LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport City Council welcomed a new council member, said goodbye to another and finished up business for the year at its regular Tuesday night meeting.
After the council accepted the final canvass for the Nov. 4 election, Council member Stacey Mattina, reelected to a second term, and new Council member Mireya Turner took their oaths of office from City Clerk Janel Chapman.
County officials including Supervisor Anthony Farrington and Supervisor Rob Brown were in the audience for the swearing-in ceremony.
After the two women took their oaths, Mayor Kenny Parlet offered retiring Councilman Tom Engstrom a plaque, and his congratulations and thanks for service to the city.
“I want to thank you so very, very much for being there for me,” Parlet said.
Engstrom, 67, who retired in 2005 as the city's police chief, was elected in 2010. He announced early this year that he planned not to seek a second term.
Lakeport Police Chief Brad Rasmussen, who has worked with Engstrom since he first arrived in the city in 1994, thanked Engstrom on behalf of the department for his years of service to the community.
Rasmussen said Engstrom's 11 years as police chief made him the second-longest serving marshal or chief since the city's 1888 incorporation.
Engstrom brought valuable and much-needed change to the Lakeport Police Department, pursuing grants, increasing staffing levels, establishing the school resource officer position, maintaining canine units, moving the department onto the Lexipol policies system and into a new facility, Rasmussen said.
“You've always served as a forward-thinking and progressive police leader,” Rasmussen said.
Rasmussen said Engstrom listened to the community's concerns and made them feel safe.
“Much of what you have done will carry on for a long time,” said Rasmussen, adding that what Engstrom taught the police about working with the community is still in effect.
Engstrom, before leaving the meeting, offered his thanks and appreciation to the council and staff.
After he announced his plans to run in 2010, he decided to pull out of the race due to other commitments, but won anyway.
On Tuesday evening he thanked the people who voted for him when he asked them not to. “It turned out to be one of the choice experiences in my life,” he said of his four years on the council.
Engstrom and wife, Cindy, have 27 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren, and they're looking forward to spending more time with all of them.
He lauded the council members for their hard work, for coming prepared to meetings and making decisions based on what they think is best for the community.
Engstrom said Lakeport is the greatest place he and his wife have lived, and they plan to stay here.
Once Turner and Mattina were seated on the dais with their council colleagues, the leadership for the upcoming year was established.
Councilman Marc Spillman nominated Mayor Pro Tem Martin Scheel for mayor, which the council approved unanimously.
Parlet then nominated Mattina to be mayor pro tem for the coming year, which also was approved 5-0.
During the remainder of the 40-minute meeting, the council heard a presentation on the city's holiday light contest winners, held a public hearing and adopted a resolution approving the Community Development Block Grant Program Income Reuse Agreement, and approved purchase orders for two new utility trucks for the Public Works Department.
Council members also praised city staff for their work during last week's storm.
Turner noted that staff and council pulled together and “really helped us get through the storm effectively.”
City Manager Margaret Silveira thanked staff and police for being out and on the scene as early as 4 a.m. Dec. 11 as the storm was hitting and flood waters were rising.
Silveira said Tuesday that the city has kept its emergency operations center open on watch mode.
Scheel also congratulated staff, which he said “really nailed it” with their storm response despite limited resources.
In addition, Silveira thanked Lake County Office of Emergency Manager Marisa Chilafoe, who opened and ran the county's emergency operations center, and coordinated with the cities in responding to the storm.
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