Hailey Lamb is one of four candidates running for Eureka City Council Ward 1. She has worked as a Code Enforcement officer for the County and an Office Assistant in the Building and Planning Department.
She has set up a meeting with the City of Eureka to compare City and County codes. She has already met with Eureka City Manager Greg Sparks to see if the logistics of what she wants to do as a City Councilmember can work.
I asked Ms. Lamb to elaborate on her initial statement on why she is running for Eureka City Council.
Regarding the homeless and other volunteer work, Ms. Lamb has been volunteering and interacting with the community long before she decided to run. She said it is part of what she has been doing in the community for years and does not want the focus to be on her. Instead Ms. Lamb wanted to tell me why it is important to her to represent and do her part to improve the life of those on the streets.
She wants the City of Eureka to continue the partnership with Betty Chinn's Pathway to Payday program. Another successful program she mentioned was the Transition for Youth managed by the Youth Service Bureau.
"I think there is a little mismanagement with City funds," said Ms. Lamb. She brought up the new basketball court at Hammond Park. She feels that was uneccessary and those dollars should go towards helping youth and homeless people get off the streets and become more self sufficient. "I want to see more dollars from the General Fund go towards youth and the homeless."
At a town hall meeting hosted by Senator Mike McGuire, Ms. Lamb said it was reitetated that homelessness is "a huge issue in this County."
"These kids grow up in a bad pattern and it becomes a repeated pattern. If one wants more people off the streets, we need to start before the trauma sets in."
I asked her how she feels about people dismissing her due to her age. "I don't think age shouldn't matter if you know what you want to do. I am very driven. I know what the issues are in this City and County and I can take action to solve these issues."
"I have gone to primarily every City Council meeting in the last year. I can't say that about my competitors. I go to different community meetings to get different perspectives; that is more important than age."
Ms. Lamb has reached out to groups ranging from conservatives to progressives. She also listens to people all over Eureka because she knows that decisions she makes as a Ward 1 City Councilmember will impact the entire city.
"My dad is a Sheriff's deputy. I grew up in Eureka. My mother is a foster parent. A lot of the children didn't choose to be homeless. Sadly, all I can do is promote the streets team. The other demographic in the homeless community that don't fit in the box; that people have concerns about; will always be there. If there is more opportunity, there will be less people on the street."
"I am a huge advocate for law enforcement in the city. I want to see more traffic officers so other officers can focus on responding to domestic violence and other calls."
"I have been self funding. I am not accepting money. I am going door to door. I think as someone on Eureka City Council, we should be serving the community, not having the community serve us. Taking dollars shows that I am doing it for myself. I don't want people to think I owe them."
Ms. Lamb will have an official campaign kickoff, soon. It will be posted on her Facebook candidate page.
"This is the first right step. Eventually, maybe I will run for Board of Supervisor."
"This is my home. I love Humboldt County. I am not going anywhere."
Ms. Lamb reached out and met with Ward 1 candidate Anthony Mantova. Ward 1 candidate Leslie Castalleno asked her to drop out of the race.
Previous posts:
https://johnchiv.blogspot.com/2018/08/signatures-for-hailey-lamb-leslie.html?m=1
https://johnchiv.blogspot.com/2018/07/hailey-lamb-gives-specifics-on-why-she.html?m=1
https://johnchiv.blogspot.com/2018/07/hailey-lamb-next-candidate-for-eureka.html?m=1
Leslie is the only Ward 1 candidate who has a clear vision of the situation in Ward 1. Ward 1 is the city's unwanted stepchild--the ward that has no credibility or standing among City officials, County service providers and the rest of the wards. Ward 1 is excluded from all the benefits of decent local government and county consideration and is seen as not deserving any attention. Leslie spoke of her intent if elected as councilmember to makr sure that no one is excluded ...from anything...ever.
ReplyDeleteXandra, any candidate endorsed by the North Coast People's Alliance, with handlers like Eric Kirk, Allen McCloskey and Tamara McFarland represent a small minority who do not speak for all of Ward 1 or Eureka. I knew Leslie from the Ink People years ago. I haven't spoken with her for years. Her handlers don't even bother to send press releases to all media. The division in this community is a small group on the left and the right and the same selfish funders on both sides. Hailey's independence and not being associated with the status quo is refreshing.
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