A group of California lawmakers is tackling reparations for Black descendants of enslaved people with a set of bills modeled after recommendations that a state reparations task force spent years studying and developing.

The legislative package — a set of 14 bills the California Legislative Black Caucus released Wednesday — addresses everything from criminal justice to food. It includes proposed laws that would require the governor and Legislature to apologize for human rights violations. One bill would provide financial aid for redlined communities while another proposal aims to protect the right to wear “natural and protective” hairstyles in all competitive sports.

The headliner of the package, authored by state Sen. Steven Bradford, a Democrat from Inglewood who served on the task force, would address unjust property takings — referring to land, homes or businesses that were seized from Black owners through discriminatory practices and eminent domain.

The bill would “restore property taken during raced-based uses of eminent domain to its original owners or provide another effective remedy where appropriate, such as restitution or compensation.”

Notably, none of the proposed new laws would include widespread cash compensation for the descendants of slavery, as was recommended by the state’s reparations task force.

“While many only associate direct cash payments with reparations, the true meaning of the word, to repair, involves much more,” said state Assemblymember Lori Wilson, who chairs the Black Caucus.

“We need a comprehensive approach to dismantling the legacy of slavery and systemic racism,” said Wilson, a Democrat from Suisun City.

Reparations to ‘right the wrongs’

The nine-member reparations task force, which included five members appointed by the governor, issued its final recommendations last year.

While serving on the state panel, Assemblymember Reggie Jones-Sawyer, a Democrat from Los Angeles, urged his colleagues to be practical about which measures could get approved and signed into law.

On Wednesday, he applauded the first set of bills, which include proposals to provide medically supportive food to Medi-Cal recipients and to require advance notice when grocery stores close in underserved communities.

“We will endeavor to right the wrongs committed against Black communities through laws and policies designed to restrict and alienate African Americans,” Jones-Sawyer said in a statement.

“Hundreds of legislative and budgetary reparatory recommendations were made within the final report and I, along with the members of the Black Caucus, look forward to working with our legislative colleagues to achieve true reparations and justice for all Black Californians,” he said.

Some of the bills announced Wednesday include only broad strokes of what the proposed legislation would do, and some have not yet been formally introduced. All of the proposed bills in the reparations slate will be formally introduced by February 15 deadline, a spokesman for Jones-Sawyer said.

The handful of proposed laws makes the Golden State the first in the nation to undertake reparations for Black Californians, but it is being released amid turbulent political and financial waters. The state is facing a budget deficit that the governor’s office says is $38 billion, which will make it a daunting task to gather support for any measures with hefty price tags attached.

In 2020, Newsom and some Democratic leaders applauded the creation and work of the state’s reparations task force, which held monthly meetings from San Diego to Sacramento. Formed in the aftermath of the police murder of George Floyd, the task force began while initial public support for racial justice was strong but has since waned.

As the governor aims to boost his national profile, he has responded cooly to the state panel’s final recommendations, which included more than 115 wide-ranging policy prescriptions and a formula for calculating direct cash payments.

Bruce’s Beach in Manhattan Beach on June 30,2022. The beach was returned to the descendants of the Bruce family in 2022. Photo by Raquel Natalicchio for CalMatters

The panel held 15 public hearings, deliberated for two years, and considered input from more than 100 expert witnesses and the public. Task force advisors suggested the state owes Black Californians hundreds of millions of dollars for the harm they’ve suffered because of systemic racism.

CalMatters created an interactive tool for calculating how much a person is owed, using formulas in the task force’s final reports and how long a person lived in California during the periods of racial harm.

An uphill battle

Advocates face an uphill battle convincing other ethnic groups that a payout is due, in part because they have also endured racism and unfair treatment. Asians and Latino voters, who combined make up a majority of the California electorate, largely oppose reparations, as do a majority of white residents, polls show.

A spokesperson for Newsom said Wednesday that the governor “continues to have productive conversations with the California Legislative Black Caucus. The governor is committed to further building upon California’s record of advancing justice, opportunity, and equity for Black Californians.”

At a press conference last month announcing his proposed budget, Newsom said he had “devoured” the more than thousand-page report issued by the state reparations panel.

“We are deeply mindful of what will come next in partnership with the Caucus and the work continues in that space,” Newsom said.

Jonathan Burgess, a fire battalion chief from Sacramento and well-known advocate for reparations, called the legislative package “phenomenal,” especially its proposal to restore property or repay former owners.

“It’s a monumental, profound time,” he said.

Burgess and his family say a portion of land that is now within the Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park in El Dorado County, once belonged to him and his family and was unfairly taken away by the state.

His great-great-grandfather first came to California from New Orleans in 1849, initially brought here as a slave to mine for gold. Burgess regularly attended the state task force’s meetings, speaking up about California’s racist history and the need for repair.

