It looks like it’s going to be another few weeks before the Humboldt County Planning Commission makes a final decision on proposed regulations for short-term vacation rentals.
Commissioners had hoped to come to a consensus by the end of Thursday’s meeting, but, alas, after more than three and a half hours of going through the draft ordinance section by section, the commission unanimously voted to continue its discussion at its next meeting on Nov. 2.
The proposed rules would provide a regulatory framework for the permitting and operation of short-term rentals – defined as the rental of a dwelling for 30 consecutive days or less through services such as Airbnb or Vrbo – in unincorporated areas of Humboldt County. The regulations seek to protect neighborhood integrity and prevent the loss of available housing, while also providing tourists with more accommodation options and economic opportunities for property owners who aren’t interested in renting to long-term tenants.
Of the 34,093 residential units in unincorporated Humboldt County, approximately 567, or 1.66 percent, are being used as short-term rentals. To ensure short-term rentals don’t overwhelm the Humboldt Bay region, where housing availability is already impacted, the total number of permits would be capped at two percent of the total housing stock.
The draft ordinance would also establish standards for the operation of short-term rentals to mitigate neighborhood impacts, such as noise and parking issues.
Operators with proof of pre-existing operations would be given priority under the proposed rules.
“No permits for whole dwelling unit Short-term Rentals shall be issued during the first two months following the effective date of this section but applications from individuals operating existing short-term rentals will be received,” according to the text of the ordinance. “Two Three months after the effective date of this ordinance the department will issue permits for qualifying locations with existing Short-term Rentals. … If the number of permits issued for existing Short-term Rentals exceeds the cap … then no permits will be issued for new Short-term Rentals until the number of permitted Short-term Rentals in the County falls below the cap.”
During a recent public hearing on the matter, the commission asked staff to include a provision in the ordinance that would prevent operators with unresolved violations on the property from being permitted. “Violations which have been remedied will be allowed the same pathway forward as other operators,” the ordinance states. “Properties where violations exist will not be considered for [rentals].”
The Planning Commission agreed to hear public comment before deliberating on any of the proposed changes. Overall, public opinion of the draft document was fairly mixed.
Layal Bata, a policy and research analyst with the Los Angeles-based housing advocacy group Better Neighbors, asked the Planning Commission to reduce the suggested two percent cap on short-term rentals to one percent of the total housing stock and to prohibit short-term rentals from operating within a multi-family structure.
“Like many counties throughout California, Humboldt is facing a housing affordability crisis,” she said. “In the City of Los Angeles, we’ve seen firsthand how short-term rentals have contributed to rising housing costs. According to a McGill University report published last year, short-term rentals have contributed to an increase in rents by $810 and have taken 2,500 homes off the long-term market since 2015. Meanwhile, in Humboldt County, rents have increased $250 since 2015, with the number of unhosted short-term rentals [in the coastal zone] increasing to 25 percent since 2022.”
Arcata resident Raelina Krikston asked commissioners to eliminate short-term rentals without a caretaker resident, meaning someone who lives on the property they are renting out.
“In doing so this would open up hundreds if not thousands of homes up to first-time homebuyers and long-term renters in our community who currently need homes and are seeking upward home mobility,” she said. “[T]he number of short-term rentals in our county represents a significant portion of our housing stock that is being lost to commercial ventures. Based on our current [Regional Housing Needs Allocation] RHNA, 3,390 new homes are needed and the current number of [short-term rentals] in our county [is] equivalent to 26 percent of our RHNA needs.”
Krikston also spoke in favor of limiting short-term rentals to one per individual or business as opposed to five. She also expressed support for an overall cap of one percent.
Speaking to the other side of the issue, Southern Humboldt resident Chip Titman said short-term rentals offer “a lifeline” to rural communities where housing availability isn’t a pressing issue.
“They are an economic engine for tourism and a pathway beyond the dying cannabis economy,” he said. “Please don’t over-regulate the rural short-term rental operators, forcing them out of business and increasing the economic slide in rural and Southern Humboldt.”
McKinleyville resident and short-term rental operator Seth Naman said short-term rentals offer a cheaper option for folks visiting the area.
