Times-Standard
Humboldt Baykeeper and the Environmental Protection Information Center have again filed a lawsuit against Eureka challenging the validity of the city’s environmental impact report for the proposed Marina Center development. The suit, filed in Humboldt County Superior Court last week, argues that the city acted in violation of the California Environmental Quality Act when it voted to place a ballot measure before city voters seeking to make a host of zoning changes to the property that is the proposed location for the project.
Potential ballot measures, the campaign finance reform ordinance and the city’s budget are a few of the items up for discussion at the Eureka City Council’s meeting on Tuesday. The city has to submit measures to place on the November ballot soon, and the council will consider approving the Balloon Track property zoning measure and the supplemental transaction and use tax measure for that election.
Months ago, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said it’s “time for a debate” on the legalization of marijuana in California. Now, some want to skip the debate and get to the legalization. Wednesday, the first of three initiatives seeking to effectively legalize marijuana possession, cultivation and sales entered circulation. While there seems to be a rising tide of support for such a state policy change, it remains wholly unclear if any of the three initiatives would garner support from a majority of the state’s voters. And, if one does, the potential impacts on Humboldt County are murky.
The council will also be revisiting proposed ballot measures to clean up the city charter. The four proposed measures will address changing Eureka’s election process to a true ward system, adding language to reflect Eureka’s ongoing efforts of environmental stewardship, enable the salaries of future mayors and council members to be periodically established by resolution of the council, and other minor cleanup provisions to the charter.