CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Clearlake City Council at its last meeting offered honors to its retiring planning commission chair and chose a local businesswoman to succeed him.
The council honored Richard Bean, who stepped down effective Sept. 30, at its meeting on Oct. 1.
Bean joined the commission in March 2017. He’s the retired pastor of Clearlake Church of the Nazarene and a longtime Lake County resident.
Mayor Russ Cremer commended Bean for his efforts. “You’ve always given your all.”
Bean thanked the council for recognizing him, noting he was very humbled by it as all as by the confidence they placed in him.
He said he tried his best to make the city a better place in which to live and commended the council for its efforts to do the same.
While he said he hated to leave the commission, it was necessary for him to do.
Vice Mayor Dirk Slooten, who along with Cremer served with Bean on the planning commission before his election to the city council, said it was always a pleasure working with Bean.
The rest of the council also offered their thanks, as did City Manager Alan Flora, who said Bean was great to work with and that, even when he disagreed on a topic, he shared his opinions honestly and tactfully.
Bean said he loves the city of Clearlake and raised his family there. He’s lived there going back to the time the city was incorporated in 1980.
“My heart is here,” he said, adding that he is so thankful to see the progress that’s been made over the last five to six years.
Later in the meeting, the council interviewed via Zoom two candidates to succeed Bean on the council, Michael McKeown and Fawn Williams.
After interviewing both at length, with each sharing their ideas and backgrounds, the council voted to select Williams as the city’s next planning commissioner.
Williams, a 31-year Clearlake resident, previously worked in the finance and mortgage industry, and since January 2003 has owned and operated Show Dressed Up, making custom women’s and girl’s clothing for wearing in competitions for Western pleasure, horsemanship and showmanship.
She’s also a member of Soroptimist International of Clear Lake and is a volunteer and past board member of SPCA of Lake County.
After the vote, McKeown offered Williams his congratulations. “You did fantastic.”
Cremer congratulated Williams, who had applied for the commission once previously.
“The work is going to start now,” said Cremer. “We’ve got a lot of things ahead of us, a lot of important projects coming up, so you are going to be busy.”
“I’m just really excited to get started and to be a part of some of the decisions that are going to help make Clearlake a better place,” Williams said.
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Clearlake City Council honors Bean for planning commission work, appoints Williams as his successor
- Elizabeth Larson
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