The reason for this post is not the back of Kent Sawatszky's head or the Rex Bohn campaign shirt

 

I took this photo at 9:05 a.m. The back of Kent Sawatzky's head is not the reason for this post. He is the one in the Rex Bohn campaign shirt.

Kent speaks on every single item he can for the full three minutes at every meeting. 

Before the Supervisors address this today, this item from staff from the Planning and Building Department has some people pissed off; including me.

The following concerns and questions from tax paying, business owners and community members should be answered by Building and Planning Director John Ford and every single Board of Supervisor.

1. Is this report the best use of Planning and Building staff time?

2. Just because something has been brought up in certain public conversations and there is public suspicion but it is not reality is what Planning and Building staff waste time on and put it on the agenda for the Supervisors to discuss to waste more time when there are other pressing issues facing the County of Humboldt?

3. The anti- Amazon NIMBY crowd failed to get enough signatures to get their initiative on the November ballot. That means not everyone in Humboldt thinks like them.

4. Who decided "some uses may be considered incompatible with the values of Humboldt County?" 

Did staff go out and interview every single resident and citizen of Humboldt County and ask them if these uses were incompatible with their values?

This sounds like a group of activists who didn't get what they wanted and convinced Planning and Building staff to put an item on the agenda.

Certain people with their views do not get to impose their will and use County staff and time for personal agendas. If staff did this on their own, I suggest they resign and go join an activist organization. Let someone who understands that taxpayers pay staff to work on permits and code violations which is the job of this department and not to engage in activism on the county and taxpayer dime.

First the anti Miranda Rescue crowd decides they get to dictate and demand what HCSO and the DA should do. Now the anti job, anti corporate, anti growth patchouli activists want to impose their will on another County department.

After watching the meeting, it is clear that some of the Supervisors were involved somehow before this item made it to the agenda. I know from past political involvement, this happens and both parties engage in it and it is not limited to Humboldt. To what extent and when we will never find out because no one is privy and can prove informal conversations. Director Ford looked uncomfortable and was very cautious in his responses. 

2:32 p.m. Of course Fourth District Supervisor Natalie Arroyo and Third District Supervisor Mike Wilson want to discuss a 1983 initiative.

2:36 p.m. Natalie Arroyo correcting it was 1988 and not 1983 and Mike Wilson admitting the correct date and that he went off the wrong date from the staff report is hilarious.

2:40 p.m. Thank you Second District Supervisor Michelle Bushnell for pointing out the obvious that there is already restricted use and no detention center will be allowed in Mckinleyville Score 1 for common sense 0 for the anti Amazon crowd.

2:44 p.m. Fifth District Supervisor Steve Madrone not even hiding the fact unlike the other two left leaning Supervisors and ready to direct staff word for word. Guess that answers partly why staff time was wasted on activism. Cannot wait for Madrone's term to end.

2:50 p.m. Shocking NOT, Humboldt LAFCO public member Elaine Weinreb is against detention centers, data centers. Her previous writing in North Coast Journal shows her obvious views. Another Mckinleyville resident.

3 p.m. Kent changed his shirt.

How many of these commenters wanting moratoriums and bans are from the anti Amazon crowd? So far everyone commenting is white hair, old, activists you see at the Humboldt "No Kings" protests.

3:29 p.m. Steve Madrone thinks 41 unverified signatures on a petition and 37 emails with only a handful of people speaking on this County = wasting Planning and Building time. It is obvious that three of the Supervisors, all with openly left views are behind this and how they will vote.

3:38 p.m. Thank you again, Supervisor Bushnell for making some of the points I made and about the hindrance to economic growth and that there is an already a process in place. 

3:48 p.m. Supervisor Bushnell abstained; First District Supervisor Rex Bohn voted no. As I predicted, three Supervisors voted yes.