LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Clearlake City Council on Thursday supported submitting the city’s planned new sports complex for federal funding and approved a contract to demolish the former Sunflower restaurant.
At the start of the meeting, at staff’s request, the council voted to add an emergency item to its agenda in order to consider submitting a request for community project funding to the federal government.
Later in the meeting, City Manager Alan Flora explained that the federal appropriations process allows for earmarks or community project funding proposals.
He said Congressman Mike Thompson told the city about the availability of funding through that process, which allows each member of Congress to submit up to 15 items for consideration.
Flora said staff wanted to submit a proposal for $2 million for the Burns Valley Sports complex and recreation project, which he believed to be a good fit.
He said the deadline to apply is next Friday, and with no other council meetings before then, it was necessary to discuss it on Thursday night.
The council voted unanimously in support of the application.
Under council business, the council considered and ultimately approved awarding a contract for $53,439 to Chernoh Excavating to demolish and abate structures at 14525 Lakeshore Drive, the former Sunflower restaurant.
Code Enforcement Supervisor Lee Lambert’s written report explains that the property was deemed a health and safety hazard and a public nuisance in December 2018. After the property owner failed to abate the hazards and nuisances, the city issued an order to abate on April 29, 2021.
Lambert said the city advertised for bids for the demolition of structures and abatement of the property and opened the bids in May 2021.
The following month, the property was sold to Roopa Shekar and Vasudev Cherlopalle.
Lambert told the council on Thursday night that staff had asked the council to execute the same contract on July 15, 2021, but at that time the council took no action in order to offer the new property owners a chance to comply with the city’s abatement orders.
Later that month, the new property owners met with staff and presented a timeline for when the violations would be corrected and when the property would be occupied. At that time, the timeline included a December completion date and the expectation of beginning advertising for a lease in January. However, Lambert said the owners haven’t complied with that plan.
The property owners gave the city a revised timeline in January, but that had no completion date and had the restoration of the dilapidated building’s interiors taking place in August.
Lambert said Code Enforcement required that building permits be obtained to make all necessary repairs and corrections before Feb. 28, but so far the property owners haven’t obtained those permits and the property remains a public nuisance.
That led to the city attorney issuing a final notice of violation and order to abate on March 23.
Lambert recommended allowing Flora to execute the demolition contract. A change order with additional funding may be needed if the contractor’s testing finds enough asbestos that requires remediation.
He said the property owners have submitted an appeal of the abatement, and that appeal process will move forward separately.
Flora said the item was for awarding the contract not debating the merits of the appeal, explaining that an appeal hearing has been scheduled. “We’ll deal with that as it moves forward.”
Explaining the reason for wanting to move ahead with the contract, Flora said, “Our experience with this particular property owner especially is that nothing gets done at all unless there’s significant pressure to do so, so that’s why we recommend continuing with the authorization to move forward pending the result of the appeal.”
City Clerk Melissa Swanson read an emailed comment from Bob Mingori. Calling the building by an older name, the “Lakeshore Inn,” Mingori said many of the city’s older and well known buildings have either fallen into disrepair leading to demolition or have been burned by arsonists.
He said the Lakeshore Inn was the last one of any note, and years ago had been the place to be on Friday nights.
Mingori said he realized the whole building needed a lot of work, suggesting a face-lift on the front of the building would allow for work on the interior to take place. He hoped there was a way to achieve the upgrade the city is looking for “without throwing the baby out with the bathwater.”
“I was one of the ones wanting to save this building. I’d still like to save this building,” said Councilman Russ Cremer.
However, after trying to work with the owners, Cremer said he’s run into the same frustrations as Lambert and Flora. He said he’d come to the conclusion that Flora is right — the only way the owners will do what they promise to do is if the city keeps the pressure on.
The council then voted unanimously to approve the contract.
In other business on Thursday, the Clearlake Police Department presented awards to three staffers.
Det. Leonardo Flores, who has been with the department since 2015 and promoted to detective in 2018, was named officer of the year. Volunteer Marti Fultz was honored for her efforts in the You Are Not Alone program that checks in on seniors and Code Enforcement Officer Garrett Copas received an award for his efforts, which include helping recover numerous stolen vehicles.
Lt. Martin Snyder, who presented Copas’ award, said he believed he had even recovered another stolen vehicle earlier that day.
Also on Thursday, the council pulled the approval of a contract for the Austin Park Splash Pad Project from the consent agenda and ended up rejecting the one bid that came in, which was well over the city’s estimate. The city will put the project out for bid again.
The council also presented proclamations declaring April 10 to 16 as Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, and April as Child Abuse Prevention Month and Sexual Assault Awareness Month; approved the Public Works construction project manager job description; authorized amendments to the management benefit plan; adopted an amended 2021/22 salary schedule; and gave the go-ahead for the sale of a small piece of vacant land at 12121 Lakeshore to an adjacent property owner for $10,000.
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Clearlake City Council approves federal funding application, contract to demolish Sunflower restaurant
- Elizabeth Larson
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