Miller resigns as city manager
Fort Bragg City Manager Tabatha Miller will step down as city manager in January 2022. Miller has been the city manager since March 2018, moving here from Lake Havasu City, Arizona. The City Council accepted Miller’s resignation on December 6.
City Council is in the process of hiring both an interim city manager and a firm to find a new city manager.
During the City Council meeting on December 13, the City Council adopted a resolution for an underground district for Chestnut Street between South Main Street and Ebbing Way. This is a phased plan to remove poles, overhead wires, and associated overhead structures, and replace them with underground wires and facilities for supplying electric and communication services.
The first phase has a timeline of 10 years, though the Council has the flexibility to move forward if the project is completed faster. Vice-mayor Morcell-haye expressed discouragement with the timeline.
“It takes so long and so much money to do such a tiny little piece, and there is so much more in our city to do,” Morcell-haye said. “But let’s take it, we need to at least try any little bit we can.”
According to Lizette Burtis, Rule 20A Program
Liaison, these projects typically take between 5-7 years and often hits delays due to the complex nature of undergrounding.
The council decided to start on the west side and move east, from Main Street to approximately Macpherson Street. This option will provide slightly fewer linear feet but is expected to hit fewer undergrounding delays.
The other option would have been starting at the school district and moving west.
Councilmember Albinsmith pointed out that the consultants had said starting on the west end would also make it easier for Fort Bragg to start getting fiber optics put in. She believes federal relief money would also roll into fiber optics, so that could be an opportunity to take advantage of.
The City Council meeting on December 27 has been canceled. The next City Council meeting will be held on January 10, 2022.