LAKEPORT — City council sped through a short agenda Tuesday evening, handing out awards to winners in a holiday decorating contest and approving agenda items.
The council heard a staff report from Community Development Director Richard Knoll on an application submitted by citizens to put Lakeport”s Carnegie library on the National Register of Historic Places.
A nomination to obtain historic places status was made in October by Friends of the Lake County Museum and the Lakeport Women”s Civic Club.
“It is actually an appropriate action,” Knoll said to council members, who at the last city council meeting had expressed concern that the city, owners of the building, had not been involved in the nomination process.
Knoll went on to explain that according to his research, owners of a building that is nominated must respond, if not, the building can be placed on the register without their permission. If the city decides against giving their approval, the National Secretary of the Interior, the agency that handles the registry, will not go against it.
City councilman Bob Rumfelt said his concerns include whether or not the historic places status would restrict moving the building. “There has been some conversation about moving the library, for whatever reason we might decide to do that, would this stop us from doing that? I would like to know that for sure before we went one way or another,” Rumfelt said.
The council decided to take no action on whether or not to approve the nomination, and decided to put it off until a later date.
In miscellaneous reports, Rumfelt reported visible weeds in the lake bed. City staff responded that they will send someone to manually clear the weeds while the lake level remains low.
“What we”re hoping to do next year, if the budget allows, is spray and kill weeds. It takes about $1,500 to do that. If funds are available, I”d like to also do Dutch Harbor,” said Public Works Superintendent Doug Grider.
City Manager Jerry Gillham reported that the Lakeport Yacht Club asked to be included on a future city council agenda. The Yacht Club wants to ask for a permanent docking space in exchange for free sailing lessons for city council members and city staff. Gillham recommended against it. Grider said, “We do have an ordinance against doing that.”
Gillham reported that Lakeport Disposal”s franchise with the city calls for cost of living adjustments and “other issues that need to be addressed.”
He recommended the city wait to approve cost of living adjustments that would allow the garbage company to increase their rates until the “other issues” were brought to the table and resolved.
“You not taking any action does forestall the anticipated 75 percent increase of the CPI (Consumer Price Index)?my sense is that we would hold them up for a month [if the council delayed approving the rate increases],” Gillham said.
“We”re not holding the cost of living increase hostage by doing this?” Rumfelt asked. “We are,” Gillham replied.
“I don”t think we should be holding them hostage, but I don”t see why they can hold us hostage on that [other issues],” councilman Roy Parmentier said.
At the end of the meeting, Lakeport Disposal”s Lance Butcher addressed the council, and made plans to schedule a meeting with Gillham to resolve issues with the city”s franchise.
Contact Elizabeth Wilson at ewilson@record-bee.com.
