- Elizabeth Larson
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Lakeport City Council recognizes Domestic Violence Awareness Month, receives report on 20th Street speed issues
LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport City Council on Tuesday recognized the efforts to prevent domestic violence in the community and heard an update on the police department’s ongoing work to reduce traffic speeds in a 20th Street neighborhood.
As the council does each year, it offered a proclamation designating October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
Mayor Mireya Turner presented the proclamation to staff from the Lake Family Resource Center.
The proclamation, which Turner read, explained that in the past 12 months Lake County law enforcement agencies have responded to more than 547 incidents of domestic violence – including men, women and children.
Also in the past year, the Victim Witness Division of the District Attorney’s Office has served 234 victims of domestic violence, and the District Attorney’s Office has prosecuted 51 felonies and 160 misdemeanor acts of domestic violence, according to the proclamation.
The proclamation said Lake Family Resource Center responded to 407 crisis line calls, served victims, and additionally sheltered 171 domestic violence victims and their children for a total of 6,047 bed nights.
Sheri Salituri-Young, the Lake Family Resource Center’s victim services program director, told the council than anyone can be a victim of domestic violence.
She said the center currently has more than a dozen people staying at its emergency shelter, with more than 100 active outreach clients.
Salituri-Young recognized center staff and partners, and thanked the city for its support.
Council gets update on 20th Street speed surveys
Lt. Jason Ferguson presented the council with an update on the efforts to reduce speeds on 20th Street between Alden Avenue and Hartley Street.
In 2016, a speed survey found that the 85th percentile speed on the street was 36 miles per hour, while the speed limit was 25 miles per hour. Based on state law, the city needed to reset the speed zone to 30 miles per hour or police would not have been able to enforce the speed limit, according to Ferguson’s written report.
The Lakeport City Council ultimately voted to approve the change, but took heed of residents’ concerns and directed police to do increased outreach and enforcement in order to reduce the 85th percentile speed back down to between 25 and 30 miles per hour, Ferguson’s report explained.
The report said that measures the city has taken include public outreach through Nixles and social media, increased patrols and traffic enforcement, the placement of a radar trailer and traffic control measures such as restriping.
Ferguson told the council that the department has been very aggressive in its enforcement effort in the area.
They’ve continued to collect more speed data, which indicates the 85th percentile speed hasn’t gone down, but has edged up – from 36 to 37 miles per hour.
He said that between April 6 and Sept. 6 Lakeport Police officers wrote seven speeding citations in that area, and also stopped and gave warnings to drivers. Since the speed limit was raised, 58 total citations for speeding and other issues have been written for the area of the intersection of 20th and Hartley.
Ferguson said the effort has been hampered by the floods at the start of 2017 and the wildland fires, as well as short staffing. However, he said further deployment of the radar trailer, more education and increased enforcement is planned for that area before another speed survey is done.
Councilwoman Stacey Mattina asked if there are signs up in the area. Ferguson said yes, the speed limit signs were updated to say 30 miles per hour, which was required.
“We're trying to be out there, as visible as we can be, as proactive as we can be,” he said, adding that department members have received compliments from the community about their proactive efforts.
Councilman George Spurr asked if they’ve found out if the speeders live in the neighborhood. Ferguson said he can research it further and get that information.
Councilman Kenny Parlet said the people who have been driving in that area for years know the width of the street, despite the visual narrowing work, so they continue to drive at high speeds.
“Obviously, this is going to take a little more effort, more education and more outreach,” he said.
Mattina called the situation with the speed “just totally disappointing,” noting she’s afraid the speed will go up. “We tried everything.”
Spurr thanked police for the work. “We’ll continue to do it,” said Ferguson.
There was no public comment and no required action by the council, which simply received the report.
At the Tuesday night meeting the council also met new city utilities employees Alex Sharp and Tony Lynott. Sharp is a native of Mississippi and recent graduate of Auburn University, and Lynott is a utility operator who has previous experience working for a local pumping contractor.
The council also held a brief public hearing and approved an ordinance amending Chapter 3.05 to the Lakeport Municipal Code to take advantage of the Uniform Public Construction Cost Accounting Act.
CORRECTION: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that 58 citations had been written between April and Sept. 6 for the area of the intersection of 20th and Hartley. The article has been corrected to show that number is the total since the speed limit was raised at the end of 2016.
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100218 Lakeport City Council agenda packet by LakeCoNews on Scribd