CLEARLAKE >> Clearlake’s City Council has appointed Bruno Sabatier as Mayor and Phil Harris as Vice Mayor for the upcoming year.
Sabatier was nominated by council member Joyce Overton to fill the position. Harris was nominated by Sabatier. Both were voted in unanimously by the City Council.
This will be Sabatier’s last year as a city council member as he completes his four-year term unless he runs for reelection. He said that he is both excited and nervous for this opportunity.
“I believe that we have done enough planning in the past two years that next year we will see a lot of visual change to our city. Roads are a priority since the people voted for them. New stores will be opening up in the old Rays building and one of our parks will be getting a much needed upgrade,” Sabatier said.
These are projects that are part of the city’s Strategic Plan they implemented this year. Grading is still being done on roads around the city as weather permits. These mostly occur on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.
Park improvement plans are currently being completed and the city hopes to point to progress next year. Clearlake officials hope to start holding concerts in the park and are putting aside $500,000 for improvements.
Sabatier recognizes some of the concerns the community has and is looking to continue working towards those.
“On top of finishing and progressing those projects, we also need to get action on giving our animal control department the tools they need to be more successful and we need to start taking on the tough subject of homelessness seriously and with empathy,” Sabatier said.
Sabatier is looking to continue the city’s long term improvement plan.
“I have great hopes for next year. Our hard work from the past year will really make our city shine,” Sabatier said.
Harris said he was not expecting to be nominated due to it being his first year as part of the council and being so fresh to the team but is excited and ready to be a lot more involved this coming year.
“This doesn’t change my focus as in any way; it just gives me the ability to hone my skills as a council member and this will give me more education about the position in general,” Harris said.
He added that he will continue to work diligently to help beautify the city and meet with Sabatier regularly to discuss some of the goals and programs that the city is looking at.
City Manager Greg Folsom said he has got to work with councilmembers who have done an excellent job and take the positions seriously to unify the vision of improving Clealake.
“Denise Loustalot and Russ Perdock have been great to work with as mayors and I’m looking forward to working with our next Mayor, Bruno Sabatier, next Vice Mayor, Phil Harris and the rest of the Council in continuing the momentum that we have built in improving the City of Clearlake,” Folsom said.
