This past spring the City of Clearlake staff put together an imaginary general plan update. They assembled four dozen Clearlake citizens together, called it a Task Force and set about having a series of meetings. Several months later and the stroke of a pen, Clearlake gave birth to its entire future and so named its objective its “Vision.”
Within a few months from now it will already be a calendar year since this abstract birth occurred.
As of this date a Vision Leader has not yet arrived, nor has any person stepped forward and requested to lead. Provisions have not been set aside to feed the Vision Task Force and bring the financing to fruition so that the imaginations of Clearlake”s citizens could be realized.
One very important financial responsibility has been taking place in City Hall each and every month, and that is the paying of monthly bills that amount to $667,000 of which the city payroll amounts to $417,000 a month. When Bill Shields and I circulated a petition last summer almost 25 percent of our registered voters readily agreed that Clearlake had some serious problems and that the City Council needed to take immediate action in order to halt further mental and physical deterioration of our community.
The Clearlake City Council, along with Administrator Dale Neiman, argued that other than animal control and weed abatement, Clearlake was doing just fine. In fact, Dale Neiman stated, “In my view, the best way to improve the city is to work on carrying out the recommendations in the Task Force Report (Vision) in a positive manner.”
A letter to the editor in the Lake County Record-Bee on Nov. 7, 2007 by planning commissioner Albert Bernal also agreed with the Vision Task Force.
Mr. Bernal also fails to identify with common sense and the exact procedures called for in administrating and constructing public property and infrastructure. One of the most important requests involved in our petition was the need for a street improvement bond for the entire city of Clearlake.
That request has been watered down to a possible 1,500 feet of street improvement a year by way of a “revolving financial plan” that so far is all talk and no action. The truth is ? no money in sight.
Since Bill and I kicked off the petition drive last July 26, the City of Clearlake has bought a few new police and code enforcement cars, bought all the police officers new badges and asked them for a new oath. Chairperson and council member Judy Thein has handed out more awards, plaques and flowers than were ever handed out by all the previous councils.
Last but not least is the illegal narcotics distribution in Lake County. For the past 25 years Lake County has had the distinction of being second to Bade City, Fla. for the number of arrests per population density for drug possession in the United States. Just a few months ago the State of California tells the whole state that Lake County tops all 57 counties in the production of marijuana.
But when the Clearlake City Council is approached by petition to quietly take a look into their own police department, they hand out new badges in a public ceremony and ask the police for a new oath.
Illegal narcotics controls our entire community and the Clearlake City Council is in total denial of this truth. What is on the Clearlake City Council agenda for 2008, more of the same?
Frank Brumfield is a local political activist and resident of Clearlake.
