gaining support in the community, Burns said.
Contact Elizabeth Wilson at please visit www.record-bee.com.
