CLEARLAKE ? The Clearlake City Council declined an offer from the County of Lake during its regular meeting Thursday pertaining to the donation of a wash station to be used in the prevention of invasive aquatic species. The council said that the city does not have the personnel nor the financial resources to support such a donation.
“The county bought these to use them. They backed out. They must have seen a problem with it,” Councilmember Curt Giambruno said. “I don”t think we can do it. We don”t have the manpower and we don”t have the money.”
The wash station, which has previously been referred to by the Lake County Board of Supervisors (BOS) as a “decontamination” station, is a self-contained, hot water, high pressure washing system. The system is not actually meant to be used for decontamination.
The BOS recently authorized the donation of one of the four wash stations the county purchased last year to the City of Lakeport. The unit is to be operated in a public/private partnership with an area business. The station will be used to clean boats entering Clear Lake in effort to prevent quagga and zebra mussels from entering the lake.
The units were purchased in support of the Lake County Invasive Species Prevention Program. “Cleaning boats is very important to this program,” Pam Francis, deputy director of Lake County Water Resources said. “If the boat has mussels on it, it gets quarantined. If it”s suspect, it should get cleaned.”
Francis said that there are two Lake County business people who have expressed interest in operating the station. She said one of the businesses is already equipped with hot water, high pressure washing capabilities. Several members of the council asked if the county could contract directly with either of the businesses and said that they would support such an agreement. Francis indicated that a direct agreement eliminating the inclusion of the city may be possible.
Francis described one business as being located across the street from Rite Aid, which is B&G Tires of Clearlake. B&G owner Gimmy D”Adamo was away on business Monday and unavailable for comment. Francis did not identify the second business.
District 4 Supervisor Anthony Farrington was on hand during Thursday”s discussion to urge the council to consider the offer from the county. “This offer that you see today is not an offer that you see very often,” he said. “It”s a free offer.”
Farrington provided the council with insight into the Lake County Invasive Species Prevention Program. He said that the program is a work in progress. “Everything we have right now is an honor system,” he said, adding that the program will continue to evolve. He said primary keys to the program”s success are education and awareness.
Farrington said that he”s seen the migration of quagga and zebra mussel infestation travel very fast across the state. If the mussels make their way into the lake.
“If you don”t have the ability to decontaminate these boats, you only have one choice. You have to turn them away and they have to leave the county,” Farrington said. “If we don”t have stations here they”ll turn around and they won”t come back.”
The BOS will hold a discussion regarding lakebed management and the prevention of invasive species during its meeting today. The discussion will assist in creating a dialogue for achieving better lakebed management. “We will be discussing funding, resources and opportunities, from property assessments, to ballot measures, launching fees, a special tax for watercrafts ?,” Farrington said during a recent boat tour. “I”m not saying I advocate any one of these options; I”m saying we”re going to explore everything.”
The BOS discussion is timed item scheduled to begin at 11:15 a.m.
Contact Denise Rockenstein at drockenstein@clearlakeobserver.com or call her directly at 994-6444, ext. 11.