“If you want to stay at the Holiday Inn [by the airport] on a weekend in August [of 2024], that’s going to cost you $304 for one night [and] one room,” he said. “Like it or not, we are a tourist area. … People want to come here and they don’t want to stay in a hotel room, they want to have a more organic experience at a short-term stay. … A lot of us short-term rental operators, we live here, we’re in the community, we spend our money here, raise our kids here and the income that’s generated from the short-term rentals really is a part of how we get by.”
Several other commenters spoke, touching on many of the same issues.
Before delving into the document, Commissioner Iver Skavdal acknowledged the “overall lack of housing” in Humboldt County. “[There is] a lot of concern which I also share.”
Skavdal
“We don’t have many tools in our toolkit, so it seems like people are grabbing on to this short-term rental regulation as perhaps one opportunity to solve that problem. Personally, I think it’s not,” Skavdal said. “Frankly, we’re not building houses in Humboldt County right now, which is the problem. … The last 10-year average, we’ve built about 115 single-family dwellings a year – about .33 percent of the housing stock. … I think we need to turn our attention to what’s causing what’s the difficulty. Why are we not building new homes in Humboldt County?”
Commissioner Sarah West said she felt short-term rental regulations could serve as a “tool in the toolbox when it comes to housing,” but agreed that the construction of more housing should be a priority. “While I don’t think it’s a solution to our housing struggles, it does impact our housing availability and we ought [to] have some sideboards on converting housing into businesses.”
Commissioner Thomas Mulder asked fellow commissioners to avoid putting unnecessary or unfair restrictions on short-term rental operators that wouldn’t apply to long-term renters.
Mulder
“If we heavily regulate one end, that doesn’t mean another end that’s already regulated isn’t providing the needs through the appropriate regulations as it is,” he said, seemingly referring to rules already implemented through Airbnb or VRBO.
Commissioner Peggy O’Neil expressed sympathy for both sides of the issue, noting that she’s “all for supporting people who want to live in our community to have a source of income on their property,” but said she didn’t want to see outside investors buying up properties to turn into short-term rentals that will price out local folks.
“Or even expensive long-term rentals that are pricing people out of living in Humboldt County or having to radically change their lifestyle so that they can’t have a single-family home,” she said. “They have to rent a bedroom or they’re facing homelessness because they can’t afford rent anymore. It’s ridiculous. If you don’t already have a home, good luck getting one. Even if you’re a school teacher or work for a service district, you can’t even afford a house anymore.”
Commissioner Lonyx Landry said it took him three months to find a rental that he was “overqualified for” when moving back to Humboldt County in recent years.
From there, the commission spent two-and-a-half hours going through the ordinance section by section. They approved a few sections of the ordinance but got caught up talking about who and what would qualify as a home share rental.
As the meeting hit the three-and-a-half-hour mark, commissioners agreed to wrap up the discussion. Ford suggested the commission continue the discussion and finish its review of the draft ordinance at its next meeting on Nov. 2. Staff will come back with the final revisions on Nov. 16.
Landry made a motion to that effect, which was seconded by Mulder. The motion passed in a unanimous 6-0 vote, with Commissioner Brian Mitchell absent.
Press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:
On 10/26/2023, at about 8:45 pm, Humboldt County Sheriff’s Deputies were on patrol in the area
of the US Highway 101 and Highway 36 interchange. A Toyota truck, known to the Deputies to
have been used in the commission of a recent burglary and vehicle theft, was observed traveling
northbound on Sandy Prairie Road, Alton. The Deputies attempted a traffic enforcement stop and
the truck fled, prompting a short pursuit.
Previousl Miller booking photo:
The pursuit was discontinued when the truck began traveling on US Hwy 101, southbound in the
northbound travel lanes. The truck proceeded at a slow rate of speed to the area of US Hwy 101
and Metropolitan Road when the truck experienced mechanical failure and came to a stop.
HCSO Deputies, assisted by Fortuna Police and Rio Dell Police Officers, established a traffic
closure on the highway and deployed spike strips to further contain the truck. The driver of the
truck, identified as 34-year-old Clayton Miller of Fortuna, was uncooperative with Deputies/
Officers and a K9 unit was deployed during his apprehension.
Miller was medically cleared at Redwood Memorial Hospital prior to being booked at the
Humboldt County Correctional Facility for the following violations:
VC 2800.4 – Fleeing/ Evading
a Peace Officer; Against Traffic
PC 22810 – Illegal Possession of Tear Gas
PC 148(a)(1) –
Obstruct Resist a Public Officer, HS 11377(a) – Possession of a Controlled Substance
Press release from the Fortuna Union High School District:
The Fortuna Union High School Music Program is thrilled to announce a generous donation of $1.2 million from the
Alice Gunnerson Trust. This monumental contribution, aimed at securing the future of music education at Fortuna
Union High School, will establish a fund to support the program in perpetuity.
