Q&A with Mike Wilson
Editor's note: Before the upcoming March 5 primary, the TimesStandard sent a list of questions to each of the three candidates running for the 2nd District Humboldt County Board of Supervisors seats. Each candidate received the same list of questions.
These are the responses from 3rd District incumbent Mike Wilson.
How do you plan to address housing in your district? With there already being an issue for those trying to find housing, along with Cal Poly Humboldt looking to raise attendance, how will the district accommodate?
Our local and national housing crisis is the result of decades of restrictive housing policy combined with recent increases in building costs and aging housing stock. Increased conversions of housing to investment properties (i.e. second homes) and short-term rentals have also escalated shortages.
The county can best help facilitate more housing, especially affordable housing, by working with other jurisdictions and the state on funding sources and implementing policies to address causes of the housing shortage.
With my leadership, the county recently established a Housing Trust Fund (HTF) to provide dedicated, on-going funding to support development of affordable housing. Recently, citizens voted to increase our transient occupancy tax by 2% and our board recently allocated part of that to the HTF. The HTF will also allow the county to leverage more state funds for affordable housing.
We can also lower development costs by allowing higher densities in areas that have services and public transportation and support the development of Accessory Dwelling Units. I support policies like Inclusionary Housing to ensure that any housing built includes some affordable units. To preserve existing housing stock, I support low-interest loan rehabil
itation programs and reasonable caps on the number of short-term rentals in each jurisdiction.
What can be done to get the community of Blue Lake the proper law enforcement at a reasonable price? Are you considering having Blue Lake have its own police department?
The City of Blue Lake is a separate entity from the County of Humboldt, and as such the county has no say in how Blue Lake manages its law enforcement services. Decisions about how the City of Blue Lake is policed are made by the Blue Lake City Council.
Some years ago, Blue Lake had its own police department. Later, due to costs and other issues, the City Council voted to instead contract with the Humboldt County Sheriff's department, and this has been the arrangement for a while. Recently, the Sheriff (a separate elected office) proposed a new cost structure that would have a significant negative impact on the city budget. I was asked by the city to assist in initiating a negotiation. These negotiations are ongoing and I'm optimistic that a workable compromise will be reached soon.
Public safety and wellbeing are a priority. That is why the county continues to partner with Blue Lake on many plans and projects such as the Annie and Mary Trail connection to Glendale, regional street and pedestrian improvements, cleanups on Hatchery and Korbel Road, supporting the amazing Community Resource Center, improving the public transit connection to Arcata and exploring expanded river access.
What is your stance on Measure A? And how will that best help your district.
I will be voting NO on Measure A. This may surprise some people who know that I voted against the current cannabis ordinance because I believed it lacked sufficient environmental protections for water quality, noise, lighting and other impacts of cannabis farms, and that I remain committed to providing those protections.
Unfortunately, Measure A will not accomplish these goals. It does nothing to limit or stop illegal farms, which is where most of our problems occur. Instead, the initiative will put more restrictions on a majority of currently legal small farms making desired environmental improvements less likely.
Measure A did not go through the normal public process and feedback loops needed to develop good legislation: there was no review by or consultation with resources agencies, environmental organizations, civic groups or local tribes.
Further, at 31 pages, Measure A will modify our General Plan and ordinances in ways that will be difficult, time-consuming and costly to amend. And because the language seems prone to varying interpretations, this could lead to neighbor-against-neighbor conflicts and other legal challenges the county will have to spend your money to defend.
We need stronger environmental cannabis regulation. Measure A is not the way.
Addressing homelessness is a huge priority for our community, and of course across the state and county. The needs are beyond our funding and so we need to be as strategic as possible. To assist people in our community without homes, I'll continue to support development of supportive housing with wrap-around services, and other programs to support this population.
One of the first things I implemented after being elected seven years ago was a monthly meeting with staff from the City of Arcata, APD, Open Door Health Clinic, Arcata House Partnership, County DHHS and myself. This has been very helpful in coordinating and providing the best possible services, resulting in more people being housed and receiving services.
The county continues to support the city and Arcata House Partnership by assisting wherever we can with staff and funding for The Grove, the Safe Parking Program and the Extreme Weather Shelter.
Another project that I believe will have a positive impact is the planned Mental Health Crisis Triage Center near Mad River Hospital.
These facilities and services will provide muchneeded relief in our emergency rooms and police services. We are moving in the right direction and there is more to do.
How do you plan to address homelessness in your district? What decisions could be made to address the issue?
What do you see that needs to be improved upon in your district? And what will you do to ensure that those improvements are made?
As your county supervisor for the last seven years, I have worked to create affordable housing, increase safe and walkable neighborhoods, improve climate resiliency, and expand emergency and long-term mental health services while protecting our watersheds and farmlands and promoting public access.
My three main priorities for the next several years are to providing more affordable housing, addressing climate change, and increasing health and mental health care services. This focus will include finishing the Soral Leaf Healing Center youth crisis care facility, increasing microgrid and residential renewable energy capacity, growing our Housing Trust Fund for expanded housing opportunities, continue to improve public transit and complete the Humboldt Bay Trail.
As new policies and projects are proposed, I remain committed and energized to continue to work collaboratively with other local community leaders, labor unions, tribes and agencies to ensure that we protect our landscapes and people as well as promote wellpaying jobs and meaningful contributions for housing, health care and infrastructure.
With your vote, I will continue to bring a balanced approach to issues, listen to all points of view, and work with all to develop positive, equitable solutions to move Humboldt County forward.