LAKEPORT— The Lakeport City Council approved the 2021-2022 Fiscal Year budget, approved a services agreement with the Forbes Creek Neighborhood Improvement Project and held public hearings for the General Plan amendments and Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Programs at Tuesday’s meeting.
The budget presentation included a fiscal spending plan for services and improvement projects as directed by the policies and objectives of the Council.
Lakeport Finance Director Nick Walker said the city will have a total budget of $21.4 million this coming Fiscal Year.
The city of Lakeport is looking at carrying over $662,470 into the new fiscal year to complete projects that were started in the previous one.
In his budget message, Lakeport City Manager Kevin Ingram said “The impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic will no doubt be felt for many years, and many of its economic impacts are yet to be fully realized. Despite this, I am optimistic about the City’s future and look forward to completing the many projects that have been put on hold for this past 18 months due to the pandemic.”.
Even with the pandemic, the city staff has been able to maintain a structurally balanced budget for the 2021-2022 Fiscal Year. According to the staff report, an objective for this coming fiscal year is the development of a more comprehensive reserve policy to ensure more budget flexibility and security.
The City Council also approved a Professional Services Agreement with Sacramento based engineering firm Wood Rodgers for the Forbes Creek Neighborhood Improvement Project.
This project will include analysis of the hydrology of the drainage basin, examining the adequacy of the various existing facilities, identifying deficiencies, proposing potential locations for detention facilities and providing design flows for each reach of the system from the headwaters to Clear Lake.
Lakeport Community Development Director Jenni Byers said the Request for Proposal (RFP) for this was issued back in February of this year. The City received two proposals. A consultant panel reviewed the proposals and unanimously selected Wood Rodgers.
“The City was awarded a Planning and Technical Assistance grant as part of the 2017 Community Development Block Grant Program for the Forbes Creek Neighborhood Improvement Project,” Byers said.
The city council held a public hearing for the General Plan amendments to include a safety element. Byers said this will allow the city the ability to request FEMA grants and other types of FEMA emergency funding.
“No significant adverse fiscal impacts are anticipated as a result of the adoption of the Safety Element Amendment,” Byers said.
The adoption of the Safety Element in the General Plan will be conducted at a future Lakeport City Council meeting.
The public hearing for the CDBG Programs looked at possible activities and projects to be considered.
Byers said the purpose of this public hearing is to get ideas from the general public and provide direction to city staff on potential programs to include in Lakeport’s CDBG applications.
This hearing will be continued at a special council meeting on June 29, 2021 to provide additional time for public input.
“Staff is reviewing potential activities,” Byers said. “We held a community meeting at 4:30 p.m. on June 15, 2021 but no one had logged on to give public input.”
City Council meetings are held on the first and third Tuesday of each month. Regular Council meetings begin at 6 p.m. in the City Council Chamber, 225 Park Street. The public is invited to attend all Council meetings although meetings have been digital during the COVID-19 pandemic. For more information on meetings or to check the minutes of previous meetings, visit https://www.cityoflakeport.com/city_council/index.php
