Blue Lake approves draft corrective action plan for bike and skate park, orders vendor review and surveys

The Blue Lake City Council on Feb. 10 approved a draft corrective action plan for the Blue Lake Bike & Skate Park and directed staff to carry out a multi‑step review of the site, outstanding invoices and next steps toward an insurable, code‑compliant facility.

City Manager Jenny Short told the council the plan is intended to move the project forward, not to rehash prior events: "The purpose of this is not to rehash all the events that got us here. I really am focusing on okay, here we are, how are we gonna move forward?" Short outlined stepwise actions: reconcile claims from three vendors (Wildland Operators, Living Lawn Care and GLJ Construction), collect construction and material test records, commission a full topographical as‑built survey, overlay as‑built work against the planning commission‑approved plans, and seek stamped engineering or architectural plans required by the city’s insurer to make the facility insurable.

Short told the council that thousands of cubic yards of material have been placed on site and that staff must determine what materials and compaction testing exist before certifying the work. She said staff would track the time expended in Fund 45 and that any future city expenditures would follow standard budget and grant requirements. Members of the public and council raised questions about drainage, liability and whether some work encroaches on adjacent property; staff said those questions are part of the planned analysis.

Councilmember Louis Lusso moved to approve the corrective action plan; Councilmember Napier seconded the motion, and the council approved it by voice vote. Staff will return with a report that includes cost estimates, permit requirements, potential phasing, and whether parts of the facility can be opened during phased construction.