Fortuna City Council to Review Health Assessment, Grants and Zoning March 16

Fortuna's city council convenes tonight at 6 p.m. with an agenda that spans public health data, a school district facilities deal worth nearly $6,500 a year, and the city's required annual progress reports to the state.

The session opens with a presentation from the Humboldt County Department of Health & Human Services Public Health Branch on a Community Health Assessment specific to Fortuna. The assessment's findings and any recommendations directed at the city have not been released in advance of the meeting.

The most financially detailed item sits in the consent calendar's Administrative Department Monthly Report, which lays out a proposed memorandum of understanding between the City of Fortuna and the Fortuna Union High School District. Under the arrangement, FUHSD would pay to use Shelton Field for baseball while also covering the field's utility water bill, bringing the total annual cost to $6,493.84. City staff framed the counter-proposal, which added the water bill requirement, as generating new revenue while reducing the maintenance burden on city employees. The deal carries a secondary benefit for Lesku Field: with FUHSD's soccer team shifting to Shelton Field's outfield, Lesku Field would open up for other rental groups.

The council will also take up the city's long-term planning obligations. According to the Administrative Department Monthly Report, Fortuna has updated its development plans and policies covering land use, economic development, housing, health, safety, and community design, and must now submit annual progress reports to the state for approval. The police and fire departments have both submitted activity summaries as part of the monthly report package.

On the consent calendar, the council is set to ratify draft minutes from two separate March 2 meetings: a regular session and a special meeting held the same day.

The full agenda may include additional items beyond those captured in advance materials, including a possible grant application referencing a USDA Rural Development program that appeared in partial form in pre-meeting documentation but could not be independently confirmed before publication. The city has not publicly listed a meeting location in the materials reviewed, and residents planning to attend should confirm venue details with the Fortuna City Clerk.