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This afternoon, as the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors considered its responses to the latest batch of Civil Grand Jury reports, Sheriff William Honsal argued vehemently against the idea of establishing new independent oversight of his office.

In its first report of the year, the Civil Grand Jury recommended that the county set up an independent Civilian Oversight Board and an Office of Inspector General, both with subpoena power, to provide enhanced understanding and oversight of the Humboldt County Sheriff Office. The oversight board would be charged with reviewing the office’s handling of critical incidents and allegations of misconduct, so that “the people of Humboldt County can gain a clearer view of important events that affect all of us,” as the Grand Jury put it in a press release.

But in comments to the board, Honsal argued that there’s no need for such additional oversight given his office’s existing level of transparency and the measures already in place to handle allegations of misconduct.

“When I look at this report and when I look at the climate within the county, I don’t see the controversy,” Honsal said. “I don’t see the need to establish a sheriff’s oversight. … What I’m asking is, what aren’t we currently doing right now? What is it that the Sheriff’s Office isn’t being transparent about?”

Elaborating on a statement posted yesterday to the Sheriff’s Office’s Facebook page, Honsal said he has personally ensured since being elected that things in his office are done correctly and transparently, adding that if he were to do anything wrong, he would be held accountable at the ballot box. 

Honsal also said that allegations of serious misconduct can be investigated by existing bodies, including the California Commission on Peace Officers Standards and Training (POST), the Department of Justice, the District Attorney, the Board of Supervisors, the Human Rights Commission, the Grand Jury and the public.

Resuming a conversation it started three weeks ago, the board (minus Supervisor Steve Madrone, who was absent) wasn’t prepared to establish such oversight at today’s meeting. Instead, they were considering whether to establish an ad hoc committee to investigate the merits of such a decision.

Fourth District Supervisor Natalie Arroyo said she sees value in exploring community opinions and researching what other counties and cities are doing in this regard. She also said the board has a responsibility to “understand the execution of duties of our employees,” telling Honsal that while the concept of an oversight board may sound punitive, that’s not her intent.

“We’re living in a domain where people expect different things from law enforcement than they did 10 or 20 years ago, and I think it behooves us to have the opportunity to set up an ad hoc and talk about that, and to bring back a little bit more information,” Arroyo said.

Third District Supervisor Mike Wilson said an oversight committee could help the community gain trust and understanding by peeling back some layers of potentially daunting bureaucracy between them and the Sheriff’s Office. He also pushed back on the notion that voters can easily hold a sheriff accountable, noting the strict requirements to run for the office and the regularity with which Honsal runs unopposed.

While Madrone was absent, he called in during this discussion to voice his interest in serving on the ad hoc committee and his support for the creation of an oversight board. He said there have been “numerous critical incidents that should have been reviewed and were not,” adding that community oversight is about the entire department, not the individual at its head.

First District Supervisor Rex Bohn, who keeps a “Thin Blue Line” flag hanging in his window, said he supports the sheriff and his deputies and agrees with Honsal that there are ample existing means of accountability. 

Second District Supervisor Michelle Bushnell expressed interest in serving on the ad hoc committee, as did Arroyo.

During the public comment period, a couple of members of this last Civil Grand Jury clarified their arguments, with Larry Giventer reiterating the position that oversight is constructive, not punitive. And former foreperson Richard Bergstresser pointed to the example of the City of Eureka’s Citizen Oversight of Police Practices (COPP) board, saying, “Sunshine is always good.”

The board wound up voting unanimously to create an ad hoc committee of Arroyo and Bushnell, who will work collaboratively with Honsal, District Attorney Stacey Eads and a representative from the County Administrative Office to explore the Grand Jury’s recommendations.

Other Grand Jury responses

Earlier in the meeting, Public Information Specialist Catarina Gallardo ran through staff’s proposed responses to two other reports from the 2023-24 Civil Grand Jury: “Humboldt County Facilities: Owning vs. Leasing” and “Humboldt County Custody & Corrections Facilities.”

Regarding the prior one, Gallardo said staff agrees with the Civil Grand Jury’s central finding that it would be more cost effective if the county owned buildings rather than leasing them, though she said the county has already completed a variety of consolidation goals and is working steadily toward further co-location of county offices.

