May 4, 2002
LODI NEWS
SENTINELLockeford residents to discuss advisory
council at meeting Monday
By Ross Farrow/News-Sentinel staff writer
Lockeford will soon join Woodbridge, Linden and Morada as
communities with municipal advisory councils to advise San Joaquin
County leaders on issues affecting their community.
The council, consisting strictly of Lockeford-area residents,
will advise county officials on public health, safety, welfare,
public works and land-use planning issues.
“I’ve been interested in the future of this community since we
moved here in 1992,” said Lani Eklund, who, with her husband,
Richard, operates the Inn at Locke House, a historic bed and
breakfast inn. “The idea of a MAC is to have diverse
representation of the community, and I think it will. It is really
vital to let supervisors know the temperature of the community.”
A town-hall meeting will be held at 7 p.m. Monday in Lockeford
to discuss forming a council, commonly known as a MAC. The meeting
will be at the Mokelumne Fire Station, 13157 E. Brandt Road.
Although the Lockeford council has yet to be formed, four
residents have been appointed — Eklund, Timothy Fowler, Chris
Littlefield and Robert Marty. They were chosen by a drawing, said
Eileen Indelicato, president of the Clements-Lockeford Chamber of
Commerce.
San Joaquin County Supervisor Jack Sieglock said he likes the
idea of appointing four members of the 10-member citizens group
pursuing formation of the MAC.
“There needs to be a foundation to begin the process,” Sieglock
said.
The three remaining directors will be chosen by lot Monday.
However, those interested in serving must be present at Monday’s
meeting to be considered, Indelicato said.
The Lockeford MAC boundaries, which Sieglock established, are
Tretheway Road, Kettleman Lane and the Mokelumne River. The
eastern boundary is Tully Road between Kettleman Lane and Brandt
Road, and Disch Road between Brandt and the river.
Once the final three directors are chosen, another drawing will
be held to determine the length of each person’s term. Four of the
fledgling council members will serve two-year terms, while the
other three will have four-year terms.
Beginning in 2004, the MAC seats will be elected positions.
The method of forming the MAC changed since Lockeford residents
explored forming the council earlier this year. The previous
format was for Lockeford voters to determine at the November
election whether they want to form a municipal advisory council.
If that election was successful, voters would have also elected
the council on the same ballot. But Sieglock changed his mind and
decided to form the MAC without an election. Sieglock is scheduled
to take the MAC’s formation, along with the seven board members,
to the Board of Supervisors for a vote, probably in early June.
Establishing the MAC without a vote in November will save the
county a considerable amount of election costs, Sieglock said.
Eklund said she learned about Dean Jewett Locke, who settled in
Lockeford in 1849, when she and her husband restored the historic
Locke house on Elliott Road.
Eklund said she wants to continue Locke’s 19th-century vision
of having a community that out-of-towners would enjoy, successful
businesses, park land and open space.
Littlefield has lived in the community for 18 years.
“I truly don’t have an agenda at this point,” Littlefield said.
“We have to acknowledge that growth is coming our way. I’d like to
have a hand in the community as it changes.”
For more information on the municipal advisory council, call
the chamber office at (209) 727-3142.
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