The League of Women Voters of Humboldt County (LWVHC) has entered the chat on the alleged lack of transparency around the Eureka City Schools (ECS) Board of Trustees action on one now-notorious property swap.

At the Board’s regularly scheduled meeting yesterday, the first since Humboldt County’s Civil Grand Jury released a report slamming the “secretive” nature of the Trustees’ decision making in the Jacobs Campus deal, LWVHC Board Member Anne Hartline read a three-minute excerpt from the League’s statement.

“We were shocked and concerned by the actions of the ECS Board of Trustees on December 14, 2023 when it approved a major real estate transaction with minimal public notification or community input,” the statement reads.

The action in question is, of course, the Board’s Dec. 14 decision to exchange the site of the former George C. Jacobs Junior High School for a small residential property and $5.35 million – entering into a partnership with the AMG Communities-Jacobs, an LLC that was formed just days before.

“The bottom line for us is transparency,” Hartline told the Outpost regarding the League’s decision to weigh in, “we believe that all members of the public should be given opportunity by elected boards to learn, voice opinion and engage in their communities.”

“And we believe this action did not have adequate transparency,” she concluded.

The statement came the same week that some Eureka residents received a mailer from the Housing for All and Downtown Vitality Initiative, sponsored by Rob Arkley’s Security National Properties Holding Company, LLC, which outlines a vision of what the Jacobs site could be – despite the claim on AMG Communities’ frequently asked questions page that Arkley is “not an owner or investor” in the LLC.

LWVHC clearly wants the details on that, as one of their (five) suggestions to the Board was to “disclose the names of all partners in AMG Communities-Jacobs, LLC to establish the bona-fide identity of its members and disclose its financial integrity.”

Because the topic was not agendized for the June 25 ECS Board of Trustees meeting, the trustees could not respond to LWVHC’s statement due to Brown Act regulations. The Board did say that it will respond to the Grand Jury’s findings within 90 days of the report’s June 12 release in one of its regularly scheduled meetings.

The property transfer is on tomorrow’s 6:30 p.m. ECS Board meeting as a closed session item. The meeting agenda can be found here.

Read the full text of the League’s statement below.

To: Eureka City Schools Board of Trustees

Dear Trustees;

The League of Women Voters, a nonpartisan political organization, encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy. The League is nonpartisan in that it does not support or oppose any political party or candidate; it is political in that it takes positions on selected governmental issues after member study and agreement.

One such member study was conducted by the League of Women Voters of Humboldt County (LWVHC) in 2016. The study, which is part of the LWVHC Government Portfolio and is entitled “Civic Engagement”, specifically states that:

All governmental bodies and organizations should:

• Facilitate equitable access to current information about all public meetings open or closed. This shall include all information about the meetings, agendas, and reports. This information should be made accessible to the public with reasonably sufficient time for citizen response and/or input.
• Ensure that equitable opportunities exist for public input from multiple platforms and provide ample opportunities for citizens to participate in the civic process,
• Ensure that sufficient input from citizens is allowed at public meetings and recorded in the minutes
• Ensure transparency for citizens about all policies, practices, evaluations, and decisions of the organization.

The League of Women Voters of Humboldt County feels very strongly about the need for full and open transparency, as well as opportunities for citizen involvement related to the actions of elected governmental boards and governmental decision-making.

For this reason, we were shocked and concerned by the actions of the Eureka City Schools Board of Trustees on December 14, 2023 when it approved a major real estate transaction with minimal public notification or community input. Our concerns were validated by the recent Humboldt County Civil Grand Jury Report released on June 12, 2024.

The League of Women Voters of Humboldt County strongly agrees with the Grand Jury’s summary (page 1): “The Humboldt County Civil Grand Jury concludes that the Eureka City Schools Trustees acted hastily and without sufficient due diligence. While apparently literally complying with the technical requirements of the California Government Code (Brown Act) with respect to a real estate transaction, the Trustees violated the law’s general intent for public participation and transparency in decision-making.”

We also concur with the Deficiencies cited in the report (pages 9 and 10): “There was insufficient time for the ECS Trustees and the public to read, understand, and openly discuss and question the pending deal.”

