CLEARLAKE — The City Council agreed at its regular Thursday meeting to have a facilitator at an upcoming meeting.
Former Lakeport City Attorney Steve Brookes offered at no cost to act as a moderator after staff suggested in a report to the council at its Aug. 22 meeting, in which Jeri Spittler was removed as mayor, a workshop as an option to resolve issues raised at the Aug. 8 council meeting, where tensions rose between the council and then-mayor Spittler on several issues.
Because of the Brown Act, council members can only discuss real estate and salaries in closed session, so a workshop must be made open to the public.
“So is this going to be another roasting of Jeri Spittler, or will we be discussing everybody?” Councilwoman Jeri Spittler asked. To which Mayor Joyce Overton responded with “None of us are perfect, so all of us are up for discussion.”
Councilwoman Gina Fortino Dickson said she thinks a facilitator will just make things easier to communicate between.
The council agreed to have Brookes present as a facilitator at its meeting on Nov. 7 at 6 p.m.
Among other items on the agenda, the council adopted a resolution of the Clearlake Successor Agency as successor to the city”s redevelopment agency approving the long-range management plan, as well as two resolutions between the city and successor agency revised loan agreement for past city loans to the former redevelopment agency as complying with health and safety code and eligible as an enforceable obligation. By approving the resolutions, the council adopted the loan agreement and finding that loans were made for redevelopment purposes and repayment eligible as an enforceable obligation.
The city loaned the former redevelopment agency about $1.7 million in three loans from 2006 to 2008.
The repayment will be spread out over a 16-year period. Repayment for this year will be about $99,000.
The only catch is that the city will only be able to use 80 percent of the money, which, including interest is about $1.8 million. The other 20 percent must be reallocated to low to moderate income housing funds.
Berenice Quirino is the assistant editor for Lake County Publishing. She can be reached at 263-5636, ext. 42 or at bereniceq@record-bee.com.
