CLEARLAKE — The Clearlake City Council voted 3-2 Thursday to reimburse the Valdez family for costs associated with use of the Clearlake Senior/Community Center. The request was made on behalf of the family by Jones and Lewis Clear Lake Memorial Chapel.
Jones and Lewis General Manager Karen Karnatz requested reimbursement in the amount of $137, which was charged for using the facility to hold a memorial service for Heather Valdez.
Valdez was the victim of a stabbing that occurred on June 5 on Austin Drive. The 17-year-old Carl? High School student was allegedly stabbed by a schoolmate shortly after both students were released from the school bus.
The lawyer of the suspect, identified by police officials as 18-year-old Gabrielle Varney, has entered a plea of not guilty on her behalf.
A memorial service was held at the senior/community center on June 14. With the assistance of Carl? High School, the usage fee was reduced by half to $137. Karnatz requested reimbursement of the money in effort to ease the burden of the family.
Councilmember Judy Thein immediately voiced her support of the request. “They didn”t ask for this,” Thein said. “They got hit with a tragedy out of the blue and our community was also hurt.”
Council members Chuck Leonard and Joyce Overton voiced opposition to the request. Leonard said he had a problem with reimbursing the family if in fact Carl? High School had funded the service. Karnatz explained that Carl? acted as the non-profit agency that led the event; however, the Valdez family actually paid the costs. Leonard then questioned whether or not that in itself was misrepresentation as it led to a reduction in usage fees under the council”s policy for reducing fees for organizations with non-profit status.
Karnatz explained again that she was just trying to find as much support for the family as possible. She added that the mortuary had reduced its service fees by half as well.
Overton then offered to pay the $137 from her own pocket if Jones and Lewis agreed to waive its entire fee.
Apparently upset by the discussion, Karnatz returned to her seat and patiently waited for the council”s decision.
Although Mayor Curt Giambruno and Councilmember Roy Simon did not add much to the discussion, they did support the motion by Thein to grant the request. The motion carried 3-2.
“I”d do it again in a heart beat,” Thein told the newsroom the day following the decision. “This event was really about healing a community. I visited the cemetery and saw Heather”s grave site. If people were to see what I saw there they would know just how much this tragic event has affected the children of our community.”
Contact Denise Rockenstein at drockenstein@clearlakeobserver.com.
