County of Sonoma District 3 Latest News |
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A Message from Supervisor Coursey |
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Since the first vaccine was administered in Sonoma County almost six months ago, more than 500,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccines have reached Sonoma County residents. This milestone brings us closer to herd immunity and to a post-pandemic reality where we can safely enjoy many of the same activities that were considered risky just a few months ago. The County continues to bolster its vaccination strategy while also dedicating resources to an equitable economic recovery. As you’ll read in this newsletter, funds for rental assistance are still available, and the Board of Supervisors recently approved economic relief for businesses impacted by COVID-19 closures.
This month, the Board of Supervisors also has been working on other pressing issues such as disaster preparedness and addressing the impacts of climate change. In addition to efforts highlighted in our previous newsletter, the County recently released a map of evacuation zones to empower residents in planning for disasters that could result in evacuations. Likewise, planning for other short- and long-term impacts of climate change remains a top priority for the Board, which recently established a Climate Resiliency Fund. Central to these efforts are public engagement and input, which inform every decision we make as a Board. As always, I welcome your thoughts and feedback, and invite you to contact me or participate in our public forums and Board meetings.
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Chris Coursey
707-565-2241
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Board of Supervisors Approves $2.8 Million in
Relief Funding for Businesses
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On May 25, 2021, The Board of Supervisors passed a resolution authorizing nearly $2.8 million in relief for businesses forced to close during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The aid package, in the form of Environmental Health permit fee offsets, applies to restaurants, body art businesses, and pools that were required to close or limit operations after March 1, 2020. The funding is part of the County's pandemic recovery plan to assist the business community impacted by the pandemic and restore the economy.
The measure will reimburse eligible restaurants for the cost of their Environmental Health permit fee. Eligible body art businesses will be reimbursed for permit fees for the time they were not able to operate. Indoor pool operators and outdoor pool operators will also be reimbursed for the time they were ordered to close. For more information, click here.
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Sonoma County Releases Evacuation Zone Maps |
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During the Kincade fire in 2019 more than190,000 Sonoma County residents evacuated their homes, and in 2020 thousands more evacuations challenged our COVID-19 prevention measures. These disasters teach that effective evacuation plans form a critical part of emergency preparedness. Accordingly, the County of Sonoma released official evacuation zone maps designed to help residents plan for disasters and more readily identify risk to their immediate surroundings.
The standardized maps show evacuation zones for unincorporated areas in the County as well as most incorporated communities. These new standardized maps sustain the same evacuation zones across disaster incidents, an improvement from previous versions, where zones differed by incident. Residents are urged to write down their zone number and consider learning the zones near their residence to better understand the level of risk to their property when an emergency arises. It also is important for residents to know the evacuation zone of their place of employment and their children’s schools. To find your zone, click here.
Helpful Links:
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Board of Supervisors Allocates $10 million to Fund Climate Resiliency Projects |
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On May 11, 2021, the Board of Supervisors reaffirmed their commitment to addressing the impacts of climate change by allocating $10 million to fund climate resiliency projects and hire staff to coordinate the County’s climate resiliency efforts. This newly established climate fund allocated from PG&E settlement money will aid the county in leveraging local dollars when applying for state and federal climate grants.
The investment forms part of a larger Board action to prioritize climate resiliency. Since declaring a Climate Emergency in 2019, the Board has established a Climate Action Ad Hoc Committee, authorized the addition of a Climate Analyst position, and approved Climate Action and Resiliency as a pillar in the County’s Strategic Plan. The most recent action to invest $10 million in climate resiliency supports the major goals of The Climate Action Pillar, which in turn guides the work of the Ad Hoc.
The Board of Supervisors hopes to collaborate with the public to determine guidelines for funding specific climate-focused projects. We invite you to share your ideas with us via email or public comment at BOS meetings.
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District 3 Appointments to Boards and Commissions |
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Sonoma County Mental Health Board |
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Annabel Nygard graduated with a BA in Psychology and Legal Studies from the University of California, Santa Cruz in June 2020. She is pursuing her Master's in Public Administration from Sonoma State and works as a case manager/vocational counselor for adults with disabilities at a Sonoma County non-profit agency. Annabel is certified in mental health first aid and has experience working in situations of mental health crisis. Annabel is interested in mental health advocacy on both a personal and academic level and joined the board in 2021.
