Dear Friends,
Spring is finally here. The air is bursting with a cacophony of scents and sounds, from children screaming and squealing in the mud and freshly mowed lawns (or lawns in desperate need of mowing, like mine), to cows, sheep and goats bleating as they meander in fields bursting with spring blooms. This is my favorite time to traverse through West County, as every bit of it, as the buds on the apple trees begin to burst their way out like Sloth coming out of the cave in The Goonies, hollering with excitement, “Hey you guuuuuuys!”
Maybe it isn’t obvious, but I’m kind of excited it’s spring. We finally made it to that six-week period of sunny reprieve where we bask in the splendor of spring’s lush, (albeit) allergen-rich fields of wildflowers, mustard and clover before it browns and crisps, bringing with it our annual worries of drought and fire season. And while my office has our eyes on fire preparedness, right now, I want to focus on recovery of our lower Russian River communities: they too are beginning to bloom again after February’s floods, thanks to community support, strength and resiliency.
The New Vision Foundation, a joint effort by the Russian River and Sebastopol Area Chambers, has raised $54,700. That money has been enough to help 19 businesses from both Sebastopol and the Lower Russian River area so far. The Lazy Bear Cares Foundation spearheaded additional fundraising for West County businesses.
And, there's more to come. On Saturday, May 11, the Sebastopol Center for the Arts invites the community to Let the Love Flow, a Flood Relief benefit for businesses along the Russian River and Barlow affected by the February flooding events. The event is from 12 to 4 p.m. and is open to the public.
Cheers,
Lynda
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- Russian River Trail Workshop: Saturday, May 11, 9 to 11 a.m. (Guerneville Elementary School)
- Let the Love Flow Flood Relief Benefit: Saturday, May 11, 12 to 4 p.m. (Sebastopol Center for the Arts)
- Mother's Day: Sunday, May 12
- Sonoma County Board of Supervisors Meeting: Tuesday, May 14, 8:30 a.m. (Sonoma County Board of Supervisors' Chambers, Santa Rosa)
- Sonoma County Coast Municipal Advisory Council Meeting: Wednesday, May 15, 5 to 8 p.m. (Fort Ross Elementary School)
- Castles and Kites Festival: Saturday, May 18, 11 a.m. (Doran Beach)
- Graton Firefighters Association Pancake Breakfast: Sunday, May 19, 7 a.m. to 12 p.m. (Graton Fire Department)
- Forestville Emergency Preparedness Town Hall: Sunday, May 19, 3 to 5 p.m. (El Molino Library)
- Sonoma County Board of Supervisors Meeting: Tuesday, May 21, 8:30 a.m. (Sonoma County Board of Supervisors' Chambers, Santa Rosa)
- Community Conversation about Vaping: Wednesday, May 22 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. (Analy High School)
- Lower Russian River Watershed Citizens Advisory Group Meeting: Thursday, May 23, 6 to 8 p.m. (Monte Rio Community Center)
- Memorial Day (County Offices Closed): Monday, May 27
- Sonoma County Pride Weekend: Friday, May 31 through Sunday, June 2 (Old Courthouse Square, Santa Rosa)
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Construction season is right around the corner!
While the 2019 major Pavement Preservation Program schedule hasn’t been set yet, the list of approved projects is formalized. As such, West County residents can expect the following roads to undergo chip seal, full-depth reclamation, micro-surfacing or overlay this summer:
- Moscow Road
- Ross Road
- Todd Road
- Green Hill Road
- Green Valley Road
- Pleasant Hill Road (Pictured)
- Cazadero Highway
- Jonive Road
- Armstrong Woods Road
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This month, the Board of Supervisors is set to approve funding for the 2020-2022 Pavement Preservation Program. In West County, the county will pour more than $12 million during the fiscal years 2020-21 and 2021-22 to fix portions of the following West County roads:
- Barnett Valley Road
- Bay Hill Road
- Bohemian Highway
- Gold Ridge Road
- High School Road
- East Hurlbut Road (Pictured)
- Main Street in Monte Rio
- Moorland Avenue
- Rio Nido Road
- Stony Point Road
- Todd Road
- Llano Road
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Changes to Tourism Impact Funds
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The Board of Supervisors’ mid-April meeting brought big changes to the way we distribute Tourist Occupancy Tax (TOT). TOT -- or hotel bed tax -- is collected by hotels in unincorporated Sonoma County and funneled into the County’s General Fund. While much of the TOT program was previously directed to grants for non-profit and tourism generating activities, which are being dramatically scaled back, we were able to retain the Tourism Impact Fund (TIF) which was created with the passage of Measure L. We are also proposing to invest nearly $1M in vegetation management countywide to reduce fire risk.
Tourism impact funds have enabled our office to grant over $200,000 in public safety funding to fire districts in our region to meet unmet emergency response needs during fiscal year 2018-19. The purpose of these funds are to meet the unique and urgent needs of our unincorporated areas that occur because of tourism; issues like safety improvements, environmental impact mitigation, public safety and parking enforcement.
In addition, TIF dollars can be used to support our municipal advisory councils. I have asked both the Coast and River MACs to create ad hoc committees to help recommend projects that would benefit each area. These funds are allocated by the Board of Supervisors in late summer, so make sure to keep up-to-date with your local MAC, as each will be discussing recommendations for TIF projects soon.
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Community Investment Fund Program
The page provides information on the changes as well as information on the policy and how to submit a claim for payment.