As for the second report, most of the facilities in question fall under the authority of Sheriff Honsal, who prepared his own set of responses. The Civil Grand Jury found that the county’s custody and corrections facilities all suffer from understaffing, and some have deferred maintenance needs.

Staff recommended that the board partially agree with a finding that a gap in pay is making it harder for the county to recruit juvenile corrections officers, since the board recently approved a pay raise that narrowed that gap. Staff said the board should disagree with a finding that the Coroner’s Office lacks a central computerized data system, because it has such a system. And Gallardo said the board should not implement some recommended repair projects since the Sheriff’s Office is taking care of them.

The board unanimously approved staff recommendations. 

Hemp legislation letter

Turns out you can get high on hemp. This traditionally less-potent incarnation of the cannabis plant — often used in the production of paper, clothing and food products (hemp milk, hemp oil, hemp protein powder, etc.) — enjoys less-stringent regulations under federal law. In fact, the 2018 Farm Bill made it federally legal to grow hemp and ship it across state lines or even internationally, as long as it contained less than 0.3 percent THC.

But a loophole in the Farm Bill allows THC levels in hemp to be measured by weight instead of its power to intoxicate. Consequently, there has been “a flood of intoxicating hemp products” in gas stations and online stores, “making it incredibly easy for consumers and youth to access,” according to a county staff report.

There’s now a bill advancing through the state legislature, AB 2223, that would crack down on such sales through new regulations, but Humboldt County Planning and Building Director John Ford said there are significant local concerns about the proposed new law.

By co-regulating hemp alongside cannabis, the bill would allow hemp to enter the state’s legal weed marketplace, putting hemp products grown in and imported from across the country in direct competition with Humboldt-grown cannabis, which is subject to much more stringent regulations.

Staff asked the board to sign a letter opposing the bill unless it’s amended to do the following three things:

1. Include a ban on incorporating all forms of hemp-derived THC into cannabis products;
2. Establish a maximum THC threshold for hemp products at non-intoxicating levels; and
3. Establish a clear statutory definition for synthetically derived cannabinoids.

The timeline is incredibly short: AB 2223 could pass from the Assembly to the Senate for approval as soon as Thursday, and if the Senate votes to approve it before the end of the current legislative session on Aug. 30, the measure would head to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk to be signed into law.

Public commenters said this is cause for serious alarm. 

“There’s a few things that get my hands sweaty and my heart racing, and when the governor can just make one swoop of his pen and literally destroy everything we have built here, it is really, really concerning,” said Craig Johnson, co-owner of Alpenglow Farms.

Ross Gordon, policy director with the Humboldt County Growers Alliance, said allowing out-of-state hemp to be sold in California dispensaries would upend the marketplace. He complimented staff on the draft letter.

Ford said other counties, including Mendocino County and Nevada County, are also giving this bill the side-eye and will likely send similar letters.

The Board of Supervisors approved the letter unanimously.

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Twinkle Acres glamping permit denied

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During the board’s morning session they considered an application from commercial cannabis farmers with a 70-acre parcel near Blocksburg. They’re looking to establish a weed wellness retreat where guests would stay in casitas and enjoy accommodations such as an onsite pool, restaurant, spa, creative studios, sand volleyball court and more.

The owners filed a petition for a General Plan Amendment and Zone Reclassification to allow these uses, but Senior Planner Steve Lazar explained that the county’s current General Plan doesn’t really allow for the “spot zoning” that would be required to approve the project.

He added that the proposal conflicts with county policies designed to prevent lands zoned Agriculture Exclusive (AE) from being converted to non-agricultural uses. But county staff sees the value in this kind of proposal, which could draw tourists to the region.

“We’re asking you to both deny this petition but also direct our department to begin work on ordinance revisions to the zoning regulations to enable uses of this sort in certain scenarios,” Lazar said.

While he was in the midst of his staff presentation, Bushnell noted that the project site looked very close to her own property. The board took a break to investigate, and when they resumed the meeting a few minutes later, Bushnell confirmed that her parcel shares a boundary with this one, so she had to recuse herself.

