Hello, District 4 Residents
Let’s start with some exciting news today, shall we?
Based on CDC data, Santa Clara County’s vaccination rate is #17 in the US among all Counties, and #1 in the US for large counties. Thank you to the 80% of residents 12 and older who have received at least one dose of the vaccine (please go and get your second) and the 71 % who have been fully inoculated. Remember, all County residents 12 years and older are currently eligible! Appointments can be made at sccfreevax.org but you can also drop in to just about any County vaccine location, as well as many private pharmacies. They are free, easy and super quick. Please share information with anyone who may still be hesitant to receive the vaccine and feel free to reach out to my office if we can help with resources or clarifications.
The Board of Supervisors will be on recess during the month of July and will return to regularly scheduled board and committee meetings in August. The D4 team and I will use this scheduled recess to recharge so that we can come back fully rested to continue working for you, our D4 residents. We will of course continue to respond to your inquiries and requests, albeit with a delay. Also taking a break next month are my newsletter and the D4 Community Connect call, both of which will resume in August. We hope that you and yours are able to also disconnect this summer, get outdoors and reconnect with those most important to you.
Here is a quick summary of just a few of the actions taken at the June 8 and 22 Board of Supervisors meetings.
Transparent Community Engagement
We know that community engagement is critical and it is a piece of my job on which I place great emphasis. One place, however, where community engagement has not been as transparent or robust as I think it should be is in cases where the County Office of Supportive Housing is developing shelters or interim housing projects. Shelters and temporary housing are not subject to the local entitlement process that guides long-term, permanent housing developments, and we – my office specifically – have received some well-deserved criticism for that lack of community engagement. So Supervisor Cindy Chavez and I, with the unanimous support of our colleagues, directed administration to propose a standard, transparent process for community engagement and participation, as well as minimum standards for an operation management plan, for housing projects that are not otherwise subject to municipal rules regarding entitlement, permitting and public engagement.
The intent of our referral is not to stop or slow down emergency or interim housing solutions for our most vulnerable residences, but to ensure that neighbors of the proposed projects are aware of the planned development and have opportunities to engage with staff very early in the process to ask questions, offer feedback, and make suggestions to help ensure the project will fit well with and complement the existing neighborhood. You can read more about the referral here.
New (Fiscal) Year, New Budget
The Board wrapped up 6 days (which felt like 6 weeks) of budget workshops and hearings by approving the 2021-2022 Fiscal year budget on June 17. This $9.2B budget focuses on building an equitable and sustainable post-pandemic future. It will be no surprise to you that my priorities were supporting children and families, allocating more funds to expand our behavioral health programs, services & resources, and increasing transparency and operational efficiency. You can review the budget here.
One very small portion of the budgeting processes is allotted to Supervisors to fund worthy projects in their districts with one-time funds. You may have heard these referred to as “inventory items”. Following significant outreach effort to arts organizations, schools, and other community-based organizations, my office received more than 50 applications and requests for inventory funding. My team used a qualitative and quantitative approach to evaluate each application. Sponsored requests were focused within District Four of Santa Clara County and had an impact on children and families, among other criteria. My office received approximately $1.4M in requests and ultimately sponsored $777,000 among 34 organizations.
Small Business Grant Program
You may recall that back in April, Supervisor Chavez and I directed administration to put the fines collected for noncompliance with the public health order back into the community. At the June 22 Board meeting, my colleagues and I approved the creation of the Small Business Grant Program, which will distribute up to $6M to small businesses in the community. My office will share information for grant applications once it becomes available. You can read more about the grant program here.
Office of Disability Affairs
On June 22 the Board unanimously supported the creation of a new Office of Disability Affairs. This new office will serve as an informational hub for County employees and the departments that serve residents with disabilities. The office will also offer guidance to improve policies and services.
I appreciate the public engagement in the scoping of this office and I think it will be a welcome addition to the policy and coordination focused offices in the Division of Social Justice and Equity both in how they work across County services and with external partners and in recognition of the intersectionality of serving diverse members of our community. You can read more here.
Eviction Moratorium
As we go back to in-person gatherings, please feel free to send an invitation to my office for me to attend your community events. I miss being out in the community with residents and look forward to seeing you all soon.
I and my team are here for you.
Be well,
Susan
