[Listen] Eureka councilmember, candidate, share different views on needle ordinance; Last week’s top stories

Humboldt Last Week is a way to hear highlights from Humboldt’s last week


Humboldt Last Week (12:47): Needle litter sucks. Addiction sucks. The spread of disease from dirty needles sucks. Aiming to keep all of that in mind, last week the Eureka City Council passed an ordinance that applies to organizations that provide needs-based needle exchange within city limits. The ordinance mostly applies to the non-profit HACHR.

The ordinance requires exchange organizations to keep records on the number of needles given out and received, encourage drug users to seek treatment, and do weekly community cleanups. Check out the North Coast Journal’s good coverage on the council meeting here.

In the podcast, Eureka City Council Member Austin Allison and Eureka City Council candidate John Fullerton share different views on the ordinance.

In short, Allison supports the new ordinance but would prefer amendments, for one something that provides incentive for higher needle return rates. Fullerton draws from family experience in his cautious support for needle exchange, but not as it is currently implemented in Eureka — he only supports a one-for-one exchange.

The story begins at 12:47.

Also covered

Sara Bareilles is getting a huge honor, Ferndale gets kudos, a wild story involving a bounty hunter, the upcoming jail expansion, thieves steal from kids, crab fishers rescued a deer from drowning, Arcata voters might weigh in on the McKinley statue, Disney’s “A Wrinkle in Time” hits theaters, free tuition for first-time college students at CR, crime updates, and other top stories from last week.

Creative Commons, by dbgg1979

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11 Comments
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Sara
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Sara
6 years ago

There is a huge difference between random visits, oversight and audits, Councilmember Allison. A code enforcement walking through on a random basis cannot AUDIT, cannot prove the ordinance requirements, weak as they are, are followed.

“Needle litter is going to happen.” NO. It is only going to happen if you let it happen.

Brodie
Guest
Brodie
6 years ago
Reply to  Sara

No Needles equals no needle litter.

local observer
Guest
local observer
6 years ago
Reply to  Brodie

what about whip-its? there is no whip-it program yet I find large amounts of whip-its when I pickup roadside trash. I also find needles, even before they were free, one day i found a loaded one. I also find 16oz tall boys of bad beer. long story short, I am a roadside trash expert, and have concluded that litter is from people that don’t care.

Jeffersonian
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Jeffersonian
6 years ago
Reply to  Brodie

Duh.why can’t the council get this?

NoDoper
Guest
NoDoper
6 years ago

The entire Eureka City Council needs to be part of an exchange program.

Bill
Guest
Bill
6 years ago

Eureka City Council has gone completely snowflake!! Are you kidding me……you feed a rat it comes back. Why cant we see that here in Eureka. The town looks like a zombie zone most hours of the day with tweakers, druggies, drunks, or just unstable people wandering the streets. Unfortunately, it is mainly 4th, 5th, and Broadway…..the major routes and Highway 101 that is extremely visible.

Everytime, I mean everytime, I ask one of my friends, or relatives that is visiting, for their input/opinions on the area it is always the same…..”there are a lot of homeless in the area, it is unsettling to walk the streets, why so many drug/meth types running around?”

Like Arcata, we have allowed the vocal minority enviro wack job mob rule liberals to run all good out of town, and replace with wellness programs, drug dispensaries, and welfare families.

Ain't that a b...
Guest
Ain't that a b...
6 years ago
Reply to  Bill

So, you must not be very happy with the upcoming Board of Supervisor vote on allowing Mercer Frasier to permit an extraction facility on the Mad River, endangering much of our County’s water supply. It seems to me that our mostly conservative BOS is going to vote for this, while the one ostensibly liberal member is poised to presumably vote no.

That’s our county leadership at work. Not just the cities faults for where they are at.

local observer
Guest
local observer
6 years ago
Reply to  Bill

if you raise a rat and then turn your back on it and refuse to feed, we will because its the humane thing to do. why is it that local’s like yourself believe this problem just showed up one day? the data is clear that this problem is a product of the community, almost every mug shot is a local. was the City Council full of liberals 20 or so years ago? do you think it is a coincidence that most troubled individuals from Eureka went to Zoe Barnum? do you think there is a link?

Guest
Guest
Guest
6 years ago
Reply to  local observer

This is just a reflection of the loss of a work ethic patched over with drug addiction. A more drug friendly environment than many other places. And, although complaints about abuse abound, a more homeless friendly local government.

Humboldt Co doomed itself with its liberal General Welfare handout in 2000. Although it didn’t last long due to the large influx of people coming here for their “living allowance”, it was responsible for the huge increase in out of area transients that came, told their friends and relatives. So many never left. When the spigot was turned way down, they stayed for the social climate. It’s simply easier (mind you, not easy but definitely easier,) to be homeless here than in the big city or places with a mostly working population that isn’t so tolerant as here. Non work income goes a lot farther here than anywhere along the coast down south. Lots of opportunity for under the table income too.

Humboldt Co has a reputation and it isn’t for hard work and strict law abiding.

https://lostcoastoutpost.com/2015/aug/13/matthew-middle/

Jeffersonian
Guest
Jeffersonian
6 years ago
Reply to  local observer

Your definition of locals means recent arrivals.eureka wasn’t like this when I grew up here.

hmm
Guest
hmm
6 years ago

It is dishonest to call it a needle exchange, unless it is one-for-one.