The last month at the county has been packed with actions to advance priority issues such as housing, mental health, public health, and the environment. The Board of Supervisors took  action to implement rent control for mobile home parks, limiting excessive rent increases for residents, many of whom are seniors surviving on limited income. We also legislated a ban on e-cigarette sales in unincorporated Sonoma County, adding our jurisdiction to the list of local cities fighting to mitigate public health risks of these products. On the climate action front, the Board approved plans to build an electric bus charging facility on county-owned land and increase investments and local partnerships to reduce employee transportation emissions.

In addition to policy, the Board has directed investments in important areas. In the past month, we approved a $27 million project to provide local mental health services to foster youth and recommitted American Rescue Plan Act funding for 27 Community Resilience projects that increase food security, bolster mental health services, increase economic prosperity, expand access to internet in rural communities and more.

Read on for more about these actions and other important updates. Below, we also have included a list of significant items that the Board of Supervisors plans to discuss this month and the next. As always, I am grateful for your engagement and look forward to receiving your feedback, questions, and comments. 

Chris Coursey

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Flavored tobacco and e-cigarettes will no longer be available in unincorporated Sonoma County soon after the Board of Supervisors voted to ban the sale of these products on Oct. 24. This action came in response to public health data showing an increase in use of e-cigarettes, or vapes, among high school-aged youth.

In a Healthy Kids survey, 46% of Sonoma County 11th graders said they have used an e-cigarette, and 76% reported easy accessibility to these products (which by law can only be sold to individuals older than 21). Research shows e-cigarettes can cause serious negative health effects to the body and mind, including to the pulmonary, cardiovascular, and mental health systems.  

Sonoma County’s updated tobacco retail ordinance aligns with the cities of Petaluma, Sebastopol and Windsor, which have also outlawed the sale of e-cigarettes and flavored tobacco.

On Tuesday, Oct. 24, the Board of Supervisors extended funding for community-based projects that bolster food security, provide job training, strengthen mental health, and expand rural broadband among other important actions. These 27 community projects were initially selected to receive ARPA funding in May 2022 as part of the Community Resilience Program.

“With nearly $40 million in federal ARPA funding, the county and its partner organizations are transforming the lives of some of our most vulnerable residents,” said Supervisor Coursey. “In distributing these funds, we focused on equity – investing in areas of the community that need it the most.”

The Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the creation of a $27 million three-year pilot program to expand local mental health services for foster youth who are often sent to other counties for placement in intensive residential treatment programs. The new program will shorten wait times for treatment and reduce disruption to the lives of foster youth by enabling them to remain in Sonoma County, making it easier to maintain supportive connections with family and friends.

“We now have space for this program at Valley of the Moon Children’s Center thanks to the success of our efforts helping local foster youth move out of institutions and into more familial home environments,” said Supervisor Coursey. “This program will buttress those efforts by ensuring that youth who require intensive therapy get the treatment they need, without delay or disruption, and put them on a path to a successful adulthood.”

When Jonnie and Chase Williamson purchased the Rohnert Park location of Mary’s Pizza Shack in 2023, they knew that they wanted to invest in their unhoused neighbors around the restaurant. Mary’s Pizza Shack is located near  the Roberts Lake Park and Ride, the site of a large homeless camp that, in 2022, was designated by the city of Rohnert Park as a Safe Sleeping Site.

Soon after their purchase, Jonnie and Chase connected with the local housing provider, HomeFirst, and began providing monthly meals at Labath Landing, an interim housing site. Additionally, they discovered Sonoma County Job Link and TWEX, the program that has enabled them to provide paid employment training to three unhoused people this year.

At Job Link’s recent Lunch & Learn event for employers, the Office of Supervisor Coursey recognized the two business owners as exceptional partners in supporting unhoused residents.

If you are a business owner and would like to learn more about the TWEX program, contact Sonoma County Job Link at joblink@schsd.org or (707) 565-5550.

