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The council meeting will begin at 6 p.m. Tuesday, July 19, in the council chambers at Lakeport City Hall, 225 Park St.
The staff reports for the meeting can be downloaded at www.cityoflakeport.com/departments/docs.aspx?deptID=88&catID=102 or at www.scribd.com/LakeCoNews.
Finance Director Dan Buffalo will ask the council for direction regarding the funding strategy to keep the Lakeport Redevelopment Agency alive, including what he termed the “redevelopment ransom payment” in his report.
As a result of Gov. Jerry Brown singing AB1x on June 28, redevelopment agencies are eliminated. However, a sister bill, AB1x 27, has provisions that would allow agencies to continue their activities if they agree to make a series of pass-through payments, Buffalo's report to the council explains.
“Both statutes are highly ambiguous in language, malicious in intent, and dubious in constitutional legality,” wrote Buffalo in his report. “The California Redevelopment Association (CRA) and League of California Cities intend to file suit within the next few days requesting an immediate stay to the effectiveness of both statutes and a ruling on the basis of their legality under the State's Constitution.”
Nonetheless, Buffalo said the city's administrative staff crated a contingency plan and funding strategy to meet the financial commitments.
He said city staff is estimating that the city will owe the state $311,534 for fiscal year 2011-12 and $73,302 for fiscal year 2012-13.
Buffalo also is asking the council to direct staff to come back with an ordinance under AB1x27 to continue the agency and make the required payments. The Board of Supervisors considered similar action last week and has so far agreed to pursue opting in to making the payments in order to keep the county agency afloat as well.
Later in the meeting, Community Development and Redevelopment Director Richard Knoll will ask the council to approve a new memorandum of understanding with the state Administrative Office of the Courts for right-of-way access to 675 Lakeport Blvd., the proposed site of a new county courthouse.
In May the council had approved a memorandum of understanding that removed the words “if feasible” relating to the state's dedication of a right-of-way for a new proposed collector street.
However, Knoll's report said the Administrative Office of the Courts has rejected the revised agreement, instead proposing that the city build the road to serve the new courthouse with the state considering financial participation, an approach which Knoll said city staff rejected.
With the Administrative Office of the Courts unable to purchase the property and move forward on the $53 million project with the right-of-way, Knoll is suggesting the council reconsider the original agreement that included the “if feasible” language.
“This will allow the land to be purchased and should prop up the Lakeport project in context of the State's budget problems,” he said.
He included in the packet a press release from the Administrative Office of the Courts announcing a July 22 meeting in San Francisco where the Judicial Council will meet to discuss the $350 million budget reduction to the state's judicial branch.
That cut, according to the news release, includes the elimination of $310 million from the Immediate and Critical Needs Account, SB 1407, that is funding the Lakeport courthouse other priority projects around the state.
Also on the agenda is a request for the council to approve hiring freeze exemptions to allow recruitment for an open water operator, part-time department secretary and Public Works supervisor, and a request to direct staff to proceed with a construction project enclosing three office spaces in
City Hall.
In other council business, council members will recognize Lakeport Building Official Tom Carlton for obtaining the Association of State Floodplain Managers Certified Floodplain Manager Certificate and approve a resolution authorizing the submission of an application to the California State Department of Housing and Community Development for funding under the HOME Investment Partnerships
Program.
The council will appoint Planning Services Manager Andrew Britton as the city's representative on the Lake County Clean Water Program Advisory Council and receive a report on a breakdown of funds received from the city's Measure I half-cent sales tax measure, and provide direction and feedback to staff as to the recommended uses of Measure I revenue.
The council also will hold a closed session to discuss the lawsuit filed against the city, Operating Engineers Local Union No. 3 and Lakeport Police Officers Association v. City of Lakeport, Lakeport City Council, and a case of anticipated litigation, as well as employee negotiations and property negotiations regarding Green Ranch.
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