LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Clearlake City Council last week approved another ambitious and larger-than-normal fiscal year budget that includes the creation of a new division to organize and drive events in the community.
Finance Director Kelcey Young said the new recreation and events division will be under the city’s Administrative Services Department.
The city’s goal is that the new division will be self-funded within two years. The initial startup costs will be covered in part by the general fund, with additional grant funds and event sponsorship, Young said.
She said the division will oversee concerts in the park, the city’s popular soap box derby, youth activities and holiday events.
City Clerk-Administrative Services Director Melissa Swanson told Lake County News that while there was a reference in city records to a recreation division in the city in the early 1990s, she believes the new division is “definitely something new, especially for what we have planned.”
Swanson told the council on Thursday that the new division’s goals include enhancing the quality of life for city residents, creating a happy and healthy community, connecting through art and culture, engaging with people of all ages, abilities, cultures and interests, and promoting Clearlake’s unique identity and community cohesion.
She said the division supports the council’s strategic goals of improving the quality of life in Clearlake with improved public facilities, improving the city’s image, ensuring the fiscal sustainability of the city and supporting economic development.
Swanson said creating the division includes several milestones in the first year, including the adoption of the 2022-23 budget and division creation — which the council did later on Thursday — and in September, the creation of policies and procedures, partner agreements and memorandums of understanding, community engagement and an impact fee study.
Other milestones include evaluating events and programs for 2023-24, council adoption of the impact fee, sponsorships and grants, and fundraising opportunities to be determined by December, and in March a new spring break camp, creation of the 2023-24 program book and expanding community engagement.
Swanson said there isn’t time to do a summer camp for this year, but the city wants to plan them for future years. In the meantime, they want to do the April spring break camp.
She said that if the division is successful, the city will need to increase staffing. They also want to prepare for the recreation center that the city will build.
Program goals include bringing youth and sports programs to the city, along with performing and cultural arts, and therapeutic recreation geared toward those who are differently abled, Swanson said.
Swanson said the division’s first year would include youth programs such as the spring break camp and a partnership with Konocti Unified School District, and for adults, a cornhole tournament and low-impact exercise programs at Austin Park and the senior community center.
Year one events will include the summer concert series, the soap box derby car workshop, movies in the park, the soap box derby, trunk or treat/movies in the park/City Hall-oween, breakfast with Santa, the Christmas parade, Bunny Brunch and Earth Day clean up.
Swanson said the city is working on partnership and sponsorship opportunities with Konocti Unified, PEG TV, the Rotary Club of Clear Lake, the Highlands Senior Service Center, and nonprofits and businesses.
Mayor Dirk Slooten said he saw collaboration opportunities with Adventist Health and Woodland Community College, noting that the Clearlake Planning Commission was part of the process of creating the idea.
Swanson said the city has reached out to Adventist Health and is working to solidify a partnership.
As part of its Thursday meeting, the council also approved new personnel classifications, including that of the new recreation and events coordinator.
The coordinator will assist in creating recreation programs for all ages, oversee city-owned facilities and properties, and organize city-sponsored events and assist the community with the process of using city facilities for special events, Swanson reported. The salary range is $4,194.53 to $5,098.48.
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City of Clearlake creates new recreation and events division
- Elizabeth Larson
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