LAKEPORT — The Lakeport City Council approved two pieces of business during an 18-minute special meeting Tuesday at Lakeport City Hall.
The council first approved a two-item consent agenda, which included a resolution supporting the county”s request to the state that the governor declare a state of emergency regarding the infestation of invasive mussels in California water bodies.
The Lake County Board of Supervisors passed a resolution earlier in August requesting the emergency declaration and an associated statewide prevention program.
The council voted 4-0 to pass the consent agenda, approving the proposed resolution and the Aug. 30 warrant register. Councilman Bob Rumfelt arrived late to the meeting and missed the consent agenda vote.
The council also authorized an agreement with SHN Consulting Engineers & Geologists, Inc. for quarterly groundwater monitoring reports.
Utilities Director Mark Brannigan said the City of Lakeport Municipal Sewer District (CLMSD) needed a state-certified geologist or engineer to complete reports for monitoring data from third quarter 2008 through the end of 2011.
The California Regional Water Quality Control Board requires quarterly reports on groundwater monitoring.
The CLMSD contracted with a certified firm to complete reports through mid-2008, but submitted an evaluation report in October 2008 concluding that groundwater degradation wasn”t occurring and asking that the quarterly reporting requirements be reduced to biannual or annual, Brannigan said.
The CLMSD collected samples and monitoring data on its own but discontinued contracting for reporting services while the state considered the reduction request. The city has gotten no answer on its request and in early August the CLMSD received a notice of violation for delinquent monitoring reports, Brannigan said.
As a result, the city needed to contract with a certified firm for the incomplete reports and begin complying with the board requirements in order to avoid a potential maximum fine of $7.9 million.
The deadline to take actions to assure current and future compliance was Thursday, so the agreement with SHN needed to be in place by then, according to Brannigan. The contract with SHN, worth $19,700, was authorized by a 5-0 vote Tuesday.
Contact Jeremy Walsh at jwalsh@record-bee.com or call him at 263-5636, ext. 37.
