LAKEPORT — A feasibility study for the proposed South Lakeport Water System rehashed a discussion Tuesday between city and county officials about how to best serve homes and businesses in the area.
The Lake County Board of Supervisors (BOS) ultimately approved three motions related to the study and issues surrounding it. District 1 Supervisor Jim Comstock was absent.
The feasibility study was conducted by Ruzicka and Associates following the supervisors” approval in April.
Two proposals to provide water to about 170 resident unit equivalents (RUEs) in the South Lakeport area were examined: one that would hook into the existing Kelseyville/Finley water system by extension at the nearest connection point, while the other proposal created a new water system for the area.
Special Districts Administrator Mark Dellinger said hooking up to the Kelseyville/Finley system would cost between $2.1 and $2.5 million, while the proposed new system would cost about $3.1 million.
Dellinger said connecting to the Kelseyville/Finley system would require extending an 8-inch diameter plastic pipe by 4,400 lineal feet to the nearest connection point, which is located west of Meadow Drive near Konocti Vista Casino.
He said the Kelseyville/Finley system has existing water storage, but connecting more customers to the system would require additional storage.
Dellinger said creating a new well, treatment and storage system to serve the area would require digging an 8-inch diameter well with treatment and pumping systems and approximately 300,000 gallons of storage.
According to the report, the new well system would need to produce water at 106 gallons per minute in order to meet supply requirements.
Richard Knoll, Community Development Director for the City of Lakeport, said the study should include the discussion of environmental factors.
The supervisors directed staff to examine environmental concerns related to the study.
Knoll said the idea of using Kelseyville water for Lakeport residents didn”t make sense when there was an option within the city that would provide residents with Lakeport water.
“That option is annexation,” Knoll said.
City officials previously expressed desire to annex the unincorporated South Lakeport corridor in order to provide parcels with water service.
“The city has a policy of not extending water (service) outside the city limits,” Knoll said, adding a reasonable discussion between city and county officials about annexing the corridor should take place.
“We”re talking about a part of the Lakeport community here,” he said.
During past discussions, more than 80 percent of the parcel owners in the corridor indicated they were against annexation, which led the supervisors to oppose annexation.
The BOS then went over two proposed letters to the Lakeport City Council regarding annexation and a proposed wastewater treatment system for Lampson Field Airport.
The first proposed letter stated the county would not support the city”s proposal to extend a water line to provide water to customers along the unincorporated South Main Street/Soda Bay Road corridor.
The letter stated annexation would not be in the best interest of the residents and businesses in the area as well as for the county because it would remove an estimated $500,000 in tax revenues to the county.
The letter stated the only way annexation would be possible is if a “fair and reasonable” tax sharing agreement was included; if not, the county would deny the city an encroachment permit within the county”s right-of-way for the city”s water line extension.
District 3 Supervisor Denise Rushing amended the letter to include language that asked the city council to “alternatively negotiate with the county for an out-of-area service agreement for the constituents that are adjacent to the water line with the county”s participation in the project.”
The second letter discussed the agreement between the city and county to transport wastewater from Lampson Field to the city”s Municipal Sewer District wastewater treatment facility.
The agreement also provides for an equivalent amount of wastewater to be transported from the city to the Lake County Sanitation District”s Northwest Treatment Facility.
The letter stated county officials are preparing to evaluate wastewater alternatives for the airport and wanted the city council to confirm it is willing to extend the subject agreement.
The supervisors added language that asked the letters be placed on to the city council”s agenda for its next available meeting. The supervisors also included language that encouraged a joint meeting between the two governing bodies to discuss annexation.
The BOS directed staff to wait for response from the city council before moving forward on any proposals.
Kevin N. Hume can be reached at kevin.n.hume@gmail.com or call directly 263-5636 ext. 14. Follow on Twitter: @KevinNHume.
