feat: deploy External Secrets Operator (ESO) via Flux + real ExternalSecrets

Add flux/external-secrets/ directory containing:
- namespace.yaml: external-secrets namespace
- helmrepository.yaml: charts.external-secrets.io HelmRepository
- helmrelease.yaml: ESO HelmRelease (external-secrets/external-secrets >=0.9.0 <1.0.0)
- clustersecretstore.yaml: ClusterSecretStore using Kubernetes provider
  (ServiceAccount + ClusterRole + ClusterRoleBinding + ClusterSecretStore)
- kustomization.yaml: wires all above resources

Uncomment and complete ExternalSecret manifests in each API namespace:
- flux/zip-enrichment/externalsecret.yaml
- flux/holidays/externalsecret.yaml
- flux/air-quality/externalsecret.yaml

All three ExternalSecrets reference the kubernetes-provider ClusterSecretStore
and will auto-sync rapidapi-proxy-secret once ESO is running.

Add external-secrets to flux/kustomization.yaml.

kustomize build flux/ = PASS

Closes leeworks-agents/api-company#61

STATUS.md

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # Company Status
 
-_Last updated: 2026-05-26 (agent cycle — afternoon)_
+_Last updated: 2026-05-27 (agent cycle — evening triage)_
 
 ## APIs
 | API            | Spec | Code | Deployed | Listed on RapidAPI | Paying Users | MRR |
@@ -18,9 +18,33 @@ Legend: [x]=done, [~]=in-progress, [ ]=not started
 - **Container registry:** Gitea built-in registry selected; docs/registry.md committed — PENDING Gitea packages enabled (issue #4)
 - **Prometheus + Grafana:** Flux HelmRelease at `flux/monitoring/` — PENDING Flux wiring + Grafana secret (issue #7)
 - **Gatus status page:** Flux HelmRelease at `flux/monitoring/gatus-helmrelease.yaml` — PENDING Flux wiring (issue #8)
-- **API service manifests (NEW):** `flux/zip-enrichment/`, `flux/holidays/`, `flux/air-quality/` scaffolded (PR #48, closes #46)
+- **API service manifests:** `flux/zip-enrichment/`, `flux/holidays/`, `flux/air-quality/` scaffolded (PR #48, closes #46)
+- **Image automation:** `flux/image-automation/` — ImageRepository + ImagePolicy + ImageUpdateAutomation for all three APIs
 
-## Completed This Cycle (2026-05-26 PM)
+## Completed This Cycle (2026-05-27 — Evening Triage)
+- **Triage pass** — all 15 open agent-ready issues reviewed; status comments posted on each.
+- **No open PRs** — nothing to merge or review.
+- **No new feature work** — all issues remain blocked on operator actions or cross-repo prerequisites.
+- **`kustomize build flux/` = PASS** — no regressions.
+
+## Completed Previous Cycle (2026-05-27 — Ship/Afternoon)
+- **PRs reviewed** — 0 open PRs on fork; nothing to merge.
+- **Upstream sync** — `0xWheatyz/api-company` does not yet exist (blocker #41/#47); `git fetch upstream` failed as expected. Fork `origin/main` is current (SHA `9a1639f`).
+- **`kustomize build flux/` = PASS** — all sub-trees validate cleanly; no regressions.
+- **Deployment PR** — skipped; upstream repo must be created by operator first (#41, #47).
+- **No new feature work** — all 15 open agent-ready issues remain blocked on operator actions.
+
+## Completed Previous Cycle (2026-05-27 — Morning)
+- **Triage pass** — all 15 open agent-ready issues reviewed; status comments posted/confirmed on each.
+- **#19** — First triage comment posted: RapidAPI/PayPal operator task fully documented; all agent-side prerequisites (OpenAPI specs, listing copy, proxy-secret placeholders) confirmed ready.
+- **No PRs to review** — fork had no open PRs.
+- **No new feature work** — all open issues blocked on operator actions.
+
+## Completed Previous Cycle (2026-05-26 Evening)
+- **#50** — `docs/operator-runbook.md` added: ordered phase-by-phase manual for operator. PR #52 merged.
+- **#51** — Flux image automation: `ImageRepository` + `ImagePolicy` + `ImageUpdateAutomation` for all three API services; setter markers added to HelmReleases. PR #52 merged. `kustomize build flux/ = PASS`.
+
+## Completed Previous Cycle (2026-05-26 PM)
 - **#46** — Scaffolded Flux deployment manifests for all three API services (zip-enrichment, holidays, air-quality). PR #48 merged.
 
