1 CITY OF BLUE LAKE
CALIFORNIA
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 Action Minutes
Tuesday, August 11, 2026, ~ 5:30pm ~ Closed Session
6:30pm ~ Special Council Meeting
Skinner Store Building ~ 111 Greenwood Rd., Blue Lake ~ Behind City Hall 1 1. Call to Order: Mayor Sawatzky called the meeting to order at 5:30 p.m. 2 2. Pledge of Allegiance
3 3. Roll Call and Establish a Quorum of the Council
4 5 Councilmembers’ Present: City Clerk Green Established a Quorum 6 Present: Mayor John Sawatzky, Council Member Kat Napier, Council Member Terri Bayles, 7 Council Member Michelle Lewis-Lusso
8 Councilmembers Absent: Mayor Pro Tem Elise Scafani
9 Staff Present: City Manager Jennie Short and City Clerk Samantha Green 10 11 4. Closed Session Agenda
12 13 a. Public Comment on Closed Session agenda item(s): None received. 14 15 Motion by Councilmember Lewis-Lusso to move into Closed Session. Second by 16 Councilmember Bayles.
17 Voice vote: Motion passed unanimously.
18 19 Note: Mayor Pro Tem Scafani arrived once Council moved into Closed Session. 20 21 b. CONFERENCE WITH LEGAL COUNSEL-ANTICIPATED LITIGATION 22 Significant exposure to litigation pursuant to paragraph (2) or (3) of subdivision (d) of 23 Section 54956.9: one case. Facts and circumstances involve claims by Danco 24 Communities that the City’s election to terminate the Development and Disposition 25 Agreement after notice and opportunity to cure is not permitted under the terms of the 26 parties’ agreement.
27 28 c. CONFERENCE WITH LEGAL COUNSEL-ANTICIPATED LITIGATION 29 Initiation of litigation pursuant to paragraph (4) of subdivision (d) of Section 54956.9:
30 one case.
31 32 d. Adjourn Closed Session and Report Out: While not a reportable action under the 33 Brown Act, the Council wishes to announce that it has provided general directions to 34 staff and the ad hoc committee to engage with Danco regarding a revised project 35 proposal with the intention to bring a mutually agreeable proposal to a later public 36 meeting.
37 38 Public Comment on Closed Session Items: Kent Sawatzky and Barbara Russell. 39 2
CITY OF BLUE LAKE
CALIFORNIA
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 Action Minutes
Tuesday, August 11, 2026, ~ 5:30pm ~ Closed Session
6:30pm ~ Special Council Meeting
Skinner Store Building ~ 111 Greenwood Rd., Blue Lake ~ Behind City Hall 40 5. Call to Order: Mayor Sawatzky called the meeting to order at 6:35 p.m. 41 6. Roll Call and Establish a Quorum of the Council
42 7. Approval of the Agenda –
43 44 Motion by Mayor Pro Tem Scafani to approve the agenda. Second by Councilmember 45 Lewis-Lusso.
46 Voice Vote: Motion passed unanimously.
47 48 8. Public Comment on Non-Agenda Items: Alison Talbott, Steve Madrone, Kent 49 Sawatzky, Barbara Russell
50 51 9. Consent Agenda
52 a. July 28, 2026, Regular Meeting Action Minutes
53 b. Caretaker Cabin Restated Lease
54 c. Humboldt Transit Authority (HTA) Agreement
55 d. July Disbursements
56 57 Motion by Councilmember Bayles to approve the consent agenda. Second by 58 Councilmember Napier.
59 Voice vote: Motion passed unanimously.
60 61 ITEMS FOR COUNCIL DISCUSSION OR ACTION
62 63 10. Dell’Arte Amended Pre Festival Report
64 Dell’Arte holds a Conditional Use Permit for the annual Baduwa’t Festival, formerly known 65 as the Mad River Festival, which was approved by the Planning Commission in 2014. 66 Pursuant to Condition of Approval No. 8 of Resolution No. 9-2014, Dell’Arte submitted an 67 Amended Pre-Festival Report for 2026 documenting additional festival activities proposed 68 for September and October and requesting an extension of the festival ending date from 69 August 23 to October 31, 2026.
70 71 Public Comment: Kent Sawatzky, Lin Glen, Karen Gilkerson, Kash Boodjeh, Noah Bremer, 72 Rebecca Collins, and Artemis Pebdani.
73 74 Motion by Councilmember Lewis-Lusso to accept the amended pre festival report from 75 Dell’Arte. Second by Councilmember Napier.
