By Investigative Reporter, Linda Sutter – August 9, 2025 The Del Norte Grand Jury recently released a bombshell report on the Crescent City Harbor District—and it’s not pretty. But unless you’re a Certified Public Accountant, understanding the financial audits from 2021 through 2024 might feel like trying to read a foreign language. So let’s break it down in plain English. First, let’s be clear: the Harbor District doesn’t want you to know this. They’ve allegedly been advised by their attorney, Ryan Plotz, to ignore the Grand Jury entirely. No answers. No accountability. Four Years of Spending More Than They Had Here’s what the audits show—and what it really means: 2021 Net Worth: $1.8 million — That’s what the Harbor owned after subtracting its debts. Available Funds: $586,825 — Money they could actually use. Overspending: They spent $3.7 million more than they had. That’s not just bad budgeting—it’s reckless. Cash Increase: Somehow, their cash went up by $130K, likely from grants or selling assets. 2022 Bank Balance: $1.49 million — Sounds decent, right? Available Funds: Only $323K — Most of the money was tied up and couldn’t be used freely. Overspending: They spent $4 million more than they had. Cash Decrease: Their cash dropped by $329K. They were burning through reserves. 2023 Bank Balance: $841K — A steep drop from the previous year. Available Funds: Just $241K — Barely anything left for general use. Overspending: They spent $4.3 million more than they had. Cash Decrease: Lost another $900K in cash. The bleeding continued. 2024 Bank Balance: $1.2 million — A slight recovery. Available Funds: $778K — Better, but still not great. Overspending: They spent $6.4 million more than they had. The worst year yet. Cash Increase: Cash went up by $354K, likely from outside help such as grants —not from earning more. What Does “Overspending” Really Mean? When we say the Harbor District ran a deficit, we mean they spent way more money than they brought in. Imagine earning $50,000 a year but spending $100,000. That’s not sustainable—and that’s exactly what the Harbor has been doing for four straight years. Denying Access to Public Records To make matters worse, Harbormaster Rademaker and Sandy Moreno have reportedly told elected officials they can’t look at public records unless they explain why. That’s illegal. Public records are open to everyone—no justification required. This is a blatant violation of the California Public Records Act. The Sutter Tsunami Is Coming This financial disaster has already been reported to multiple outside agencies. And soon, a wave of accountability is coming—a Sutter Tsunami. When it hits, the Harbor District won’t be able to hide behind silence or legal games. Thanks to a diligent and courageous Grand Jury, the truth is out. Now it’s up to the public to demand answers and action. The Del Norte Board of Supervisors must take immediate action to restore integrity and accountability within the Crescent City Harbor District. Based on the findings of the Grand Jury and ongoing violations of public trust, it is imperative that the Board consider removing three sitting Harbor Commissioners— Gerhard Weber, John Evans and Shepherd—who have consistently failed to fulfill their legal duties and have shown a blatant disregard for due diligence. Harbor Commissioner, Gerhard Weber Harbor Commissioner, John Evans Harbor Commissioner Rick Shepard Furthermore, Harbormaster Rademaker must be removed without delay. His continued presence poses a serious risk to the District’s ability to retain critical grant funding. If corrective action is not taken swiftly, the community stands to lose not only financial support but also public confidence in its leadership. The time for silence and evasion is over. The public deserves transparency, lawful governance, and responsible stewardship of its resources