The following is a press release issued by the City of Fort Bragg:
The City of Fort Bragg invites the community to celebrate and honor Mayor Bernie Norvell for his dedicated service and impactful leadership. A reception will be held on Monday, December 9, 2024, at 5:00 PM in the Fort Bragg Town Hall, preceding the City Council meeting.
For his eight years in public service, Mayor Norvell has led Fort Bragg through pivotal moments, leaving a lasting legacy of transformative leadership. His tenure has been marked by significant achievements, including adopting balanced budgets that ensured financial stability, addressing homelessness with innovative strategies, enhancing water resiliency and infrastructure, and prioritizing public safety for the community.
In addition to these accomplishments, Mayor Norvell has devoted countless public service hours to serving Fort Bragg, embodying the values of dedication and community spirit. His unwavering commitment has touched countless lives and strengthened the fabric of the community.
“Mayor Norvell’s leadership and unwavering commitment to Fort Bragg have left an indelible mark on our community,” said City Manager Isaac Whippy. “His ability to balance fiscal responsibility with compassion and innovation, while staying deeply connected to both staff and residents, sets a high standard for public service.”
The reception offers an opportunity for residents, city staff, and community leaders to express their gratitude and celebrate Mayor Norvell’s many contributions.
Following the reception, the City Council meeting will begin at 6:00 PM, during which Mayor Norvell will deliver his final remarks as Mayor of Fort Bragg. The meeting will also include the seating of the new council and the appointment of a new Mayor and Vice Mayor.
As Mayor Norvell transitions out of his role with the City, he will begin his next chapter in public service as a member of the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors, continuing his dedication to the region.
All are welcome to join this special occasion to honor Mayor Norvell and recognize his remarkable contributions to Fort Bragg over the past eight years.
For more information, please contact the City of Fort Bragg at 707-961-2823.
Thanks Bernie for your commitment . You will be a leader at the Board of Supervisors. representing us and
starting the homeless program that works here into the county structure. Bravo
His lasting legacy will be the botched handling of GP mill site. He and Lindy sat on their hands waiting for GP to to do all the cleanup and practically give them the land. This afforded the railroad ample time to devise a way to come in and scoop it up. I would say good riddance to Bernie but now we’re stuck with him as a supervisor. Leadership in Fort Bragg and Mendocino County have no imagination, no creativity, no desire to make important economic change; they barely maintain the status quo and try not to rock the boat. We need somebody in charge with a real education in economics and experience in the field, not somebody who inherited their daddy’s small town paint store and acts like they’re a self-made, successful businessman. I can’t believe he was voted in as a supervisor, the voters of this county have their heads in the sand as usual. Good luck Mendocino County residents, you’re going to need it!
While everyone is entitled to express their opinions, this seems unnecessarily rude and personal. Bernie was easily elected both because a lot of people support his efforts (not all of them, I certainly didn’t support the city council’s decisions related to the GP Mill Site) and because his opponent was not a serious candidate. We should all hope he is successful as our supervisor.
Nope, nothing personal at all. I am not willing to gloss over failures of duty or character in order to paint people in a better light. I am simply a resident who has watched Fort Bragg go downhill over the last forty years while leadership does nothing to improve the quality of life for its citizens. In the last two decades, the only benefits created for residents of Fort Bragg were the Pudding Creek trestle rebuild and the coastal walking trail. Too bad the walking trail has a wastewater plant right in the middle of it and smells like a festival porta potty for a half mile stretch of the trail. In order to grow economically, this area needs to grow physically (we need more housing and updated housing) which is difficult because it is surrounded by state parks, state forests and private timberland. The mill site was their one chance to expand and they failed in glorious fashion. While I hope Bernie serves the citizens of the county well, I have no faith in his abilities to do so. Helping with homeless and mental health issues is a good thing: however, we are all going to be homeless in another twenty years if the leaders of this county don’t start thinking outside the box.
Well, I think your remark about his “daddy” is a personal attack. Scott Hockett is replacing him on the city council and he is a self-made successful local business person, I am excited about what he will bring to the role.
I am also confident in a new direction for Fort Bragg under the new City Manager, Isaac Whippy; he is working on many of things you mention and not accepting the status quo of slow to no progress from the rest of his team. There is even a 60+ unit residential development coming up nest to the Outlet Store on Todds Point. I hope Isaac can turn things around but am concerned about people like Lindy standing in the way of reforms due to his ego since he has overseen a lot of the deterioration you mention.
I agree with you 100% regarding the smells from the wastewater treatment plant. The worst part is it is avoidable because there is a non-toxic chemical that can be used to neutralize odors and the city government just won’t buy it or employ it to stop the stink. It isn’t even particularly expensive and is regularly used in other similar facilities around the country. They sell a consumer version called “Poo-Pourri” that you may have seen ads for.
I could not have said it better. B norvell is just another ‘born n raised’ good ole boy climbing up the local ladder to pad his pension. Inheriting daddy’s business just wasn’t enough for bernard. He never had to pay his way or seek higher education, and now he uses the homeless as another rung in his ladder. Nothing but feel-good platitudes from that guy, and if you’ve ever read his writing you’d think he failed out of high school. He is rumored to be an adulterous philanderer. He will be another embarrassing addition to our already pathetic BOS.
Bernie doesn’t have a government pension. regardless if he inherited the paint store or not–he has a sister as well and his mother is still alive–it is a little insensitive to bash their family about possible inheritances right now since his dad just died. Most people leave their assets to their children or spouses and I don’t think we can fault anyone for trying to provide a life for their family. Now, the BoS is very pathetic and embarrassing so you’ll get no arguments from me on that point.
Farewell? More like good riddance…
The norvells have been sugar-coating eyesores with toxic paint for decades, it is their specialty. So it’s no surprise that one of ‘em made it big time in local government. Mendo government is a pig big enough that it takes a paint salesman’s son to put lipstick on it.
Will bernie quietly milk the teat of Mendocino County for a few terms like his predecessor? Or will he cash out sooner for greener pastures, San Diego perhaps?
Maybe Mr Norvell can find a county position for Cervenka as a janitor. This Cervenka is a worthless chief of police here in Fort Bragg. He was passed up for two promotions in Turlock what does that tell us about this clown
I still have a Bernie 2016 sticker on my car. Good luck in your new adventure Bernie!