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In today’s edition of SoCo Correspondent, we report on tentative plans approved by the Board of Supervisors this week to build a new $308 million County Government Center in addition to up to 1,000 homes on the current County campus in Santa Rosa. We also offer exciting details about Supervisor James Gore’s recent election as president of the National Association of Counties, the County being ranked as one of the top digital counties in the nation, information about the upcoming Sonoma County Fair, which begins on Aug. 1, and much more.

 

If you have a friend or family member who lives in the area – or you know of a former Sonoma County resident who might be interested in receiving these updates – urge them to sign up for the SoCo Correspondent so they can receive it directly, normally on the first and third week of each month.

 

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Board of Supervisors lays out vision for new County Government Center

The County campus in north Santa Rosa would be transformed into a mixed-use development under a plan approved Tuesday by the Board of Supervisors, which endorsed proposals to build up to 1,000 units of housing on the site in addition to an office tower for up to 1,000 employees.

 

Instead of building two towers on the campus for 1,700 employees as originally planned, the Board directed staff to look for opportunities to lease or purchase vacant office buildings that could house the remaining County employees at less cost. In February, the Board approved a lease with an option to purchase the former American AgCredit building at 400 Aviation Blvd., which can accommodate approximately 400 employees who would otherwise be located at the County campus.

 

“This plan allows us to maximize taxpayer funds by consolidating administrative functions, upgrading and modernizing work environments while also providing much-needed affordable housing stock for Sonoma County residents in need,” said Supervisor David Rabbitt, chair of the Board of Supervisors.

 

The office tower is expected to cost $308 million and could be opened by the end of 2026, if the project moves forward without significant delays. The County’s Public Infrastructure Department will begin an environmental analysis of the plan and return to the Board of Supervisors with designs.

Learn more about the County Government Center modernization project 

Supervisor Gore becomes president of National Association of Counties

Supervisor James Gore addresses 3,000 county officials at the National Association of Counties' annual business meeting July 15 in Tampa, Florida.

 

District 4 Supervisor James Gore was sworn in last week as president of the National Association of Counties, an advocacy organization founded in 1935 to represent the priorities of county governments in the United States.

 

During his one-year term as NACo president, Supervisor Gore plans to expand opportunities to work with county leaders from across the country on issues such as emergency preparedness, infrastructure, housing, homelessness and behavioral health.  

 

“With all the divisiveness in our state and national political arenas, it falls on us at the local level to bring ground truth to the table and forge progress,” Supervisor Gore said. “I’m honored to serve and look forward to continuing to innovate, collaborate and tackle head-on the most difficult issues faced by my constituents in Sonoma County and counties across our nation.”

 

Supervisor Gore was born and raised in the 4th District, which stretches from northern Santa Rosa to Cloverdale. He was first elected to serve on the Board of Supervisors in 2014 and was reelected to his third term in 2022. He has served on NACo’s executive leadership team since 2022, when was elected second vice president with broad, bipartisan support from leaders representing 3,069 rural, urban and suburban counties across the United States.

 

He is only the second Sonoma County official to be appointed president of NACo. Former Supervisor Valerie Brown served as the organization’s president in 2009-10.

Read excerpts from Supervisor Gore’s acceptance speech

Board of Supervisors selects Santa Rosa nonprofit to run homeless housing sites

Two interim housing sites created by the County to shelter people experiencing homelessness will be operated by The Society of St. Vincent de Paul District Council of Sonoma County, a Santa Rosa nonprofit, under a three-year contract awarded Tuesday by the Board of Supervisors.

 

The Department of Health Services received four bids for the $4.6 million contract to manage Eliza’s Village, which will house up to 130 people in two renovated dormitories at the Los Guilicos campus in the Sonoma Valley, and Mickey Zane Place, a 44-room former hotel in downtown Santa Rosa that now houses medically fragile homeless individuals. The contract will take effect Aug. 1 and will last for three years with an option to extend.

