by Marianne Gasaway
A sharing agreement for police services between Clear Lake and Ventura will continue.
Monday night the Clear Lake City Council voted unanimously to extend an agreement between the two cities which has been in place since 2006. The agreement to provide 24-hour police services to Ventura was set to expire June 30, 2023.
The extension will be for a three-year period, beginning on July 1. It provides for a 5 percent annual increase in the cost of the services. The City of Ventura will pay the City of Clear Lake $150,000 in Fiscal Year 2023-24, $157,500 in FY 2024-25, and $165,375 (FY 2025-26).
Other business
In other business Monday night, the Council accepted the lone bid received for tree planting along East Main Avenue. Country Landscapes submitted a bid of $19,890 for the work.
According to City Administrator Scott Flory, Main Avenue property owners were invited to select trees for planting in an effort to replace the 22 which were lost due to street reconstruction. The City worked with an arborist to determine tree species identified as compatible for growth in narrow spaces which will also be hearty in harsh elements.
Some homeowners opted not to replace trees, however Flory noted the streetscape will have a net gain of 17 trees.
The bid from Country Landscapes includes providing trees, shredded hardwood mulch rings, tree staking and initial watering at time of installation. The City will followup with additional watering.
Flory noted the bid of $510 per unit came in under the City’s budget of $560 per unit.
Tree planting is expected to begin in the next few weeks.
