The April 14th City Council meeting was lightly attended. It's not clear if an error on the agenda itself was partially to blame. The Zoom meeting link was missing the passcode, making remote participation impossible, although streaming was available. Emails to the city clerk were responded to with the correct link.
Two annual reports, one from the Fort Bragg Police Department and one from the Mendocino Coast Humane Society, provided insights into crime rates and the number of stray animals.
Chief Cervenka provided crime statistics for 2024. The police responded to over 15000 calls, which resulted in 1166 reports, 514 arrests, and 315 traffic citations. They seized 8.75 pounds of illegal drugs and 26 firearms. There were 106 vehicle collisions, of which 8 were due to DUIs. In general, crime decreased locally except for domestic violence, which increased by 53%. Chief Cervenka said the increase was due to better training of his officers, who are making more arrests, and the victims’ access to post-pandemic assistance.
Chief Cervenka also provided an update on the extreme weather shelter for this past winter. The extreme weather shelter is run by the police department through their Crisis Response Unit (CRU) program, which facilitates helping houseless individuals off the street and into housing. The extreme weather shelter operates from November 15th to March 31st and is opened based on precipitation and temperature as predicted by the National Weather Service. The shelter operated 83 out of the possible 136 operational days, provided beds 644 times for 107 individuals. The emergency shelter handles overflow from the hospitality house, which maintains 25 beds. Although there was an increased need for beds this past winter, there was a 15% drop in individuals needing help. Cervenka attributed that to the police department's homeless housing program, or CRU.
Judy Martin, the Executive Director for the Mendocino Coast Humane Society provided an annual report on the animals in their care. They currently have 97 animals, of which 44 are available for adoption. In 2024, they took in 631 animals and adopted out 504. According to Martin, the coast shelter takes in animals from Leggett to Gualala, provides basic veterinary care to low-income families, and works with Fort Bragg police on impounds.
The City of Fort Bragg provides the Humane Society with $60,000 in funds and leases property to them for the shelter. The Humane Society is primarily funded by sales at the Arc Thrift Store, donations, and grants.
The City declared May 1st through 7th as Rhododendron week to recognize the many hybrids developed in Fort Bragg. The 46th annual John Druecker Memorial Rhododendron Show is scheduled for May 3rd and 4th. It is held adjacent to the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens and is open to the public. Admission to the Rhododendron show is free.
Under consent, the council approved updates to the purchasing, bidding, and signatory requirements, affording City Manager Isaac Whippy the authority to sign off on purchases of up to $60,000. All contracts over $5000 require a minimum of three bids. Contracts over $60,000 require council approval. The council also adopted changes to the municipal code, reducing parking and altering parking lot landscaping requirements for multi-family housing developments, and approved a four-year lease with Toshiba for printers and copiers.
Earlier on the meeting agenda, the council honored Jason Balassi for his thirty years of service in the public works department, received a presentation from the Fort Bragg Library, and honored volunteers during National Volunteer Week, which is April 20 – 26 this year.
Under items from the council, Councilmember Lindy Peters provided a report on the FBFD financials. According to Peters, the Fort Bragg Fire Department is in good shape financially. It currently has approximately $954,000 in the bank and expects additional funding from Mendocino County soon. Lindy thanked the staff and many volunteers who keep the fire department operational.