Blue Lake approaches issues afresh By Matt Kapko Eye Reporter The Arcata Eye 01-21-2003 The Blue Lake City Council last week dealt with what have been controversial subjects for the city in the past: its city manager and its strained relationship with the Blue Lake Rancheria. Before the meeting’s end, the council chose a new city manager and appointed a City Council liaison to the Blue Lake Rancheria. In closed session following the meeting, the City Council chose Wiley Buck as its next city manager and director of public works. Buck is currently the general manager for the Samoa Community Services District. He is expected to start his new position on Feb. 3. The longstanding disagreements between the city and the Rancheria are surely no secret to anyone involved — or informed. With the Rancheria’s construction of a casino on its land came many disputes between the city and Tribe. Most recently, disagreements stemmed from the city’s agreement with the Rancheria to provide its water and sewer services. Most notorious of these disparities came last May, at the height of the casino’s construction, when the city, without prior notice to the Tribe, plugged the sewer connection to the casino. In August, the city and Tribe narrowly avoided time in court after the Tribe filed a lawsuit contesting the city’s ability to shutoff water and sewer services. Both parties eventually agreed to a “reservation of rights” agreement, which allows an open-ended timeframe for the Tribe to contest the city’s right to enforce the agreement by shutting off water/sewer services. For now, those once boiling over tensions have settled to a slow simmer. Diane Holiday, a member of the Blue Lake Rancheria Tribal Council, voiced many concerns she still had and said she was quite skeptical as whether or not a liaison was the best remedy for the city and Rancheria’s strained relationship. “Let’s hope that we can start off on a better foot here,” Holiday added with optimism. Before the recent City Council elections, Councilmember Brian Julian suggested appointing a city councilmember as liaison to the Tribe that would share information between the two governing bodies. After Julian discussed the idea with Tribal Vice Chairperson Arla Ramsey, she agreed that it was a good idea and gave the city the go ahead. The liaison will collect info from the Tribe and later present it to the council, doing so in written form for issues that will require action from the council. Chosen unanimously to serve as the liaison to the Tribe, Councilmember Marlene Smith said, “We are trying to build neighbors and relationships.” I’m not naïve enough to believe that this will repair generations of problems.” It is merely a mode to improve dialogue, Councilmember Sherman Schapiro added. Julian was named as the alternate liaison. “This gives a chance to explain how our different governments work,” Ramsey said, after recently meeting with Smith to discuss some of the issues. “We can only do so much, then it’s up to the council as a whole.” Ramsey noted that some city governments in other regions that border tribal lands have hired full-time liaisons to ensure that communication remains strong and discrepancies are avoided or resolved. “Tribes have been ignored and forgotten for so many years and it’s gotten to the point where it can no longer be ignored,” Ramsey said. Ramsey hopes that once the city recovers from former City Manager Duane Rigge’s resignation and City Clerk Karen Nessler’s absence since an auto accident in which she sustained major injuries, the city will work toward tying up some remaining loose ends. “We realize that recent events have put them in a fix,” Ramsey added. Post-Rigge repercussion? Perhaps a coming repercussion of Rigge’s departure, City Attorney Richard Platz informed the council that Rigge has asked the Fortuna City Council (where he now serves as city manager) to consider Platz for hire as its city attorney. Platz said he has already done some projects for Fortuna, but reassured the council that his loyalty and dedication sits with Blue Lake, and that any opportunity for employment in Fortuna would have to be understanding of that. “They’re stealing everyone,” joked Councilmember Adelene Jones. BL Transit Update Donna Lawson, the Rancheria’s transit director, presented the council with some developments in the new Blue Lake public transit service. The city recently sent a letter to the Humboldt County Association of Governments asking for funds to add additional busses and bus stops to the service. Arcata has donated four bus shelters to Blue Lake’s public transit service, Lawson said. There are already two cement pads in place from previous bus service that can easily serve as home to new bus stops, she added. According to Lawson, the new bus service has been a success, with a monthly average rider ship of 525 persons on a Monday-to-Friday schedule. Home