The Humboldt County Board of Supervisors will meet on Monday to consider updating its own code of conduct and ethics rules following a formal employee complaint that accuses Second District Supervisor Michelle Bushnell of misconduct. 

Bushnell

The complaint, which was written by an unidentified county planner and emailed to Third District Supervisor Mike Wilson on Dec. 30, accuses Bushnell of inappropriately interfering in the cannabis permitting process by personally advocating on behalf of an applicant while disregarding evidence that the applicant had violated a number of county codes. 

It also says Bushnell lost her cool, yelling and slamming a door during a confrontational meeting that included Bushnell, the applicant, county staff and Planning and Building Director John Ford.

“Michelle Bushnell preferred to discredit, threaten, and berate me rather than review the facts and allow me, and by extension our department, to enforce Humboldt County Code and State Law,” the complaint says.

In an interview, Bushnell acknowledged getting upset and accidentally slamming a door during the meeting, behavior she recognized as inappropriate. She apologized to everyone involved — save the complainant, who’d left the room — later that same day, she said, adding that she believed the dispute had been resolved in a follow-up meeting with the complainant and other staff members.

More broadly, Bushnell said that while she has attended a number of meetings with cannabis applicants in an effort to help them navigate the permitting process, she has never asked staff to bend the rules or deviate from the county’s cannabis ordinances.

“Never do I ask for [staff] to ever bend a rule or go away from an ordinance,” she said. “Absolutely not. I would never do that.”

Monday’s meeting was called not in response to the complaint itself but rather because of a Public Records Act request submitted by the Outpost seeking a copy of the document and related documents.

“Because you did a PRA on it, I was like, somebody obviously still cares [about the incident], so let’s get it out in the open,” Bushnell said. She suggested that whomever leaked information about the complaint to the Outpost was acting on purely political motivations.

“Whoever’s bringing this forward, whoever contacted you? Shame on them,” she said. “They’ve never talked to me. They don’t know the circumstances. And shame on them. All’s they want is a story and to belittle me.”

The complaint

The Outpost was forwarded an un-redacted copy of the complaint, which we quote from below, though we’re not revealing the identity of the planner who submitted it. (The county released a redacted version of it on Friday.)

It describes two meetings that took place in December, the first on Tuesday, Dec. 28 and the second on Dec. 29, 2021. At the first, the unidentified planner was meeting with Ford “to discuss the history of violations and inaccurate information I had discovered in a commercial cannabis application.”

The complaint continues:

The information I presented to the Director showed that the applicant had (1) cultivated an excess of approximately 2,159 square feet of Mixed Light cultivation [beyond the permitted square footage] each year for three consecutive years, (2) harvested approximately 1-acre of trees without permits as confirmed by CAL FIRE, and (3) submitted inaccurate Operations and Site Plans to the planning department. The applicant had also been accused of trucking water to the site, leading myself, the assigned planner, to question whether there was a reliable source of irrigation water onsite.

Before the meeting, the planner had notified the applicant that their interim permit was set to expire on Dec. 31, three days hence, and would not be renewed.

Upon receiving the news, the applicant evidently reached out to Bushnell because, according to the complaint, the Second District supervisor called Ford twice during the meeting, expressing concern that the applicant was about to lose 400 pounds of processed cannabis unless their interim permit got renewed for the 2022 cultivation season.

“The Director and I agreed we would extend the interim permit through January 31, 2022, providing the applicant ample time to pay the $25,908.00 penalty fee, bring the site back into compliance, and provide our department with accurate Operations and Site Plans,” the complaint says.

The applicant requested a meeting for the following day, This time, Bushnell accompanied the applicant and the applicant’s agent to Ford’s office. The planner was also in attendance.

According to the complaint, the planner was reviewing a packet of documentation showing evidence of violations on the property when Bushnell reached out and “pulled them abruptly from my grasp.” 

A few minutes later, during a dispute over whether and why the applicant had removed trees on the property, Bushnell began raising her voice, disputing the planner’s allegations and telling them that their job was to “get people through the permitting process,” according to the complaint.

