One of the most significant city council meetings this year was held Monday night. The Dec. 5 meeting began with a farewell to a long-serving city officer and ended with the swearing in of a new council that included the city’s first Black council member. The changes foreshadow that a new era may be dawning in Healdsburg.
Jerry Eddinger, who has been in city public service since 1976, stepped down from his most recent post as a planning commissioner to end a 48-year term of service for the City of Healdsburg. During that period, he has served on the city council three times, as well as the Design Review Council, the Green City Committee, the Central Healdsburg Avenue Committee and, most recently, the Planning Commission, from which he stepped down last month.
Though he appeared taken aback by the positive warmth shown by Councilmember Evelyn Mitchel and other council members and the rousing ovation he received—the council chambers were full to bursting with the “Friends of Jerry” who have worked with him in his contracting business. Eddinger evidently did not have a speech prepared, and his remarks were brief.
He later told the Tribune that, “Had I thought about what to say, it would have been thank you to my family and friends for helping all these years to make Healdsburg the place where we want to be.” He then said he was by no means retiring from his job as a general contractor for over 50 years. “I love what I do and the people I get to do it with,” he added.
On his way back through the applauding audience at council chambers that night, he stopped to shake the hand of Ron Edwards, a newly-elected member of the city council, as he had earlier congratulated Chris Herrod, also a new councilmember elected last month.
Also recognized by the council was the retirement of Tina Trettin, who has worked with the city as administrative technician for over 20 years.
New Blood
Two hours later, after hearing city business, including new garbage and recycling rates, a quarterly financial update, an agreement with Corazón Healdsburg in an amount not to exceed $40,000 for “community outreach and support services to the Latino/a/e community,” the 2022-2024 city council was sworn in. It included two new members—Chris Herrod, a longtime member of the Parks and Recreation Commission and a Healdsburg native, and Edwards, historically the first Black man to join Healdsburg’s city council.
“But as you know, I would like to be recognized by the hard work I put in, but also not overlooking the possible historical significance that might inspire others to break barriers,” he told the Tribune.
The hard work he spoke of was going door-to-door on every street in Healdsburg over a nine-week period, 125 miles in 61 days. “It was an incredible process of walking this town, to really take that as a job interview,” he said.
The legwork paid off. When all the ballots were counted and final numbers released on Friday, Dec. 2, Edwards’ total of 2,095 votes edged out Brigette Mansell’s 2,042. It was the narrowest margin for a city council seat since 2016, when Mansell herself defeated Jerry Civian by 40 votes.
Farewell to Ozzy
Before the new council was sworn in and seated, Ozzy Jimenez stepped down from his role as councilmember and, for the past 14 months, mayor of Healdsburg.
He was appointed in the wake of Leah Gold’s resignation in June, 2020, amidst controversy over her dismissal of the Black Lives Matter movement. She said when she stepped down, it was to give a person of color the chance to take over the role on the then all-white city council.
Jimenez proved to be that person, and his calm, confident management of city business as mayor of Healdsburg was recognized by his fellow councilmembers and the public on Monday night. With his appointment as a councilmember in August, 2020, and later mayor, the 33 year old became the first openly LGBTQ+ Latino in the city’s 165-year history to lead the local government agency.
Both councilmembers Mitchell and David Hagele offered their thanks and appreciation for what Jimenez brought to the council; then it was Jimenez’s turn. “I really truly enjoyed working with my colleagues up here, and it’s been such a wonderful experience and it has really changed my life,” he said.
“It’s been an honor to be your mayor this past year and to have finished my full term in these Council Chambers. I feel complete and content of my work,” he said. “Never in my life did I think I would ever be mayor of the City of Healdsburg.”
At the end of the evening, the new council voted without dissent to elect Ariel Kelley as mayor and David Hagele as vice mayor. The two new councilmembers—Chris Herrod and Ron Edwards—sat beside the recently re-elected Evelyn Mitchell, Hagele and Kelley on the long maple dais of the Healdsburg City Council, ready to guide the town into 2023.
