District 3 Monthly Newsletter | | A Message from Supervisor Coursey | | |
April heralds longer days, warmer weather, birdsong and flowers blooming, all signs of an approaching sunny season. Here at the County this also signals the start of budget season, beginning with our annual budget workshops in late April. This is an opportunity for you, county residents and taxpayers, to learn about the budget process and provide input to the Board on our county’s priorities. The final budget adoption will take place in June. Stay tuned for more information in the coming weeks on the budget workshop process and how to participate.
This month we celebrated the significant contributions of women throughout history and in present-day society. I want to express my gratitude to the many local women who make invaluable contributions to our community. I’d like to particularly acknowledge those with diverse intersectional identities, who navigate a world that often marginalizes them—women from immigrant communities, trans women, Black, Indigenous, and other women of color. I see you, and I thank you for your wisdom, your presence, and the tireless contributions and unique skills you bring to make our world a better place for everyone.
This Monday, we commemorate Cesar Chavez Day, recalling his unwavering advocacy for farmworkers and labor. We also recognize Dolores Huerta, a pivotal figure in this movement. Her lifelong commitment to activism, especially her work amplifying the voices of farmworker women, remains vital. Her powerful rallying cry, "Si Se Puede!" which means, “yes, it is possible” in Spanish serves as a lasting testament to her impact.
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As for other county updates, my colleagues and I are gearing up for a challenging budget season. We have many pressing questions and concerns about this year’s budget; a budget that provides the framework for many of our critical local public services. Also this month, the Board, acting as the Sonoma County Housing Authority, approved the Community Development Commissions’ annual and 5-year plan for the administration of the Housing Choice Voucher Program. The Board also dedicated additional Measure O Funds to support mental health and homelessness initiatives.
New this month we’ve included a segment highlighting our community in action. Marking successful steps and events happening in the community, including the grand Opening of the NAACP’s H.I.V.E; a tour I took of the county’s new Bridge Housing Program and the Transgender Day of Visibility I attended last week. Read on for more on these and other updates.
We also bring you information on how you can make your voice heard, whether it’s through the General Plan workshops that kicked off this month, open seats on the Grand Jury, or other engagement opportunities. Your critical perspectives are essential in shaping local government decisions and creating a thriving Sonoma County. Thank you for your ongoing engagement.
Sincerely,
| | What's New at the County of Sonoma? | | |
The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors approved $4.2 million to fund local nonprofits working on projects that address behavioral health and homelessness solutions, and another $1.4 million in funding for homeless housing, assistance and prevention. The $4.2 million in funding is from Measure O, the local sales tax measure that voters approved in 2020 to support mental health and homelessness services, while the $1.4 million comes from the State of California Interagency Council on Homelessness.
The Board awarded funding to 13 projects out of a total of 60 proposals that the County received. Funded projects include substance use prevention services for adolescents at six Sonoma County high schools, expanded mental health programming countywide, increased housing accessibility for families experiencing homelessness, and specialized counseling services for children and youth who have been victims of abuse and trauma. A full list of funded projects is available here.
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The Board of Supervisors, acting as the Sonoma County Housing Authority, approved the Public Housing Authority’s annual and five-year plans for the administration of the Housing Choice Voucher Program under contract with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. This pivotal program is the largest initiative run by the Community Development Commission and is essential in providing housing stability for low-income households throughout Sonoma County.
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The Board of Supervisors approved those affordable housing site locations eligible to receive free internet for one year for 556 low-income Sonoma County households using American Rescue Plan Act funding. Eligible sites were selected among affordable housing properties countywide with a minimum of 20 housing units, and operated or served by Burbank Housing, MidPen Housing, PEP Housing, and West County Community Services. Other criteria used to identify eligible sites included geographic distribution throughout the county, distribution among housing for seniors, families, low-income workers, and unhoused individuals, and location within Comcast’s service area.
The internet subscriptions purchased by the County will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis to residents of the eligible properties and are good for one year of free service at a speed of 100 MBPS download and 20 MBPS upload. To meet ARPA expenditure guidelines and ensure program consistency, only residents of the selected affordable housing sites will be eligible to participate in this program. The subscriptions cover all costs of equipment rentals, surcharges, and fees for the standard one-year of service.
| | Last month marked a significant milestone for our community with the grand opening of the NAACP’s new office space in collaboration with Health Action Together, located in downtown Santa Rosa. The HIVE, or Home for Intentional Visioning for Equity, will serve as a safe space and resource for many Black, Indigenous and other people of color, offering respite and fostering community. Achieving this long-awaited goal is a testament to the local NAACP’s dedication and I was honored to participate in their ribbon-cutting event. | | |
Last week, the city of Rohnert Park came together in a beautiful display of support and celebration at a gathering honoring transgender lives and stories. Key speakers included Mayor Gerard Giudice, followed by inspiring words from Pastor Beth Carter and Rowan Gomez, co-founder of Cotati & Rohnert Park Pride.
The event provided a space for connection, support, and unity for our trans community during these challenging and uncertain times. I was happy to participate and build connections, learn valuable information and simply enjoy a moment of community. Thank you to everyone who contributed to making this event a truly special experience.
A few days later, the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors adopted a gold resolution acknowledging the critical work of local organizations that support the transgender community. The County also raised a transgender pride flag outside the Sonoma County Administration Building in honor of International Transgender Day of Visibility.
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This month, I toured Behavioral Health’s Bridge Housing program which officially opened Feb. 3. The new program, housed at the renovated Arrowood Drive facility in southwest Santa Rosa, serves participants experiencing mental health issues and homelessness in their recovery journey while transitioning to permanent housing.
Bridge housing focuses on providing a safe, structured environment with an emphasis on temporary housing and treatment leading to long-term recovery and independent living. Bridge housing is specifically designed to support individuals with complex behavioral health conditions to transition out of homelessness. Unlike traditional shelters, Bridge Housing at Arrowood will be an interim recovery facility that provides both a temporary housing environment and access to critical 24/7 medical and clinical support.
| | During a recent tour this month, I learned about the exciting new Felix Apartments in downtown Santa Rosa, set to open this spring. Supported by the Renewal Enterprise District and RED Housing Fund, the project redevelops a 0.64-acre site into an eight-level building with 168 studio, one, and two-bedroom units, ground-floor commercial space and amenities, and a rooftop terrace. A 100-space, three-level mechanical parking garage will provide on-site vehicle parking. As a member of the RED Board of Directors, I look forward to the positive impact this rental housing will have on downtown Santa Rosa. | | Construction of Roseland’s Tierra de Rosas project is well underway, with significant progress made in meeting construction phase milestones. While much work remains, the completed mixed-use development will offer 75 affordable housing units and 100 units of market-rate housing. View the latest construction photos for updates on the progress. | | This month, I hopped on a train to Petaluma with some of our SMART staff to welcome aboard members of the latest Leadership Santa Rosa (LSR), Class 41. I spoke to the group in depth about the origins of the SMART rail and trail project and its value to the Marin-Sonoma community. Leadership Santa Rosa, often called the 'Master's Degree in Sonoma County,' offers participants a deep dive into business and community issues, leadership skills, and engagement opportunities. This program is focused on cultivating leaders within our community. | | SMART Transportation News | | |
Join SMART as we celebrate the opening of new pathway segments in Sonoma County with two family-friendly, community walk, ride, roll events.
Rohnert Park to Santa Rosa Walk, Ride, Roll
Date: Saturday, April 26
Start time: 10:30 a.m.
Start location: SMART Rohnert Park Station. Participants can gather at the Rohnert Park Station. Those wishing to reach the event via transit can take SMART trips 2 or 5 to reach the meet up location.
One-way trip distance: 3.4 miles
End location: Andy Lopez Unity Park. Participants will travel at their own pace.
Petaluma to Penngrove Walk, Ride, Roll
Date: Sunday, April 27
Start time: 10:30 a.m.
Start location: SMART Petaluma North Station. Participants can gather at the SMART Petaluma North Station. Those wishing to reach the event via transit can take SMART trips 2 or 5 to reach the meet up location.
One-way trip distance: 2.25 miles
End location: Penngrove Market Patio. Participants will travel at their own pace.
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SMART is preparing to launch passenger rail service to Windsor in late Spring 2025. As part of this process, the Sonoma County Airport station will be temporarily closed on weekends in April for systems testing. All other SMART stations will remain open.
The testing is scheduled for the following dates:
· Saturday and Sunday, April 5–6
· Saturday and Sunday, April 12–13
· Sunday, April 20
· (tentatively) Saturday and Sunday, April 26–27
Test trains will operate between the SMART Airport train station and Windsor from 7:00 AM to 10:00 PM beginning in early April. During testing, trains will sound their horns and bells intermittently, as required by federal safety regulations.
| | Your Voice Matters: Local Government Engagement Opportunies | | |
The Sonoma County General Plan, typically updated every 10 years, is currently undergoing revision. The General Plan serves as the policy framework for growth, conservation, and community life in unincorporated Sonoma County. Often described as the “land-use constitution" for long-term development, it establishes a future vision and outlines policies and programs to achieve it. State law mandates that the General Plan address eight key topics: land use, circulation and mobility, housing, conservation, open space, noise, safety, and environmental justice. It forms the foundation for all land use and regulatory decisions within the unincorporated county. Notably, this 10-year update will include a Tribal section, detailing tribal land use and related matters.
