LAKEPORT, Calif. — During a brief Tuesday evening meeting, the Lakeport City Council approved adding a no parking zone on a portion of Hartley Street.

Public Works Director Ron Ladd presented to the council an updated resolution revising the prohibited parking zones within the city to include posting the west side of Hartley Street from Boggs Lane north to the city limit as a no parking zone.

Councilman Brandon Disney recused himself from the discussion due to the proximity of his home to the area in question.

Ladd’s written report to the council explained that pedestrian improvements and lane realignments completed with the Hartley Street Project resulted in city staff concluding that there is no longer adequate roadway width for safe traffic flow on Hartley Street to allow for parking along the west side of the street.

He said Tuesday evening that there is no longer sufficient space to park safely on that side of the road beginning around the area of Jerry and Anastasia drives to the city limit.

“Even before the project it was an incredibly small space,” he said.

Mayor Pro Tem Michael Froio pointed out that the Clear Lake High School baseball field, located at the intersection of Anastasia Drive with Hartley Street, gets a lot of use. He was concerned that the city might be making criminals by implementing the change.

“This is a genuine safety concern, is what you’re saying,” Froio said.

Ladd said there is not enough space to legally park there, and that the changes eliminated six parking spots.

Froio said there is still off street parking by the school

Ladd said the legitimate parking by the baseball field is on school grounds.

City Manager Kevin Ingram said the project involved doing “quite a bit of cleanup” for the district encroachment, which was well into the travel lane.

Mayor Stacey Mattina said the parking situation wasn’t great before the changes. Councilman Kenny Parlet, who acts as an umpire, said that area has never been a good situation due to driving patterns.

Froio moved to approve the resolution, which Parlet seconded. Froio, Mattina, Parlet and Councilmember Kim Costa approved the motion unanimously, with Disney recusing.

At the end of the meeting, which ran just under a half-hour, Ingram reported that the city council and members of city staff are going this week to the League of California Cities annual meeting, taking place in Sacramento.

In their absence, Ingram said Ladd has been designated the acting city manager.

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