The Eureka City Council will convene for another riveting round of civic engagement with its impassioned constituents tomorrow night.

This week’s agenda includes a couple of hot-button items, including a proposal to address homelessness in Eureka. The council will also discuss a few less interesting but nevertheless important items. Yes, I’m looking at you 2022-23 fee schedule update.

Let’s take a look at that agenda, shall we?

Eureka’s Homeless Action Plan

Back in 2016, the Eureka City Council signed a joint resolution with the County of Humboldt to adopt the Housing First model as a means of addressing homelessness in the region. In the time since, staff has worked to develop a city-specific Homeless Action Plan to expand efforts to address mental health and housing needs in Eureka.

The 24-page document outlines the city’s ongoing efforts to reduce homelessness in the City of Eureka by expanding affordable housing, bolstering outreach efforts and expanding partnerships with organizations that provide services to people experiencing homelessness.

“Significant progress has been made toward meeting the needs of community members experiencing homelessness in Eureka. …There is still important work to be done,” according to the plan. “The City of Eureka’s Homeless Action Plan outlines priorities in addressing issues related to homelessness and was created to provide a road map for use in working to address the issue of homelessness in Eureka. This plan details common unifying principles that define our purpose, connect our city and create a positive impact on the quality of life for all Eureka residents.”

The plan also acknowledges the community-wide impacts of homelessness, including compromised public health and safety as a result of environmental degradation.

“Without access to proper waste disposal, homeless encampments near neighborhoods and publicly used lands pose serious health and safety hazards to the community,” the plan states. “Homelessness causes significant fiscal impacts to the public sector and affects local businesses. … Local businesses report a range of problems associated with homelessness including individuals sleeping on the premises as well as the presence of needles and other hazardous/human waste, deterring customers from entering businesses.”

One of the biggest components is increasing engagement with individuals experiencing homelessness. UPLIFT Eureka and the Eureka Police Department’s Community Safety Engagement Team (CSET) have made strides in guiding homeless individuals to critical resources and assistance with navigating those services. Working in tandem with CSET, the city’s new Crisis Alternative Response of Eureka (CARE) team hopes to provide rapid support and therapeutic problem-solving to individuals experiencing a mental health crisis.

The plan outlines eight specific goals to address homelessness in Eureka, such as increasing the city’s affordable housing stock, bolstering UPLIFT’s rehousing program and implementing a homeless prevention program, among others.

The council will review the plan and consider its adoption. The full document can be found here.

Ban on Digital Signs

The council is slated to approve a resolution that would ban new digital signs in the city’s coastal zone. The council reviewed the proposed resolution during a public hearing earlier this month and, despite strong opposition from a single community member, agreed to move the item forward.

The matter was initiated two years ago when the council adopted an ordinance that rescinded and replaced a section of the city’s municipal code with a coastal sign amendment. 

The ordinance was reviewed by the California Coastal Commission in July 2022. At that time, city staff was looking to restrict the number of illuminated digital billboards allowed in the city’s coastal zone and limit the brightness of said signs. Coastal commissioners, including Humboldt County Supervisor Mike Wilson, urged city staff to take the ordinance even further and ban new digital signs in the coastal zone altogether. 

Staff agreed and drafted the resolution that will be up for consideration during this week’s meeting. If approved by the council, the resolution will move forward to the California Coastal Commission for certification. 

“Because the Local Coastal Program amendment must be certified by the Coastal Commission, staff is asking the City Council to adopt a Resolution of Transmittal sending the Local Coastal Program Amendment to the Coastal Commission for certification,” according to the staff report. “The City Council’s action to adopt the Local Coastal Program Amendment would become effective immediately upon Coastal Commission certification.”

The council will also consider a second separate item that would update the city’s zoning code to ban new digital signs in the city’s inland areas as well. 

Zero Waste Action Plan for Local Schools

The council will also receive a report on the city’s Zero Waste Action Plan and efforts to reduce food waste in local schools. 

The draft Zero Waste Action Plan has been broken into several sections that will be presented to the council for consideration over the coming months. The section up for consideration this week focuses on schools and how the city can best serve, support and guide local schools in waste reduction.

“Studies show that introducing and teaching environmental topics and waste reduction behaviors earlier in development can foster environmental stewardship in youth, which is then shared with their family and community,” according to the staff report. “Staff [has engaged in] direct outreach, stakeholder interviews, and on-site tours which helped facilitate a realistic understanding of the current state of waste diversion programs, education, and opportunities at local schools.”

The staff report notes that public schools and districts are distinct government entities and not subject to the city’s waste management requirements. 

The draft Zero Waste Action Plan is tentatively scheduled for completion at the end of this year.

CORE Hub Presentation

The council will also receive a presentation from the Redwood Region Climate & Community Resilience Hub, better known as CORE Hub. 

Although the agenda doesn’t indicate what exactly the presentation will cover, it’s probably safe to assume that it has something to do with offshore wind development on the North Coast since the council recently agreed to sign on as a supporter of the CORE Hub’s North Coast Offshore Wind Community Benefits Network (the Network) strategy. 

You can read all about the Network’s community-centered benefits strategy at this link.

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​​The Eureka City Council will meet on Tuesday, Nov. 1 at 6 p.m. at Eureka City Hall — 531 K Street. The agenda can be found here.