“I started my work almost five years ago now,” Burgess told CalMatters on Wednesday, hours after the legislative package was released. “It’s very emotional for me. It’s hard to put into words how I feel — a sense of joy.”

Burgess said many of the wrongs committed against Black people and their families can never be fully quantified with any dollar amount, but returning property is one of the most important measures because it correlates to what would have been generational wealth.

“It’s really about righting history and showing our nation the path forward,” he said. “This is just the beginning, I’d like to hope.”

###

CalMatters.org is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media venture explaining California policies and politics.

Press release from Cal Poly Humboldt:

Ushering in a new era for Northern California’s first polytechnic university, plans for Cal Poly Humboldt’s Engineering & Technology Building were approved by California State University Board of Trustees today. The flagship building of the polytechnic transformation will be Humboldt’s first major academic infrastructure project since 2008 and will emphasize student-centered learning and sustainable design.

The $100 million project was made possible with one-time funding from the historic $458 million investment in the University’s polytechnic effort approved by Governor Gavin Newsom and the State Legislature in 2021.

The 74,000 square-foot, three-story structure designed by AC Martin will be located at the northeast corner of B and 17th streets, the current site of the campus events field. Swinerton will begin construction in May 2024, with opening planned for Spring 2026.

The building will provide much-needed lab and research spaces, faculty offices, and student support spaces that promote collaboration and hands-on learning. It will house the School of Engineering and its five high-demand bachelor’s and master’s programs: Energy Systems Engineering, Engineering & Community Practice, Environmental Resources Engineering, Environmental Systems, and Mechanical Engineering. It will also accommodate the Computer Science and Software Engineering degree programs.

“The look of the University is much more than its physical structures,” says Michael Fisher, Associate Vice President for Facilities Management. “Our buildings capture the spirit of not only who we are but also where we are, and the new Engineering & Technology Building does that with its intentional design inside and out.”

The building’s innovative design is a nod to the University’s history, natural surroundings, and future as the first polytechnic in Northern California. The prominent wood and glass of the structure embraces the regional heritage and University’s character, as well as its expertise in natural resources. The design also brings the structure to street level—an adjustment that gives the building a prominent and welcoming presence while increasing the line of sight from the main entrance to campus.

Several design elements connect indoor and outdoor spaces, and will present a dramatic new presence to visitors and prospective students of campus. The west entrance plaza and north-facing connector to McCrone Hall, as well as the south-facing outdoor fabrication space towards Wildlife Lane, anchor the building and encourage a new way to access the south end of the campus.

The state-of-the-art facility will highlight the University’s long-standing commitment to sustainable practices. Rather than being made of steel, the beams are mass timber sourced from the Pacific Northwest. The structural system is estimated to provide a cost savings of $1.3 million in comparison to a more typical approach, and dramatically reduce the carbon footprint of the building when compared to steel or concrete construction This will be the University’s first mass timber building.

The project is designed to achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold standards. Proposed sustainability features include high-efficiency irrigation, water-efficient plumbing, and energy-efficient and Cal Green-compliant lighting and appliances. Its rooftop will have solar panels consistent with CSU Sustainability Policy and will be integrated into the future campus microgrid system.

The interior spaces reflect Cal Poly Humboldt’s vision as a polytechnic for the 21st century: a university where STEM and the liberal arts programs intersect and are grounded in practical experience for students. Designed to foster interaction across disciplines, most of the building’s classrooms and labs will be used for everything from classes to meetings, allowing the facility to accommodate changing academic programs. Examples include lab rooms with overhead utilities, quick connect lab stations, and adaptable room technology.

The building will include conference rooms and gathering spaces that facilitate new ideas or collaborations. An interdisciplinary makerspace will feature wood and metal shops, project storage, and fabrication spaces. The makerspace will serve the campus at large—for example, the metal shop could produce parts for a robot in computer science, or a metal frame for a clay sculpture.

In the two years since the official polytechnic designation, the University has made significant progress to support the buildout of future polytechnic programs. This Fall, Cal Poly Humboldt welcomed eight new bachelor’s degree programs and one new master’s degree program. Additionally, the University has experienced enrollment growth for the second consecutive year, and has hired over 20 new faculty.

Last spring, the University broke ground on its historic student housing project. The new 964-student residence hall is expected to be ready for partial occupancy in 2025, increasing University-owned student housing by nearly 50%.

For more information about additional academic and infrastructure projects that the University plans as part of its polytechnic buildout, visit humboldt.edu/about/polytechnic.

###

The City of Eureka has officially been designated a “Prohousing” community, clearing the way for more funding opportunities, according to an announcement today from the office of California Governor Gavin Newsom.

Eureka is one of seven cities in the state to earn the distinction today, bringing the total number of “Prohousing” communities in the state to 37. (We’re not sure why they spell it as a single word like that.)

Reached by the Outpost, Eureka City Manager Miles Slattery said the designation is “huge” in terms of funding availability for future housing projects, whether they’re market-rate, affordable housing or anything else.

It will give Eureka priority when it comes to funding opportunities from the California Department of Housing and Community Development. 

“It makes us more competitive, and it puts us in good standing for our Housing Element,” Slattery said, referring to the city’s blueprint for meeting its Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA).

Last fall, Eureka and Linc Housing were awarded a $30.1 million grant to support the construction of 90 homes in three affordable housing communities at 8th and G Streets, 6th and M Streets, and Myrtle and Sunny Avenues. Slattery said they probably would have landed that grant in the previous round if the city had been designated “Prohousing.”

It’s worth repeating what we observed when that grant was awarded: Two of the three housing developments supported by that award are specifically included in the list of projects that the “Housing for All” initiative, sponsored by Rob Arkley’s Security National, seeks to stop.

If the city were to go out of compliance with its Housing Element, it would lose its Prohousing designation, Slattery said.

Here’s the press release from the Office of Gov. Gavin Newsom:

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:  California is facing a housing crisis decades in the making. While some communities fail to meet state housing goals, others have earned the distinction of being Prohousing. Prohousing communities get priority for resources to build housing to help meet the statewide goal of 2.5 million homes by 2030.

Sacramento – Governor Gavin Newsom announced today that the cities of Eureka, Healdsburg, Mountain View, Petaluma, San Luis Obispo, Santa Monica, and the County of Tulare, have earned the Prohousing designation by cutting red tape and speeding up housing approvals. Today’s announcement brings the total number of California’s Prohousing communities to 37.

“We need to aggressively build more housing to support Californians. Prohousing cities move to the front of the line when it comes to incentives, funding and other state resources. It’s critical for more communities to join in this distinction and build their fair share of housing.” Governor Gavin Newsom

WHY IT MATTERS: The state needs to plan for 2.5 million new homes by 2030. Reaching this goal will only be possible with the concerted efforts of state and local governments actively working to implement state housing laws and best practices. The Prohousing designation rewards communities that are willing to reduce barriers to construction, lower costs, and create overall housing policies aligned with state goals.

Prohousing communities receive additional points in the scoring of competitive housing, community development, and infrastructure funding administered by the Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD).

“Communities whether large or small, rural or urban, are actively working to accelerate the development of housing for Californians at all income levels,” said HCD Director Gustavo Velasquez. “We are pleased to be able to reward our Prohousing partners with incentives to help them build on their innovative efforts to break down barriers to development.”

For local leaders, earning the Prohousing designation takes commitment to policies that accelerate housing production and minimize obstacles. These leaders actively work with the state to combat homelessness and increase the availability of affordable housing in their jurisdictions, bettering the quality of life for all Californians. Jurisdictions earning the Prohousing designation are aggressively taking on that challenge with resilience, steadfast determination, and accountability.

To learn more about today’s announcement, click here.

Dear Diary, 

Today is the day! Finally, the big movie production that’s been filming all around Humboldt for the past couple of weeks is filming in my hometown. Arcata is going to be famous. Maybe I will be famous. I at least hope to catch a glimpse of Leonardo DiCaprio, one of the film’s stars. Maybe I’ll meet director Paul Thomas Anderson and he’ll offer me a part! There is so much uncertainty and hope on this day. I decide that I will spend almost all day at the shoot and document my experience.

###

12:30 p.m.: I arrive at the corner of 18th and G Streets in Arcata, thinking I am being very smart by arriving early to the supposed 1 p.m. start of filming. Much to my surprise, others seem to have had the same thought and a small crowd is already gathered to observe the Hollywood magic. I guess that is my fault for telling the world about the filming plans. 

I notice that Raliberto’s looks open and think perhaps I will get some tacos. It turns out that they are not actually open but look to be open because the business is going to be in the scene. How exciting! Although I do wish there were some tacos nearby…

12:45 p.m.: After looking around for Leo a bit and not seeing him I find what I imagine to be a perfect spot for watching the action: the parking lot of North Country Clinic. Someone is wetting down the streets, so I think filming must be starting soon. I attempt to look like I belong there, and it seems to be working. A couple people from the film crew even look at me and smile! I see a crew member walking with some gadgets in his hand and ask what he’s doing. He says he’s going to screw some rod into another rod, or something, and I really feel like I’m a part of the magic!

I’m totally fitting in and I think most people assume I’m part of the movie because of how professional I look. Feelin’ good. 

1:00 p.m.: I am told to leave the parking lot. Apparently they are preparing to start filming, and it is pretty clear that I do not belong there. I and a few other gawkers are ushered to the corner of 18th and H, which is where we are allowed to stand and watch, we are told. 

1:20 p.m.: A pretty large crowd has gathered at the corner on H Street to see what they can see. Some other media can be seen in attendance. The crowd is buzzing with excitement with many anticipating the possibility of catching a glimpse of Leo or maybe some other famous person. Some black shuttle vans pull up in front of Szechuan Garden. Finally, some action! Maybe Leo is in one of those vans!

He is not. A crowd of extras floods out of the shuttles and goes inside Szechuan Garden. Ooh! They must be shooting a scene in there, I think. That’s cool because I have eaten there! I’ve also eaten at Raliberto’s, so this means that maybe two places I’ve eaten at will be in the movie and that almost makes me feel like I’m in the movie. 

1:40 p.m.: Still no filming, still no Leo. But I do see a familiar face: my colleague, Andrew Goff! We decide to try to catch some footage from the footbridge, but as we are walking that way I notice that mine is the only car left parked on G Street (there weren’t any “no parking” signs, by the way, but in hindsight it may have been a stupid place to park). I talk to an Arcata Police officer and he tells me that I do, indeed, need to move my vehicle and they will let me out of one of the blocked off streets to park elsewhere.

1:50 p.m.: After I re-park my car in a more suitable location I try to get back to the footbridge, but as I attempt to walk down 17th I’m stopped by a security guard and police officer. They ask if I live down that street, and I say “no.” That is the wrong answer and I am sent away. I should have lied, I think. 

I again join the crowd of eager observers on the corner of 18th and H. I’m disappointed that I can’t join my colleague on the footbridge, where I have heard a rumor that we might be able to get a good view of the scene and Leo. But it’s okay, I think. This is where I belong anyway – among the people! Plus, this spot is really not too bad. There is a good view of 18th and it really looks like they’re getting ready to start filming!

1:55 p.m: Someone from the production informs the crowd that we are no longer allowed to stand where we are standing. He says that we are in the shot and that, although he appreciates the “local interest,” there aren’t usually crowds of people watching in movie scenes. 

I, like everyone else in the crowd, I’m sure, feel hurt. But I do not wish to anger Hollywood, so I obey and walk down the street, where they tell us we need to go. I decide to commiserate with my fellow townspeople and ask one binocular-clad guy why he came down here today.  

“I heard about it about an hour ago … so I was like, ‘I’ll just walk over and check it out, since I’m on break,’” Liam Haas, a Cal Poly Humboldt student, told me. “Then someone said Leo was here, or maybe here. My mom loves Leo, so I thought I’d come check it out for her.” 

This young person telling me that it is not he but his mom who is the big Leo fan makes me feel old. I do not like that. But it’s okay. I’m going to see Leo soon and everything will be fine. 

2:10 p.m.: After realizing that our new location will yield no view of the scene or the movie stars I decide to walk around and try to find a better stake-out spot. I manage to sneak my way onto the balcony of the apartments right next to Raliberto’s. Yes! This is the place to be. I can see extras rehearsing a scene right below me! It looks like some kind of raid happening at Rali’s, with fake police officers dragging fake criminals off in handcuffs. 

A couple of other folks are up there with me and I ask them what they’re hoping to gain from observing the day’s spectacle. They tell me they’ve been watching for about an hour and one of them, Taylor, had been in a scene as an extra that morning and wanted to come down to watch the rest of the filming. Of course, they weren’t able to tell me much about the earlier scene or where it took place. 

“It was pretty cool,” Taylor said. “This is the next part of that scene, so I just wanted to see a little bit of it.” 

They point to the 101 North onramp where there are men standing and observing the scene, and they tell me that the person on the left is director Paul Thomas Anderson. Finally I have seen a famous person!

2:45 p.m.: Seeing PTA was cool, but with still no Leo onsite I decide to abandon my very cool post and continue looking for action elsewhere. I find Goff and we decide to drive around to LK Wood to see if there is a better view from up there. We see more people on the on-ramp. Goff tells me to pull over and he jumps out of my car and quickly disappears behind the shrubbery. 

I hope that he will be okay. Then I realize that I am starving and decide this might be a good time for a break. I go to Wildberries for a burrito, which I eat alone in my car. This would be a sad scene, I think, if I were not here as a bigtime Hollywood reporter. 

3:00 p.m.: I swoop back to LK Wood to pick up the courageous Goff. He got some good shots of PTA, but still no Leo. This is starting to get frustrating. 

3:30 p.m.: Now back at the corner of 18th and G, I see that they have allowed the crowd of spectators to return and actually have let them get even closer to the shoot! There are a bunch of extras scattered throughout the street in front of Szechuan Garden and they are rehearsing a scene that seems to consist of the extras just walking down the street toward the raid at Rali’s. 

Someone from the production tells the extras that they are not walking correctly and that he doesn’t want them to look like zombies from the “Thriller” video. Wow … Hollywood.

4:00 p.m: I have still not seen Leo. My heart is broken and my feet are sore. I decide to return home for the time being and come back later. The movie is set to film until 1 a.m. Maybe Leo will be in the nighttime scenes? Plus, there won’t be as many people around later, I bet. This is smart. 

7:30 p.m.: I return to the filming locale and they are already finished. I watch as vans drive away from the Raliberto’s parking lot. I have missed my chance to see Leo. Raliberto’s still isn’t even open, so I am not able to get tacos to ease my pain. But that’s okay, I suppose. I guess he never showed up? I go home and decide to look up videos of Leo instead. I wonder if he has ever hosted SNL. He has not. Pfff! Maybe he’s not so great after all. 

Wednesday morning, 9 a.m.: I shake off my Hollywood hangover and decide that I will write up my adventures from the day before. I see via LoCO’s email and social media that Leo was, in fact, present at the filming and that many people saw him and have photos and video to prove it!  

Why? How could I, as a reporter, have missed Leo?! I feel ashamed. But I am grateful for the existence of cell phones and am happy that others got to experience what I did not. At least I can say I was there and that my beautiful hometown and two of my beloved restaurants will get to be featured. I think I’ll get those tacos now. 

Now, enjoy these videos of Leo running, captured not by me, but by Kate Webb (immediately below) and Randi Hornbrook (beneath):

###

Despite dealing with an $18.4 million budget deficit in the current fiscal year, the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday granted an exception to an ongoing countywide hiring freeze to allow the Sheriff’s Office to attempt to recruit up to 25 new hires for the woefully understaffed department.

Sheriff Billy Honsal personally pleaded with the board to grant the exception, telling them that the requested deputies, officers and dispatchers are “vital to our public safety.”

The request had been placed on the consent portion of Tuesday meeting’s agenda, meaning it was set to be approved among a list of various other matters without specific deliberation, but Fifth District Supervisor Steve Madrone pulled it for discussion.

“All the departments have really pulled together to try and cut costs wherever they can, and we – I – would appreciate the sheriff’s department doing the same,” Madrone said. “I know it’s difficult, but given our current budget crisis, I think we need to hold our ground on the hiring freeze.”

Fourth District Supervisor Natalie Arroyo also expressed concern about the sheriff’s request, which was to unfreeze 35 vacant positions that had been unfunded as part of the county’s effort to close its budget gap.

Arroyo said it would be difficult to consider approving 35 new hires all at once. 

“I’m definitely open to discussing the positions and hearing more about it,” she said. “It just, it’s definitely not something I was comfortable with seeing just on consent without some discussion.”

A staff report said the sheriff’s office “has done all it can to absorb the workload of 35 unfunded positions. Any further reductions to staffing will result in closing outstations and programs.”

Seated before the board, Honsal reiterated that argument and said it would be difficult to recruit potential employees if he had to go to the board for approval each time. The recruitment process takes four to five months to complete, he said, adding that the sheriff’s department has “continuously been the team players in the room when it comes to taking cuts” and now the office has “zero fat.”

“We’ve already done our part,” Honsal said. “We’re trying to be very transparent with you all and the public, saying we can’t cut any more without cutting services.”

Honsal also said turnover is high, particularly among correctional officers working in the county jail, where there are currently 29 vacancies, according to Capt. Duane Christian. 

“We are experiencing burnout at an astronomical rate that people are quitting,” Honsal said. “We had someone last week say, ‘I’m gonna go drive a logging truck because it’s more stable.’”

Third District Supervisor Mike Wilson suggested “bifurcating” the Sheriff’s Office’s request and only unfreezing positions that are “already in the hopper,” referring to active recruits.

First District Supervisor Rex Bohn and Fifth District Supervisor Michelle Bushnell voiced support for Honsal’s request, and Bushnell made a motion to approve it. 

Wilson pushed back against the motion on process grounds, arguing that considering a hiring request for one department in isolation “plays havoc between our departments and within our budgeting process.” The county’s budgeting process for the next fiscal year will be before the board in a matter of months. 

The board negotiated with Honsal toward finding a middle ground, with Arroyo asking Bushnell if she’d consider lowering the number of positions to unfreeze to 25. Bushnell was reluctant but said she’d make that compromise if that’s what it took to get her motion passed.

Bohn said he wanted to hold firm at 35, in part because of the unlikelihood that the Sheriff’s Office would be able to fill all those positions with departments in other areas offering higher salaries and signing bonuses of $50,000 or more.

Bushnell wound up dropping her request to 25, and the motion passed by a vote of 4-1, with Madrone dissenting.

State and federal legislative platforms

Once a year, the Board of Supervisors updates its legislative platforms, which amount to a list of priorities and requests of state and federal lawmakers.

