news story / By Ryan Burns

Save the Monkeys!

Not everyone agreed. Sylvia Scott of Eureka said she got a sense of the city’s priorities while going door-to-door last year, drumming up support for Measures D and E, and the number one concern was public safety. So if it’s a case of either/or, she said, the zoo must go. “This zoo can be operated, but not by the people of Eureka,” Scott said. “Those of you who want the zoo open, guess what. Step up. Put your money where your mouth is.” It’s time for McKinleyville, Arcata, Ferndale — all our area towns — to shoulder some of the burden, Scott asserted.

Several members of the Sequoia Park Zoo Foundation, a nonprofit group that provides the zoo with financial support, advocated just that — establishing a county-wide assessment district so that the expense doesn’t fall entirely on Eureka’s shoulders. Foundation Vice President Chuck Dominick said such a shift could take time, however. “What really needs to occur now,” he said, “is a serious dialog about an alternate plan [and] alternate funding models.” He suggested the zoo’s admission fees will show greater results during the summer tourist season and he begged for people — presumably members of the City Council — to have patience. “Please, please give this some time to unfold.”

Scattered amongst these entreaties were a few other money-saving ideas. The woman who told other towns to put up or shut up, for example, also suggested eliminating the city’s street sweeper in favor of an ordinance requiring citizens to sweep their own stoops. She also proposed making the Eureka Redevelopment Agency part of the city’s building department. Dick Twiddy, a member of the city’s finance advisory committee, said the city should simply stop funding parks operations, the marina, the Recreation Division and the zoo. “My suggestion: Privatize,” said Twiddy. “That’s the way it’s done. Private people do things better than government does them.” Yet another person suggested eliminating Eureka’s separate mayoral position in favor of Arcata’s model of electing the mayor from the city council on a rotating basis.

Glass watched the meeting from the back of the room, leaning casually against the door jamb. Afterwards, he told Rex Bohn that he’s been taking heat on the zoo question. “I’ve gotten e-mails up the wazoo,” he said, “everybody blaming me for bringing it up. But we’ve got to raise the issue.” He told the Journal that it’s a problem with a simple solution: The zoo needs to be funded county-wide. He was also intrigued by the idea of consolidating community development into another department and suggested putting the alternative mayoral process to the voters. “Those were positive suggestions,” Glass said.

Inevitably, though, there will have to be layoffs. Glass and Tyson agree on that point. “Whether that will happen immediately — probably not,” Tyson said. “We’ll try to give people as much notice as possible.” The trick for the Council, he said, will be figuring out what they can eliminate from the budget without damaging the city’s essence. And for many people, the zoo is an essential part of Eureka. “It’s important for the Council to try to maintain the culture of our community through this budget process,” Tyson said. “That includes things like quality policing, fire, parks, things like the zoo.” There it was. He said it. Of course, the actual decision of whether — or at least how — to keep the zoo funded will fall to the City Council.

Tyson is fielding penny-pinching suggestions from the public through Monday, and the relevant comments will be presented at Eureka City Council’s first budget meeting on Tuesday, March 31. The city manager can be reached at 441-4144, and Councilmembers are encouraging the public to stay involved in the budgeting process. Just ask Jäger — they’ll take all the help they can get.

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