Clearlake City Council member steps down to pursue police chief’s job Elizabeth Larson Posted On Friday, 02 February 2018 05:05







02 February 2018





CLEARLAKE, Calif. – A special Clearlake City Council meeting on Thursday night yielded a significant development when a council member resigned in order to pursue the city’s police chief job.



Russell Perdock, now nearing the end of his first term on the council and Clearlake’s mayor for the last two years, made the announcement during the 17-minute meeting.



Perdock’s surprise announcement came during a meeting in which the council approved extending a moratorium on commercial cannabis cultivation businesses west of Highway 53 and the hiring of an executive search firm to help fill the police chief’s post.



In December, Craig Clausen’s tenure as police chief officially ended after two years on medical leave. Since he left in 2015 due to a work-related injury, Clausen’s post has been filled by Lt. Tim Celli, an agency veteran.



The council in December made Celli – who has been acting chief – the interim chief until the job is filled permanently, as Lake County News has reported.



Despite ably managing the agency over the past two years, Celli told Lake County News that he doesn’t intend to apply for the permanent position.



Perdock’s last vote on the council came on the cannabis urgency ordinance, which was approved 4-0.



Before the council could take up the discussion of the police chief search, Perdock asked for a pause. He then handed out a copy of his resignation letter, accompanied by a copy of a letter from the Fair Political Practices Commission, to each council member, as well as to City Clerk Melissa Swanson, City Attorney Ryan jones, City Manager Greg Folsom and to Lake COunty News.



“I had to make a big decision that is obviously going to impact each of you and I apologize for that,” he told his fellow council members.



On the dais, seated next to council members Nick Bennett, Phil Harris and Mayor Bruno Sabatier – Councilwoman Joyce Overton was absent – Perdock then read his resignation letter, which explained his decision to step down.



“I’m not one who believes much in luck, but I do believe that preparedness and ability coupled with opportunity creates success,” he said. “Therefore, after many years of experience, training and service, along with my passion for the profession and this incredible opportunity to truly make a difference, I will apply for the position of chief of police for the city of Clearlake.”



He said that, in order to ensure the process is open and transparent, he requested an opinion from the Fair Political Practices Commission, which indicated that by resigning there would be no conflict of interest in pursuing the chief’s position.



The Jan. 4 opinion letter from the Fair Political Practices Commission noted that it was in response to a request for advice that Perdock submitted via email to the commission on Oct. 2.



The letter, written by members of the commission’s legal division, said Perdock would not be barred from applying for the job because he did not participate in any discussions concerning recruitment or the terms of conditions of employment, and would be resigning before applying for the position.



In his resignation letter, Perdock also listed some of the key achievements during his tenure, including the passage of Measure V, an updated general plan, the arrival of more national retailers, a new home for the Clear Lake Chamber of Commerce, universal garbage collection and new regulations to govern the cannabis industry.



“As my last request from this position, please continue to listen and respect each other as you have these past three plus years and keep the city moving forward to be a ‘cleaner, safer and better managed city’,” said Perdock.



After he read the statement, he embraced each of his fellow council members and then left the dais.



Because Perdock’s resignation was not an agendized item, City Attorney Ryan Jones told council members that they couldn’t have any discussion about Perdock’s comments.



Folsom then introduced the discussion about the police chief search.



On Jan. 5, just a few weeks after Clausen’s retirement, Folsom said the city issued a request for proposals to seven executive recruitment firms and also posted it on the city’s Web site.



He said four firms responded, including Ralph Anderson and Associates, the company staff recommended the council select.



The contract cost is $24,500, with up to $1,500 in change orders. Folsom said the companies who submitted proposals came in around that prices range.



He said Ralph Anderson and Associates offers a specific benefit – it has a former police chief who will manage the recruitment.



During public comment, city resident Bill Shields questioned the cost, with Folsom explaining how the company will manage the recruitment.



Retired Councilman Chuck Leonard said the contract amount will be “money well spent,” as it will be helpful for the city to have professional assistance in the recruitment process.



The council approved the contract in a 3-0 vote.



Perdock offers more insight into decision



After he left the council meeting but before he departed from City Hall, Perdock told Lake County News, “This is a very unique situation.”



He said the timing was perfect for him to give serious consideration and deliberation to taking this next step to apply for the police chief’s job, and it was a decision he and his wife have discussed extensively.



Perdock said he can serve the city better – and help create a safer city – if he’s hired as chief of police.



“This was just the right decision to make,” he said.



He said he had told Folsom of his interest in the position and that he would abstain from any decision related to the chief’s job while he was making his decision. Once the decision was made, he chose to step down from the council.



Perdock has about 25 years of full-time law enforcement experience, having worked that time at the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.



If it were not for what he believes to have been “political persecution,” he still would have been with the agency, Perdock said.



Perdock was terminated from the sheriff’s office in April 2010: http://bit.ly/2E9Ld1R .



By that time, Perdock – then a chief deputy – had been on administrative leave for 10 months, a time which coincided with the trial of a Carmichael man in connection to an April 2006 boat crash that claimed a woman’s life.



Perdock, who was off duty, was driving a speedboat on the night of April 29, 2006, in Konocti Bay near Kelseyville when his boat collided with a sailboat owned by then-Willows resident Mark Weber, who was handling the boat’s sails while Bismarck Dinius of Carmichael sat at the tiller.



During the wreck, Weber’s girlfriend, 51-year-old Lynn Thornton, was mortally wounded, dying three days later at UC Davis Medical Center.



The incident resulted in a civil suit settled between Dinius, Perdock and Weber, whose insurance companies paid settlements to Thornton’s adult son.



However, it became a cause célèbre after the District Attorney’s Office declined to charge Perdock but prosecuted Dinius instead. In August 2009 Dinius was acquitted by a jury of felony boating under the influence.



The county of Lake would not disclose the reasons of Perdock’s termination due to confidentiality rules.



District Attorney Don Anderson told Lake County News that Perdock is not on the “Brady” list of law enforcement officers his agency compiles who have credibility issues.



The FPPC response to Perdock stated that since his termination from the sheriff’s office, he has not worked in law enforcement but instead as a state-licensed insurance agent/producer.



Several years after the Dinius acquittal, Perdock won a seat on the Lake County Fire Protection District Board and in 2014 was elected to the council.



He said that being a cop is not about putting on a uniform, but rather it’s about “who you are.”



Losing his law enforcement job, “frankly, created a hole in who I am,” Perdock caid.



Perdock, who cited his extensive training and experience, and degree from California State University, Sacramento, said he wants to serve and help the public.



“I just had to step forward and make this my next step,” he said.



City officials did not say on Thursday what process would be taken to fill Perdock’s seat for the remainder of his term on the council.



After the conclusion of the meeting, Mayor Sabatier discussed with Jones the process of reassigning board and commission appointments Perdock had held.



John Jensen contributed to this report.



Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.





