CLEARLAKE >> To Clearlake resident and businessman Phil Harris, positive change is all about attitude.
That philosophy is the central theme to his campaign for Clearlake City Council. More specifically, he wants to change the town’s perception in the minds of both residents and outsiders alike.
He sees that starting to happen on a small level and he wants to build on that momentum, looking to boost morale in a place that has had little to cheer about since the 2008 economic downturn.
“We’re already headed in the right direction,” Harris said. “I feel like I can be a part of this. I want it to be better.”
The owner of Performance Mechanical on Clearlake Drive, the candidate has spent most of his life on the southeast side of the lake and grew up in a poor household.
The experience of working through that struggle, he said, will help him as a councilman if he’s elected because he knows what many citizens are going through.
“I bring a lifetime of dealing with adversity,” he added. “It really comes down to positivity.”
The Issues
Just last month, Harris posted a concept on his Facebook page proposing the idea of a wharf in Clearlake that would act as a town center — similar to Pier 39 in San Francisco. It quickly generated a lot of buzz among the Clearlake and Lake County community pages.
The businessman was shocked that the post went locally viral but wasn’t surprised by the idea’s popularity.
“There isn’t a core to bring the community together,” he said.
Initializing such a project is one of the main issues of his campaign and he plans to engage investors, developers and the community to spark Clearlake’s downtown scene.
“We have enormous potential. We just have to work hard,” he noted when asked about his plan. “The people need to invest in their community.”
Another investment — just like the other candidates running against him — is in the local roads. His focus will be on the dilapidated scenic corridors and main business drags. To him, those will be the most important because he believes they are the first impression for visitors.
“We can’t have that anymore,” he said. “We need to change the image.”
While he’s optimistic about the upcoming vote in November on Measure V, which would raise the local sales tax rate by one cent, he wants to look for other revenue sources like grants from the state and federal government.
His final issue in improving the city’s image is to keep the momentum gained by the city’s code enforcement.
Although the department has found many supporters over the last year, some members of the community have spoken up against on social media and other forums. Harris said he understands where dissenters are coming from, however he believes the work is ultimately for the best.
“There’s going to be some growing pains, but we have to think of the benefit of everyone involved,” he added. “It would be advantageous to continue.”
