LAKEPORT — The Lake County Board of Supervisors (BOS) approved a feasibility study for a public water system in the south Lakeport area and continued discussing the City of Lakeport”s proposed annexation of the area.
The matter was carried over from the March 13 BOS meeting.
One issue was whether to contract with Lakeport-based Ruzicka Associates to conduct the feasibility study of a public water system to unincorporated Lakeport from the city limits south to Manning Creek.
The second issue was a continued discussion of the City of Lakeport”s plan to annex the South Main Street/Soda Bay Road corridor and the possibility of adding residents and businesses to the Lakeport water system.
Currently, Lake County Special Districts provides sewer service to customers but parcel owners rely on individual wells for their water, according to administrator Mark Dellinger.
Dellinger said he stood by his previous recommendation of Ruzicka Associates to conduct the feasibility study, which would look at tying in the system to the existing Kelseyville-Finley water system or a ground water well system as well as the distribution system of pipes to the customers, storage tanks and possible pressure pumps.
The supervisors asked for some cost estimates from the firm in case of a tie-in with the Lakeport water system. Dellinger said the original feasibility study proposal would cost $27,000. He said studying a tie-in to the Lakeport water system would increase the cost to $34,000.
Dellinger said two engineering design proposals for a tie-in to the Lakeport water system were also submitted.
One proposal to connect to the Lakeport water system would cost $44,190 for a 60-percent design or $73,650 for a 100-percent design, according to Dellinger.
A study to connect to the Lakeport water system that would cross Highway 29 and connect to a recently-constructed pipeline would cost $50,190 for a 60-percent design or $83,650 for a 100-percent design, Dellinger said.
The supervisors discussed the possibility of the City of Lakeport annexing the territory and adding parcel owners to the city water system.
District 4 Supervisor Anthony Farrington, whose district includes the City of Lakeport as well as unincorporated Lakeport, said he continued the discussion from the March 13 meeting in the hopes the city and county could reach an agreement, but had not seen any proposed annexation agreements from the city.
County Administrative Officer Kelly Cox said he didn”t know if annexation would be beneficial for the county to pursue. He said city officials have indicated they would not provide water to parcel owners in the corridor unless the territory is annexed.
Residents from the area have voiced their objections to annexation, most recently in a survey conducted by resident Paul Racine and the Property Annexation Advisory Committee.
The study surveyed the parcel owners, with 42 of the 54 parcel owners returning the study. Of the 42 parcel owners, 37 were against annexation, which equates to 88 percent surveyed and 68 percent total. Five parcel owners were undecided and no owners surveyed were in favor of annexation.
Mayor Stacey Mattina said a lot of misinformation was circulating about the possible annexation.
Cox said surveys were done in the past regarding annexation in the area and the results were about the same. He said he has been working with City Manager Margaret Silviera on an annexation agreement and they are getting closer but aren”t there yet.
Farrington said he did not want to approve a contract with Ruzicka Associates that would “be a waste of money” by looking at the possible tie-in to the Lakeport water system. He said those customers had a right to water service.
District 2 Supervisor Jeff Smith said the key thing was what would best serve the people in the area.
District 1 Supervisor Jim Comstock said an accurate survey on annexation was needed to find out which way to go with a water system.
District 3 Supervisor Denise Rushing said the BOS should move forward with the study and could possibly add the tie-in to the Lakeport water system for analysis later.
Farrington moved to approve the agreement with Ruzicka Associates for the $27,000 feasibility study, which was unanimously approved.
Kevin N. Hume can be reached at kevin.n.hume@gmail.com or call directly 263-5636 ext. 14. Follow on Twitter: @KevinNHume.