Wilson voiced concerns about approving such development in a high-risk wildfire zone that doesn’t fall within an existing fire protection district. Arroyo agreed, saying that while this is “a really cool concept,” she understands why there are concerns.

Bohn said he thinks the fire danger could be mitigated through project requirements, and projects like this one could “show off our area.”

Property owner Paul Mitchell said he’s been talking to county staff about the potential to expand hospitality services on his land “given the climate of the cannabis industry right now.

“I think, in this community, that’s what makes the cannabis experience so unique, is the landscape, and it offers an experience that nobody else can really offer, except for southern Humboldt,” Mitchell said.

Industry representatives, including Natalynne DeLapp of the Humboldt County Growers Alliance, urged the board to have staff develop policies to allow such glamping. 

“It is really a potential boon for our rural areas that are not currently supported by the farm stay model,” DeLapp said.

The three board members who were present and eligible to vote unanimously approved staff’s recommendations, denying the petition while directing staff to start working on an ordinance addressing rural visitor-serving uses and glamping by the end of June 2025.

Press release from Cal Poly Humboldt:

Housing & Residence Life at Cal Poly Humboldt will hold its annual emergency simulation at 6 p.m., Wednesday, Aug. 14 to test campus and community response teams.

The exercise will take place in a residence hall on campus.

The simulation will be loud and include participation from Housing & Residence Life, the University Police Department, Campus Resilience & Response, the Arcata Fire Department, and the Arcata Mad River Ambulance.

Passersby may see smoke coming out of a residence hall and actors crying for help. First responders will use emergency radios and campus traffic flow may be affected.

The exercise aims to train Housing staff and local first responders on how to respond to a campus housing emergency. The emergency simulation is intended to provide a real-time, realistic experience of an emergency as well as provide the opportunity to test and evaluate a practical plan and practice communication among agencies.

Housing & Residence Life began holding multi-agency emergency simulations in 1986. The exercise takes place each year in August.

For location information, the contact News & Information at news@humboldt.edu.

Press release from the U.S. Coast Guard:

A Coast Guard helicopter aircrew medically evacuated a 35-year-old male off the tugboat “Cape Ann” approximately 28 miles northwest of Eureka, Monday.

Coast Guard Sector Humboldt Bay watchstanders received a relayed call from the tugboat Cape Ann, stating that a crewmember was experiencing abdominal pain along with other serious symptoms at approximately 8:20 a.m.

Sector Humboldt Bay watchstanders then coordinated the launch of an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter aircrew around 10:30 a.m.

The aircrew arrived on-scene, hoisted the passenger into the helicopter, and transferred him to emergency medical services at Saint Joseph Hospital in Eureka around 11:50 a.m.

Press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:

On Aug. 12, 2024, at about 10 a.m., Humboldt County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a theft report of over $10,000 of equipment from a construction yard in the 1200 block of Hatchery Rd. in Blue Lake.

Deputies were alerted that the suspect fled the scene in a black Ford flatbed truck. Citizens followed the vehicle and notified law enforcement. Deputies located the vehicle on Highway 299. The vehicle failed to stop and a pursuit was initiated. The pursuit led to the Maple Creek area, where the suspect vehicle crashed into a livestock fence around the 16000 block of Maple Creek Rd. and fled on foot. The deputies were unable to locate the suspect. The suspect is described as a white male, last seen wearing a gray hat, blue sweatshirt, and blue jeans.

The stolen property was located at the scene of the crash and returned to the victim.

The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) would like to thank the citizens who acted quickly and alerted law enforcement right away by calling 911. HCSO urges citizens to call or text 911 when you are having an emergency or witnessing a crime.

This case is still under investigation.

Anyone with information about this case or related criminal activity is encouraged to call the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office at (707) 445-7251 or the Sheriff’s Office Crime Tip line at (707) 268-2539.

Press release from Six Rivers National Forest:

Boise Fire Quick Facts

• Acres: 3,601 (from infrared flown at 3:30 a.m.)
  
