The Hub -- The Monthly Newsletter of 211 Nevada County                                                                                             April 2015

April 2015 - In This Issue:

211 Nevada County is a resource and information hub that connects people with community programs and services.

Resource Spotlight
Fire Safe Council of
Nevada County 

It's not too early to start preparing for wildfire season in Nevada County. After three years of severe drought and resulting dry conditions, the fire season has lengthened and the risk of wildfire in our area has increased.

 

Fortunately, the Fire Safe Council of Nevada County has programs and tools available to help Nevada County residents make their homes fire safe. The Fire Safe Council offers a variety of programs, including:

  • Chipping
  • Green waste pickup
  • Insurance verification
  • Special firewise equipment sales

Free Defensible Space Training

 

The Fire Safe Council is holding a free defensible space training on April 28th and 29th. Learn how to comply with defensible space laws and make sure your home in insurable.

 

Click the image for more information.

 

Special Needs Assistance Program

 

The Special Needs Assistance program provides brush cutting and removal services to seniors and/or people with disabilities who are no longer able to create defensible space around their homes and who cannot afford to hire someone. The program is open to Nevada County residents who meet the following eligibility criteria:

  • Over 65 years old, or
  • Have a physical disability (verified by receiving disability, handicap placards for vehicles, etc.)
  • Financially unable to hire a contractor and with income under the 2014 HUD Annual Income Guidelines:
    • 1 person income: $25,350/year ($2,113/month)
    • 2 person income: $29,000/year ($2,417/month)
  • Physically unable to create and maintain their defensible space on their own

For residents meeting the above criteria, defensible space clean-up may be scheduled by contacting the FSCNC office at (530) 272-1122.

 

Supporting the Fire Safe Council

 

There are many ways to support the Fire Safe Council. Anyone can become a member, volunteer, and/or donate.

 

Learn More

 

Visit the Fire Safe Council website  to learn how you can significantly improve the fire resistance of your home and use Firewise landscaping to develop defensible space around it.

 

Follow the Fire Safe Council: 

  

Like us on Facebook    Follow us on Twitter  

 

Every Drop Counts
Simple Tips for Being Water Wise In a Time of Drought 

Water is a critical part of California's way of life. Our economy, our environment and our day-to-day lifestyle need water to flourish. But our water is limited - especially during this historic drought. The lack of rain and snow this winter means we have to stretch the water that we do have.

 

There are a lot of simple ways to reduce the amount of water that we use at home, both inside and outside.

 

Outdoor Water Use

 

Nevada Irrigation District's service area has experienced four consecutive years of below average precipitation. While the 2014-15 precipitation season opened as wetter than average, a lack of snowpack has led to continued drought conditions. Much of California remains abnormally dry; almost two-thirds of the State remains in extreme drought.

 

On March 17, 2015, the State Water Resources Control Board enacted additional drought restrictions aimed at helping Californians reduce water usage by 20 percent. In response to the new restrictions, the Nevada Irrigation District Board of Directors declared a modified Stage III drought emergency for treated water users.

 

The following mandatory treated water use restrictions are now in place:

  • Outdoor watering restricted to no more than 3 days per week;
  • No outdoor watering in the heat of the day (10:00 a.m. to 6 p.m.);
  • No outdoor watering during and 48 hours after rain;
  • No outdoor watering that causes excess runoff;
  • Washing down driveways and sidewalks is prohibited unless for health and safety. Use a broom, not a hose, to clean driveways and sidewalks;
  • No washing a motor vehicle with a hose unless the hose is fitted with a shutoff nozzle;
  • No use of potable water in a fountain or decorative feature unless the water is recirculated;
  • Restaurants can only serve water to customers on request; and
  • Hotels and Motels must provide guests with the option to not have towels and linens laundered daily.

Drought measures in effect for users of canal water include:

  • Voluntary reductions of 20 percent or more with mandatory reductions possible later in the year if conservation goals are not being met;
  • New and increased irrigation water sales are limited to the smallest amount of water necessary for the customer's beneficial use;
  • All customers are encouraged to use efficient irrigation practices; and
  • The irrigation season, which normally runs April 15 - October 14, could be shortened this year depending on water availability.
    Click the above image for a list of drought tolerant plants for our area.

The District is requesting all customers reduce water usage by

25 percent as directed by Governor Brown and the State Water Resources Control Board. Water conservation should be a daily habit.  

 

Another consideration in water conservation is planting drought tolerant or native plants that require minimal to no water. Typically, native seedlings may need light watering until they mature and become established.

Household Water Use

 

Saving water at home does not require any significant cost outlay. Although there are water-saving appliances and water conservation systems such as rain barrels, drip irrigation and on-demand water heaters which are more expensive, the bulk of water saving methods can be achieved at little cost.

