County of Sonoma District 3 Monthly Newsletter

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It's October in Sonoma County!

With autumn in full swing, strong winds remind us of the disasters we have survived and compel us to stay vigilant and prepared should another disaster strike. This month marks the 4th anniversary of the 2017 Tubbs fire, an experience that marked our community in significant and permanent ways. In four years a lot has changed. Disasters now occur more often and at times more severely. On the positive side, we now are better prepared and more equipped to respond. At the County, we have worked to increase the technological capacity to detect and suppress fires, further develop equity in our response framework and streamline access to recovery resources. As part of these efforts, the County recently invested in the energy resiliency of our evacuation centers and inaugurated the first of several onsite generators in key facilities. Read on for more information on this. While the possibility of disaster forms part of our regular discourse and work at the County, we also are working on non-disaster-related business critical to the functioning of local government. In this newsletter, we have assembled updates to inform you about that work, deliver the latest news from the County and share community announcements. I hope this bulleting is useful and serves as a point of connection to news and services that matter to you. As always, I thank you for reading and staying involved, and welcome your continued engagement.

Chris Coursey 707-565-2241 district3@sonoma-county.org sonomacounty.ca.gov/Board-of-Supervisors/District-3 Obtain more information on the vaccine. Find out how to get a COVID-19 test. View future Board agendas, previous meeting recordings and materials.

Sonoma County Invest More than $6.5 Million in Generators to Create Safe Havens and Maintain Services During Emergencies

Bolstering its ability to deliver essential services during emergencies, the County of Sonoma has completed the first phase of an initiative to install 13 large generators at major evacuation centers and other important public facilities. The County’s Department of General Services and District 3 Supervisor Chris Coursey marked the completion of the initiative’s first stage with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Santa Rosa Veterans' Memorial Building. The event celebrated the recently completed installation of a 100-kilowatt generator to supply the County’s largest evacuation center with electricity during power outages. “This building is not only a community center and a veteran’s memorial; it is a safe haven in disasters. During fires, floods and power shut-offs, this is a place where people come for safety, cooling, electrical power and centralized services,” said Supervisor Coursey. “The Board of Supervisors has responded to the community’s needs by approving funding for projects like this at veterans’ buildings in Petaluma, Cloverdale, Santa Rosa and Sonoma,” he said. While this first phase of the project ensures that a diesel generator is available for immediate use, the County is working on securing green energy sources to further the resiliency of Veterans' Memorial Buildings. Presently, the General Services Department is working on grant applications to invest in solar energy and a battery storage technology. Read more here!

Release of Census Data Triggers Series of Sonoma County Redistricting Public Meetings

With the recent release of the State of California-adjusted Census data, Sonoma County is gearing up for a series of redistricting public meetings over the next couple of months. These meetings will result in the prioritization of draft district maps and, ultimately, will lead to the adoption of a new district map by the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors. Sonoma County residents are encouraged to participate in the redistricting process and attend these meetings as new election lines will determine which communities are placed in each supervisorial district. Voters within each district will then be able to elect a County supervisor that best represents their community. The remaining redistricting meetings include a mixture of ARC and BOS meetings and hearings as follows: Oct. 13, at 5 p.m.: Virtual Town Hall; learn about redistricting/provide feedback Oct. 18, at 4 p.m.: ARC Meeting; introduction of draft maps Oct. 22, at 4 p.m.: ARC Meeting; public feedback on draft maps Oct. 25, at 4 p.m.: ARC Meeting; narrow/prioritize map options Nov. 2, at 9 a.m.: BOS Public Hearing; review ARC focus maps Nov. 16, at 9 a.m.: BOS Public Hearing; preferred map and modifications Dec. 7, at 9 a.m.: BOS Public Hearing; introduce an ordinance to adopt district map Dec 14, at 8:30 a.m.: BOS Meeting; adopt ordinance/district map Residents may also submit feedback, draft maps and access resources online by visiting: sonomacounty.ca.gov/redistricting. To receive updates, ask questions or recommend a community group for the County to reach out to, please email Redistricting2021@sonoma-county.org Read the full press release on the release of census data.

Community News & Updates

Special Needs Trust Webinar and Q&A for Fire Survivors Thursday, October 14 ; 6pm – 7pm In collaboration with The Law Offices of Heather Campopiano and Supervisor Coursey's Office, Disability Services and Legal Center is hosting a forum on Special Needs Trust Funds, alternatives and how they can impact your benefits. Created for fire survivors, this webinar will give an overview of Special Needs Trusts as money management alternatives for people with disabilities who have or will receive PG&E settlements. The Webinar will also review other options for managing funds and how these can impact benefits that participants receive. Attendees will have an opportunity to ask presenters questions during the last portion of the event. Click here to register

Visit the Sonoma County Public Law Library! Established in 1891, the Sonoma County Public Law Library has provided open access to justice to Sonoma County residents for over a century. While it does not provide legal advice, the library has an impressive selection of legal texts and librarians readily available to assist the visiting public. The Law Library empowers residents to access critical tools for self-representation. It also hosts a wide-range of practical services such as conference room rentals, convenient passport applications and renewals, computer services such as internet access, document scanning and more! Learn more about the library and accessing services here.