• Detection Date: August 9, 2024
  
• Containment: 0%
  
• Cause: Under investigation
  
• Crews: 11
  
• Engines: 15
  
• Dozers: 2
  
• Helicopters: 11
  
• Fixed wing: available as needed

Headlines

• A Public Meeting will be held TODAY, August 13, 2024 at the Karuk DNR Building, 39051 Highway 96, Orleans, at 6:00 p.m.

• Get all your Boise Fire information in one mobile-friendly place! https://linktr.ee/

• Evacuations are in place for the Boise Fire for residents near the fire area in Humboldt County. For the most current evacuation information please visit the Boise Fire linktree  or visit:

• Humboldt County: https://humboldtgov.org/356/
• Siskiyou County: https://www.co.siskiyou.ca.us/

Leader’s Intent: The Boise Fire is being managed with a full suppression strategy.

Operational Update: Last night’s firing operations were successful and crews got good depth along Forest Road 10N01 toward the fire’s edge to meet constructed dozerline. This tactic is being deployed to protect the structures at Le Perron Flat should the fire make a run toward the northwest. Crews are working a swing shift from noon to 2:00 a.m. to accomplish this mission, and it is likely to continue tonight if conditions allow.

Priorities today remain the same as yesterday, with crews focusing on constructing and improving lines along the road systems on the west and southwest edges of the fire, to protect Short Ranch and the inholdings around Le Perron Flat, and to look for opportunities to check the fires spread to the east. The current operational objective is to hold the fire west of Antennae Ridge/ Orleans Lookout Road.

Weather and Fire Behavior: Today’s weather is expected to be similar to yesterday, with lower daytime temperatures and good overnight humidity recoveries. A deepening marine layer is anticipated to push into the area over the next few days, accompanied by cooler temperatures and higher humidity. Firefighters will take advantage of these cooler and moister conditions to continue operations on the ground. Aircraft use may be limited by visibility, especially during the morning hours.

Reader Kim Thallheimer has this story to share, which may make you think of government in a way you are not used to thinking about it:

This is NOT a political post.

I would like to share my experience with Senator Mike McGuire’s office.

My husband and I are rideshare drivers. We paid for our registration online. The ride share company would not accept the receipt or a Vehicle History Report. It was a technicality, which I do understand, but we were going to have to wait at least a week where we wouldn’t be able to work because they would accept the receipt or VHR from the DMV. The DMV stopped providing registrations (among a few other things) at the DMV office.

Needless to say, we would have lost a considerable amount of income.

We tried everything we could think of and came to a dead end. I decided to email Senator McGuire’s office. Within a couple hours (and after business hours) a representative from the Senator’s office responded to my email letting me know that she would give this her full attention the following morning. By late morning, she sent me a form to complete. By 1 p.m., I had a copy of the new registration in my email.

I was floored! I didn’t think we would get a resolution in a timely manner. I was wrong! This is an example of our elected officials doing their jobs and a situation we don’t want anyone else to have to deal with.

In a flurry of recent legislation and initiatives, California officials are pushing school districts to convert their surplus property into housing for teachers, school staff and even students and families. Some districts have already started; now the state wants every district to become a landlord.

“I believe that California has enough resources and ingenuity to solve (the housing shortage), and the data shows that California’s schools have the land to make this happen,” State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond said at a press conference in July. “As school leaders, we can get this done for our communities and restore the California Dream.”

But some superintendents and education analysts are skeptical, saying the idea won’t work everywhere and school districts might be better off focusing on education, not real estate development.

“I’m grateful someone’s paying attention to this, but I feel like educators are being asked to solve so many problems,” said Mendocino County Superintendent Nicole Glentzer. “Student performance, attendance, behavior … and now the housing crisis? It’s too much.”

Last month, Thurmond pledged financial incentives for districts that pass bonds to build staff housing, and the Department of Education is sponsoring a workshop for district officials to learn the ins-and-outs of real estate development.

His move comes on the heels of a report from UC Berkeley and UCLA that found school districts in California own 75,000 acres of developable land, enough to build 2.3 million housing units — which could wipe out the state’s housing shortage.