We were additionally shocked to learn that:

• “Although the ‘agenda packet’ distributed to ECS Trustees approximately 72 hours before the December 14, 2023, meeting included the draft resolution and agreement (17 pages single-spaced), these documents were not available to the public. The publicly announced agenda at the time did not specify the details of the pending transaction.”
• “Prior public notice did not inform that the pending deal involved not just a sale of surplus property but a property exchange bypassing certain provisions of the Education Code.”
• “ECS Trustees did not publicly verify the bona fide identity and finances of AMG Communities-Jacobs, LLC.”

In terms of the Grand Jury report’s statement regarding Due Diligence and Decision-making (pages 10 and 11), the League of Women Voters of Humboldt County agrees that:

• “The public has a right to be informed about pending decisions, to be involved, and to fully participate.”
• “The ECS Trustees did not exercise due diligence and did not inquire about the resolution agreement.” “…On December 14, 2023, the ECS Trustees in effect “rubber-stamped” the Resolution and Agreement.”

And finally, the League of Women Voters of Humboldt County concurs with the Grand Jury report’s statement on Decision-making (page 12): “ECS Trustees, administrators, and advisers did not provide sufficient information regarding the agendized Jacobs property transaction at least 72 hours prior to ECS Trustee action, thereby preventing meaningful public participation in the enactment of the Resolution and Agreement.”

The League of Women Voters of Humboldt County strongly suggests that the Eureka City Schools Board of Trustees take the following actions to address the concerns raised in the Humboldt County Civil Grand Jury report and restore transparency to this important transaction between ECS and AMG Communities-Jacobs, LLC:

1. Immediately make the details of the Jacobs property negotiations and ongoing status of the transaction known to the public,

2. Fully disclose the names of all partners in AMG Communities-Jacobs, LLC to establish the bona-fide identity of its members and disclose its financial integrity,

3. Fully explain the need felt by ECS Board of Trustees, the Superintendent and advisers for the “secretive, last-minute, quick judgment, in an intentionally compressed time-period, without public knowledge, behind closed doors”. (Grand Jury Report Conclusion, page 12)

4. Now, and in the future, “provide the public with an opportunity to be informed and to question the details of this decision and its potential relationship to other local public policy issues.” (Grand Jury Report Findings, page 13)

5. Delay the close of escrow on this transaction to allow adequate time to address Items 1-4 above.

Sincerely,

Dr. Sharolyn Hutton, LWVHC Co-President
Jessica Schlachter, LWVHC Co-President
Anne J. Hartline, LWVHC Board Member

DOCUMENT:

• “Humboldt County, Behavioral Health,Substance Use, and the Streets: What Works?” Humboldt County Civil Grand Jury, June 2024.

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Press release from the Humboldt County Civil Grand Jury:

The Humboldt County Civil Grand Jury has released the seventh report of their 2023-2024 term, entitled “Humboldt County, Behavioral Health, Substance Use, and the Streets: What Works?” Humboldt County citizens who are suffering from significant behavioral health issues have few options. If they are fortunate enough to have private insurance, they may be able to find treatment from a private psychiatrist, nurse practitioner, or clinician. If they need to be hospitalized, they may be able to go to an out-of-area private in-patient facility. For the unhoused, uninsured, underinsured, and those individuals in active and severe crisis, those options do not exist.

For many years the primary responders for our citizens suffering active behavioral health crisis have been law enforcement. This situation is not by choice, but they are often the last strings in the social safety net. In the last fifteen years or so officers have slowly obtained more tools, usually through Critical Incident Team training. These training tools assist law enforcement officers to recognize people in crisis, to use effective de-escalation techniques, and to coordinate with trained behavioral health professionals that respond to assist or manage the situation when they are available.

This report focuses on the concept of having trained professionals to work with those individuals in crisis. Over the last decade, two programs have been reaching out to those most in need. These programs are the Mobile Intervention and Services Team (MIST) and Crisis Alternative Response Eureka (CARE). CARE often works with the Eureka Police Department’s Community Safety Engagement Team (CSET). However, it is important to note that these programs are not aimed solely at those in crisis. These programs also address substance use disorder and attempt to identify people before they reach behavioral health crisis. These programs work to connect the most marginalized of our citizens with critical resources while treating them with respect and dignity.

The 2024-2025 term for the Civil Gand Jury is right around the corner, and the Superior Court is seeking more jurors. If you want to serve your community in a unique way that could improve local government this is your opportunity. Applications to serve on the Humboldt County Civil Grand Jury can be found at this link. Additional information provided by the Civil Grand Jurors Association of California can be found at this link.

