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.gov
Blue Lake City Council Minutes
Wednesday, November 19 ~ 6:30 p.m. ~Special Council Meeting Prasch Hall, 312 S. Railroad Avenue, Blue Lake
1 Due to technological difficulties related to audio, visual and Zoom interruptions, 2 the minutes are presented in “Action Minute” form.
3 4 CALL TO ORDER: Mayor John Sawatzky called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m. 5 6 PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE:
7 8 02. ESTABLISH A QUORUM OF THE COUNCIL:
9 COUNCILMEMBERS PRESENT: Mayor John Sawatzky, Mayor Pro Tem Elise Scafani, 10 Council Member Kat Napier, Council Member Terri Bayles, Council Member Michelle Lewis11 Lusso 12 COUNCILMEMBERS ABSENT: None
13 STAFF PRESENT: Jill Duffy - Interim City Manager/Acting City Clerk, Emily Wood- Park & 14 Recreation Director, Ryan Plotz- General Council and Videographer Justin Goad 15 16 03. AGENDA APPROVAL:
17 Motion: to approve the agenda
18 Motion by: Council Member Scafani
19 Second by: Council Member Bayles
20 Motion carried: 5/0.
21 Aye: Mayor John Sawatzky, Mayor Pro Tem Elise Scafani, Council Member Kat Napier, 22 Council Member Terri Bayles, Council Member Michelle Lewis-Lusso 23 Nay: None
24 25 Public Comment Received: None
26 27 04. PUBLIC COMMENT ON NON-AGENDA ITEMS: Jill Duffy announced that the City of Blue 28 Lake received three awards from the California Water Environment Association (CWEA) - North Coast Section at their awards banquet held November 14th 29 , 2025 for 1) Wastewater Treatment 30 Plant of the Year, 2) Collection System of the Year and 3) Supervisor of the Year – Glenn 31 Bernald.
32 33 Julie Christie and Lin Glen addressed Council, however there was audio interference. 34 35 05. CONSENT AGENDA:
36 c. Monthly Disbursement for Period of October 1-October 31, 2025 37 Motion: to approve Consent Agenda.
38 Motion by: Council Member Lewis-Lusso
39 Second by: Council Member Bayles
40 Motion carried: 5/0.
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.gov
Blue Lake City Council Minutes
Wednesday, November 19 ~ 6:30 p.m. ~Special Council Meeting Prasch Hall, 312 S. Railroad Avenue, Blue Lake
41 Aye: Mayor John Sawatzky, Mayor Pro Tem Elise Scafani, Council Member Kat Napier, 42 Council Member Terri Bayles, Council Member Michelle Lewis-Lusso 43 Nay: None
44 Public Comment Received: None
45 46 06. A PUBLIC HEARING: APPLICATION #025-067-011/2025 COMFORT VARIANCE 47 APPLICATION. The project consists of a Variance application for a reduced side yard setback 48 on a parcel located on the corner of Wahl and C Streets. The applicants are proposing to 49 construct a 24’ x 24’ (576 sq. ft.) garage on the northeast corner of the parcel, with the entrance 50 facing toward C Street.
51 52 Lorraine Comfort addressed Council, with Jimmy Gonsalves, Adeline Jones and Julie Christi 53 speaking in support of the project.
54 55 Council members requested clarification regarding easement conveyance of the abandoned 56 alley, and referral feed back from the City’s Building Official and Blue Lake Volunteer Fire 57 Department to be presented at a future meeting.
58 Motion by: Request Additional Information and Continue Item by the December 23 59 rd City 60 Council meeting for consideration by Mayor Pro Tem Scafani. 61 Second by: Council Member Lewis-Lusso
62 Motion carried: 5/0.
63 Aye: Mayor John Sawatzky, Mayor Pro Tem Elise Scafani, Council Member Kat Napier, 64 Council Member Terri Bayles, Council Member Michelle Lewis-Lusso 65 Nay: None
66 67 07. APPROVAL OF RESOLUTION 1246 FOR SUBMITTAL OF COMMUNITY 68 DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT FUNDING TO SUPPORT HOUSING ELEMENT SEVENTH 69 CYCLE
70 Staff introduced the item, with a recommendation to continue this item to a future date due to 71 timeline revisions by the California Dept. of Housing and Development following agenda 72 preparation that extends submittal timeline of applications from December 1, 2025 until 73 February 1, 2026. This will allow staff time to develop more comprehensive submittal of 74 information and proposed project funding requests.