It also follows the Teacher Housing Act of 2016, which allows school districts to pursue funding sources for housing projects, including state and federal tax credits. Other pieces of legislation, including a 2022 law that went into effect in January, further streamlined the development and funding process. Other laws allow teachers to live in affordable housing even though their income might exceed the qualifying limits.

If Proposition 2, a $10 billion school facilities bond, passes this fall, schools could use that money to not only repair classrooms and other structures, but build teacher housing.

‘It’s changed my life’

A handful of districts have already embarked on projects.

Los Angeles Unified owns several buildings, including a 90-unit building that opened in April and a 26-unit building reserved for low-income families. San Francisco Unified plans to open a 135-unit building this fall. Santa Clara Unified has owned a 70-unit complex for more than two decades.

In San Mateo County, the Office of Education is working with a public-private housing nonprofit to buy an existing apartment building for local teachers. In Marin, the Office of Education joined with the county and state to build teacher housing on state-owned land near San Quentin Prison.

First: Carolina Sanchez Garcia helps her daughter Berthalinda Hernandez, 6, put on roller skates at their home in San Diego on Aug. 7, 2024. Last: Carolina Sanchez Garcia walks with her daughter, Berthalinda Hernandez, 6, and son Kanye Hernandez, 9, at a park near their home in San Diego on Aug. 7, 2024. Photos by Zoë Meyers for CalMatters

In San Diego, preschool teacher Carolina Sanchez Garcia said she cried when she learned she won a spot at the 264-unit Scripps Ranch apartment complex, built through a partnership between San Diego Unified and an affordable housing developer.

Due to the high cost of housing in San Diego, she had been commuting from Tijuana, Mexico for more than a decade. To get to work on time, she’d get up at 2 a.m., move her five kids into the car where they’d go back to sleep, and make the trek across the border to work. Her kids would brush their teeth and get ready for school at a Starbucks.

Now, her commute is only 15 minutes.

“It’s changed my life,” Garcia said. “My kids are sleeping more. I’m sleeping more. It’s made me a better mother and a better teacher. Now, I start my day feeling positive and energized.”

Kyle Weinberg, president of the San Diego Education Association, at Central Elementary in San Diego on Aug. 7, 2024. Weinberg has supported the San Diego Unified School District’s effort to build housing for teachers, low-income students and families. Photo by Zoë Meyers for CalMatters

Garcia pays $1,300 a month for a three-bedroom apartment, roughly half of market rate. The rent is similar to what she paid in Tijuana, but now she has time to cook dinner for her family, prepare for class and help her children with homework. Her kids can participate in after-school activities and spend time with friends. Her gas bill is also lower.

“I am so grateful,” Garcia said. “I think all districts should do this. Teachers need help.”

Kyle Weinberg, a special education teacher who’s head of the San Diego Unified teachers union, said the district’s housing endeavors have been successful because teachers share in the planning process, ensuring that the units’ location, size and rents meet teachers’ needs. The district paid for the Scripps Ranch development through an agreement with a private developer, and plans to pay for the next development with money from Measure U, a $3.2 billion school facilities bond that passed in 2022.

Subsidized housing is necessary, Weinberg said, because of the high cost of living in San Diego. To live in a 1-bedroom apartment in San Diego, starting teachers, who earn about $60,000, would have to pay roughly 63% of their take-home pay on rent. Teachers have long commutes and suffer from burnout, he said.

The union’s goal is to have 700 units available, serving at least 10% of the teaching staff.

“We have a staffing crisis in our district,” Weinberg said. “We need to explore all possible solutions. Along with salaries and benefits, expanding workforce housing is one of those options.”

Almost zero teacher turnover

The model state officials often point to is 705 Serramonte in Daly City. The Jefferson Union High School District opened the 122-unit apartment complex in 2022, and it now houses a quarter of the district staff. A 1-bedroom apartment rents for $1,450 a month, about half the market rate.

The district paid for the $75 million project by passing a $33 million bond specifically for teacher housing, and borrowed the rest. The rents generated by the project cover the bond payments. The district hired a property management company to handle maintenance and other issues.

Daly City is sandwiched between Silicon Valley and San Francisco, which have some of the highest rents in the country. Teachers commute from the East Bay and beyond, and the district grappled with a persistent 25% staff turnover rate annually, said district spokesperson Denise Shreve.

