District 1 News
Serving West Sacramento & Clarksburg
 
  Oscar Villegas
 Yolo County Supervisor
 District 1
August 2019
Note From Oscar:
Greetings!
 
August may signify the end of summer, but with the recent heat wave I think we are all looking forward to some cooler fall weather. Despite the heat, I have been busy as ever; this summer has been filled with work on water issues, initiating traffic calming measures in Clarksburg, representing Yolo County at the National Association of Counties Annual Conference, and more. I continue to work hard for all of you in Yolo County as we move into the remaining months of 2019.
Upcoming Board of Supervisor  Meetings
 
9/10/19        9:00 am
9/24/19        9:00 am
10/8/19        9:00 am
10/22/19      9:00 am

Contact Us

Oscar Villegas 
[email protected]
916.375.6440

Marianne Estes, Deputy
916.375.6441

Carol Strunk, Assistant Deputy
916.375.6443

Yolo County Receives State Grant for Homeless Funding
On June 14, 2019, the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) awarded Yolo County two No Place Like Home (NPLH) grants with a combined total amount of $12,365,747. These grants will go to build new permanent supportive housing for people living with a mental illness who qualify as at-risk of homelessness, homeless, or chronically homeless. The housing projects will be located in West Sacramento and Woodland in partnerships with local housing developers Mercy Housing California and Friends of the Mission, as well as the cities of West Sacramento and Woodland.           
Speaker at Construction Trades Pre-apprenticeship Event
On June 22, 2019, I attended Northern California Construction Training's (NCCT) annual graduation at the Sacramento County Office of Education Conference Center in Rancho Cordova. NCCT is a pre-apprenticeship training program that prepares men and women for entry into various construction trades apprenticeship programs. More than 224 NCCT students earned their certificates this year, and I am thankful to have been invited to the ceremony as the Yolo County liaison and to have been able to witness the graduation of so many deserving men and women. To view a photo from the event, please click on the Photo Gallery below.                       
National Association of Counties Annual Conference & Exposition
In July, I attended the Annual NACo Conference, which took place from July 12 to July 15, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. This event is one of the largest annual conferences in the U.S., drawing together elected and appointed county officials from both rural and urban counties. We came together to give input to NACo's federal policy agenda, share practices and ideas, and strengthen knowledge networks to help improve the efficiency of county government as well as the quality of life for residents. If you would like more information on NACo, click here.
Update on Rural Fire Districts
Rural fire departments in Yolo County-and across the nation-are facing a common challenge. Calls for services are increasing every year, while the number of available volunteers are dwindling. This has created an imbalance in Yolo County where fewer and fewer volunteers are available to respond to a growing amount of calls from residents. At the July 23rd Board of Supervisors meeting, the Board received a report on the situation, including suggested next steps. County staff are now working in conjunction with the Fire Chiefs' Association to develop a comprehensive plan for Yolo County. The goal is to complete a preliminary plan over the next six months and return to the Board at that time.
  New Clarksburg Traffic Calming
Over the course of the next several months, you will see activity on the South River Road. Guardrails are being installed along portions of the South River Road primarily funded by the federal government.  
 
