Council holds first reading of organic-waste ordinance amendments; public hearing continued to Jan. 21

The Fortuna City Council on Jan. 6 conducted the first reading by title of amendments to Ordinance 2024-770, which revises Chapter 8.14 (Organic Reduction and Recycling) of the Fortuna Municipal Code to add registration, fee and inspection requirements for commercial edible-food generators. The council continued the public hearing to Jan. 21, 2025.

Staff said Humboldt County Department of Environmental Health (DEH) serves as Fortuna's health officer and has asked the city to enforce the same requirements the county imposes on commercial edible-food generators, including registration, fee payment and annual inspection. The amendments add subsections (c)(9) for registration/fee and (c)(10) for inspection and clarify other subsections referencing edible-food generators.

At the meeting staff said the county had not yet finalized fee amounts and offered an estimate that nonretail generators' registration fee would be roughly $80 and retail generators around $170–$180. Staff told council the fees would be paid by the commercial generators and that the city would have no fiscal impact for ordinance preparation. Councilmember questions during the item asked whether inspections would cover food temperature and storage; staff said inspections would address requirements to keep donated or recovered food edible and would follow county inspection parameters.

A motion to introduce and conduct the first reading by title only of amendments to Ordinance 2024-770 and to continue the public hearing to Jan. 21, 2025 was made and seconded. The council voted Aye: Connolly, King, Mayor Pro Tem Trent and Mayor Mike Johnson (4-0). The public hearing is continued to Jan. 21, 2025 for final action.

The ordinance language expects DEH to register and inspect generators once county fees and procedures are finalized; staff said inspection and registration details will follow county guidance.