“I responded that it was my job to ensure the project met the requirements of the ordinance and I conducted measurements of the tree removal using aerial imagery,” the complaint continues. “Michelle Bushnell then stood from her chair, crossed the room, and yelled ‘you better stop before I lose it!’ Following her yelling the threat a second time, I responded ‘you already have [lost it]!’”

On her way out of Ford’s office, Bushnell slammed the door “hard and loud enough to make the walls shake,” the complaint reads. “No more than 1 minute later she returned and was visibly crying.”

The meeting remained tense, with Bushnell asking the planner to appreciate what was at stake for the applicant while the planner reiterated that their duty was to the public as a whole. The complaint describes the planner and Bushnell glaring at each other: “We did not break eye contact until a question was directed to me by the applicant’s agent.”

As the tension escalated, the planner grew “extremely frustrated” with Bushnell’s manner of communicating, “and I looked at Director Ford while gesturing to Michelle Bushnell and yelled, ‘Are you going to let her talk to me like that?’ Director Ford remained silent. I plead[ed] once more, stating ‘Do something about this!’ Director Ford then directed me to leave the meeting and work on another project.”

The complaint goes on to allege that Bushnell’s behavior violated the board’s code of conduct, most notably the provision calling for maintaining a positive workplace environment.

Monday’s agenda also includes a timeline that was evidently compiled by the complainant. It accused Bushnell of speaking to at least one other employee “in a demanding and condescending manner.” It also references an internal planning department dispute about a proposed rainwater catchment pond for Bootleg Farms, LLC, “Michelle Bushnell’s personal commercial cannabis project.”

According to the timeline, planners in the department were requiring a new site plan for Bootleg Farms’s proposed rainwater catchment pond. They wanted the owners to find a location that didn’t require the removal of any trees or interfere with an onsite drainage ditch before the planning department would sign off on any development permits for the project.

The timeline goes on to say that after meeting with Bushnell, Ford approved the proposed location of the pond, calling the case “a special circumstance.”

“There is a timber harvest and oak restoration plan on the parcel, [w]hich John Ford believes warrants the removal of the trees and placement of the pond in that area,” the timeline says.

‘I was upset’

In a phone interview, Bushnell disputed much about the planner’s description of the Dec. 29 meeting, though their accounts did line up in several key particulars. For one thing, Bushnell agreed that the atmosphere was tense. 

“It wasn’t going well from the beginning,” she said. “And I didn’t like [the planner’s] attitude towards my constituents. It was terrible. And I said something to [them] about it. [They were] also very defiant to [their] boss in that meeting. [They] looked straight at [their] boss and said, ‘Are you going to do something about her?’ — referring to me.”

Bushnell admitted that her response wasn’t ideal. “It was not great in any form. … And yes, I got upset. Admittedly so,” she said. As for slamming the door and returning with tears in her eyes, Bushnell said she left the office because she didn’t want to lose her composure.

“I didn’t want to yell at that employee, so I stood up and said, ‘I have to leave this room or I’m gonna lose my shit.’”

The door did slam, she said. “It wasn’t intentional but it did. And I could see where it would have startled them, but that part was not intentional. I went out and went into another room … and took a couple breaths.”

When she came back in she asked everyone but Ford to leave. “And yes, I was upset and there might have been tears in my eyes,” she said. “It was out of frustration. I felt super frustrated for my constituents.”

Reached by phone on Friday, Ford said he found the complaint very one-sided. “I would not characterize [the meeting] like that,” he said.

He explained that it’s not uncommon for supervisors to request and even attend meetings between applicants and himself. What’s less common is for line staff, like this planner, to attend.

Ford said he considers it part of staff training to help line staff view things from the administrative level, to “teach them how to think in a broader context. … Often when issues are raised to my level, there’s not necessarily a black and white decision to be made,” he said.

As for her own cannabis project, Bushnell said she was in the application process two years before she was elected and upon her election she added her husband to the LLC and has mostly stayed away from the permitting process since. 

When the planning department initially denied the permit for the rainwater catchment pond, Bushnell went to the front counter of the department office and asked what they needed.

“They said ‘a letter from CalFire,’” she recalled. She said that was fine and told the staff to call her forester to see if they could get what they needed. She insisted that she did not exert any pressure on staff, merely telling them, “If it’s a no, it’s a no. We’ll figure it out.” 

