Affordable Workforce Housing Coming to South Franklin Street in Fort Bragg
The Fort Bragg City Council approves next step for a new affordable housing project. Also a protective order requested by the skunk train could illegally block public access to its lawsuit.
Fort Bragg City Council Meeting June 22, 2026
Public Comment on Special Closed Session
A protective order was filed by the Sierra Northern Railway and Mendocino Railway in the environmental liability lawsuit they have brought against the City of Fort Bragg concerning contaminated stormwater runoff. The order was filed at 11:35 AM on June 22 — less than six hours before regular council meeting. A special closed session was put on the calendar for 4:30 p.m.
Fort Bragg resident and retired teacher Jade Tippett told the council the order would allow any party to label evidence confidential simply by marking it so, blocking public access even after the case concludes. He called it “utterly unacceptable” and said the timing challenged “the spirit, if not the text of the Brown Act.” Tippett asked the council to reject the order or hold a public hearing before voting on it. The full text of the filing is available at SaveNoyoHeadlands.org.
Regular Open Session
Mayor Jason Godeke called the regular meeting of the Fort Bragg City Council to order at 6 p.m. (The full meeting is available via the City of Fort Bragg’s Facebook page.) All council members were present with Tess Albin-Smith attending via Zoom.
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Proclamations
Mendocino Cookie Company
Council Member Lindy Peters read a proclamation honoring the Mendocino Cookie Company on its 42nd anniversary; daughter Wendy accepted on behalf of founder Beverlee Younger, 92, who remains active in the business.
Ocean Wave Quilters
Mayor Godeke honored Ocean Wave Quilters on the 30th anniversary of the Fort Bragg Quilt Show, recognizing the group’s volunteer-run community programs including quilts for newborns, dementia patients, chemotherapy patients, foster children, and animal shelters, and more.
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Public Comments on Non-Agenda Items
David Jensen marked the 25th anniversary of Cowlicks Ice Cream, which he and his wife Johanna opened July 5, 2001. He credited a city CDBG loan — approved by the council after a lengthy late-night hearing — with making the business possible and urged the city to create a “CDBG Hall of Fame” to publicize the program’s impact and encourage future applicants.
Jacob Patterson, a local attorney, urged the council to treat two pending lawsuits involving the same parties as legally distinct, noting the city’s position differs significantly between the two cases. He complained about customer service he received from MCN regarding a router replacement, then criticizeed their marketing for municipal broadband as inadequate and the projected sign-up numbers unrealistic. Finally, he flagged rising CalPERS and health insurance costs as compounding the fiscal risk inherent in the broadband project.
Public Comments on Consent Calendar
Dennis Miller, a local retiree, questioned why agenda items covering cost-of-living adjustments for city employees did not disclose the full cost of retiree benefits, including supplemental CalPERS contributions and retiree health and welfare payments. He argued that a 6% COLA negotiated at the executive level was inconsistent with the 2.8% federal CPI adjustment received by retirees, and called on the council to represent taxpayers by scrutinizing the full actuarial cost of city employment compensation.
Consent Calendar
No additional public comment was offered. Council Member Peters moved to adopt the consent calendar; Council Member Hockett seconded. The council voted 5–0 to approve.
Noyo Center for Marine Science – Annual Update
Lynne Sullivan, operations manager, presented the annual update in place of Executive Director Sheila Semens. Sullivan reported that the Whale House LaBONEatory on the Noyo Headlands is nearly complete on the exterior and will serve as the permanent home for a 73-foot blue whale skeleton. Active programs include a purple urchin aquaculture pilot project producing marketable uni, an upcoming red abalone broodstock program in partnership with the Kashia Band of Pomo Indians, kelp forest restoration research, sea level rise vulnerability assessment for Noyo Harbor, and marine mammal necropsy and specimen preservation in collaboration with the California Academy of Sciences. The center operates more than 100 volunteers and runs K–12 through adult education programs.
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Staff Comments
City Manager Isaac Whippy announced the following:
- A utility assistance program funded by CDBG offers up to $800 toward utilities; applications are available at the Community Development counter and on the city website.
- Fourth of July fireworks are set for Saturday, July 4 at 9 p.m. Parking at the South Coastal Trail/Cypress Street location will cost $20 per vehicle. Pomo Bluff parking on Ocean Drive will be open; Ocean View Drive will have no street parking.
