LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Clearlake City Council on Thursday approved the purchase of four tax defaulted lots by Lake County Special Districts in order for the agency to improve its sewer system in the city.

The council gave unanimous support to the proposal, presented to them by Special Districts Administrator Robin Borre.

Borre noted that Special Districts has purchased other tax defaulted properties in the county jurisdiction.

The four lots Special Districts was seeking the council’s support in purchasing through the Lake County Tax Collector’s Office, and the purchase prices, are:

• 14750 Highlands Way — $3,000;
• 14760 Highlands Way — $3,000;
• 5878 Vallejo Ave. — $2,000;
• 5898 Vallejo Ave. — $2,000.

“These four lots are really important to the district to improve sewer connections and improve our system overall,” said Borre.

Borre said the two lots on Highlands Way will help increase system capacity for the new Konocti Gardens apartments complex while the two on Vallejo Avenue, which are unbuildable due to the sewer lines crossing them, will collect additional flow from the other side of the highway. Odor controls also will be installed.

She said the lots on Highlands Way have experienced a lot of dumping and encampments. Those lots will be fenced and secured, and odor controls also placed there as well.

Noting that taxes haven’t been paid on the lots in some time, Borre said the Board of Supervisors, in its capacity as the Special Districts Board of Directors, had already approved the purchase. That approval came on Nov. 5.

The final step needed was the council’s approval of the purchase price, as required under the California Revenue and Taxation Code.

Council members had questions about generators at the sites — which Borre said they are working to provide — as well as the odor control issues. Mayor Russ Cremer said the odors from the sewer station near the Clearlake Senior Center were awful.

City Manager Alan Flora thanked Borre for her efforts, explaining that they have had a lot of issues with the sewer system in Clearlake over the years.

Since his tenure as city manager began in 2019, Flora said that almost every major rain event has led to a sewer spill. That is, until this winter.

This is the first winter in the job for Borre, who the Board of Supervisors hired in May.

The fact that Borre is working on plans for improving the system and understands where the bottlenecks in the system are “is very refreshing and encouraging,” Flora said.

Cremer said he thinks Borre is doing a better job than has been done in the past, but added there has been frustration for a long time.

During the discussion, a neighbor who has lived on Highlands Way for 30 years said he has been trying to find how to purchase the lots for a few years and that he had not heard of a public sale, only that $68,000 was owed.

He said the lots have been a drug haven but were cleaned up two days before New Year’s, and he offered to pay $10,000 for them. He complained about having to deal with the smell.

Borre reiterated that they will install odor controls, secure the lots to address issues with homeless encampments and will make some road improvements in order to access the properties.

Former Councilmember Joyce Overton told the council that since Special Districts made upgrades to its facilities near the senior center, where she is director, the odor issues have improved. “It is working.”

Vice Mayor Dirk Slooten moved to approve the purchase, with Councilmember Mary Wilson seconding and the council voting 5-0.

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