LAKEPORT, Calif. – When it meets this week the Clearlake City Council will consider amending its contract with the city engineer as it also faces beginning recruitment for a new engineer.

The meeting will begin at 6 p.m. Thursday, April 26, in the council chambers at Clearlake City Hall, 14050 Olympic Drive. TV8 will broadcast the meeting live.

Bob Galusha has been providing the city services as its interim engineer since July 2005. Galusha, who retired from the city of Redding, works as a CalPERS retiree and is therefore limited to 960 hours per year.

The council will consider approving an amendment to his contract that will set a Dec. 31 end date.

City Manager Joan Phillipe’s report to the council explains that AB 1028, which went into effect on Jan. 1, has changed how public agencies can utilize CalPERS retirees.

Phillipe, Galusha and the city attorney reviewed the law and determined that the contract needs a termination date to prevent both Galusha and the city from being subjected to “significant penalties.”

“This puts the city in a position of recruiting for a new city engineer between now and the end of the contract or determining it will secure engineering services by contract,” which Phillipe said is a separate issue that will be brought back to a future council meeting.

The council also will consider a resolution clarifying the council meeting dates and times, which is necessitated by a recent change to the Brown Act that precludes the council from considering salary and benefits negotiations in a special meeting, according to a report from Phillipe.

In other business, the council will review its proposed recognized obligations payment schedule – which covers redevelopment-related obligations – for the periods of July 1 to Dec. 31 of this year and Jan. 1 to June 30, 2013, for recommendation to the oversight board of the former redevelopment agency.

City goals, objectives, core values and mission statement also will be discussed.

At Thursday’s meeting the council will present a proclamation supporting the Anderson Marsh Interpretive Association’s Proposal to operate Anderson Marsh State Historic Park.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .