Summer is a great time to visit the Sonoma Coast, which offers stunning vistas, sandy beaches and endless opportunities for exploration. It is both a privilege and a responsibility to have one of the most spectacular places on the planet right in our own backyard. In this month’s edition of the SoCo Correspondent, you will learn what the county is doing to protect this wonderful resource. You will also find updates on the county’s efforts to expand public access to high-speed internet service, increase the supply of affordable housing, teach children about the environment and help foster youth build new lives.

As always, we encourage you to share this newsletter with friends, colleagues and family members or urge them to sign up for the SoCo Correspondent so they can receive it directly, normally on the first and third week of each month.

¿Está interesado en leer sobre lo que hace el Condado de Sonoma dos veces al mes? Este boletín estará disponible en español. Regístrese aquí para suscribirse a nuestro boletín, el SoCo Correspondent.

Sonoma County’s 55-mile coast is one of the crown jewels of California. Last month, the Board of Supervisors approved a comprehensive plan to protect it for generations to come.

The board’s July 17 vote culminated a decade-long effort by the county to update its Local Coastal Plan, which regulates land use and protects resources along the coast. The plan includes measures that safeguard public access, protect water resources, conserve coastal ecosystems, preserve agriculture and adapt to climate change, including rising sea levels.

“With the approval of the Local Coastal Plan, we have enhanced environmental protections for the Sonoma County coast, ensuring public access and promoting sustainable practices,” said District 5 Supervisor Lynda Hopkins, who represents west Sonoma County and the coast. “The Sonoma County coast is not just a scenic treasure but a series of irreplaceable ecosystems that we’ve committed to safeguarding.”

Permit Sonoma began work to update the plan in 2013. The project has involved extensive public outreach, research and publication of multiple drafts. It now heads to the California Coastal Commission for review.

The Board of Supervisors last week approved an agreement with Golden State Connect Authority to bring high-speed internet to unincorporated areas of the county that currently lack broadband service.

Under the agreement, Golden State Connect Authority will have the rights to install and maintain infrastructure on county-owned property, including the public right-of-way along existing roadways. The open access network model is intended to lower costs for internet providers to enter the market, creating a competitive environment that supports quality services at affordable prices. The agreement does not preclude the county from working directly with other internet service providers in the future to build out the county’s broadband infrastructure.

Supervisors also approved $1.5 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding to design more than 200 miles of broadband infrastructure in underserved areas near Cloverdale,

Mark West/Shiloh, east Santa Rosa, Annapolis, Walsh Landing and Jenner. The shovel-ready locations were identified based on median household income, population density, construction feasibility and other factors.

“For too long, unincorporated areas of Sonoma County have experienced inadequate access to the internet. Today’s action lifts up these communities by taking a decisive step toward closing the internet availability gap,” said Supervisor Chris Coursey, chair of the Board of Supervisors.

Cape Horn Dam

Sonoma Water and two partners unveiled a regional plan this week that would preserve a critical source of water for the Russian River and improve the health of fisheries in the Eel River.

The proposal would create a new regional entity to continue diverting water from the Eel River into the Russian River after PG&E decommissions its aging hydroelectric project in Potter Valley. The diversions have been vital to the Russian River for more than 100 years.

The plan would create a new facility to divert water into the Russian River through an existing tunnel near PG&E’s Cape Horn Dam while allowing fish to migrate upstream and downstream. It is backed by Sonoma Water, the Mendocino County Inland Water and Power Commission and the Round Valley Indian Tribes.

“This is all about achieving a solution that honors the needs of all the ecosystems and communities within the region,” said Sonoma County Supervisor and Sonoma Water Director James Gore. “Our proposal endeavors to improve the health of the Eel while preserving critical water diversions, at the appropriate times and levels, to the Russian River watershed.”

“The proposal that we submitted to PG&E benefits from the Two-Basin Solution Partnership and draws directly from technical studies and other work that the partners have undertaken together in recent years. We are very hopeful to find a pathway forward with these critical stakeholders,” said Sonoma County Supervisor and Sonoma Water Director David Rabbitt.

People applying for CalFresh and Medi-Cal benefits are experiencing unusually long wait times to speak with staff at the county’s Economic Assistance office in Santa Rosa, located at 2550 Paulin Drive, or its telephone service center at (877) 699-6868.

Residents are strongly encouraged to apply online at MyBenefitsCalWin.org if they have access to a computer and the internet.

“I want to thank the public for their patience during this time and apologize for the service delays,” said Angela Struckmann, director of the Human Services Department. “We know that wait times to speak to a worker can be several hours right now and we are working diligently to address the challenges that have caused these delays.”

Numerous challenges are causing delays in processing benefits, including increased staffing vacancies, the transition to a new state-mandated software system, and efforts to address a recent surge in electronic benefits theft.

Human Services provides health, medical and economic assistance to approximately 160,000 people in Sonoma County, which is equal to roughly one in three residents in Sonoma County. Staff at the Santa Rosa Economic Assistance offices are currently fielding 800 telephone calls daily and serving close to 300 people in the lobby. 

The 2023 Valley of the Moon Children's Foundation scholars.

It began in 2006 with an idea from Dianne Edwards, a former director of the county’s Human Services Department. Instead of buying her a retirement gift, Edwards asked friends to donate money for a new fund that would help former foster youth pay for college.

The idea blossomed. Seventeen years later, the partnership between the county and the Valley of the Moon Children’s Foundation has provided more than $1.4 million in scholarships to 393 former foster youth who have graduated from county support programs and are now pursuing a college education or trade certification.

Last month, the foundation awarded $148,000 in scholarships to 39 former foster youth. The money will help them pay for tuition, books, housing, food and other necessities.

“They are going to shape our community and we will be better for it,” said Donna Broadbent, director of the Human Services Department’s Family, Youth and Children’s Division.

Sonoma Land Trust conducts a field trip at Sears Point.

Sonoma County Ag + Open Space is expanding a beloved program that has connected tens of thousands of youth and adults to the beauty of Sonoma County’s natural lands and working farms over the last two decades.

Sonoma County supervisors, who also serve as the district’s Board of Directors, recently authorized $1.7 million to extend its public outings and youth education program for another three years. Programming is provided in partnership with the Sonoma Resource Conservation District and five local nonprofits: Friends of the Petaluma River, LandPaths, the Laguna de Santa Rosa Foundation, Sonoma Ecology Center and Sonoma Land Trust.

Youth education experiences are designed as a series of classroom visits and field trips that help connect what students are learning in school to the natural world around them. The public outings programming includes free guided hikes and special events on lands conserved by Ag + Open Space. The program, which connects students to local ecosystems and food systems, now serves nearly 8,000 people a year, almost double the number from three years ago.

The assessed value of all land and buildings in Sonoma County hit an all-time high of $114.5 billion this year, up 5.68 percent from last year.

The assessment roll is used to calculate property tax bills, which help fund schools and other government services. Owners who believe the market value of their property is less than the county’s assessed value are encouraged to appeal the assessment by Nov. 30. Information is available from the county Assessor’s Office at sonomacounty.ca.gov/assessor or by calling (707) 565-1888.

The Assessor’s Office is confronting a backlog of work resulting from multiple disasters, a strong real estate market over the last several years, the implementation of Proposition 19 and staffing turnover. The Board of Supervisors has approved additional staff positions, which will ensure the Assessor’s Office provides timely property assessments to Sonoma County property owners.

Emergency Management

Jeff DuVall has been named director of the Department of Emergency Management following a nationwide recruitment. He joined the department in 2019 as deputy director and has served as interim director since March. Previously, he served as emergency manager for the City of Anaheim. DuVall leads a department responsible for disaster planning, response and recovery, including the county’s emergency alert and warning program. His appointment is scheduled to be approved by the Board of Supervisors on Aug. 15. He will succeed Chris Godley, who left March 26 to become director of emergency management at Stanford University.

Health Services

Dr. Karen Smith has been appointed interim health officer for the county. A physician specializing in infectious disease and public health, Smith served as director of the California Department of Public Health and state health officer from 2015-2019 under Gov. Jerry Brown. Previously, she served as Napa County's health officer and deputy director of the Napa County Health and Human Services Agency. For the last four years, Smith has served as founding partner of Healthy Community Ventures, a health care consulting firm. She succeeds Dr. Kismet Baldwin-Santana, who departed Aug. 4 to become the health officer for San Mateo County.

Are you looking for a new job? Thinking about career options for the future? Learn how you can take the next step in your professional life and join the County of Sonoma family!

Start Here! is a virtual class that provides an overview of the county’s job application, examination and selection processes. The two-hour session provides information on how to submit a thorough application, best practices for the interview and examination, and much more. Send an email to careers@sonoma-county.org and we will invite you to future class opportunities. Let us help guide you through the county’s selection process.

Developing affordable housing in Sonoma County just got a little easier.

Last month, the county was named a “prohousing” county by the state Department of Housing and Community Development. As a result, the county will receive preferential treatment from the state for a variety of housing grants.

To be eligible for the designation, the county needed to confirm that it will not adopt laws or policies that inhibit or constrain housing production, such as restrictive zoning or development standards, and commit to affirmatively encouraging fair housing.

“Bestowing a ‘Prohousing Designation’ on Sonoma County is a badge of honor for us,” said Supervisor Chris Coursey, chair of the Board of Supervisors. “Smart housing policies advance our equity and environmental goals while tackling Sonoma County’s housing crisis.”

Sonoma County Regional Parks is seeking community input to guide development of Calabazas Creek Regional Park and Open Space Preserve, a new park near Glen Ellen that is not yet open to the general public.

Public feedback will help Regional Parks create a master plan outlining future uses of the 1,290-acre property on the western slopes of the Mayacamas mountains. It contains an array of ecosystems, rare plant species and notable wildlife, including peregrine falcons, northern spotted owls, steelhead trout, foothill yellow-legged frogs and California giant salamanders.

“It's exciting to reach another milestone in the creation of a park for all to enjoy,” said Supervisor Susan Gorin, whose First District encompasses the property. “Located near Sugarloaf Ridge State Park and Sonoma Valley Regional Park, this parkland holds so much potential from expanding wildlife corridors to creating trails that might connect with other networks and preserving open space buffers that reduce wildfire risk. We encourage the community to get involved and help guide the future of this natural sanctuary.”

The upper ranchland that comprises the park and preserve was sold in 2004 to the Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District, which transferred the property to Regional Parks in 2021.

Take the survey at CalabazasCreekParkAndPreserve.org before Oct. 1 and learn more about the future park.

A county that is often celebrated for its coastline, redwoods and vineyards is now growing in recognition in another area – its digital landscape.

Sonoma County was ranked among the best in the nation for its digital practices and online presence in an annual survey by the Center for Digital Government and the National Association of Counties. Their Digital Counties Survey assesses government initiatives to streamline services, provide data analytics, enhance cybersecurity, and apply innovative and emerging technologies. Sonoma County ranked fifth among counties with 250,000 to 499,999 residents.

“I applaud our Information Systems Department for keeping Sonoma County on the forefront of innovation,” said Supervisor Chris Coursey, chair of the Board of Supervisors. “This innovation makes life easier, safer and accessible for everyone who lives or does business in Sonoma County.”

This is the second time in three years that Sonoma County has been ranked among the best in the nation, finishing sixth in 2021 in the 500,000-999,999 population category. Since then, the county has revamped its website, which improved accessibility, increased ADA compliance and offered multilingual content conversion. The county also transitioned its 4,000 employees to Microsoft Office 365 in the cloud, ensuring that county employees can continue to provide vital services to residents in the event that the main data center goes down.

