LAKEPORT
City officials discuss progress on various infrastructure projects, outline department goals
The Lakeport City Council received an update on the progress being made towards the city’s department goals for Fiscal Year 2022-2023 on Tuesday.
Lakeport City Manager Kevin Ingram said these goals were adopted by each of the city’s departments from the foundation of the six priority areas made by the city council.
The six focus areas of the city are public safety and crisis response; disaster resiliency; good governance and fiscal stability; capital infrastructure improvement; safe, sustainable and attractive neighborhoods and economic development.
A few projects highlighted were road construction, the Lakefront Park project, remodel of restrooms at Library Park and the retail attraction consultant services.
“I have to give compliments to staff for going after these various grants,” Ingram said. “We would not be able to cover these various projects with just our general fund money.”
Most of the underground work for the Lakefront Park is completed, Ingram said. Without weather delays, the project is expected to be completed this summer.
“As for the roads, the city has completed over nine miles of paving projects and roadway improvements since Measure Z was approved,” Ingram said.
Upcoming road projects that the city is looking to complete before the end of the fiscal year are Green and Sayre Street in North Lakeport.
Ingram said the city is still working on getting a third business inside what used to be the KMART building. Currently, Marshalls and Tractor Supply are the two businesses that are going in.
The city staff will continue to fill other vacant storefronts utilizing the contract with Retail Coach Ingram said.
“Great work by the city staff. We are small but mighty,” Lakeport Mayor Stacey Mattina said.
The next Lakeport City Council meeting will take place on Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2023 at 6 p.m. at Lakeport City Hall.
—Zack Jordan
CALIFORNIA
Budget: CalChamber Backs COVID Sick Leave Grants
The California Chamber of Commerce is supporting the Governor’s budget proposal to allocate $250 million for relief grants to help small businesses and nonprofits offset the costs of providing COVID-19 supplemental paid sick leave.
Since early 2020, California businesses have been shouldering a tremendous amount of the costs of COVID-19 and have spent billions of dollars to ensure their employees are safe during the pandemic.
Employers have subsidized additional paid time off for employees who contracted COVID-19, required vaccination, or needed to care for a family member due to COVID-19. The costs have included:
• three rounds of COVID-19 supplemental paid sick leave;
• the Cal/OSHA Emergency Temporary Standard’s exclusion pay (which amounted to unlimited paid sick leave related to COVID-19 throughout the pandemic for employees who tested positive or were excluded from work due to an exposure);
• mandated closures;
• purchasing of personal protective equipment (PPE), and other requirements.
Although the federal government offered some tax credits to help offset the costs of COVID-19 supplemental paid sick leave in 2020 and 2021, no credits were available in 2022.
Due to the aforementioned costs of COVID-19, many small businesses shuttered permanently or reduced hours to survive. For those fortunate enough to still be in operation, these grants will help offset some of the costs that small businesses were required to absorb in 2022.
Small businesses are essential to our communities. It is crucial that California support them after three years of financial difficulty.
—Submitted