We asked Ford about the pond situation, too. He said this case was indeed a special circumstance — not because the project belongs to a county supervisor but because of the facts on the ground. The trees slated for removal were oaks that were going to be taken down regardless of the cannabis project, he said.

“The fact of the matter is that all those trees were part of an oak woodland that was being removed anyway as part of a timber harvest plan,” Ford said. “They were being replaced, with revegetation as part of an oak woodland restoration project that was being done independent of the pond.”

Problem solving

After the planner’s complaint came in, the county administrative officer, Elishia Hayes, met with the interim human resources director and the complainant to discuss the incident and potential remedies. A staff report for Monday’s meeting says, “The complainant cited processes memorialized in the Code of Conduct, however agreed to a meeting with Supervisor Bushnell prior to escalation of the matter.”

That meeting took place on Jan. 24, according to the staff report. Bushnell and the complainant were present along with the complainant’s union representative, the county administrative officer (CAO) and Ford.

“The meeting was viewed by all as productive and focused on problem solving and improved communications,” the staff report says. “Following this meeting, the CAO met with the complainant and the union representative to discuss next steps. All parties, including the complainant, agreed that the policy as written was flawed and that the policy should be revised to follow a path similar to that which has been followed for other employees and elected officials.”

The problem with the policy as written, the report says, is that it calls for complaints against county supervisors to be discussed in open session, before any fact-finding or interviewing of potential witnesses. This process “presents unique challenges related to maintaining complainant confidentiality, which must be protected,” the staff report says.

County staff has come up with some draft revisions to the code of conduct as well as a draft resolution to adopt and incorporate those changes. 

On Jan. 12, Bushnell participated in a training on “Effective Communication, and Board Roles and Responsibilities.”

“I recognized that I needed to possibly say things better,” she told the Outpost. “Quite frankly, if I hadn’t been emotional [that day] I don’t think that would have happened, but it did. That’s the bottom line.”

What set her off, she said, was the planner’s attitude.

“Our county is supposed to be a service department. We’re supposed to care about our people,” she said. “And so it’s hard for me when I don’t see kindness.”

The Outpost has yet to get a response to its Public Records Act request, which was submitted on March 24. State law gives public agencies 10 days to reply to such requests.

Late Friday morning we sent an email to the CAO’s office asking this: If everyone involved in this situation believed that the supervisors’ code of conduct and ethics policy was needed revisions, why wasn’t that done before now? Why did it take a Public Records Act request to prompt the change? We have yet to hear back.

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UPDATE:

On Friday evening, the CAO’s office sent the following response from County Administrative Officer Elishia Hayes:

County policies, especially rules around personal conduct, are important for our staff and the community. In this case, we drafted the revised policy at the end of January. From there we still needed to have it reviewed by the union, which was a steady partner in this process, get the staff report together, notify everyone, and agendize it. It’s a multiple step process, and we’ve had a lot of other policy issues happening over the last 2 months. I take accountability for failing to get this policy back in front of the Board more timely. The necessity to change the policy was brought to light by the complaint against Supervisor Bushnell and thus it made sense to discuss both issues at the same time.

Atkins-Salazar. From her city council Facebook page.

Press release from the City of Arcata:

The City of Arcata receives guidance from the Fair Political Practices Commission regarding Mayor Atkins-Salazar financial conflict of interest. The City of Arcata has received a determination from the Fair Political Practices Commission that confirms Mayor Stacy Atkins-Salazar has a conflict of interest in making decisions on the Gateway Area Plan because she owns both a primary residence and business within 500 feet of the Gateway Area Boundary.

The City of Arcata has initiated a planning process focused on residential and mixed-use development within a specific region of the City approximately 138 acres in size, known as the “Gateway Area.” It implements a measure in the City’s General Plan Housing Element to allow for residential infill development in an area that was historically used for mixed and industrial purposes, and will result in the City Council’s adoption of an “area plan,” to be called the “Gateway Area Plan.” This planning effort was first initiated in late 2019 when the City Council adopted the City’s current Housing Element of its General Plan that included a specific measure mandating creation of the “Arcata Gateway Specific Area Plan, which will include [a] form-based code that allows high density infill development.”