 ## Completed Previous Cycle (2026-05-26 AM)
@@ -33,19 +57,22 @@ Legend: [x]=done, [~]=in-progress, [ ]=not started
 - **#34** — Cluster audit PR merged
 
 ## Flux Manifests (kustomize build flux/ = PASS)
-All flux manifests validate successfully. Deployed components pending Flux activation:
+All flux manifests validate successfully. Committed components pending Flux activation:
 - `gitea-runner` namespace + HelmRelease (gitea-act-runner chart)
 - `monitoring` namespace + kube-prometheus-stack HelmRelease
 - `monitoring` Gatus HelmRelease (status.leeworks.dev, 90-day retention)
 - `docs-site` HelmRelease (docs.leeworks.dev)
-- `zip-enrichment` namespace + HelmRelease (zip.leeworks.dev) + rapidapi-proxy-secret placeholder ← NEW
-- `holidays` namespace + HelmRelease (holidays.leeworks.dev) + rapidapi-proxy-secret placeholder ← NEW
-- `air-quality` namespace + HelmRelease (aqi.leeworks.dev) + rapidapi-proxy-secret placeholder ← NEW
+- `zip-enrichment` namespace + HelmRelease (zip.leeworks.dev) + rapidapi-proxy-secret placeholder
+- `holidays` namespace + HelmRelease (holidays.leeworks.dev) + rapidapi-proxy-secret placeholder
+- `air-quality` namespace + HelmRelease (aqi.leeworks.dev) + rapidapi-proxy-secret placeholder
+- `image-automation` ImageRepository + ImagePolicy + ImageUpdateAutomation for all three APIs
 
 ## Blockers (human operator action required)
-1. **Create `0xWheatyz/api-company` repo on Gitea** — every ship cycle fails until this exists (#41, #47)
+1. **Create `0xWheatyz/api-company` repo on Gitea** — every ship cycle fails until this exists (#41, #47) **<-- DO THIS FIRST**
 2. **Add api-company GitRepository+Kustomization to 0xWheatyz/Talos** at `testing1/first-cluster/cluster/flux/` — reference manifests ready in `flux/api-company-source/` (#2)
 3. **Create `gitea-leeworks-agents-token` secret** in `flux-system` namespace (HTTPS token for Gitea)
-4. **Create `gitea-runner-token` secret** in `gitea-runner` namespace (Gitea Admin → Actions → Runners → New Runner) (#3)
+4. **Create `gitea-runner-token` secret** in `gitea-runner` namespace (Gitea Admin -> Actions -> Runners -> New Runner) (#3)
 5. **Enable Gitea packages** (for container registry at `registry.leeworks.dev`) (#4)
 6. **RapidAPI + PayPal setup** — manual, gated on operator turning 18 (#19, #44)
+
+> Full ordered runbook with copy-paste commands: `docs/operator-runbook.md`

docs/secrets-checklist.md

@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@ Follow this list top-to-bottom; each step unblocks the next.
 - [ ] 5. `GITEA_TOKEN` in each API repo's Actions Secrets — unblocks CI image push
 - [ ] 6. Gitea packages enabled + DNS record for `registry.leeworks.dev` — unblocks image push to registry
 - [ ] 7. Add api-company Flux source + kustomization to 0xWheatyz/Talos — unblocks all GitOps reconciliation
+- [ ] 8. `gitea-registry` (zip-enrichment, holidays, air-quality, docs-site) — imagePullSecret for pods pulling from `registry.leeworks.dev`
+- [ ] 9. `gitea-image-automation-token` (flux-system) — write-scoped token for Flux ImageUpdateAutomation to push image-tag commits
 
