Five candidates. Nine community groups. Two hours of questions. This is the format for a forum at Eureka’s Labor Temple, scheduled to be held tonight from 6 to 8 p.m. The candidates include contenders for two supervisor’s seats, with Fifth District incumbent Ryan Sundberg facing off against challenger Steve Madrone, and the three-way race between […]
Ryan Sundberg
Supes Pass Cannabis Ordinance 2.0
After hours of discussion, the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors voted this afternoon to pass its new commercial cannabis land use ordinance. The ordinance got four “yes” votes but Third District Supervisor Mike Wilson didn’t support it, though it’s unclear if he voted against it or abstained. (It seemed like he said he abstained from […]
Supes Fundraising: Madrone closes gap in Fifth, Bass steamrolls in Fourth
If we judge by campaign fundraising alone, it seems the race to become Humboldt County’s next Fifth District supervisor has become a dead heat. While incumbent Ryan Sundberg finished the last reporting period with a 10-fold fundraising advantage over his challenger, Steve Madrone, the tides turned with the latest filings in the race, which show […]
Supes Candidates Square Off in First Forums of Election Season
The races for two seats on the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors officially kicked into gear April 23 with the public watching the candidates square off in real time at a pair of forums. In the race for the Fourth District seat held by two-term incumbent Virginia Bass, the League of Women Voters and the […]
Mercer-Fraser Co. Withdraws Controversial Glendale Site Plans
A controversial project that would have created a marijuana extraction plant near the Mad River at Glendale has been withdrawn, John Ford, director of the County Planning and Building Department, confirmed this afternoon. The project, which came before the Humboldt County Planning Commission in January, would have rezoned a parcel of land near the Mad […]
Sundberg Selected for Coastal Commission
Gov. Jerry Brown’s office announced today that Humboldt County Supervisor Ryan Sundberg has been appointed to the North Coast regional seat on the California Coastal Commission. Sundberg will be the first Native American to serve on the powerful commission charged with determining the fate of California’s 1,100 miles of coastline. The McKinleyville resident replaces Del […]
Board of Supervisors Talks ‘Band Aid’ Funding for Roads
The Humboldt County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously yesterday to direct $575,000 in leftover Measure Z money to the county public works department rather than rolling it over into the next fiscal year. The decision came after a long discussion among the supervisors and public comment by a resident of the Petrolia area, who shared concerns […]
Planning Commission Vote: Ulansey Out, Mitchell In
The Humboldt County Board of Supervisors voted 4-1 today, with Third District Supervisor Mike Wilson dissenting, to appoint McKinleyville resident and accountant Brian Mitchell to the at-large planning commission seat currently held by Lee Ulansey. Mitchell, a former McKinleyville school board member and current member of the county’s Assessment Appeals Board, addressed the supervisors, saying […]
Applicants Line up For Ulansey’s Planning Commission Seat
So far, at least 16 candidates have turned in paperwork to be considered Tuesday for an at-large position on the Humboldt County Planning Commission after the supervisors decided to explore their options rather than simply reappoint current seat holder Lee Ulansey. Some of the applications date back to 2010, while 11 others were turned in […]
Supes to Planning Commission: “MYOB”
The Humboldt County Board of Supervisors took a remarkable step last week: It’s going to tell planning commissioners they have to ask permission to discuss matters that the commission isn’t mandated to take up. That may sound unremarkable, but it plays into a strange power dynamic in place for years and stands as a rebuke […]
Sundberg: Pot Tax Will be on November Ballot
Humboldt County Supervisor Ryan Sundberg told KINS Radio this morning the county plans to put a medical marijuana cultivation excise tax on the November ballot. A projection tallied by the interim county administrative officer, Sundberg said, projects the tax earning $2 million in the first year, assuming a $1-per-square-foot fee and 10 percent participation from […]
‘Unregulated Far Too Long:’ Vacation Rentals That is, Not Pot
Acknowledging that they are playing catch-up on yet another high-impact issue affecting residents countywide, the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday to jump into the vacation rental regulation business. “Currently, the county code is mute on this issue,” said Chair Mark Lovelace in introducing the discussion. “It is another issue that has been […]
