July is frequently a summer holiday month for civic workers, and Healdsburg has been no exception. But Monday, Aug. 1 will see the Healdsburg City Council return to city business as the four remaining members hold their first public meeting since June 21.
Although the final Aug. 1 meeting agenda had not been released by press time, City Manager Jeff Kay teased the meeting as including “an update from our DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) consultant, a recap from the organizers of the Healdsburg Food and Wine Experience and a discussion of our park naming policy (this was on a previous item, but continued because the meeting was running late).”
The City Council currently has only four members, not its usual five, including Mayor Ozzy Jimenez, Vice-Mayor Ariel Kelley and Councilmembers Evelyn Mitchell and David Hegele. There are three seats on the November ballot, including four-year terms currently held by Jimenez and Mitchell, and the remaining two years of Skylaer Palacios’ term.
The meetings are held at 6pm at the City Hall Council Chambers, 401 Grove St., Healdsburg. Consistent with state government health code, the City Council members will be participating either via Zoom webinar or in person, socially distanced, in the Council Chambers. Since Palacious’ resignation, all four council members have been meeting in public.
Members of the public are invited to watch and participate in the meeting live in person at the Council Chambers. Citizens in attendance, or logging remotely in via Zoom, can make public comments at appropriate points in the meeting.
Members of the public who only wish to watch the meeting live or recorded can do so by using the link wklys.co/hcc or watching it on the city’s Facebook page @cityofhealdsburg.
The race takes shape
The filing period for the three city council offices won’t close until Aug. 12 at the earliest, but already a new name has appeared on the racing form: Chris Herrod, a musician, member of the city’s Parks and Recreation Commission and a former Mr. Healdsburg, announced he will seek one of the two four-year open seats.
Married with two children, Herrod was born, raised and continues to live in Healdsburg (with some time off in Oregon, Colorado and on the road). He is sales manager for Luthiers Mercantile, which sources and supplies materials for guitar makers. After he was “surprised and delighted to win the whimsical Mr. Healdsburg contest” in 2012, in a benefit for the Raven Theater, he became more involved in the community and was named to the Parks and Recreation Commission, where he is now in his third term.
According to Raina Allen, the city clerk, Herrod is not the only one expressing interest in the upcoming election. “The following people have filed the Form 501 Candidate Intention Statement: Evelyn Mitchell, Chris Herrod, Linda Cade, Matt Villano and Brigette Mansell,” Allen told the Tribune.
As noted, Mitchell is an incumbent. Villano is a journalist and writer, Cade is a holistic health coach and Mansell served a single term on the city council between 2016-2020. Whether or not any of these candidates are interested in the two-year term will be determined when they make their official filing, on or before Aug. 12.
The filing period is still open. For information, contact Allen at 707.431.3316 or [email protected].
