District 2 Supervisor· 2025-01-06 - 2029-01-08
Michelle Bushnell
Humboldt County
No biography on file yet.
Voice
- Meetings spoken in
- 30
- Total speaking time
- 5:51:02
- Avg per meeting
- 11:42
- Segments
- 4204
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Top issues during term (20)
Animal welfare oversight and Miranda's Rescue concerns
A potential ~$10,000 spay/neuter program was floated; the sheriff's and Miranda's shelters are already full.
General Plan Safety Element / Hazard Mitigation Plan update
No direct cost discussed; keeps the county in line for state and federal hazard-mitigation funding.
Regional Climate Action Plan Implementation (RCEA MOU)
About $80,933 per year from the general fund through 2030 (roughly $324,000 total), already budgeted.
Centerville Road coastal erosion and road realignment
Roughly $4-5 million in federal storm-repair money is on the line — the county will try to shift it to the inland route, and could lose it if the feds say no.
Humboldt Bay Area Plan and Local Coastal Plan update
The update is funded by a grant, and meeting the grant deadline shapes the county's timeline.
Rural Container Sites and Redway Transfer Station
Solid waste operations are self-funded through disposal fees, tipping fees and franchise fees — no general fund ask.
Proposition 45 Opposition Resolution
Symbolic — no direct county cost, though the measure could shift review costs onto counties if it passes.
Humboldt Bay Area Plan comprehensive update
The plan itself doesn't spend money, but its sea level rise and infrastructure standards will shape the cost of future public projects like trail raising and wastewater connections.
Short-term rental in tsunami hazard zone
Denials keep two homes potentially available for local residents; approvals of the nine existing rentals keep tourist income flowing in Samoa.
Indoor cannabis cultivation rules loosened for post-2016 buildings
Opens new economic opportunities for rural landowners and growers; no direct county cost identified.
Measure O road work pays off
About $60 million in total road funding next year, driven by Measure O's $7 million in matching dollars.
Redway Q Zone old-growth redwood protection
No direct county cost was cited, but denial avoids potential liability claims while residents argue the tree drives property values and tourism.
Tourism governance transition and TOT funding cliff
A 2% lodging assessment funds the district; consultant help could cost under $50,000, possibly split with HLA.
Sheriff's Office community review board
Opponents estimate $400,000-$750,000 a year for an inspector general and staff; supporters call it a small share of the Sheriff's roughly $65 million budget.
AT&T wireless facility in McKinleyville
Residents fear 10-15% drops in nearby home values; AT&T bears project costs.
McCullough Ranch timberland reclassification
About $3,200 a year in property tax comes off the rolls, partly offset by timber yield tax.
Redwood Tree Removal Moratorium (Pulled)
Removing the 60-inch retention conditions lets landowners harvest valuable timber they'd otherwise have to leave standing.
Humboldt Bay Area Plan and low-impact camping ordinance
Permits start around $365, but total setup could run tens of thousands of dollars against a few thousand a year in camping income.
Housing Element progress and state mandates
Fee amounts aren't set yet — builders warn every dollar added to a permit makes housing projects pencil out less often.
Domestic violence services and awareness
Program is grant- and donation-supported; supervisors acknowledged funding pressures.
Decisions during term (472)
Recorded while Bushnell was in office — not necessarily decisions they moved, spoke to, or voted on.
Consent Calendar (items 26-1068 through 26-1067)
Tourism Advisory Board appointments and bylaw amendments (26-1077)
TOT/Measure J tourism funding model refinements (26-997)
Centerville Road storm damage repair project (26-849)
Closed session — John KS Doe v. Humboldt County (26-1106)
Ratify Interim Aviation Director Signature on Land Lease Agreement with California Department of General Services for Department of Forestry and Fire Protection Air Base at the Rohnerville Airport (FOT)
Proclaim October 2026 as Long-Term Care Residents’ Rights Month in Humboldt County
Certificates of Recognition for Henderson Center Kiwanis Club Women in Business Award Winners
Resolution Affirming the Integrity of Locally Administered Elections in Humboldt County
Appoint Danielle Beckett to the Humboldt County Workforce Development Board
Submittal of Supervisors’ Monthly Expense Report for September 2026
Approval of the Action Summary for the Meeting of October 20, 2026
Adoption of Two Ordinances to Amend Various Sections of Chapters 1 and 2 of Humboldt County Code Title III, Division 5 Related to Public Nuisances, Abatement and Penalties to Clarify Definitions Related to Category 4 Violations and…
Multi-Agency Juvenile Justice Coordinating Council (MAJJCC) Recommendation Approving a Professional Services Agreement with Two Feathers Native American Family Services for the Continued Services Offered Through the Youth Ambassador…
Memorandum of Understanding Between Humboldt County Probation, the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office and Humboldt County Department of Health and Human Services Regarding CalAIM Program Data Exchange and Responsibilities
Appropriation Transfer and Supplemental Budgets to Establish a Fixed Asset for a Correctional Facility Americans with Disability Act (ADA) Van and Donate the Van to County Motor Pool (4/5 Vote Required)
First Amendment to Professional Services Agreement with Bennet Omalu Pathology, NorCal Inc. with a Maximum Amount Payable of $1,533,500, and Supplemental Budget in the Amount of $13,500 for Fiscal Year 2026-27 (4/5 Vote Required)
9:15 A.M. - Human Resources’ Cohort 5 Supervisor Academy Recognition Presentation
Consent Calendar (Items D.1, D.4-5, D.7-26)
Retirement Resolution for Thomas Wattle (Waddle)
Voting record (66)
Oldest to newest — hover a bar for the item.
