LAKEPORT, Calif. — The Lakeport City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved an emergency declaration the city manager made last week in response to the storms that have dropped heavy rain and dramatically raised the level of Clear Lake over the past several weeks.
All five council members were present for Tuesday’s meeting, with new Councilman Brandon Disney announcing that he and his wife have a brand new, healthy baby daughter.
Among the council’s main items of business on Tuesday was ratifying an emergency declaration made last week in response to the storms.
City Manager Kevin Ingram, who also is the city’s director of emergency services, declared a local state of emergency on Jan. 10 in response to the atmospheric rivers that have been impacting the city — as well as the rest of the county and the region.
Those storms are part of larger series that began at Christmas.
Ingram’s declaration said the atmospheric rivers began impacting the city around Jan. 4. That was the day that the city had to temporarily close Library Park due to fallen tree branches from the heavy rain and high winds.
Emergency Services Act Section 8630(b) and Lakeport Municipal Code requires that such emergency declarations be ratified within seven days to remain in effect.
Ingram told the council that the city has sustained some damage from the storms that will qualify it for federal disaster assistance funding, specifically, a culvert behind the Lakeport Unified School District fields has experienced some erosion.
To be eligible for that federal assistance, Ingram said the city needed to declare an emergency, which is why he took the action last week.
Councilman Michael Froio moved to adopt the resolution confirming the existence of a local emergency, with Councilman Kenny Parlet seconding and Disney, Mayor Stacey Mattina and Councilwoman Kim Costa joining in the unanimous vote.
Later in the meeting, Ingram said that, for the most part, the storms have treated Lakeport well. He said the water has been needed and was welcomed.
On Tuesday morning, Ingram said he walked down to the city’s boat docks and there was water against the sea wall, which hasn’t been the case in some time. Overall, he said the water looked good.
He noted that one more storm is coming in on Wednesday, after which there is forecast to be at least 10 days of clear weather that will allow things to dry out.
On Friday, the Board of Supervisors ratified a separate emergency declaration that Sheriff Rob Howe issued the previous day in response to the atmospheric river storm event, as Lake County News has reported.
In other business at the Tuesday City Council meeting, the council presented a proclamation designating January as Human Trafficking Awareness Month, supported renewing the Lake County Tourism Improvement District’s plans to renew for 10 years, received and filed the fiscal year 2022-23 first quarter financial update, heard the latest on the plans for the Lake County Recreation Task Force and got an update from City Clerk/Administrative Services Director Kelly Buendia on the city’s communications team activity.
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Lakeport City Council approves emergency declaration due to storms
- Elizabeth Larson
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