Appearing via Zoom, Karen Lange, a lobbyist and partner in the Sacramento-based public affairs and advocacy firm of Shaw Yoder Antwih Schmelzer & Lange, offered an overview of the state budget landscape, emphasizing the importance of defending against potential state budget cuts, particularly with the new leadership’s sensitivity to challenges facing rural counties, such as road maintenance.

“Senator [Mike] McGuire is about to become the pro tem of the Senate,” Lange noted. “He will be sworn in on Monday, and so you will have the Senate leader as one of your legislators. And then on the Assembly side, Dr. [Jim] Wood, while he is not running for re-election in his final year, he’s serving as the assistant majority leader, which is the third highest post in the Assembly.”

Those leadership positions could help Humboldt County have a louder voice at the state level, Lange said.

The county’s priorities include funding requests for offshore wind development, housing and roads, and there is also concern about AT&T’s recent request to discontinue landline service.

At the federal level, partners with the lobbying firm Paragon Government Relations addressed a number of issues, including the fact that the 2022 earthquake that caused extensive damage to Rio Dell nonetheless failed to reach FEMA’s threshold for a disaster declaration.

Joe Krahn, a lobbyist with Paragon, said FEMA needs to reevaluate the way it determines that threshold because the current system disadvantages small and rural communities.

The federal lobbyists also noted that the Drug Enforcement Agency may soon decide whether to reschedule cannabis as a Schedule III substance, saying it’s still important for the county to push for reforms, including passage of the Safe Banking Act, which would provides protections for federally regulated financial institutions that serve cannabis businesses.

Short-term rental ordinance

Later in the meeting, the board considered approving the short-term rental ordinance draft that the Planning Commission passed unanimously at the end of November following months of deliberations. However, despite discussing the particulars for two and a half hours, the board wound up punting a decision on the matter to its March 5 meeting.

The ordinance, once passed, would establish a set of rules for local residents who operate vacation rental properties through companies such as Airbnb and Vacasa. With the ordinance, the county is hoping to address concerns about neighborhood disruption and the loss of housing stock from conversion of homes to rental properties.

Humboldt County currently has somewhere between 600 and 800 short-term rentals (STRs), which is equivalent to three to five years’ worth of housing production in the county’s unincorporated areas, according to county staff.

The proposed ordinance would allow STRs with a $135 administrative permit, so long as the owners follow the rules and comply with operations standards. It would also establish a cap on the total number of STRs at no more than two percent of the total units in the Greater Humboldt Area Plan and no more than five percent of the housing stock in any specific community plan area. The permits would be good for two years.

“There are operations standards relative to the occupancy, noise, lighting and parking as well as the inclusion of a good neighbor guide” that highlights emergency evacuation routes, public safety information and traffic etiquette, County Planner Cade McNamara explained.

During the Planning Commission’s deliberations, transferability was “a very hot topic,” as McNamara put it, with the question being whether or not one property owner could bequeath their rental to a subsequent owner. The current draft of the ordinance prohibits this.

Some residents of the Big Lagoon community have urged the board to apply a cap to their neighborhood so that the Big Lagoon Estates, a housing development slated for construction, can’t be entirely converted to STRs.

Less than a dozen members of the public offered comments on the proposed regulations, with some advocating for more stringent rules while others warned against over-regulating a popular option for tourists. During the ensuing conversation among the board, Bohn said the relatively low number of public speakers suggests that people must feel satisfied by the work of the Planning Commission.

During board deliberations, Bohn asked Planning and Building Director John Ford why the draft ordinance doesn’t allow an STR to be transferred to an heir upon the owner’s death. Ford said it’s a “policy decision” within the board’s purview, but the Planning Commission didn’t feel comfortable wading into those waters.

Madrone said STRs are “absolutely a piece of our tourism economy” as more and more people choose them over hotels. But he said restrictions are needed, and he advocated for both Big Lagoon and Willow Creek to be included in the regions that have a cap on STRs.

Wilson questioned some of the rules relating to STRs in “resource zones” such as lands zoned for agricultural exclusive or timber production zones, asking whether STRs should be allowed in structures that are ancillary to the resource value — an apartment separate from a farm house, for example. He voiced concern about “the domino effect” of principally permitting residential uses on resource lands.

The board’s conversation ping-ponged from one section of the draft ordinance to another, and as the afternoon wore on, things got a bit testy. Wilson said there were just a few outstanding matters he’d like to address, but he wanted to take a break.

“I’m just, so … we’ve been doing this meeting since 9 a.m.,” he said. “We’ve had two 10-minute breaks, so I’m just – I can’t even remember what I’ve talked about now, at this moment.” 

Bohn lightly mocked Wilson for complaining about seven hours of deliberation, and Wilson got defensive, saying, “I know Supervisor Bohn doesn’t think there’s any intellectual energy expended [in] doing this, but there is.”

