CLEARLAKE -The City of Clearlake is initiating on its budget adoption process. The public has several opportunities to voice concerns regarding the 2008-09 Fiscal Year budget of the city as well as that of the Redevelopment Agency.
A budget hearing for adoption is slated for Thursday, Oct. 23 during the council”s regularly scheduled meeting. The meeting will begin at 6 p.m. Members of the public may submit written comments on the matter to the City Clerk prior to the hearing and/or may appear at the public hearing to speak on the matter.
Prior to the hearing, the council/agency will conduct two budget workshops in which the public will be permitted to speak. “Basically, what we do with the council is go through the budget line item by line item. Last year we spent about nine or 10 hours doing that,” City Administrator Dale Neiman said. “If the public has a comment they can make a comment when that line comes up.”
Neiman continued, “My past experience is that the public doesn”t generally come to these workshops. We don”t see much public involvement; however, there is an opportunity to voice concerns during the workshops.”
The budget workshops will be conducted this week beginning at 9 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 9. Originally, this workshop had been planned to take place at City Hall; however, Neiman reported on Tuesday that the venue has been changed to the Highlands Senior Center, 3245 Bowers Road due to a scheduling conflict with the court system.
The second workshop will be held at 1 p.m. Friday, Oct. 10 in Council Chambers at Clearlake City Hall.
A public hearing concerning amendments to the city”s fee schedule is also scheduled to take place on Thursday, Oct. 23. Members of the public are encouraged to attend the meeting and speak to issues presented on the agenda.
Relevant documents pertaining to the proposed amendments will be available to the public from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday beginning Oct. 13 at City Hall. Members of the public may submit written comments on the matter to the council prior to the hearing and/or may appear at the public hearing to speak on the matter.
According to a notice issued by the city, appeal of the council”s decision is limited to the consideration of those issues addressed by the council at the public hearing.
City Hall Council Chambers are handicap-accessible. For further information, contact City Clerk Melissa Swanson at 994-8201, ext. 106.
Contact Denise Rockenstein at drockenstein@clearlakeobserver.com.