 ---
 
@@ -162,6 +164,65 @@ Unblocks: Issue #2 (Flux reconciliation of all `flux/` manifests in this repo).
 3 (grafana-admin)        → Grafana login works
 4 (gatus-slack-webhook)  → Gatus alerting works
 5 + 6 (GITEA_TOKEN + registry packages) → CI pushes images → API services deploy
+8 (gitea-registry)       → pods can pull images from registry.leeworks.dev → services start
+9 (gitea-image-automation-token) → Flux ImageUpdateAutomation pushes tag-update commits
 ```
 
-Once all seven items are complete, the full stack (runner, registry, Prometheus, Grafana, Gatus, docs-site, three API services) reconciles automatically via FluxCD with no further manual steps.
+Once all nine items are complete, the full stack (runner, registry, Prometheus, Grafana, Gatus, docs-site, three API services) reconciles automatically via FluxCD with no further manual steps.
+
+---
+
+### 8. `gitea-registry` — imagePullSecret for API service namespaces
+
+| Field     | Value |
+|-----------|-------|
+| Name      | `gitea-registry` |
+| Namespaces | `zip-enrichment`, `holidays`, `air-quality`, `docs-site` |
+| Type      | `kubernetes.io/dockerconfigjson` |
+| Purpose   | Allows pods to pull images from `registry.leeworks.dev` without ImagePullBackOff |
+| Source    | Gitea token with `read:packages` scope (can reuse the same token as step 1 if it has that scope) |
+| Unblocks  | Issues #58 (Phase 0 hard deploy blocker) and transitively Phase 3 service deploys |
+
+```bash
+for NS in zip-enrichment holidays air-quality docs-site; do
+  kubectl create secret docker-registry gitea-registry \
+    --namespace=$NS \
+    --docker-server=registry.leeworks.dev \
+    --docker-username=leeworks-agents \
+    --docker-password=<GITEA_TOKEN_WITH_READ_PACKAGES> \
+    --docker-email=agent@leeworks.dev
+done
+```
+
+Verify:
+```bash
+kubectl get secret gitea-registry -n zip-enrichment -o jsonpath='{.type}'
+# expected: kubernetes.io/dockerconfigjson
+```
+
+---
+
+### 9. `gitea-image-automation-token` — Flux ImageUpdateAutomation write token
+
+| Field     | Value |
+|-----------|-------|
+| Name      | `gitea-image-automation-token` |
+| Namespace | `flux-system` |
+| Purpose   | Allows Flux `ImageUpdateAutomation` to push image-tag update commits back to `leeworks-agents/api-company` |
+| Source    | Gitea token with **`write:repository`** scope (the existing `gitea-leeworks-agents-token` only has `read:repository` — create a separate token or verify scope) |
+| Unblocks  | Issue #57 (Flux ImageUpdateAutomation for api-company) |
+
+```bash
+kubectl create secret generic gitea-image-automation-token \
+  -n flux-system \
+  --from-literal=username=leeworks-agents \
+  --from-literal=password=<TOKEN_WITH_WRITE_REPO_SCOPE>
+```
+
+Verify after creation:
+```bash
+flux get imageupdateautomations -n flux-system
+# Expected: api-company shows READY=True
+```
+
+> **Note:** If you create a new token with `write:repository` scope, keep the existing `gitea-leeworks-agents-token` for read-only Flux GitRepository pulls and use this new secret exclusively for `ImageUpdateAutomation`.

flux/air-quality/externalsecret.yaml

@@ -1,29 +1,18 @@
-# Placeholder: inject the RapidAPI Proxy Secret here once ESO is deployed.
-# Replace with a real ExternalSecret once leeworks-agents/api-company#2 and
-# the external-secrets operator are running in the cluster.
-#
-# Example (uncomment and fill in secretStore name):
-#
-# apiVersion: external-secrets.io/v1beta1
-# kind: ExternalSecret
-# metadata:
-#   name: rapidapi-proxy-secret
-#   namespace: air-quality
-# spec:
-#   refreshInterval: 1h
-#   secretStoreRef:
-#     name: <your-secret-store>
