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Resident warns city could "totally lose" water source and defends negotiator against city criticism
Summary
A public commenter raised alarm about Blue Lake's water supply and said Cal OES and FEMA may not fund tank retrofits; the speaker also defended a negotiator (Aaron/Aerin McClure), saying the city's prior statements amounted to libel and noting a $6,000 payment tied to site access.
A public commenter, Kent Sawatzky (who said he also uses the name Red Sutherland), told the Blue Lake Public Safety Commission that the city risks losing its water supply if federal retrofit funds do not arrive.
"We may may we may lose our water source. Totally lose it," Sawatzky said, urging commissioners to take the risk seriously and follow up with state and federal contacts. He framed the potential loss as the commission's "biggest safety concern in Blue Lake."
Sawatzky also defended a negotiator he named during his comments. He said he was involved in negotiations that resulted in the city paying $6,000 for site access and disputed recent criticisms of that negotiator's honesty. "If somebody says that Aaron cleared his line, they're incorrect," he said, adding that he felt the city's prior remarks had libeled him and the negotiator.
The commission did not take formal action during public comment. Commissioners and staff later continued agenda items unrelated to the water-source claim, and no staff response or formal investigation into the specific $6,000 payment or site-access terms was recorded during this meeting.
