Clearlake City Council calls November municipal election
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Clearlake City Council on Thursday night approved a resolution to call for the municipal election this fall, when three council seats will be decided.
The discussion begins at the 32:10 mark in the video above.
City Clerk Melissa Swanson said the seats up for election in November currently are held by Phil Harris, Joyce Overton and Russell Perdock.
She said the filing period for nomination papers and candidates’ statements is July 13 through Aug. 7. If any incumbent chooses not to file nomination papers, the filing period for candidates is
then automatically extended through Aug. 12.
Swanson reported to the council that the Secretary of State’s Office published a guidance memo for all election officials in regard to COVID-19 safety precautions.
Over the next month, Swanson said staff will develop information for candidates and filing procedures based on the Secretary of State’s guidance and work in cooperation with the Lake County Registrar of Voters to provide the most accessible and safe candidate filing possible.
Swanson said the council needed to adopt a resolution calling the election and authorizing the consolidation with the statewide election on Nov. 3.
Next, the resolution will need to be approved by the Board of Supervisors and the county elections office will conduct the election on the behalf of the city and prepare the official canvass, she said.
Swanson said the cost of the election for the council seats will be $10,000 to $15,000 and will be budgeted for the 2020-21 fiscal year.
Overton asked about procedures for necessary actions like gathering signatures. Swanson said they will be working on those guidelines.
Harris said he wanted potential candidates to be able to come to council meetings, which aren’t currently open to the public. Swanson said that can be worked on once meetings can be reopened.
City Manager Alan Flora said that staff is looking at trying to accommodate at least some members of the public back in City Hall at the first council meeting in July. He said he expects some direction from the governor on trying to encourage further reopening.
He also told the council that while he was at the courthouse in Lakeport on Wednesday he spoke with the registrar of voters, who has received some initial direction from the Secretary of State’s Office on the upcoming election.
While there will be a focus on mail-in voting, Flora said there will be accommodation for in-person voting.
There may not be all of the customary precincts available for in-person voting but there will be some, and the registrar asked that the city be flexible at City Hall in allowing people the opportunity to vote. He said they would make sure to make it available.
Vice Mayor Dirk Slooten moved to adopt the resolution calling the municipal election on Nov. 3, with Overton seconding and the council approving it 5-0.
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