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Maybe you won’t hear it here first – but you may read about it here first. In this edition of the SoCo Correspondent, we will introduce you to our latest platform to keep residents informed – SoCo Chat, a new podcast about all things concerning the County of Sonoma.The details about how to sign up to listen to SoCo Chat episodes are below. We’ve also got updates on new investments in our parks and a new initiative to promote healing and compassion by bringing music classes into the county jail. Plus we have the latest information on efforts to track the magnitude of homelessness in Sonoma County and build a new central compost facility that would take trucks off our roads.
Be sure to tell friends, colleagues and family members about this newsletter and 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.
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County launches ‘SoCo Chat’ podcast | |
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Supervisor David Rabbitt, right, and Sonoma County Communications Manager
Paul Gullixson visit the SoCo Chat studio.
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The county is launching a digital podcast series, SoCo Chat, that highlights current county issues and events, policy questions, community concerns and other matters of public importance.
The new series is available in video and audio formats and features at least two new segments per week – a 20-minute topical discussion with county officials, staff members and agency partners, followed by a weekly news edition highlighting need-to-know information and upcoming dates of importance.
“With the launch of this podcast, we’re hoping to reach people where they are with information they need, presented through conversation,” said Supervisor David Rabbitt, chair of the Board of Supervisors. “The county has needed something like this for a long time.”
The first episode of the new digital series features a conversation with Supervisor Rabbitt, who discusses his vision for public policy direction and county initiatives in the coming year. Upcoming SoCo Chat episodes include discussions with Deva Marie Proto, Sonoma County Clerk-Recorder-Assessor-Registrar of Voters, who addresses election integrity and provides insight into the upcoming 2024 election; Sonoma County Human Resources Director Janell Crane, who speaks to county employment opportunities; and Dr. Tanya Phares, Sonoma County’s new public health officer, who answers questions about how to protect yourself from respiratory viruses.
Listen, watch and subscribe to the SoCo Chat podcast series on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music and YouTube.
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Sonoma County to conduct annual survey
of homelessness
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It is difficult to address homelessness if you don’t understand the extent of it. That’s why the county’s Department of Health Services attempts to locate and count every single person experiencing homelessness on a single night every January.
Before dawn tomorrow, county staff and volunteers will fan out across the county and count the number of people they find sleeping in cars, parks, abandoned buildings, creekways, empty lots and sidewalks. Others will count people in homeless shelters and transitional housing.
While the annual Point-in-Time count is required to receive federal homeless assistance funds, it also provides critical data to understand homelessness locally and support strategic decisions about our programs.
These annual counts indicate that homelessness has been declining in Sonoma County since 2011, apart from a surge in 2022 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Last year’s annual Point-in-Time count found 2,266 individuals experiencing some form of homelessness, down 22 percent from the previous year. The number of people sleeping on the street plunged even more, dropping to 1,291, a decline of 38 percent. It reflects the results of a series of investments by the county in expanding the supply of emergency shelters and supportive housing for people who are homeless or in danger of becoming homeless.
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Winter respiratory viruses are still circulating | |
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It’s been a tough winter for a lot of people, with influenza, COVID-19 and RSV seasons all converging around the holidays this year. Unfortunately, only 20 percent of Sonoma County residents have been vaccinated against COVID-19, while just 30 percent have received a flu shot. As a result, our community lacks herd immunity, which can slow the spread of these viruses. Expect several more weeks of high case rates, particularly of the dominant COVID variant, JN.1, which is highly transmissible.
Vaccination is the best way to prevent serious respiratory illness. Fortunately, it’s not too late to get vaccinated and there is plenty of local supply available. Contact your health care provider if you have questions or need to schedule your vaccination.
The California Department of Public Health has recently issued new isolation guidelines for COVID-19:
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Stay home if you have COVID-19 symptoms until fever free for 24 hours and symptoms are mild and improving.
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Mask around other people indoors for 10 days.
- Avoid contact with people at higher risk for severe COVID-19 for 10 days.
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Seek treatment from your health care provider if you have symptoms or are high-risk.
For more details, view the new COVID-19 Isolation Guidelines and a Q&A on how to isolate yourself if you have COVID.
Learn more about protecting yourself and your family from the winter respiratory viruses by tuning into SoCo Chat for an upcoming discussion with Sonoma County Health Officer Dr. Tanya Phares.
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Local parks tax supports $14 million in improvements | |
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For every dollar you spend on local sales taxes, 12 ½ cents goes to local parks, thanks to Measure M. The 2018 ballot measure dictates that two-thirds of that money goes to the county’s regional park system while the rest is divvied up among the county’s nine cities, according to population size.
It makes a huge difference. The tax generated $15.9 million in the 2022-23 fiscal year, enabling parks departments throughout Sonoma County to update their playgrounds and sports facilities, improve signage and complete other crucial maintenance projects
Regional Parks used Measure M funds to renovate Spring Lake Regional Park by upgrading parking areas, restrooms, picnic tables, signage and other infrastructure. The department also devoted funding to climate adaptation – making parks more resilient to wildfire and extreme weather, stewarding forests and grasslands and promoting biodiversity. It added an inclusivity manager, part of its commitment to ensure all residents enjoy equal access to the benefits parks provide.
Cities tackled deferred maintenance projects, installed new playground equipment and sports areas, built new trails and addressed climate change in their parks.
“The power of this collaboration goes beyond municipal boundaries and offers massive benefits to the community,” said Supervisor Chris Coursey, board chair in 2023. “Parks are being redeveloped and trails are being built. Programs are connecting youth and families with the outdoors. And the county and cities are leveraging this tax funding for additional revenue from state, federal and private grants. I’m proud that Sonoma County is a part of this partnership with our cities.”
“Parks are the heartbeat of our community,” said Melanie Parker, Regional Parks’ deputy director and Measure M administrator. “We are grateful that Sonoma County voters value parks. Through grants and working with community and industry partners, we are committed to matching every dollar at least one to one, sometimes as much as tenfold. The pressures on parks are enormous and the needs are many, but by leveraging these funds we can tackle many of our key challenges.”
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Promoting healing, compassion in jail through music | |
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Please join us Monday morning on Facebook for a free concert by musicians from The Juilliard School, one of the world’s premiere performing arts schools, to kick off an innovative program that will bring music classes into the Sonoma County jail.
Eleven people incarcerated in the jail will learn music composition, music theory, score-reading and how to play stringed instruments as part of the Music for the Future program, which is designed to educate and encourage inmates while promoting healing and building compassionate communities.
The program is a partnership between the Sheriff’s Office and Project: Music Heals Us, a Connecticut nonprofit; Five Keys Schools & Programs, a San Francisco nonprofit; and Juilliard’s extension division. Participants will learn about music during a one-week in-person residency program at the jail and six-week remote class.
“Incarcerated persons are members of our community,” said Sheriff Eddie Engram. “We want them to leave our custody and re-enter Sonoma County in better condition than when they arrived. This program helps us achieve that goal by providing high-quality instruction in partnership with the most prestigious performing arts schools in the country.”
Founded in 2013, Project: Music Heals Us brings high-quality live music performances and interactive programming to marginalized communities with limited ability to access it themselves, with a focus on elderly, disabled, rehabilitating, incarcerated and homeless populations.
The 8:30 a.m. Monday concert will be live-streamed on the Sheriff’s Office Facebook page.
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Skip the line – do it online | |
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Do you receive CalFresh, Medi-Cal or CalWorks? You can now manage your benefits online at BenefitsCal.com.
Create an account today to upload documents, get notifications about key deadlines, check your card balance, and more.
BenefitsCal.com is an online portal where Californians can get and manage benefits, including food assistance through CalFresh (formerly food stamps), affordable health insurance through Medi-Cal, and cash aid through CalWORKs, General Assistance, and the Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants.
Skip the line! Do it online!
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Supervisors approve plan to create advanced composting facility | |
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What happens to the grass clippings, leaves and other organic material that you place in your green recycling bin every week?
Currently, it’s hauled to composting facilities in other counties. But the county wants to change that. On Tuesday, the Board of Supervisors authorized engineering and environmental planning to create the first centralized composting facility in Sonoma County.
The facility, which would be located at the former county landfill site adjacent to Charles M. Shulz – Sonoma County Airport, would process 65,000 tons of organic material each year. By reducing trucking trips and utilizing solar and other renewable technologies, energy recovery systems and green building materials, the initiative would help the county achieve its goal of carbon neutral operations by 2030.
“A centralized compost facility will be a win for taxpayers and the environment,” said Supervisor David Rabbitt, chair of the Board of Supervisors. “It will provide direct benefit to the county by reducing transportation costs and greenhouse gas emissions, build on our momentum toward resilient and sustainable infrastructure, accelerate our ability to meet state requirements on carbon neutrality, and provide high-quality compost to support agricultural, landscaping, and public works projects.”
If the site is approved following state and federal environmental analyses, staff will return to the Board of Supervisors with recommendations for completion of the project, which could include a public-private partnership.
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County extends temporary ban on tree removals | |
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The Board of Supervisors on Tuesday extended a temporary moratorium on cutting down protected trees for another four months while Permit Sonoma works on updating a 35-year-old ordinance designed to preserve county woodlands.
The board on Dec. 12 directed staff to make changes to the Tree Ordinance and adopted the 45-day moratorium as a placeholder. Tuesday’s vote extends the moratorium until May 31.
“Trees and woodlands are essential elements of Sonoma County’s rural and urban lands,” said Supervisor Rabbitt, chair of the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors. “We need more time to get the Tree Protection Ordinance right. This moratorium will ensure that no protected trees are removed in the meantime.”