Tourism Advisory Board appointments and bylaw amendments (26-1077)
Encouraged all applicants to stay involved regardless of appointment.
Housing element traffic impact fee measure (26-1045)
Feared the fee would set a precedent pricing out rural development and housing builders.
Centerville Road storm damage repair project (26-849)
Consent Calendar (Items D.1, D.4-5, D.7-26)
Retirement Resolution for Thomas Wattle (Waddle)
Proclamation: 25th Anniversary of Providence St. Joseph Hospital's Paso a Paso Program
Proclamation: October 2026 as Domestic Violence Awareness Month
Certificate of Recognition for Erik Terkelsen — Honor Flight Selection
Cannabis Land Use Ordinance Amendment — Indoor Cultivation in Buildings Built After 2016
Purchase of 1101, 1117 and 1119 Fourth Street, Eureka
CSAC Board of Directors Appointments for 2027
2026 Federal Legislative Program Report
Consent Calendar (minus D.2 and D.13)
D.2 Breast Cancer Awareness Month Proclamation
D.13 HOME Program Income for We Are Up and Owner-Occupied Rehab
G.1 Humboldt Sanitation and Recology Container Site Contracts
H.3 Public Nuisance and Code Enforcement Ordinance Amendments
I.1 El Niño Sandbag and Flood Preparedness Funding
H.1 Data Center Permit Moratorium (45-Day Interim Urgency Ordinance)
Accepted the 15-megawatt exemption compromise though she preferred existing CUP process
H.4 RCEA Regional Climate Committee MOU
I.2 Resolution Opposing Proposition 45
Consent Calendar (Items 1-21)
Zone Reclassification to Timberland Production Zone — Price Creek Ranch (PLN-2025-19421)
Supports working lands and generational land retention.
Adoption of Revisions to Board of Supervisors Code of Conduct and Ethics and Rules of the Board
Approval of Consent Calendar (Items D.1–D.20)
Closed Session: Authorization to Defend County in Doty v. Frachon Litigation (J.5)
Lower Redway Q-Zone Ordinance Updates
Countywide Old-Growth Protection Ordinance and Moratorium Direction
Supportive of discussion but uncertain of final form
Beau Pre Heights Subdivision Final Map (Item 31)
Closed Session: Authorize Defense in Three Lawsuits (K-8, K-13, K-14)
Closed Session: Initiate Litigation (K-12)
Adoption of Coastal Commission modifications to Outdoor Lighting Ordinance (26-559)
Wants easier accommodations for legally blind residents and liability concerns over falls on dimly lit county property.
Mixed Residential Density Ordinance (26-624)
Wanted neighbors in existing subdivisions notified before higher density is built near them.
Green Diamond Rezone, Cutten Area (26-674)
Direction to Prohibit Onshore Support for Offshore Oil and Deep-Sea Mining (26-724)
Concerned about blanket prohibitions superseding existing permitting processes and economic viability.
Direction to Prohibit Private Detention Facilities (26-724)
Direction for One-Year Data Center Moratorium (26-724)
Supported it coming back for further consideration.
Consent Calendar (including FY 2026-27 Budget adoption, Boys & Girls Club agreement, Planet Labs imagery contract, roads supplementals)
Resolution for Exception to 180-Day Wait Period — Retired Annuitant, Department of Aviation Operations Manager
Appointments to the Humboldt County Forestry Review Committee (At-Large)
Measure Z Spending Plan, FY 2027-28 through 2029-30
Humboldt Lodging Alliance Annual Report and TBID Governance Direction
Annual Reports from Travel, Tourism and Arts Partners; Adjournment in Memory of April Wilson
Direction on FY 2026-27 County Budget: June 18 adoption, budget workshops, spay/neuter study
Supported the motion's direction for a deficit plan despite reservations.