- Elizabeth Larson
- Posted On
Clearlake City Council to mark Black History Month, consider lease of 30 acres near Walmart
The council will meet beginning at 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 4.
Because of the county’s shelter in place order, Clearlake City Hall remains closed to the public, however, the virtual meeting will be broadcast live on the city's YouTube channel or the Lake County PEG TV YouTube Channel. Community members also can participate via Zoom.
The agenda can be found here.
Comments and questions can be submitted in writing for City Council consideration by sending them to Administrative Services Director/City Clerk Melissa Swanson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. You can also visit the city’s town hall site and submit written comments at https://www.opentownhall.com/portals/327/forum_home. Identify the subject you wish to comment on in your email’s subject line or in your town hall submission.
To give the council adequate time to review your questions and comments, please submit your written comments prior to 4 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 4.
Each public comment emailed to the city clerk will be read aloud by the mayor or a member of staff for up to three minutes or will be displayed on a screen. Public comment emails and town hall public comment submissions that are received after the beginning of the meeting will not be included in the record.
The council will start the meeting with presenting a proclamation declaring February 2021 as Black History Month and will receive the Clearlake Police Department 2020 Annual Report.
Under business, the council will consider entering into a lease with RM Clearlake LLC for 15900, 15910, 15920 and 15970 Dam Road, Clearlake, as well as agreements with Cal Fire for fire mitigation efforts in vicinity of those properties.
The proposed lease is for a two-year term with two one-year city-owned options. The city would pay the landlord the rate of $1 per year, based on the city’s report.
The four parcels, totaling approximately 30.8 acres, are next to the Dam Road shopping center, where Tractor Supply, Big 5 and Walmart are located. The property in recent years has been the site of homeless encampments, vegetation fires and illegal dumping.
In his report to the council, City Manager Alan Flora wrote that the city has been approached by the property owners to lease the parcels.
RM Clearlake, a California General Partnership, purchased the properties with the intent of developing the land into a commercial center, as a second phase of the original Walmart Development, Flora said.
“However, market conditions have made development of the site difficult, and the second phase never happened,” he said. “Accordingly, the property owners are interested in leasing the property to the City as the City is in a better position to keep this property code compliant. This property has historically been a problem site in terms of code violations, to include homeless encampments and wildfire danger.”
Flora’s report explained that one of the primary benefits of the city becoming a tenant for this site is that Cal Fire has offered to perform vegetation clearing for the benefit of fire mitigation with the condition that the properties are controlled by a public entity. “By entering in this proposed lease, Cal Fire would be able to conduct the fire mitigation.”
City staff are coordinating with Cal Fire to schedule fire mitigation work when the weather permits in early 2021, Flora said.
“During the term of the lease, the City and landowner will engage in negotiations regarding the potential transfer in fee of the properties to the City. If the properties are to be transferred to the City, separate Council action will be required,” he said.
Flora said the proposed lease will have a negligible impact on the city’s budget, although city resources will be required for cleanup efforts.
He told Lake County News that he’s not aware of any existing homeless camps on the property and much of the current problems are on some of the paper lots – largely tax-defaulted – to the east of this property.
He added, “There have been some fires started on the property over the years, but as an example the fire last year that claimed a home was not started on this property.”
Flora said there is really a larger problem in this section of the city, “but we have to start somewhere and this is a big chunk.”
Also on the agenda is a public hearing to consider acceptance of the State Community Black Grant Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security Act, or CDBG- CV, Round 2 in the amount of $335,613.
The council will provide direction to staff to prepare an application to pursue funds for COVID-19 related activities that benefit low- and moderate-income residents and will consider adopting a resolution authorizing the city manager and staff to submit the grant application due by Feb. 14.
On the meeting's consent agenda – items that are not considered controversial and are usually adopted on a single vote – are warrants; continuation of a declaration of local emergency issued on Oct. 9, 2017, and ratified by council action on Oct. 12, 2017, for the Sulphur fire; continuation of a declaration of local emergency issued on March 14, 2020, and ratified by council action on March 19, 2020, for the COVID-19 pandemic; award of contract for design services for the 2021 Measure V Projects with California Engineering Company for an amount not to exceed $101,443.85; reappointment of three planning commissioners to fill four-year terms effective March 12, 2021 through March 11, 2025; adoption of sixth amendment to the FY 2020-21 Budget (Resolution No. 2020-27) appropriating revenues from sale of surplus Public Works Equipment and authorizing the city manager to lease a vehicle from Enterprise Fleet Management for the Parks Division, Resolution No. 2021-06; adoption of the seventh amendment to the FY 2020-21 Budget (Resolution No 2020-27) appropriating a donation from Lake County Tribal Health Consortium for the purchase of AEDs, Resolution No. 2021-07.
Following the public portion of the meeting, the council will hold a closed session to discuss existing litigation, the City of Clearlake v. Tonya Shold; Jonathan Haws; Sunshine Properties, LLC.- Case No CV421430- Lake County Superior Court; and City of Clearlake v. Joyce L. Madden - Case No. CV421431 - Lake County Superior Court.
The closed session also will include a case, City of Clearlake v. William Reece Smith, a deceased individual; all persons claiming any interest in the real property commonly known as 13672 Arrowhead Road, Clearlake CA - Case No. CV421429 - Lake County Superior Court, and a discussion regarding the city’s suit against the county of Lake and Treasurer-Tax Collector Barbara Ringen.
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.