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Welcome back to a revived and revitalized SoCo Correspondent, Sonoma County’s digital newsletter. The Correspondent will offer countywide news, feature stories and project updates as well as links to upcoming events, recent stories in the media, surveys and other important information. This is part of our ongoing effort to make sure you are getting the information and resources that you need for yourself, your family and/or your business, school, nonprofit agency and community. We also hope to use this platform to get your feedback on programs, projects and current trends so we can better represent and serve you and the entire county. We thank you for subscribing to this newsletter and encourage you to share the link with others on how to subscribe.
Want to read more about what we're up to at the County of Sonoma? Sign up for the SoCo Correspondent here.
¿Está interesado en leer sobre lo que hace el Condado de Sonoma cada mes? Este boletín estará disponible en español. Regístrese aquí para suscribirse a nuestro boletín, el SoCo Correspondent.
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It’s too soon to declare an end to the winter omicron surge. But there is reason to be optimistic that the worst may be behind us. We are now seeing a 140 new cases of COVID-19 every day per 100,000 residents, down from an all-time high of nearly 250 cases per day in January. While transmission levels and hospitalizations remain high, they appear to have peaked and trending in the right direction.
Last week, the county’s public health officer, Dr. Sundari Mase, clarified rules that placed temporary restrictions on the size of large events. Indoor events can include 50 spectators, rather than 50 total people. The limit on the total number of attendees does not include players, performers, news media or staff involved with the event. We will continue to watch the data closely, but the health order is due to expire at midnight on Feb. 10. If the current trends continue, we should be well past the worst of this surge by then. Be sure to watch the Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday where Dr. Mase and others will be providing the latest information and guidance.
Watch the video from Jan. 27 here:
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There is one thing that all of us can do to hasten the end of this pandemic and avoid future restrictions on public life. Get vaccinated. And if you are eligible for a booster, get one. Over the next three weekends, the county will host a series of free vaccination clinics at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds. Here’s why it is important: the COVID-19 transmission rate among residents who are not vaccinated is more than twice what it is for people who have been inoculated. The unvaccinated are also nearly 17 times more likely to be hospitalized and almost 13 times more likely to die of COVID-19.
Nearly 80 percent of the county’s eligible population have been fully vaccinated, and 61 percent have been boosted. If we can push up both of those numbers, we will bring an end to this pandemic. Find a vaccine. Get tested.
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Portrait of Sonoma County | |
Study paints mixed picture of well-being in Sonoma County
A major new study, Portrait of Sonoma County 2021 Update, reveals widely varying conditions of health and well-being for many people and neighborhoods in Sonoma County.
Taken as a whole, people in Sonoma County live longer, earn more money, stay in school and earn college degrees at higher rates than in other counties across California and the United States. Overall, median earnings have increased by about $7,000 and life expectancy has risen by 1.2 years to 82.2 since the last Portrait of Sonoma County was released in 2014. Yet there are growing disparities across gender, racial groups, ethnic groups and individual communities.
"These findings have major implications and will help inform the way that local government and community-based organizations respond to the systemic problems that face our community," said James Gore, chair of the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors. "By understanding how our community is changing — and who is being left behind — this report will help us make targeted investments to improve the health and well-being of everyone in our community."
How should we, as a county, address these inequities? Read the report and find out how you can help shape future policies and investment decisions.
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Fire agency consolidation | |
Historic restructuring of fire and emergency services
The Board of Supervisors has approved a landmark series of agreements intended to improve the effectiveness, efficiency and sustainability of fire services in Sonoma County by consolidating fire agencies and revamping the way they are funded. At the conclusion of these actions, there will be 23 local fire agencies across Sonoma County, down from 43 that served the county and its cities in 2014 when the county launched an initiative to unify and improve fire services.
As part of these agreements, the Board of Supervisors is committing $9 million to help unify and improve fire protection and emergency response services provided by independent fire agencies in unincorporated areas of the county. While local fire districts are funded independently and are not part of county government, the Board of Supervisors initiated negotiations with these districts and invested money to create an integrated system of fire and emergency response services for the benefit of these communities, visitors, and the county as a whole.
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Transportation & Public Works projects in 2021 | |
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Did you know? Sonoma County uses a combination of corrective maintenance and pavement preservation to take care of 1,368 miles of roads and 328 bridges, which is the largest road network in the San Francisco Bay Area. Because state gas tax (SB1) funding for roads is distributed based on the number of vehicle registrations rather than the number of road miles, rural counties receive disproportionately less road funding. Other funding sources for county road repairs include the Measure L transient occupancy tax and Measure M sales tax.
Between 2012 and 2021, 412 miles of roads were repaved at a cost of $128.8 million, representing 30 percent of the county-maintained road system. An additional 43 miles is planned for repaving in 2022 and 2023 at a proposed budget of $40.5 million, including a combination of county General Funds and PG&E settlement funds.
For more information related to funding sources for the Department of Transportation and Public Works, visit here.
For more information regarding current county road projects, visit here.
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New psychiatric health facility | |
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For too long, a dearth of psychiatric facilities in Sonoma County has forced people to leave the county for treatment. The county has stepped in to help solve this problem, opening the Sonoma County Healing Center.
The county-owned facility, located at 7440 Los Guilicos Road in Santa Rosa, will provide short-term treatment to individuals experiencing mental health issues. Clients will receive intensive psychiatric treatment for an average of eight days. All clients will be enrolled in county mental health services, which will authorize services and transport clients to longer-term treatment settings only if needed.
“Opening a health facility within Sonoma County will close the gap in the psychiatric crisis care continuum, improve client care, and address negative impacts experienced by other local services.”
- Tina Rivera, Interim Director of the Sonoma County Department of Health Services.
The initiative is a partnership between the county and Kaiser Permanente, Providence St. Joseph Health, Sutter Health and the County of Marin.
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Watch the video for a virtual tour of the Sonoma County Healing Center | |
Get involved with local government
Government is only as good as the people who step forward to serve others. There are many ways you can become involved in local government by serving on local boards, commissions and committees. Check out the list of current vacancies and discover how you can help shape the future of Sonoma County.
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Adopt the pet of the month | |
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My name is Goose. I’m a neutered male Red Merle Australian cattle dog and pit bull terrier who's been in the shelter since Dec. 1 and currently lives in a foster home. My caretakers say I’m a well behaved and loyal dog that aims to please. I’m about 6 years old and know a few basic commands, such as "sit" and "down," but would do best as the only pet in the home.
Goose is one of dozens of dogs, cats and other animals at Sonoma County Animal Services in need of adoption.
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Volunteer and employment opportunities | |
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