The City Council of Big Bear Lake added a last-minute item to their agenda last night, as Mayor Rick Herrick asked that a resolution of appreciation and condolence be drafted in honor of Sergeant Daniel Sakai, son of Tom and Mikki Sakai, who was killed in the line of duty while serving on Oakland’s SWAT team on Saturday. Fellow councilmembers unanimously supported the resolution and, in addition, adjourned the Council meeting in memory of Big Bear High School graduate Sakai. City Council was also unanimous in other decisions at their meeting of March 23—that said, city staff will now advertise for bids to install a sidewalk on the eastern-most side of Red Ant Hill; the Green Sustainability Doctrine (as proposed by the Green Sustainability Efforts Committee) was adopted; the City will purchase up to $115,000 in updated building permit software; and city staff has been directed to pursue a California Department of Boating and Waterways grant to fund completion of phase 2 improvements at Boulder Bay Park, including a boat launching facility and fishing dock. Mayor Herrick reiterated that new landscaping in Boulder Bay should not obstruct the signature view, which City Engineer David Lawrence assured would be the case—both the view corridor along Highway 18 and views of neighbors would not be impeded by new landscaping features or trees. The one item on the Consent Calendar that did garner a dissenting vote was the newsrack ordinance, which was discussed at length at Council’s March 9 meeting. Councilmember Darrell Mulvihill said that, given these economic times, he was not pleased with the ordinance, which would require that all newsracks within the city be of a uniform design and color, among other factors. Questioning the choice of bronze as the one allowable color, Mulvihill said, “Bronze? Has anyone ever really looked at bronze after a good summer?” Councilmember Liz Harris answered his question with, “We’ve made the modifications that I think are appropriate.” It was Mulvhill who did not vote in favor of the newsrack ordinance; compliance to the new regulations will be required within 180 days on public land, within three years on private property.
