Commenter ken d over at the Humboldt Consequential blog on the post on Jacqueline Debet's departure nails it!
http://thclive.net/tag/humboldt-consequential/
Humboldt Consequential is the delish-ly diabolical new local blog whose latest post on Debets made me miss the Humboldt Mirror, even more so.
ken d's comment:
Nothing against Ms. Debets, I don’t know her and certainly wish her the best. However, perhaps this is a good time to re evaluate whether her position and others similar at both the City and County are cost effective and/or even needed. As we know most levels of government are top heavy with high paid management, while not enough people with common sense are actually getting the work done.
The City of Eureka, by wringing their hands with all these public meetings at the Warfinger on what to do with the 3+ acres of waterfront property that they own is laughable. First of all, a public entity like a City or County shouldn’t own any real estate except for perhaps the City Hall or the County Courthouse that they actually occupy. Most, if not all real property should always stay in the hands of private individuals or entities, if for no other reason that they are the only ones who pay the property taxes. This particular property has been vacant and a blight on the waterfront for 30 + years and by now the City has demonstrated that they do not have the expertise to develop it.
According to the Time Standard article the other day and during one of the aforementioned public meetings on what the City should do with this parcel, someone with a modicum of common sense mentioned selling the property. What a concept? First of all, the City could definitely use the money and secondly, they wouldn’t have to waste all this time having their employees and high paid consultants attend all these idiotic meetings on what should be built there. A private individual would and should take the risk on what would work at that location and the City should butt out except to approve the zoning and building plans.
I am posting a comment from Jeff Katz who used to live in Humboldt.
"John, go ahead and post this, I don't have an open account to post it.
A friend of mine who used to be in a very high position at the county once tried to inventory the number of properties the county of Humboldt owns; somewhere between 75-100 parcels! The county is broke, the city is broke, fire stations are closing, the real estate market is the best its been in years, why not sell? The city of Eureka has had study after study of the waterfront property over the years.As I recall, Pierson looked at that parcel to build an Embassy Suites hotel years ago. Bottom line: Government should get out of the property business altogether, and get those parcels SOLD, tons of strong, talented, qualified local people up there in Humboldt (Pierson, Danco, Strombeck, Pacific Builders to name a few). F St. Balloon Tract, C Street, the old co-op building on 1st St, prime real estate both privately and publicly owned. 10 years from now it will still be vacant I predict, sadly. When I lived in Eureka, among the many committees and commissions I served on was 6 years spent on the Eureka Housing Advisory Board including 2 years as chair., Sincerely, Jeff Katz
I am posting a comment from Jeff Katz who used to live in Humboldt.
"John, go ahead and post this, I don't have an open account to post it.
A friend of mine who used to be in a very high position at the county once tried to inventory the number of properties the county of Humboldt owns; somewhere between 75-100 parcels! The county is broke, the city is broke, fire stations are closing, the real estate market is the best its been in years, why not sell? The city of Eureka has had study after study of the waterfront property over the years.As I recall, Pierson looked at that parcel to build an Embassy Suites hotel years ago. Bottom line: Government should get out of the property business altogether, and get those parcels SOLD, tons of strong, talented, qualified local people up there in Humboldt (Pierson, Danco, Strombeck, Pacific Builders to name a few). F St. Balloon Tract, C Street, the old co-op building on 1st St, prime real estate both privately and publicly owned. 10 years from now it will still be vacant I predict, sadly. When I lived in Eureka, among the many committees and commissions I served on was 6 years spent on the Eureka Housing Advisory Board including 2 years as chair., Sincerely, Jeff Katz
Good thoughts. I have not verified but would not doubt that Arcata owns more acreage per capita than any city in the state. Of course no one wants to give up the community forest but we to may want to reevaluated that level of ownership. Financial troubles are stalking them as well.
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