Category Archives: Local Government

Articles, Community News, Local Government

Del Norte County Board of Supervisors Roundup, April 8, 2025

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Thumbnail photo by Paul Critz

Among the items discussed at Tuesday’s Del Norte County Board of Supervisors meeting:

Salary Issues: Norma Williams, president of the Del Norte County Employees Association, took issue with proposals to hire Department of Health and Human Services employees at a more advanced step in the salary schedule.

The proposals to hire two medical records clerks and a behavioral health specialist at Step C rather than Step A appeared on the consent agenda. Supervisors approved them without discussion.

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Articles, Community News, Curry, Law, Local Government

Curry Commissioners Cite 2007 Oregon Appeals Court Ruling When Discussing Dispute With Sheriff

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Though the outcome of a declaratory judgment against the sheriff is still pending, Curry County’s newest commissioner told his colleagues of a 2007 Oregon Appeals Court ruling that may apply to the current situation.

Referring to an ongoing dispute between the Board of Commissioners and Sheriff John Ward, Commissioner Patrick Hollinger said he and Director of Operations Ted Fitzgerald received information about Daniel v. The Board of County Commissioners for Josephine County.

“A lot of the back and forth, or the lack of back and forth, between the commissioners and the sheriff is [about] who has authority over what and why,” Hollinger told his colleagues Wednesday. “And as we all know, we have a declaratory judgment that we’re still waiting to have happen, but this covers a couple of those items within our declaratory judgment. And that would be positions within the sheriff’s department and who picks and chooses those positions and how those positions are funded.”

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Articles, Community News, Curry, Local Government

Curry County Commissioner Brad Alcorn Announces Resignation Effective May 1

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Thumbnail photo: Brad Alcorn.

Curry County Commissioner Brad Alcorn announced his resignation on Wednesday, telling his colleagues that he had “personal things” he needed to focus on requiring him to be gone for extended periods of time.

“I know that not being present here every day would certainly not be fair to the people of this county, but it also would not be fair to either of you,” he told commissioners Jay Trost and Patrick Hollinger at the end of the Board’s regular business meeting. “You guys show up every day. You work hard trying to solve this county’s problems, and you need someone, a third person, that’s going to be doing the same.”

Alcorn said his resignation will be effective May 1 and the Board’s April 15 meeting will be the last time he serves as its chair.

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Articles, Community News, Education, Infrastructure, Local Government

School Board Signs Onto SitelogIQ Proposal After DNUSD Admin Says Potential $65k Fee Won’t Impact Staff

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Despite hearing from two skeptics who balked at the possibility that Del Norte Unified School District would be on the hook for $65,000, trustees endorsed a proposal from SitelogIQ to conduct energy audits of DNUSD campuses.

Del Norte Teachers Association President Amber Tiedeken-Cron was one of those skeptics. On Thursday, she pointed to the names of teachers that had been posted on the wall at the district office, asking trustees to keep them in mind when they think about spending money.

“We had put the names of every one of the teachers that received pink slips on the board,” she told Redwood Voice Community News on Friday, “and asked that the School Board keep our students and the names of the staff who have been given preliminary layoff notices at the forefront of every decision they make.”

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Articles, CC Harbor, Community News, Law, Local Government

Though He’ll Enforce State Law, Sheriff Advises Harbor District To Hold Off On Administrative Fines For Illegal Fireworks This Year

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Thumbnail: Illegal fireworks on South Beach rivaled professional display Crescent City put on near the North Jetty in this July 4, 2018 photo | Photo by Jessica Cejnar Andrews

Crescent City Harbor commissioners on Wednesday broke off pursuit of an agreement with the county enabling them to levy fines aimed at curtailing illegal fireworks within their jurisdiction, taking advice from their harbormaster and, through him, the Del Norte County Sheriff.

Sheriff Garrett Scott said his deputies and officers from other agencies will still enforce state law prohibiting fireworks that explode, go into the air and move erratically on the ground this Independence Day. This includes citing and arresting anyone selling, displaying or possessing illegal fireworks in violation of the California Penal Code as well as confiscating dangerous fireworks.

He said he also wanted to see how his office handles enforcing Del Norte County’s new fireworks ordinance, which was established in October and also includes a fee structure.

