CLEARLAKE — The Clearlake City Council reached unanimous consensus not to support Senate Bill 1262 at its meeting Thursday.
The bill “is an effort ? to build a framework to efficiently implement Proposition 215,” according to Clearlake City Manager Joan Phillipe.
Proposition 215 allows the cultivation, possession and use of marijuana for medicinal needs.
“It is a waste of time,” Councilman Joey Luiz said.
The council also discussed the health benefits of councilmembers.
The current annual cost for health benefits for the council costs $110,292, according to Phillipe. Councilmembers and their families are covered with the current plan.
If the city only offered benefits to councilmembers, the cost would drop approximately $61,000, Phillipe said.
The council reached unanimous consensus to research alternative plans individually and present them on or before the city budget meeting.
“We are going to be in a budget crisis this year,” Councilwoman Joyce Overton said. “By only covering councilmembers we would put approximately $61,000 back into our budget. That is substantial.”
Julie Price, of Clearlake Waste Solutions, offered the company”s annual report to the council.
According to Price, the use of blue and green bins for recycling and yard waste has increased by 22-percent between 2009 and 2013.
Additionally, the city diversion rate has increased from 37-percent in 2007 to 65-percent in 2013, Price said. The diversion rate is the amount of waste that is diverted from landfills.
“City and citizens need to be commended for making such great strides,” Price said.
In other business, the council declared April as Child Abuse Prevention Month and April 2 as World Autism Awareness Day.
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.
