FY 2019-20 PROPOSED BUDGET
SECTION B:PROFILE GOVERNANCE
Assessor County Counsel Auditor-Controller Human Resources Board of Supervisors Measure Z Clerk-Recorder Other Funds County Admin. Office Treasurer-Tax Collector Demographics County Comparison Population Infrastructure Education Agriculture Employment
DEMOGRAPHICS
Geography Located on the far North Coast of California, 200 miles north of San Francisco and about 50 miles south of the southern Oregon border, Humboldt County is situated along the Pacific coast in Northern California’s rugged Coastal (Mountain) Ranges, bordered on the north by Del Norte County, on the east by Siskiyou and Trinity SCENERY counties, on the south by Mendocino County and on the west by the Pacific Ocean. The county encompasses 2.3 million acres, 80 percent The climate is ideal for growth of which is forestlands, protected redwoods and recreational areas. of the world’s tallest tree - the A densely forested, mountainous, rural county with about 110 miles coastal redwood. Though these of coastline, more than any other county in the state, Humboldt trees are found from southern contains over forty percent of all remaining old growth Coast Redwood Oregon to the Big Sur area of forests, the vast majority of which is protected or strictly conserved California, Humboldt County within dozens of national, state, and local forests and parks, totaling contains the most impressive approximately 680,000 acres (over 1,000 square miles). Humboldt’s collection of Sequoia highest point is Salmon Mountain at 6,962 feet. Its lowest point is sempervirens. The county is located in Samoa at 20 feet. Humboldt Bay, California’s second largest home to Redwood National natural bay, is the only deep water port between San Francisco and and State Parks, Humboldt Coos Bay, Oregon, and is located on the coast at the midpoint of the Redwoods State Park (The county. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total Avenue of the Giants), and a area of 4,052 square miles of which 3,568 square miles is land and number of other groves of these 484 square miles (12%) is water. Located inside Humboldt County is magnificent trees. Cape Mendocino, the westernmost point in California (longitude124 degrees, 24 minutes, 30 seconds). Humboldt County also contains more than 40 parks, forests, reserves and recreational areas, numerous beaches, six wild and scenic rivers, and an impressive collection of Victorian structures from the early days of county history. Lonely Planet picked California’s Redwood Coast as the best U.S. place to visit in 2018.
U.S. Highway 101 links the county to the rest of coastal California to the south and the coast of Oregon to the north. Highway 299 links the county to Interstate 5 to the east. The county’s regional airport in McKinleyville has daily flights to San Francisco, Los Angeles and Denver, Colorado.
2019-20 Proposed Budget County of Humboldt i Humboldt County’s major rivers include (in order of largest to smallest): Klamath River, Eel River, Trinity River, Mad River, Redwood Creek, Van Duzen River, Eel River syncline group (composed of the South Fork, the North Fork, and the Salt River), Mattole River, Salmon River, Elk River, Bear River, and Little River.
Climate The coastal zone of the county experiences very wet, cool winters and dry, mild foggy summers. Winter rainstorms are frequent, with averages from 30 inches to 100 inches a year varying with elevation. The coastal zone experiences a number of frosty nights in winter and early spring, though snowfall is rare. Winter temps range from the high 50’s to low 30’s. Inland areas of the county also experience wet, cool winters. Snowfall is common at elevations over 3,000 ft throughout the winter months.
Coastal summers are cool to mild, with frequent fogs. Temps range from 70’s to upper 40’s with average highs in the 60’s. Summer displays the sharpest difference between the coastal and inland climates. Maximum readings for the year often do not exceed 80 on the coast, while 100 degree plus readings occur frequently in the mountain valleys in eastern and southern parts of the county including Orleans, Hoopa, Willow Creek, Garberville, Honeydew, and inland river valleys.
Humboldt County is an area of moderate temperatures and considerable precipitation. In most years, rainfall is experienced each month of the year, although amounts are negligible from June through August. Seasonal totals average more than 40 inches in the driest area, and exceed 100 inches in the zones of heavy precipitation. Because of the moisture and moderate temperature, the average relative humidity is high. Largely as a result of the proximity to the Pacific Ocean, the adjoining coastal area has one of the coolest, most stable temperature regimes to be found anywhere. The marine influence is less pronounced in the inland areas and experiences wider variations of temperature and lower humidity.