With a diagnosis of complex post traumatic stress disorder and wracked by frequent anxiety-induced seizures, Cal Fire Captain Todd Nelson spends much of his days in acute mental distress. His therapist, Jennifer Alexander, said “nine out of ten therapists wouldn’t touch Todd with a ten-foot pole.”

Why? Because of the challenge of treating a firefighter with such a severe mental health condition, including multiple suicide attempts and hospitalizations?

No. Because California’s therapists know that taking on a patient in the state’s workers’ comp insurance system means that it could be years before they are paid. In addition, it’s likely that insurers would challenge their treatment decisions and even subpoena their records.

“If you take a work comp case you knowingly understand that you are not going to get paid for some time,” said Alexander, a licensed marriage and family therapist who specializes in treating PTSD and trauma. Nelson granted her permission to talk about his case. “I have multiple cases in which I haven’t been paid for three years. You have to have a passion to work with this population,” she said.

The intransigence of the system puts doctors in a difficult position — deny patients the care they need or forego their own payment. Like many therapists who fear the impacts of cutting off treatment to seriously ill firefighters, Alexander treats many of them anyway. Then she figures out later how to get reimbursed.

“You have to make a moral-ethical decision — to make a commitment to a client or a commitment to getting paid,” she said. “Insurance gives you a handful of sessions, but with many patients,” like Nelson, “trauma is not going to be resolved in ten to twelve sessions.”

Therapist Jennifer Alexander and her patient, former Cal Fire Captain Todd Nelson, at a therapy session. Alexander says the workers’ comp bureaucracy deters many therapists from treating first responders with PTSD. Photos by Cristian Gonzalez for CalMatters

Some doctors simply refuse to take workers’ comp cases, leaving fewer choices for firefighters and other patients with PTSD and other serious ailments. And a potentially crushing caseload for therapists.

The state’s workers’ compensation system, managed by the California Department of Industrial Relations, provides benefits for private and government workers whose medical conditions are work-related. More than 16 million Californians are covered.

Officials from the industrial relations department refused to answer CalMatters’ questions or provide an interview about issues related to first responders’ mental health claims.

California workers’ comp is an outlier, and not in a good way.

“California continues to experience longer average claim duration compared to other states, driven by slower claim reporting, lower settlement rates and higher frictional costs,” says a 2023 report by the Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau, an association of companies licensed to handle workers’ comp insurance in the state.

Only a third of medical losses in California are paid by workers’ comp within two years of an injury, while it’s two-thirds in other states. And about 36% take five years or longer in California, about twice the median in other states, according to the report.

California’s sheer size slows the rate of case closure and reimbursement, said Sean Cooper, executive vice president and chief actuary for the Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau. The torrent of claims, the number of attorneys in the system and the complexity of trauma cases bog down an already ponderous bureaucracy.

Because of their cumulative trauma that can stem from an entire career, they often need years of therapy.

Some therapists no longer accept workers’ comp or even private insurance, leaving a patient paying fully out of pocket for mental health care, said D. Imelda Padilla-Frausto, a research scientist at the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research.

“Clinicians often go into private practice because they don’t want to deal with even health insurance. It’s all out of pocket. Then you add workers’ comp on to that, and it’s “oh, no,’ ” she said. “Our health system is administration-heavy.”

Nelson ran smack into that bureaucratic wall. He said he contacted therapists who refused to take insurance or were intimidated by the severity of his diagnosis. “They were being polite, telling me they weren’t taking new patients,” he said.

Nelson, who lives in Nevada City, searched for years for a therapist that would take his case. Experts says there aren’t enough therapists in many rural regions. Photo by Cristian Gonzalez for CalMatters

RAND researchers noted many of these shortcomings in California’s workers’ comp system in a 2021 report.

“The workers’ comp system is excruciatingly slow, doctors are annoyed, not getting paid for extra reports and patients are not getting care,” said Denise D. Quigley, senior policy researcher at RAND and one of the report’s project leaders.

Previous research had identified problems with California’s workers’ comp system, including a heavy burden of administrative costs borne by providers, who also complained about inadequate compensation.

“It’s hard to find providers willing to take on the struggle for workers’ comp. There are some that will just take patients outright, but a majority can’t,” Quigley said. “They recognize that if they take them on there will be self pay, it’s months to get paid, and unless they are part of a really large organization, they can’t cover that cost.”