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Regional Parks Needs Your Input
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Sonoma County Regional Parks is hosting two community workshops to gather input on a potential Russian River bicycle and pedestrian trail between Forestville and Jenner.
The lower Russian River’s River Road / Highway 116 is a high-traffic, high-speed road with a history of multiple bicycle and pedestrian accidents. The trail would provide a safe walking and cycling alternative for commuters and visitors traveling this congested corridor.
The first meeting was held Tuesday, May 7. The last meeting is scheduled
this Saturday, May 11, from 9 to 11 a.m. at Guerneville Elementary School.
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County and State Septic Updates
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The long-anticipated changes to the county’s onsite wastewater treatment system (OWTS) manual is set to be heard by the Board of Supervisors on
Tuesday, May 21.
The revisions to the OWTS manual, which aim to protect the health of our water sources and bring us into compliance with state code, may impact septic system owners throughout the county.
In 2018, Permit Sonoma staff spent the late summer and fall months touring Sonoma County, providing community meetings about the OWTS and taking feedback and questions from the public. The manual was updated in response from the community -- which included roughly 300 comments -- and from the OWTS Ad Hoc Committee, made up of Chair David Rabbitt and myself. As part of the Ad Hoc Committee, the Supervisors are in the process of reviewing the revised draft and have directed staff to release the revised policies to the community prior to the hearing so that the document can be widely reviewed and commented upon.
The revised OWTS manual is available and can be found on the
County's Permit Sonoma website.
Comments should be directed to all members of the Board of Supervisors, either via email or in person at the board meeting.
In addition to the county's new policy changes, the North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board is getting ready to approve new health standards for the Russian River this spring. The standards, known as the total maximum daily load (TMDL), limit the amount of E.coli and other bacteria allowed within the Russian River.
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To control the TMDL, the Water Board has the authority to require homeowners within the affected area to have septic systems that are up-to-date and functioning at acceptable levels. Homeowners who are operating on cesspools or unidentified OWTS may need to update their systems in order to comply with the new environmental standards.
While updating a septic system to modern standards can be an unwelcome expense, there are interested community members and organizations working to help our lower income communities make the transition from cesspools to a solution that is both cost effective and environmentally friendly.
The
Lower Russian River Citizen’s Wastewater Advisory Group
or LRRCAG, is composed of nine community members who volunteer their time each month to meet with the Regional Water Board staff and County staff to be informed and assist with the problem solving involved in this future regulation.
Once the scope of the TMDL is defined by the Regional Board, expected on
Thursday, May 9
, the county will be hiring an ombudsperson who will assist residents with resources and information regarding the new requirements. While the draft TMDL will be issued in May, public comment will be received through the August Regional Water Board meeting. After that, the TMDL will head to the State Water Board for adoption, which is expected to occur before the end of 2019.
The LRRCAG will present to the River MAC in June to discuss the grant for a study the CAG is helping the state apply for. According to MAC Vice Chair Cynthia Strecker, "the study will indicate ways we might treat our wastewater...we being Monte Rio and Villa Grande."
Strecker, who gave a brief but lively and visual explanation between the alphabet soup that is the county and state septic system policies, also said during, that the application/applications used to treat the OWTS in Monte Rio/Villa Grande, will likely serve as precedents for future OWTS systems along the River corridor.
Written comments on the 2019 public review materials are due to the Regional Water Board by
June 24, 2019
at 5 p.m. Learn more about the
TMDL here
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PG&E Expanding Wildfire Safety Efforts
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Prepare for potential outages -- both planned and unplanned -- related to extreme weather or wildfire threats by:
- Signing up for alerts by visiting pge.com/mywildfirealerts.com or calling 1-866-743-6589 to update your contact information. This information will be used to alert you through automated calls, texts and emails, when and where possible, prior to a Public Safety Power Shutoff.
- Planning for medical needs like medications that require refrigeration or devices that need power.
- Identifying backup charging methods for phones and keep hard copies of emergency numbers.
- Building or restocking your emergency kits with flashlights, batteries, first aid supplies and cash.
- Knowing how to manually open your garage door.
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Given the continued and growing threat of extreme weather and wildfires, as seen in 2017 and 2018, PG&E continues to evolve and expand its Community Wildfire Safety Program as an additional precautionary measure to further reduce wildfire risks and keep its customers and the communities its serves.
Along with additional real-time monitoring, new and enhanced safety measures and system hardening, PG&E will continue to test out Public Safety Power Shutoffs, preemptively powering down certain vulnerable areas during extreme weather conditions.
Over the next month, all PG&E customers will be receiving a letter or an email letting them know that,
as a last resort, PG&E may need to turn off customer power for safety when extreme fire danger conditions are forecast.
The letter also invites customers to learn more about PG&Es wildfire safety efforts and opportunities to participate in regional open houses.
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Do you have issues with internet service at your home or business? Do you have concerns with cellular coverage throughout West Sonoma County?
Access Sonoma Broadband is a grass roots organization located at the Sonoma County Economic Development Board that is dedicated to getting our community fast, affordable, and reliable broadband.
The program focuses on problems that impact all industries including: public safety, agriculture, healthcare, education, tourism, business and many others.
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If you are interested in learning more or finding out ways you can help, please contact Calvin Sandeen at the Economic Development Board:
707-565-6418
calvin.sandeen@sonoma-county.org
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Fifth District Supervisor Lynda Hopkins | County of Sonoma | 707-565-2241
Lynda.Hopkins@sonoma-county.org
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