Del Norte County Board of Supervisor’s Meeting

Today’s meeting consisted of several interesting points. One particular was posted in the consent agenda regarding the Del Norte Resource Conservation District, known as RCD.

They silently approved of giving this district a county Counsel. What the public needs to know about this district is during a LAFCO meeting eight members of the public attended the meeting to report the corruptive practices of RCD.

LAFCO consisting of Jason Greenough, Issaih Wright, Dean Wilson and Darren Short plus one public member, failed to take heed from the public by discounting the corruptive practices of RCD. So of course passed them along as an “upstanding District.”

Today, the board of supervisors were given information of the RCD’S noncompliance with fundamental basic laws provided by the Ralph M. Brown Act, and the California Public Records Act., and was informed by a public member, that the RCD was out of compliance and was under a threat of a lawsuit.

However, County Counsel seems to believe she can handle it. County Counsel will be charging RCD 157.24 per hour to represent RCD.

RCD has been in stealth mode for 20 years and was recently given governance over the entire county through the Board of supervisors during a May meeting. CONFLICT OF INTEREST CLAUSE SUBMITTED TO RCD.

Legal Counsel has informed the RCD that it provides advisory services to the Del Norte Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCo) and the Del Norte Library District.

Legal Counsel shall not provide other services in Del Norte County which create a conflict under the Rules of Professional Conduct or which pertain to an actual or potential application to the RCD, without the informed, written consent of the RCD. AGENDA ITEM #28 TO APPROVE CRESCENT CITY HARBOR DISTRICT HARBOR’S FACIITY PLAN. Harbor’s New Plan Sounds Great….Until You Read it.

The Crescent City Harbor District has now released the second half of its Harbor Facilities Plan—the cost estimates. At first glance, it looks impressive.

There are 33 projects totaling more than $34.1 million. That's a big number. But don't confuse a price list with a financial plan.

Imagine your third grader comes home and says: "Mom, I need $34 million." You ask, "For what?" "Well...a bunch of stuff." "How did you figure out the prices?" "I don't know." "Who gave you the estimates?" "Doesn't say." "What project is the most important?" "We'll decide later." "How will you keep track of the money?" "Trust me." Would anyone hand over the check? Of course not.

Yet that is essentially what the Harbor District is asking the Board of Supervisors and the taxpayers of Del Norte County to do.

The Harbor's list includes everything from seawalls and docks to parking lots, sidewalks, Wi-Fi, security cameras, buildings, restrooms, dredging, landscaping, and even a new flagpole.

Some projects are estimated at only $5,000, while others exceed $10 million. But here's what is missing. Who prepared these estimates? Were they prepared by a licensed engineer? Were they reviewed by an architect? Were contractors consulted? Were competitive bids obtained? Or did Harbor staff simply estimate what they thought each project might cost?

The report never tells us. Even more concerning, the Harbor labels the figures as "Staff Estimated." That means taxpayers are being asked to accept more than $34 million in projected expenditures without knowing whether those numbers came from professional engineering studies, contractor proposals, or simply internal estimates.

The report also fails to prioritize projects. Everything seems important, but not everything can be done at once. If money becomes available, who decides what moves to the front of the line? The answer isn't in the report.

The Harbor also reserves the right to change costs, schedules, and timelines without amending the plan. In plain English, today's estimate may not be tomorrow's estimate.

Good public planning doesn't work that way. A responsible capital improvement plan normally explains: • How project costs were calculated. • Who prepared the estimates. • Which projects are highest priority. • How projects will be selected. • How spending will be tracked. • How the public will verify that Measure C tax dollars were spent exactly as promised.

Instead, this plan repeatedly asks the public to rely on words like accountable, transparent, and responsible without showing the safeguards that make those words meaningful.

Perhaps the most important question is one the Board of Supervisors should ask before approving any plan:

If this Harbor District cannot demonstrate complete financial transparency and sound financial controls today, why should taxpayers have confidence in how more than $34 million in future projects will be managed tomorrow?

Instead, the BOS, are relying the Auditor of Del Norte County to be responsible instead of the Harbor District’s “Bookkeeper”.

The Harbor belongs to the people—not to administrators or elected officials. Measure C was approved because voters believed their tax dollars would be managed carefully and openly.

No one expects perfection. But taxpayers should expect something very simple:

Show us where the numbers came from.

Show us who verified them.

Show us how every dollar will be protected.

Public trust is not built by asking people to "just believe us."It is earned through documentation, transparency, and accountability.

But, as usual, that is simply too much to ask or expect.