The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday voted to limit annual rent increases at mobile home parks in unincorporated areas to no more than 4%, or 70% of the Consumer Price Index, whichever is less.

“Individuals living in mobile homes often are lower-income and have little choice when the landlord raises the rent on their park space,” said Supervisor Coursey. “While they own their home, they are unable to pick up and move it elsewhere. The amendments to this ordinance are similar to those used by local municipalities and are designed to protect some of the most vulnerable people in our community.”

Six years after the Tubbs fire destroyed Journey’s End mobile home park in Santa Rosa, a new affordable housing development for seniors has risen in its place. On Oct. 26, the new development, Laurel at Perennial Park, celebrated the opening of 132 affordable apartments for seniors. These eventually will grow to 162 to replace the lost homes at Journey’s End.

“Aspirational projects like this can succeed, against all odds, when we work together at all levels of government, from local to federal, arm in arm with philanthropy and the private sector,” said Supervisor Coursey, who spoke at the Laurel at Perennial Park Ribbon Cutting. 

The County of Sonoma’s Housing Element has been certified by the California Department of Housing and Community Development, signifying the County’s compliance with State Housing Element law. Certification makes the County eligible for considerable grants and state funding opportunities to support affordable housing. Sonoma County and its nine cities are the first subregion in the Bay Area to be fully certified.

SMART is pleased to announce the agency has been awarded a $32M grant in Federal Railroad Administration, Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvement funds.

The grant marks a significant milestone in SMART's ongoing effort to extend passenger rail to Healdsburg and Cloverdale, with $28M of the total award dedicated to the installation of the 5.5-mile passenger and freight rail line between Windsor and Healdsburg. The remaining $4M will help replace of older, high-emission freight locomotives with lower emission, environmentally sustainable equivalents. 

In effort to reduce the CO2 rate from drive-alone transportation, the County of Sonoma is launching exciting new features to its Clean Commute. Upgrades include no-cost rides on Santa Rosa City buses and Sonoma County Transit, as well as free 3-hour electric vehicle charging, complementary safe bike parking on County Campus, and an increase in monthly incentives for participants.

“As one of the region’s largest employers, we have an obligation to encourage and provide solutions for our employees in this collective effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from transportation,” said Supervisor Coursey. “This innovative program not only helps take metric tons of CO2 out of the air, but it also provides incentive for employees to get and stay active for long-term health and well-being.”  

Board of Supervisors Approves

Electric Bus Charging Facility at

Sonoma County Transit

The Board of Supervisors recently approved the construction of a 19-space electric bus charging facility at Sonoma County Transit in Santa Rosa. The new facility will provide charging capacity for up to 32 transit buses and moves the county toward compliance with state requirements that transit operators transition their fleets to zero-emission vehicles by 2040.

“This project is a direct investment in the health and well-being of our communities, now and in the future,” said Supervisor Coursey. “It reflects our commitment to leading on zero-emission public transportation and stands as an important example of local government doing its part to ensure access to both clean air and reliable transportation across our communities.”

The project is expected to be completed by June 2024.

Help Shape the Sonoma County

Active Transportation Plan!

Sonoma County Transportation Authority is partnering with Cloverdale, Cotati, Healdsburg, Rohnert Park, Sebastopol, Sonoma, and Unincorporated Sonoma County to create a community-informed Active Transportation Plan (ATP).

Active transportation refers to “human-powered” modes of travel, like walking, biking, or using mobility devices. The ATP will focus on increasing access to active transportation by planning for infrastructure projects and supportive programs.

Your feedback is crucial to ensure that this plan reflects the needs and preferences of Sonoma County.

Take the Survey: Please take a few minutes to complete the Sonoma County Active Transportation Plan Survey. Access the survey here.

Your participation will contribute to a safer and more inviting walking, biking, and rolling experience in Sonoma County!

In appreciation of their service, veterans, active-duty military and their families can receive free parking at all Sonoma County Regional Parks on the Veterans Day holiday weekend.

