Letter to City of Eureka Mayor and City Council – Second Request for March 5, 2024 Election

November 30, 2023

City of Eureka Mayor and City Council
531 K Street
Eureka, CA 95501

Subject: HOUSING FOR ALL AND DOWNTOWN VITALITY INITIATIVE - REQUEST FOR MARCH 5, 2024 ELECTION

Dear Mayor Bergel and Councilmembers:

We are the proponents of the City of Eureka Housing For All and Do\A/ntown Vitality Initiative ("Initiative"). As you know, the Initiative was qualified for the ballot by more than 2,000 City voters. The Initiative touches on issues of critical importance to the future of our City - housing and the vitality of local businesses.

We previously requested that the City Council vote to place the Initiative on the March 5, 2024 ballot. We are disappointed to see that an agenda item for this vote was not included on the agenda for the Council's upcoming December 5, 2023 regular meeting.

However, it is not too late for the City to hold a vote on this issue. City Code Section 30.01(E) authorizes the Council to issue an amended or supplemented agenda no later than 72 hours before a regular meeting. Accordingly, the City Council may amend the December 5, 2023 meeting agenda at any time prior to 6 pm on Saturday, December 2, 2023 to include a vote on the Initiative.

It is the Council's duty and obligation to hold another public hearing on this issue. The Council's prior vote was tainted by the City Attorney's incorrect statement that the Council's only option was to place the Initiative on the November 5, 2024 ballot. As noted in our prior letter, the City Attorney has issued a correction. The Council owes the voters and citizens of the City a duty to reconsider this question in light of the information that the Council does in fact have the authority to place the initiative on the March 5, 2024 ballot.

As we stated in our prior letter, there are no legitimate reasons to prevent City voters from voting on the Initiative at the earliest possible opportunity - which would be the upcoming March 5, 2024 statewide election.

Sincerely,

Michael Munson
Michelle Costantine-Blackwell