LAKEPORT — The Lakeport City Council met before its regular 6 p.m. council meeting Tuesday for an hour to discuss annexation of 157 acres of property into Lakeport”s city limits. The property is located next to “Hamburger Hill” the colloquial name of the area of fast-food chains on Lakeport Boulevard.
Previously, the annexation was denied to the city by Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) due to Lakeport”s “lack of ability to supply services,” Councilman Jim Irwin said as the council discussed the viability of the plan.
City staff said there could be a “negative” period of time after annexation in which the extra land could cost the city money due to its supply of city services, but “over time as development occurred it would be a positive,” Community Development Director Richard Knoll said. City Manager Jerry Gillham said the move would allow the city to collect more property tax which in turn would stimulate sales tax. “It”s good that we annex it because it has a positive net increase over what it costs to serve,” Gillham said. A decision has not been made whether the annexation will go through. A LAFCO meeting will be held in city hall chambers March 19. In other business, it was announced the Safeway remodeling project will go before the planning commission next week.
City Manager Jerry Gillham said he will focus his work next week on the city”s budget.
City Clerk Janel Chapman said she received a request from a fortune teller asking the city to lower its business license fee for vendors, which is $50 per day. The council compared the fee to the one-time only business license fee of $10 used by vendors such as those at Fourth of July events. City council decided not to address the fortune teller”s request.
During the 30-minute council meeting that saw less than a dozen citizens in attendance, no one spoke during a public hearing for the adoption of a new sewer ordinance. The ordinance was adopted by the council and will bring the city into compliance with environmental and plumbing codes.
Utilities Superintendent Mark Brannigan said he received a letter of approval from the North Bay Association of Realtors. “We”ve had wonderful input from realtors, businesses and restaurants. We”ve done a great ordinance that”s going to get us what we need, improve the sewer system and reduce overflows.”
A sewer compliance officer will enforce codes and fees and is budgeted through sewer rates the city raised.
A South Main Street gutters and sidewalks staff report to the council answered Councilman Roy Parmentier”s question regarding why the project was not yet completed. “We had a discussion about getting this done by December,” he said.
City Engineer Scott Harter said the city is working with AT&T on the relocation of four telephone poles, which the company has agreed to move. “The completion of the whole thing rests on the date from AT&T, that is the largest unknown at this time,” Harter said.
Parmentier agreed to write a letter setting a date by which the poles must be removed, after councilmen said Parmentier was successful in the past with a similar letter regarding the removal of old light fixtures in downtown Lakeport.
Contact Elizabeth Wilson at ewilson@record-bee.com.