Historically, Humboldt County and the entire far north coast have had many earthquakes over 6.0 magnitude. The 1992 Cape Mendocino earthquakes were a series of three major earthquakes that occurred off the coast of Cape Mendocino, California on April 25 and 26, 1992, the largest being a 7.2. Ninety-five people were injured and property in the county
ii County of Humboldt 2019-20 Proposed Budget sustained considerable damage. In 2010 a 6.5 magnitude earthquake struck offshore, 33 mi. (53 km) west of Eureka, resulting in only minor injuries and some structural damage to houses and utilities, and no fatalities reported.
Demographics As of the 2010 census, the population was 134,623. The county seat is Eureka. Its primary population centers are Eureka, the site of College of the Redwoods main campus, and the smaller college town of Arcata, site of Humboldt State University. The racial makeup of Humboldt County was 81.7% White, 1.1% African American, 5.7% Native American, 2.2% Asian, 0.3% Pacific Islander, 3.7% from other races, and 5.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 9.8%. Arcata, Blue Lake, Eureka (county seat), Ferndale, Fortuna, Rio Dell, and Trinidad are all incorporated cities.
Industry Humboldt County is known for its redwood trees, and many acres of private redwood timberland make Humboldt the top timber producer in California. The lush river bottoms adjacent to the ocean are renowned for producing rich, high-quality dairy products. Somewhat more inland the warmer valleys have historically produced abundant apples and other fruit. More recently vineyards have been planted in the Trinity, Klamath, Mattole and upper Eel river valleys. With nearly 1,500,000 acres of combined public and private forest in production, Humboldt County alone produces twenty percent of total volume and thirty percent of the total value of all forest products produced in California.
Humboldt County is also known for its family operated dairy farms. The Humboldt Creamery, a significant producer of high grade ice cream and other dairy products, still operates from the original headquarters located at Fernbridge adjacent to the Eel River. Humboldt County also locally produces specialty goat cheese, or chevre, products, and farms oysters, which are sold throughout the world.
Humboldt County has gained notoriety for its cultural attributes associated with the cultivation and proliferation of cannabis. In the years before marijuana legalization (early 1970s-late 1980s), Humboldt County saw a large migration of the Bay Area counter-culture to its region. The rural culture and hippie scene eventually collaborated to create a rural hippie community in which cannabis became the center of the economy. The 2008 independent feature film Humboldt County centers on the county’s cannabis cultivation subculture, and the region has been featured on several nationally broadcast investigative journalism television series and specials related to local law enforcement eradication activities and area culture. In 2017, Humboldt added secure track and trace protocols to its list of regulatory accomplishments. The program is based on security protocols that have been perfected over decades in other industries, including pharmaceuticals, tobacco and alcohol.
2019-20 Proposed Budget County of Humboldt iii History The original inhabitants of the area now known as Humboldt County include the Native American Wiyot, Yurok, Hupa, Karuk, Chilula, Whilkut, and the Eel River Athapaskan peoples, including the Wailaki, Mattole and Nongatl. One of the largest Wiyot villages, Tolowot, was located on Indian Island in Humboldt Bay. Founded around 900 BC, it contains a shell midden (or shell mound, an archaeological feature consisting mainly of mollusk shells, associated with past villages and debris of human activity as a designated village dump site) 6 acres in size and 14 feet deep. It was the site of the February 26, 1860 massacre of the Wiyot people that was recorded by author Bret Harte, living in Union (present-day Arcata). Between 60 and 200 Wiyot men, women, and children were killed that night. Tolowot is now a restricted site and a National Historic Landmark. Humboldt County has eight Indian reservations lying within its borders: Big Lagoon Rancheria, Blue Lake Rancheria, Hoopa Valley Indian Reservation, Karuk Indian Reservation (partly in Siskiyou County), Rohnerville Rancheria, Table Bluff Rancheria, Cher-Ae Heights Indian Community of the Trinidad Rancheria, and Yurok Indian Reservation (partly in Del Norte County). Only four other counties in the United States have more: San Diego County, California; Sandoval County, New Mexico; Riverside County, California; and Mendocino County, California. The Hoopa Valley Indian Reservation is the largest in the state of California, a state that generally has very small reservations (although very numerous) relative to those in other states.
