Minutes — Blue Lake City Council, September 23, 2025

CITY OF BLUE LAKE

Aye: Mayor John Sawatzky, Mayor Pro Tem Elise Scafani, Council Member Kat Napier, Council 17 Member Terri Bayles, Council Member Michelle Lewis-Lusso 18 Nay: None 19
20 Public Comment Received: [0:48] None 21
22 03. PUBLIC COMMENT ON NON-AGENDA ITEMS: [1:00] 23
Beckie Thornton Raygoza announces the Annual Blue Lake Scavenger Hunt on Sunday from 24 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. 25
Adelene Jones reports on the 16th City-wide Yard Sale, the Chamber of Commerce had a mixer 26 at Camp Bower on September 18th, the Safe Routes to Blue Lake Rancheria Workshop held 27 September 3, 2025, and on the Blue Lake Public Safety fair on September 20, 2025. 28 Kent Swatzky supports Elise Scafani 29
Jean reports the city hall flag needs attention. 30
Julie Christi mentions the medieval festival the first weekend in October. 31 32 04. CONSENT AGENDA: None [8:57] 33
Item a. City Council Minutes for April 8, 2025 – Special Meeting was pulled off the consent 34 agenda so modifications could be made. 35

CITY OF BLUE LAKE

Aye: Mayor John Sawatzky, Mayor Pro Tem Elise Scafani, Council Member Kat Napier, Council 44 Member Terri Bayles, Council Member Michelle Lewis-Lusso 45 Nay: None 46
Public Comment Received: [0:48] Kent Sawatzky, Julie Christi 47 48 49 05. APPROVE PROCLAMATION – RECOGNIZING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AWARENESS MONTH:
[34:24] 50
Motion: That the city council approve proclamation recognizing October as domestic violence 51 awareness month. 52
53 Motion by: Council Member Michelle Lewis-Lusso
Second by: Council Member Kat Napier 54
Motion carried: 5/0. 55

Aye: Mayor John Sawatzky, Mayor Pro Tem Elise Scafani, Council Member Kat Napier, Council 56 Member Terri Bayles, Council Member Michelle Lewis-Lusso 57 Nay: None 58
59 60 Public Comment Received: [37:31] Julie Christi
61 Motion: to re-open the Public Comment on Non-Agenda Items for the standard three minutes. 62 63 Motion by: Mayor Pro Tem Elise Scafani
Second by: Council Member Michelle Lewis-Lusso 64
Motion carried: 5/0. 65

Aye: Mayor John Sawatzky, Mayor Pro Tem Elise Scafani, Council Member Kat Napier, Council 66 Member Terri Bayles, Council Member Michelle Lewis-Lusso 67 Nay: None 68
69 Public Comment Received: [43:20] Karina Green announced that we got permission from Fish 70 and Wildlife to get a crew of volunteers into the creek to remove obstructive vegetation that's 71

CITY OF BLUE LAKE

C A L I F O R N I A
111 Greenwood Road
P.O. Box 458
Blue Lake, CA 95525
(707) 668-5655
Fax: (707) 668-5916
www.bluelake.ca.go
Blue Lake City Council Minutes
Tuesday, September 23, 2025 ~ 6:30 p.m. ~Regular Council Meeting Skinner Store Building ~ 111 Greenwood Rd., Blue Lake ~ Behind City Hall been obstructing the creeks flow and causing pretty significant flooding. Able bodied volunteers 72 are needed. 73
74 75 06. CONSIDER STRUCTURING A SERIES OF COMMUNITY MEETINGS TO SOLICIT PUBLIC INPUT ON THE FORMER BLUE LAKE POWER PLANT SITE: [47:58] 76
77 Public Comment Received: [1:10:30] Kent Sawatzky, Adelene Jones, Julie Christi 78 79 Direction to Staff: Request Staff work with the ad hoc committee (Mayor Pro Tem Elise Scafani 80 and Council Member Michelle Lewis-Lusso) to Investigate Cost, Scope and Funding Sources to 81 82 hold Community Meeting Series for the Purpose of Soliciting Public Input on the Former Blue Lake Power Plant Site. 83
84 85 07. RECEIVE PRESENTATION ON BLUE LAKE TRUCK ROUTE PHASE 2 – RAILROAD AVE. TO HATCHERY ROAD PROJECT: [1:38:48] 86
87 Public Comment Received: [2:03:35] Adelene Jones, Kent Sawatzky, Brian Coarse 88 89 08. APPROVE RESOLUTION 1243 – CITY OF BLUE LAKE CONFLICT OF INTEREST CODE: [2:12:54] 90 91 Motion: to approve Resolution 1243 as modified by council and clarified by city manager. (page 92 93 46 under list of designated positions to add superintendent and they would still fall into the reporting category of 45; and change the date to read 23rd on page 2 of 4 of the resolution.) 94 95 Motion by: Council Member Michelle Lewis-Lusso
Second by: Mayor Pro Tem Elise Scafani 96
Motion carried: 5/0. 97

