Community investment is so much more than financial

Given the nature of the elected position directly impacts HCSD residents, I’m wondering how intertwined you are in the community. How many properties do you own in HCSD? What about Humboldt County more broadly? How many are residential? Commercial? How much land do you own that is sitting unused?

Kate, thank you for the question.

My wife Kathy and I have deep roots in this community. Kathy is fifth-generation Humboldt County, and our ties to HCSD are personal, financial and built on many years of community service.

Within the district, we own our home and a residential rental property, and my business is located here. We also own two vacant lots. My wonderful 92-year-old mother-in-law lives in the district as well.

One of those vacant lots is adjacent to our home. Creating it required a lot split that took more than 18 months. We went through that process because we hoped eventually to build a home there, and we still do. Whether we can make the numbers work is another question.

That experience also made the cost of creating new housing very real to me. HCSD’s capacity charges have increased substantially. Then there are County permitting costs and other requirements associated with building a new home, including solar and fire sprinklers. At some point, the combined costs can make a project difficult to pencil out. New development should pay its fair share, but we also need to consider whether cumulative costs are making it unnecessarily difficult to create housing.

Our connection to the district goes well beyond property ownership. Kathy is a retired educator and was the opening Principal of Winship Middle School, located within the district. I chaired the successful Measure S school bond campaign, which voters approved to provide more than $40 million for improvements to our local schools. I also served three years as a Director of the Greater Eureka Chamber of Commerce and then one year as Chairman.

This is my 21st year coordinating our local Toys for Tots program. That service grew naturally from my Marine Corps background, but ultimately it is about children—many living right here in our district—whose families are struggling to make ends meet. Community service ties you to the fabric of a community and gives you a firsthand understanding of what is happening in people’s lives.

My business experience provides another perspective. Having owned and operated a business, made payroll and been responsible for employees and their families, I understand that financial decisions affect businesses, employees, customers and the community they serve.

I have served on the HCSD Board since 2014, with one brief period away. I publish my phone number and email address because I believe ratepayers should be able to reach their elected representatives directly. Those conversations help keep me connected to what people throughout the district are experiencing.

All of this matters when I sit at the HCSD Board table. My responsibility is much broader than asking whether I can afford a rate increase. I have to consider what our decisions mean to seniors living on fixed incomes, lower-income families, local businesses and people trying to build a home.

That concern was an important part of why I voted no on the recent rate increases. We have to maintain and replace our aging infrastructure, but I believe we should look hard at grants, long-term financing and other ways to spread the cost of infrastructure that will serve this community for generations.

So yes, Kathy and I are very much invested in HCSD. But I measure that investment by much more than the property we own. It is also measured by the people we serve, the relationships we’ve built and the community we’ve worked to support over many years.

If you have additional questions, please visit Gardiner101.com, call me at 707-834-9595 or email me at gregg@101things.com. I believe your elected representatives should be accessible, and I welcome hearing from you.

Hello Kate,

Thank you for your thoughtful question and striving to be an educated citizen.

I live in my home in the Humboldt Community Services District (HCSD). My family & I do not have any other property in Humboldt County: no rental properties, business holdings, undeveloped land, etc. I am one of the 20,000 residents that benefit from having water and wastewater services. 

Investment in Infrastructure:

Did you know the water and wastewater system that serves HCSD has the capacity to serve 45,000 residents? Over the last 30 years Humboldt Community Services District has made significant investments in infrastructure to support growth that has yet to come. In a letter to the County of Humboldt dated 04/17/2024, the HCSD General Manager lists infrastructure upgrades including the Martin Slough Interceptor (wastewater transmission),Truesdale Pump Station (water transmission), and a 32% share in the Elk River wastewater treatment plant- all have underused capacity. The purpose of the letter was to petition for HCSD to receive a larger share of property tax revenue on new housing to recoup ratepayer money invested in infrastructure upgrades. To be fair, the county not being able to accommodate the full request, does not make them the “bad guy,” they have a budget to juggle and these matters are complicated at best.

