Rural County Representatives of California (RCRC)
Fighting Fentanyl – The New Face of the Opioid Epidemic
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Mendocino County proudly spotlights Dr. Jenine Miller (pictured second from left) for her exceptional contributions to addressing the opioid epidemic. During the afternoon panel at the RCRC annual meeting on September 20, 2023, a group of experts, including Jenine Miller, Lisa Botwinik, Reb Close, and Casey Glover, alongside moderator John Peschong, San Luis Obispo County Supervisor, illuminated the profound impact of the Fentanyl Crisis on our rural communities. They also shared well-established strategies to effectively address this pressing challenge.
In January 2023, Dr. Jenine Miller earned the prestigious opportunity to join the National Association of Counties (NACo) Opioid Solutions Leadership Network. This national initiative comprises 30 county leaders dedicated to pioneering evidence-based solutions utilizing opioid settlement funds. We take immense pride in having Dr. Jenine Miller, a distinguished professional from Mendocino County, chosen to represent California in this esteemed nationwide program.
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September - National Suicide Awareness Month | |
September is National Suicide Awareness Month and September 10 is World Suicide Prevention Awareness Day. World Suicide Prevention Day originated in 2003 by the World Health Organization. Suicide prevention has been studied and researched in the United States since 1958, and suicide prevention activities and resources are amplified over the whole month of September. Suicide is one of the leading causes of death in the United States and increased in 2021 from 2022 by 3%. Click HERE to read more! | |
Golden Gate Bridge Initiative (GGBI) | |
The Golden Gate Bridge Initiative (GGBI) was created on June 7th to address the structural financial and operational challenges in the County. Please follow the link below for our September report that outlines the GGBI Mission, and approach methodology, in addition to summaries of key initiatives and projected budget impacts. Click HERE to read more! | |
Mendocino County Strategic Plan | |
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In May 2022, the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors approved the first five-year strategic plan that will help guide the critical decisions the Board of Supervisors will face over the next five years with the ultimate goal of improving the quality of life for County residents. The CEO report will align with the 4 priority areas that include; An Effective County Government, A Safe and Healthy County, A Thriving Economy, and A Prepared and Resilient County.
Click HERE to download the Strategic Plan.
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An Effective County Government Organization | |
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During the month of August 2023, 16 dogs and 18 cats were adopted, 21 animals were returned to their owners and 19 animals were transferred to other rescue organizations.
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The Mental Health Services Act is in the process of proposed reform by Governor Newsom’s office through SB 326 and an associated Assembly Bill AB 531. The proposed reform will change the categories of Mental Health Services Act components and associated funding allocations. Currently, MHSA is divided into 5 components: Community Services and Supports (75% of Funding), Prevention and Early Intervention (20% of funding), Innovation (5% of funding), Workforce Education and Training (diverted from CSS, no more than 20%), Capital Facilities and Technology Needs (diverted from CSS, no more than 20% of CSS). Click HERE to read more!
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The Mendocino County Department of Child Support Services had 2945 open cases as of August 31, 2023, serving both parents to ensure that their families receive court-ordered financial and medical support.
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The County Counsel’s Office of 9 attorneys provides legal advice, opinions, and support for the Board of Supervisors, all County departments, the Grand Jury, and various Special Districts. County Counsel also provides direct representation in litigation brought by and against the County. Click HERE to view statistics regarding some of the recent work performed by County Counsel.
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The IT department finished replacing all computers 5 years and older at the Coast Community Branch of the Mendocino County Library. The other branches will be receiving computer replacements as the year goes on, with the Round Valley Branch next. Click HERE to read more from the Cultural Services Agency!
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Improvements: The Contract Unit recently worked with the CEO and County Counsel to consolidate the County’s contract amendment templates. Click HERE to read more!
Trainings: The Contract Unit has scheduled trainings through the end of the 2023 calendar year. Click HERE to read more!
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General Services Agency’s primary focus is ensuring cost-effective measures are utilized within the County of Mendocino. Click HERE for detailed information on activities throughout Mendocino County.
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The annual Health Plan Open Enrollment period is October 23 – November 17, 2023.
