LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport City Council is set to discuss several major city capital improvement projects when it meets next week.
The council will meet for a closed session beginning at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 7, to discuss a threat to public facilities with Police Chief Brad Rasmussen and labor negotiations before the open session begins at 6 p.m. in the council chambers at Lakeport City Hall, 225 Park St.
At Tuesday's meeting, the Leadership Summit Committee will make a presentation regarding the Lake
Leadership Summit, set to take place at Marymount California University's Lucerne campus on Friday, Oct. 10.
One of the main items the council will discuss Tuesday is a proposal to purchase new city docks.
Earlier this year, council members tested two types of dock systems – EZ Docks and Gator Docks – in an effort to select an option to replace the city's aging dock system off Library Park, as Lake County News has reported. Both dock systems have local vendors.
In the city's current fiscal year budget the council has appropriated $500,000 to cover the dock purchase.
The council is being asked to direct staff to put together a purchase contract for one of the two dock systems and to bring that proposed contract back for consideration at a future meeting.
In his report to the council, city Public Works Superintendent Doug Grider does not offer a suggestion as to which dock type to select.
The council on Tuesday also will consider taking steps to get the next phase of a long-running city project off the ground.
Special Projects Manager Richard Knoll will take to the council a proposal to approve a professional services agreement with George Rau and Associates for engineering services and construction plans for the second phase of the Downtown Lakeport Improvement Project.
Phase one of the plan, completed in 2007-08, involved the construction of a public parking lot north of city hall and streetscape improvements on Third Street and Park Street east of Main Street, Knoll's report explained.
The city's redevelopment agency had hired Rau and Associates to do civil engineering and design services for the plan's second phase in 2009. However, the termination of redevelopment in 2011 led to the city stopping work on the project, according to Knoll's report.
With the city cleared to retain $1.8 million in prior Lakeport Redevelopment bond funds sold for the Downtown Lakeport Improvement Plan's second phase, the goal is to move forward on a scaled-down project, Knoll said.
The new plan will include widening the sidewalks on both sides of the street by 2 feet; relocating streetlights to the new edge of sidewalk; installing new street trees and grates; incorporating new sidewalk and surface textures at tree well locations; installing new curb storm drain inlets, sewer
and water piping infrastructure; reconstructing and repaving Main Street; and installing limited new street furniture, Knoll's report explained.
According to a tentative timeline, Knoll said that if the city enters into a contract with Rau and Associates by Oct. 15, the process could move forward and result in construction to be completed by the end of 2015.
In other business, Public Works Director Mark Brannigan will ask the council – sitting jointly as the City of Lakeport Municipal Sewer District Board – to consider adjusting the sewer system's budget by $45,657 to allow the planning phase of a solar array project to move forward.
In July the council heard an informational presentation by Siemens Industry Inc. regarding a solar array and audit. At that time the council directed staff to research available solar programs and funding options.
City staff hired Mike Adams, Mendocino College's retired director of facility planning, to research available programs and city-owned property for site locations. Adams is now ready to move his efforts into a planning phase if funding is made available, according to Brannigan's report.
Also on the agenda, the council will review a mobile hot dog cart vendor's compliance with city operation requirements and consider imposing a new condition related to parking within proximity to a brick-and-mortar restaurant.
On the meeting's consent agenda – items considered noncontroversial and usually accepted as a slate on one vote – are ordinances; warrants; minutes of the Sept. 16 regular council meeting; and rejection of claims submitted by Carolene Mascolina and Yvonne Coyne.
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Lakeport City Council to consider dock purchase, downtown improvement plan's next phase and solar project
- Elizabeth Larson
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