- An in-house streets crew is expected to launch by late July or early August once personnel complete background checks and training; the remaining equipment, an asphalt truck, is scheduled for delivery in the first week of July.
Broadband Director Sage Statham provided a construction update. Conduit and fiber have been pulled through Distribution Areas 1–4 and 8–14. Areas 5, 6, and 7 have conduit in place and are awaiting final city inspection before fiber pull. Only Distribution Area 15 has an outstanding conduit segment along Highway 20, pending the middle-mile project. More than 270 people have signed up for service, including 29 multi-unit property inquiries and 19 businesses. The city is currently interviewing candidates for three technician positions; skilled installers are expected to complete roughly two installs per day once fully trained.
Council Member Reports
Council Member Hockett reported that the Public Safety Committee, Public Works Committee, and Fire Board all canceled their meetings.
Council Member Tess Albin-Smith noted a recent Visit Fort Bragg committee meeting focused on the committee’s future responsibilities, a topic likely to surface at the budget workshop. She also announced that MTA board member Jim Tarbell is retiring after a long tenure; an opening now exists and interested coastal residents can apply through the county website.
Council Member Peters reported on the same Visit Fort Bragg committee meeting, describing discussion about the city’s tourism marketing strategy and a possible expanded scope for the committee. He raised the idea of a city ambassador program for summer weekends, floated at the promotions committee by a public attendee. He also asked for status updates on e-bike signage for the coastal trail (signs are in hand and expected to be posted shortly), solar lighting at the Fort Bragg welcome sign (replacement light on order after the wrong unit was initially received), and a future Caltrans briefing on ongoing road work ahead of the July 4 weekend. Peters confirmed the fireworks parking fees go entirely to the fireworks fund. He also noted the incoming community development director will soon relieve some of the workload currently carried by interim staff.
Vice Mayor Marcia Rafanan announced that the California Public Utilities Commission will hold a meeting at Town Hall on Thursday, July 2 at 11 a.m. — a rare coast appearance — and encouraged residents to attend and speak about electricity bills.
Mayor Godeke announced he will hold a constituent office hour at the Fort Bragg Farmers Market on Wednesday, July 1 from 3:30–4:30 p.m.
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Item: Fire Protection Parcel Tax — November 2026 Ballot
City Manager Whippy presented a proposed parcel tax. Whippy noted the city’s parcel tax for fire equipment was originally approved in 1983 and most recently set at $24 per parcel. The city’s 10-year fire equipment replacement schedule projects approximately $5.5 million in needs, with the city responsible for 50% under its JPA agreement with the county. A proposed $50 annual parcel tax applied to the city’s 2,478 parcels would generate approximately $123,900 per year, or roughly $1.24 million over 10 years. The general fund also contributes more than $500,000 annually to the fire and police departments through the JPA. The measure requires two-thirds voter approval as a special tax and includes annual audit and public reporting requirements.
Three speakers addressed the item.
Jade Tippett, a retired firefighter, expressed general support but noted that the jump to $50 — more than doubling the prior rate — warrants groundwork with voters.
Dennis Miller, also a retired fire chief, supported the measure and recommended shortening the duration from 10 to 5 years, arguing that inflation would significantly erode the value of a flat $50 rate over a decade. He also urged the council to extend the public comment notification window from 10 days to 30 days and publish notices through local online outlets, citing inadequate notification during the county’s Measure A bond process.
Jacob Patterson supported the measure but recommended removing the sunset clause entirely, arguing that fire equipment replacement is a permanent need. He also suggested including a CPI escalator to preserve purchasing power, and said his personal approval threshold would extend up to $75 per parcel.
Council members broadly supported the 10-year sunset and the $50 rate, with Council Member Albin-Smith expressing a preference for no sunset but deferring to colleagues. Council Member Peters emphasized that the fire chief — who is expected to retire — could lend credibility by signing the pro-ballot argument, and suggested community outreach through fire personnel and board members rather than paid consultants. Council Member Hockett noted the measure’s cost is modest relative to the alternative of a paid fire department. The council also corrected the word “reauthorize” to “authorize” in the resolution text, given the lapse.
The council voted 5–0 to adopt the resolution placing the measure on the November 3, 2026 general municipal election ballot.
