Category Archives: Local Government

Articles, Community News, Economy, Local Government

Though most opposed stricter regulations, Crescent City Councilors call for audit to make sure vacation rental owners are paying their taxes

1 Comment

Though the city planner said most of Crescent City’s vacation rentals were concentrated on Pebble Beach Drive, Candace Tinkler brought up Gainard Street to illustrate the need for stricter regulations.

According to the mayor pro tem, “every single house that has gone up for sale is flipped” into a short-term rental and there are only “one or maybe two long-term neighbors.” 

But her argument that vacation rentals are changing the character of Crescent City’s neighborhoods didn’t land with her colleagues Monday. One, Councilor Jason Greenough, said there are already laws on the books that address many of her concerns. He also disputed her statement regarding Gainard Street.

Continue reading Though most opposed stricter regulations, Crescent City Councilors call for audit to make sure vacation rental owners are paying their taxes →
Articles, Community News, Crescent City, Economy, Housing, Infrastructure, Local Government

Crescent City Starts Public Outreach On Second Phase Of Downtown Plan Next Week

Leave a comment

Thumbnail photo: Early concept art of the Redwood Downtown, a mixed-use building that includes residential units planned for 3rd and J streets in Downtown Crescent City. Housing is one of the key components of the city’s Downtown Specific Plan. | Image Courtesy of the City of Crescent City

Don Arambula thinks of Whitefish, Montana as an example of the downtown Crescent City could have in about 20 years.

The Rocky Mountain community, population 7,751 as of the 2020 U.S. Census, is about the same size as Crescent City. It’s isolated, a gateway to a national park and, similar to Crescent City, was “kind of struggling.” 

Arambula, principal planner and urban designer for Portland-based Crandall Arambula PC, said the downtown masterplan his firm developed for Whitefish is comparable to Crescent City’s Downtown Specific Masterplan. 

Continue reading Crescent City Starts Public Outreach On Second Phase Of Downtown Plan Next Week →
Articles, CC Harbor, Crescent City, Economy, Local Government

‘By Spring, You Will Not Recognize This Place’; CCHD Board Approves RV Park Lease With Developer Daniel Dahan

Leave a comment

Thumbnail photo: Bayside RV Park is one of two RV parks that the Crescent City Harbor District is looking to lease to Daniel Dahan, investment manager for BSD Property Management. | Photo by Jessica Cejnar Andrews

Before Crescent City Harbor commissioners approved leasing Redwood Harbor Village to him, Daniel Dahan outlined a timeline that included upgrading the electric system, redoing the parking lot and bringing in homes on wheels.

It will take several months, the developer said, adding that winter rains will likely make installing the septic system impossible. Eight to 10 months will pass before the revitalized RV park is ready to accept visitors, but, Dahan said, his investors are committed to making it a success.

“I promise you that by this spring, you will not recognize this place,” he told commissioners at their meeting June 24.

Continue reading ‘By Spring, You Will Not Recognize This Place’; CCHD Board Approves RV Park Lease With Developer Daniel Dahan →
Articles, CC Harbor, Local Government

Local Activist To Proceed With Harbor Fundraiser Despite Objections From Its Fiscal Officer And One Of Its Commissioners

Leave a comment

Thumbnail photo: Alicia Williams plans to raise money to help the Crescent City Harbor District with its U.S. Department of Agriculture loan by selling items that come from the district’s gift shop and that were donated by other local businesses. | Photo courtesy of Alicia Williams

Two days after he abstained from a vote that gave Alicia Williams the official green light to organize a fundraiser for the Crescent City Harbor District, Commissioner Dan Schmidt aired a series of concerns about her efforts.

Some of his complaints were aimed at the self-described activist and community builder herself who, Schmidt said, frequently attacks the harbor and its commissioners and staff as well as members of the public. She also goes beyond the three minutes allowed for public comment, Schmidt said.

“We can’t seem to shut her up,” he said at a special meeting Friday, prompting Williams to call him a misogynist pig.

Continue reading Local Activist To Proceed With Harbor Fundraiser Despite Objections From Its Fiscal Officer And One Of Its Commissioners →
Articles, Education, Local Government

DNUSD Board of Trustees Recap, June 25, 2026

Leave a comment

Thumbnail photo: Don McArthur (middle) is retiring from his Trustee Area 1 seat on the Del Norte Unified School District Board of Trustees. | Photo courtesy of dnusd.org.

Trustee Area 5 representative Michael Greer was absent. Among the items discussed at Thursday’s Del Norte County Unified School District meeting:

Trustee Area 1 Vacancy: With Del Norte Unified School District’s longest-serving trustee, Don McArthur, announcing his retirement earlier this year, the Board of Trustees will soon have a vacancy.

DNUSD and the Del Norte County Office of Education will be seeking candidates interested in serving in the Trustee Area 1 seat. The Board expects to extend an appointment in July or August. For more information, email communications@dnusd.org.

Continue reading DNUSD Board of Trustees Recap, June 25, 2026 →
Articles, Community News, Health, Housing, Local Government

‘A Warm Dry Bed’: Del Norte Opens Its Emergency Homeless Shelter, Micro Village

Leave a comment
Del Norte County celebrated the opening of its first emergency homeless shelter and micro village on June 9. | Photos by Aisling Bludworth

From the ashes of the old mental health building the emergency shelter and micro village was revealed to the public last week.