Humboldt County proper was formed in 1853 from parts of Trinity County to the east. The first recorded entry by people of European origin was a landing by the Spanish in 1775 in Trinidad. The first recorded entry of Humboldt Bay by non-natives was an 1806 visit from a sea otter hunting party from Sitka, AK employed by the Russian American Company. The hunting party included Captain Jonathan Winship, an American, and some Aleut hunters. The bay was not visited again by people of European origin until 1849 when Josiah Gregg’s party visited. In 1850, Douglas Ottinger and Hans Buhne entered the bay, naming it Humboldt in honor of the great naturalist and world explorer, Alexander von Humboldt, and the name was later applied to the county as a whole.
Government Humboldt County is in California’s 2nd congressional district, represented by Democrat Jared Huffman. In the state legislature, Humboldt is part of the 2nd Senate District, represented by Democrat Mike McGuire, and the 2nd Assembly District, represented by Democrat Jim Wood. At the local government level, incorporated cities are run by councils made up of a mayor, city manager, and councilmembers. Unincorporated areas and communities are represented by the iv County of Humboldt 2019-20 Proposed Budget Humboldt County Board of Supervisors, who direct the county’s elected and appointed department heads.
Education Post-secondary education is offered locally at the College of the Redwoods community college and Humboldt State University, a California State University well known for its exceptional forestry, botany, anthropology, and marine biology programs. Blue Lake’s Dell’Arte International School of Physical Theatre offers accredited three-year Masters of Fine Arts in Ensemble Based Physical Theatre.
Travel & Tourism The only commercial airport in Humboldt County, the California Redwood Coast - Humboldt County Airport formerly known as the Arcata-Eureka Airport, is located in McKinleyville (north of Arcata). Other (general aviation) airports are located in Dinsmore, Garberville, Kneeland, Murray Field (Eureka), Samoa Field and Rohnerville (Fortuna).
Area cities and towns are known for hundreds of ornate examples of Victorian architecture.
Humboldt has five national parks including Redwood National Park and Six Rivers National Forest; fifteen state parks including Redwood State Park, Grizzly Creek Redwoods State Park, Trinidad State Beach, Patrick’s Point State Park, Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, Richardson Grove State Park, and Azalea State Reserve; and thirteen county parks including Big Lagoon County Park, Freshwater County Park, Moonstone Beach, and Van Duzen Pamplin Grove.
Throughout the year, Humboldt hosts a variety of events, including the Redwood Coast Jazz Festival, Tour of the Unknown Coast (by Bicycle), World-Championship Kinetic Sculpture Race, Rhododendron Festival and Parade, Arcata Oyster Festival, Blues by the Bay, Redwood Acres Fair, Fourth of July Festivals, Fortuna Rodeo, Humboldt County Fair, Trinidad Fish Festival, Blackberry Festival, Apple Harvest Festival, Redwood Run, and Truckers Christmas Parade.
Movies filmed in Humboldt within the last several decades include Swiss Army Man, Woodshock, The Love Witch, The Ritual, Willow Creek, After Earth, Humboldt County, The Majestic, Almost Heroes, Jurassic Park: The Lost World, Outbreak, Halloween III, and Star Wars: Return of the Jedi. TV shows include episodes of 48 hours, Survivorman, Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, Finding Bigfoot, Intervention, Marijuana, Monster Fish, Lonely Planet, Hoarders, Crime Watch Daily With Chris Hansen, On the Case with Paula Zahn, and California Gold With Heull Howser.
