CLEARLAKE — Difficult decisions were made in the City of Clearlake Thursday during the council”s regular meeting. Staff reductions and elimination of positions represents a 43 percent personnel reduction since 2007.
A total of 9.5 full time equivalent positions were eliminated on a 5-0 vote.
“We cannot continue the way we are,” Mayor Judy Thein said. “We”re at the end of the line. You can”t have what you can”t pay for.”
City Administrator Dale Neiman said that city”s future looks pretty bleak if revenues cannot be generated. He said the Lowe”s project was a way to generate those funds; however, that project is now more than two to three years away from fruition given the lawsuit the Sierra Club has filed with regard to the project.
According to Neiman, the General Fund is projected to have a fund balance of $12,810 on June 30. The Prop P Fund, which is a special tax for police services, is projected to have a negative fund balance of $204,160. The Development Review Fund is projected to have a negative fund balance of $224,000 on June 30.
“We can only borrow money from certain special revenues funds to pay our bills,” Neiman said. “We will be coming back with a budget amendment and a recommendation on how to cover the negative fund balances.”
Thursday”s action resulted in the elimination of the Code Enforcement Department and Parks Maintenance. Officer Ryan Peterson, the current code enforcement officer, will be reassigned. The maintenance worker I position, which attends to the parks, will be laid-off.
The city is seeking volunteers to continue services, such as identifying nuisance properties and mowing lawn and maintaining the parks. Resident Pete Gascoigne, who is a former employee of the city with experience in code enforcement, volunteered one a day week to attend to nuisance property issues. Additional volunteers are being sought. Contact City Clerk Melissa Swanson at 994-8201, ext. 106 regarding volunteer opportunities.
Five positions were eliminated within the police department including one lieutenant, one sergeant and one police officer II position as well as two police officer I positions. Neiman said elimination of the positions will result in delayed response times and possibly an increase in crime.
Also eliminated in the action were the office assistant I position and the assistant planner I position. Personnel are to be laid-off.
Additionally, the finance position was modified to a half-time position as was Neiman position as city administrator, the later effective July 1.
Contact South County reporter Denise Rockenstein at drockenstein@clearlakeobserver.com or call her directly at 994-6444, ext. 11.