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Articles, Community News, Infrastructure, Local Government

Del Norte CAO Says Federal or State Loans May Be An Option To Finish Jail, Pyke Field Rehab Projects

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Thumbnail photo: Despite receiving about $3 million for much-needed improvements to the jail, Del Norte County Administrative Officer Neal Lopez says additional funding is needed. | Photo courtesy of the Del Norte County Sheriff’s Office

Del Norte County officials are looking to state and federal loan programs to complete needed upgrades to the jail and to the Pyke Field Sports Complex despite receiving roughly $3.5 million in Congressionally Designated Spending funds last year.

During a presentation on capital improvement projects that are either finished or ongoing, County Administrative Officer Neal Lopez said staff is working on applications for a U.S. Department of Agriculture loan and a potential loan through the California Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank, or Ibank.

Staff have also decided that tackling the Pyke Field rehabilitation project in phases would be the best path forward, he said.

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Articles, Community News, Local Government

Del Norte County Board of Supervisors Roundup, March 25, 2025

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Thumbnail photo by Paul Critz

District 2 Supervisor Valerie Starkey was absent. Among the items discussed at Tuesday’s Del Norte County Board of Supervisors meeting:

Emergency shelter: Supervisors approved a budget transfer of nearly $2.9 million to build the 60-bed emergency shelter that’s part of a larger project to address homelessness in Del Norte County.

The funding, which comes from a $10 million Encampment Resolution Funding grant Del Norte received in 2023, will allow Adams Commercial General Contracting Inc. to start building the shelter. The 6,700 square-foot emergency shelter and a 50-unit micro village, along with restroom and commercial kitchen structures will be housed on county property on Williams Drive. This joint venture, which includes wraparound services and case management, is being spearheaded by the county Department of Health and Human Services and Del Norte Mission Possible. Individuals could begin occupying the emergency shelter and the micro village by September, according to DHHS Director Ranell Brown.

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Articles, Community News, Infrastructure, Local Government

County Engineer Presents List Of Repairs Planned For Del Norte’s Unmaintained Roads, Proposes Long-Term Options For Residents

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Thumbnail: Rock delivery and minor grading on Childs Avenue is among a list of planned repairs to unmaintained county roads for the upcoming fiscal year. | Photo courtesy of Del Norte County

Four Del Norte County supervisors on Tuesday agreed to finance repairs to public roads the county doesn’t maintain for a second year. They also supported a proposal to use that allocation as an incentive to get residents to take on that responsibility themselves.

That policy pitch came from County Engineer Jon Olson. He acknowledged that residents weren’t receptive to a proposed benefit assessment to pay for those repairs about 15 years ago, but, he said, an up-front investment might get them to change their minds.

“This Board is spending $50,000,” Olson said. “That could be the leverage or the carrot that we need to get people to take responsibility long term for the roads that they’re responsible to maintain instead of just spending out $50,000 each year.”

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Articles, Community News, Infrastructure, Local Government

City Starts Process To Underground Utility Lines Ahead of Gateway Project

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Crescent City hopes to use the last leg of Front Street’s reconstruction along with a gateway project as an opportunity to underground electrical distribution lines between K and M streets, but it’s under a tight deadline.

Councilors have until June 8 to update the municipal code chapter governing the creation of underground utility districts. They must hear from the public, adopt a resolution creating the underground utility district, coordinate with Del Norte County on the transfer of work credits Pacific Power can use to underground the existing power lines and negotiate an agreement with Pacific Power.

“It’s that last action which commits the funds,” City Attorney Martha Rice told councilors on Monday.

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Articles, Community News, Law, Local Government

A Look at the 2025 LEADN Award Ceremony

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Thumbnail photo courtesy of Redwood Voice Reporter Ethan Caudill-DeRego.

Friends, family, and other community members came together on March 13th to honor local law enforcement at the Cultural Center on Front Street. The award ceremony kicked off with the Pelican Bay Honor Guard bringing out the flags of the United States, State of California, and Yurok Tribe. Former Crescent City Mayor Blake Inscore followed up the pledge and anthem with a religious invocation.

Awards recipients included staff of the Del Norte County Sheriff’s Office, California Highway Patrol, Crescent City Hall, Del Norte County Probation Department, Redwood National & State Parks, Pelican Bay State Prison, California Department Of Fish & Wildlife, Yurok Tribal Police, and the Del Norte County District Attorney.

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