“I feel like educators are being asked to solve so many problems. Student performance, attendance, behavior … and now the housing crisis? It’s too much.”
— Nicole Glentzer, Mendocino County Superintendent

Since 705 Serramonte opened, the district has had near zero turnover.

“Students now start off the school year with a teacher in their classroom, instead of a long-term substitute,” Shreve said. “You have to look at the long-term benefits. We now have teacher retention and students are better off because of it.”

Lisa Raskin, a social science teacher and instructional coach for the district, said she’s struggled with housing over her 20-year career but never considered leaving. A San Francisco native, she’s committed to staying in the area — which has meant that she’s always had roommates.

When she moved into 705 Serramonte, it was her first time living in her own apartment.

“I can be with community if I want, or I can be alone. I love that,” Raskin said, noting that her neighbors and colleagues often host barbecues, game nights and other gatherings. “We call it ‘adult dorms.’ I feel safe here.”

Superintendents already overworked

But not every district can pass a bond for teacher housing. Many can’t even pass bonds to repair school campuses. And some superintendents say they’re already so overworked that undertaking a complicated project like real estate development is a near impossibility. California had a superintendent turnover rate of more than 18% last year, according to research from the Superintendent Lab, in part due to workload.

Glentzer, the Mendocino County superintendent, said housing development would be a challenge for smaller, rural and lower-income districts. Those districts face teacher and housing shortages like their wealthier, urban counterparts, but lack the ability to raise the money and hire the staff to oversee projects.

Besides, the housing shortage affects lots of people in the community — not just teachers. Mendocino County has been scarred by numerous wildfires over the past few years, plus a boom in vacation rentals that have decimated the local housing market, leaving some people to live in trailers or even their cars.

“I am so grateful. I think all districts should do this. Teachers need help.”
— Carolina Sanchez Garcia, San Diego preschool teacher

A better solution, she said, would be for housing to be left to regional authorities and for the state to fund school districts sufficiently to pay their teachers more.

Still, she understands the need. She herself lived in a district-owned home when she was superintendent of Potter Valley Community Unified School district northeast of Ukiah. The two-bedroom bungalow was next to the football field, and she enjoyed the reduced rent and proximity to work.

“There’s no question we need housing,” Glentzer said. “But when you’re the superintendent and the principal and head of maintenance and you’re teaching Spanish, how are you supposed to find the bandwidth for this? I have a degree in education. I never took a real estate course.”

Marguerite Roza, director of the policy research center Georgetown Edunomics Lab, agreed. School districts might be better off paying teachers more or targeting raises for teachers who are in high demand, such as those who work in special education, math or science.

Carolina Sanchez Garcia prepares dinner for her two youngest children, Berthalinda and Kanye Hernandez, at their home in San Diego on Aug. 7, 2024. Photo by Zoë Meyers for CalMatters

She also noted that except in those three fields, the teacher shortage is ebbing. With federal Covid relief money expiring and student enrollment declining, many districts may be laying off teachers — not hiring, she said. EdJoin, a teacher hiring board, this month showed nearly 2,000 openings for special education teachers in California, for example, but fewer than 100 for third grade teachers.

“By building housing, districts might be addressing a crisis that no longer exists.” Roza said. “School districts’ expertise and focus is to provide education. To assume school districts could take on the responsibility of being landlords efficiently is concerning.”

Growing interest in teacher housing

To help school districts learn the basics of real estate development, the California School Boards Association has been hosting workshops and providing resources for the past two years. So far, 152 of the state’s 1,000 school districts have signed up to study the idea, and the numbers have been growing, said spokesperson Troy Flint.

He acknowledged that smaller districts may not have the staff to get projects off the ground, but some are working on projects together or collaborating with their local county offices of education, he said.

“Districts see the immense value workforce housing can offer their staff, students, and communities,” Flint said. “There is widespread interest in education workforce housing as an elegant way to address the housing affordability crisis. Workforce housing also brings quality-of-life, community, and environmental benefits — and may even help address declining enrollment as district staff can afford to live with their families in the communities they serve.”

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