LAKEPORT >> Lake County’s Board of Supervisors voted to take legal action against former Lakeport Mayor Martin Scheel in order to regain funds spent pulling his crane out of Clear Lake in 2011.
The decision came during a closed session after the board’s regular Tuesday meeting. County Administrative Officer Carol Huchingson said Scheel still owed $54,784.05 on the contract and has only paid $5,528.60.
“He told me he was short on funds and asked if he could delay payments for a few months and catch up later. I told him the Board would need to decide if there was to be a change in repayment terms and I offered to agendize that discussion. But I didn’t hear back from him,” Huchingson said.
She added that a letter sent to Scheel before initiating the litigations had returned unclaimed. At this time she is unsure of when the suit will be filed.
District 4 Supervisor Tina Scott said the removal of the crane cost the county almost $60,000. The county was able to sell the machine for $4,039 to help some of the bill.
The issue came up when Scheel ran for District 4 Supervisor during the 2016 elections against Scott.
“In the summer of 2016 the Supervisor presented him with a bill but he was unable to get a loan to pay off the amount. He signed an agreement with the County to make monthly payments around $500 a month and I believe at 1.2 percent interest,” Scott said.
One of the requirements of the loan was that if he missed any payments, the total amount would come due, Scott said. The last payment he reportedly made to the county was in August of 2017.
This led the board to file the litigations.
“What I am most upset about is when he was running for office he promised the voters he would pay the bill when he received one. I am disappointed that he has not even tried to come back to the board asking for a lower payment or other arrangements,” Scott said.
At the time of the incident, Scheel was the owner of Konocti Marine Construction and was using the crane for a project at the time in the Clearlake Park area. Back then, Public Works Director Scott De Leon was the Water Resources Director and said if it was not removed he said the county would have to conduct an abatement process and cost would be imposed against Scheel.
