Dear Friends,
Here we are, nearly one year after the most catastrophic fire disaster, not just in our county, but in the state. Over the past year, I have seen communities come together to mourn. Out of that grief, I've seen the same communities lend hands to pull others up, to help dust off the ash and dirt and start the rebuilding process.
At the county, and within the city of Santa Rosa, we talk a lot about rebuilding. It's easy to see a lot of the physical rebuilding, as new houses and frames begin to freckle the fire-ravaged areas of Coffey Park, Fountaingrove and Mark West. But there's more rebuilding occurring, much of it underneath the surface as our neighbors, friends and family members are gaining emotional strength and support. Nowhere was this more evident than during our county's response to the fires that burned in Redding and Mendocino and Lake counties. Not only did many of our fire departments send crews to help fight the sieges of the state's largest fire in Mendocino County, but our residents, especially many who lost houses, reached out to say, "We're here for you and we'll help you through."
We'll keep helping our county through too, and we'll keep working on mitigating potential fire destruction that looms over West County. We're working with the state to procure funding for wood chippers. We're learning from area land stewards how prescribed burning could protect our wooded communities. We're also connecting with local foresters to determine what steps need to be taken to make our forests healthy again.
There's a lot to do and it's not going to be done before this year's fire season is over. But I am confident we are heading in the right direction that helps us be more aware as a community as well as resilient, should fire strike again.
Please keep those who were affected by the October 2017 firestorm in mind on Monday, Oct. 8 and consider participating in the county-city event at the Courthouse Square in Santa Rosa from 4 to 8 p.m.
Cheers,
Lynda
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Upcoming Events
- Bodega Bay Fire Prevention Week Kickoff: Friday, Oct. 5, 5 to 8 p.m. (Bodega Bay Firehouse)
- Binational Health Fair: Saturday, Oct. 6, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. (Roseland Elementary School)
- Bodega Volunteer Fire Polenta and Beef Stew: Saturday, Oct. 6, 5 to 8 p.m. (McCaughey Hall)
- City/County Fire Commemoration: Monday, Oct. 8, 4 to 8 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 9, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (Santa Rosa Courthouse Square)
- Board of Supervisors Meeting: Tuesday, Oct. 9, 8:30 a.m. (County Administration)
- Sebastopol Fire Pancake Breakfast: Sunday, Oct. 14, 7 a.m. to 12 p.m. (Sebastopol Fire Department)
- OWTS Community Meeting: Wednesday, Oct. 17, 6 to 8 p.m. (Guerneville Veterans Hall)
- Board of Supervisors Meeting: Tuesday, Oct. 23, 8:30 a.m. (County Administration)
- West County Housing Fair: Sunday, Nov. 4, 1 to 5 p.m. (Sebastopol Community Cultural Center)
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Municipal Advisory Councils approved by Board of Supervisors
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On Tuesday, Sept. 25, the Board of Supervisors approved the formation of the Lower Russian River and Sonoma County Coast municipal advisory councils, or MACs. The MACs will provide each area with a unified voice that can make advisory recommendations to the Board of Supervisor on myriad topics, from land use permits to road repairs.
Applications to be a representative for either MAC are now available. Representative positions are limited to those individuals who live within the MAC boundaries. Additional requirements include:
- Full-time residency within district boundary
- Being at least 18-years-old
SCC MAC applications can be downloaded
here
.
LRR MAC applications can be downloaded
here
.
To apply, please provide the District 5 office with:
- Application
- Photo
- Candidate statement (No more than 500 words)
The due date for all application materials is
Wednesday, Oct. 24
by 5 p.m. Materials can be emailed to
amie.windsor@sonoma-county.org
, or returned to the D5 office at:
Amie Windsor
Sonoma County Board of Supervisors
575 Administration Drive, Suite 100A
Santa Rosa, CA 95403
Late applications will not be accepted. If you're interested in becoming a representative, learn more about the position by downloading the MAC Representative packet
here
. It can also be found
online
. Once the application deadline has passed, candidate biographies, resumes and statements will be sent to constituents through many channels, including social media, the MAC newsletter, the MAC website, in local newspapers and more.
Selected representatives and district alternates will be announced on
Wednesday, Nov. 21
, prior to the holiday weekend.
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What's up with west county roads?
The 2018 summer road work season was a busy one, with many west county roads seeing repair. In west county, portions of River Road, Austin Creek Road, Green Valley Road, Harrison Grade Road, Ferguson Road, Furlong Road, Fort Ross Road, Bohemian Highway, Bodega Avenue/Highway, Annapolis Road and Willowside Road were all improved, thanks to funds from our road maintenance program.
In addition, CalTrans repaved Highway 116 through Sebastopol, making for a less pothole and stressed-riddled drive through town. And, love them or hate them, CalTrans also added bicycle lanes along the state route in effort to enhance bicycle safety throughout the city and surrounding area.