The moratorium prohibits the removal of 31 species of protected trees 6 inches in diameter or greater at breast height, with limited exceptions. Trees may be cut down to avoid immediate danger, maintain evacuation routes and for fire safety activities like maintaining defensible space.
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Providing a dignified burial for Sonoma County veterans | |
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Twelve years ago, Ron Collier volunteered to track down U.S. military veterans whose cremated remains went unclaimed after their deaths in Sonoma County.
Collier believes the remains of people who serve in the military should be given a proper burial, not abandoned in an unmarked grave or left to gather dust on the shelf of a funeral home.
“They served our country,” Collier said. “They were willing to die for the country. What I do is just a little part to honor what they did. I think that is very important.”
Collier works with the county’s Veterans Service Office, coroner, public administrator and the Missing in America Project to identify the unclaimed remains of local veterans and provide them with a proper burial. Since becoming the veterans’ remains officer for Sonoma County in 2012, the retired Windsor fire chief has reviewed the records of more than 800 people whose unclaimed remains were retained at local cemeteries and funeral homes. As a result of his efforts, 115 Sonoma County veterans and five of their family members now have a final resting place in a national veterans cemetery, while 17 previously unidentified veterans buried in a local potter’s grave now have military gravestone markers. In all, he has delivered the remains of more than 250 veterans from across Northern California to the Sacramento Valley National Cemetery in Solano County outside Dixon.
Collier has built the county’s program into a model for the entire state. Earlier this month, the Board of Supervisors appointed him to another two-year term in the unpaid position.
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Answering your questions about homelessness | |
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Learn about the help available for homelessness in Sonoma County on Jan. 31 at a webinar hosted by the county’s Department of Health Services.
The 5:30 p.m. Zoom webinar will feature Kaitlin Carney, who manages the county’s coordinated entry system with HomeFirst, and Thai Hilton, an analyst with the Department of Health Services’ Ending Homelessness Team. Following a brief discussion, community members will have an opportunity to ask questions during a Q&A session.
The event is the third in a series of monthly community webinars to answer the public’s questions about homelessness in Sonoma County. For information on how to participate, visit https://sonomacounty.ca.gov/how-to-get-help-in-sonoma-county-a-community-webinar-on-homelessness-(3)
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Learn about the benefits, costs of switching
to an induction cooktop
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Curious about induction cooking? Attend the North Bay Induction Cooking Expo this weekend, where you can see a professional chef demonstrate the technology and get a chance to try it yourself.
The free event, which takes place Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., will be held at Premier Bath & Kitchen, 3201 Cleveland Ave., in Santa Rosa. It is co-sponsored by the Sonoma County Climate Action and Resiliency Division to raise awareness about the positive impacts of induction cooking on the environment and utility bills.
Induction cooking is gaining popularity as an energy-efficient alternative to gas and electric stoves. By utilizing magnetic fields to directly heat cookware, induction cooktops offer faster cooking times, precise temperature control, improved indoor air quality and increased safety.
County staff will be available to share information on rebates and incentives available to convert your kitchen stove to an induction cooktop. Attendees who register ahead of time will qualify for an additional entry into a drawing for a free set of induction cookware and other prizes.
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Find room to grow with a county job | |
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Registrations are now being accepted for the next Start Here! class, which provides an overview of the County of Sonoma’s job application, examination and selection processes. The two-hour virtual class will be held at 10 a.m. on Feb. 1.
The free class is intended for the public, whether you are looking for a new position now or planning for a future employment opportunity. Participants will learn how to submit a thorough application, best practices for the interview and examination, and much more.
Contact us at careers@sonoma-county.org to register for the Feb. 1 class or sign up for our mailing list to be notified of future classes.
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Adopt the pet of the month | |
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My name is Gatsby. I’m an Australian cattle dog who weighs just over 40 pounds and is a little over 2 years old. My caretakers say I’m a friendly, sweet and affectionate pup who loves to play, run, and get lots of attention. I’m smart, attentive and a great listener who learns very quickly. I would do best with someone who is just as active as I am. I’ve been at the shelter since May. Won’t you take me home?
Gatsby is one of dozens of cats, dogs, rabbits and other animals at Sonoma County Animal Services in need of adoption.
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Support your community by getting involved | |
Get involved with local government
Make a difference in Sonoma County! Local government thrives when passionate individuals like you step up to serve. There are countless opportunities for you to get involved and play a crucial role in shaping the future of our beloved Sonoma County. Check out the current vacancies:
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Emergency Medical Care Council: Improve emergency medical care, oversee and maintain the system, and coordinate long-term planning for public education and injury prevention.
Your involvement can make a significant impact. Take the first step and explore how you can contribute to a brighter future for Sonoma County.
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Volunteer and employment opportunities | |
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Getting outside and enjoying the county | |
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