There are plan design changes for 2024 and every employee who is enrolled in the health plan, or plans to enroll in the plan during open enrollment, should create a user account and log into BenXcel, the web-based health benefits administrative portal, to select a health plan.
In January 2023, a Health Benefits Committee made up of members from the County bargaining units, was formed and met regularly to review the County health plan benefits and to make recommendations about coverage and premiums. In July 2023, the Committee made the following recommendation to the Board of Supervisors:
• Eliminate the plan currently known as Plan 1.
• Create a plan design that offers three health plan options.
• Create an opportunity for employees to enhance their dental and vision benefits by offering a “buy up” option.
For specific questions, employees can contact the health benefits team at: employeehealthbenefits@mendocinocounty.org
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The function of Human Resources involves managing the recruitment, development, well-being, and performance of government employees, while also ensuring compliance with regulations and promoting the efficient delivery of public services.
Human Resources is happy to report the following updates:
- NEW HIRE ORIENTATION RETURNS TO IN-PERSON FORMAT: Human Resources is pleased to announce that after 3 years of virtual new hire orientation, beginning September 18th, new hires will again be able to attend orientation in person.
- PROTECT YOURSELF FROM THE FLU & EARN INCENTIVE POINTS!: MCWOW is partnering with Public Health to bring FREE onsite flu shots to County employees during the month of October.
- QUARTERLY RECRUITMENT INFORMATION: Human Resources provides quarterly recruitment information on the County's hiring activities. The 2023 Q1 and Q2 report provided includes statistics on the number of recruitments, certifications, hires, and more.
To read the full update from Human Resources, click HERE.
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In an effort to increase the opportunity for the public to provide feedback to the Department regarding our services, PBS has placed copies of customer surveys along our front counter and has received more customer survey responses in the last month than were received in the prior 6 months. Previously, these surveys were provided with building permit issuance or when requested and we received very few responses. Click HERE to view survey results!
As of August 2023, the Planning and Building Services (PBS) office in Ukiah is now open from 8-5 and is no longer closed during the lunch hour of 12-1. The Fort Bragg Office remains closed from 12-1 due to limited staffing in that office. Click HERE to read more from Planning & Building!
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The Special Investigations Unit within the Mendocino County Department of Social Services is designed to ensure the integrity of the CalWORKs and CalFresh programs.
Click HERE to read more!
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A Safe and Healthy County | |
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The Animal Protection Unit worked 220 calls for services in August 2023, with 55 being categorized as a priority such as "biting animals, cruelty complaints, animals in distress, aggressive loose animals and Law Enforcement assist."
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On October 4, library staff will attend the Point Arena School Health fair to lead school groups in discussions on the benefits of reading to your mental health, provide onsite library card registration, and distribute literacy enhancement tools. On Saturday, October 14, at 2 p.m., kids and families are invited to play life-sized Chutes and Ladders based on the Mario Brothers video game. This event will be held in the Community Room and will help support a safe and healthy community. In October the Willits Branch Library will host their annual Halloween bash! This year's outdoor get-together will be themed a “Dance Party” with fun, games, and CANDY! Click HERE to read more from the Cultural Services Agency!
Attachments:
Beach Reads Book Club
Fort Bragg Kiddie Parade
Life-Sized Chutes and Ladders
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Environmental Health tested two local birds for West Nile Virus by working with the California Department of Public Health and the University of California, along with the community member who brought us the birds. We have been getting phone calls related to concerns of dead birds and West Nile Virus. We direct members of our community to go to: https://westnile.ca.gov/ to report a dead bird, as well as view up-to-date information on local cases. In addition, we have been receiving calls from the community regarding Blue Green Algae. Although our department does not do testing for Blue Green Algae, if there is a positive sample in our County, we are notified by the State and then our department goes out and posts signs to keep our community members safe. The public can go to https://mywaterquality.ca.gov/habs/ to report a bloom and view advisories in our area.
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The General Services Agency, Facilities Division is charged with routine and emergency maintenance, utility payments, custodial services, and grounds-keeping responsibilities for all county-owned and several leased facilities. Other responsibilities include project management for larger-scale deferred maintenance projects and maintenance of all county-owned parks and recreational areas. Click HERE for activities related to critical projects throughout the county.