Resident input is crucial to this process. While the South Santa Rosa workshop has concluded, District 3 residents can still participate by attending other county-wide, in-person workshops, virtual workshops or by submitting feedback online.
Upcoming drop in workshops:
North Santa Rosa
Wednesday, April 2 | 6 to 7:30 p.m.
Mark West Elementary School, 4600 Lavell Road, Santa Rosa
Petaluma/Penngrove/Two Rock
Thursday, April 3| 6 to 7:30 p.m.
Bloomfield Masonic Lodge, 6640 Bloomfield Road, Petaluma
Coastal Communities/Bodega Bay/Bodega/Valley Ford
Tuesday, April 15 | 6 to 7:30 p.m.
Bodega Harbour Yacht Club, 565 Smith Brothers Road, Bodega Bay
Sebastopol/Graton/Occidental
Wednesday, April 16 | 6 to 7:30 p.m.
Occidental Community Center, 3920 Bohemian Highway, Occidental
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Attendees can stop by anytime during the open house and provide feedback on key issues such as housing, transportation, and environmental preservation. Spanish interpretation will be available at all in-person events. Family-friendly activities and dinner will also be provided.
For those unable to attend in person, virtual open houses will be held on April 7 at 6 p.m. and April 10 at noon via Zoom. A Zoom registration link can be found here.
An online survey, available in English and Spanish, also provides an opportunity to contribute.
To stay up to date on the General Plan process, residents are encouraged to sign up for the General Plan email update list.
For event details, locations, or to participate online, visit the General Plan Website or email generalplan@sonoma-county.org.
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The Sonoma County Civil Grand Jury is an independent institution with the principal function of overseeing all aspects of county, special districts and city governments in Sonoma County to ensure that the best interests of its residents are being served. The 19 Grand Jury members are selected annually from applications submitted by County residents to serve a one-year term.
Why become a civil grand juror? The ability to act as a community watchdog overseeing fiscal responsibility, efficiency, and honesty provides a public forum for accountability by departments, agencies, and elected officials. The privilege of serving on the grand jury provides the opportunity for a county resident to learn more about the administration and operation of the government in Sonoma County.
Applications close on May 2.
Application forms may be obtained at the Sonoma County Superior Court online at https://sonoma.courts.ca.gov/general-information/civil-grand-jury
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Customers may have noticed a change in Economic Assistance appointments starting this month. Now, customers scheduled to complete their CalFresh appointment will receive a phone call during their scheduled time and are no longer required to call in for their scheduled appointment. This pivot in how the CalFresh program conducts outbound calls for those appointments is part of the restructured business process, aimed to enhance efficiency and eliminate the need for customers to call in.
Also, beginning in April phone hours are changing. See the details below of the phone hours.
· (877) 699-6868
· 8am – 4pm
· Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday
Santa Rosa Public Lobby:
Open Monday – Friday, 8am – 4pm
2550 Paulin Drive
Santa Rosa, CA 94503
| | Andy’s Unity Park Spring Event-Dia de los Niños | | |
Join the neighbors of Moorland as they celebrate their annual Spring event, Dia de los Niños. Bring your family and enjoy games, art, Zumba classes, community resources and more.
Saturday April 26 | Noon – 4pm
Andy Unity Park 3399 Moorland Avenue, Santa Rosa
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Join the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Department at their next Meet and Greet at Andy’s Unity Park in Moorland. This family-friendly event will feature exciting displays and demonstrations, including patrol cars, drones, K9s, and the Henry-1 helicopter. Meet members of the Sheriff’s Office and representatives from other community resource groups who are ready to answer your questions and hear your feedback. Stop by and enjoy a great day in the park - everyone is welcome.
Saturday May 3 | 10 am – Noon
Andy’s Unity Park 3399 Moorland Avenue, Santa Rosa
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This free, family-friendly, zero-waste festival brings the community together through fun activities, live performing arts, great food, and inspiring exhibits that raise environmental awareness. Don’t miss this opportunity to celebrate the vibrant City of Santa Rosa and get involved by learning about solutions to address drought, climate change, and environmental concerns in our community.
Saturday April 26 | noon – 4:00 pm
Old Courthouse Square, 600 4th Street, Santa Rosa
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All are invited to join the City of Santa Rosa, Recology, Roseland businesses, and community organizations, as they take action to beautify Sebastopol Avenue and protect Roseland Creek.
Trash pickers, trash bags, and gloves will be provided. Just bring your Earth Day best and wear closed-toe shoes!
Tuesday April 22
Cleanup from 9 am to 11 am | Check-in begins at 8:30 am
Meet at Lola's Market Parking Lot | 440 Dutton Ave - Look for the Streets to Creeks Booth
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