Below is the conclusion from the Fair Political Practices Commission.

QUESTION

Does Mayor Stacy Atkins-Salazar have a conflict of interest which would prohibit her from participating in the City Council decision concerning the Gateway Area Plan?

CONCLUSION

The Act prohibits Mayor Atkins-Salazar from taking part in decisions relating to the Gateway Area Plan because it is reasonably foreseeable that those decisions would have a disqualifying material effect on her business’s interest in its real property, located across the street from the Gateway Area Plan boundary.

On this decision, Mayor Atkins-Salazar said, “I am disappointed that I will not be able to participate in the Gateway Area Plan as a decision maker, however, I understand why the FPPC ruled the way it did. The Gateway Area Plan is an important planning process that will have lasting effects on our town and it is important that it be done correctly, including avoiding legal issues such as conflicts of interest.”

Additional Background

Sections 87100 and 87103 of the Act prohibit a public official from making, participating in making, or in any way attempting to use his or her official position to influence a governmental decision if it is reasonably foreseeable that the decision would have a material financial effect on one or more of the official’s financial interests distinguishable from the decision’s effect on the public generally. Mayor Atkins-Salazar and her husband own real property located outside and across the street from the Gateway Area project boundary, within 500 feet of the Gateway Area boundary. She lives at this location where she additionally owns and operates a dance studio business as a sole proprietor.

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• (VIDEO) WHALE CALL! Watch a Humongous Beast of the Deep Blow its Blowhole at Local Kayakers

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It’s Humboldt Baywatch time, and this week we’re turning our attention to that elephant of the briny depth — the gray whale!

If you caught that video of big grays communing with kayakers in Trinidad Bay last week, then you know: Now is the time for whales. The grays are cruising up the coast toward Alaska right now, and they have a habit of frolicking around our shores and inlets as they pass.

This week KHUM’s Midge Martin is joined by Michelle Kunst of the Trinidad Coastal Land Trust to blubber about the biology and habits of these big boys and girls, as well as the challenges they face in their long lives. Like many tourists to our area they tend to call in at Trinidad at some point, so Michelle knows lots about them. 

Let’s learn more!

“Humboldt Baywatch” — The Great Gray Whale

Need more whales in your life? Head out to the shore and start spotting! Need more KHUM in your life? That’s even easier! Tune into KHUM-FM at 104.7/104.3 FM on your radio dial … or click right here to stream it online! If you click literally right now you might be able to catch Greta playing “Foolin’ Around” by Sierra Ferrell, which has a kind of cool, stripped-down honky-tonk vibe.

But the chances of you getting there in time are decreasing rapidly as I continue to type. Something else good will be playing, I’m sure!

OK, until next week!

Bye!

David Matthew Dillon passed away in the caring hands of his Hospice support team on March 18, 2022. He is survived by his family: daughters Deby Wiley (Gary) and Cyndi Hovis (Bill); grandchildren, Sarah Williams (Jon), Paul Wiley (Geri), Leah Bierwerth (Guy), Joel Wiley (Emily), Samantha Hovis, and Clark Hovis; and great-grandchildren, Olivia, Madeleine, Minte, Ellington, Ethan, Benjamin, Joshua, Addison, Hudson and Gabriel.

David was born on August 13, 1929, in Longview, Washington, to Haradon and Corinne McKillip Dillon. As a toddler, his father passed away suddenly, so he was raised by his mother, grandmother (Oma), and his two older siblings, Haradon and Peggy, in Olympia, Washington.

As a young boy, he had many jobs. He rode through the streets of Olympia, starting out as a paperboy, and then at age 12, he took a job with Western Union, delivering telegrams around the Capitol Building and throughout the City. In order to land his position at Western Union, he lied about his age (saying he was 14, when he was actually 12). His first day on the job was the same day as Peggy’s high school graduation, which he missed much to his mother’s dismay. He was always eager to help his family out and work as much as he could. Other jobs included working at a movie theater, announcing football games with his older brother Harry, and installing trenches as a firefighter in the summers.

