Minutes — Blue Lake City Council, December 2, 2025

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, December 2, 2025 ~ 6:30 p.m. ~ Special Council Meeting Skinner Store Building ~ 111 Greenwood Rd., Blue Lake ~ Behind City Hall 1 1. CALL TO ORDER, ROLL CALL - Mayor John Sawatzky called the meeting to order at 2 6:30 p.m.
3 2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE AND ESTABLISH A QUORUM OF THE COUNCIL 4 COUNCIL MEMBERS PRESENT: Mayor John Sawatzky, Mayor Pro Tem Elise Scafani, 5 Council Member Napier, Council Member Terri Bayles, Council Member Michelle Lewis6 Lusso 7 COUNCIL MEMBERS ABSENT: None
8 STAFF PRESENT: Interim City Manager Jill Duffy, City Attorney Ryan Plotz, Emily 9 Woods, Park & Recreation Department and Videographer Justin Goad 10 11 3. APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA – Motion by Council Member Scafani to approve agenda 12 as presented, Second by Council Member Bayles. Motion passed unanimously. 13 14 4. PUBLIC COMMENT ON NON-AGENDA ITEMS –
Adelene Jones – as Chair of Safety Commission: 15
i. Informed Council the Commission will move forward with purchase of 500 16 refrigerator magnets thanks to generous donation from the Juanita Club 17 and Mad River Grange in the amount of $200. 18
ii. Need for New Year’s Eve signage and banner regarding use of illegal 19 fireworks within the City for posting at the Museum. Adelene noted she 20 secured permission to post. 21
22 Council Member Scafani informed the public that a banner had been printed and 23 provided to City Hall, thanks to the generous donation by three of the Safety Commission 24 members. 25
26 27 Martie Grainer – Addressed Council regarding Housing. 28 9 Julie Christie – Noted that 1) HCAOG has taken up the RHNA and HCD 2 Requirements. Does not support the current allocation and demographic spread, asked 30 that the City prepare correspondence to HCAOG and 2) Concerned about tracking of 31 donations from the Safety Commission 32
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CITY OF BLUE LAKE

6. INTRODUCE ORDINANCE NO. 546 – Garry Rees, Planning Consultant Provided A 43 Presentation On The Housing Element Implementation Program Hi-14 (Rezoning And By 44 Right Procedures) And CEQA Mitigated Negative Declaration Overview. 45 46 OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING TO PUBLIC COMMENT. The following individuals addressed 47 Council: 48
a. Adelene Jones-Pleased and supportive of Ordinance adoption and affordable 49 housing. 50
b. Lin Glenn – importance of keeping the trail as natural and ensure adequate set 51 back from O Zone to Trail. Also referenced a conversation she had with Garry 52 Rees regarding the State Bonus Density Law. 53
c. Julie Christie – Thought some of the process was inadequate, need for General 54 Plan Update, addressed flooding of creek and setbacks, concerned that the quality 55 of life for residents in the proposed zoning area will be diminished. Would like 56 more Community conversations. 57
58 Council members asked questions of staff. Council member Bayles inquired about the 59 area hydrology and flooding, and state of the levee due to the FEMA decertification 60 status and whether development is appropriate for the area. Garry Rees noted that the 61 Flood Zone is within the 500-year Flood Map, that while the levee needs repairs, the 62 levee is considered adequate within the CEQA analysis. Further, that a comprehensive 63 stormwater and flood analyses would be part of a General Plan Update and 64 Environmental Impact Report. Moreover, Council Member Bayles is concerned about the 65 moral responsibility of flood protection, then referenced the 2011 FEMA letter that 66 noted the levees don’t meet standards, questioning whether HCD is aware of the levee 67 vulnerabilities. Garry acknowledged that these issues were raised in 2017, and that the 68 City has not received instruction not to proceed with development. Garry will follow up 69 on her queries and attempt to provide a response from either FEMA, Dept. of Water 70 Resources, County or U.S. Corp of Engineers at the December 23, 2025 meeting when the 71 second ordinance reading will be conducted. 72

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, December 2, 2025 ~ 6:30 p.m. ~ Special Council Meeting Skinner Store Building ~ 111 Greenwood Rd., Blue Lake ~ Behind City Hall 73 Councilmember Napier asked Councilmember Bayles if her concerns would be reduced if 74 staff inquired with FEMA for clarification about levee protection for the areas within the 75 500 year flood plain. She then inquired about the ability to set landscaping requirements 76 to address Lin Glenn’s concerns. Garry Rees responded that because the parcel in 77 question is City-owned, that the City should include the requirement as part of future 78 lease criteria. 79
80 Councilmember Lewis-Lusso inquired about alternative sites. 81 82 Councilmember Scafani referred to the levee issues identified by Councilmember Bayles. 83 84 Garry Rees reminded Council that development would occur with a willing developer – 85 the zoning designation by itself does not guarantee development. That developers will 86 assess the risks of flooding. 87
88 Mayor Sawatzky inquired about State Bonus Density Law, as did Council Member Bayles. 89 Garry Rees responded that there are tables provided by the State of California which 90 outline the criteria. 91
92 Councilmember Napier inquired about the industrial parcel, the chip pile and plans to 93 demolish. 94
95 Motion by Council Member Napier, Second by Councilmember Scafani to conduct the 96 first reading of Ordinance 546, an Ordinance of the City Council of Blue Lake Adopting 97 Amendments to Title 17, Zoning Regulations of the Blue Lake Municipal Code, By Adding 98 Section 17.20.070, Multi-Family Or MF Combining Zone, and Amending the Zoning Map to 99 Apply The Multi-Family Combining Zone to a 1-Acre Portion of Assessor’s Parcel Number 100 025-201-023 and Adopting a Mitigate Negative Declaration; Waive Reading of the Text 101 and Consent to Read by Title Only. 102
103 Roll Call Vote: Ayes – Napier, Lewis-Lusso, Sawatzky, Scafani 104 Noes-Bayles
Motion Passes: 4:1 No abstentions 105
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107