Alice Gunnerson, a lifelong advocate for the arts and a dedicated supporter of Fortuna Union High School, has left an
indelible mark on the community with this extraordinary gift. Her commitment to the enrichment of students’ lives
through music education will continue to resonate through generations of budding musicians and artists.
The funds from the Alice Gunnerson Trust will be used to enhance the music program’s offerings, including the
purchase of new instruments, upgrading facilities, supporting Fortuna High’s talented music instructor. In perpetuity,
these resources will ensure that the Fortuna Union High School Music Program remains a vibrant and vital part of the
educational experience for students.
Mrs. Gunnerson’s extraordinary generosity is not only an investment in music education but also a testament to the
positive impact it can have on students’ lives. The school is deeply grateful for her dedication to fostering the arts in the
community and for her enduring legacy.
To honor and thank Mrs. Gunnerson for her incredible generosity, Fortuna Union High School is in the process of
planning a special dedication ceremony and other expressions of gratitude. The Fortuna Union High School Music
Program recognizes that this significant donation will enable them to provide an exceptional music education
experience for students now and into the future. It reaffirms the program’s commitment to nurturing the talents and
passions of the next generation of musicians.
For more information about the Alice Gunnerson Trust donation and the Fortuna Union High School Music Program,
please contact Clint Duey at 707-725-4462 or cduey@fuhsdistrict.net
About Fortuna Union High School: Fortuna Union High School, located in Fortuna, California, is a leading institution
committed to providing comprehensive educational opportunities to students. The Fortuna Union High School Music
Program plays a pivotal role in the cultural and artistic development of its students, and this generous donation from the
Alice Gunnerson Trust will help secure its future for generations to come.
Students walk on campus at the University of California, Davis on Oct. 3, 2023. Photo by Miguel Gutierrez Jr., CalMatters
Last year California lawmakers agreed to expand the Cal Grant, financial aid for low-income students next spring, but only if there’s enough money in the state budget.
If dollars are scarce, some advocates say the state should pull money from a new scholarship partly for middle class students to pay for more aid to students of lesser means. But key figures in the Legislature and Newsom’s administration disagree with that approach.
“I would not pull and redirect funds that are currently serving 300,000 students,” said Marlene Garcia, executive director of the California Student Aid Commission, the state agency that handles college financial aid.
“Let me just be really clear: No,” added Chris Woods, budget director for the Senate’s top lawmaker, Sen. Toni Atkins, a Democrat from San Diego.
Both made those comments at a Tuesday forum hosted by CalMatters about the state’s efforts to provide debt-free college to public college and university students. Among the forum’s themes was whether California lawmakers should prioritize fully funding the Cal Grant, which benefits low-income students, while pulling some funding from the Middle Class Scholarship.
“I would not pull and redirect funds that are currently serving 300,000 students.” Marlene Garcia, executive director of the California Student Aid Commission
Such a decision would have to be approved through the state’s annual budget process that requires agreement between the Legislature and the governor. The debate over what to fund and by how much will be key financial aid sticking points during budget negotiations next spring.
Gov. Gavin Newsom’s top education advisor, Ben Chida, was also skeptical of shifting money from one program to another, but didn’t fully rule it out. “Probably not,” he said Tuesday. He cautioned that the answer ultimately depends on addressing the “myopic interests” of advocates, lawmakers and administrators and then “when it’s time, make sure the governor makes the decision that is maximizing the good for people who are hurting.”
How we got here
The middle class award debuted last year for roughly 300,000 University of California and California State University students. It provided nearly $3,000 to students with family incomes above $100,000, while students with household incomes below $50,000 got about $1,500 each on average.
But the scholarship excludes all community college students. Meanwhile, at least 100,0000 low-income California college students aren’t eligible for the Cal Grant, which waives tuition to the University of California and California State University while also providing about $1,650 in cash to community college students. A Cal Grant expansion would apply to community college students who don’t currently meet minimum GPAs and to university students who took more than a year between graduating high school and pursuing higher education. It would also waive age restrictions for university students. However, under the proposed expansion, some middle class students would no longer be eligible because of lower income ceilings.
