LAKEPORT — Lakeport city council adopted a new set of procedures at its Tuesday meeting to establish a management process for when the city draws up contracts. It provides some penalties for non-compliance of a contractor, according to City Manager Jerry Gillham.
A following agenda item regarding a contract with an architect for a downtown transformation project was tabled until the council”s next meeting because it was rewritten to conform with the city”s new contracting procedures and handed to council members just prior to its meeting. The council said it wanted more time to look over the new contract.
“It”s essentially the same contract, but much more favorable in terms of the city”s (new) standards,” Redevelopment Agency Director Richard Knoll said. The newly-written contract has a tentative, one-year deadline regarding a downtown transformation, whereas the prior contract had no deadline, he added.
He said at least one business owner wants to initiate a fa?ade renovation prior to August.
Using the architect, the city plans to pay $165,000 for “initial design” of facades. At least 75 buildings have been identified in the downtown area to be part of the transformation project. “I think we”re probably looking at 15 to 20 at least in the first year. If we get that many, I think we”d be happy,” Knoll said.
City Council discussed the possibility of having the Redevelopment Agency acquire city-owned Dutch Harbor, a downtown lakefront property.
“We can certainly put that together. The staff report makes mention of merging it with adjoining properties. With a larger portion of land there is greater flexibility (for development). That doesn”t mean the Natural High property, it could mean the other direction,” Knoll said, as he passed around a photograph depicting a design.
“This photo contains a lot of the elements ? intensive development, a lake promenade, open space, a marina ? the kinds of things I”ve heard the city council talk about for years,” Knoll said. Two citizens addressed the council with concerns that the Natural High property remain open space, free of development. The city does not own the property, but in the past tried to persuade the Lakeport school district to sell it to the city.
After the council discussed a South Main Street Sidewalk project, Public Works Director Doug Grider said the section could be included in the city”s next Safe Routes to Schools grant application. School children regularly walk the portion of downtown where there is a steep grade and patchy sidewalks.
City Council spent nearly an hour deliberating whether or not to pass an amendment to a bed and breakfast ordinance so that it clearly states the limit of bedrooms is five, but that any amount of bedrooms up to that amount would be permissible. The mistake in the ordinance came to light when Lakeport resident Gregory Gill applied for a permit to operate a bed and breakfast and the wording made it sound like he must have five bedrooms, and not fewer.
The council decided to table the decision until a future meeting, as well as delay approving Gill”s application, until further issues with the ordinance could be worked out by the Planning Commission.
Contact Elizabeth Wilson at ewilson@record-bee.com
