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Jason Greenough took up the mantle of mayor shortly after he took the oath of office for his second term on the Crescent City Council on Monday.

One of the Council’s two newest members, Alex Campbell, nominated Greenough for mayor, though six residents wanted Blake Inscore. Campbell’s motion passed 3-2 with Inscore and Councilor Isaiah Wright dissented.

The Crescent City Council selects the mayor and mayor pro tem every year. The mayor presides over meetings, signs documents and appoints Councilors to boards, commissions and committees. If he or she is absent at a meeting, the mayor pro tem takes over.

Those who spoke during public comment Monday praised Inscore’s ability to respectful to other opinions as well as his institutional knowledge.

Tamera Leighton, executive director of the Del Norte Local Transportation Commission, said Inscore comes prepared for the conversation, having read the agenda packet, and sometimes has also done independent research.

“Mayor Inscore is respectable to all people and opinions,” she said. “He is collaborative and works in a way that brings all people together.”


Inscore’s former colleague, Heidi Kime, who, up until Monday’s meeting, had been mayor pro tem, said his experience includes the time he spent on the Crescent City Planning Commission. She also praised the work Inscore has done to foster Crescent City’s sister city relationship with Rikuzentakata, Japan.

“He made such an impression internationally to be included to give a speech at the United Nations,” Kime said. “That not only puts us on the international stage for tsunami preparedness, but has led to international economic development. These efforts have led to hundreds of thousands of dollars being brought into our community benefitting our restaurants, hotels and both our breweries.”

After Greenough took over as mayor, Beau Smith, another new Councilor who took his seat on Monday, nominated Campbell as mayor pro tem. That nomination passed with a 4-1 vote. Inscore dissented.

Councilors also gave Greenough an idea of the committees and commissions they wished to take part in.

Campbell said he’d like to be the city representative on the Border Coast Regional Airport Authority, the Crescent City-Del Norte County Chamber of Commerce, the Pelican Bay State Prison Citizens Advisory Committee, No Place Like Home and “whatever else the mayor thinks I can help with.”

Wright indicated he’d like to continue as the city’s representative on the Coastal Cities Issues Groups, the Crescent City Port Search & Rescue, the Del Norte Solid Waste Management Authority, the Local Area Formation Commission, the Golden State Risk Management Authority and ad-hoc committees involving the Crescent City Volunteer Fire Department and the Lighthouse Cove RV Park.

Smith said he’d also like to serve on the ad-hoc committee involving the fire department. However, as a volunteer fire department, Smith may have a conflict of interest if he’s a committee member, City Attorney Martha Rice said.

Ad-hoc committees weren’t included in the list of standing committees commissions and other organization bodies Crescent City has a role on, Rice said. They’re also not subject to requirements from the Ralph M. Brown Act like standing committees are, she said.

Smith, who said his work requires him to leave at 4 a.m. and be gone until about 5 p.m., asked Greenough to put him on as many as-needed committees as he wants.

Inscore said he has served on every standing committee and commission as a city representative or an alternate. He said he’s currently a representative on the Del Norte Local Agency Commission and the California Local Agency Commission.

Inscore said he may have to resign from CalLAFCO if he’s no longer on the Del Norte LAFCO.

Inscore is also the city representative to the Chamber of Commerce’s board of directors including its executive committee.

“I was elected by the board to serve as their treasurer,” he said. “If you did not reappoint me, that would leave a gap for the executive committee.”

Earlier in the meeting, Cindy Vosburg, executive director for the Crescent City-Del Norte County Chamber of Commerce, sent an email praising Inscore’s work, asking that he be allowed to continue to work with both the chamber and visitors bureau.

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