News

In his bi-weekly City Manager’s Report of April 4, Jeff Kay broke the news that the Bird Bikes program, providing a “micro-mobility” option for Healdsburg residents and visitors, has been canceled well ahead of its expected expiration date in early 2026. “Bird recently notified the City of their intent to terminate the agreement and we regret to announce that the e-bike share program will be concluding its operations in Healdsburg,” Kay wrote.

As Q1 2025 data reveals, Healdsburg’s real estate market is defying conventional wisdom with a 150% surge in luxury home sales while Sonoma County’s high-end market continues to decline. These counterintuitive trends are reshaping our understanding of the local market in ways that might surprise even longtime residents.

Your Police at Work: "1:42pm The RP on Grove Street indicated her car was stolen and wanted an officer to take a report. An officer looked for the vehicle, but it was unable to be located." And more reports from the Police Log.

The dual open houses on the new Laura Fish Somersal Park design plan, scheduled for Thursday, April 3, were canceled by the city of Healdsburg on Monday. David Fletcher, a principal with Fletcher Studio, the landscape architecture firm that has been involved in the project since 2019, spoke with The Tribune about the park design process, and why the April 3 meeting may have been canceled -  or, as both the city and the design firm insist, delayed.

Proposed cuts by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) of $500 million to funding for regional hunger relief organizations will stop deliveries to local food banks nationwide, including the Redwood Empire Food Bank (REFB). That could mean the suspension of $750,000 in food shipments to REFB alone, and their availability for redistribution to local families.

Those streetside dining areas and tasting rooms that everyone has an opinion about will be given another look by the Healdsburg City Council at the April 7 meeting. The council will evaluate the plan last formalized in January 2023, with an eye toward potential modifications before the end of 2025.

Sunday morning, 12:43am, an unwanted person was at John & Zeke's on Healdsburg Avenue. The person requested that people empty their pockets. The person then hid in the bathroom and refused to leave. Officer responded. Subsequently, the person exited the bar and waited for a ride.

To cover all the bases and get the widest possible public engagement, there will be two meetings: one a “virtual” meeting to be streamed live, and recorded, at 10am on Thursday morning. The other would be a more traditional open house event, held at the city’s Council Chambers on Thursday afternoon from 5-7pm.

Dr. April Mitts was selected as the next Assistant City Manager for the City of Healdsburg, following a nationwide recruitment. She will fill the role formerly held by Andrew Sturmfels, who left in January.

The county’s Department of Public Infrastructure has announced a schedule for rebuilding the Wohler Bridge, a historic steel-truss span over the Russian River less than six miles from Healdsburg. Construction will begin on April 1, and the bridge will be closed throughout the summer.