Local Government
Two hot seats
A total of 21 applicants—including a retired police chief and two former council members—have tossed their hats in the ring to fill two vacant positions on the Chico City Council. The majority of hopefuls, 14, […]
Local Government
Local Government
Doing it their way
Chico City Council members, reduced to five by back-to-back resignations late last month, will refill the dais with members they select. That was the decision at Tuesday night’s meeting (July 6), when the conservative majority […]
Opinions
Second & Flume: Busted
I’ve never been more embarrassed for my beloved community. Because, while the Chico City Council and administration have made some pretty big blunders over my two-plus decades here, nothing compares with the “resting environment” set […]
Opinions
Editorial: Stand up to the extremists
A local political action committee’s campaign targeting now-former City Councilman Scott Huber signals a new low in the annals of Chico politics, but more disturbing is how it demonstrates that our once-fair burg is susceptible […]
News
Out of bounds?
In the course of six days, the Chico City Council went from seven to five, as two members resigned amid purported harassment stemming from criticism of their residency. On June 21, Councilman Scott Huber submitted […]
Local Government
Conservatives: Let it lapse
When homeless advocate Kelli Johnson addressed the Chico City Council during its meeting Tuesday night (June 15), she spoke as heatedly as the temperature outside council chambers. “I’m frankly perplexed we’re having this conversation,” Johnson […]
News
City divvies up federal dough
Litigation was the theme of the day Tuesday (June 8) in Chico City Council Chambers, with a legal challenge prompting cancellation of a public forum and an active lawsuit influencing deliberations in the council’s meeting. […]
News
City pension bond Q&A
As the city of Chico considers refinancing its pension debt with bonds, officials will bring the issue to citizens Tuesday afternoon (June 8, 2 p.m.) in a public informational meeting at City Council Chambers, also […]
News
Delayed progress
As the clock struck 6 p.m. Tuesday (June 1), the dais in Chico City Council chambers remained empty. Due to a late-running closed session, the meeting finally got underway shortly after 6:30 p.m. That delay—as […]
News
Cents and sensibilities
A two-part Chico City Council meeting Tuesday (May 18) served as a Rorschach test for the handful of citizens in attendance and those who watched on Zoom. Whether the conservative majority took progressive steps or […]
News
Closed to the public again
Form mirroring function, the Chico City Council decided in empty chambers—then behind closed doors—to act on homelessness without broad public input. The council, which usually meets on Tuesdays, held a rare Monday meeting a week […]
News
Sweep relief
On Monday (April 12) at 9 a.m., a man named Lance sat in a camping chair a few hundred feet from Comanche Creek, sharing a piece of chicken with his dog, Chloe. An air of […]
News
More protests at chambers
Two distinctly different protests took place outside of the Chico City Council chambers Tuesday (March 16), where about 100 people gathered to support the city’s unhoused population, and a much smaller group demanded the council […]
News
Homeless advocate arrested
A protester was arrested outside the Chico City Council Chambers last night (March 2), just minutes before the council’s meeting was scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. Robert Van Fleet, 74, was taken into custody […]
News
Shelter on horizon?
The Chico City Council made a surprise move toward establishing temporary shelter for the homeless and an unsurprising move to ban sterile syringe programs at its Tuesday (Jan. 5) meeting. Near the beginning of the […]