You can view the letter the HCSD board approved at agenda item F.4. P 25: https://humboldtcsd.org/documents/1830/Agenda_Pack_19__December_9__2025.pdf

The district also has roughly 30 years of deferred maintenance to contend with, which I elaborated on in my answer in Loco Question 3 posed by Curious regarding aging infrastructure. I also reminded the public that California Proposition 218 states it is not legal for one ratepayer to subsidize another in Special Districts. As new homes are built, who should pay for new housing to be connected to the water and wastewater system? How would you vote?

Residential rates increased due to deferred maintenance. Connection fees for new development increased to reflect the true cost of connecting into the system. These changes needed to happen to maintain the integrity of the system. 

Here is what I plan to do. I will continue to do the research and consider the big picture. I will continue to vote for fair and transparent application of policies like I have since 2022. I will continue to look for solutions to help low income ratepayers. 

As for being intertwined in the community: I want to thank you, the community, since I am running for reelection to the Humboldt Community Services District. We live in an incredibly generous community. It seems like everyone volunteers and there are always fundraising events to support worthy local organizations. Humboldt has been exceptionally generous the past two years, donating to local non-profits to offset the devastating federal funding cuts to many essential services. You all donate money and volunteer hours because you all care about helping others. Some of the most generous people I have encountered have been people of modest means who’s gifts are enormous relative to their income. There are many big hearts and helping hands in our community. It is inspiring to see what we accomplish together and we give each hope other in difficult times.

Here are a few highlights of my community involvement. I moved to Humboldt County in 2000 as a HSU transfer student. I became intertwined in the community fairly quickly. As a student, I volunteered in the Sumeg Garden at Sumeg State Park. I was a tour docent at the Campus Center for Appropriate Technology to highlight low tech and inexpensive ways to save energy and be more self reliant.

I was a board member of the Placebo from 2002-2007. It was a music and art space that hosted a wide variety of music and art that had a zero tolerance policy on alcohol/drugs/violence. I was the chaperon that parents could check in with and a mentor who supported creativity and self expression minus the self destruction. I was often the adult young people sought for advice, comfort, and help when they needed someone safe to talk to.

Did you listen to Left of the Dial on KHSU Fridays 10:00-midnight? I had a blast rocking out for 11+ years until the stations closure in 2019. KHSU was so much fun especially when friends and local bands would join me. I was stoked when a ratepayer told me they enjoyed doing crafts and listening to my show on Friday nights. Talk about rocking the vote!

From 2012-present, I have been on the leadership team of a youth summer program that serves many foster and homeless youth. It is a privilege to work with the dynamic team to create a safe space where youth can learn new things in workshops and sing songs around the campfire. I teach a nature workshop to show youth their powers of observation and curiosity are the foundations for careers in science. Did you know that trees growing along the river create shade and add nutrients into the water to create the habitat salmon and other species need? This year a camp counselor, told me they became a botany major in college, partly due to taking my workshop a decade ago when they were a camper. Planting seeds of knowledge and confidence is a gift that keeps on giving.

For the last 5 years, I have volunteered with a group that provides essential services to marginalized people. When people have their basic needs met, it makes our community healthier and safer. I have helped with various fundraisers, beach clean ups, and other events.  Writing about this is just a reminder of how fortunate I have been to have these opportunities. It isn’t just about what I have done. It is a reminder that people of all different backgrounds help each other in big and small ways every single day. 

Being on the Humboldt Community Services District Board is my opportunity to serve our community in a different capacity. It has helped me tap into some of my underutilized skills and bring a fresh perspective to the board. I decided to use this campaign to share what I have learned by serving on the board for four years, all of which is public information contained in agendas from our public board meetings. Many of you are too busy juggling life to attend meetings but that doesn’t mean you don’t have questions. I do hope this inspires more of you to attend meetings which you can do in person or by zoom the second and fourth Tuesday of each month at 5:00 pm. https://humboldtcsd.org/board-agendas  and/or read the minutes of the previous meeting. 

Thank you again,

Julie Ryan

707-273-1314

julie4hcsd@gmail.com

https://julieryan4hcsd.com

https://www.facebook.com/JulieRyan4HCSD/

Answer created without AI