Clearlake council interviews three candidates after water district board requests appointment

The Clearlake City Council on Aug. 17 heard a request from Kenoctet County Water District General Manager Frank Costner that the council appoint Robert Witt to a vacant district board seat and proceeded to interview three candidates in public. Costner said the water district’s board had vetted Witt and that a county voter-registration address issue — since corrected — delayed the appointment process, after which the board voted to ask the city to appoint him.

“[The] Kenoctet County Water District Board respectfully asked for you to accept the request to appoint Robert Witt to the Kenoctet County Water District Board,” Frank Costner told council members. Costner described the board’s earlier vote to accept Witt’s county-verified application and asked the council to consider the district’s request.

Council members followed procedure by conducting standard five-question interviews in alphabetical order with the three applicants. Sgt. Delvis Cook said he lives within the district and emphasized water quality, drought planning and fire-suppression needs. Doug Eyde cited nearly 40 years of management experience in grocery retail and said he wants to give back to the community. Robert Witt said he has lived in the area for about 15 years, described a desire to volunteer and listed keeping rates manageable and preserving water quality as priorities.

At least one water-district official urged caution about appointing city-selected candidates. Jeff Stanley, vice president of the water district board and a licensed water-treatment operator, told council the district has operated successfully with a technical, pragmatic approach and said water chemistry and operations require expertise; he recommended appointing candidates with relevant technical experience.

Council members said they would deliberate after the interviews; the meeting record shows interviews were completed and deliberation was scheduled but a final appointment was not made before adjournment. Council also noted there had been inconsistent public notice earlier and discussed following an open, standardized process for candidate review.

What happens next: council deliberation and any formal appointment will be recorded at a later meeting or in a subsequent action item. The water district’s letter and the candidate applications remain part of the public record.