CLEARLAKE >> The Clearlake City Council approved the reduction of rental rates for Highlands Senior Service Center at its regular meeting on Thursday, but raised the deposit amounts on options that involve the kitchen.
The council unanimously voted (3-0) to adopt the measure, which will reduce most prices per hour by more than 30 percent.
“This is exactly what the public deserves,” Councilman Bruno Sabatier said. “With taxes, they pay for the building and should be able to use it at a fair price.”
During the discussion, many comments were made about the kitchen and its cost to cleanup. The council concluded that the kitchen was the most expensive room in the building and that the $50 deposit wasn’t enough to cover costs if it was damaged or required cleaning.
Instead, the council decided to raise the deposit for rental of the kitchen to $300 and the entire building from $400 to $600.
Efforts were also made to raise the actual price for using the kitchen. It currently sits at $15.75 an hour and an additional $16 an hour after four hours, but those rates cannot be raised without a public hearing.
The city council will decide on raising the kitchen rates at its next meeting on Dec. 10. Mayor Denise Loustalot and Councilmember Joyce Overton were not present on Thursday evening.
