Humboldt Supes Direct New Round of Measure Z Allocations

Humboldt County’s Measure Z funding for new applications is significantly less this year and accordingly, fewer community projects will be funded. 

The county’s Board of Supervisors gave staff direction on Measure Z budget allocations at its April 22 meeting. 

Deputy County Administrative Officer Sean Quincey told supervisors that of $13 million of Measure Z public safety sales tax revenue, $12. 5 million will maintain previously-funded  county staff positions and community programs. 

Maintaining county staff in key departments, with a majority share to the Sheriff’s Office, makes up most of that at almost $11 million. 

Including savings from the previous fiscal year carried forward, there’s $1.3 available for funding new applications from the community.

That’s much less than the $4.1 million that was available last year. 

And applications for one-time funding have dropped by more than half, with only 11 applications submitted. 

When supervisors considered which ones to fund, they relied on the recommendations of the county’s Measure Z Advisory Committee. 

The committee recommends using the $1.3 million of available Measure Z funding for city of Eureka police equipment, a Fortuna area school resource officer, a city of Rio Dell community services officer and the Humboldt County Fire Chiefs Association.

The association gets the bulk of the funding, almost $1 million of it. 

But more funding opens up with the transfer of $407,000 for county roadside brush clearing out of Measure Z and into Measure O, the county’s road and transit sales tax fund. 

During a public comment session, Shelter Cove Volunteer Fire Department Chief Nick Pape, a member of the advisory committee, said the savings from the transfer should be used for new applications rather than county staffing – but despite the funding dilemmas, he described Measure Z as a success. 

“I know there’s been a lot of people saying different things about Measure Z,” he said. “The hard part about Measure Z is what we’re asking it to do – that’s the only failure of Measure Z, is that we’re asking it to do too much.” 

He said Measure Z is “a lifeline” for Southern Humboldt’s fire departments.

Fire Chiefs Association President Rick Nicholson also discouraged reliance on Measure Z for funding the increasing costs of ongoing county staffing, saying, “That’s not what the voters asked for.” 

He said the $407,000 saved with the transfer should be spent on funding new applications in the upcoming fiscal year. 

When supervisors discussed their options, funding the Fortuna school resource officer was questioned. 

Supervisor Natalie Arroyo related her experience as a member of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Commission. 

“I’ll just say there’s a level of discomfort with school resource officers but I think only in that sort of classic old-school mindset of, you know, we’re gonna hold these kids’ feet to the fire only and not help them,” she said. “So at least I’ll say for myself and for that Commission, we really want to see us not basically criminalizing, not getting kids in that kind of criminal mindset really young and making sure they have options.” 

“There’s a real opportunity to handle calls differently when you’re dealing with youth, especially a school resource officer that can take the time, can work with the family, can work with services, and really make a difference,” said Fortuna Police Chief Matt Eberhardt. 

Board Chair Michelle Bushnell, whose district includes Fortuna, is familiar with the Fortuna Police Department’s school-based work. 

“The kids especially have had so much good to say and just have really bonded with that position, especially with Fortuna High, and so I would advocate for the school resource officer over and over again,” she said. 

But Supervisor Mike Wilson noted the amount of funding requested, saying Arcata’s school-based officer position was funded at a “significantly less” amount. 

Eberhardt said Fortuna’s school resource officer is “fully equipped and ready to respond, with gear, ready to respond to any emergencies – unfortunately, we have had students with firearms, we have had dangerous situations.” 

Wilson talked about Arcata’s experience with a similar Measure Z request, saying the city had to pay a two-thirds match on a “pared down” funding allowance and “the message to them was – don’t apply, there’s no more money.” 

But he supported the slate of Measure Z requests, including Fortuna’s. 

A motion to fund them and use most of the Measure O transfer savings for next year’s Measure Z applications was on the table. 

Supervisor Steve Madrone pushed for funding a water infrastructure project in Trinidad, saying the city has a “critical water issue.” 

The other supervisors agreed to do so and an amended motion including Trinidad’s funding was unanimously approved.