Monthly Newsletter
A Message From Supervisor Coursey
With spring in full swing, the Board is set to begin one of the most significant processes in our work plan, balancing the county’s budget. Next week, April 25-27, we will begin budget workshops where the Board and the Public will have an opportunity to assess how our last year’s projections panned out, and how we can map out opportunities for the upcoming fiscal year. We will also have the chance to request further information in preparation for the conclusion of the budget process in June. This is an exciting time, and we welcome your participation and involvement. For more on budget workshops, click here.

On other exciting news, Sonoma County recently became the first county in California to implement cultural competency in its emergency planning. This was made possible through meaningful collaboration between county departments and community groups who dedicated countless hours to improving the safety and resilience of vulnerable communities during times of disaster. In the last month, the Board also made other important advancements. We allocated $1.5 million for new homelessness housing Homekey projects, and approved $3.8 million in vegetation management projects. Read on for more on these and other updates.

In addition to initiating the budget process, the Board will take up items of significant public interest that include:
  • Project Labor Agreement Policy Discussion 5/3
  • COVID-19 Emergency Update 5/10
  • AB 481 Law Enforcement military equipment - funding, acquisition and use policy 5/10
  • Informational Session Regarding Accessory Dueling Unit Ready Program 5/10

To read the Board’s calendar of significant items, review Board agendas and access meeting materials please click here. As always, thank you for reading and for your continued engagement.
Housing News & Updates
The Board of Supervisors allocated $1.55 million to help two sites in Healdsburg and Petaluma qualify for additional matching funds under the state’s Homekey program.

Both sites are expected to open later this year, and those living at the sites will receive wraparound services, including substance abuse treatment and counseling to begin a path toward stabilization, a higher quality of life and ultimately independent living.

With these two sites, the county has now received more than $51 million in state funds to create about 230 units of housing at five sites under the Homekey program. The County submitted two additional Homekey applications, including a 21-unit housing project in west county and a 56-unit youth and senior housing project in unincorporated Santa Rosa.
Kicking off its funding cycle, the RED Housing Fund announced almost $20 million in preliminary loan commitments to six planned multifamily housing developments. The loans are intended to accelerate the production of transit oriented, mid to high density, infill housing in Santa Rosa.

In 2021, the City and County invested $20 million from PG&E disaster settlements to create the Renewal Enterprise District (RED) in a joint effort to advance the development of housing across income levels.

The loans are expected to produce a total of 625 units of climate-smart, equity-focused, disaster-resilient housing. The economic impact of these six developments is extremely beneficial to the local economy, with the projects representing over $326 million in total project costs.

The developments accessible to a wide range of incomes include:
  • Acme Family Apartments, located at 1885 Roseland Avenue
  • Aviara, located at 1385 West College Avenue
  • Casa Roseland, located at 665 Sebastopol Road
  • 420 Mendocino Avenue Apartments, located at 420 Mendocino Avenue
  • Pullman Lofts, located at 701 Wilson Street
  • South Park Commons, located at 702 Bennett Valley Road
Disaster Preparedness News
After seeking extensive community feedback, Sonoma County has become the first county in California to incorporate cultural competency into its emergency planning.

Marginalized communities, including monolingual Spanish speakers, historically have not had access to emergency information in their primary language, which barred access to important messaging and official instructions. Through significant collaboration between the Department of Emergency Management, the Office of Equity and a coalition of community groups, a new Emergency Operations Plan was adopted. The new Plan includes many improvements, including a requirement that emergency alerts and other resources be delivered in both English and Spanish. 

This month the Board approved an additional $3.8 million in funding for vegetation management grants out of PG&E settlement proceeds.

The bulk of the approved funds, or $3.3 million, will be applied to 18 grant projects designed to prevent wildfire throughout the county. These projects include shaded fuel-breaks, increasing grazing and creating calming zones, all of which are intended to slow or prevent the spread of wildfire in the community.
The County of Sonoma and the National Weather Service will conduct an emergency alert exercise on Friday, April 29 at noon. The exercise will be a countywide test of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Weather Radio alert system. 
 
All Sonoma County residents who own a NOAA Weather Radio should make sure their device is plugged in with backup batteries installed, and set up per the radio manufacturer instructions. If you are a resident of unincorporated Sonoma County with a NOAA weather radio, be aware that a test alert will be sent at noon to your radio receiver. Please note, this is only a test! 
We Want to Hear From You!
In accordance with Assembly Bill 481, the Sheriff’s Office has published the proposed policy and inventory pertaining to the use of military equipment. The policy, which will be presented to the Board on May 10 as required by SB 481, can be accessed here.

