Today on HUMBOLDT TODAY: How about that earthquake? Plus: A potential censure of a member of the Board of Supervisors, Yurok and the fentanyl crisis, easy online filing for restraining orders, the Kite Festival, weather and Pointless Polls galore. Tune in!

ADDITIONAL READING:

• Earthquake! 5.5M Earthquake 108 Kilometers West of Petrolia
• $20K Investigation Reveals Steve Madrone Violated the Board of Supervisors Code of Conduct During a Meeting With the Trinidad Rancheria Last Year; Board to Consider Censure During Tuesday’s Meeting
• Humboldt County Residents Can Now File for Domestic Violence and Gun Violence Restraining Orders Online
• Yurok Tribe Declares Emergency in Response to Surge in Fentanyl Overdoses 
• (PHOTOS/VIDEO) Flyin’ High at the Second Annual Redwood Coast Kite Festival

DOCUMENT:

• ”Incorporating the City of McKinleyville: To Be, or Not to Be?” Humboldt County Civil Grand Jury, May 22, 2023.

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You hear the conversation burble up from time to time. McKinleyville — why is it not a city? Why is the third-largest population center in our region still run by county government? Why doesn’t it have a police department? Why can’t it control its own land use decisions? Why can’t it fill its own potholes?

Then, nearly as soon as the conversation burbles up, it fades away. Too hard!

Well, as the 2022-2023 Humboldt County Civil Grand Jury notes in its most recent report — released today — the conversation has recently burbled up again. And this time, the GJ argues, the county should take it seriously, by funding a comprehensive “Initial Feasibility Analysis” that would take a hard look at the costs, the benefits and the drawbacks to incorporation.

Such a document could inform residents whether or not to pursue incorporation on the ballot — something that hasn’t happened since 1966, when residents of a very different Macktown than the one we have today voted it down.

From the Grand Jury report:

Citizens of McKinleyville have expressed interest in becoming a city. Similar interest has been demonstrated several times over the last 58 years, but aside from the “no” vote of 1966 there hasn’t been a comprehensive study of whether incorporation makes any sense. The Humboldt County Board of Supervisors, using discretionary funds, can commission such a study. Thus far, they have not demonstrated interest in exploring the issue.

An independent and neutral Initial Feasibility Analysis will give the 16,500 residents of McKinleyville the knowledge they need to make informed decisions about their future. We believe that they deserve to possess this knowledge. The Board of Supervisors can make this happen, and we believe they should do so.

This is the third report released by the 2022-2023 Grand Jury, with more on the way as the term wraps up. Previous reports this term gave a glowing review of the county’s election systems and cast a critical eye on the state of child welfare services. If you’re curious about the Grand Jury’s operations, this year’s foreperson recently stopped by to talk with our John Kennedy O’Connor about just that.

Below: a full press release from the Humboldt County Grand Jury. Find the complete report on McKinleyville incorporation at this link.

The 2022-23 Humboldt County Civil Grand Jury urges the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors to fund an in-depth Initial Feasibility Analysis into the possible incorporation of McKinleyville.

The incorporation of McKinleyville has been a topic of discussion for decades. That conversation was not able to accurately deal with the effects and potential impacts of McKinleyville becoming a city because no in-depth analysis was ever done.

The citizens of Humboldt County deserve better!

It is not the intent of this report to argue for or against incorporation; it is however the intent of this report to urge the Board of Supervisors to fund an analysis that will make available to the citizens of McKinleyville the information necessary to once and for all make informed decisions regarding possible incorporation.  

Press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:

The Humboldt County Animal Shelter is offering reduced-rate adoptions for dogs through May 26, 2023.

Due to the shelter’s dog kennels being over capacity, adoption fees for dogs are temporarily being reduced to $50 for adult dogs, $80 for puppies six-months-old or younger, and $35 for senior dogs seven-years-old or older. Cats remain at their regular adoption price.

Adoptable dogs are neutered or spayed, microchipped, up to date on shots and temperament tested.

The animal shelter’s currently available, adoptable pets are listed online and updated daily at 24petconnect.com. To view adoptable pets at the shelter, use the website’s filter with the shelter’s zip code, 95519. Adoptions are appointment-only, and you must have an approved application on file. Download and complete an adoption application at: HumboldtSheriff.org/Adopt.

The Humboldt County Animal Shelter is located at 980 Lycoming Ave in McKinleyville. To learn more about the Humboldt County Animal Shelter and the adoption process, visit HumboldtSheriff.org/Adopt or call (707) 840-9132.

Press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:

On May 19, 2023, at about 12:35 a.m., Humboldt County Sheriff’s deputies on patrol in the Cutten area conducted a traffic stop for a vehicle code violation near the intersection of Walnut Drive and Christopher Drive.

Deputies contacted the driver, 53-year-old Christopher Robert Wixson. During their investigation, deputies learned that the vehicle had been reported stolen. Deputies then searched the vehicle and located psilocybin mushrooms.