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Item: Housing Mendocino Coast — ARPA Funds for Land Trust Housing
The council was asked to provide direction to use unspent ARPA funds on an affordable housing project at 251 South Franklin Street. Council members voted unanimously to direct staff to proceed.
City Manager Whippy provided background: the city has rededicated approximately $800,000 in federal funds from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, including $800,000 for housing, with about $50,000 already spent on the city’s Pro Housing designation application. The remaining funds must be expended by December 31, 2026.
Cynthia Sharon, chair of Housing Mendocino Coast and a general contractor, presented the proposal. The organization has entered escrow on 251 South Franklin Street, a roughly one-acre commercially zoned parcel two blocks south of the movie theater, with an estimated closing in October. The purchase price is approximately $663,500. The site plan currently envisions 13 homes ranging from 950 to 1,200 square feet, two to three bedrooms, designed to match neighborhood styles including craftsman and farmhouse vernacular. All units would include solar panels. Parking would be accommodated along Franklin Street, Maple Street, and the rear alley.
Under the community land trust model, Housing Mendocino Coast retains ownership of the land on a 99-year ground lease while homeowners purchase the structure, build equity, and receive standard mortgage tax benefits. Resale prices are restricted to preserve affordability for future buyers at or below 120% of area median income. Based on the staff report, the organization holds a committed federal appropriation of $840,000 from Congressman Huffman and approximately $550,000 in PLHA funds, both disbursed on a reimbursement basis. (PLHA or Permanent Local Housing Allocation Program funds is a state program run by the California Department of Housing and Community Development.)
Housing Mendocino Coast currently holds roughly $4,000 in operating cash and cannot sign vendor contracts that require deposits without working capital. The request to the council was for direction to develop an MOU for release of ARPA funds — approximately $350,000 — to accelerate the project. With that funding, the organization projected 12 to 13 units completed within five years. Sharon also described a possible priority for city employees who meet income qualifications, and noted potential future partnerships with the hospital and school district, both of which hold vacant parcels.
Disclosures: Housing Mendocino Coast board members include Mayor Jason Godeke’s wife, Cristina Mathews.
Four speakers addressed the item.
Jade Tippett, who identified himself as a former member of a local land trust committee and expressed strong support. He asked specifically whether the lease agreement includes a primary residency requirement and prohibits owners from renting the home for profit — both of which he said were essential to prevent the property from becoming a vacation rental or investment vehicle.
Jacob Patterson supported the concept and suggested the city structure the transaction as a direct city land purchase with subsequent transfer to the trust, including a reversionary clause, as it did with the Noyo Center — a structure that would protect the city if the project does not proceed. He also suggested higher density townhouses and recommended the land trust seek a preliminary review from the planning commission.
Paul Clark, disclosing that a broker at his firm is involved in the transaction, asked for clarification on off-street parking provisions and whether the project would be subject to ministerial or discretionary planning review.
Planning staff clarified that because the project includes mixed-use commercial components, it is not subject to ministerial approval under current state law and would proceed through standard discretionary review, including planning commission consideration.
The council expressed unanimous support for proceeding. The council directed staff to incorporate the ARPA allocation into the proposed budget for adoption the following Monday and to prepare an MOU with Housing Mendocino Coast for future council approval.
Item: Raw Water Line and Engineering Contracts
Kevin McDannold, an engineering technician, reported that all obstacles to the raw water line replacement project are resolved and a $5.1 million DWR grant is reinstated. Council awarded:
Construction contract to Mercer Fraser Company — $4,614,581 (unanimous)
Construction management agreement with Alpha CM — $435,501 (unanimous)
Third amendment with Lumos & Associates for pump station redesign — $270,510 (unanimous)
Two‑year on‑call engineering services with Lumos & Associates — $110,000 total, $55,000/year (unanimous)
Council member Albin-Smith expressed mild concern that Lumos is the only firm getting contracts, but acknowledged they are qualified and voted yes.
All votes were 5‑0.
Adjournment
The meeting adjourned at 2:48 a.m.
An early version of this story contained some duplicative material from an earlier draft that was not deleted. That material, which included a typo misidentifying the gender of Jade Tippett, has been removed. (3:04 p.m. June 26, 2026)
Jade Tippett is identified as female in the first mention, and male in the following mentions. I believe he identifies as male.