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LAKEPORT – The Lakeport City Council will return to its negotiations on the city garbage contract when it meets this coming Tuesday.
The council will meet Feb. 5, starting out with a 5 p.m. workshop with staff on the city's sewer ordinance before beginning the regular council meeting at 6 p.m.
At its last meeting on Jan. 15, the council approved a 2.5-percent rate increase as part of a cost of living increase the company is entitled to in its contract for the city's universal garbage collection, which has been in effect since January 2004.
The council also discussed its franchise garbage agreement with Lakeport Disposal, and looked at several ongoing, unresolved issues with the contract.
Primary among them is that the company has asked for delays in paying its full franchise fee to the city – about 10 percent of its revenues – citing financial hardships and market downturns.
The council asked for its negotiators and Lakeport Disposal to return to the Feb. 5 meeting with resolutions to the issues.
City Manager Jerry Gillham's report to the council said the negotiating team met with Lakeport Disposal on Jan. 24 and appeared to come to an agreement that the company will begin paying the full franchise fee in January, 2010.
However, Gillham suggested there was some “communication disconnect.” While Gillham says in his report that he believes an agreement was reached, he said that Mayor Pro-Tem Ron Bertsch – a member of the city's negotiating team – doesn't believe that the meeting actually resulted in an agreement but rather “an outline of what Lakeport Disposal was willing to live with.”
The result is that the council must decide how to move forward in light of the confusion about whether or not an agreement was reached.
In other business city Utilities Superintendent Mark Brannigan will introduce Ordinance 872, the City of Lakeport Municipal Sewer District, Sewer use and Pretreatment Ordinance, along with enabling resolutions to set fees.
The ordinance modernizes the city's 30-year-old chapter in its municipal code regarding the operation of sewer systems, as required by state and federal legislation.
Staff is asking the council to accept the ordinance and set a public hearing on it at the March 4 meeting.
Under consent agenda items, the staff will present a report regarding the status of the Clear Lake Foundation, adoption of a salary schedule for Lakeport Police officers that becomes effective Jan. 1 and adoption of a resolution adopting the National Incident Management Systems.
In closed session, the council will discuss labor negotiations with the Lakeport Employees Association and Lakeport Police Officers Association, and will hold a conference with real property negotiators on the Green Ranch.
To see city documents and staff reports that are on the Tuesday agenda, visit the city's Web site at www.cityoflakeport.com/departments/docs.aspx?deptID=43&catID=35.
The meeting will be held in the council chambers at Lakeport City Hall, 225 Park St.
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at
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And the council member & city manager assigned to this task are on different pages as to what actually transpired during the meetings. :shock: We want transparency in government but not to the point where any evidence that it actually exists disappears.