Roger Gitlin

Roger Gitlin was the only vote against his colleagues Gerry Hemmingsen, Chris Howard and Lori Cowan continuing to serve on four regional and state association boards.

Lamenting that the Del Norte County Board of Supervisors “continues to act as a gang of three,” Gitlin called the proposed appointments disappointing.

“It goes on year after year,” the District 1 representative told his colleagues Tuesday. “It’s too bad that 40 percent of the county is not adequately represented on a whole myriad of commissions.”

After requesting the issues be pulled from the consent agenda, Gitlin opposed the following appointments: Hemmingsen as a 2020 delegate to the Golden State Finance Authority Board of Directors with Cowan as his alternate; Hemmingsen to the Rural Representatives of California (RCRC) Board of Directors with Cowan as his alternate; Hemmingsen to the Environmental Services Joint Powers Authority Board of Directors with Del Norte Solid Waste Management Authority Director Tedd Ward as his alternate; and Howard to the California State Association of Counties (CSAC) Board of Directors with Hemmingsen as his alternate.

Howard, Hemmingsen and Cowan disagreed with Gitlin’s comment, saying that establishing relationships don’t happen overnight and consistency is important to ensure Del Norte County is represented on boards like CSAC.

Hemmingsen, the longest-serving member of the Board of Supervisors, said it’s been policy that supervisors aren’t removed from a committee, unless they ask to be removed. He noted that former District 5 Supervisor David Finigan represented Del Norte on CSAC and RCRC for eight years before he left the Board of Supervisors in 2016.

“Nobody said it was a gang of one and nobody was whining and sniveling about all the activity because I think the county was well represented in those areas,” Hemmingsen said Tuesday. “And they don’t talk about the committees they’re on. They’re on a lot of committees.”

Howard said Gitlin and his District 5 colleague Bob Berkowitz register their complaint about not serving on CSAC, RCRC and other state lobbying associations every year.

“I just want the community to know it’s not a ‘gang of three’ thing,” Howard said. “It’s about having representation on our lobbying association and in order to do that it’s about establishing relationships and consistency in relationships year to year. That takes time… especially if you’re on RCRC with 39 counties represented or CSAC with 58 counties represented.”

Howard noted that when he was on the Board of Supervisors, Finigan served as president of CSAC.

Adding to Howard’s statement, Cowan said everyone on the Board of Supervisors has an opportunity to represent Del Norte at CSAC, RCRC and the other boards.

“Berkowitz makes that trip, once, twice, three times a year,” she said. “Don’t think your districts are not represented.”

However, Tony Barnes, owner of TAB & Associates, which owns much of the commercial property in Downtown Crescent City, said he agreed with Gitlin’s observation.

“There really does seem to be a gang of three on the board,” he said.

Though he “reluctantly” voted yes, District 5 Supervisor Bob Berkowitz said eliminating Berkowitz and Gitlin from regional and state boards and commissions has become standard operating procedure that the community is starting to notice.

SHARE →