Submitted by Linda Sutter – October 6, 2020
Upon much questioning about the proposed purchase, Mayor Blake Inscore sent the following response .
October 6, 2020
Ms. Sutter,
I wanted to provide some clarification regarding the County’s purchase of the Coastal Inn and Suites. The City had no authority to act in any manner regarding this project. We specifically asked for the County to do a presentation on the project and they declined stating that it would be discussed in a future Board of Supervisors meeting. Our staff provided the Council with as much information as possible at our 9/21/20 Council Meeting on Project HomeKey and what options the City had in this matter. The funding of this project comes with the right for the County to proceed with this project without City approval including zoning compliance, use permits, or environmental review. We have no jurisdictional authority in this matter.
Nonetheless with Council direction, I did pen a letter to the Board of Supervisors expressing our disappointment in the lack of communication and our desire to see other sites evaluated. I read that letter to them during public comment prior to their Closed Session on 9/22/20 when they discussed the property acquisition. Police Chief Griffin also spoke about the increased call volume that has been experienced at the site.
I hope this provides you some perspective, and helps you understand that we did do our research but unfortunately there was little that we could do in regards to the County moving forward with this project. We do agree with the County that solutions for dealing with the homeless problem need to be discovered, and are committed to working together to make that a reality.
Blake Inscore
Mayor, Crescent City
707-951-0517
