- Elizabeth Larson
- Posted On
Lakeport City Council to honor Wicks, consider continuing contract with retail recruiter
The council will meet in closed session at 5:30 p.m. to discuss labor negotiations before the public portions of the meeting begins at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 16.
The meeting will be by teleconference only. The city council chambers will not be open to the public.
The agenda can be found here.
To speak on an agenda item, access the meeting remotely here or join by phone by calling toll-free 669-900-9128 or 346-248-7799. The webinar ID is 973 6820 1787, access code is 477973; the audio pin will be shown after joining the webinar. Those phoning in without using the web link will be in “listen mode” only and will not be able to participate or comment.
Comments can be submitted by email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. To give the City Clerk adequate time to print out comments for consideration at the meeting, please submit written comments prior to 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 16.
Indicate in the email subject line "for public comment" and list the item number of the agenda item that is the topic of the comment. Comments that read to the council will be subject to the three minute time limitation (approximately 350 words). Written comments that are only to be provided to the council and not read at the meeting will be distributed to the council prior to the meeting.
The council on Tuesday will present a proclamation honoring Ken Wicks Jr. for his years of service to the city of Lakeport, including nearly a decade spent on the planning commission. His term ended in December, and last week he was commended by the commission for his work.
Under council business, City Manager Kevin Ingram will seek authorization to execute the first extension in the form of an amendment to the professional services agreement with The Retail Coach for retail strategies.
Ingram’s report to the council explained that the city hired the company in July 2019 to conduct an assessment of the Lakeport area “and provide targeted data sets and education opportunities focused on sustaining and enhancing existing businesses as well as recruiting new ones.”
He said the company’s proposal contained eight phases: Analyzing the market, determining retail opportunities, identifying development and redevelopment opportunities, identifying retailers and developers for recruitment, marketing and branding, recruiting retailers and developers, downtown revitalization and retail recruitment coaching.
The majority of the items in the first five phases were completed but the COVID-19 pandemic “severely limited The Retail Coach’s ability to begin recruitment, revitalization efforts and education opportunities,” Ingram wrote.
Ingram said the company agreed to “pause” the contract.
“As businesses seek to return to a degree of normalcy, City staff has begun conversations with The Retail Coach to work towards completion of the original proposal,” Ingram wrote in his report.
He said The Retail Coach has agreed to extend the contract at a reduced rate of $25,000 rather than $30,000.
The council also will hold the traffic safety biannual review in which it will discuss observed trends in received traffic safety-related complaints to the city.
Police Chief Brad Rasmussen also will give a police statistics and training summary report for 2020.
In other business, Community Development Director Jenni Byers will ask for approval for staff to initiate a text amendment to the zoning ordinance to address microenterprise home kitchen operations and work with county staff so that the text amendment would be in effect if the county proposes to continue with a permanent program after July 1.
On the consent agenda – items considered noncontroversial and usually accepted as a slate on one vote – are ordinances and minutes of the regular council meeting on Feb. 2.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.