A budget deal reached between the Legislature and Newsom last year said the state would put up the cash to expand the Cal Grant program if budget forecasts show the money is there. This was after lawmakers expanded the grant in 2021 to include more community college students. The student aid commission last April calculated that expanding the grant to include all those people excluded would cost about $370 million a year.
“I believe that the state made a promise and the state needs to follow up on that promise and fund Cal Grant reform.” Jessica Thompson, vice president of The Institute for College Access and Success
This year lawmakers increased the Middle Class Scholarship from $630 million to about $850 million. The Cal Grant is expected to cost $2.2 billion in 2023-24. Overall, California commits far more college grant aid than any other state in the nation, according to 2020-21 data.
Where the money would come from to expand the Cal Grant in 2024 is a big unknown. The Legislature’s nonpartisan budget scorekeeper, the Legislative Analyst’s Office, wrote in February that because of the state’s shaky fiscal outlook, “Cal Grant reform is very unlikely to be triggered in 2024‑25.”
One leading advocate who supports Cal Grant expansion said if funding is tight, the state should pull money from the middle class award to fully fund Cal Grant. “I believe that the state made a promise and the state needs to follow up on that promise and fund Cal Grant reform,” said Jessica Thompson, vice president of The Institute for College Access and Success, at Tuesday’s forum. She also pressed the state to increase the amount of cash support students get from Cal Grant.
Program trade-offs
Complicating the idea of pulling money from the Middle Class Scholarship to fully expand Cal Grant is the fact that many lower-income students who got the grant also received the middle class award — about 157,000 out of nearly 300,000, according to 2022-23 data that the student aid commission provided CalMatters.
Nor does the student aid commission want to tell students that the middle class award they expected would decrease.
”You face the student and tell them you’re now going to get less,” Garcia said at the Tuesday forum.
There are also key differences between how Cal Grant and Middle Class Scholarship funds reach students. The grant is a fixed, upfront amount. Students who are promised an award know exactly how much they’ll get. The middle class program is based on a complicated formula that first takes the total amount a student needs to pay for college — including tuition, housing and other costs — and subtracts all the grant aid and scholarships the student will get. The middle class award also assumes students will work enough to earn about $8,000 a year that they can use to pay for college costs. Families with incomes above $100,000 also pitch in more as part of the state’s debt-free promise.
Federal data that CalMatters analyzed show that while California public university students with low and moderate incomes pay among the lowest amounts for the total cost of college, families with incomes above $110,000 pay above the national average.
Kayla
Grace Mack, 26, of Arcata, passed away on October 10, 2023. Born on
April 18, 1997, in St. Louis, Missouri, Kayla was a vibrant,
beautiful, and loving soul with a heart filled with love and
generosity. Kayla’s smile brilliantly filled every space she entered
and she was deeply adored.
Kayla
was a beloved daughter of Kiana Kelly (Mack). She was also a
cherished sister to Jalen Kelly and Aaron Kelly. Kayla was a loving
godmother to her only godson, Aiden Files. She was also survived by
her tribe of loving aunts: Pamela Dennis (Ferguson), Kristina
Newland, Rheiya Florance (Saunders), Shalonda Ingram, Keba Bell
(Pace); great-great aunt Martha James; grandmother Janice Wortham;
great-aunt Helen Harmon (Archer); great-uncle Lewis Archer;
great-uncle Clifford Archer; great-uncle Joe Mack, and great-aunt
Thelma Mack; cousins Jourdan Archer-Sizemore, Gamal Mack, Imani Mack,
Tahir Mack along with an abundance of family and friends.
In
her educational journey, Kayla attended Holman Elementary in St
Louis, Missouri, where she began her relationship with
instrumentation. Kayla was a talented musician playing seven
instruments and excelling in the viola. In addition to instruments,
Kayla was a beautiful songstress with a melodic range.
Kayla
attended Webster Groves High School in St. Louis and was the only
black female wrestler on her team. She was affectionately nicknamed
the “Headlock Queen” for her ability to subdue her
opponents. Kayla continued the family tradition of track & field, and thrived in volleyball, tennis and chess. Kayla later
graduated from South Fork High School in South Florida. She went on
to pursue higher education at Santa Fe College in Gainesville.
