Buried in the middle of yesterday's Humboldt County Board of Supervisor's meeting was an item exploring an electricity tax that might resemble Measure I, Arcata's so-called "Grower Tax." This would presumably apply to the county's unincorporated areas.

The board formed a subcommittee to explore a potential tax on residences using unusually high amounts of electricity.

If passed by voters, this would likely have some effect on the county's many bedroom growers. 

The city of Arcata's Environmental Services deputy director Karen gave a presentation (watch it here) on how Arcata put Measure I together. 

Arcata's law imposes a electricity users tax rate of 45 percent on residential customers whose residential usage exceeds 600 percent of established baseline allowances. She said that it was the intent of the tax to drive a residence's excessive electric consumption down to normal levels.

Hank Sims from the Lost Coast Outpost joined the conversation live on KHUM. 

Simsonpotentialpottax

Would growers use generators to bypass the tax? Would that be different than if they bypassed it with rooftop solar? If put on a countywide ballot, would it pass?

Let us know what you think. 

Some group, using some old study, got the Board to do something for some reason. 

The North Coast Journal reports that something peculiar happened at the Board of Supervisor's meeting yesterday. It's sort of a head-scratcher at first glance.

From NCJ:

The resolution, which was prepared by an amorphous citizens committee called the Humboldt Bay Harbor Working Group, is nearly identical to one that’s been making the rounds of local city councils, with vocal support from east-west rail advocates. It is being brought to the board by First District Supervisor Rex Bohn and Fourth District Supervisor Virginia Bass.

As we reported back in August, the document cites figures from a 15- (now almost 16-) year-old report by the late U.C. Berkeley economist Dr. John Quigley, who had been hired by the Humboldt Bay Harbor, Recreation and Conservation District to analyze the financial impact of a variety of port development projects. These included deepening the harbor, which has since been completed. At the time the report was written, the north-south rail line through the Eel River Canyon was still up and running.

Even when the report was released in January 1997, Quigley’s rosy projections of our harbor’s economic potential were deemed by many to be unrealistic.

Ryan Burns, who wrote the story, joined Lost Coast Outpost's Hank Sims today on KHUM to explain. 

What the hell does this even mean?

Cliff Berkowitz talks with Estelle Fennell about her background, property rights, economic growth, her support for an east-west rail road among other things.

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Cliff Berkowitz talks with First District candidate Annette DeModena about the general plan update, the east west rail line feasibility study and wind turbines, among other things.

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Cliff Berkowitz interview 1st District candidate Rex Bohn.  Topics include the general plan, regulation, trails and property rights among other things.

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