Brett Freeman is a small business owner who has not held elective office but aspires for a seat on the city of Clearlake city council; to explore new opportunities now that his children are adults, he noted.
“I am passionate about Lake County and want to see it thrive,” he said. “Over the last 20 years, I have owned a towing company and been the distribution manager for local fire cleanups.
Crime issues he sites requiring attention are grocery store theft and drug traffic. “City law enforcement must patrol these areas and work with retailers to minimize theft,” he said. “In high-drug-traffic areas such as the Burns Valley Shopping Center and Wal-Mart parking lot, more law enforcement presence is needed.”
The city of Clearlake needs to open roads that go through to Hwy 53, such as Polk Street, and improve side streets that parallel the main roads so that school buses can make the multiple stops during pick-ups and drop-offs, he pointed out. “The left turn lane from Lakeshore Drive to Old Hwy 53 causes congestion and removing the turn lane to Taco Bell would help alleviate congestion,” Freeman said.
To improve safety, the city should hire more law enforcement officers and help the fire department purchase more equipment, he said. “Patrolling areas known for crime is essential to the community’s safety,” he said. “The fire department will need an upgrade to accommodate multiple-story apartment complexes in the event of natural disasters or arson.”
Clearlake Police Department is known as a place where new officers come to gain experience and leave for higher-paying jobs outside the area, Freeman says. “Years ago, I believe there was a program (Cop on a Block) that helped new officers buy houses in the area and make long-term commitments to the department,” he recalled. “Recruitment and retention can start with competitive wages and benefits.”
As for cannabis, Clearlake should treat commercial cannabis as any other business; resolve the problems they have. And for reducing homelessness, the city has different types of homelessness, he noted. “The first is families who lost homes in the recent fires or hard times. The second is the homeless people who choose that lifestyle and do not want help,” he said. “The city could provide resources to help families rebuild or find new homes,” he said.
“As for the homeless population who endorse the lifestyle, we need officers who can enforce loitering laws and dismantle homeless camps.,” he said. “The city can consider a permanent homeless shelter. But the city’s hands are tied with drug trafficking because the district attorney does not pick it up, and they are right back on the streets.” Fentanyl and opioids are nationwide, he noted. “We can start by educating our young people in elementary school. We need to work with Adventist Health to provide more mental health and alternative pain services.”
To compensate for the state budget deficit, Clearlake could work with the city council and the public to explore where the city could cut back. The city can focus on the money it has rather than paying for attorneys to fight water companies and native tribes. Concerning education; “We need to recruit and retain educators by offering competitive wages and benefits … Also, offer various courses, including trades, creates career opportunities starting at junior high school.”
Meanwhile, for Clear Lake maintenance, the problems are personal, especially when he sees the Senior Center with broken lights, and dead wires sticking out of the ground. “The city of Clearlake has a large population of seniors who cannot use the senior center outdoor facilities. However, I see the city cutting back brush at the area of the new sports complex rather than focusing on existing facilities. I am all for the new complex. Still, the construction is at a standstill until the city can work out issues with the Koi Nation. Until that is resolved, I would like to see maintenance on our senior center and other existing facilities.”