2019-20 Proposed Budget County of Humboldt v POPULATION
2018 Population % by Area
Humboldt County Total Population
Humboldt County Total Population 2011-2018 137,000
136,500
136,000
135,500
135,000
134,500
134,000
133,500 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Arcata Blue Lake Source: California Department of Finance Demographic Eureka Ferndale Research Unit; Report E-4 Populations Estimates for Cities, Fortuna Rio Dell Counties and the State 2010-2018. Trinidad Balance Of County
Population by Race
81% White 11% Hispanic* 5% Native American 3% Asian 1% African American 6% Other or Mixed
Source: U.S. Census, 2013-2017 American Community Survey 5 Year Estimates - Humboldt County, California, Demographic and Housing Estimates.
*Note: Total may exceed 100 percent. Individuals identifying as Hispanic race may self-declare their ethnicity in several categories, including but not limited to African-American, White or Native American. vi County of Humboldt 2019-20 Proposed Budget Humboldt County Population by Area
65,000
60,000
55,000
50,000
45,000
40,000
35,000
30,000
25,000 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
Cities Unincorporated
Humboldt County Population by Age
85 years and over
75 to 84 years
65 to 74 years
60 to 64 years
55 to 59 years
45 to 54 years
35 to 44 years
25 to 34 years
20 to 24 years
15 to 19 years
10 to 14 years
5 to 9 years
Under 5 years
0 2,000 4,000 6,000 8,000 10,000 12,000 14,000 16,000 18,000 20,000
2019-20 Proposed Budget County of Humboldt vii EDUCATION
Humboldt County is home to two major institutions of higher education. Humboldt State University, a campus of the California State University system, is located in Arcata. College of the Redwoods, the community college Professional & for California’s North Coast, has a campus south of Eureka and instructional Business sites in Hoopa, Eureka and Garberville. Financial Services Activities 6% 4% Educational & Information Health Services Government Educational Attainment 1% 17% 28%
100.00% Services 90.50% 87.30% 61% 80.00% Trade, Transportation & Utilities 60.00% 18% 40.00% 29.40% 30.90% Goods 20.00% Production Farming 9% 2% Leisure & Hospitality 0.00% Other Services 11% Humboldt US Average 4%
High school graduate or higher Bachelor's degree or higher
Humboldt County Median Home Sales Price $350,000
$300,000
$250,000
$200,000
$150,000
$100,000
$50,000
$- 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 Median Sales Price
viii County of Humboldt 2019-20 Proposed Budget EMPLOYMENT
According to the Labor Market Information Division of California’s Economic Development Department, the largest employment sectors in Humboldt County in 2018 are:
Professional & Business Financial Services Activities 6% 4% Educational & Information Health Services Government 1% 17% 28%
Services 61% Trade, Transportation & Utilities 18%
Goods Production Farming 9% 2% Leisure & Hospitality Other Services 11% 4%
Annual Average Unemployment 2013-2017 10.0% 8.9% 9.0%
8.0% 7.5% 8.1% 7.0% 6.2%
6.0% 6.7% 5.5% 4.8% 5.0% 5.6% 4.9% 4.0% 4.2% 3.0%
2.0%
1.0%
0.0% 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 Humboldt California
2019-20 Proposed Budget County of Humboldt ix EMPLOYMENT
Top Employers in Humboldt County Bettendorf Trucking Pacific Seafood Co Blue Lake Casino & Hotel Redwood Memorial Hospital Costco Wholesale Schmidbauer Lumber City of Eureka St Joseph Health Eureka High School St Joseph Hospital - Admin. Green Diamond Resource Co. Sun Valley Group Humboldt County DHHS Target Humboldt County Public Health Trinidad Rancheria Humboldt County Mental Health Umpqua Bank Humboldt County Office of Education US Post Office Humboldt County Sheriff Department Walmart Mad River Community Hospital Winco Foods Note: List is not ranked in order of employment size
Top 25 Humboldt County Principal Tax Payers
HUMBOLDT PARTNERS PT SUN LAZY LLC CO MOSER STEPHEN A TR SCHMIDBAUER LUMBER INC HUMBOLDT WALFORD LLC CO SAFEWAY INC CR DEBENI LARRY A & LISA KTR TIMBER RIDGE AT MCKINLEYVILLE LLC TOWN OF SCOTIA COMPANY LLC CO CALIFORNIA RURAL SERVICE AREA #1 INC. RED HOUSE FANDANGO LLC CO PRICE COMPANY THE CR TARGET CORPORATION CR VERIZON WIRELESS HARRIS RONALD J TR CALIFORNIA REDWOOD COMPANY CR AT&T WIRELESS ADMINISTRATION OFFICeS CYPRESS GROVE CHEVRE INC CR AMERICAN HOSPITAL MANAGEMENT CORP BAY SHORE MALL LP AT&T CALIFORNIA SUN VALLEY FLORAL FARMS LLC GREEN DIAMOND RESOURCE COMPANY CR HUMBOLDT REDWOOD COMPANY LLC CO PACIFIC GAS & ELECTRIC CO.