Community members came to celebrate the hard work that brought it to fruition.

“It’s really not every day that your career comes full circle, and you literally find yourself helping make plans to burn down your [old] office.” said Shiann Hogan, deputy director for Del Norte County’s Behavioral Health Branch during the June 17 ribbon cutting at the facility on 200 Williams Drive. 

Continue reading ‘A Warm Dry Bed’: Del Norte Opens Its Emergency Homeless Shelter, Micro Village →
Articles, Economy, Local Government

Del Norte CAO Calls General Fund Deficit ‘One Of The Largest In My Career’; Starkey Points Out Budget Errors

2 Comments

Del Norte County’s top administrative official admitted that finding $9.6 million to balance the fiscal year 2026-27 general fund budget was an arduous task that goes beyond sharpening pencils.

County Administrative Officer Neal Lopez affirmed concerns District 2 Supervisor Valerie Starkey raised Tuesday. But, according to him and according to at least one of Starkey’s colleagues, the “huge deficit for the general fund, one of the largest I’ve seen in my career” can be traced to the Board’s actions in the fall to increase the county’s ability to be market competitive.

When the Board of Supervisors raised wages and approved the county’s new salary structure across all bargaining units in December, retirements increased too, Lopez said. Still, he reminded supervisors that the county’s 2026-27 budget is still preliminary and all the accruals from the current fiscal year that ends June 30 have not yet been realized.

“A lot of the prior year’s revenue will increase the revenue from the general fund side of things so we won’t be $9.5 million out,” Lopez said. “I don’t know where it’s going to land, it’s too early in the process, but the bottomline is we have to have a balanced budget so we will have a balanced budget.”

Continue reading Del Norte CAO Calls General Fund Deficit ‘One Of The Largest In My Career’; Starkey Points Out Budget Errors →
Articles, Infrastructure, Local Government

DN Board of Supervisors Recap, June 23, 2026

Leave a comment

District 3 Supervisor Chris Howard was absent. Among the items discussed at Tuesday’s Del Norte County Board of Supervisors meeting:

DelNorteCounty.gov? County supervisors authorized Information Technology Director Dan McCorckle to apply for a new delnortecounty.gov web address.

McCorckle’s recommendation to transition to a .gov or a .ca.gov domain name will allow Del Norte to comply with California Assembly Bill 1637, which requires all local agencies to use verified domain names for their public-facing websites and employee email addresses by Jan. 1, 2029. Signed into law in October 2023, AB 1637 aims to prevent “malicious actors” from impersonating county services, according to McCorckle’s staff report.

Continue reading DN Board of Supervisors Recap, June 23, 2026 →
Articles, CC Harbor, Local Government

(UPDATED) CCPD Investigating Hit & Run Claims Connected To MVA Involving CCHD Vice Chair

Leave a comment

Updated at 12:05 p.m. Saturday:

Crescent City Harbor Vice Chair John Evans didn’t want to jeopardize an active investigation, but he denied screaming at the other party in a minor collision that took place in the Safeway parking lot on Thursday.

“It’s just not my character to scream at a lady with a child in a parking lot during an interaction like that,” he told Redwood Voice Community News on Saturday. “During that interaction, one of the things she said to me, and she kind of yelled it at me, was, ‘You’re acting like this is no big deal,’ and I think anybody can infer what that means if somebody’s screaming and yelling at you.”

Evans also denied Tara Music’s claims that he left the scene before she could provide him her insurance information, though he said he didn’t want to make accusations against her. Evans said he provided he gave a report to Crescent City Police Sgt. Alex Pearson so he could review the claims against him.

Evans said he would also reach out to Crescent City Police Chief Richard Griffin to provide him information for any ongoing investigation.

###

Crescent City police are working to determine whether a minor collision involving a local elected official meets the criteria for hit and run.

The collision involved Crescent City Harbor District Vice Chair John Evans and took place in the Jedediah Smith Shopping Center parking lot near Safeway between 1 and 1:15 p.m. Thursday.

Police Chief Richard Griffin said both parties left the scene of the accident. Evans provided the other party, Tara Music, with his insurance card, Music didn’t reciprocate, Griffin told Redwood Voice Community News.

Continue reading (UPDATED) CCPD Investigating Hit & Run Claims Connected To MVA Involving CCHD Vice Chair →
Articles, Crescent City, Infrastructure, Local Government

Crescent City Approves Tight Budget With Water, Sewer Rate Increases Factored In

Leave a comment

Crescent City councilors approved a budget that will have an unallocated fund balance of about $55,000 when the 2026-27 fiscal year closes.

Their decision comes about a month after Finance Director Linda Leaver said that the estimated unallocated general fund balance at the end of 2026-27 would be “basically nothing” at $62,559. 

On Monday, the budget Leaver presented to councilors reflected the changes they called for at that three-hour workshop on May 20. It also reflects water and sewer rate increases the City Council approved on June 1 following an unsuccessful Proposition 218 protest effort. Those increases are expected to stabilize both the water and sewer funds, Leaver said.

Continue reading Crescent City Approves Tight Budget With Water, Sewer Rate Increases Factored In →