Page 6 - Eric Wier News Today

Rural Del Norte County has more people hospitalized with COVID-19 than at any other point in the pandemic. Its only hospital is overwhelmed.

The Crescent City Council is moving forward with a study on water and sewer rates, which may result in increased rates for residents. After receiving a grant from the California State Water Resources Control Board totaling about $80,000, the city is pressing on with the overdue rate studies. Typically, rate studies for water and sewer are completed every five years, however, the last water rate study came in 2013 and the last update to wastewater came in 2015, said City Manager Eric Wier. Wier ...

In order to keep up with increases in state minimum wage and subsequent hikes in payroll costs, the Crescent City Council is considering raising user fees for some patrons. In a presentation to the City Council, Recreation Director Holly Wendt and City Manager Eric Wier suggested raising some pool rates, as well as eliminating discounts for annual passes, to make up for rising expenses, and reduce the pool’s financial burden on the city budget. “We are going to have issues with sustai...

Crescent City Councilors Explore Habitat Restoration of Elk Creek Watershed as Economic Development, Tourism Strategy Map of the Elk Creek watershed and area roads. Courtesy of the Smith River Alliance. Wanting to give visitors a reason to stay awhile in Crescent City, Councilors and staff are looking at habitat restoration in the Elk Creek Watershed. City staff partnered with the Smith River Alliance to conduct an urban stream feasibility study on the 8.26 square mile watershed starting in 201...

Del Norte Mission Possible Adds Cemetery Area to Winter Shelter-in-Place Rounds The red x is the access road Del Norte Mission Possible will set up its Winter Shelter-in-Place table on Thursdays. Courtesy of Crescent City. Councilors will allow Daphne Lambert to bring Del Norte Mission Possible’s Winter Shelter-in-Place program to the green space near the Crescent City cemetery. They hope the program will help clean up one of the community’s primary concentration of homeless encampments, al...

Alex Campbell’s term on the Crescent City City Council came to a surprising end earlier this month when Campbell resigned after pleading guilty to one count of election fraud. Campbell, who was sworn into the council in January and named mayor pro tem at the same time, pleaded guilty to making a false declaration of candidacy. The plea came after Campbell was indicted on several counts alleging he ran for the city council while he lived outside the city limits. When he was first indicted, ...

Months after voters strongly approved a one-cent sales tax to fund specific city functions, the Crescent City City Council approved a five-person board to oversee the tax revenue. By a 3-2 vote, the council approved Mayor Jason Greenoughs choices for the board. Greenough named Cindy Cruse, Heidi Kime, Emery Mattz IV, Ernie Perry and Kelly Schellong as the first members of the Measure S Oversight Committee. The five were chosen from eight applicants, all that were qualified, according to City Ma...

Hoping To Save $4.7 million to $7.1 million, Crescent City Enters Next Phase Of Energy Efficiency Project Crescent Citys current city hall building. File photo: Andrew Goff Previously: ### Six months after they embarked on an energy audit, Johnson Controls representatives returned to Crescent City Councilors on Monday with proposed projects that could save the city $4.7 million to $7.1 million across its three major funds. But the list of self-funded projects does not include retrofitting the o...

Crescent City Gets Help Prioritizing Amenities For $22 Million Park, Breaks Down Cost An expanded KidTown, costing about $900,000, is included in a Beachfront Park master plan. Photo: Andrew Goff After nearly two years of meetings, surveys and focus groups, Del Norte County residents now have a price tag for a revamped Beachfront Park — $22 million. That $22 million reflects the complete buildout of Crescent City’s most recent master plan for the 35 acre park, City Manager Eric Wier said. T...

Assisting local businesses, attracting news ones and growing the tourism industry are just three of many goals Crescent City is looking to embrace as it views a future without COVID-19 restrictions. During a virtual community workshop last week, the city council and dozens of city residents took part in an interactive economic development strategic action plan meeting. During the meeting, Rob Holmlund with PlanWest Partnership, Inc., presented a plan the city has been putting together and asked...