Local Government
Taking a stand
The first indication that the Chico City Council meeting Tuesday night (Dec. 7) would have a distinct tone came 45 minutes before the start, when a dozen orange-clad city workers gathered at a food truck […]
Chico City Council
News
Double dip
The Chico City Council recall effort doubled in two days. Councilman Sean Morgan received notice Thursday (Nov. 4) from the same newly formed Chico Voters group that served Mayor Andrew Coolidge during the council meeting […]
News
Partial recall
In a Chico City Council meeting full of legal arguments and impassioned speeches, one of the most significant moments Tuesday night (Nov. 2) was so subtle as to be nearly undetectable. It happened about 90 […]
News
Ex-councilman gets counsel
Signaling fresh activity in lingering litigation, the Chico City Council voted in closed session Tuesday night (Oct. 19) to provide legal counsel to former Councilman Karl Ory in a lawsuit filed by Chico Scrap Metal […]
News
Case of whiplash
Chicoans who attended or tuned into their City Council’s meeting Tuesday night (Oct. 5) saw a real-world episode of The Twilight Zone, as the conservative majority flipped its script in a series of votes. In […]
News
Fire up the ice machine
Patrick Newman is a mainstay at Chico City Council meetings. Founder of Chico Friends on the Streets, he’s a relentless advocate for unhoused members of the community. Meeting after meeting, year after year, Newman has […]
News
From all sides
In accordance with rules established by a federal court, much of the ongoing drama surrounding Warren v. Chico—the civil case filed by eight plaintiffs against the city over lack of shelter options and anti-homeless ordinances—has […]
News
Skating over the issues?
“Why are we living in two different worlds?” That question, in a public comment from Jesica Giannola, encapsulated the overriding narrative of the Chico City Council meeting Tuesday night (Sept. 7), in which a consent-agenda […]
News
Charging forward
Tuesday’s (Aug. 3) Chico City Council meeting kicked off with the swearing in of new members Michael O’Brien and Dale Bennett, and the two men took their new seats on the dais within 10 minutes […]
News
Mirror images
Confirming the expected Tuesday evening (July 27), the Chico City Council appointed Michael O’Brien and Dale Bennett to fill the panel’s vacated seats. O’Brien, the former city police chief recently appointed to head the county’s […]
News
Now hiring
With the Chico City Council on a fast track to appoint two new members to begin serving Aug. 3, the regular meeting on Tuesday (July 20) took the form of a group job interview. The […]
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, […]
Guest Comment
Guest comment: Open letter to Chico City Council
I know of at least 22 homeless people who’ve died in the past 12 months. Many of them died on our sidewalks, including one man who was found near the entrance of the Chico Chamber […]
News
Court order: Stay
A federal judge granted a preliminary injunction to the plaintiffs in the ongoing Warren v. Chico civil case late Thursday (July 8), barring the city of Chico from enforcing ordinances aimed at the homeless population. […]
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 […]