Archive for January, 2010

As most of the readers of this blog are aware, Humboldt County experienced a 6.5 earthquake on Saturday, January 9, 2010.    United States Geological Survey record of the quake and  The Eureka Times-Standard complete earthquake coverage.

By all accounts, while the quake did cause damage to Humboldt County, the North Coast was generally lucky to avoid major damage or serious injuries.  The court and attorneys in Eureka reported only relatively minor interruptions of business due to damage and loss of electricity.  As many government agencies have noted, all residents and businesses should take this opportunity to review their earthquake preparedness and emergency planning.  Humboldt State University, Department of Geology, provides a useful link to earthquake and tsunami preparedness information.

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While Humboldt County residents should always periodically review their retirement plans and accounts as a part of their estate planning and business planning, now is a particularly good time to consider whether you should convert your traditional IRA into a Roth IRA.

As of January 1, 2010, a significant change occurred in the conversion rules for Roth Individual Retirement Accounts. The $100,000 adjusted gross income limit that has prevented many individuals from converting a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA has been lifted enabling all individuals to take advantage of conversion without any income or filing status limits.

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On January 5, 2010, the Eureka City Council unanimously approved a 45-day moratorium on medical marijuana dispensaries, putting any new or pending dispensary applications on hold.  They also passed a motion that would bring a draft ordinance back to the city counsel by the end of the 45-day moratorium.

According to an article in the Eureka Times-Standard, an effort is underway to create dispensary guidelines that will regulate the industry — providing safe access to medical marijuana while also confronting grow house issues.  Eureka City Council members have been meeting with other jurisdictions throughout Humboldt County to discuss developing consistent countywide guidelines using Arcata’s recent land use codes as a guide.

Eureka City Officials Looking to Create Guidelines for Medical Marijuana

The Eureka City Council will be deciding Tuesday, January 5, 2010, whether to impose a 45-day temporary moratorium on medical marijuana dispensaries, as city council members work on creating regulations on the dispensaries.   The Eureka Times-Standard recently reported that following the footsteps of the City of Arcata, other jurisdictions are hoping to create guidelines to regulate medical marijuana distribution through land use codes.

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