  • Use less water with daily tasks. Turn off the faucet while brushing your teeth, shorten your showers, and wash full loads in the dishwasher and washing machine.
  • Check for leaks in the house and outside. Toilets are the #1 household leaks. Check your water meter periodically when all appliances are turned off to see if the meter is still running. If the meter numbers are increasing when all appliances and irrigation is off, check for leaks. Repair leaks as soon as possible.
  • Check the toilet flapper inside the tank to see if it is properly situated. Use a few drops of food coloring or a dye tablet inside the tank, and then in a few minutes, check to see if any color makes its way into the toilet bowl. If so, your toilet tank flapper or another part may not be working properly and may need to be replaced.
  • Use an aerator on faucets and showerheads to achieve the same performance while saving water.
  • Insulate your water pipes. It's easy and inexpensive to insulate your water pipes with pre-slit foam pipe insulation. You'll get hot water faster plus avoid wasting water while it heats up.
  • Minimize use of kitchen sink garbage disposal units. In-sink 'garburators' require lots of water to operate properly, and also add considerably to the volume of solids in a septic tank which can lead to maintenance problems. Start a compost pile as an alternate method of disposing food waste.
  • Replace inefficient appliances with "Energy Star" high efficiency appliances. The following is a list of California high efficiency standards for household appliances:
    • Toilets 1.28 gallons/flush
    • Showerheads 2.2 gallons/minute
    • Faucets 2.2 gallons/minute

More Water Conservation Resources . . .  

 

Check out the Nevada Irrigation District's conservation web page for more on what NID is doing to help Nevada County residents save water. Also see their link to a Water Use Calculator for tips on how you can make your home more water-efficient.

 

The Save Our Water website has a great interactive feature to help you explore ways to save water in your home, yard, and workplace.  

 

Some wonderful resources to teach children about water conservation and their role in helping to preserve this precious resource:

 

Conservation Connection 

Water Sense Kids 

NID Just for Kids 

 

We Want to Hear from You!

 

What successful water-saving tips have you   used? Send us your ideas and we will share them in next month's newsletter!  

Get Prepped for Fire Season
Resources to Ready Your Home and Stay Informed 

Local, state, and federal firefighting agencies are gearing up for a busy fire season due to record dry conditions. The U.S. Drought Monitor reported on April 15th that Nevada County, along with most of California, ranked in the top most severe tiers of its drought rating system.

 

In addition to creating a defensible perimeter around one's house, being prepared for an emergency fire evacuation is also important. The Be Prepared California website provides tips on developing a disaster plan, preparing an emergency supply kit, talking to children about crisis events, and protecting your lungs from wildfire smoke. 

 

Staying Informed During a Fire

 

Nevada County residents can participate in the local Code Red program which notifies people by phone when a fire is threatening their area and when to evacuate. Residents and businesses who use AT&T landlines are automatically enrolled in the system, but households without landlines must manually enter their cell phone numbers into the system. Additional information about Code Red and the link to register a cell phone number is here.  

 

In the event of a local fire, county residents can call 2-1-1 for information regarding evacuations, shelters for people and pets, and other important information and resources. During an emergency event, Nevada County's Office of Emergency Services provides frequent updates to 211 Nevada County. With services available any time day or night, 211 Nevada County can provide the information and resources residents need while preserving 9-1-1 for life threatening emergencies.

 

More Fire Preparation Resources . . .

 

For current California fire watches and warnings, go to the National Weather Service's California Fire Weather Map

 

Check out the following websites for more information about preparing for emergencies and defending your home against wildfires:    

  

Ready.gov  

Fire Safe Council of Nevada County 

California Fire Safe Council  

 

Which Fire Department Serves Your Area?

 

Click on the map below to find out!

 

Meet our New Resource Specialist
Keeping Information Up-to-Date and Available 

211 Nevada County is excited to welcome Kristina McLean to our staff as our new Resource Specialist. A trained social worker, Kristina formerly worked within community-based organizations and schools in Chicago, assisting clients in connecting with needed services.  

 

As the 211 Resource Specialist, Kristina is responsible for gathering, maintaining, and updating information on local organizations and services for our 211 database. A collaborator by nature, she will work closely with our partners to ensure that our database is up-to-date and that 211 is meeting the needs of organizations that want to get the word out about their programs and services.  

 

Kristina is passionate not only about connecting people to the services they deserve, but also about looking at the future and helping organizations develop services to better meet the needs of the community. She is committed to using data to better understand the community's unmet needs and advocating for programs and services to meet those needs.

 

Kristina will be reaching out to community organizations in the coming weeks and months and looks forward to learning more about the wealth of services in our area. If you would like to update your agency's listing (or just say hello), call Kristina at 274-5601.

By the Numbers: 211 Community Data
3rd Quarter Report is Now Available 
The FY 2014/2015 3rd Quarter Report is now available.
Click above to view the report.

The report includes all kinds of great information about who 211 is serving and what types of resources they are requesting.

 

The 3rd quarter report highlights the ongoing need for affordable housing in Nevada County, with calls and web searches for housing and shelter leading our requested resources. 

 

We want to provide data that is meaningful for you. If you have  questions about your specific sector, please do not hesitate to give us a call at 211.


Get Connected. Get Answers.
211 Nevada County is a resource and information hub that connects people with community programs and services. Find us on the web at 211nevadacounty.org .

Have your programs, services, or contact information changed? Update your listing!