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Sonoma County Mental Health Board |
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Vanessa Nava, born of immigrant parents, grew up in Sonoma County. She studied at Santa Rosa Junior College before transferring to UC Berkeley, where she earned a BS in Physiology and Metabolism. She currently works conducting public health research with the Department of Dermatology at Stanford University. As a Latina, she has witnessed first-hand how pervasive stigma towards mental health has impacted her community for generations. As a newly appointed member of the Mental Health Board, Vanessa hopes to make a positive difference and be a voice for the Latinx community in Sonoma County. In her free time, Vanessa enjoys cooking, playing with her dogs, and exploring the outdoors.
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Collaborative Efforts in Response to Drought Conditions |
After the second consecutive year of record-low rainfall, Sonoma County is officially in critical drought conditions. Local government is collaborating with local industry leaders and community members to mitigate the impacts of drought by reducing water use and saving this precious resource as much as possible.
The Sonoma-Marin Saving Water Partnership is coordinating a “Drought Drop By” event to support our community in reducing water use by 20%. On June 12 from 9am – 1pm FREE drought toolkits will be distributed on a first-come, first-serve basis, while supplies last. Limit one kit per household.
Kits will include:
- Bucket to catch water for reuse
- WaterSense labeled low-flow showerhead
- 5-minute shower timer
- WaterSense labeled low-flow faucet aerator
- Toilet dye test tablets
- Self-closing garden hose nozzle
3rd District Drop-by Locations:
- Rohnert Park – Rohnert Park Community Center – 5401 Snyder Ln, Rohnert Park
- Santa Rosa – Jockey Club (Sonoma County Fairgrounds Parking Lot) 1650 Bennett Valley Rd, Santa Rosa
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Rental Assistance Still Available |
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Apply today for the Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP). The County of Sonoma still has more than $30 million available to community members unable to keep up with rent and utility payments, regardless of immigration status. Assistance can be used to pay unpaid rent or utilities including power, water, gas and Internet services. Financial assistance for arrears can be from April 2020 to March 2021, up to 12 months. For more information, including how to apply, income eligibility, full list of providers and application status, click here.
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Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month |
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It’s Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, and Sonoma County Library has a great list of resources for all to explore. To learn more about discrimination against Chinese Americans in Sonoma County, to access a collection of anti-Asian-violence resources, and to check out several collections of library materials to read, learn and celebrate the local and national contributions of AAPI communities, click here.
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The County of Sonoma’s Health Department and 11 other local health jurisdictions united as The Association of Bay Area Health Officials strongly support the California Department of Public Health’s strategy to continue with current masking guidance until June 15, when the State will align with the CDC’s updated masking guidance.
The current guidance can be summarized as follows: For fully vaccinated persons, face coverings are not required outdoors except when attending crowded outdoor events, such as live performances, parades, fairs, festivals, sports events or other similar settings.
For unvaccinated persons, face coverings are required outdoors any time physical distancing cannot be maintained, including when attending crowded outdoor events like those mentioned.
In indoor settings outside of one's home, including public transportation, face coverings continue to be required regardless of vaccination status, except as outlined below.
Per the CDPH fully vaccinated people can*
- Visit, without wearing masks or physical distancing, with other fully vaccinated people in indoor or outdoor settings; and
- Visit, without wearing masks or physical distancing, with unvaccinated people (including children) from a single household who are at low risk for severe COVID-19 disease in indoor and outdoor settings
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Sonoma County is in the orange tier within the state’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy. The orange tier is an indication that there is still moderate spread of the virus in the County. Our goal is to continue to reduce the spread.
Governor Newsom has announced that on June 15 the state intends to do away with the Blueprint tier system and reopen most of the economy. For more information on the state’s move beyond the Blueprint, click here.
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To date, more than 500,000 doses of the COVID-10 vaccine have been administered in Sonoma County.
With more than 70 percent of residents 16 and older now having received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine, the County and its partners will be closing down some large-scale vaccination sites in the coming weeks to focus on targeting hard-to-reach populations.
While multiple sites will close, many clinics will remain open and available to everyone. The County also has partnered with Curative to set up mobile clinics at various locations around Sonoma County. Many pharmacies will continue to offer the vaccine and healthcare providers will continue to vaccinate their patients. County-sponsored clinics that remain open will continue to take appointments and walk-ins.
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