While our amazing road crew accomplished a lot this summer, we still have many roads in need of emergency repair, including Coleman Valley Road, Old Cazadero Road and Bay Hill Road, along with a lengthy list of rural roads that are very distressed.
We’re working to develop a list of West County’s worst roads for our next two-year road repavement cycle, which will be approved in early 2019. I’m proud we’re making progress but there is still plenty of work to be done, since we’ve dealt with decades of under-investment in our rural roads. Now we’re playing catch-up. To nominate West County’s worst roads (I'm talking to you, Pothole Bandits), email your personal pavement pet peeves to
Lynda.Hopkins@sonoma-county.org
.
In the mean time, you can learn more about the roads program, how repairs are funded and how to report potholes by visiting the
county road maintenance website
.
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OWTS Update: County wants your input on proposed changes
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Hey, West County—it’s time to talk about something that is often avoided at the dinner table, and left out of polite conversations. Namely, septic systems. Or, as my three-year-old would put it, poop.
Throughout the next month, Permit Sonoma will tour Sonoma County, holding informational meetings and town halls in effort to provide the public an opportunity to ask questions and provide feedback on the proposed changes to the county's OWTS manual.
According to Permit Sonoma’s Nathan Quarles, the OWTS Manual is primarily a reformatted version of existing County regulations and standards to comply with the State Water Resources Control Board OWTS PolicyTier 2 Local Area Management Program (LAMP) requirements.
Whew. What a bureaucratic mouthful.
But, the changes are not as innocuous as a simple “reformatting,” and the proposed edits will have consequences for rural residents who rely on septic systems. Permit Sonoma sought feedback and held public forums to hear from the community. Much of what we have heard so far include concerns about stringent standards that could restrict and dampen west county’s ability to maintain existing affordable housing or add affordable housing in the form of granny units or new homes. Many residents fear that the proposed policy will ultimately lead to the red-tagging of homes and loss of affordable housing in rural Sonoma County. They fear that fixed-income seniors will be priced out of their own home when they come in for a simple repair and find that they need to invest tens of thousands of dollars on system upgrades, site analysis and County permits.
We heard a lot of these issues on Saturday, Sept. 29 in Monte Rio.
"Am I safe?" one commenter asked.
"Will I be kicked out of my home?" another worried.
"How am I going to pay for this?" asked a third.
These are legitimate questions. I, along with Supervisor David Rabbitt, am working on connecting with state and federal funds to help residents pay for such changes. We're looking into our own general fund to determine what assistance may be available. We are uncovering every stone and looking into every corner to find financial help for those who will need it.
In the meantime, we are seeking additional feedback. Input may be provided
online
or by attending one of the upcoming OWTS community meetings:
- Wednesday, Oct. 8, 6 to 8 p.m., Villa Chanticleer Annex (900 Chanticleer Way, Healdsburg)
- Thursday, Oct. 11, 6 to 8 p.m., Sonoma County Farm Bureau (3589 Westwind Boulevard, Santa Rosa)
- Monday, Oct. 15, 6 to 8 p.m., Sonoma Veterans Memorial Building (126 First Street West, Sonoma)
- Wednesday, Oct. 17, 6 to 8 p.m., Guerneville Veterans Building (16255 First Street at Church Street, Guerneville)
Community feedback on these proposed septic system regulations will inform the draft Onsite Wastewater Treatment System (OWTS) Manual, which will be considered by the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors in November 2018.
For more information regarding the proposed Onsite Wastewater Treatment System (OWTS) Manual, including frequently asked questions, please visit the
Permit Sonoma website
.
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West County Housing Fair
It's time to raise the roof! On Sunday, Nov. 4, the County of Sonoma and City of Sebastopol will host a housing fair and expo at the Sebastopol Community Cultural Center from 1:30 to 5 p.m.
Supervisor Lynda Hopkins, Mayor Patrick Slayter and Councilmember Una Glass will moderate panel discussions at 2 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. with housing creation and permitting experts. Discover existing and new housing policies that facilitate the creation of small dwelling units – Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs), Junior Accessory Dwelling Units (JADUs) -- and ‘home-sharing' options.
The event is free of charge and open to all residents of the greater Sebastopol area. Raise the Roof! spreads the word about existing and new housing policies that help facilitate the creation of small dwelling units and home-sharing, and provides a venue for housing-related entities, such as Sonoma County Community Development Commission, to interact with the public about the affordable housing resources and wrap around services they offer. Free childcare and light refreshments will be provided and attendees will also have the opportunity to meet one-on-one with planners and public and private service providers.
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Fifth District Supervisor Lynda Hopkins | County of Sonoma | 707-565-2241
Lynda.Hopkins@sonoma-county.org
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