- Elizabeth Larson
- Posted On
Lakeport City Council approves agreement for new recreation agency
City Manager Kevin Ingram presented to the council a resolution to approve a joint exercise of powers agreement, or JPA, that creates the Lake County Recreation Agency.
The Clearlake City Council approved the agreement at its meeting last Thursday and appointed members David Claffey and Dirk Slooten to be its two representatives on the JPA board. Ingram said the Board of Supervisors is expected to consider the JPA at a meeting in March.
A written report to the council from Ingram and Assistant City Manager Nick Walker explained that a group of interested parties began meeting regularly in 2019 to discuss the possibilities of improving recreational opportunities in Lakeport.
Interest expanded to include parties countywide, with the group becoming known as the Recreation Task Force. The city of Lakeport assisted the task force in October 2020 with issuing a request for proposal from qualified consulting firms to prepare a needs assessment and feasibility study so the task force “could determine whether to proceed with planning, funding and creating an indoor/outdoor multi-generational Recreation Center or Centers,” the report explained.
The task force worked with Studio W architects and their subconsultants for a year and a half to complete two phases of a feasibility study that were presented in 2021 and 2022 to local government bodies and the public.
“The feasibility work included public input, site selection, development scope, conceptual design, programmatic options, capital and operating cost estimates, management structures and partnership opportunities,” the report explained.
Following a meeting in October, representatives from the cities and the county reached consensus to hire bond counsel firm Jones Hall to form the JPA. A proposal review committee hired the firm FM3 to conduct polling. The report said the city of Lakeport has contracted Jones Hall and FM3 with cost sharing agreements with the city of Clearlake and the county of Lake.
Developing and maintaining recreation and aquatics centers is expected to cost tens of millions of dollars. The options presented by Studio W at public meetings in August 2021 put the cost of a new aquatic center at more than $21 million based on configurations.
Ingram and Walker’s report said that the task force members have discussed ways of covering those costs, which include contributions from local, state and federal governments, grants, donations and a JPA.
Even with those sources, the report noted there is likely to be a funding gap, which is why the JPA could form a community facility district and place a special tax on the ballot to pay for debt service on authorized bonds and operation costs associated with new recreation and aquatics facilities.
City and county officials are now looking at placing such a revenue measure before voters on the March 2024 ballot, which would be the presidential primary.
Ingram told the council on Tuesday that many groups — the cities, the county, school districts, hospitals and tribes — “seem to be on the same page that this needs to be a regional effort.”
It’s not just about financing and operations, but “what is the mission going to be?” Ingram said.
It wouldn’t just be a pool or recreation center but also could involve a trails system and other amenities. In that sense, there are a lot of options and it’s exciting, said Ingram, noting that the bad news also is that there are a lot of options.
Although Clearlake already has appointed its two members to sit on the seven-member JPA board — which will include two members each from the cities and the county, and one at-large member — Ingram said Lakeport’s appointments would take place at a future time and would be done by the mayor.
He expected the newly formed recreation agency will have more frequent meetings at first as it is getting off the ground. “This is very exciting,” Ingram said.
Ingram said they have seen exciting plans for facilities that include the “Ferrari model” — a reference to the extremely expensive options that have been presented previously. Decisions on just what models to pursue will have to be made, he added.
“Overall, moving together as a region is absolutely the right way of handling this,” Ingram said.
Councilmember Kim Costa asked what other public agencies might join the agency. Ingram said there is a lot of room for different entities, but that for now it’s starting with the cities and county.
City Attorney David Ruderman said any public entity can form a JPA. The way this new JPA’s formation documents are written, it’s up to the new recreation agency who gets to take part.
Councilmember Brandon Disney said most people would love to see the dream vision come about, but he noted that tax ballot measures aren’t always popular.
“Is there a fallback if the tax measure doesn’t come to fruition?” Disney asked.
Ingram said he thought that at this point it’s still completely in the exploration phase, with polling of the electorate to take place regarding their feelings about the financing mechanism.
There was no public comment on the new JPA’s formation.
Councilman Kenny Parlet recalled previously trying to work with the county to share costs of the city’s now-closed Westshore Pool, and the county refusing to do so.
He said he was very concerned about estimated maintenance costs of about $250,000.
Councilman Michael Froio said he and Mayor Stacey Mattina have met with the city of Clearlake and an ad hoc group appointed by the Board of Supervisors, there is enthusiasm all around.
“We have a different group of people,” he said in response to Parlet’s concerns.
Mattina said the tax measure would help with maintaining the centers.
Froio said bringing a pool to Lakeport is an outstanding idea.
Ingram said they have looked at their sister city of Fort Bragg, which built a beautiful pool but was forced by maintenance costs to eventually put a sales tax measure before voters.
“We’ve kept our eyes open all the way,” Ingram said.
Ingram said they are getting to the point where people will need to show what they are willing to put up in terms of support, noting they will need to “rap on the door” of Congressman Mike Thompson and state legislators.
“The maintenance plans need to be in place with any potential project,” Ingram said.
Disney moved to adopt the resolution, with Parlet seconding and the council voting 5-0.
During the hour-and-15-minute-long meeting, Ruderman also gave the council a presentation on ethics regulations and best practices, as well as recent law changes.
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