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During the 2nd quarter (April-June) the Mendocino County Probation Department Juvenile Division received 143 new referrals for new crimes and traffic violations. The Juvenile Hall received 45 bookings. The Pretrial release unit provided 287 assessments to the Court for release consideration. 59 Individuals were referred by the Court to the Pretrial release unit for monitoring. Between the Adult division and Juvenile division 162 reports were written to the Court. 83 adult cases were opened for supervision.
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Click HERE to read the Public Health update for the month of September!
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Since February 2023, Family & Children’s Services has partnered with Mendocino County’s FrontDoor for Families program to implement the Bringing Families Home program specific to families involved with Family & Children’s Services. Front Door for Families aids Mendocino County families with children, who are experiencing homelessness, to help them identify housing options in our community. Click HERE to read more about Front Door for Families.
Click HERE to read the full report from Social Services.
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The Mendocino County Department of Transportation’s Land Improvement Division provides drainage and water quality protection; Solid Waste & Landfill Closure Division provides administration of the County’s solid waste system and maintenance and regulatory compliance of three “closed” landfill sites. The Water Agency supports the regional water interests of Mendocino County citizens through regulatory compliance, advocacy, and collaboration. Staff strive to support a safe and healthy County by implementing practices that support a sustainable environment and responsible stewardship of natural resources. Click HERE for more information.
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During the month of August 2023, 603 dog licenses were sold resulting in $21,107 in revenue.
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The Department of Child Support Services collected 63.9% of current support due and 65.1% due on arrears for a total of $509,605 in court-ordered child support payments, and a total of 896 children are currently enrolled in medical coverage.
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The Ukiah Branch Library staff invites the community to join us for Art Walk Ukiah on Friday, October 6 from 5:00 -7:00 pm. Come enjoy a multi-disciplinary exhibit by local artists Phaedra Craig, Kathleen Miller Thomas, and Susan Walker, which will be on display from September 1 through October 27. We will host live music by The Jazz Dudes. There will be an in-person hands-on creative arts program. Enjoy a book sale by the Ukiah Valley Friends of the Library as you browse the art walk. On October 14 and 15, library staff will represent the Mendocino County Library at the Ukiah Pumpkinfest! Our pop-up honor library, library card station, reading nook, and fun Halloween games will be open during all festival hours. Click HERE to read more from the Cultural Services Agency!
Attachments:
College Workshops for Teens
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The Economic Development Division is in the interview process for an Administrative Analyst dedicated to economic development. Staff has also published a social media post to recruit for the last open governing member of the Sonoma Mendocino Economic Development District (SMEDD) to represent Mendocino. Applicants will be interviewed at the Economic Development Standing Committee. Since the creation of the Economic Development Division, staff has been working more closely with SMEDD administrative staff, including bi-weekly team coordination meetings and multi-jurisdictional project collaboration.
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A Prepared and Resilient County | |
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The Animal Protection Unit was able to send an officer to the Animal Technical Rescue class in Point Arena on August 25th & August 26th. The class provides the knowledge and skills to prepare to respond to an animal technical rescue in a safe & effective manner and covered animal species that first responders are called to rescue and manage: like cattle (beef & dairy) and horses. The class was sponsored by the Halter Project and they provided a $425.00 scholarship that covered the cost of class for the Animal Protection Officer.
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The Department of Child Support Services completed the state funded tech refresh by replacing all desktop computers with laptops to allow all employee's the ability to work remotely in the case of an emergency or natural disaster.
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Today’s teens are tomorrow’s adult library patrons, so ensuring they feel like they belong at the library aids in creating a prepared and resilient county. Based on their requests, Coast Branch has begun Teen Hangout each Thursday at 5:00 p.m. This teen-led program includes storytelling, tabletop games, crafts, and artwork. Click HERE to read more from the Cultural Services Agency!
Attachments:
IMPRESSED Showing at Mendocino County Museum
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Our department has started an Instagram account. We will use our Instagram, in addition to our Facebook page, to alert the public of local health advisories, job openings, and keep the public informed on what is happening at Environmental Health.
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The General Services Agency maintains vital infrastructure and related services that enable county employees to serve the citizens of Mendocino County. Click HERE for more information.