Nelson recalls traumatic memories of his time as a firefighter during a treatment session. Photo by Cristian Gonzalez for CalMatters

Frustration is winnowing the ranks of providers qualified to treat PTSD and related issues, according to Joy Alafia, executive director of the professional group California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists.

“We have a shortage of mental health professionals overall in California, and with the added paperwork and denials…you can understand why there is a natural inclination to choose a different path. The administrative burden is so great, you need assistance and technology to help overcome the barrier,” Alafia said.

In four years, the demand for mental health care in California will exceed the workforce capacity, according to a UC San Francisco analysis.

Alafia said the administrative burden from workers’ comp sometimes forces therapists to bring on more staff to “wrestle with companies” that reject what doctors view as a sufficient number of patient visits.

That can leave patients vulnerable, Alafia said, which is an unconscionable bottom line.

“We have concerns about continuity of care,” she said. “The more time marriage and family therapists spend doing paperwork means less time with the client. And that’s what people get into this profession to do in the first place.”

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This story was made possible in part by a grant from the A-Mark Foundation.

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

A proposed California constitutional amendment to permit some aspects of affirmative action won’t appear on the ballot this year because its author feared voters wouldn’t pass the measure — but he also vowed to bring the proposal back for a future state election.

The measure, known as Assembly Constitutional Amendment 7, would not have fully overturned Proposition 209, which state voters passed in 1996 and created the country’s first ban on racial preferences, including affirmative action in public university admissions. Instead, it sought to allow state agencies to send the governor a waiver request to sidestep some of Proposition 209’s restrictions if academic research showed those programs would improve the health, economic or educational outcomes of specific demographic groups.

An effort to undo Proposition 209 was voted down by Californians in 2020.

The proposed amendment was one of 14 priority legislative efforts this year backed by the California Legislative Black Caucus. Those were informed by a state-funded reparations task force report that included more than 100 financial and legal recommendations to combat the legacy of slavery and racism in California.

There are “so many propositions sucking up additional financial resources,” said the measure’s author, Corey Jackson, an Assembymember and Democrat from Moreno Valley, in an interview with CalMatters this evening.

He also cited concern that an anti-crime measure that’s currently on the November ballot will attract fierce opposition to his measure — and to another effort by his peers in the Black Caucus to end forced labor in California prisons. The fundraising challenges to fight one measure and back two others prompted members of the Black Caucus to call off ACA 7 late last week, Jackson said.

As recently as a week ago, his office was signaling that it would push to place the measure on this year’s November ballot by meeting a Thursday deadline for ballot proposals to pass the Legislature. Any constitutional proposal from a lawmaker must pass both chambers of the Legislature, but doesn’t require the governor’s signature.

“He’s (Jackson) still confident he’s going to meet the deadline,” his spokesperson told Calmatters last Wednesday. While the measure cleared the Assembly last year, it languished in the Senate until receiving committee assignments only last week.

Jackson said Tuesday that “there was no doubt in our minds we were going to get it out of the Legislature. The question is: Should we?” Jackson said Democratic leadership supported the proposed amendment.

“The question is when is the right time to do it? Is it 2026? Is it 2028?” Jackson asked. “We have to see where we are in terms of the predictability of our electorate and turnout, as well as what type of political climate we’re in.”

Wenyuan Wu opposed Jackson’s measure. She’s executive director of the Californians for Equal Rights Foundation, a group that opposes race-based interventions because it views such efforts as discriminatory. Wu and other foundation officials played major roles in successfully campaigning against Proposition 16 in 2020.

“We’re very happy that the assemblyman has come to this realization,” Wu said this evening in an interview. It was “not going to be received well on the ballot,” she predicted.

It’s also unclear if a measure like Jackson’s would pass federal court scrutiny given the U.S. Supreme Court’s ban on affirmative action, a legal scholar told CalMatters last year.

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

It’s with great sadness and heavy hearts that our family give notice of the passing of Shannon Randoll Filgas. He departed this world on June 12, 2024 at 10:25 p.m. at Post Sonoma acute in Sonoma. He will be cremated by Duggan’s Mission Chapel in Sonoma and be able to come home forever. Shannon was 46 years old and was born on February 17, 1978 at old general hospital in Eureka, to Donna Maxwell and Randall Filgas.

