LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – During a Tuesday night discussion about whether to sign onto a letter to the governor that the Board of Supervisors sent two weeks ago, the Lakeport City Council and city staff considered possible outreach to the state government and how to help local businesses and residents burdened by greater COVID-19-related restrictions.
City Manager Kevin Ingram asked the council to consider if it wanted to sign onto a letter the Board of Supervisors voted to send to the governor on Nov. 17 regarding the revisions to the state’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy.
The board’s action in sending that letter last month followed by a day Gov. Gavin Newsom’s announcement of the stricter blueprint, which saw the majority of the state’s 58 counties going into the most restrictive of the four tiers, purple.
In particular, the letter, written by Supervisor Bruno Sabatier, focused on the challenges that rural counties like Lake are facing with the shortened time frame for data analysis and ranking that pushed many of them into the highest tier.
But what the board’s letter had been trying to avert – Lake also moving into the purple tier – happened over the weekend.
And on Tuesday morning, during his regular update to the Board of Supervisors, Public Health Officer Dr. Gary Pace said he doesn’t think Lake County will leave the purple tier – and its restrictions – any time soon.
“I suspect we’re probably going to be here for a couple months,” he said, adding that he also expects the state to impose more restrictions.
While the Lakeport City Council ultimately said it supported the supervisors’ letter, it stopped short of signing on or even sending its own at present, noting the rapid changes in the situation which made many of the letter’s main points moot.
They also questioned if, with Lake’s case numbers rapidly rising – the county caseload was up to 971 confirmed cases and 20 deaths on Tuesday, an increase of 94 cases and one death over the previous week – that they could successfully argue that the county’s situation is as unique as the supervisors’ letter maintained.
Trying to thread the needle
While Ingram, in presenting the letter, acknowledged that quite a few developments had occurred since it was sent two weeks ago, he said he still wanted to bring it to the council.
He noted the city’s efforts in trying to thread the needle between controlling the virus and making sure they have an economy left afterward. Ingram questioned how the city can assist businesses with changing regulations, which seem to be different every week.
Ingram also noted that on Monday the governor had warned of the possibility of even greater restrictions due to the statewide spike in cases.
“Our businesses are really struggling,” he said, noting that in addition to financial hardship, “These regulations are overbearing, too.”
Community Development Director Jenni Byers explained that, at the end of May, her department came up with a temporary zoning permit that allowed restaurants to extend into the sidewalk and the street.
The state’s guidelines restrict outside dining to 50 percent restaurant capacity and must allow for airflow. Byers said staff also checked on outside tents in which large heaters are being used to ensure compliance with guidelines from the manufacturers and the Lakeport Fire Department.
Councilwoman Mireya Turner asked Ingram about $500 million in grants for small businesses that Gov. Newsom announced earlier this week. Ingram said they are looking into it and how it can help local business, adding his strategy is to hit the challenging situation “from a million different angles.”
Ingram asked the council members if they wanted to see the city taking a larger and more active role in trying to push Lakeport’s unique case to state legislators or the Governor’s Office.
“I think that this is a moving target,” said Councilwoman Stacey Mattina, adding the situation keeps changing and there could be another lockdown ahead.
“From the beginning, it’s felt like government’s picking winners and losers and it doesn’t seem fair,” Mattina said.
Mattina said she wasn’t sure the council should sign onto the letter, and Councilman Kenny Parlet said he also doubted it would do any good, although Councilman Tim Barnes thought a letter was a good idea.
“I don’t know how much longer some of these small businesses are going to last,” Barnes said, adding that it’s hard enough to make payroll in Lake County in the winter if you’re not getting hit with a public safety power shutoff or a pandemic.
“Just keeping the doors open in a rural community is difficult,” Barnes said.
Turner said she could support a letter but that it needed to be clear in what it’s asking of state officials. She also wanted to know what kind of support is available for residents who are having trouble making ends meet or property owners not collecting rent.
Public weighs in on letter
During public comment, Michael Green – a city planning commissioner who, based on preliminary election results, appears to have won a seat on the council, although the election results weren’t confirmed as of Tuesday evening – said he didn’t know what the point would be in sending a letter if it didn’t have a clear request.
“We’re getting hammered, Lakeport in particular, though our nursing home outbreak,” he said.
Green said the city needed to up its game in supporting curbside dining, and said it’s hard to support a shop local campaign when local business owners are struggling with compliance with rules regarding COVID-19 safety.
Frank Dollosso, a local businessman who led an unsuccessful signature drive to hold a referendum on the county’s COVID-19 enforcement ordinance, said the whole enforcement issue “is nothing but an illusion,” and that this winter is going to be very detrimental for businesses.
Nathan Maxman, another city council candidate who in early returns appeared in line to win a seat, said if the council sends a letter, it needs to include what steps the city is taking to help reduce the number of cases.
“I am against signing this letter. It is outdated. It does not have a clear ask,” Turner said, with Mattina agreeing.
Ultimately, the council took no action. However, Ingram said the pandemic is going to be a continuing issue for some time, and that staff would provide ongoing updates to the council on its efforts to help the community.
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Lakeport City Council discusses COVID-19 challenges, decides against signing on to county’s letter to governor
- Elizabeth Larson
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