LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — In the wake of the mayor pro tem’s resignation last week, the Lakeport City Council on Tuesday night directed city staff to begin taking applications for the seat.
Mireya Turner, who was nearing the end of her second term and had filed to seek a third term uncontested, was hired on Aug. 30 as the permanent Lake County Community Development director on a permanent basis.
Citing her new responsibilities, Turner immediately resigned her council seat, leading to the discussion on Tuesday about how to fill it.
City Clerk/Administrative Services Director Kelly Buendia said state law requires the council to take action within 60 days to either make an appointment or call a special election.
Buendia said there wasn’t enough time to call a special election because Turner’s seat expires in December.
If Turner wins the seat in November, as it’s expected she will, she would then have to resign the seat, Buendia said.
She also pointed out that community members could sign up to run as write-in candidates. That candidacy period runs from Sept. 12 to Oct. 25.
Mayor Stacey Mattina, whose seat also is up for election on Nov. 8 and is running unopposed, asked if they could appoint another city commissioner or a former council member to fill the seat until the end of the year, an idea Councilman Kenny Parlet said he liked.
City Attorney David Ruderman explained that while the council could make an appointment, in two years, at the time of the next municipal election, the seat would be on the ballot for the remaining two years, as required by law.
City Manager Kevin Ingram said that, if Turner won her seat and had to resign, leading to an appointment for two years, that opens up the potential for four of the five council seats to be on the ballot at the same time in 2024.
Ingram suggested that the council direct staff to go ahead and prepare a news release to generate a list of potential applicants for the two-year term, while also giving direction to staff to reach out specifically to previous council members and current commission members to find out if any are interested in a short-term appointment.
Ingram said that gives the council the opportunity to weigh both options.
“I like that,” said Mattina.
Councilman Michael Green made a motion based on Ingram’s proposal, which the council approved 4-0.
Ingram told the council that staff would bring the matter back for discussion at the Oct. 18 meeting.
The council then took nominations for mayor pro tem. Michael Froio nominated Green while Mattina nominated Parlet. After two votes, Parlet was elected to the job.
In other business during the meeting, the open portion of which ran just short of four hours, the council held a hearing to introduce a general plan amendment, zoning code amendment and approval of a mitigated negative declaration under the California Environmental Quality Act for the Parkside Residential Project, proposed by Waterstone Residential, at 1310 Craig Ave.
The project, which includes 128 new apartment units and 48 cluster homes on the 15-acre site, is facing opposition from nearby residents who say it will negatively impact their neighborhood.
The project is due for a second hearing on Sept. 20.
The council also heard a presentation on the second phase of a feasibility study on a recreation center and approved the revised 10-year commercial lease agreement with the Lakeport Yacht Club for use of the facility located at 15 Fifth St., at a cost of about $140 a month for the first two years, then rising to $163.75 per month with an annual Consumer Price Index increase on top of that.
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Lakeport City Council to seek applications for vacant seat
- Elizabeth Larson
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