Shannon was preceded in death by his father Randall Lynn Filgas, grandfathers Milton James Filgas, Fred Holt, grandmothers Amelia Kimson, Barbra Deckert, great-grandmother Irene Patterson, great-grandfathers Henry Patterson (Bio), Clyde Patterson (adopted), cousin Randall Flesher, great-aunts Loretta and Heneryetta Patterson, great-uncle James Patterson (AKA uncle Butch) and Velma Patterson his wife. Also his father figure through out his life Donald Hill.

People have lots of different memories of Shannon, like when he drug Curtis’s dad down the road on a three-wheeler. How certain people can remember and tell me how excited, frantic and worried you were the day I was born, running around the hospital telling everyone what to do with your baby girl. The family camping trips to Ruth Lake: definitely memorable.

My favorite memory is our late night/early morning father daughter breakfasts . We would go to Denny’s at 2-3 a.m. to eat breakfast and talk. It was the best memories I have of you and that’s one tradition I will definitely continue with my kids in the future. Most of us would agree we had a very interesting relationship with you. You definitely kept things interesting. We all have seen you go through so much in your lifetime you can now be out of pain, rest in peace and forever be happy. We will all always cherish our memories we were able to have with you.

Shannon is survived by his daughter Rebecca Pierce, mother Donna Maxwell, siblings John (Britni) Maxwell, Jen Maxwell, Donny Holbrooks, grandchild Sophia Newman, nieces Jessica and Kassidy Hellyer, Valentina and Rosalia Holbrooks, nephew Sean Maxwell, aunts Terry Jones, Lorrena Filgas, uncles Tim Holt, Joe Filgas, cousins Britney Jones, Amanda Flesher, Jeremiah Jones, Tim Holt Jr., James Holt, Christopher Ridenour Jr., Madeline Richards, Ryan Filgas and many more family members. Shannon will also be remembered by his lifelong friends he considered family: Ken Hill, Curtis Beck, Christopher Waters, Phil Lawson, Loren O’Connor, Dave Springer and a few others.

A Celebration of life for Shannon will be held sometime in July of 2025. Please contact family members Rebecca Pierce or Donna Maxwell early next year (2025) for more details including date, time, place, and what to bring. All will be welcome.

The obituary above was written and submitted by Shannon’s daughter Rebecca Pierce.

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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Shannon Filgas’ loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here.

‘Erma Hale Backman, age 82, Arcata, was called home on Friday, June 21, with her family by her side. Erma was born in Broken Bow, Oklahoma on July 22, 1941 to Charles and Winnie Beck. She moved to California as a child and lived in various cities. Erma attended Arcata High School. Erma was a longtime member and faithful servant at McKinleyville Baptist Church.

Erma married Preston Hale in February 1960. They made their home and raised their family in McKinleyville. He preceded her in death in September 2000. She married Milford Backman, August 2001. They lived in Trinidad. He preceded her in death on January 2011.

Erma dearly loved her family and was very proud of them. She enjoyed trivia, old movies, board games and game shows, especially Jeopardy.

Erma is survived by her son Bob Baxter and his wife Phyllis of Bad Axe, Michigan; her daughter Laurie Brown and her husband Mike of McKinleyville and Yuma, Arizona; her grandchildren Daniel Baxter, Nicole (Mark) Lay, Jennifer Brown and Clinton Meyers; and her great-grandchildren Dominic Stiles-Brown, Sullivan and Anderson Lay, Kaylin Stovall and Natalie Swift.

Erma was preceded in death by her parents, Preston Hale and Milford Backman; her daughter Kathleen Munoz; and a granddaughter, Michelle Lindley.

A service for Erma will be held on Saturday, June 29 at 11 a.m. at McKinleyville Baptist Church 1616 Windsor Ave, McKinleyville. Her family will receive guests at the church from 10 a.m. until the time of the service.

In lieu of flowers, consider a donation to McKinleyville Baptist Church or the family discretionary fund.

We would like to thank Hospice of Humboldt — especially Kerry — and Visiting Angels for the care they provided.

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Humboldt sheriff deputies will soon be the newest stars of “On Patrol: Live,” a reality television series that follows on-duty law enforcement officers in real-time. 

At today’s meeting, the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to approve a one-year access agreement with Half Moon Pictures, LLC, the production company behind “On Patrol: Live,” despite hesitation among some board members. Third District Supervisor Mike Wilson asked to change his vote after the votes were cast, but his request was denied.

