Dozens of constituents cornered Assemblyman Chris Rogers in what would have been an otherwise cozy nook of the Familia Cafe last week.
They were packed so tightly that even gaining entry to the building proved to be a challenge, let alone getting close enough to hear the assemblyman’s responses to the crowd’s questions. Fortunately, Field Rep. Heidi McHugh asked the crowd to give others a chance to come forward, rescuing those who could hear little more than the murmuring crowd and bustle of a working cafe.
Rogers, former councilmember, and, for a time, the mayor of Santa Rosa, was elected to the California State Assembly’s 2nd district last year. His district covers Del Norte, Humboldt, Mendocino, Sonoma, and Trinity counties.
Jay Trost and Patrick Hollinger once again deferred to Brad Alcorn when it came to selecting his replacement on the Curry County Board of Commissioners.
Alcorn abstained from voting, but his colleagues appointed his pick — Gold Beach resident Lynn Coker — to the Board after agreeing with Alcorn that the commissioner position is, for now anyway, a full-time job.
“When you look at the totality of all of the people who have applied, the candidate that rises to the top is clearly Lynn Coker,” Alcorn said Wednesday, “and I would be very comfortable knowing that he stepped into my role and took my place.”
Del Norte County supervisors gave Crescent City the financial boost it needs to proceed with a project to underground most of the utility lines at its southern gateway.
Four members of the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday authorized the transfer of $2.4 million in Rule20 work credits the county has with Pacific Power to the city before they expire in about six weeks.
“Improvements to the city are improvements to the county,” District 2 Supervisor Valerie Starkey told City Manager Eric Wier, who went before the Board with City Attorney Martha Rice to provide a brief overview of the city’s plans for using those work credits. “We don’t have a current project earmarked for this and so I’m very much for this and hope that you meet the deadline.”
Thumbnail: Del Norte County supervisors Valerie Starkey and Dean Wilson join the former Crescent City Council at a groundbreaking ceremony of the new Battery Point Apartments in September 2024. | Photo by Jessica Cejnar Andrews
Among the items discussed at Monday’s Crescent City Council meeting:
Opposition to Housing Bill: Though nearly 300 new housing units are being constructed in Crescent City, the City Council opposed a bill the League of California Cities says streamlines development at the expense of local environmental and public review.
Assembly Bill 647 would allow for up to eight housing units — only one of which would be set aside for affordable housing — on lots housing single-family homes, City Manager Eric Wier said, citing the nonprofit organization that advocates for local municipalities.
Introduced by Los Angeles-area assemblyman Mark Gonzalez in February, the legislation would supersede “a lot of our planning ordinances,” Wier said, and would allow those housing units to be developed without review by the Planning Commission or the City Council.
The AI Task Force Steering Committee came back to the Del Norte Unified School District Board of Trustees with a draft policy on the acceptable use of Artificial Intelligence, or AI, April 10.
The policy is meant to outline the acceptable uses of AI within schools, with goals to foster safe and ethical use, enhance learning and teaching, and develop digital literacy. It also outlines guidelines for use by teachers, staff, and students. The criteria needed to vet AI tools, frequently asked questions, and the consequences for violating the policy are also included.
Brookings Mayor Isaac Hodges declined his appointment as Brad Alcorn’s replacement on the Curry County Board of Commissioners, the county announced Friday.
In a letter to the Board of Commissioners — and provided to Redwood Voice Community News by Brookings City Council President Andy Martin — Hodges said he would be unable to fulfill the responsibilities of county commissioner “due to my personal and professional obligations.”
“I believe it is in the best interest of the county to respectfully decline the appointment,” Hodges wrote. “I sincerely apologize for the additional work and time this decision has caused.”
On Friday, Martin said praised the work his colleague and the entire City Council has done to foster transparency and openness in the City of Brookings. There have been few closed executive sessions since the community’s new city manager, Tim Rundel, was hired, Martin said, and more city businesses and workshops have been open to the public.