Wixson was arrested and booked into the Humboldt County Correctional Facility on charges of possession of a stolen vehicle (PC 496d(a)) and possession of a controlled substance (HS 11350).

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 the Yurok Tribe:

The Yurok Tribal Council issued an emergency declaration in response to the fentanyl and xylazine crisis unfolding on and near the Yurok Reservation.

“The Yurok Tribal Council is sounding the alarm and taking action to address this exigent risk to our community,” said Joseph, L. James, the Chairman of the Yurok Tribe. “Too many of our families have lost loved ones to fentanyl. Now, we are seeing fentanyl mixed with xylazine, which is even more dangerous.”

In the last 12 months, the lives of multiple Yurok citizens have been cut short due to fentanyl poisoning. Passed via a resolution, the State of Emergency declaration directs the Yurok Tribal Court and Yurok Public Health Department to oversee the Tribe’s response to the crisis.

The Yurok Tribal Council also made it mandatory for all tribal government staff to be trained in the administration of naloxone (Narcan), a medication that can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose. The Yurok Tribal Court has provided Narcan nasal spray kits and training to 266 tribal staff and community members in Humboldt and Del Norte Counties over the last two years.

The Yurok Tribal Police Department is performing drug interdiction work to prevent the spread of opioids. Similar to other local law enforcement agencies, the Yurok Police Department’s patrol officers are encountering fentanyl on a regular basis. Yurok Police officers have also saved lives via the administration of Narcan.

Fentanyl is an extremely potent synthetic opioid that is 50 times stronger than heroin. Xylazine is a sedative that is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for veterinary use. In 2021, the most recent year for which data is available, tribal citizens in Del Norte County required emergency services for fentanyl overdoses at a rate of 54.49 per 100,000 residents compared to 5.87 per 100,000 white residents. In Humboldt County, the fentanyl-related overdose death rate for Native people was 114.99 per 100,000. For white residents, the rate was 23.80 per 100,000.

The Yurok Reservation is in one of the most remote and underserved parts of California. Assuming there are no road construction closures, the nearest ambulance services are one to three hours away from the most populated parts of the reservation. A person suffering an overdose from a combination of fentanyl and xylazine can pass away well before emergency services arrive.

“The lack of emergency medical services capacity for basic and advanced life-saving measures within the Yurok Tribe and geographic remoteness of the Yurok Reservation have and continue to present a major barrier to mobilizing adequate opioid overdose emergency responses,” according to the resolution.

The US Food and Drug Administration approved fentanyl for the management of acute pain. However, much of the fentanyl on the street is illegally imported through the US/Mexico border in powder or pill form. The powder is regularly pressed into pills that resemble prescription opioids such as Vicodin and Percocet.

In the US, many people have died from taking one fentanyl-laced pill that was made to look like a prescription painkiller. Fentanyl is also mixed with other illicit drugs, such as cocaine.

In addition to being a potent narcotic, fentanyl specifically and opioids in general are extraordinarily addictive. Those dependent on fentanyl experience severe withdrawal symptoms if they stop taking the drug. The withdrawal symptoms may include: body pain, depression, sleeplessness, anxiety, fever, diarrhea and other stomach-related issues.

Medically assisted treatment for opioid withdrawal and addiction counseling are available in Del Norte and Humboldt Counties. Health professionals manage the treatment to reduce the risks associated with fentanyl withdrawal.

Fentanyl is dangerous on its own, but it is even more deadly when mixed with xylazine. Drug users often blend fentanyl and xylazine, known as Tranq, to lengthen the effect of the short-acting opioid. The combination further increases the risk of a fatal overdose.

Last month, the Biden-Harris Administration officially designated fentanyl adulterated with xylazine as “an emerging threat the United States.” Narcan does not counter the effect of xylazine because it is not an opioid. However, administering Narcan is still recommended if drug poisoning is suspected. Community members are urged to participate in Narcan trainings in the region. All training participants receive free Narcan kits.

How to spot an opioid overdose and save a life

According to UC Davis, the most common signs of an overdose include:

• Small, constricted “pinpoint” pupils
• Falling asleep or losing consciousness
• Slow, weak, or not breathing
• Choking or gurgling sounds
• Limp body
• Cold and/or clammy skin
• Discolored skin (especially in lips and nails)

Here is what to do if you see someone overdosing from fentanyl or other opioids.

• Call 911 immediately. (Police will not arrest a person who is overdosing or the person who called for help.)
• Administer the life-saving medication naloxone if you have it.
• Try to keep the person awake and breathing.
• Turn the person on their side to prevent choking.
• Stay with the person until paramedics arrive.

For more information about treatment in Humboldt County - https://opendoorhealth.com/services/substance-use-services/

For more information about opioid treatment in Del Norte County - https://opendoorhealth.com/locations/del-norte-community-health-center/

Press release from Humboldt County Superior Court:

In accordance with recently enacted Senate Bill 538 legislation, the Superior Court of California, County of Humboldt, is pleased to announce the launch of an online filing service for domestic violence and gun violence restraining orders via the Court’s website at https://www.humboldt.courts.ca.gov.

