LAKEPORT, Calif. – Fellow council members and city staffers offered their thanks to the Lakeport City Council’s three outgoing members at the Tuesday night council meeting.
It was the last meeting for Suzanne Lyons, Roy Parmentier and Bob Rumfelt. Parmentier had not sought reelection, and Lyons and Rumfelt lost their reelection bids Nov. 6.
New council members Kenny Parlet, Martin Scheel and Marc Spillman will be sworn in at the Dec. 18 meeting.
The last meeting for the three outgoing council members saw them honor Clear Lake High School’s undefeated junior varsity football team and the swearing in of Jason Ferguson, Lakeport Police’s new lieutenant.
At the start of the meeting, as the council was to approve the consent agenda – a slate of items usually accepted on one vote – Rumfelt asked to have the new contract for City Attorney Steve Brookes pulled because he had received a phone call outlining concerns about the contract.
The contract, which begins on page 30 of the agenda packet posted below this article, is good through Dec. 31, 2013. It calls for Brookes to be paid $50,796 annually.
Brookes was not present for the discussion.
Lloyd Wells, a retired Lakeport Police officers and one of several retirees in the audience, said the proposed contract disturbed him and some of the fellow retirees because Brookes, a half-time employee, would be getting full-time benefits.
Wells also raised issues with the annually city paying into a $2,400 deferred compensation plan for Brookes.
“I would urge you not to vote on the contract tonight,” Wells said, suggesting the council should continue discussion. “Look at it further. I don't think that it's what you want.”
Rumfelt and Lyons both supported holding the matter over to Dec. 18.
In response to Wells’ concerns, Councilman Tom Engstrom, the city’s retired police chief, said Brookes used to get all of his health benefits covered but now he has to cover the same percentage as everyone else in the new one-year contract. The contract says that amount Brookes must contribute is 24 percent.
Bob Barthel, another retired city employee, said when he joined the city in 1982, he signed a contract that said he would have full benefits in retirement. “That didn’t happen.”
Barthel added, “We were told the promises were written in the sand towards our employee benefits.”
Engstrom said there were concessions made in Brookes’ new contract. “This contract changes it so he doesn’t get any more than any other city employee or retiree.”
Barthel said he is now paying a third of his retirement toward health benefits. “When I retired none of it was supposed to go there.” It wasn’t fair, he added.
Engstrom said he agreed, and pointed out that he had appeared before the council over the course of five years to argue against changes to retiree benefits.
The council then voted 3-2 – with Rumfelt and Lyons voting no – to approve the contract.
A fond farewell
At the meeting’s end, Mayor Stacey Mattina recognized the three outgoing council members with plaques.
Lyons was elected in 2008. Parmentier has served 19 years; he was first on the council from 1988 to 2000. In April 2005 he won a special election to fill the seat of Councilman Dick Lamkin, who had died.
“I think we’re going to miss your fire, Roy,” said Mattina.
“Someone will step up,” said Parmentier.
Parmentier thanked the city. “It’s been my privilege to serve you. Thank you.”
Rumfelt has served 16 years, from 1996 to the present.
“It’s been an honor and privilege working with you on the council,” City Manager Margaret Silveira told the group.
She said that while Parmentier was cranky, he “has the biggest heart I’ve ever seen.”
Mattina said Rumfelt has been the council’s “old wise one.”
“‘Old’ may be OK, but ‘wise,’ I’m not so sure,” Rumfelt replied.
He said there has been a lot of collaboration amongst council members. “Hopefully, we’ll get a new group that does their homework and does the city good.”
Rumfelt said he was proud to have been part of seeing the city convert to a manager form of government, which he had supported since coming on the council. The city hired its first city manager in 2001.
He said the city has a great staff, whose members keeps the city at heart. In particular, he singled out Richard Knoll, the city’s retiring Community Development Department director, for his work, noting it will be hard for others to live up to what Knoll has done for the city.
Engstrom said it was an honor to work with Lyons, Rumfelt and Parmentier.
“I always have a soft spot in my heart for Roy because he’s the only one left around who hired me in 1994,” said Engstrom, recalling his hire as police chief. Engstrom said coming to Lakeport was the greatest thing to ever happen to his family. “God bless you.”
Rumfelt said he would like to see a public appreciation for every employee who leaves the city under honorable conditions. “They all do a whole lot of work that a lot of people wouldn’t do.”
Knoll thanked the outgoing council members. He said they deserved credit for their work.
“I don’t think the community really sees the amount of hard work that the council members put in, in terms of research and background and reading staff reports, and then sitting up here and making at times difficult decisions that are often criticized and belittled by the community,” Knoll said.
“This is quite an experience,” Lyons said of serving as a council member, suggesting more people ought to look into doing it.
She said that when she first joined the council, she didn’t think she would vote together on issues with Parmentier and Rumfelt.
“Twice,” said Parmentier.
Lyons said that she learned that council members ultimately “make decisions according to what they really believe.”
Lyons added, “It’s never been a grudge thing, it’s always been what we think is best.”
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
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