$0.00 $1,000,000.00 $2,000,000.00 $3,000,000.00 $4,000,000.00 $5,000,000.00 $6,000,000.00 $7,000,000.00 $8,000,000.00
x County of Humboldt 2019-20 Proposed Budget INFRASTRUCTURE
Humboldt County 72% 6.7% Methods of Drove Alone Walked Commute 9.1% 2.8% Carpooled Other Means
7.4% 2% Worked From Home Public Transportation
Gas Tax Trends for Pavements The gas tax is the single largest funding source for cities and counties, yet this is projected to decline statewide and nationally. The graph depicts a revenue source that is declining; 1) Partly due to declining gas consumption (more gas efficient vehicles on the road); 2) Additional responsibilities for most local jurisdictions such as compliance with ADA curb ramps and sidewalks. Under the existing maintenance investment level, the state’s average local street and road Pavement Condition Index (PCI) is projected to drop from 65 to 56 by 2026. To bring the average pavement condition of the state’s local streets and roads into a state of good repair, or Best Management Practices (BMP), the investment in pavement maintenance would need to increase by more than four-fold. The purchasing power of the state’s 18-cent per gallon base excise tax on gasoline has declined to 9 cents per gallon, when adjusted for inflation and mileage.
Gas Tax Trends for Pavements $1,200,000,000 160%
140% $1,000,000,000 120% $800,000,000 100%
$600,000,000 80%
60% $400,000,000 40% $200,000,000 20%
$- 0% 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 Future
Total Gas Tax (In Millions) Percent of State Funding Percent of Total Funding
2019-20 Proposed Budget County of Humboldt xi INFRASTRUCTURE
2018 PAVEMENT CONDITION INDEX BY COUNTY 80 2018 Pavement Condition Index By County
70
60
50 56 40
30
20
10
0 Colusa Del Norte Glenn Humboldt Lake Mendocino Shasta Siskiyou Tehama Trinity
1.2 86-100 EXCELLENT 71-85 GOOD 50-70 AT RISK 0-49 POOR
1 As a whole, California’s local streets and roads Average CA 2018 PCI v. 2016 PCI are “At Risk”. Major Local It is clear that California’s local streets and Urban Streets 69 up 1 66 no change 0.8 roads network are not just at risk; they are on a continuous decline with an average PCI of 60, Rural Roads 63 down 2 55 no change down 5 points from the 2016 data. Avg statewide PCI is 60 0.6 Source: 2018 Local Streets and Roads Assessment Save California Streets AXIS TITLE HUMBOLDT COUNTY PCI INDEX BY PERIOD 0.4 100 Humboldt County PCI By Period 90 0.2 80 70 61 64 64 63 56 56 0 60 50 86-100 40 30 20 10 0 2008 PCI 2010 PCI 2012 PCI 2014 PCI 2016 PCI 2018 PCI
Humboldt County PCI indicates a return from a several year incline. There is still a lot of work to be done to bring the PCI from At Risk to Good. PCI indicates that major streets or roads continue to be in better condition than local roads. In fact, rural local roads have the lowest PCI than any other category. 54 out of 58 California counties have an average pavement condition that is either “At Risk”, or “Poor”.
xii County of Humboldt 2019-20 Proposed Budget AGRICULTURE
Agriculture and livestock Livestock remain vital elements to $90,488,000 the culture and economy Gross Agricultural of Humboldt County. Receipts 2016 The following graphs depict agriculture value trends and agricultural commodities as a Timber Production percentage of production $70,395,000 with livestock, timber and nursery products as the largest producers.
