Thumbnail photo of the Fred Endert Municipal Pool by Andrew Goff
Among the items discussed at Monday’s Crescent City Council meeting:
City Attorney employment agreement: City councilors unanimously approved a five-year extension to an employment agreement they have with City Attorney Martha Rice.
Rice became the city’s full-time lawyer in January 2022 though she had already worked for the city as a contract deputy attorney and attorney since 2009, according to City Manager Eric Wier. Calling the decision to authorize an in-house attorney a game changer for staff, Wier praised the work Rice has been doing as well as her innate knowledge of the community as a Del Norte County native.
According to Wier, the new agreement will be extended through January 2032. Rice’s continued employment also comes with a step increase in the salary schedule from Step 5 to Step 6, according to a staff report from Human Resources Manager Sara Barbour.
Police Chief Richard Griffin also praised Rice’s work for the city, saying that she has been nothing but above board in character and morals.
“One thing that’s extremely overlooked — I know you know about it and Mr. Wier knows about it — it’s one person doing that job,” Griffin told councilors of the city attorney position. “It should probably be three or four.”
Pool Will Get New Lane Lines: The Fred Endert Municipal Pool will get new competitive-grade lane lines thanks to a $6,913.77 grant from the Crescent City Swim Club. The Swim Club’s donation to the city comes from a $5,000 grant from the Wild Rivers Community Foundation as well as through their own fundraising efforts, according to Kelly Feola, Crescent City’s recreation and events coordinator.
Storr, a storyteller, historian and genealogist who was born and raised in Del Norte County, said she was happy that the City Council recognized the area’s original residents.
Crescent City will also contribute $3,750 in Measure S dollars, she said.
“We were able to purchase six brand new competitive lane lines — five for the pool and one extra in case one breaks,” Feola said. “And with that comes along some tensioning equipment and a new reel to hold the lane lines.”
According to Feola’s staff report, the lane lines, EZ-tensioners and reel are coming from Lincoln Aquatics SCP and cost a total of $10,663.77.
The swim club will begin holding regional meets at the Fred Endert Municipal Pool once its new scoreboard is installed early next month, Feola said. The pool will also use the lane lines for regular lap swims, she states in her staff report.
Indigenous People’s Day: Tolowa Nation representative Charlene Storr and Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation Executive Director Troy Ralston accepted a proclamation from the City Council commemorating Oct. 12 as Indigenous People’s Day.
“I am so happy that this is being recognized — that we are from this land and have been from this land or are descendants of thousands and thousands of years,” she said. “And I love this land and appreciate everything we have growing here and try to do my best to take care of what I can and I hope everyone else does too.”
Storr and members of the Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation have worked with Crescent City to create the Tolowa Interpretive Trail. Noting that the Tolowa Interpretive Trail has been an ongoing project for about five years, Ralston said he was excited to see the fruits of that cooperation begin to take shape.