After graduating from Olympia High School, he started college at St. Martin’s University, where he continued to call sports games and work on radio programs. During Christmas time, David was playing bass at a small DeMolay and Rainbow Girls party, where he met his soon-to-be wife, Carol. They had graduated from high school together but had not crossed paths until that evening. They both continued their education separately, but got engaged right before graduating from college. One year before finishing his bachelor’s degree, he transferred to the University of Washington. Upon registration at the new university, he haphazardly decided to change his major to Sociology in an effort to graduate as quickly as he could. In June of 1950, David and Carol graduated from college on the same day, and David elected to go to Carol’s graduation from Oregon State University instead of his own. Carol and David were married in August of 1950 on David’s birthday. He always boasted that marrying Carol was the best birthday present he ever received.

Following their wedding day, David and Carol moved to Tenino, Washington, where he started working at a small bank. The couple eventually moved back to their hometown of Olympia, Washington, where they had their first daughter, Deby. Due to David’s hard work at the bank, the couple moved to San Francisco where David got a new position, and they had their second daughter, Melanie.

After receiving a promotion, Carol and David moved to Humboldt County working in the Arcata, Eureka and Scotia branches of Crocker Bank. They welcomed their third daughter, Cyndi, while Dave was working in Scotia. David was known for his knowledge in the lumber industry, where he managed many accounts with large clients. Throughout the years, David traveled the Pacific Northwest extensively, supporting his clients, both large and small. He was known for being a stickler for the rules and ran a tight ship at the bank, but his attention to detail allowed the bank to stay afloat and his career to progress.

In 1966, the family moved to Arcata, and David received a promotion to Division Manager at Crocker Bank. He continued to travel extensively and manage banks in the Humboldt area. He would fly weekly to San Francisco for years for meetings to give updates on the divisions that he managed. At this time, he became heavily involved in civic organizations, first starting in Kiwanis and eventually moving in to the Rotary Club. In support of his daughters, David was also an active leader in the local 4H club and a volunteer at their many swim meets. He was always very passionate about giving back to his community by volunteering in his spare time. He was a valued board member on numerous business, community, and educational organizations.

In 1976, Carol and David moved to Eureka and David joined the Eureka Rotary Club taking many leadership positions. At this time, the couple began hosting exchange students through the Rotary International Youth program. David also became the Youth Exchange Officer for all students in the Northern California District. He made a huge impact by opening his home to students from all over the world and providing support throughout their stays in the Humboldt and Northern California District area. Through these exchanges, David and Carol developed deep relationships with other Rotary clubs throughout the world, leading to many visits with friends in Australia and South Africa. As the exchange students grew up into professionals and had their own families, they would come back and visit their hosts. These visits made lasting impressions on David as he could see how his time had helped these students expand their worldview while also making the world a much smaller place. He also became the District Governor for Rotary in 1991-1992.

After retiring, Carol and David traveled all over the world. They loved frequenting London where they attended countless musical theatre performances. They traveled extensively in the South Pacific, Europe, and Africa. They would make annual visits to Kauai where they enjoyed sunrises on the beach and casual walks through the gardens. Annual cross-country treks to visit their children and grandchildren were a must, and they tried to travel a different route each time. As soon as David would arrive, he would tell winding tales about growing up in Olympia and the many jobs he had. It was always amazing to hear the level of detail he could recall from his childhood, being able to recall specific outfits people wore and the food that was shared. He had a crystal clear memory, and truly enjoyed painting a vivid picture for all of his listeners. As the grandchildren grew up, David and Carol never missed a graduation or major milestone. He and Carol were always there to share in these special times, providing sound advice to his family, showing his care by being a present and loving father and grandfather.

Besides traveling, David was an avid sports fan, history buff, and reader. He also participated in local church events and continued attending Rotary meetings through 2020. He aligned his life around the Oakland A’s baseball schedule in the summer and San Francisco 49ers games in the fall and winter. He was also a huge Golden State Warriors fan, surprising his grandkids when he announced that basketball was always his favorite sport. (We could’ve sworn it was baseball!).