“Isaac brings institutional knowledge about Brookings to the Council and a common sense approach to local governance,” Martin said. “We will continue to be fortunate to have him as our mayor.”
The new deadline to apply for the county commissioner position is 5 p.m. Tuesday. Those who had submitted applications previously will be considered for the post and don’t need to submit a new position.
The Board will conduct interviews and make a decision at a special meeting at 1 p.m. Wednesday.
Those who are interested in applying for the position can visit the county’s website or visit the Board of Commissioners Office in person at 94235 Moore Street in Gold Beach.
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Brad Alcorn essentially chose his predecessor on Tuesday, though he didn’t vote.
Praising the way he approached a shoplifting incident involving the now-former city manager that eventually led to City Council recalls about a year and a half ago, Alcorn recommended Brookings Mayor Isaac Hodges to take on the role of Curry County commissioner.
Before making his recommendation, however, Alcorn said he doesn’t have a personal relationship with Hodges, though they have interacted with each other in their capacity as elected officials. Alcorn said Hodges also reached out to him after he submitted his application for the commissioner seat.
“It was very in depth and it was very detailed and the questions Isaac was asking me were pretty deep questions about our issues,” Alcorn said of their conversation. “I could sense in our conversation your desire to move things forward and continue to progress [on] the positive things we’ve been able to impact here. And, man, did you do your homework and research, and I applaud you for that
With one of its members citing the broken windows theory, the Brookings City Council on Monday approved an ordinance that would charge vacant property owners a $25 annual fee and require them to fill out a registration form.
The decision wasn’t unanimous. Council President Andy Martin said he felt the city should invest in economic development and make decisions that would attract businesses to Brookings. Requiring the owners of vacant properties to pay an annual fee and register with the city was government overreach, he said.
“I think government should get involved as little as possible in telling people what they can and can’t do with their property,” he said.
Del Norte County will offer a sneak peak at its comprehensive emergency shelter and micro village project at a town hall meeting from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Veterans Memorial Hall in Crescent city. | Image courtesy of Del Norte County
Del Norters will be able to get a sneak peak at the county’s emergency shelter and micro village project on Tuesday.
Designed to provide a comprehensive pathway out of homelessness, the 60-bed emergency shelter and 50-unit micro village is being spearheaded by the Del Norte County Department of Health and Human Services and Del Norte Mission Possible.
Both facilities, along with restrooms and a commercial kitchen, will be housed on county-owned property on Williams Drive and is being paid for through $10 million in state Encampment Resolution Funding grant dollars.
Chris Williams unveiled a future Crescent City Harbor he says will draw people in and provide economic benefit for everyone in the area.
Williams, planning director for Irvine-based TCA Architects, imagined a tree-lined Starfish Way as the port’s main thoroughfare featuring breweries, wine tasting and places to rent kayaks or charter whale watching tours. There were grand entrances, plazas with restaurants and retailers, a concert venue at Whaler Island and bungalows for rent near two expanded RV parks.
But frequent public commenter Sandy Moreno pointed out that the Crescent Harbor Vision Plan that Williams presented to the Board of Commissioners on Wednesday was the latest in a series of attempts to develop the harbor over the past two decades.
“We are a population of 7,000 people,” Moreno said. “And I don’t know what our poverty level is, but I think there are some very wealthy places in our area, but there are a lot of poor places in our area. We are reliant on tourism and, because nine months out of the year we don’t have tourism, I wonder how feasible this plan is really.”
Mike Rademaker will continue as Crescent City’s harbormaster for at least another three months.
Four members of the Harbor District Board of Commissioners approved a three-month contract with Rademaker. Vice Chair Annie Nehmer dissented, later telling Redwood Voice Community News that the agreement included a raise despite commissioners’ not being fully aware of the port’s current financial situation.
“It is my concern with everything,” she said. “We haven’t been presented with financials in over a month. And when presented with financials, we haven’t been presented with a semi-annual budget.”