75 Public Comment Received: Adelene Jones,
76 77 No action necessary.
78 79 08. APPROVAL OF EMPLOYEE HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE THROUGH REDWOOD 80 EMPIRE MUNICIPAL INSURANCE FUND (REMIF)
81 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.gov
Blue Lake City Council Minutes
Wednesday, November 19 ~ 6:30 p.m. ~Special Council Meeting Prasch Hall, 312 S. Railroad Avenue, Blue Lake
82 Motion: to approve the selection of Redwood Empire Municipal Insurance Fund as the City’s 83 health insurance provider for the upcoming plan year (January 1, 2026) and authorize the City 84 Manager to execute the REMIF Participation Agreement. 85 Motion by: Council Member Lewis-Lusso
86 Second by: Council Member Napier
87 Motion carried: 5/0.
88 Aye: Mayor John Sawatzky, Mayor Pro Tem Elise Scafani, Council Member Kat Napier, 89 Council Member Michelle Lewis-Lusso, Council Member Terri Bayles 90 Nay: None
91 92 Public Comment Received: Jennie Short and Julie Christie 93 94 09. INTRODUCE THE REVISED DRAFT FY 2025-26 BUDGET AND PRESENTATION 95 96 Due to technical problems, this item is considered to the regular Council meeting to be held Tuesday, November 23rd 97 . Council requested that the video prepared for the 98 presentation be made available in advance of the meeting; video will be uploaded on the 99 City’s website along with the agenda notice and meeting packet. 100
101 No Action Necessary.
102
103 Public Comment Received: None
104
105 10. APPROVAL OF MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING WITH REDWOOD 106 COAST MOUNTAIN BIKE ASSOCIATION
107
108 Motion by: Approve Memorandum of Understanding with Redwood Coast Mountain 109 Bike Association and Resolution 1247 “Approving a MOU with the Redwood Coast 110 Mountain Bike Association for Development, Maintenance and Monitoring of the Blue 111 Lake Bike Park” made by Mayor Pro Tem Scafani
112 Second by: Council Member Napier
113 Motion carried: 5/0.
114 Aye: Mayor John Sawatzky, Mayor Pro Tem Elise Scafani, Council Member Kat Napier, 115 Council Member Michelle Lewis-Lusso, Council Member Terri Bayles 116 Nay: None
117
118 Public Comment Received: Public members addressing Council included Sean 119 Tetrault, Sean Robinson, John Barthlomew, Ron Perry, Tim Daniels, Naomi Bayles and 120 Jennie Short
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.gov
Blue Lake City Council Minutes
Wednesday, November 19 ~ 6:30 p.m. ~Special Council Meeting Prasch Hall, 312 S. Railroad Avenue, Blue Lake
121
122
123 11 COUNCIL CORRESPONDENCE: None Received
124
125 12. REPORTS OF COUNCIL AND STAFF: Continue to Regular Meeting of November 126 23, 2025
127 a. Ad hoc Committee Reports:
128 b. Commission Updates:
129 c. City Manager Report:
130
131 13. CLOSED SESSION
132 A. PUBLIC COMMENT ON CLOSED SESSION: NONE
133 B. CONFERENCE WITH REAL PROPERTY NEGOTIATORS AT 9:27 PM 134 Property: Portions of APN Nos. 312-131-037-000, 312-131-045-000, 312- 135 131-046-000, and 312-190-010-000, in the unincorporated area of the 136 County of Humboldt, State of California.
137 Agency Negotiator: Jill Duffy, Interim City Manager; Ryan Plotz, City 138 Attorney
139 Negotiating parties: Erin McClure, Trustee
140 Under negotiation: Price and terms of payment.
141
142 Report out of Closed Session at 10:07 PM. No final action taken. 143
144 14 ADJOURNMENT at 10:10 PM
145
146 Jill K Duffy
147 Acting City Clerk, City of Blue Lake