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Today’s was a rather brief meeting of the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors, by recent historical standards, and a couple of the meatiest matters discussed centered on informational reports rather than action items.

That said, a lot of ground was covered, with many of the issues bound to come up again in the near or middle-distance future.

Let’s get to the summary.

Humboldt’s lousy road conditions

Mattson

At the request of Second District Supervisor Michelle Bushnell, the board heard an update from Public Works Director Tom Mattson on the sorry state of paved roads in our unincorporated areas.

Mattson outlined an array of challenges above and beyond pavement management, including outdated equipment, storm damage repairs, culvert replacement and more.

The county’s current Pavement Conditions Index, a scale of zero through 100 that indicates road conditions, stands at a paltry 49, “which is in the poor range, which is bad news,” Mattson said. He explained that the lower the number, the higher a county’s road maintenance costs.

The county’s pavement management budget of roughly $2 million per year has not been enough to maintain status quo on the county’s 900 miles of paved roads, especially with all the storm damage repairs necessary these past two years, Mattson said.

After his presentation, Fifth District Supervisor Steve Madrone noted that self-help counties – those that increase sales taxes to fund transportation-related projects – are often able to leverage other sources of funding from the state and federal governments. Such a tax would require approval from two-thirds of the electorate.

“Of course, all this [discussion] is sort of a precursor to our efforts to put a ballot measure on in November,” Madrone said.

Bushnell said she gets lots of complaints about roads in her district that have slipped out following storms. Mattson said that, depending on the road, it can take three years to get approval for construction of repairs, and even that’s only possible if there’s money to complete the work.

“The money may not be reimbursed from the federal government for 10 or 15 years; that’s the $8 million hole I’m sitting on right now,” Mattson said.

“The community thinks that we should just throw a bunch of money at it and we could fix all the roads,” Bushnell said.

Mattson replied that the county is not set up to do full-scale road construction and, in fact, is limited by state law on how much maintenance work it can perform. Instead, the county often contracts out for larger projects.

The board received Mattson’s report and unanimously agreed to file it. No further action was taken on the matter.

Upcoming free health care clinic

Early in the meeting, the board heard a presentation from a couple of folks with the nonprofit organization California CareForce, which organizes no-cost health care clinics throughout California, including an upcoming clinic in Eureka.

That clinic, which will be held at the Adorni Center from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on July 12 and 13, will offer free medical, dental and vision services without asking patients for documentation of immigration status, residency or proof of insurance, employment or income.

Dr. Tom Lewis, a “mostly retired” dentist, said that after a fulfilling career he wanted to give back to the community and help meet the needs of the estimated one-third to one-half of Californians who lack adequate access to health care. He’s been working with California CareForce, and having worked in Humboldt County, he wanted to bring one of the organization’s free clinics to Eureka.

They’ve already raised about half of the $800,000 budget needed to see an estimated 700-800 patients during the local clinic.

Appearing via Zoom, CareForce Executive Director Cyndi Ankiewicz said the primary services being offered will include dental treatments, such as fillings, extractions, dental hygiene and X-rays, and vision screening, including testing and eyeglasses made on-site.

“We also do basic medical screenings, like blood glucose levels, and also blood pressure” and taking a brief medical history, Ankiewicz said. “In addition to that, we like to try to get what we call ‘wraparound services’ or ‘ancillary services,’ like mammography, completely free chiropractic care [and] acupuncture care.” 

For more information on the upcoming clinic, you can access and download an informational flier by clicking here. The organization is still looking for volunteers to help run the clinic, food donations, medical supplies and signage.

Ankiewicz repeated this key bit: “All of our services are provided at absolutely no cost to the patients.” Good deal.

Tobacco retailer rules

Pereira

In another item brought forward by Bushnell, the board revisited the county’s Comprehensive Tobacco Retailer Licensing Ordinance, which it approved last summer. 