Livestock Products $99,695,000
Nursery Stock $55,945,000
Field Crops Fruit & $5,278,000 Nut Crops Source: Humboldt $1,798,000 County Agricultural Vegetable Commissioner; Crops Humboldt County Crop $2,477,000 and Livestock Report, 2017.
2017 Annual Agriculture Value Trends $350,000,000
$300,000,000
$250,000,000
$200,000,000
$150,000,000
$100,000,000 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
2019-20 Proposed Budget County of Humboldt xiii COUNTY COMPARISON
Population Change 2014-2018 Population Change 2014-2018
ColusaColusa 304 Del DelNorte Norte -122 GlennGlenn 299 HumboldtHumboldt 1,025 Lake Lake 230 MendocinoMendocino 1,105
ShastaShasta -560 SiskiyouSiskiyou -197 TehamaTehama 296 TrinityTrinity -87 (600) (400) (200) - 200 400 600 800 1,000 1,200
Source: California Department of Finance Demographic Research Unit; Report E-4 Populations Estimates for Cities, Counties and the State 2010-2018
Median Gross Rent 2013-2017 $1,200
$1,000
$800
$600
$400
$200
$0 Siskiyou County, Trinity County, Mendocino Lake County, Humboldt County,Del Norte County, California California County, California California California California
xiv County of Humboldt 2019-20 Proposed Budget Average Commute Time in Minutes Source: U.S. 30 28.9 Census, American 25.2 Community 25 23.5 Survey, 5 Year Estimates; 19.8 19.9 Average 20 18.2 Commute Time to Work 14.4 15
10
5
0 Crescent City Micropolitan Area Eureka-Arcata-Fortuna Micropolitan Area Clear Lake Micropolitan Area Ukiah Micropolitan Area Santa Rosa Metropolitan Area Red Bluff Micropolitan Area Redding Metropolitan Area
Per Capita & Household Income By County Source: U.S. $60,000 Census, American Community $50,000 Survey, 5 Year Estimates; 2012-2017 Selected $40,000 Economic Characteristics $30,000
$20,000
$27,093 $25,676 $25,208 $26,455 $24,605 $23,345 $22,631 $23,575 $10,000 $20,809 $21,029
$- Colusa Del Norte Glenn Humboldt Lake Mendocino Shasta Siskiyou Tehama Trinity 2017 Per Capita Income 2017 Household Income
2019-20 Proposed Budget County of Humboldt xv COUNTY COMPARISON
Unemployment Rates by County 12.0% Del Norte Glenn Humboldt Lake 11.0% Mendocino Shasta Siskiyou Tehama 10.0% Trinity
9.0%
8.0%
7.0%
6.0%
5.0%
4.0%
3.0% 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018
County 2017 Per Capita Income
Del Norte County $20,809
Glenn County $21,029
Humboldt County $25,208
Lake County $23,345
Mendocino $27,093
Shasta County $26,455
Siskiyou County $24,605
Tehama County $22,631
Trinity County $23,575
xvi County of Humboldt 2019-20 Proposed Budget FY 2017-18 Budget Expenditures
Millions $0 $200 $400 $600 $800 $1,000 $1,200 $1,400 $1,600 $1,800
Colusa
Del Norte
Glenn
Humboldt $377,507,072
Lake
Mendocino
Shasta
Siskiyou
Sonoma
Tehama
Trinity
Full Time Equivalent Positions 4,500
4,000
3,500 18
3,000
2,500
2,000
1,500
COMPARISON BY COUNTY FY 2017 - COUNTY BY FY COMPARISON 1,000
500
0 Colusa Del Norte Glenn Humboldt Lake Mendocino Shasta Siskiyou Sonoma Tehama Trinity Full Time Equivalent Positions 394 460 491 2238 981 1407 2007 653 4149 887 370
2019-20 Proposed Budget County of Humboldt xvii