Appearing via Zoom, Humboldt Sheriff William Honsal told the board that the show would give his department an opportunity to “highlight the professional law enforcement services” it provides and, ideally, bring in more potential recruits. 

Honsal | Screenshot

“I think this is an opportunity for us to highlight Humboldt County … and also talk about how California law enforcement is different [from other states],” Honsal said. “[W]e hold people accountable, but we also are all about building trust with our community. This is another layer that we can present to our community and to highlight, again, the professional services that we do here.” 

Honsal noted that the agreement would be a “trial run,” adding later in the meeting that the county would have 45 days to terminate its contract with the production company. “If everything works, you know, we can do an additional year,” he said.

Citing concerns brought up in the Outpost’s previous reporting on the subject, Wilson asked what kind of precautions the sheriff’s office and the producers of the show would take to ensure camera crews did not distract deputies from their duties. 

“The cameramen do have some strict guidelines that they are not to interfere, that they’re to be on the sidelines viewing from an area that is accessible to the public,” Honsal responded. “They’re not going to go into people’s homes without consent. … They don’t have the same ability to go into private areas as law enforcement does, so they have to hang on the street and in public areas.”

Asked to address concerns around liability, Honsal said the sheriff’s office would “share that liability” with the production company. The terms of the agreement stipulate that the producer must maintain workers’ compensation insurance for its own employees and general commercial liability insurance that includes the County of Humboldt as “an additional insured” party.

“They [the producers] are reputable, they are professional and they do know their stuff, so that’s why I’m willing to go into this agreement with them – as long as the county agrees with it,” Honsal said. “I think this is a really good show that highlights what’s going on around the country with crime and law enforcement. I think it [will provide] a real, first-hand view of what our deputies are facing out there on the street. … I believe this is a positive thing. I believe that it is ultimately going to be a great thing for Humboldt County.”

Wilson | Screenshot

Wilson thanked Honsal for answering his questions but said he had a “different view” on the subject matter. “I don’t know if it’s given me a lot of confidence, but I appreciate your thoughts on that,” he said.

Similarly, Fourth District Supervisor Natalie Arroyo said she was “a little anxious” about “potential reputational harm” to the county. However, she said she could also understand that the show could be an effective recruiting tool, adding, “I know a few people [who] have gone into law enforcement because they saw a show like this … and it seemed like an exciting and interesting career.”

“I understand that this type of show has evolved from the stuff I saw as a kid, [which was] probably intended more to shock,” Arroyo continued. “It’s probably more realistic now. … I think I’ll just say, I’m putting confidence in you to make a good recommendation to us.”

“If I didn’t have total confidence in them, I wouldn’t be in a position to promote this access agreement,” Honsal responded. 

Fifth District Supervisor Steve Madrone did not directly address the agreement with Half Moon Pictures but said he looked forward to hearing Honsal’s response to the recent Humboldt County Civil Grand Jury report that called for additional civilian oversight over the Sheriff’s Office.

Bohn said the TV show would give the county a chance to “showcase the men and women of our sheriff’s department who do a great job.” He quipped that he “didn’t see anybody pushing back when Murder Mountain” was being filmed in the county, adding that Netflix docuseries was “not a good representation of Humboldt.”

The request to approve the agreement appeared on the board’s consent calendar, which is typically approved in one motion unless an item is pulled for discussion. Well, the item wasn’t technically pulled for discussion before it was discussed, which resulted in a confusing back and forth among board members. Wilson said he wanted to approve the consent calendar, but not the access agreement with Half Moon Pictures. He tried to make a motion to that effect, which was seconded by Madrone.

Annoyed that the item wasn’t pulled at the beginning of the meeting, Bohn and Second District Supervisor Michelle Bushnell voted against the motion. County Administrative Officer Elishia Hayes informed the board that a couple items on the consent calendar required a 4/5th vote. 

Eventually, Arroyo made a motion to approve the entire consent calendar, which was seconded by Bushnell. Right after the 5-0 vote passed, Wilson asked to change his vote to ‘no’ because “that was the whole point,” but his request was denied.

“Let everybody know that Mike is opposed to it, though, in heart and soul,” Bohn said.

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Check back tomorrow for more coverage of today’s Board of Supervisors meeting!