Trinidad mayor on water and community

I’d like to share some thoughts on what is happening in Trinidad and what I believe is needed to help us build a sense of community. I’ve been the mayor of this town for several years now and have learned much about the many intersections of thought and beliefs. I wanted to add my piece to recent comments made regarding our town and the folks who make up this community.

I look at Trinidad more like a watershed than simply a square mile of streets, homes and businesses. We provide water to our residents, to some customers in Westhaven, and need to be able to consider new water requests holistically. For years, we’ve been able to keep pace with the demand for water. Only twice since we put in the treatment plant have we approached the critical point where the creek wasn’t able to meet the demand.

Last year, the city invested considerable resources in trying to get a clear picture of:

• how much our water source, Luffenholtz Creek, could produce,

• how much water the treatment plant can produce,

• how much water we’re losing to old and leaky pipes, and

• most importantly, what other options exist for us to stabilize this valuable resource and allow our community to meet its needs.

This year-long effort was coming to a point where the city was going to gather its residents, all of the folks who also tap into our water source, and other interested people, and consider a request from the Trinidad Rancheria to supply water to its hotel project. This meeting would have occurred in the spring and would have been a chance for the town hall to fill and have a rich discussion. Then COVID-19 shut down all in-person meetings and we were faced with a need to switch to the infamous Zoom/Webex format of meeting and it didn’t go well. A whole community had to learn how to interact in a totally different way. So, as a City Council, and based on input from many, we decided to postpone this important decision until we could again meet in person.

In the last week or so, letters have come out from Mr. Sundberg from the Rancheria and Mr. Madrone from the county Board of Supervisors, both discussing this hotel project and their perceptions of the process. These letters focus on what isn’t working instead of encouraging the community to find ways to work collaboratively. It appears to me as if this new way of meeting virtually, less often, and without the crucial element of being face-to-face, has allowed this situation to deteriorate.

I write today to call for us to reflect on what this community needs and who is a part of it. If we don’t invest in the people that make up our community, then we’re not participating and carrying our own load. The city is in a position to make a decision that reaches far beyond the one square mile that we inhabit and long past our own lifespans. The City Council is an elected body that’s meant to represent our residents, our community, and to make decisions in the public eye in a way that isn’t driven by our own personal gain. The Rancheria’s offered to help the city improve its water plant on the one hand, and has ceased all support on other important projects like the stormwater project until we provide water for the hotel. Citizen groups like Humboldt Alliance for Responsible Planning (HARP) have opposed the hotel, but haven’t successfully offered to help find suitable solutions. There’s an incredible amount of talent in the Rancheria and HARP that’s lost by making ultimatums. The best use of these talents would be to work together with the city to find a solution. In my time as mayor I’ve met with all of these groups. Even if I disagree, I always come out better, having learned something about my neighbors’ perspectives, experiences, and what’s important to them.

The city remains committed to continuing this discussion and finding a solution to our water needs. We also remain committed to having open discussions with all members of the community on important projects within our city and within our neighboring communities. COVID-19 has thrown a major wrench in this process, and I look forward to meeting in person again, to have that rich discussion and democratic process that’s so important. I wholeheartedly ask for this community to reflect on our values and to include ALL of us in our decisions.

I write today to call for us to reflect on what this community needs and who is a part of it. If we don’t invest in the people that make up our community, then we’re not participating and carrying our own load. The city is in a position to make a decision that reaches far beyond the one square mile that we inhabit and long past our own lifespans.