The Eureka City Council will consider Tuesday whether to begin each of its meetings with a public acknowledgement that it is taking place on “uncededed” Wiyot land. “The city of Eureka acknowledges that we are located on the unceded ancestral lands of the Wiyot Tribe,” reads sample land acknowledgement language, which the council directed staff […]
Eureka City Council
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HACHR Denies Allegations as City Opposes Needle Program
The city of Eureka announced today it is opposing reauthorization of the Humboldt Area Center for Harm Reduction’s syringe exchange program due to “ongoing concerns” about operations at the nonprofit’s Third Street location. The California Department of Public Health authorized HACHR to run the harm reduction program for a two-year period in October of 2018 […]
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A Total of Nine Candidates Qualify for Two Eureka Council Races
A total of nine candidates have qualified to run for two seats on the Eureka City Council, the city announced this afternoon. There isn’t an incumbent in either race, as sitting Ward 2 Councilmember Heidi Messner does not reside in the newly drawn district boundaries and Ward 4 Councilmember Austin Allison has opted not to seek […]
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City Asking Eureka Residents to Extend, Increase Local Sales Tax
Eureka voters will decide in November whether to extend an existing local sales tax at an increased rate to bolster the city’s cash-strapped coffers hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. If passed, the yet-to-be-named measure will increase the transaction tax to 1.25 percent — up from the current 0.5 percent originally approved by voters in […]
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UPDATE: Eureka May Lose Four Police Officers, Zoo Director, Due to Budget Cuts
UPDATE (6:37 p.m.) After trouble-shooting myriad technical difficulties with the City’s Zoom feed and audio, the Eureka City Council directed staff to proceed with work on the draft budget for the 2020-2021 fiscal year. Another public hearing will be held July 7. Mayor Susan Seaman encouraged members of the public to give feedback and public […]
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Eureka Council to Consider Putting Ranked Choice Voting on November Ballot
The Eureka City Council will consider on June 2 placing a measure on the November ballot asking voters to amend the city charter to allow for what is known as ranked choice voting for the mayor and council seats. The council has been discussing the issue for several months and May 19 directed staff to […]
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Eureka Council to Discuss City Manager Post
The Eureka City Council is scheduled to meet in closed session May 27 to discuss the city manager position. The 3 p.m. meeting comes one week after the council voted 4-0, with Councilmember Heidi Messner absent, to accept the resignation of Dean Lotter, who served in the position for just four months. Lotter was placed […]
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City Manager Lotter on Admin Leave, City Clerk Powell Takes Reins of City
The city of Eureka announced today that recently selected City Manager Dean Lotter has been placed on administrative leave and City Clerk Pam Powell is in charge for the time being. The move comes four months into Lotter’s tenure after the city conducted an extensive search to replace Greg Sparks, who retired late last year. […]
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Update: Eureka City Council Approved Allowing Betty Chinn to Open Temporary Homeless Shelter for Women and Families
Update: The Eureka City Council unanimously approved a resolution Tuesday to add a retail building across the street from the Betty Kwan Chinn day center to its 2016 Shelter Crisis Declaration, paving the way for its conversion into a temporary shelter for women and families. Before the shelter opens, the Betty Chinn Foundation must […]
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Eureka, There’s a New City Manager in Town
Dean Lotter will be sworn in tonight as Eureka’s new city manager, the latest in a series of milestones for him in recent weeks, including moving into a new home here in town with his wife Wendy and their rescue dog Queso, as well as celebrating his 50th birthday. Hailing from the Midwest, Lotter comes […]
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Eureka City Manager Contract, Emergency Declaration Approved
With little fanfare, the Eureka City Council this week approved a $170,000 contract for incoming City Manager Dean Lotter, who is scheduled to take over the job from a retiring Greg Sparks by Dec. 20. Other than a question about the extent of his background check from Councilmember Kim Bergel, who commented that she was […]
Posted inLetters + Opinion
Wagging the Dog
There are currently six people whom Eureka voters have entrusted to make city decisions on their behalf. Five councilmembers and a mayor. That’s it. But these six people — all of whom have volunteered to work long hours and take on a bunch of responsibility (not to mention public scrutiny) in exchange for a modest […]