76 Voice vote: Motion passed 4:1 with Councilmember Bayles abstaining. 77 78 11. Powers Creek Flood Preparedness & Maintenance Update 79 Recent winter flooding along Powers Creek has inundated Hatchery and Chartin Roads, the 80 Gymkhana, and adjacent properties. Staff are preparing for potential winter 2026 flooding 3 CITY OF BLUE LAKE
CALIFORNIA
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 Action Minutes
Tuesday, August 11, 2026, ~ 5:30pm ~ Closed Session
6:30pm ~ Special Council Meeting
Skinner Store Building ~ 111 Greenwood Rd., Blue Lake ~ Behind City Hall 81 through coordination with affected property owners, development of a flood preparedness 82 plan, and pre-positioning of sandbags. Staff are also coordinating with the Baduwa’t 83 Watershed Council and other agencies regarding permitted removal of woody vegetation 84 from the creek bed. The City Manager requested authorization of $20,000 for the 2026-27 85 fiscal year to support flood preparation, drainage ditch rehabilitation in coordination with the 86 County, and creek maintenance, with $15,500 proposed from Fund 36, Department 360, 87 and $4,500 from Fund 10, Department 320.
88 89 Public Comment: Karen Gilkerson, Kent Sawatzky, Enok Hill, Lin Glen, Barbara Russell, 90 Martha Meade, Steve Madrone, John Grondalski, Stacey Jones, and Beckie Raygoza. 91 92 Motion by Councilmember Napier to authorize $20,000 for flood preparation and creek maintenance and modify previous action taken on June 10th 93 , 2025, to receive the spoils in an 94 amount not to exceed 28,000 cubic yards for the gravels and a term not to exceed 8 years. 95 Second by Councilmember Lewis-Lusso.
96 Voice vote: Motion passed unanimously
97 98 12. Elections Update
99 The nomination period for the November 3, 2026, General Election opened on July 13, 100 2026. One of the two incumbents did not file nomination papers by the August 7 deadline, 101 resulting in an extension of the nomination period through August 12, 2026, to allow non102 incumbent candidates additional time to file. As the Elections Official, the City Clerk is 103 required to submit candidate filings to the Humboldt County Office of Elections by 5:00 p.m. 104 on August 12, 2026.
105
106 Public Comment: Kent Sawatzky, Enok Hill, and Julie Christie 107
108 No action was taken.
109
110 13. Bike & Skate Park Project Update
111 Points West completed an aerial topographic survey of the Bike & Skate Park site and 112 surrounding parcel, with maps depicting existing conditions, the approved site plan, and 113 proposed Phase 1 improvements. Staff also compiled additional project records and a 114 preliminary timeline documenting the development and construction of the pump track. The 115 Bike & Skate Park Ad Hoc Committee reviewed the remaining Phase 1 paving needs, which 116 include approximately 6,290 square feet of asphalt at an estimated cost of $12,760. Staff 117 also provided information regarding the upcoming State Parks Per Capita Round 5 grant 118 opportunity and the public outreach required as part of the application process. 119
120 Public Comment: Enok Hill, Sal Ingrilli, John Bartholomew, Kent Sawatzky, Barbara 121 Russell, John Grondalski, Rebecca Collins, Dylan Gray, and Julie Christie. 4 CITY OF BLUE LAKE
CALIFORNIA
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 Action Minutes
Tuesday, August 11, 2026, ~ 5:30pm ~ Closed Session
6:30pm ~ Special Council Meeting
Skinner Store Building ~ 111 Greenwood Rd., Blue Lake ~ Behind City Hall 122 Motion by Mayor Pro Tem Scafani to authorize $15,000 from the Brunson Family Fund 123 Donation to finish paving the Bike and Skate Park and authorize $500 from the Bike Park Fund 124 for tabling events outlined in the proposed community input session. Second by 125 Councilmember Lewis-Lusso.
126 Voice Vote: Motion passed 4:1 with Councilmember Bayles dissenting 127
128 Motion by Mayor Pro Tem Scafani to authorize SHN to conduct compaction samples and for 129 the City Engineer to move forward with engineering. Second by Councilmember Lewis130 Lusso. 131 Voice vote: Motion passed 3:2 with Councilmember Napier and Bayles Dissenting 132
133 14. Carbon Reduction Program – Electric Maintenance Fleet Vehicles 134 The City applied in May 2025 for $70,527 in Carbon Reduction Program funding through the 135 Humboldt County Association of Governments to purchase two electric maintenance 136 vehicles, with the required City match subsequently approved through the use of toll credits. 137 The project is funded through the State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) and 138 toll credits for a total of $80,000. Caltrans completed the required project approvals on July 139 29, 2026, allowing the City to proceed with obtaining an updated quote and purchasing the 140 vehicles.
141
142 Public Comment: Kent Sawatzky and Julie Christie.
143
144 Motion by Mayor Pro Tem Scafani to authorize the City Manager to execute documents 145 related to funding acceptance and processing reimbursement requests and authorize the City 146 Manager to purchase the vehicles. Second by Councilmember Lewis-Lusso. 147 Voice vote: Motion passed unanimously
148
149 15. Council Correspondence
150 a) Letter: Kent Sawatzky
151
152 16. Future Agenda Items Requested by Council
153 City Manager Evaluation
154 MOU with RCMBA
155 Housing Element Public Hearing
156 Fee Waiver Policy Expanded Framework
157 Grant for Bike and Skate Park
158
159 17. Adjourn
160 The council adjourned at 9:46 p.m.
161
162 Prepared by: Samantha, City Clerk