Eureka council approves card‑room dealer permit for appellant after voluntary reporting agreement

The Eureka City Council approved a card‑room dealer permit for applicant Sean Paddleford on a 4–1 vote on Sept. 24, 2025, after a public evidentiary hearing and an extended appeal of a denial by the police chief. Council member Castellano made a substitute motion to approve the permit with a voluntary agreement to request probation reporting; the motion carried with Council member Contreras Deloach the lone no vote.

The hearing, held in council chambers, centered on whether Paddleford’s recent felony convictions and current three‑year felony probation should bar him from holding a licensed position in a local card room under the City of Eureka’s municipal code governing employee work permits. City Attorney Black explained the quasi‑judicial nature of the appeal and the limited…