“Maybe I don’t have any to expend,” Bohn quipped. Later he remarked that maybe he doesn’t have enough education to get tired, adding, “No, I’m just used to working long hours.”

The board discussed postponing the hearing until February, but Wilson had a potential conflict with an upcoming meeting of the California Coastal Commission, so they wound up picking March 5. The vote to postpone the matter until then was unanimous.

Potter Valley Project

Before calling it a day (shortly after 5 p.m.), the board received an update on the Potter Valley Hydroelectric Project and the inactive Eel-Russian River Commission.

PG&E last year announced that it plans to decommission and remove two dams on the Eel River and negotiate a new diversion from the Eel to the Russian River.

Staff recommended that the board form a two-member “Eel-Russian River ad hoc committee.” Hank Seemann, deputy director of public works, noted that water users in Sonoma and Mendocino counties hope to continue water diversions from the Eel to the Russian during winter months, but Humboldt County isn’t necessarily onboard.

“Our preferred position is that Eel River water should stay in the Eel River watershed,” Seemann said. In a follow-up email to the Outpost he added, “Any future water diversions would need to be consistent with recovery of Eel River fisheries and a financial assessment on diversions would need to go into an Eel River Restoration Fund. The County will need to see the specific proposal for future diversions and have more information before considering formal support.”

Wilson made a motion to appoint himself and Bushnell to the proposed ad hoc committee, citing his experience on the California Coastal Commission.

Bohn took another swipe at Wilson saying, “Well, golly shucks, I’ve got a lot [of the Eel] running through my district but I’m not that smart. So, OK.”

Arroyo said each and every county supervisor probably has a compelling reason to be on the committee. Wilson thanked Bohn for helping to negotiate a position statement and said he thinks all five members of the board are on the same page. 

The motion to appoint Wilson and Bushnell to the committee passed 4-1, with Madrone again casting the lone dissenting vote.

UPDATE:, 4:38 p.m.:

As of 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024 the Humboldt County Public Works Roads Division has posted the following roads as flooded or closed:

Flooded:

• Old Arcata Road flooded between Jacoby Creek Road and Graham Road

• Dillon Road

• Camp Weott Road

• Meridian Road

• Port Kenyon Road

• Ambrosini Lane

• Rose Avenue

• Goble Lane

• Johnson Road - Hydesville

• Riverside Park Road

• Mill Street - Fortuna

• Berta Road

Closed

• Coffee Creek Road

• Scenic Drive at P.M. 1.0-Trinidad

• Hookton Road and Eel River Road

###

UPDATE, 2:56 p.m.: As predicted, the Hookton offramp and Eel River Drive are now flooded, per CHP.

###

ORIGINAL POST:

It’s coming down hard and fast, but so far, as of this writing, the damage has been pretty minimal. There are moderate-sized power outages in SoHum and the Orleans/Somes Bar areas, and a few smaller and thankfully localized ones in Hoopa.

No major highways have been shut down yet, but there are a couple of closures to report. The CHP is reporting that the Avenue of the Giants is closed near Holmes due to flooding. And College of the Redwoods just texted to say:

The main entrance to the CR parking lot is closed due to flooding. The central CR entrance is open and available for use. Please use caution while driving, do not drive through flooded areas and follow all staff instructions.

And that’s a good tip for everyone, not just CR students! Don’t try to drive through flooded zones, please! Your car will bottom out and drift in shallower water than you supposed possible.

Apparently oft-flooded roads like those in the Hookton, Bayside and Elk River areas are still open for the time being, but the water is going to rise. Stay safe out there.

Many California government jobs don’t require a college degree. That list may grow longer as agencies face a rise in job vacancies.

Over the past decade, California cities, counties, and the state government have been changing the job descriptions for thousands of employees — either by removing the requirement for a high school, college, or graduate-level degree or by detailing alternative ways that candidates can gain the same skills. Studies show these changes can benefit workers and employers.

For instance, janitors no longer need a high school degree to work for the state, and staff services analysts, who help administer many of the state’s programs, no longer need a bachelor’s degree.

But while state leaders and scholars agree about the need for more of these changes, they disagree about the best or fastest way to do it.

“Further action is possible,” wrote Gov. Gavin Newsom last year in an executive order about career education. In it, he explicitly asked the California Department of Human Resources to make re-evaluating education requirements a higher priority.

The governor’s order came after at least 15 states had already enacted similar or more aggressive changes to their hiring practices.

Last year, Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, a Democrat from Orinda, proposed Assembly Bill 1693, which would have put California on par with many other states by making education requirements the exception, rather than the norm, for state employees. “There is no reason for California to have an arbitrary barrier to access these good-paying jobs that benefit our state,” she said.