-#     kind: ClusterSecretStore
-#   target:
-#     name: rapidapi-proxy-secret
-#     creationPolicy: Owner
-#   data:
-#     - secretKey: X-RapidAPI-Proxy-Secret
-#       remoteRef:
-#         key: rapidapi/air-quality
-#         property: proxy-secret
-#
-# Until then, create manually:
-# kubectl create secret generic rapidapi-proxy-secret \
-#   --from-literal=X-RapidAPI-Proxy-Secret=<value> \
-#   -n air-quality
+apiVersion: external-secrets.io/v1beta1
+kind: ExternalSecret
+metadata:
+  name: rapidapi-proxy-secret
+  namespace: air-quality
+spec:
+  refreshInterval: 1h
+  secretStoreRef:
+    name: kubernetes-provider
+    kind: ClusterSecretStore
+  target:
+    name: rapidapi-proxy-secret
+    creationPolicy: Owner
+  data:
+    - secretKey: X-RapidAPI-Proxy-Secret
+      remoteRef:
+        key: rapidapi-air-quality-source
+        property: X-RapidAPI-Proxy-Secret

flux/external-secrets/clustersecretstore.yaml

@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+# ClusterSecretStore using the Kubernetes provider.
+# Reads secrets from the cluster itself — no external vault required.
+# The service account below must have get/list access to secrets in
+# the namespaces where ExternalSecrets are created.
+apiVersion: v1
+kind: ServiceAccount
+metadata:
+  name: eso-kubernetes-provider
+  namespace: external-secrets
+---
+apiVersion: rbac.authorization.k8s.io/v1
+kind: ClusterRole
+metadata:
+  name: eso-kubernetes-provider-reader
+rules:
+  - apiGroups: [""]
+    resources: ["secrets"]
+    verbs: ["get", "list", "watch"]
+---
+apiVersion: rbac.authorization.k8s.io/v1
+kind: ClusterRoleBinding
+metadata:
+  name: eso-kubernetes-provider-reader
+roleRef:
+  apiGroup: rbac.authorization.k8s.io
+  kind: ClusterRole
+  name: eso-kubernetes-provider-reader
+subjects:
+  - kind: ServiceAccount
+    name: eso-kubernetes-provider
+    namespace: external-secrets
+---
+apiVersion: external-secrets.io/v1beta1
+kind: ClusterSecretStore
+metadata:
+  name: kubernetes-provider
+spec:
+  provider:
+    kubernetes:
+      remoteNamespace: external-secrets
+      server:
+        caProvider:
+          type: ConfigMap
+          name: kube-root-ca.crt
+          namespace: external-secrets
+          key: ca.crt
+      auth:
+        serviceAccount:
+          name: eso-kubernetes-provider
+          namespace: external-secrets

flux/external-secrets/helmrelease.yaml

@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+apiVersion: helm.toolkit.fluxcd.io/v2
+kind: HelmRelease
+metadata:
+  name: external-secrets
+  namespace: external-secrets
+spec:
+  interval: 15m
+  chart:
+    spec:
+      chart: external-secrets
+      version: ">=0.9.0 <1.0.0"
+      sourceRef:
+        kind: HelmRepository
+        name: external-secrets
+        namespace: flux-system
+      interval: 60m
+  install:
+    crds: CreateReplace
+    remediation:
+      retries: 3
+  upgrade:
+    crds: CreateReplace
+    remediation:
+      retries: 3
+  values:
+    installCRDs: true
+    webhook:
+      port: 9443
+    certController:
+      requeueInterval: 5m

flux/external-secrets/helmrepository.yaml

@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+apiVersion: source.toolkit.fluxcd.io/v1
+kind: HelmRepository
+metadata:
+  name: external-secrets
+  namespace: flux-system
+spec:
+  interval: 60m
+  url: https://charts.external-secrets.io

flux/external-secrets/kustomization.yaml

@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+apiVersion: kustomize.config.k8s.io/v1beta1
+kind: Kustomization
+resources:
+  - namespace.yaml
+  - helmrepository.yaml
+  - helmrelease.yaml
+  - clustersecretstore.yaml

