By Daniel Mintz
The Independent – Sept 27th, 2011
Emphasizing economic improvement, public safety services and being a leader who “truly represents the district,” SoHum resident Estelle Fennell has announced her candidacy for supervisor.
Doing so at well-attended events in Fortuna and Garberville on Sept. 22, Fennell has described herself as someone who’ll balance the district’s diverse interests by “valuing the input of all sides of the community.”
Her experience in the district is also varied – formerly the longstanding news director for KMUD community radio, Fennell is more recently known for being the director of the Humboldt Coalition for Property Rights (HCPR), a post that’s she left as her campaign launches.
She also volunteers as a board member of the Briceland Volunteer Fire Department, the Healy Senior Center, the KEET TV Community Advisory Board and the Cape Mendocino Lighthouse Preservation Society.
Fennell’s campaign has already focused on specific issues and she’s expressed a general desire to improve the district’s representation. “I’m stepping up because we’re not getting the effective representation that we need,” she said. “We need somebody who’s strong and who’s willing and able to take a stand for our district.”
Fennell said that’s a response to what she’s heard from many Second District residents. Incumbent Supervisor Clif Clendenen – who Fennell ran against in the last election – has not effectively addressed many community issues, she said.
She named the county’s rejection of a proposal to create local General Plan Update community advisory committees as an example. “I will not automatically adopt staff recommendations,” Fennell continued, adding that her decisions would also be influenced by “thorough analysis and getting input from the community and advice from experts in the field.”
Fennell said that if she’s elected, a top priority will be improving a “stagnant” economy, with emphasis on “clean industry.” The county’s Community Development Services Department needs to be “more welcoming to people with good ideas,” she continued.
“I’d be a supervisor who welcomes new ideas, who thinks outside the box and who’s not afraid to embrace dynamic change,” said Fennell.
Attention to public safety services and “everyday issues” is also a main part of Fennell’s campaign platform. She said she supports a “sensible and practical General Plan Update that reflects the needs of the people who are the stewards of the land, as well as the environment.”
More community involvement would produce “a much better plan,” she added, and would have avoided some of its complications.
Fennell also wants to push for increased late fall and early winter flows into the Eel River. “There’s been a lot of lip service about bringing more water into the Eel but I want to see some political will put into it.” she said.
Fennell also advocates for enhanced access to county government. She said SoHum residents are interested in government issues but find it challenging to participate in hearings due to being distant from Eureka and she’d work to establish an interactive Internet link to supervisors meetings so residents could remotely participate in public comment sessions.
Fennell’s work with HCPR has broadened her political profile but some have been critical of the group, describing it as an interest group for monied landowners and developers.
“I’m actually quite proud of my work with (HCPR),” she said. “I think we’ve emphasized the need for community involvement and our membership is from all sides of the political spectrum.”
She added that through her work with the group, “I’ve learned a lot about working with people of different political backgrounds and it’s reaffirmed my belief about how decisions should be reached.”
Asked if her election odds have improved since her last run for supervisor, Fennell said she’s been active in the community and has clearly expressed her views. “I’ve had a chance to meet more people and people have had a chance to get to know me,” she said. “I think I’m better-known now and people have seen that I’m willing to take a stance for my community.”