David will be greatly missed by his family, friends, and community. His philanthropic and worldly heart touched many people throughout the years, both in the local Humboldt area and abroad. His detailed stories, wise insight, and steadfast nature are the legacies he leaves behind. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to either The Sequoia Park Zoo Foundation, P.O. Box 123, Cutten, CA 95534; sequoiaparkzoo.net/donate or The Clarke Museum 240 E Street, Eureka, CA 95501; clarkemuseum.org/donations.

The family would like to thank Larona Farnum and all of the workers at Timber Ridge in McKinleyville for the loving care that was given to David. A memorial service will be held at 4 p.m. Saturday April 23, 2022 at the First Presbyterian Church, 819 15th Street, Eureka.

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

Surrounded by her loved ones, Rebecca (Becky) Lynn Davy passed away on March 22, 2022 after a courageous battle with breast cancer. Born December 8, 1964 to Arthur and Joan Teasley, in Fortuna, she was the youngest of 5.

Becky graduated from Fortuna High in 1983, where lifelong friendships were made. She was the life of every party and took every opportunity to get together with her friends. “The hostess with the mostest,” she was always ready for the next get together, especially with her girls. She loved her friends. Becky never met a stranger – “the more the merrier” was always her motto. Her door was always open and she greeted you with a smile and a cocktail. Whether she was coordinating everyone meeting up, mixing up the cocktails, or dancing the night away, if Becky was there the party had arrived.

On May 17, 1986 Becky married her husband, Barry. A few years later they welcomed their son, Travis, and then daughter, Bailey. Becky loved her family and was proud of her children. One of her biggest accomplishments was her children. She was especially proud of Travis when he joined the United States Navy in 2011. She loved sharing stories and pictures of where he was and what he was doing. From the time her kids started playing and through college, Becky spent her weekends chasing soccer games around the county and state to watch them play. Anyone who knew the Davys knew their weekends were spent on a soccer field. Her love for soccer and the youth continued even after her kids were done playing. She served on the Eel River Youth Soccer Board for 18+ years, filling just about every position on the board at some point, from coordinating refs, to registering kids, to opening her home to coaches from the UK every summer. On any given weekend you could still find her at the soccer fields.

Becky spent 24 years working at Linda’s Hallmark, where she got to share her love for decorating and Chrimstas with all of Fortuna. She had an eye for decor, especially during Christmas. With the sound of Peanuts Christmas music playing, she would turn her house into a mini-Hallmark store every year. Aside from the lack of sunshine, it was her favorite time of year.

Cancer may have taken her too soon, but cancer did not define her. Becky was a lover of sunshine, laughter, the beach and Christmas. Her favorite vacation spot was Mission Beach, San Diego with her family and her besties, eating fish tacos on the beach and boogie boarding in the ocean.

Becky is preceded in death by her parents Art & Joan, stepfather Howard Hammers, and father and mother-in-law Jim & Phyllis Davy. She is survived by her loving husband, Barry, and her two kids, Travis and Bailey; her siblings Denise (Henry) Anaya, Sue (Monica) Teasley, Will Teasley, Scott (Leslie) Teasley; her brother and sisters-in-law Tracy (Valerie) Davy, Tim (Sue) Davy, Greg (Bonnie) Davy, Jody (Ed) Leivas, Darby Davy, Troy (Cindy) Davy, Tammy (Matt) Forsell and numerous nieces and nephews.

May we all start each day with the same mindset Becky did as she faced her journey. She never once wavered in her fight and positive attitude to keep trying. She embraced each day with hope, love and gratitude for those supporting her journey. From her amazing nurses, to her family and friends both near and far, she was never alone.

Becky’s celebration of life will be held at the Loleta Fire Hall on Saturday, April 9, at 1 p.m. Donations in her name can be made to Hospice of Humboldt, the Loleta Volunteer Fire Dept, or a charity of your choice.

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

Poor old KIEM-TV — “News Channel 3,” “Redwood News,” or whatever they’re calling it now — has had a rough couple of decades since the Jim Bernard glory days. They’ve been bounced around from corporate overlord to corporate overlord, and it’s hard to think of a time that they emerged stronger from the experience.

