CLEARLAKE >> The Clearlake City Council’s discussion regarding a veteran’s housing project was postponed for a third time, despite a prominent slot on the Dec. 22 agenda.
The proposed development was to be the first order of action, after the swearing in newly elected councilmen of Russel Perdock and Bruno Sabatier, as well as the reappointment of Denise Loustalot and Gina Fortino Dickson as mayor and vice mayor, respectively.
“The county will be bringing us a presentation in January,” Clearlake Mayor Denise Loustalot said.
District 4 county supervisor Anthony Farrington said a new January presentation is more appropriate. New councilmembers would have to be brought up to speed on the existing project.
Initially, the Clearlake City Council was scheduled to discuss the veteran’s housing project at the Nov. 19 meeting, which was canceled because of the absence of three councilmembers. The discussion was then scheduled for the council’s Dec. 11 meeting, which was canceled because of a winter storm, causing the city to declare a state of local emergency.
The project was originally discussed by the Lake County Board of Supervisors on Aug. 26, when it was unanimously approved in concept.
Farrington requested the discussion after having brought two requests to approve donation of county-owned property to build an emergency or homeless shelter. However, the board didn’t think such a project would be financially feasible.
The 16-acre property is located at the corners of 18th and Irving avenues in Clearlake.
With the passage of California Proposition 41, the California Veterans Housing and Homeless Prevention Bond Act, during the June 3 primary election, Farrington said he thinks the project is now financially feasible.
Proposition 41 passed with 65.39 percent approval in June.
Additionally, the property is located near county health department offices, St. Helena Hospital, Yuba College, the Veterans Affairs clinic and the Clearlake Courthouse.
“Its the perfect location, we have the most vets in that area,” District 2 county supervisor Jeff Smith said during the Aug. 26 meeting. Clearlake is part of District 2.
According to Smith, Clearlake has one of the highest veteran populations in the state, per capita. Data from the U.S. Census Bureau indicates that 1,705 veterans live in Clearlake, out of a population of 14,985. In Lake County as a whole, there are 7,165 veterans. Percentage-wise, 11.3 percent of Clearlake’s population served in the military. The city also reports a fraction over 36 percent of its population living below the poverty live, compared to 23.7 percent countywide.
“It’s a very interesting idea,” District 3 Supervisor Denise Rushing said.
Peter Cameron, founder and executive director of Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA), offered to help with the project if it went forward.
“There is a tremendous amount of community support for this,” Cameron said.
Lake County Habitat for Humanity President Richard Birk said if the county doesn’t get the project started soon, bigger cities will “eat up all the funds.”
“This is a unique opportunity and we need to strike now,” VVA Northern District Director Dean Gotham agreed. “Veterans in Lake County have been waiting a long time for this conversation.”
Farrington and Smith will form an “ad hoc” committee to sort out the next steps for the project. District 1 Supervisor Jim Comstock will be an alternate committee member, in the event that Smith is unable to attend a meeting.
“There are a lot of steps in this process,” Rushing said.
Gotham said that “the perception of delay is not a good start.”
“The faster we get our act together, the quicker we can apply for the funding,” Gothan continued. “The one thing that has been missing in this formula for years is finding an organization that is willing to run the shelter. With the passing of these funds, they are now available to pay not only for construction, but also for operation. That is a rare combination.”
If all goes according to plan — meaning the council approves the donation of the property for the project and the state approves the grant application to fund the project — Farrington anticipates construction will being in early 2016.
Contact J. W. Burch, IV at 900-2022.