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, December 2, 2025 ~ 6:30 p.m. ~ Special Council Meeting Skinner Store Building ~ 111 Greenwood Rd., Blue Lake ~ Behind City Hall 108
109
110 ITEMS FOR COUNCIL DISCUSSION OR ACTION
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112 7. CONSIDER INTRODUCTION AND CONDUCTING FIRST READING OF ORDINANCE NO. 549, AN ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 13.12 REGULATING CROSS CONNECTIONS. This 113 ordinance was originally introduced at the June 10, 2025 Special Council meeting 114 however there was a lack of an assigned ordinance number. The Ordinance was re-115 introduced for a first reading by title only. 116
Public Comment: Julie Christie 117
Motion by Council Member Scafani to introduce and conduct the first reading by title 118 119 only of Ordinance 549 to amend Chapter 13.12 of the City’s Municipal Code, Second by 120 Council Member Lewis-Lusso.
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122 Roll Call Vote: Ayes – Napier, Lewis-Lusso, Sawatzky, Scafani and Bayles Motion Passes: 5:0 123
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125 At 8:10 pm the Council took a 5-minute break and returned to session at 8:15 pm 126
127 8. APPROVE MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING WITH CA HOUSING COMMUNITY 128 DEVELOPMENT.
129 The purpose of the Memorandum of Understanding between the City of Blue Lake and the 130 California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) is to establish a 131 mutually accepted timeline and framework to allow the City to come into compliance with 132 State Housing Element Law for both the Sixth and Seventh planning cycles. Entering into 133 this MOU avoids referral to the State Attorney General and the imposition of statutory fines 134 or penalties for the City’s longstanding noncompliance. The MOU serves as a structured 135 path for the City to complete the rezoning and other actions necessary for HCD to determine 136 that the Housing Element is in substantial compliance with state law. 137
138 Public Comment: Julie Christie supports Council approving the MOU. 139
140 Motion by Councilmember Lewis-Lusso to approve Resolution 1244 Authorizing the City 141 Manager to Execute the Memorandum of Understanding with the California Department of 142 Housing and Community Development. Second by Council Member Scafani. 143 Voice Vote: Unanimous support to approve the motion 144

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, December 2, 2025 ~ 6:30 p.m. ~ Special Council Meeting Skinner Store Building ~ 111 Greenwood Rd., Blue Lake ~ Behind City Hall 145 9. COUNCIL CORRESPONDENCE – Distributed Kent Sawatzky’s email received Friday, 146 November 28.
147 10.REPORTS OF COUNCIL AND STAFF
8 a. Ad hoc Committee Reports – Council members outlined the following ad hoc 14 committees being 1) Napier and Bayles on the Budget Ad hoc Committee, 2) 149 Napier and Scafani on the City Manager Recruitment Ad hoc Committee, 3) Napier 150 and Sawatzky on the (insert), 4) Lewis-Lusso and Napier on the City Clerk Ad hoc 151 Committee, and 5) Scafani is on the Transparency Ad hoc Committee with the 152 objective of posting items to social media. 153
154 b. Commission Updates
i. Safety Commission: Request for speed bump considerations. The City 155 Engineer is expected to attend the January meeting to address this topic 156 and process. The I Street Survey’s were distributed and should be returned 157 to City Hall. That Neighborhood POD meetings were being held and noted 158 a request to ask Blue Lake Fire Dept. to provide updates to the Commission. 159 c. City Manager Report – 1) Interim City Manager Duffy informed Council that due 160 to having less than 200 hours of remaining time, she will reduce her work week to 161 about 20 hours per week pending either the hiring of a permanent City Manager 162 or Acting City Manager; and 2) She will add “Future Agenda Items” to the agenda 163 template. 164
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166 11. CLOSED SESSION:
167 a. PUBLIC COMMENT on closed session agenda items: None received. 168 Council adjourned at 8:40 p.m. to discuss the following:
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170 b. CONFERENCE WITH LEGAL COUNSEL, Significant Exposure to Litigation. One 171 Case (Government Code § 54956.9(b)(3)(A).
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173 c. CONFERENCE WITH REAL PROPERTY NEGOTIATORS
174 Property: Portions of APN Nos. 312-131-037-000, 312-131-045-000, 312-131- 175 046-000, and 312-190-010-000, in the unincorporated area of the County of 176 Humboldt, State of California
177 Agency Negotiator: Jill Duffy, Interim City Manager; Ryan Plotz (attorney for City) 178 Negotiating parties: Erin McClure, Trustee
179 Under negotiation: Price and terms
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CITY OF BLUE LAKE

Blue Lake City CouncilDecember 2, 2025

Blue Lake City Council
December 2, 2025