The Humboldt County Board of Supervisors unanimously directed county staff Tuesday to return with a financial plan capped at $25,000 for buying and strategically placing sand, sandbags and other emergency-preparedness resources in flood-prone and low-lying areas.
The final agenda assigns the work to the County Administrative Office, the Humboldt County Sheriff's Office of Emergency Services and the Department of Public Works. The plan is to identify locations based on historical flooding, community need and other emergency-preparedness considerations.
During the board's Oct. 6 meeting, Public Works Director Tom Mattson said sandbags previously bought with general-fund money for public distribution had been stockpiled at road-division areas, including Jacobs Avenue and McKinleyville, but those supplies had been fully used. He said remaining bags funded through the road fund are reserved for roads and county buildings.
Mattson said the county has sand available, including material generated through crushing operations related to a Highway 36 slide, but needs to replenish its supply of bags for public distribution. He said material at Carlotta is more suitable for sandbags, while material at Worswick is more silty.
Supervisors and staff discussed staging supplies before major winter storms. Possible areas mentioned during the meeting included Ferndale, King Salmon, Bayside and Old Arcata Road, though the county has not yet produced a final list of sites or quantities. Mattson said the county's Jacobs Avenue facility would be the main supply source and that other maintenance facilities could receive stockpiles depending on need.
The meeting transcript shows the board approved the directive on a roll-call vote with all five supervisors voting yes. The purchasing plan, supply amounts, distribution locations, timing and funding source are expected to be clarified when staff returns to the board.
