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“The county really wants us to do this for the liability benefits and protection of the city.” — Kristene Hall
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Recorded at Ferndale Museum by Rob Roberts, Clint Michael, Jerry Lema Historical data from George Anderson’s files
Ferndale, California
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Covering the Eel River Valley … And Beyond
Our 147th year, Number 43
October 23, 2025
Ferndale Council Considers Land Use Amendments, Names County Health Officer By Steven Pence It would be a rare meeting of the Ferndale City Council these days that did not include a review of additional amendments to its land-use regulations required by state law and Oct. 15 was no different. Michelle Nielsen, one of Ferndale’s outside planners, explained the two items before the council that day dealt with various sections of the city’s zoning and subdivision ordinances. “The purpose of the amendments is to achieve consistency with the adopted land use element of the general plan, implement programs of the city’s adopted sixth cycle housing element and address changes to state housing laws,” she said. Nielsen noted that “a city zoning ordinance is consistent with the city’s general plan when the ordinance furthers the objectives and policies of the general plan and does not obstruct their attainment.”
Nielsen informed the board that the proposed amendments were already taken up at the planning commission level and approved after discussions at that board’s Aug. 6 and Sept. 3 meetings. Nielsen also said the amendments generated no written objections or public comments at either planning commission meeting. The particulars of the amendments were reported extensively in the Aug. 14 and Sept. 11 issues of The Enterprise. Nielsen explained planning commissioners had made several minor changes to the proposed amendments, which were incorporated into the ordinances before the council “as they are consistent with the general plan, including the land-use and housing elements.” Although the discussion took the form of a public hearing, just like at the planning commission meetings, no member of the public addressed the council on the items. The council voted unanimously
to approve the first reading of the changes and will consider the matter again in November. The entirety of Nielsen’s report is available on the city’s website, as is a videotape of her presentation to the council. In other matters, the city received and filed a report on the seventh cycle housing update, a process directed by the state that looks at each region’s housing needs. Nielsen explained that the Humboldt County Association of Governments (HCAOG) is charged with allocating to each municipality its “unit share” of the new housing that should be built in the county. Councilmember Skip Jorgensen said, “These are goals, not necessarily a requirement.” What is required, according to Nielsen, is that Ferndale must create land use policies which make possible the building of an additional 57 housing units in the city. This is a provisional number, Nielsen See COUNCIL, page 2
Fortuna River Lodge Rates and Fees Are Going Up By Daniel Mintz Continuing its effort to generate budget revenue, the Fortuna City Council has approved rental rate and fee increases for the River Lodge Conference Center. Changes in the way the River Lodge is operated and priced were described by Interim Parks and Recreation Director Kaylyn Stainbrook at the council’s Oct. 20 meeting.
She said the center’s staff has made “operational changes” that “should reduce the cost of staff time and/or increase revenue if enforced.” Another step is raising the center’s rental fees. The center has three rental spaces for public and private events, each named for a salmon species. The full-day rate for the smallest space, the Coho Room, will rise from $460 to $500 and the largest
space, the Chinook room, rises from $1,020 to $1,300. Deposit amounts are also rising from $250 to $500. The increases will “narrow the gap between River Lodge and competitors’ rental costs,” Stainbrook continued. Among a list of examples, Eureka’s Sequoia Conference Center charges $1,380 for a space comparable to the River Lodge’s 3,000-squarefoot Chinook Room. See FORTUNA, page 2
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Pictured from left to right: Senior Recordable Documents Examiner Sandra Saldana, Office Support Dog Maverick Ivy, Recordable Documents Examiner Brynn Ivy and Humboldt County Clerk-Recorder & Registrar of Voters Juan Pablo Cervantes pose under the civil wedding ceremony site at the Humboldt County Courthouse, decorated especially for the month of October.
County Offering HalloweenThemed Wedding Ceremonies By Anne To Weddings are getting spookier in Humboldt County with the clerk-recorder’s office offering two options for those looking for a unique setting to tie the knot on Halloween. The Little Redwood Schoolhouse at the Hum-
boldt County Fairgrounds is being transformed into “a dark and glamorous wonderland” for “Gothic-inspired civil marriage ceremonies,” according to the county. Hundreds of LED candles will line the aisles creating a “soft, haunting warmth” with matching bouquets for couples to match
the floral arrangements at the entryway, County Clerk Juan Pablo Cervantes told The Enterprise. “The atmosphere is nostalgic, eerie and romantic, meant to feel like a first love that never quite faded,” Cervantes said. The fairground cereSee WEDDINGS, page 2
Fortuna School Board Reviews Cellphone Policy Compliance By Anne To The Fortuna Union High School District Board of Trustees discussed enforcement of the district’s electronic device policy on Oct. 14 and gave approval for the International Club to plan a trip abroad in 2027. Principals Jack Millsap and Dustin Rossman kicked off the discussion by giving an update on the policy’s implementation, stating that it has been “overall positive” and “successful.” After board members raised concerns about teachers not enforcing the restrictions last month, Ross-
man said he sent an email to teachers reinforcing that the guidelines mandating student phones be put away during class was board policy. That has made a difference, according to Fortuna High School Assistant Principal Kristina Christiansen. “I really appreciate being able to say it’s a board policy,” she said. “That is helpful because it gives a little strength to the rule.” When trustee Anita Gage asked if teachers were complying, Rossman responded that classes he’s visited have been storing phones but there have been substitute teachers who did not follow
the policy. Rossman noted some students have started using a workaround by turning in a dead phone while keeping a secondary one to use. In response, board member Jeana McClendon expressed concern about staff potentially “wasting time” acting as “the phone police.” “I’m not saying that I condone kids not following the rules but, I mean, the objective is we don’t want phones out [in class], not to find out where everybody’s phones are,” McClendon said. Christiansen said that was See PHONE, page 2