CLEARLAKE — The Clearlake City Council unanimously agreed to hold a public meeting regarding the placement of a potential sales tax on the November ballot at its meeting Wednesday.
The council wants input from the community to know the best way to proceed.
If approved, money raised from the tax would likely go to code enforcement.
“The research that I have done shows that code enforcement is the priority,” Councilmember Joyce Overton said.
The meeting will be held on a Saturday to allow more of the public the opportunity to attend. The date and location are yet to be determined.
“I think we need to have as many public meetings as it takes to establish trust and transparency,” Councilmember Jeri Spittler said.
“I”d also like to use our website, our Facebook and our Twitter to get input from the community,” Vice Mayor Gina Fortino Dickson added.
The council had unanimously approved placing a general tax on the June ballot, but could not because of legal restrictions.
In other business, the council unanimously approved the Lakeshore Drive Downtown Corridor Plan.
The plan aims to manage speeds on Lakeshore Drive, provide safety for pedestrians, organize parking and improve the aesthetic of the corridor, Terri Persons of the Lake Area Planning Council said.
Short-term improvements include narrowing lanes for vehicles, adding bike lanes and improving intersections and crosswalks, according to Persons. Long-term goals include improvements to parks, signage and roundabouts at Lakeshore and Olympic drives, as well as Lakeshore Drive and Old Highway 53.
Members of the council want to start implementing the plan as soon as possible.
“We don”t want to shelve this and let it collect dust,” Fortino Dickson said.
“A plan is just a plan if there is no implementation of anything,” Overton said.
J. W. Burch, IV is a staff reporter for Lake County Publishing. Reach him at 263-5636 ext. 39 or at jburch@record-bee.com.
