WEEKEND EDITION
FRIDAY, April 10, 2020
S E R V I N G O U R C O M M U N I T Y S I N C E 18 7 9 • W W W. T R I P L I C AT E . C O M
Council OKs staff to develop smoking ban in apartments C
David Hayes Staff Writer
rescent City City Council approved staff moving forward to develop a smoke-free ordinance in multi-unit housing, including apartments and condominiums. After working since January 2019 with Del Norte County and members
of the Coalition for a Tobacco Free Del Norte, Jon Olson, director of Crescent City Public Works Department, presented a model ordinance developed by the non-profit ChangeLab Solutions. Olson said the model ordinance was set up to be customizable to best suit council desires for implementation in Crescent City.
The broad model focused in on possible details, such as limits to the exposure of secondhand smoke by: • Restricting smoking in the indoor and outdoor common areas, with an option to create designated outdoor smoking areas • Prohibiting smoking in all multi-unit residences • Providing robust
enforcement mechanisms, including no-lease terms and options for private individuals and organizations to enforce the smoke-free housing provision. Olson said the ordinance would also expand nuisance laws to include nonconsensual exposure to smoke, such as to children, and set fines for first-time and multiple offenses.
His presentation also provided some potential cons to implementing a ban. “We have an unknown number of current smoking units of multi-unit residences, so it may have an unknown financial impact and could potentially limit the number of places available to smokers,” Olson said.
He also pointed out an ordinance may not even be needed, as there are already private means to limit smoking, say through lease agreements or landlords who outright say you’re not allowed to smoke in places that you rent. Olson added enforceMore Council on Page A5
Jaycees hosts safe Easter Egg Drive Thru F
“The city right now is facing a revenue shortfall in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. We don’t know how it’s all going to play out. We don’t know if it’s going to be given back to us in the form of state or federal funds,” Wier said. “We’re looking at expenditures closely. When we make asks for even computers to help our employees stay safe and create social distancing, these asks are not taken lightly.” The council initially approved at a special meeting March 27 to spend from its Community Development Block Grant-funded programs $25,000 for the consultants — $15,000 with Holmlund and $10,000 with Wolfe. With Councilmember Alex Fallman absent, they ap-
or the Crescent City Jaycees, the show must go on. Their 44th annual Easter Egg Hunt on April 12 has been transformed into a coronavirus safe, social distancingapproved Easter Egg Drive Thru. Dusty Corpstein, Jaycees board member and one of the event coordinators, said her organization found a way for children to still participate in the Easter celebration. “We talked to the public health coordinator and asked if there was something we could do. And when we proposed it this way, we got the go-ahead,” Corpstein said. This free event, for ages 12 and under, is from noon to 1 p.m., rain or shine, at the Del Norte County Fairgrounds, located at 421 U.S. Highway 101, in Crescent City. Corpstein said Jaycees staff, armed with more than 5,000 candy- and prizefilled eggs, donned gloves and masks to assemble bags to hand out to children. She said instead of being released into a field to hunt for the eggs, Crescent City CHP will direct traffic through the fairgrounds parking lot to the distribution spot near the entrance. There, the Easter Bunny and staff, still donning safety gloves and masks, will distribute one bag per child in each car while sup-
More on Crisis A2
More Jaycees on Page A5
(Top) Crescent City’s downtown is a ghost town due to the stay-home order from the governor. Businesses and the city are both hurting as a result. Photos by Brian Williams. (Right) According to a survey of Crescent City businesses 58% indicated they have closed due to lack of business or were deemed non-essential and forced to closed due to the governor’s COVID-19 order. The local economy has ground to a halt as a result.
City, businesses big losers during crisis David Hayes Staff Writer
The Crescent City City Council received some grim economic news on Monday. The County’s Economic Resiliency Task Force estimates the Del Norte community has lost $1 million in revenue as businesses struggle during COVID-19 social distancing guidelines. Holly Wendt, Crescent City’s Recreation and Events director and member of the task force along with City Manager Eric Wier, outlined the results of Del Norte Office of Emergency Services’ business injury survey. She said of the 111 businesses that participated, about 70% need help, another 58% have temporarily stopped operations and two have permanently closed their doors due to the crisis. Wendt added that most business owners who
took the survey said they need help with cash flow, unemployment issues and applying for loans. “Through conversations, I’m having with business owners, there are so many moving parts and so many things that are uncertain, whether it’s knowing how to navigate it and what paperwork they need. It’s overwhelming,” Wendt said. She added that although the economic survey closed Monday night, support will continue, with consultants Rob Holmlund and Chuck Wolfe helping businesses work through state, federal and local programs designed to get them through the emergency. While the council approved more funds to pay for the consultants, Wier explained revenues have been severely curtailed coming into the city during the shutdowns.
Staff Report
Del Norte County authorizes using hotels for rooms during COVID-19 pandemic T
David Hayes Staff Writer
he Del Norte County Board of Supervisors cleared the way April 6 for its administration to contract out local hotels to house patients and health care workers needing to be isolated during the COVID-19 pandemic. The board unanimously approved a resolution giving the Department of Health and Human Services jurisdiction to lease local hotel rooms. Before the move, County Administrative Officer Jay Sarina could only enter into independent contracts of up to $50,000 during an emergency. A county staff report pointed out, for example, renting out 100 rooms at a time at $50 per night would deplete the amount authorized after just 10 days.
The resolution authorizes Sarina an expenditure of between $50,000 to $100,000 to contract with local hotels during the COVID-19 emergency only. However, the staff report did not specify the terms of the contracts nor the number and duration of hotels needed. County Public Health Officer Dr. Warren Rehwaldt clarified the two needs for the hotel rooms for the supervisors, including for quarantining and isolation and for social distancing. He said the health department is looking at providing a space for those who are infected and need to isolate or those who were infected and are recovering. Rehwaldt outlined several examples, including people who need to isolate because Hotels rooms in Del Norte County could be used to house patients and they are sick, yet are not sick enough to health care workers needing to be isolated during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Del Norte County Board of Supervisors approved paying hotels for More Hotels on Page A2 rooms at April 6 meeting. Photo by Brian Williams.
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