Intended to increase public transparency in the funding, acquisition and/or use of military equipment, AB 481 mandates law enforcement agencies to fulfill certain requirements in order to continue to use such equipment. These include developing a military equipment use policy and inventory. The bill requires the Board of Supervisors, as governing body, to approve the policy. The bill further requires the Sheriff’s Office to publish the proposed policy 30 days prior to the Board meeting when the policy’s adoption is considered. 
The item will be on the Board's calendar on May 10 for public discussion. Meeting agendas are typically accessible a week prior to each meeting date and can be accessed here.
To submit public comment on this or any other Board item, you can attend the meeting in person or via Zoom. You can also call 707-565-2241 or email BOS@Sonoma-County.org at any time prior to the meeting.
The Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria have issued a Notice of Preparation of a Tribal Environmental Impact Report for the proposed Graton Resort & Casino expansion project. The County of Sonoma is seeking the public’s input to inform its own comments on the Notice of Preparation.

The proposed expansion project includes an approximately 144,000-square-foot casino floor expansion, a new hotel wing, parking structure, 3,500-seat theater, expanded swimming pool area, rooftop restaurant, additional water tank and central plant.

All public comments will be forwarded as part of the county’s response. Comments are due May 4 and can be submitted to tribalaffairs@sonoma-county.org
Community Announcements
Applications are now being accepted for $2,500 grants available to microbusinesses and small entrepreneurs in Sonoma County hurt by the COVID-19 pandemic. Businesses with less than five employees and less than $50,000 in revenue in 2019 are eligible for the grants if they did not receive a previous grant from the state Small Business COVID-19 Relief Grant Program.

The program is administered by the Sonoma County Economic Development Board in partnership with Working Solutions CDFI. The application window opened April 1 and closes May 1 or until all funds are exhausted.

Did you know? The county’s Human Services Department’s Economic Assistance program provides food and medical benefits to individuals and families in Sonoma County. For assistance, contact the service center at 877-699-6868 or visit one of our offices in Santa Rosa or Petaluma. 
In Honor of Earth Day
This Earth Day, take advantage of easy opportunities to love our planet. One simple way to divert waste from landfills is through the Mattress Recycling Council’s Bye Bye Mattress program. 

This program, whenever possible, leverages existing solid waste infrastructure to divert old mattresses from waste into recycling. More than 75% of a mattress can be recycled. The steel, foam, fibers and wood are turned into everyday products like carpet padding, industrial filters, construction rebar and garden mulch. This Earth Day, visit ByeByeMattress.com to learn more!
Free Transit Day
Get around Sonoma County and Marin County for FREE on Saturday, April 23. Hop on a Santa Rosa City, Petaluma Transit, Sonoma County Transit, or Marin Transit bus, help keep the earth green and enjoy free unlimited rides.
Wednesday, April 27, 2022 at 10 AM

The Climate Center invites you to join this online event where labor leaders and economists will engage in conversation about what investments are needed to protect workers as we phase out fracking and oil extraction in California.

In our journey toward a cleaner and more equitable future, this webinar will discuss how we can ensure that workers who make a living extracting and refining oil and gas, and maintaining aging fuel and transportation infrastructure, are able to continue to support their families and communities.
Events
COVID-19 Update

The California Department of Public Health has updated its guidelines for isolation and quarantine. The new guidelines remove the quarantine recommendations for an asymptomatic exposed person, add recommendations for work exclusion or restriction in certain specified high-risk settings, and include an updated definition for close contact and infectious period.

See new guidelines here: See new guidelines here.

Calling all sixth through 12th graders in Sonoma County! Create a 30-60 second video encouraging your peers to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

Individuals and teams of up to 5 people are urged to be creative and produce a newscast, music video, animation, commercial or just about anything else that shows how original and inventive you are!

Deadline: May 9
Prizes: First place - $1,500, Second place - $1,000, Third place - $500

Based on research, COVID-19 vaccine protection decreases over time. Second boosters of the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines are now available for immune-compromised residents and those who are 50 and older 4 months after receiving the first booster dose.

People who qualify under the federal guidelines should contact their primary care doctor, local pharmacy or visit MyTurn.ca.gov to schedule a booster shot.
Supervisor Coursey