In addition, the Clarksburg General Plan Citizen's Advisory Committee formally proposed recommendations to the County. The five recommendations are noted below along with the action taken to date in response to the recommendations.
  • Reduce the lawful speed to the lowest recommended by California Highway Patrol (CHP) after a review of the Yolo county speed survey. The CHP has renewed their commitment to regularly patrol the area of Clarksburg. In addition, the County will be initiating a speed survey throughout the county in the coming weeks.
  • Install Driver feedback sign(s) (Radar speed signs) in location(s) to be determined by Public Works. The existing radar signs which have been nonfunctional have now been replaced. Two more radar signs will be installed near St. Joseph Parish within the next 60 days.
  • Remove all passing zones on the road between West Sacramento and the Freeport Bridge. This item is pending review and analysis by the county.
  • Increased and continuous traffic enforcement.
    • Acquire, train and post RADAR (speed detecting) equipped Sheriff units along the road.
    • Patrol various times through the most active time period of 0600 to 2200.
    • Patrol multiple days per week.
    • Investigate speed-sensing cameras.
The Sheriff's Office is reviewing this item and will provide feedback pending administrative and legal review.
  • Add stop signs to the intersection of South River Rd and Netherlands Rd.  Add crosswalks to Netherlands and South River Rd on the north side of the intersection. On July 23, 2019, the Board of Supervisors approved the installation of a three-way stop sign at this intersection. The installation will begin within the next 60 days.
To see a photo of the committee in action, please click the Photo Gallery below. 
West Sacramento Urban Farms Tour
On August 5, 2019, I took part in a tour of local farms here in West Sacramento, in celebration of five years of the West Sacramento Urban Farm Program. This program converts vacant lots in West Sacramento into Urban Farm Business Incubators, giving the opportunity to launch a small farm business to farmers who are just starting out, while also cultivating a meaningful way to interact and engage with our local community. The program benefits the citizens of West Sac in a multitude of ways; produce from the farms is donated to Food Banks, sold to residents through on-site farm stands, sold to local restaurants, fresh produce is provided to Washington Unified, Roblas Unified, Natomas Unified and Davis Unified School Districts, and many of the farmers participate in various local farmers markets. I highly encourage you to visit these farms and support the program. The Daily Democrat published a great article about the program and the tour; if you would like to read it, click here. And, if you would like to view photos from the tour, click the Photo Gallery below.
Clarksburg Branch Library Reopens
The Clarksburg Branch Library was closed for a renovation from June 12-29, 2019. The renovation of the location includes new lighting, paint, carpet, shelving, furniture, and a re-interpreted interior space tailored to meet the needs of Clarksburg Branch Library users of all ages. If you would like to visit the branch and see the results of the renovation in person, the Clarksburg Branch Library hours are listed here.
Expanding Yolo County Footprint in West Sac
The County has a campus in West Sacramento at 500 Jefferson Street that includes my office, HHSA programs and services, probation, and a community clinic operated by CommuniCare. There are two buildings on site, one of which was previously owned by the City of West Sacramento and was being leased to the County. The County has just finished purchasing this building from the City, so that both buildings are now owned by Yolo County. The County's long-term plan is to work with the City and CommuniCare to free up space at the West Sac campus and allow us to expand services, including child welfare services, eligibility programs, etc.
New West Sac Historical Society Exhibition
On August 7, 2019, I attended the opening reception of the West Sacramento Historical Society's new exhibition, Delta Grandeur: The Bucolic Splendor of California's Inland Estuary. It's a great exhibit that showcases much of the natural beauty of the Delta. The exhibit is located at the West Sac Community Center in Gallery 1075, and will only be open until September 27, 2019, so I highly encourage you to stop by and see it while it's there.
Clarksburg Library Wine Tasting
The Friends of the Clarksburg Library invite you to join them in celebrating their 31st Annual Wines of Clarksburg fundraiser on Sunday, September 15th from 1 to 4 in the afternoon at the grounds of The Heringer Ranch, located in Clarksburg. The event will consist of an afternoon of food samplings from local caterer Acoustic Events, wine tastings from the Clarksburg appellation, live music, gourmet gift auctions, and a fine art auction featuring Sacramento and Delta artists. Proceeds from this event will benefit the Clarksburg Library, which is the only community-owned library in California. For more information and to purchase tickets, click here.
Advisory Board Openings
District 1 has openings on the following Boards/Commissions:

Childcare & Development Planning Commission has one opening for a provider and one opening for a consumer; and

Maternal, Child & Adolescent Health Advisory Board has an opening for a parent of children eligible for state health services.


For more information click here.       
                      
Photo Gallery
To visit our photo gallery, which highlights the recent activities of Supervisor Villegas, click here.