Hank Sims / Tuesday, May 19 @ 11:03 a.m. / Agendizer
TONIGHT in EUREKA CITY COUNCIL: ‘Flatmo Alley’ to be Made Official; Anti-Offshore Oil Resolution Comes Back
Flatmo, top left, social distancing in October 2020, as he finishes the refurbishment of his signature mural, which abuts the alley that will bear his name forevermore. File photo: Andrew Goff.
Extremely light workload for the Eureka City Council at its regular meeting tonight. Only two items on the agenda, and both should be pretty non-controversial.
First: The official christening of Duane Flatmo Alley, one block of the alley running behind Redwood Capital Bank and the Arkley Center, between F and G streets, and parallel to Fourth and Fifth. This proposal has already been approved by the city’s Parks, Recreation and Open Space Committee and the Planning Commission, and it’s hard to imagine it encountering much opposition at the top level.
The alley in question, of course, is immediately adjacent to one of Flatmo’s most iconic works of art — the giant mural celebrating the performing arts on the back of the Arkley Center.
Note: Google thinks that the alley in question is already named “Charlie Moon Way,” but Google is incorrect. “Charlie Moon Way,” named after a Eureka man who resisted and escaped the city’s Chinese Expulsion, is the same alley but between E and F streets.
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At the last meeting of the council, you’ll recall, the consensus was that it was not the right moment to place an outright ban on offshore oil facilities locating on land within the city. Instead, the council asked staff to return with a resolution that would put the city on record as strongly opposing the development of new drilling, which has been a Trump administration initiative.
That resolution has been drafted. Read it here. The council will vote on it.
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Apart from those two things: The Eureka Police Department will present the results of a recent survey concerning homelessness in the city, and the council will formalize and standardize the hours during which it will charge for parking in the newly app-based offstreet parking lots. (The hours you’ll have to pay are either 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. or 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. — the staff report says one thing and the draft resolution says another.)
There’s a closed session immediately before all of this starting at 5 p.m. The council will be doing its regular performance evaluation of the city manager, city attorney and city clerk.
The Eureka City Council meets in open session at 6 p.m at Eureka City Hall — 531 K Street, Eureka. Remote participation instructions at this link. Full agenda below.
Eureka City Council
May 19, 2026, 6 p.m.
A. MAYOR'S ANNOUNCEMENTS
1. Proclamation-Public Works Week
B. PRESENTATIONS
1. EPD Homeless Survey
C. BOARD/COMMISSION REPORTS
D. PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD
E. COUNCIL REPORTS / CITY-RELATED TRAVEL REPORTS
F. PUBLIC HEARINGS
G. CONSENT CALENDAR
DOCUMENTS:
2. Off Street Parking Facilities
This document is about a proposal to set specific hours for parking regulations in public off-street parking facilities in a city. The goal is to improve access for businesses, visitors, and community destinations. The proposed resolution would establish consistent parking hours and give the City Manager the authority to make adjustments for special events. The changes are expected to have a positive impact on businesses, visitors, and parking availability, with minimal fiscal impact.
— LoCOBot
… or, as a town crier's speech!
Hear ye, hear ye! The City Council of Eureka has a crucial matter at hand regarding off-street parking facilities. A resolution is to be adopted to establish parking regulation hours and provide administrative flexibility for approved Special Events. This recommendation falls under the department of the City Manager and is deemed necessary for effective governance.
Based on the City of Eureka Downtown Parking Study, it has been determined that changes must be made to improve parking access for businesses, visitors, and community destinations. The ordinance adopted by the City Council has allowed for the establishment of a framework for the administration of public off-street parking facilities, with the City Manager overseeing parking rates, time limits, and operational parameters.
The proposed resolution seeks to set consistent operational hours for parking regulations within public off-street parking facilities, aligning with observed parking demand patterns and balancing the needs of downtown businesses, employees, residents, and visitors. It also authorizes the City Manager to administer and enforce parking facilities and make adjustments for special events or community programming.
This resolution is not expected to create significant fiscal impacts, and it aims to improve parking availability, turnover, and overall utilization of public parking facilities. Let it be known that these adjustments are essential for the betterment of our community and support for our local businesses and visitors.
In conclusion, the City Council urges all citizens to support this resolution for the benefit of all stakeholders involved. Your attendance and cooperation are greatly appreciated as we strive for effective governance and community prosperity. Thank you!
— LoCOBot
DOCUMENTS:
H. LEGISLATIVE ACTION CORRESPONDENCE
I. ORDINANCES/RESOLUTIONS
The Eureka City Council is considering naming an alley after local artist Duane Flatmo due to his significant contributions to the community through his artwork and mentoring efforts. The proposal has already received support from the Open Space, Parks, and Recreation Commission. The City Council is being asked to adopt a resolution to officially name the alley as “Duane Flatmo Alley.”
— LoCOBot
As the sun began to set over Eureka, casting long shadows across the streets, a sense of unease settled over the city. The City Council had just approved the naming of a new alley in honor of local artist Duane Flatmo, but little did they know that this decision would set off a chain of terrifying events.
Duane Flatmo was known for his eerie and unsettling artwork, with murals depicting twisted figures and haunting landscapes. Despite his talent, there was always something sinister lurking beneath the surface of his creations.
As the first night fell after the alley was officially named, residents reported strange sounds coming from the dark passageway. Whispers could be heard echoing off the brick walls, and shadows seemed to dance in the dim light.
Then, one by one, people began to go missing. Those who ventured too close to Duane Flatmo Alley never returned, their disappearances shrouded in mystery. Rumors spread like wildfire, with some claiming that the artist’s spirit had been unleashed upon the city, seeking revenge for being immortalized in such a grim way.
The City Council scrambled to undo their decision, but it was too late. Duane Flatmo Alley had taken on a life of its own, becoming a portal to a realm of darkness and despair. Those who dared to enter found themselves trapped in a nightmarish maze of twisted reality, where the laws of physics no longer applied and the walls seemed to shift and change before their very eyes.
To this day, Duane Flatmo Alley remains a forbidden place, a reminder of the dangers of meddling with forces beyond our understanding. The city council’s decision had unleashed a horror that could not be contained, and the residents of Eureka live in fear of what lurks within the shadows of that accursed alley.
— LoCOBot
DOCUMENTS:
Staff Report • Attachment 1 - Draft Resolution • Attachment 2 - Planning Commission Staff Report and Resolution • Attachment 3 - OSPR Meeting Minutes
2. Offshore Drilling and Mining Resolution
The city council is being asked to adopt a resolution opposing offshore drilling and mining for oil and gas. The recommendation is to pass the resolution with no impact on the city’s budget. This aligns with the council’s goal of effective governance. The resolution was requested at a previous meeting and staff is recommending its approval.
— LoCOBot
In the city of Eureka, the council did meet,
To discuss drilling and mining way out at sea.
They heard Miles Slattery, who had it all planned,
To adopt a resolution, to take a firm stand.
No fiscal impact, it wouldn’t cost a thing,
Just a statement to say, we won’t let them bring,
Oil and gas drilling, or deep seabed mines,
To our precious oceans, our council defines.
With effective governance as their main goal,
The council decided, to take a strong role.
They voted and passed, the resolution that day,
To protect our oceans, in Eureka Bay.
— LoCOBot
DOCUMENTS:
J. REPORTS/ACTION ITEMS
K. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS
L. CITY MANAGER REPORTS
M. PUBLIC COMMENT CONTINUED
CLICK TO MANAGE