Clear Lake hears update on countywide recreation JPA; polling, financing and sites under discussion

City Manager Flora presented an update Jan. 19 on work to form a countywide recreation joint powers authority (JPA) to plan, finance and operate recreation facilities across Lake County.

Flora said the three jurisdictions have retained Jones Hall as bond counsel and NHA as municipal advisor, a term sheet and JPA agreement are under legal review, and staff plan to return in February with the JPA agreement so each jurisdiction can appoint representatives. Initial facility plans described by staff include construction at the Burns Valley Sports Complex and a Westside Park facility in Lakeport; the JPA would seek financing to cover construction gaps and to secure ongoing operational revenue.

The task force has engaged a polling firm to test funding options and community support; Flora said the effort aims to determine acceptable funding mechanisms and that the team would try to meet deadlines for a May 2024 ballot if polling supports it. Flora described a two-phase approach to polling: initial testing of funding acceptability followed by more targeted ballot modeling.

Council members raised concerns including flood-zone vulnerability for some potential sites, whether bonds or a special tax would be more viable, and how inclusion of additional facilities (such as Middletown Pool) might affect polling and support. Councilmember Overton asked that polling test tax alternatives because she expressed skepticism that a bond would pass.

No formal decision was required at this meeting; staff requested council think about potential appointees for two seats each on the proposed JPA board (the plan described two seats per jurisdiction, one required to be an elected official, plus an at-large appointment to follow). The JPA agreement and appointments are expected to return to councils in February for action.