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On Thursday, August 17th, OES hosted a Fire Season Coordination meeting in our Emergency Operations Center (EOC). There were approximately 60 attendees. We gave an update on our new EOC, and how the EOC can support an emergency incident. We provided an overview of the role of OES in alert and warning and how people can sign up for alerts. The Sheriff’s Department gave updates on Evacuations and Re-population. Other Law and Fire agencies updated the group on what is happening in their jurisdictions. The National Weather Service, Cal Fire, U.S. Forest Service, and PG&E gave updates on fire season conditions. Various County departments updated the group on their roles pertaining to fire season. That same day, the County Disaster Council met. The purpose of the Council is to provide guidance and recommend priorities for Mendocino County OES.
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The Prevention, Recovery, Resiliency, and Mitigation Division (PRRM) has been organizing public listening sessions to gather input on the resilience needs of communities around Mendocino County. Meetings have been held in Anderson Valley, Hopland, Caspar, Covelo, Legget, Ukiah, Redwood Valley, and Willits. Information collected from these community meetings will help the County identify gaps in local resilience and apply for grants to address them. These meetings are being organized and funded as part of the County's successful Prepare California "Jumpstart" grant awarded by The California Governor's Office of Emergency Services (CalOES) in late 2022.
Click HERE to read more from the Prevention, Recovery, Resiliency, and Mitigation Division.
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The County of Mendocino was awarded a grant in 2018 which ended in early 2023, for the Redwood Valley Water District Infrastructure Retrofit Project for the construction of domestic water delivery systems that mitigate seismic hazards within the Redwood Valley County Water District infrastructure. The funding for this project has been provided in full or in part from the State Department of Water Resources, financed under the Budget Act of 2018, Item 3860-101-001, administered by the Department of Water Resources, engineered by Brelje & Race Consulting Engineers, and contracted with Ghilotti Construction Company.
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The Department of Treasury released the final rule on January 6, 2022. According to the final rule, funding may be used to cover costs 1) replace lost public sector revenue, 2) support the COVID-19 public health and economic response, 3) provide premium pay for eligible workers performing essential work, 4) or for investment in water, sewer, and broadband infrastructure. Eligible expenses must be obligated between March 3, 2021, and December 31, 2024, and projects must be completed by December 31, 2026.
Mendocino County’s allotment was $16,849,976 of which 50% was awarded on August 6, 2021, and the remaining 50% was awarded on September 16, 2022. The Board of Supervisors on November 16, 2021, directed ARPA funding to be designated for County Core services, infrastructure projects, and emergency funding before other considerations, and to be appropriated using the final guidelines released in January 2022.
Full detail of the obligations can be found HERE.
Quarterly ARPA reporting can be found HERE.
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August is Child Support Awareness Month. This year’s Child Support Awareness Month, themed Different Wants, Different Needs, One Shared Goal, recognizes the importance of working with diverse co-parents to meet their individual needs and achieve the shared goal of seeing their children thrive. Child support professionals are dedicated to assisting parents and legal guardians in providing consistent support for their children and understand that one size does not fit all. The Mendocino Department of Child Support participated in the Redwood Empire Fair in August educating our community on the benefits of enrolling in the child support program. Children "spun the wheel" for a prize as well as entered daily drawings for backpacks filled with school supplies.
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Full detail of the obligations and expenses paid through March 31, 2023, can be found by clicking HERE.
Quarterly PG&E reporting can be found HERE.
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MCDSS is excited to share that, with the help of numerous staff donations, we took home a blue ribbon for our outreach booth decorations at the Redwood Empire Fair this August! Outreach events such as this assist the department in filling much-needed vacant positions and increasing IHSS providers and Resource Families (formerly known as Foster Families). At this event, 56 interest cards were received from potential applicants including 9 that were referred to other departments based upon area of interest. The Staff Resources team at MCDSS is looking forward to another outreach booth at the Ukiah Country Pumpkinfest in October. We hope to see you there!
Attachments:
MCDSS Redwood Empire Fair Booth
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COME & VISIT
Main Ukiah Campus:
501 Low Gap Road
Ukiah, CA 95482
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