Thinking about going solar? Want to protect your home or business from wildfires and earthquakes? Learn how by attending a series of free Zoom workshops this month staged by the county’s Climate Action and Resiliency Division.

• Aug. 16 – Funding your improvements - Incentives, Rebates and Financing: This webinar will cover resources to help pay for improvements that make buildings more energy efficient, comfortable, and safe from wildfires and earthquakes. Learn how you can take advantage of the county’s financing program, which allows property owners to pay for new roofs, windows, solar and more than 100 eligible improvements.

• Aug. 23 – Electrification 101 - Creating a Plan: This webinar will show you how to evaluate your home and develop a plan to make the switch from fossil fuels to electricity.

• Aug. 30 – Solar, Storage and Electrictrification - A Perfect Match: This webinar will make clear the workings of solar electric systems and battery storage systems – and how they work together to not only eliminate your electric bill but also eliminate your energy usage footprint as well. We’ll discuss the impact of switching from gas to electricity in your home, recent changes to Net Energy Metering, current incentives and funding options for improvements.

Did you know Sonoma County is ranked No. 1 by the State of California for its success in reaching child support agreements through “stipulations?” These collaborative agreements encourage parents to find common ground and strike a balance between their differing visions of their child’s wants and needs.

The county Department of Child Support Services acts as a neutral third-party that can help establish paternity, locate absent parents and enforce court orders for child support. Last year, it collected and distributed more than more than $30.5 million to support 14,000 local children.

This week, the department unveiled new resources to meet the diverse needs of local families. They include programs to help parents simplify child support payments, reduce child support debts, and regain driver’s licenses that have been suspended for failure to pay child support.

“Our mission is to promote the well-being of children and the self-sufficiency of families by assisting both parents to meet the financial, medical and emotional needs of children,” said Janeene de Martinez, director of the Department of Child Support Services.

Information Technology makes up 2 percent of the jobs in Sonoma County and 6 percent of the county’s economic output, according to a new report published by the Sonoma County Economic Development Board.

Most of these jobs are in telecommunications, computer systems design and technical consulting services. However, job creation has leveled off since mid-2021 due to overall weaker growth in the Bay Area, the shift toward remote work and a move to cut costs within the tech industry. Growth in the local IT industry is expected to be modest until interest rates come down and the economy stabilizes, according to the report, which was prepared for the EDB by Moody’s Analytics

Concerns around housing affordability in Sonoma County and a decline in the size of the county’s working-age population, which is down about 8 percent since 2010, are the biggest challenges clouding the outlook for the local IT industry, the report concluded.

Get involved with local government

Government is only as good as the people who step forward to serve. There are many ways you can become involved in local government by serving on local boards, commissions and committees.

Current vacancies include:

• Child Care Planning Council of Sonoma County: To develop ongoing comprehensive planning for child care needs in the county and to provide greater coordination of and advocacy for child care services.

• Community Action Partnership of Sonoma County: To partner with low-income families and individuals to help them achieve economic and social stability.

• Green Valley Cemetery District: To oversee care of the grounds, sell plots and maintain records of burials, secure liability insurance, provide annual audit materials and submit an annual report to the State Controller’s Office.

• Independent Citizens’ Pension Committee: To ensure a more fair, equitable, and sustainable county pension system.

• Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health Advisory Board: To promote the physical, social and emotional health of families, children and adolescents in Sonoma County.

• Sonoma County Local Task Force on Integrated Waste Management: To develop goals, policies and procedures around waste management, waste reduction and recycling.

• Sonoma Mendocino Economic Development District: To launch a comprehensive economic development strategy built around economic diversification, human capital, innovation and entrepreneurship, and inclusive economic development.

• Workforce Investment Board: To lead an integrated workforce development system to ensure the county’s economic vitality and quality of life.

Check out the list of current vacancies and discover how you can help shape the future of Sonoma County.

