LAKEPORT — Amid debate of hiring locally, the Lakeport City Council, sitting as the Lakeport Redevelopment Agency, approved a contract Tuesday with a 3-2 vote for engineering services with a Sacramento company.
Quincy Engineering will provide engineering and preliminary design work for the Lakeport Boulevard South Main Street intersection study. Council members Ron Bertsch and Suzanne Lyons dissented.
“It seems like we”re not doing what we say we”re going to do,” Lyons said of giving a local preference.
Council member Bob Rumfelt said it”s unfortunate the city didn”t have a local preference for projects in place when it picked the engineering company.
City staff started working on a policy in January that gives two points out of 100 to Lake County companies for engineering and construction projects.
The Redevelopment Agency selected Quincy Engineering Dec. 15 for the project and authorized staff to negotiate a contract. Staff said the city could be bound to that decision.
The council also unanimously authorized the exemption to the hiring freeze to temporarily fill positions funded with the Subsidized Employment Program.
The program offers temporary employment and training for low-income people out of work, Community Development director Mark Brannigan said.
Brannigan said he will “make sure there”s not going to be a hit on the budget.”
The council approved an application to allow the Corvettes of Lake County to hold its annual car show May 30 in Library Park and the surrounding streets and parking lots.
Council members also approved an application for Norcal Aircooled Group to hold its annual Volkswagen car show on June 19 on Park and Second streets.
Contact Katy Sweeny at kdsweeny@gmail.com or call her directly at 263-5636, ext. 37.
