Clear Lake council approves contracts to start environmental review for airport redevelopment

The Clear Lake City Council voted unanimously on Jan. 18 to approve three contracts to begin environmental review and preliminary engineering for the Clear Lake Airport redevelopment project.

City Manager Flora presented a staff report recommending contracts with Gary Price Consulting, California Engineering Company and LSW Architect to assemble a team for design standards, preliminary engineering and environmental review work, including water, sewer and stormwater analysis. Flora said the contracts and team will help the city comply with the California Environmental Quality Act and protect the project from future legal challenges.

Council Member (speaker 3) moved to approve the WAIF competitive-bidding requirements, authorize the contracts with the three firms and authorize the city manager to sign the agreements; Council Member Kramer seconded. The motion passed with a unanimous online vote.

Council members described the environmental review as an important, and potentially costly, step that will provide legal protection by documenting compliance with CEQA and informing future design decisions. No public comment was offered on this agenda item, and the council did not authorize construction funding at this meeting; the approvals authorize only contracting for environmental and preliminary engineering work.

Next steps: staff will proceed under the authorized contracts to prepare environmental review materials and initial engineering studies for the airport redevelopment project.