Bushnell said several owners of small businesses in her district contacted her to complain about a provision of the ordinance mandating that tobacco products or advertisements “shall not be placed or displayed within five (5) feet of candy, snacks, or non-alcoholic beverages.”

She also wanted the board to further discuss the possibility of adding a section to the ordinance that would ban the sale of nitrous oxide canisters at tobacco distribution retailers, a topic Bushnell raised earlier this year. A third topic of discussion concerned a provision that prohibits coupons or discounts on tobacco products.

Public Health Director Sofia Pereira reminded the board that the ordinance is intended to reduce the use of tobacco by young people, and the county is currently processing new permit applications for the 56 licensed retailers in its jurisdiction.

Pereira said the provisions in the ordinance are based on extensive research on improving health outcomes.

First District Supervisor and Board Chair Rex Bohn said he couldn’t find any tobacco retailers who were contacted about the ordinance before implementation, and with a pack of cigarettes costing $13.50 per pack, small retailers often want to cut the price on packs or on specialty products that don’t sell. He also said the “sin tax” on cigarettes is extremely high.

Pereira said the county did send a letter to all retailers in December of 2022 and every single retailer was visited by the county’s educational team, but she said staff could explore exemptions to the no-discount policy for items like specialty cigars or pipe tobacco.

Bushnell said she doesn’t think the letters to retailers were widely read, and she voiced concern about spreading the message that retailers are failing to follow the law by checking driver’s licenses to verify customers are old enough to buy tobacco products. 

Pereira said staff wants to bring an amendment in the future that would require all tobacco products, including cigars and specialty products, to be placed behind the counter or in a locked case, making them inaccessible to customers without help from a salesperson.

Bohn again expressed hesitation, saying people still have the right to smoke, and he’d like to meet retailers in the middle so they can still do business. Bushnell said local businesses are already checking IDs.

Pereira said that while she hears their concerns, her department will continue to bring forward what they believe to be best practice for public health. Madrone and Fourth District Supervisor Natalie Arroyo thanked Pereira and her department colleagues for their work, with Arroyo saying she thinks the ordinance will ultimately serve the collective good.

Third District Supervisor Mike Wilson asked about the matter of nitrous oxide canisters, aka Whippits, and Pereira said her department has reduced staff capacity to address that while they’re working on implementing the tobacco ordinance. Staff has compiled some resources and reached out to Senator McGuire’s office but will need more time to craft a policy, she said.

The board accepted the report without directing staff to make any changes to the tobacco ordinance.

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Odds and ends:

• The board ratified a certificate of recognition for Edmund Michael (Mike) Belmont, a local tree service worker who responded to a request for backup from the Rio Dell Volunteer Fire Department regarding a man stuck in a tree. Belmont scaled a 150-foot tree, only to discover that the man had committed suicide. “Mike was instrumental in the effort to lower the victim to the ground by guiding the victim through the limbs and branches while ground staff lowered the rescue system. This heroic, selfless act was above and beyond the call of duty,” the unanimously approved certificate says. 
• The board also ratified a retirement resolution for former Fifth District Humboldt County Supervisor Jill Duffy following a decade of employment as executive director of the Humboldt Waste Management Authority. Eric Keller-Heckman, the organization’s new executive director, said, “No amount of words can put into perspective the impact that she had not only on HWMA as an organization, but their staff in general.”
• While proclaiming February Black History Month, the board recognized Florence Parks of North Coast Big Brothers Big Sisters as an exceptional community member, noting that”her contributions have been a positive, and much needed, influence on all who have been fortunate enough to interact with her.”
• During the public comment period on matters that weren’t on the day’s agenda, a series of speakers urged people to vote against Proposition 1 next Tuesday (or whenever they might submit their ballots). The measure, backed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, would authorize $6.38 billion in bonds to build mental health treatment facilities and provide housing for the homeless. But speakers at today’s meeting said it would “destroy a person’s right to self determination” through involuntary commitment, largely targeting already marginalized communities.