There are only seven items listed on the agenda for tonight’s Eureka City Council meeting, three of which are consent items that will be approved in a single motion without further discussion unless pulled by a member of the council.

One such item up for consideration is a resolution that would terminate the local emergency regarding COVID-19.

Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in California back in March of 2020 as the novel coronavirus rapidly spread across the state. The emergency declaration prompted a raft of restrictions to curb the spread of the virus, effectively upending public life as we knew it. The City of Eureka followed suit a couple of weeks later as California – and much of the United States – shifted into lockdown mode. Now, after almost three years, the state is winding down its state of emergency, which is set to end on Feb. 28.

The end of the state of emergency has been dubbed “a symbolic end” to the pandemic in California and is expected to have little impact on most people’s lives. 

“California has the tools needed to continue fighting COVID-19 when the State of Emergency terminates, including vaccines and boosters, testing, treatments, and other mitigation measures such as masking and indoor ventilation,” according to the staff report. “While the COVID-19 pandemic continues to directly affect the safety of persons and property within the City of Eureka, the conditions necessitating the local emergency due to COVID-19 are steadily improving and will be sufficiently abated by February 28, 2023, such that the local emergency will no longer be warranted and may be terminated at that time.”

If approved by the council, the resolution will take effect immediately, terminating the state of emergency for COVID-19 in Eureka.

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The council will also take a look at an application for funds through the California Department of Housing and Community Development that would provide upwards of $500,000 through the Permanent Local Housing Allocation program to fund affordable housing projects for individuals “experiencing or at risk of homelessness,” as well as “investments that increase the supply of housing to households with incomes of 60 percent or less of area median income,” according to the staff report.

The council will discuss potential projects that would be funded by the program and likely approve a resolution authorizing staff to submit an application for the funding opportunity.

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The Eureka City Council will meet on Tuesday, Feb. 21 at 6 p.m. at Eureka City Hall — 531 K Street. The agenda can be found here.