My name is Ping. I’m a female domestic shorthair cat who's been at the shelter since April 27. I’m about 5 years old and weigh about 13 pounds. I’ve been spayed and microchipped, and I’m current on my vaccinations. My caretakers say I’m a loving cat that would make an excellent companion.

Ping is one of dozens of cats, dogs, rabbits and other animals at Sonoma County Animal Services in need of adoption. This summer, all dog adoptions are free during the “Love Don’t Cost a Thing” summer special. All you have to do is purchase a dog license. Meet your new pet from noon to 4:30 p.m. on Tuesdays-Saturdays at Sonoma County Animal Services, 1247 Century Court in Santa Rosa. We are also looking for weekend foster homes for our shelter dogs. Contact SCASFosters@sonoma-county.org if interested.

Volunteer opportunities

Make a difference in your community. Find out how you can give back here.

Employment opportunities

Take your next career step with the County of Sonoma. Explore employment opportunities here.

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• Sonoma County names new emergency management director (Aug. 9)
• New interim health chief seeks to help county prioritize as COVID crisis wanes (Aug. 8)
• Sonoma, Mendocino county water managers propose pathway for continued Eel River diversions (Aug. 7)
• Sonoma County appoints former state public health director as interim health officer (Aug. 1)
• Save the Redwoods League to buy nearly 400 acres along lower Russian River, transfer land to county (Aug. 1)
• COVID-19 cases rise in Sonoma County, though infections mostly mild (July 31)
• County report examines economy in the Springs (July 24)
• Sonoma County lowers Project Labor Agreement threshold for construction projects (July 26)
• Sonoma County’s Zero Waste Week, popular Fix-it Clinic are back (July 20)
• Sonoma County supervisors approve updated coastal protections (July 18)
• Solar panel recycling gets off the ground in Sonoma County (July 13)
• Updated Sonoma County coastal plan up for a vote (July 14)
• Record lows to near brimming: North Bay reservoirs stage remarkable recovery (July 10)

Upcoming events

Aug. 10 -- Commission on the Status of Women

Aug. 15 -- Board of Supervisors

Aug. 15 -- North Sonoma Valley Municipal Advisory Council

Aug. 16 -- Community Development Committee

Aug. 17 -- Planning Commission

Aug. 17 -- Dry Creek Valley Citizens Advisory Council

Aug. 20 -- Family Justice Center annual dinner and auction

Aug. 22 -- Board of Supervisors

Aug. 22 -- Human Rights Commission

Aug. 23 -- Sonoma Valley Citizens Advisory Commission

Aug. 23 -- Economic Development Board

Aug. 23 -- Continuum of Care Board

Aug. 24 -- Employer workshop on navigating child support system

Aug. 24 -- Joint meeting of Sonoma Coast and Lower Russian River Advisory Councils

Aug. 24 -- Ag + Open Space District Advisory Committee

Aug. 29 -- Board of Supervisors climate action and resiliency workshop

Sept. 4 -- Labor Day (most government offices closed)

Sept. 6 -- Continuum of Care Board

Sept. 6 -- IOLERO Community Advisory Council

Sept. 6 -- Creative Sonoma Advisory Board

Sept. 7 -- Planning Commission

Sept. 12 -- Board of Supervisors

Sept. 13 -- Springs Municipal Advisory Council

Getting outside and enjoying the county

Aug. 18 -- Hikes with Hounds: Crane Creek Regional Park

Aug. 19 -- Outdoor Survival School (morning and evening classes available at Tolay Lake Regional Park)

Aug. 21 -- The Amazing Oak Gall Wasp: Crane Creek Regional Park

Aug. 26 -- Cultivating Queer and Trans Community: North Sonoma Mountain Regional Park

Pro tip: Kayak and stand-up paddleboard rentals are available at Spring Lake Regional Park daily through Labor Day. Use the Violetti Road entrance to reach the rental office and launch site near the swimming lagoon. Online reservations are highly recommended; walk-ups are welcome based on availability.

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A publication of the County Administrator’s Office – Communications Staff