This new service aims to provide a convenient and efficient means for individuals to seek legal protection against domestic violence and gun violence.

The implementation of this online filing service reflects the Court’s commitment to enhancing accessibility and ensuring equitable justice for all community members. By implementing this service and embracing technological advances, the Court’s goal is to remove potential barriers associated with traditional filing methods and simplify the process for individuals seeking domestic violence and gun violence restraining orders.

Through the user-friendly interface found on the Court’s website, applicants may conveniently complete and submit necessary documentation from any location where there is access to the internet. Such a streamlined approach allows victims to take control of their legal affairs concerning domestic violence and gun violence while ensuring their comfort and privacy.

To access the online filing service for domestic violence and gun violence restraining orders, users may visit https://www.humboldt.courts.ca.gov and follow the provided instructions.

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California is grappling with a $31.5 billion budget deficit. Gov. Gavin Newsom denied public transit agencies a lifeline in his latest spending plan, and time is running out.

But transit officials and their supporters in the Legislature aren’t giving up hope yet that the state will offer at least some aid. And Friday, the California Transit Association delivered a plan for how individual agencies should ask for money — and how they would be held accountable for how they spend it.

Transit agencies are seeking $5.15 billion in operating funds over the next five years — warning that without substantial cash, they’ll fall deep into a financial pit caused by a continued decline in ridership since the pandemic and the drying up of federal funds.

Without some kind of financial infusion, Muni — San Francisco’s bus system — may have to start cutting bus lines this summer. Other transit systems are issuing similar dire forecasts.

If services are cut, commuters will be impacted, as will working people who can’t afford their own cars — and certainly not electric vehicles. Increased use of public transit is key to reducing carbon emissions and reaching the state’s climate goals championed by Newsom and Democratic leaders.

But in his updated budget plan unveiled this month, the governor committed only to working with the Legislature to find a solution.

“You can’t do everything,” he said at his May 12 budget briefing. “It’s about balancing other priorities.”

The state Senate wants to make public transit a priority. In its spending proposal, it included the $5.15 billion as “bridge funding.” Supporters say the money can come from a mix of sources that already support transit and would reduce general fund revenue by only $213 million.

TransForm, an advocacy group focused on transit and housing inequities, said it was disappointed in Newsom’s decision.

“The $2.5 billion needed to save Bay Area transit is less costly, in terms of dollars, people, and the planet than the $5 billion in additional transportation costs that will be paid by the people who can least afford it,” said Zack Deutsch-Gross, TransForm policy director.

The budget negotiations are well underway, with a June 15 deadline for the Legislature to pass a budget to keep collecting pay.

Call for help too late?

At a town hall on May 12, Assemblymember Phil Ting, a Democrat from San Francisco and chairperson of the Assembly budget committee, said transit agencies should have been better prepared, and should have “sounded the alarm earlier.”

“Having said that, we are where we are. We can’t change the past,” Ting said.

He said that legislators in the Bay Area Caucus that he leads are focused on the issue and are committed to making sure agencies don’t go over the “fiscal cliff.”

“We know that once these agencies have to stop service, it’s very difficult to turn it back on,” he said.

Ting said that given the budget shortfall, the goal is to help get agencies to solid enough ground to pursue a local ballot measure for long-term financial sustainability.

But he also said that for the state to help, transit representatives needed to present a spending plan and demonstrate accountability.

On Friday, the California Transit Association, which represents agencies throughout the state, responded with its proposal, which includes an 18-month deadline to report how funds are spent. Sent to Newsom and legislative leaders, the blueprint is based on recovery plans previously created by the Bay Area’s regional transportation commission and the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority, as well as a bill this session from Burbank-area Democratic Assemblymember Laura Friedman on transit oversight.

The association also noted that its proposal won’t solve all of the underlying issues.

“As we advance this accountability and reform framework, we continue to elevate that significant external challenges will continue to impact agencies’ budgets, operating environments, and ridership levels, including, the hollowing out of downtown cores, the housing crisis, and rise in violent crime,” it said in a statement.

The proposal, however, doesn’t satisfy concerns from some lawmakers, including state Sen. Steve Glazer, who has been vocal in his criticism of BART oversight. BART officials previously responded to some of those concerns, saying the “fiscal cliff” has more to do with the agency’s financial model rather than specific expenses and missteps.

“I thought it was an April Fool’s joke delivered in May,” Glazer told CalMatters of the association’s proposal. “Self-policing is not accountability.” Meanwhile, agencies have already begun to make some changes to boost ridership, including BART ramping up service on its most popular line between Antioch and San Francisco, and L.A. Metro ramping up both homelessness services and microtransit.

But those changes aren’t cheap.

Bevan Dufty, a member of the BART board of directors, said in April: “We really can’t cut our way out of this.”

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