Veterans, military members, and family are eligible for a special pass that waives the $7 day-use parking fee from Friday, Nov. 10, through Sunday, Nov. 12, 2023. They can obtain the parking pass in advance by showing a valid military identification card, a Veterans Affairs card, a veteran’s identification 

If you or someone you know lost their single-family home or manufactured housing unit in a 2020 disaster or has mitigation or home-hardening needs on their property, ReCoverCA Housing Programs may be able to help. Homeowners may be eligible for up to $500,000 to help rebuild, depending on unique housing needs. Some homeowners may also qualify for up to $50,000 for mitigation assistance, even if the home sustained no damage from the disasters.

More information about the program, including how to apply and eligibility details, is available on the ReCoverCA website.

Celebrate Native American & Indigenous Heritage

With Your Local Library

November is National Native American & Indigenous Heritage Month, a recognition of the ancestry and traditions of Native American and Indigenous peoples. Sonoma County Library invites the community to celebrate Native American and Indigenous heritage.

Visit sonomalibrary.org/NAIHM to learn about special events and programming and to explore books and films by, for and about Native American and Indigenous peoples.

The County of Sonoma's Department of Health Services-Behavioral Health Division is excited to welcome the community to their first ever Behavioral Health job fair Thursday, Nov. 9.

SoCo Behavioral Health provides high-quality mental health and substance use services for Medi-Cal beneficiaries living throughout Sonoma County, and they are actively recruiting for various clinical practice positions.

A signing bonus of up to $15,000 is available for specific job classifications.

Click here for more information: https://sonomacounty.ca.gov/jobfair

Free E-Waste Recycling Event in Santa Rosa

FREE E-waste Recycling Event Nov. 10-12 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Santa Rosa Finley Park, 2060 W. College Ave. in Santa Rosa.

To make it more convenient for Sonoma County residents and businesses to dispose of their waste properly, Zero Waste Sonoma is partnering with Conservation Corp North Bay to conduct FREE electronics collection events. No appointment necessary for these events. Event will be held in the parking lot.

ACCEPTED ITEMS: Working and non-working TVs, office equipment, cell phones, tablets, microwaves, printers, computers, laptops, stereos, game consoles, cords and more.

NOT ACCEPTED: Appliances, batteries, and fluorescent lamps.

For the safety of our staff, please follow these rules:

1. Remain in vehicle at all times. Crack window in order to talk to collection event staff.
2. Place materials in trunk of car, or bed of truck, not on seats.
3. Everyone in vehicle must wear a mask that covers their nose and mouth.



For more information, visit https://zerowastesonoma.gov/e-waste-disposal

On Nov. 16 Job Link will be holding the 2^nd Job and Resource Fair specifically focused on unhoused residents and those at risk of becoming unhoused.

The event includes:

• Free lunch
• A FREE $25 gift card for attendees

Attend to connect with employers looking to hire, resource providers to help you on your journey and an onsite resume clinic to fine-tune your resume. Please spread the word to anyone who can benefit from this opportunity.

On Thursday, November 16^th the Sonoma County Department of Health Services, in partnership with NAAMI Sonoma County, is hosting a Remembrance & Healing Conversation for those impacted by suicide at the North Coast Builders Exchange, 1030 Apollo Way Santa Rosa, from 3pm-5pm.

During this gathering, panelists who have been impacted by suicide will share stories about their healing journey, offering comfort and understanding. This event welcomes all who seek healing and connection.

The Sonoma County Indian Health Project's Aunties & Uncles Program is hosting a Family Fun Night at the Children's Museum on Friday, December 1st, 2023 from 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM .

Registration is REQUIRED and should be made no later than November 15th. To register, call Carolyn (707-521-4559), Dean (707-565-1032) or email aupevents@scihp.org

The Aunties & Uncles Program is a prevention and early intervention program that aims to reduce suicide and depressive symptoms and increase mental health awareness among Native transitional-aged youth 14-24 years old. To learn more about the Aunties & Uncles Program, click here.