Aye: Mayor John Sawatzky, Mayor Pro Tem Elise Scafani, Council Member Kat Napier, Council 98 Member Michelle Lewis-Lusso, Council Member Terri Bayles 99 Nay: None 100
101
Public Comment Received: [2:32:01] Kent Sawatzky, Adelene Jones 102 103
104 09. RATIFY ACCEPTANCE OF RECEIVED DONATIONS OVER $5,000 FOR THE BLUE LAKE BIKE & SKATE PARK: [2:36:42] 105
106

CITY OF BLUE LAKE

Aye: Mayor John Sawatzky, Mayor Pro Tem Elise Scafani, Council Member Kat Napier, Council 112 Member Michelle Lewis-Lusso, Council Member Terri Bayles 113 Nay: None 114
115
Public Comment Received: [2:51:36] Kent Sawatzky, Brian Coarse 116 117
118 10. APPROVE IN-KIND DONATIONS AND EXPENDITURE AUTHORIZATION FOR WINTERIZATION OF BLUE LAKE BIKE & SKATE PARK: [3:06:11] 119
120
Motion: [3:16:28] to accept the in-kind donation of hydro-seed for use at the Bike Park site. 121 122 Motion by: Mayor Pro Tem Elise Scafani
Second by: Council Member Kat Napier 123
Motion carried: 5/0. 124

Aye: Mayor John Sawatzky, Mayor Pro Tem Elise Scafani, Council Member Kat Napier, Council 125 Member Michelle Lewis-Lusso, Council Member Terri Bayles 126 Nay: None 127
128
Public Comment Received: [2:51:36] Kent Sawatzky 129
130
Motion: to Authorize expenditures of up to $3,000 from GL4566 (Recreation Fees) for 131 winterization activities. 132
133 Motion by: Mayor Pro Tem Elise Scafani
Second by: Council Member Michelle Lewis-Lusso 134
Motion carried: 4/1. 135
6 Aye: Mayor John Sawatzky, Mayor Pro Tem Elise Scafani, Council Member Michelle Lewis-Lusso, 13 Council Member Terri Bayles 137
Nay: Council Member Kat Napier 138
139
Public Comment Received: [3:25:28] None 140
141

11. CITY COUNCIL BOARD AND COMMITTEE APPOINTMENTS: [3:26:15] 142

CITY OF BLUE LAKE

C A L I F O R N I A
111 Greenwood Road
P.O. Box 458
Blue Lake, CA 95525
(707) 668-5655
Fax: (707) 668-5916
www.bluelake.ca.go
Blue Lake City Council Minutes
Tuesday, September 23, 2025 ~ 6:30 p.m. ~Regular Council Meeting Skinner Store Building ~ 111 Greenwood Rd., Blue Lake ~ Behind City Hall Agency Meeting Day/Time Primary Alternate
RREDC - Redwood Regional
Economic Development
520 E St. Eureka
4th Monday
6:30 pm
445-9652
Council Member
Terri Bayles
Council Member
Kat Napier
HCAOG - Humboldt County
Association of Governments
2nd Floor Eureka City Hall
3rd Thursday
4:00 pm
444-8208
Mayor
John Sawatzky
Council Member
Kat Napier
HWMA - Humboldt Waste
Management Authority
2nd Floor Eureka City Hall
2nd Thursday
5:30 pm
268-8680
Council Member
Michelle Lewis-Lusso
Mayor Pro Tem
Elise Scafani
BL Rancheria Liaison As Needed Mayor Pro Tem
Elise Scafani
Mayor
John Sawatzky
RCEA - Redwood Coast Energy
Authority
517 15th Street, Eureka
3rd Monday
3:30 pm
269-1700
Mayor Pro Tem
Elise Scafani
Council Member
Kat Napier
Blue Lake Chamber of
Commerce Liaison
2nd Monday
5:30 pm
Skinner Store
Council Member
Terri Bayles
Mayor
John Sawatzky
BL Public Safety Commission
Sheriff's Department Liaison
1st Monday
6:00 pm
Skinner Store
Mayor Pro Tem
Elise Scafani
Council Member
Michelle Lewis-Lusso
BL Fire Department Liaison 3rd Monday
6:30 p.m.