But earlier this month, that bill died in the Assembly Appropriations Committee. Another, more limited bill by state Sen. Rosilicie Ochoa Bogh, a Republican from Redlands, was introduced on the same day. Senate Bill 943 would waive bachelor’s degree requirements for certain veterans.

“There is no reason for California to have an arbitrary barrier to access these good-paying jobs that benefit our state.”
— Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan

Since 2015, the state’s human resources department has changed the requirements for nearly 170 kinds of jobs, which represent about 27,000 people. Bauer-Kahan’s bill would have forced the state to reevaluate the remaining 2,600 other kinds of state jobs over the next year, which represent roughly 200,000 more people, said Camille Travis, a spokesperson for the state’s human resources department. She said the state does not know the number of jobs that currently require a degree because most jobs offer multiple ways for candidates to qualify.

“We’re not going to do it overnight,” said Monica Erickson, the department’s chief deputy director. She said that changing the job descriptions can be “extremely complex,” requiring input or approval from other state agencies, the State Personnel Board, and unions, if applicable. A legislative committee analysis of the bill said it would cost more than $1 million to hire the human resources staff to process all the job changes.

Solving a ‘hiring crisis’

Often, degrees are used as a proxy for certain skills, such as communication, teamwork, and computer literacy, according to a 2022 report by the Burning Glass Institute, a nonprofit research organization. Removing degree requirements widens the pool of potential applicants, making it easier to recruit more diverse talent, the report said.

At the online job site ZipRecruiter, the benefits are already evident, said Julia Pollak, the company’s chief economist. A 2023 ZipRecruiter survey of more than 2,000 employers found that 72% were prioritizing skills over degree and 45% had gotten rid of degree requirements in some roles in the previous year.

Large companies, especially those in the tech sector, have been vocal about the need for skill-based hiring. IBM said it cut bachelor’s degree requirements from more than half of its U.S. job openings in 2021.

For many companies, these changes accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic, when staffing shortages pushed employers to rethink their requirements.

“You don’t need any legislation to push the private sector to do it, but you do need legislation to allow the public sector to do it,” Pollak said.

Before the pandemic, the state’s job vacancy rate was just under 15%. Now it’s at 20%, Erickson said. The growing vacancy rate was the chief concern behind the bill, Bauer-Kahan said.

“It may not meaningfully change who applies and it may not meaningfully change who gets hired, but it’s worth doing if it’s changing the conversation about what these jobs require.”
— Sara Hinkley, professor at UC Berkeley

One reason for the high vacancy rate: the number of state employees is growing. Since 2019, the state has added roughly 20,000 positions, an increase of more than 8%, according to Travis, a spokesperson for the state’s human resources department. The same challenges exist in county and city governments, which tend to face even higher vacancy rates, according to a report by the UC Berkeley Labor Center.

More than three-quarters of jobs with the county of San Diego don’t require a degree, a significant increase since the county started reassessing its jobs in 2022. Riverside County approved a motion to consider alternatives to degrees, although the county was unable to provide data before publication about what changes had been made.

As San Francisco faces an “unprecedented hiring crisis,” a spokesperson for the human resources department, Jack Hebb, said the city has changed the requirements for 267 out of 915 job classifications over the past 10 years. Roughly a quarter of those changes happened after the start of the pandemic, he said.

Filling state government jobs other ways

Erickson said she believes that changing education requirements can promote equity by removing barriers and can “absolutely” help fill vacancies, but that it’s not a panacea. “People look at pay first,” she said. While the state offers better-than-average pay for many jobs, such as custodial work, other positions, such as police officers, pay below the average wage compared to other workers across the state.

The Service Employees International Union, SEIU, is concerned that some employers may change education requirements in order to lower wages, said Sandra Barreiro, a governmental relations advocate for SEIU. While Barreiro didn’t endorse Bauer-Kahan’s bill, the local service workers union that represents public sector employees, SEIU Local 1000, did.

Sara Hinkley, a professor at UC Berkeley and an author of the report on vacancies, said that changing degree requirements is “one small part” of the solution. “It may not meaningfully change who applies and it may not meaningfully change who gets hired, but it’s worth doing if it’s changing the conversation about what these jobs require,” she said.

Last year, a senior researcher at The Burning Glass Institute posted a new finding on LinkedIn regarding the institute’s earlier report. He found that in reality, employers are hiring more people with college degrees, not fewer, even as they remove education requirements from job posts.

“Just changing the language of job postings doesn’t guarantee that you’re going to change who you hire,” said institute president Matt Sigelman. Instead he said the focus should be about analyzing what’s really needed and cited IBM, which aggressively removed degree requirements for most positions, later re-introducing those requirements in a few jobs.

###

Adam Echelman covers California’s community colleges in partnership with Open Campus, a nonprofit newsroom focused on higher education.

CalMatters.org is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media venture explaining California policies and politics.