Now comes news that Cox Media Group is kicking that ol’ can one pace further down the road, with a sale of Channel 3 and 11 of its current sub-mid-market to bottom-of-the-barrel siblings to a cable channel called “INSP,” which seems to be all about Westerns, both classic and originally produced. For instance, INSP has a reality show called “Ultimate Cowboy Showdown,” hosted by “Honky Tonk Badonkadonk” singer Trace Adkins, in which seasoned cowboys from across the country are dropped into Wyoming and forced to do cowboy stuff against each other.

Why the picture and headline above? Because INSP is the successor of Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker’s PTL Television Network, a staple of late-night dorm room antics for we children of the ‘80s. Small world!

Rep. Jared Huffman tells Mario Cortez of Times-Standard — a whole ‘nother local media story for a different day — that he will oppose the sale of Channel 3 and the rest of the Cox stations to INSP, partly on the Bakker grounds. “It is rightwing religious media on steroids,” says the Huff.

Press release from Cox Media Group:

Cox Media Group (CMG), an industry-leading media company, and the general entertainment cable network INSP, LLC (INSP) announced today that affiliates of each company have entered into a definitive agreement involving the sale of CMG television stations in twelve markets. The transaction furthers the strategic evolution of CMG’s broadcast station portfolio and marks INSP’s expansion into broadcast television.

Upon the close of the transaction, Imagicomm Communications, an affiliate of INSP, will acquire the following CMG stations:

• Alexandria, LA – KLAX
• Binghamton, NY – WICZ
• Eureka, CA – KIEM/KVIQ-LD
• Greenwood, MS – WABG/WNBD/WXVT
• Idaho Falls, ID – KPVI
• Medford, OR – KMVU/KFBI-LD
• Memphis, TN – WHBQ
• Spokane, WA – KAYU
• Syracuse, NY – WSYTTulsa, OK – KOKI/KMYT
• Yakima, WA – KCYU-LD/KFFX
• Yuma, AZ – KYMA

“These are important local journalism and community service brands powered by incredible media professionals and journalists who work tirelessly to inform, entertain, and elevate the communities they serve,” said CMG’s President and CEO, Dan York. “We are pleased to advance the strategic evolution of our portfolio, are proud of our team members at these stations, and are confident they will continue to excel in their important work as part of the Imagicomm / INSP family.”

David Cerullo, Chairman & CEO of INSP, said, “We are excited to be entering the broadcast television market with this strong collection of brands that are integral to informing and entertaining the communities they serve. We look forward to working with the stations’ talented staff and building upon their rich legacy of journalism and serving their communities, advertisers, and audiences. This acquisition is part of our broad corporate strategy to expand our media ownership across multiple entertainment platforms.”

The transactions are subject to customary closing conditions, including applicable regulatory approvals. The parties expect to close the announced transactions in the second half of 2022.

Advisors

Truist Securities, Inc. served as financial advisor to INSP and Imagicomm Communications in connection with the Transaction and is acting as left lead arranger on the debt financing. Davis Wright Tremaine, LLP served as lead M&A counsel to INSP and Imagicomm Communications, and Bradley Arant Boult Cummings served as their financing counsel.

Moelis & Company, LLC and LionTree served as financial advisors to Cox Media Group, and it was represented on the transaction by Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP, with Cooley LLP and Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP serving as special regulatory counsel.

About CMG

CMG Media Corporation (d/b/a Cox Media Group) is an industry-leading media company with unparalleled brands, award-winning content, and exceptional people. CMG provides valuable local content to viewers in the communities in which it serves. The company’s operations primarily include 31 high-quality, market-leading television stations in 20 markets, 53 top-performing radio stations delivering multiple genres of content in 11 markets, and numerous streaming and digital platforms. CMG’s portfolio includes primary affiliates of ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, Telemundo and MyNetworkTV, as well as several valuable news and independent stations. Additionally, the company also offers a full suite of national, regional, local and digital advertising services with CMG Local Solutions, CoxReps and Gamut. For more information about CMG, visit www.coxmediagroup.com.