Council Member
Terri Bayles
Council Member
Michelle Lewis-Lusso
BL Parks and Recreation
Commission Liaison
1st Wednesday
6:30 pm
Skinner Store
Council Member
Kat Napier
Mayor
John Sawatzky
BL Economic Development
Commission Liaison
2nd Tuesday
4:30 pm
Skinner Store
Council Member
Kat Napier
Council Member
Terri Bayles
Baduwa't Watershed Council Quarterly Council Member
Michelle Lewis-Lusso
Council Member
Terri Bayles
League of CA Cities Quarterly Council Member
Michelle Lewis-Lusso
Mayor
John Sawatzky
Mayor Select Committee As Needed Mayor
John Sawatzky
Mayor Pro Tem
Elise Scafani
Arts and Heritage Commission 3rd Wednesday Mayor Mayor Pro Tem

CITY OF BLUE LAKE

C A L I F O R N I A
111 Greenwood Road
P.O. Box 458
Blue Lake, CA 95525
(707) 668-5655
Fax: (707) 668-5916
www.bluelake.ca.go
Blue Lake City Council Minutes
Tuesday, September 23, 2025 ~ 6:30 p.m. ~Regular Council Meeting Skinner Store Building ~ 111 Greenwood Rd., Blue Lake ~ Behind City Hall 6:00 pm
Skinner Store
Or City Hall
John Sawatzky Elise Scafani
143
Motion: to approve and accept the new table of assignments as recorded. 144 145 Motion by: Mayor Pro Tem Elise Scafani
Second by: Council Member Terri Bayles 146
Motion carried: 5/0. 147
8 Aye: Mayor John Sawatzky, Mayor Pro Tem Elise Scafani, Council Member Michelle Lewis-Lusso, 14 Council Member Terri Bayles, Council Member Kat Napier 149 Nay: None 150
151
152 Public Comment Received: [3:47:52] None
153
154 12. CITY CLERK JOB DESCRIPTION: [3:49:42]
155
156 Motion: to approve the city clerk job description as amended by including city clerk reports to city council and receives general administrative guidance from the city manager and may 157 provide guidance to administrative support staff. 158
159 Motion by: Mayor Pro Tem Elise Scafani
Second by: Council Member Terri Bayles 160
Motion carried: 5/0. 161
2 Aye: Mayor John Sawatzky, Mayor Pro Tem Elise Scafani, Council Member Michelle Lewis-Lusso, 16 Council Member Terri Bayles, Council Member Kat Napier 163 Nay: None 164
165
166 Public Comment Received: [4:03:36] None
167
168 13. COUNCIL CORRESPONDENCE: [4:04:30]
169
170 14. REPORTS OF COUNCIL AND STAFF: [4:04:54]
171 a. Ad hoc Committee Reports
Mayor Pro Tem Elise Scafani reports that they (Sean and Elise) are working on the 172 transparency ad hoc. 173
174 b. Commission Updates

CITY OF BLUE LAKE

C A L I F O R N I A
111 Greenwood Road
P.O. Box 458
Blue Lake, CA 95525
(707) 668-5655
Fax: (707) 668-5916
www.bluelake.ca.go
Blue Lake City Council Minutes
Tuesday, September 23, 2025 ~ 6:30 p.m. ~Regular Council Meeting Skinner Store Building ~ 111 Greenwood Rd., Blue Lake ~ Behind City Hall Council Member Michelle Lewis-Lusso attended the HWMA meeting September 11, 175 2025. 176
Mayor John Sawatzky attended the HCAOG meeting and reports that the arena 177 allotments looks like 41 new units in the next 10 years for Blue Lake. 178 Mayor Pro Tem Elise Scafani attended RCEA and reports that the Under Sheriff actually 179 reported that some of our calls for service are being answered by officers from the Blue 180 Lake Rancheria. 181
Council Member Terri Bayles attended the Parks and Recreation Commission meeting 182 and reports that they were talking about their tight budget and consolidating some of 183 the winter programs and that they have requested updates regarding the Bike Park. 184 c. City Manager Report 185
City Manager Jill Duffy reported that the pedestrian bridge got approved late this 186 afternoon and it's now usable; the project is complete. Also, with respect to Powers 187 Creek behind the town square and kind of moving down in that area, we've got folks in 188 there clearing out some of the vegetation, which started yesterday and will probably be 189 done in 3 days. 190
191

15. ADJOURNMENT: [4:23:25] Mayor John Sawatzky adjourned September 23, 2025, regular 192 meeting at 10:54 p.m. 193
194 Motion by: Mayor Pro Tem Elise Scafani
Second by: Council Member Terri Bayles 195
Motion Carried: 5/0 196
197
Laura McClenagan 198
199 Deputy Clerk, City of Blue Lake

Blue Lake City CouncilSeptember 23, 2025

Blue Lake City Council
September 23, 2025