Vision Zero Safety Survey Each year in Sonoma County, more than 200 people are injured or killed in traffic crashes. In response, the County of Sonoma is collaborating with 9 jurisdictions on transportation safety initiative called Vision Zero, which aims to eliminate transportation-related fatalities. To this end, the collaborative is conducting the Vision Zero survey, which gives residents and opportunity to provide anonymous feedback on improving mobility safety in their communities. Access the Vision Zero survey and submit a response.

Emergency Rental Assistance Program Do you need housing and renter support during COVID-19? If so, the County of Sonoma Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) helps eligible households who have been financially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The program provides payment assistance for renters or landlords who need help with rent and utilities. Applications can be completed online or sent in via mail. Any community member can apply for assistance regardless of immigration status. Funds can be used to pay rent as well as past-due utility bills and home service bills.  Apply today by clicking here.

Pandemic Relief Grant for Ag Small Producers, Processors, Distributors and Farmers’ Markets! The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced a Request for Applications for the new Pandemic Response and Safety Grant program. The  grants will assist small businesses in certain industries including specialty crop producers, shellfish farming, finfish farming, aquaculture and apiculture; specialty crop, meat and other processors; distributors; and farmers markets. Small businesses and nonprofits in these industries can apply for a grant to cover COVID-related expenses such as workplace safety measures, shifting to online sales platforms, transportation, worker housing and medical costs etc.   The deadline to apply is Monday, November 22, 2021. Click here to learn more.

COVID-19 Update

Bay Area Health Officers Issue Criteria for Lifting COVID-19 Indoor Masking As decisions to vaccinate and wear face coverings indoors drive down COVID-19 case rates and hospitalizations, health officers for the nine Bay Area jurisdictions that require face coverings in most indoor public spaces recently reached consensus on criteria to lift those health orders. The nine jurisdictions will lift the indoor masking requirement in public spaces not subject to state masking rules when all the following occur: The jurisdiction reaches the moderate (yellow) COVID-19 transmission tier, as defined by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), and remains there for at least three weeks; AND COVID-19 hospitalizations in the jurisdiction are low and stable, in the judgment of the health officer; AND 80% of the jurisdiction’s total population is fully vaccinated with two doses of Pfizer or Moderna or one dose of Johnson & Johnson OR eight weeks have passed since a COVID-19 vaccine has been authorized for emergency use by federal and state authorities for 5- to 11-year-olds  Read more here.

New Guidance on COVID-19 Testing The California Department of Public Health has created a new fact sheet to help Californians understand when they should get tested for COVID-19. Get tested immediately if you are feeling any symptoms – regardless of vaccination status. COVID-19 symptoms can feel like a common cold (including just “the sniffles”), seasonal allergies, or flu. If you’ve been exposed to COVID-19 and are not fully vaccinated, get tested right away. If you test negative, retest five to seven days after your exposure date. Those who are unvaccinated should also test before and three to five days after any high-risk events. If you were fully vaccinated when exposed, you should get tested three to five days after close contact with someone who recently tested positive. If you have recovered from COVID-19 in the last three months and have had no new symptoms since your recent exposure, you do not need to get tested. COVID testing in California is free to anyone who needs it. Click here for testing options in Sonoma County.

Sonoma County Delivers 700,000th Vaccination Reaching another major milestone in the battle against COVID-19, the campaign to protect Sonoma County residents from the virus delivered its 700,000th dose of vaccine this week. The 10-month-old vaccination campaign has succeeded in delivering at least one dose to 85 percent of the eligible population in Sonoma County, outpacing state and national efforts. By comparison, 79 percent of the eligible population in California and 65 percent of eligible Americans have received at least one dose of the vaccine. The County remains focused on administering first and second doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to the 23 percent of eligible residents who are not fully immunized. The County is also preparing to support efforts to vaccinate 37,000 children between the ages of 5 and 11 starting as soon as November, if authorized by federal regulators. Read more here!

Pfizer Says Vaccine Safe for Ages 5-11; Will Seek Approval for Use Pfizer and BioNTech announced that they submitted data to the FDA showing that their coronavirus vaccine is safe and effective in children ages 5 to 11. Pfizer and BioNTech cited favorable results from their clinical trial with more than 2,200 participants in that age group. County health officials expect the vaccine to be authorized by the FDA for ages 5 to 11 by the end of October or early November. The County is in discussions with the Sonoma County Office of Education about setting up vaccine clinics at schools when a vaccine is authorized for ages 5 to 11 and about a campaign to educate parents about pediatric vaccines. For most people, though, the primary source of information and to obtain a vaccination for a child will be a trusted pediatrician.

Helpful Links: Obtain an electronic record of your vaccine. Get your vaccine. Get Tested. Emergency Rental Assistance Program and Eviction Protection Info Information on the local Paid Sick Leave Ordinance Info for employers in need of recommendations and resources for addressing COVID-19. Coronavirus Business Resource Guide

Disaster Preparedness Corner

Are You Prepared for an Earthquake?  Don’t wait for the ground to shake: prepare for earthquakes before they happen. Watch the video or visit the link below to learn how to prepare your household. Click here to learn more.

Is Your Business Prepared for A Disaster? Get staff ready for emergencies at both home and work Look for vulnerabilities in your essential equipment Recognize key factors that require your business to operate at any capacity Have a list of key customers, contacts, and vendors accessible Maintain a back up of key information, including financials Make a plan for your technology infrastructure Test your plan with staff and review periodically for necessary modifications Click here to learn more.

Supervisor Coursey Sonoma County District 3 ‌