About INSP

INSP, LLC is a 24-hour-a-day general entertainment cable network that provides a trusted viewing experience with a lineup of exclusive and original series, timeless Westerns, action-filled dramas and films focused on adventure and heroic characters. The network’s audience continues to grow at a time when most cable networks have experienced declines, and its average monthly HH ratings increased by more than 1300% from 2010 through 2022. INSP is available nationwide to more than 62M households via MVPDs including DISH (channel 259), DIRECTV (channel 364), Cox Communications, Comcast Xfinity, Charter Spectrum, National Cable Television Cooperative (NCTC), Verizon Fios (channel 286), AT&T U-verse (channel 564) and on vMVPDs including SLING TV, fuboTV, Philo, Frndly TV, Vidgo, SelectTV and Evoca.

About Imagicomm Communications

Imagicomm Communications is an affiliate of INSP, LLC responsible for the ownership and management of broadcast-related functions for the organization, including content distribution in the broadcast environment, station ownership, oversight and development.

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Do you live within Eureka’s city limits? Do you have a passion for gulches? How about greenways? Do you like traipsing about the neat little trails that weave throughout the City? Well, my friend, you have come to the right place.

The City of Eureka is working to develop comprehensive policies for its greenways and gulches, including Cooper Gulch, Second Gulch and the gulches of Martin Slough, as shown in the map above. But before such policies are drafted, the City would like to hear from its residents.

As it stands, there are no local guidelines or standards in place for the protection of wildlands, streams and riparian habitats outside of the Coastal Zone. The City’s 2040 General Plan calls for management standards for local gulches and greenways to ensure future development adheres to public safety and environmental standards for our community.

“This planning effort is just focused on the portions of the gulches [and] greenways that are within the city limits and outside or inland of the Coastal Zone,” Cristin Kenyon, principal planner for the City of Eureka, said during a public workshop on Tuesday. “Our working idea is to adopt a gulches and greenways ordinance that defines the boundaries of the Gulch/Greenway Management Area, includes statements of purpose for the area – values that we want to preserve and enhance as well as hazards we want to avoid – and then include some additional standards and limitations for development and uses in this area that align with the environmental and safety values.”

Preliminary results from an online survey call for enhanced protections for fish and other wildlife as well as the natural and scenic character of the City’s gulches and greenways. Residents also asked that the City reduce the fragmentation of vegetation throughout the area and for buffers to be established between sensitive habitats and nearby urban uses.

The standards will be subject to certain limitations, Kenyon noted. For example, the draft policies will identify uses and general standards for development in the gulch and greenway areas, but they will not provide a plan for public trails.

The standards will not provide a solution to homeless encampments or dumping either, she said.

“We have a homelessness crisis and these standards aren’t really going to do anything to help us in that situation,” she said. “The city has other programs that address the homelessness crisis and we’re currently working on a Homeless Action Plan. The standards can incentivize and require good stewardship but they’re not a complete solution to issues of trash and invasive species. Dealing with those things really requires an ongoing community-wide effort.”

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More than 75 percent, approximately 772 acres, of Eureka’s gulches and greenways are privately owned, she said. Citywide standards would help prevent further fragmentation and degradation of the gulches and greenways while promoting better environmental stewardship.

When asked by one of the workshop’s 13 attendees whether the standards would address fencing on private property in wildlife corridors, Kenyon said the City had considered allowing wildlife-friendly fences but was unsure about the allowance of other fences.

“We’re debating what to recommend in terms of other types of fences,” she said. “I know there’s a concern [from] property owners if trails come [because] they want to be able to protect their private property from people using the trail. And so weighing that against the desire to have to allow wildlife movement through these corridors is something that we have to think about.”

Another resident asked how the ordinance rules and enforcement would impact activities on private properties within or adjacent to the gulch and greenway area. Kenyon confirmed and explained that the ordinance would function “like an overlay of additional standards and limitations” that would apply in the area. 

Eureka residents can weigh in on the proposed ordinance through mid-April.

The Open Space, Parks and Recreation Commission will review the draft policy on April 28 before it’s sent to the Eureka City Planning Commission meeting on May 9. If all goes according to plan, the proposal will move on to the City Council for approval in July.

Do you have an affinity for gulches and greenways? Take the survey here!