Kayla
worked a variety of jobs throughout her life, but had no dream job,
because “she did not dream of working.” Kayla’s true
passion lay in being an incredible daughter, big sister, friend, and
a godmother. She inspired and lent counsel to everyone she knew. She
was known as the Thrift Queen, always on the lookout for unique
finds. Kayla had a keen sense of fashion, loved makeup, enjoyed line
dancing, camping, decorating and nature.
Services
for Kayla will be held privately.
Kayla
Grace Mack will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved her. Her
vibrant spirit and loving nature will forever be remembered and
cherished. May she rest in peace.
If
you or anyone you love struggles with suicidal thoughts, please
call 988. Please know that you are valuable and the world needs you.
###
The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Kayla Mack’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here.
Katherine “Kathy” Holland, age 77 of Loleta, passed
away on Wednesday, October 11 at home with her beloved dogs Charlie and Missy by her side.
Kathy was born
in 1946 in Scotia. She graduated from Grizzly
Bluff Elementary in 1960 and Ferndale High School in
1964. She enjoyed gardening, fishing and riding horses.
She is preceded in death by her parents, Jake and Babe
Hawkins; husband Darrell Wyman; and husband James
Holland.
She left behind her sister, Linda Anderson (Ted
Anderson); three children, James Holland, Jody Holland
(Christine Holland) and Pamela Thorpe (Matt Thorpe); as
well as six grandchildren — Allen and Katie Holland, Justin
and Austin Thorpe and Josiah and Xxander Holland; and
many nieces and nephews.
She was surrounded by loving
family and friends and will be missed dearly.
Spreading of
ashes and celebration of life will be held at a later date for
immediate family and close friends.
###
The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Kathy Holland’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here.
Donald Forrest as Terry “King” Lear in “The Logger Lear” earlier this month. Photo contributed by Mark Larson.
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Donald Forrest, a beloved local actor and core member of Dell’Arte International’s original ensemble of performance artists, died at his home on Wednesday due to complications from COVID-19. He was 73 years old.
“He lived a very full life,” Michael Fields, a dear friend and colleague of Forrest’s, told the Outpost in a recent phone interview. “We were roommates in the early years of Dell’Arte and we ended up doing all kinds of stuff together all over the world. He was outgoing and incredibly generous. He was a brilliant actor. I mean, just absolutely brilliant. I’ve worked with some good ones but he was at the top because he just had an innate, uncompromising ability to focus on the work.”
Photo contributed by Fields.
Forrest was born and raised in Michigan. Before making his way to Humboldt County to join Dell’Arte, he performed on Broadway and was involved in “the super alternative, Lower-East Side theater scene” in New York City “where he worked with some of the greats,” Fields said. He was also involved in the San Francisco Mime Troupe, Pickle Family Circus and Make*A*Circus.
“He was part of a lot of the movement,” Fields said. “He brought physical theater to new heights.”
Shortly after moving to Humboldt County in the mid-1970s, Forrest joined Dell’Arte, where he eventually would join Fields and Joan Schirle in sharing artistic director duties for the theater company and school.
Eventually, he met Nancy Stephenson and the couple had a son, James Forrest. He also became a stepfather to Stephenson’s daughter, Amelia Rudnicki.
“When his son was in grade school, [Forrest] started a theater program at Blue Lake School because he had always wanted to do something with kids,” Fields said. “I would say that changed Dell’Arte’s relationship with the town. He got the eighth graders to do a play every year that he would direct and it was put on in the Carlo Theatre, you know, a full production with lights, sets, sound, everything. They felt like they were on Broadway. … A lot of those kids remember Donald to this day because of those plays.”
Forrest, along with several other locals, had a cameo in the 1995 thriller Outbreak, in which he played Mark Mauldin, according to IMDB.
Most recently, Forrest took on the title role of Terry “King” Lear in “The Logger Lear,” an original production written by Fields loosely based on “King Lear” by William Shakespeare. The play, which ran at the Logger Bar in Blue Lake just a couple of weeks ago, explored the idea of legacy and what we leave behind when we die.
“There’s a line in there about regret, and the way you lift yourself out of regret is to do the things you love,” Fields said. “And for him, acting was the love of his life. We had talked about him doing this for a while and, as we get older, we start thinking of different things – different things become important. … It’s like the last role, and it’s about the end of life.”
Fields will host a wake for Forrest at the Logger Bar in the next month or so, likely in early December.