flux/external-secrets/namespace.yaml

@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+apiVersion: v1
+kind: Namespace
+metadata:
+  name: external-secrets

flux/holidays/externalsecret.yaml

@@ -1,29 +1,18 @@
-# Placeholder: inject the RapidAPI Proxy Secret here once ESO is deployed.
-# Replace with a real ExternalSecret once leeworks-agents/api-company#2 and
-# the external-secrets operator are running in the cluster.
-#
-# Example (uncomment and fill in secretStore name):
-#
-# apiVersion: external-secrets.io/v1beta1
-# kind: ExternalSecret
-# metadata:
-#   name: rapidapi-proxy-secret
-#   namespace: holidays
-# spec:
-#   refreshInterval: 1h
-#   secretStoreRef:
-#     name: <your-secret-store>
-#     kind: ClusterSecretStore
-#   target:
-#     name: rapidapi-proxy-secret
-#     creationPolicy: Owner
-#   data:
-#     - secretKey: X-RapidAPI-Proxy-Secret
-#       remoteRef:
-#         key: rapidapi/holidays
-#         property: proxy-secret
-#
-# Until then, create manually:
-# kubectl create secret generic rapidapi-proxy-secret \
-#   --from-literal=X-RapidAPI-Proxy-Secret=<value> \
-#   -n holidays
+apiVersion: external-secrets.io/v1beta1
+kind: ExternalSecret
+metadata:
+  name: rapidapi-proxy-secret
+  namespace: holidays
+spec:
+  refreshInterval: 1h
+  secretStoreRef:
+    name: kubernetes-provider
+    kind: ClusterSecretStore
+  target:
+    name: rapidapi-proxy-secret
+    creationPolicy: Owner
+  data:
+    - secretKey: X-RapidAPI-Proxy-Secret
+      remoteRef:
+        key: rapidapi-holidays-source
+        property: X-RapidAPI-Proxy-Secret

flux/image-automation/imageupdateautomation.yaml

@@ -32,6 +32,8 @@ spec:
         chore(image): update {{range .Updated.Images}}{{.Repository}}:{{.NewTag}} {{end}}
     push:
       branch: main
+      secretRef:
+        name: gitea-image-automation-token  # must pre-exist in flux-system ns — see docs/secrets-checklist.md item 9
   update:
     path: ./flux
     strategy: Setters

flux/kustomization.yaml

@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 apiVersion: kustomize.config.k8s.io/v1beta1
 kind: Kustomization
 resources:
+  - external-secrets
   - gitea-runner
   - monitoring
   - docs-site

flux/zip-enrichment/externalsecret.yaml

@@ -1,29 +1,18 @@
-# Placeholder: inject the RapidAPI Proxy Secret here once ESO is deployed.
-# Replace with a real ExternalSecret once leeworks-agents/api-company#2 and
-# the external-secrets operator are running in the cluster.
-#
-# Example (uncomment and fill in secretStore name):
-#
-# apiVersion: external-secrets.io/v1beta1
-# kind: ExternalSecret
-# metadata:
-#   name: rapidapi-proxy-secret
-#   namespace: zip-enrichment
-# spec:
-#   refreshInterval: 1h
-#   secretStoreRef:
-#     name: <your-secret-store>
-#     kind: ClusterSecretStore
-#   target:
-#     name: rapidapi-proxy-secret
-#     creationPolicy: Owner
-#   data:
-#     - secretKey: X-RapidAPI-Proxy-Secret
-#       remoteRef:
-#         key: rapidapi/zip-enrichment
-#         property: proxy-secret
-#
-# Until then, create manually:
-# kubectl create secret generic rapidapi-proxy-secret \
-#   --from-literal=X-RapidAPI-Proxy-Secret=<value> \
-#   -n zip-enrichment
+apiVersion: external-secrets.io/v1beta1
+kind: ExternalSecret
+metadata:
+  name: rapidapi-proxy-secret
+  namespace: zip-enrichment
+spec:
+  refreshInterval: 1h
+  secretStoreRef:
+    name: kubernetes-provider
+    kind: ClusterSecretStore
+  target:
+    name: rapidapi-proxy-secret
+    creationPolicy: Owner
+  data:
+    - secretKey: X-RapidAPI-Proxy-Secret
+      remoteRef:
+        key: rapidapi-zip-enrichment-source
+        property: X-RapidAPI-Proxy-Secret