 

An Emergency Shelter Site on the County campus was demobilized last month, and the remaining clients were moved to Eliza’s Village. DHS has worked with Sonoma County Public Infrastructure and sub-contractors to renovate Eliza’s Village at a cost of $3.2 million.

Learn more about the homeless housing contracts

Registrar of Voters to host open house on Aug. 1

Learn how elections are conducted in Sonoma County during an Aug. 1 open house at the Registrar of Voters Office.

 

The public will have an opportunity to tour the office, practice voting at a mock vote center, and pose questions during two Q&A sessions with Registrar of Voters Deva Marie Proto, shown in photo.

 

The two-hour open house will be held at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m., with Q&A sessions at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. The Registrar of Voters Office is located at 435 Fiscal Drive in north Santa Rosa. To RSVP, send an email to rov-info@sonoma-county.org or call (707) 565-6800. If possible, please state which session you plan to attend and the number of guests you will be bringing.

 

For those who are unable to attend in person, the Q&A sessions will be recorded and posted to the Registrar of Voters’ YouTube page.

Register to attend the Aug. 1 open house

County honored again for effective use of technology

Few counties in the United States use technology better than the County of Sonoma. For the third time in four years, the County placed among the top six counties of its size in an annual survey of technology practices released last week by the Center for Digital Government.

 

The award honors the County’s efforts to modernize outdated systems and deploy new technologies that make government more efficient by improving access to information and services. One significant initiative is modernizing the County’s three-decade-old Integrated Justice System, which is used by law enforcement, the courts and justice agencies to track clients through the criminal justice system from booking through release. Other initiatives are rolling out Artificial Intelligence technologies in a secure and responsible manner, expanding the use of cloud-based technology, and increasing the use of electronic forms and automated workflows to streamline government processes.

 

The center’s annual Digital Counties Survey ranked Sonoma County fifth in the nation among counties with 250,000 to 499,999 residents. The County ranked fifth in the survey last year and sixth in 2021.

 

“This recognition is a credit to the Information Systems Department staff that works hard every day to improve the digital government experience for the residents of Sonoma County,” department Director Dan Fruchey said. “This award is a reflection of the pride we have for our community.”

Learn more about the Information Systems Department

Sonoma County Energy Independence Program celebrates 15th anniversary

Erick Roeser, in green shirt, the County’s Auditor-Controller-Treasurer-Tax Collector, attends a celebration for the 15th anniversary of the Sonoma County Energy Independence Program.



In 2009, Sonoma County launched the nation’s first countywide municipal loan program of its kind. It would help homeowners and businesses pay for improvements that utilize energy and water more efficiently and strengthen buildings against wildfires and earthquakes.

 

Fifteen years later, the Sonoma County Energy Independence Program has disbursed more than $105 million to 3,208 projects. The projects, 90 percent of which were completed by local contractors, have eliminated more than 150,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions while supporting more than 2,067 local jobs.

 

The program provides Property Assessed Clean Energy financing, which is different from a traditional bank loan. It allows property owners to finance improvements with no up-front costs and repay the amount, with interest, through property tax assessments over a term of 10 or 20 years. Financing is available from a minimum of $2,500 up to a maximum amount that equals 10 percent of a property’s market value. Interest rates remain fixed, and the assessment is attached to the property, not the owner. Assessments may be passed to subsequent property owners, if the buyer’s new lender agrees, and do not appear on your credit report because they are not personal debt.

 

The program offers financing for more than 100 eligible improvements for energy efficiency, water conservation, renewable power, wildfire safety and seismic strengthening. Examples include new solar energy systems, roofs, windows, doors, toilets, insulation, landscape irrigation systems and electric vehicle chargers. A growing number of borrowers are using PACE financing to protect their properties from wildfires by installing fire-resistant roofs, siding, windows, decks, hardscaping, and venting systems that prevent embers from infiltrating a building.

Finance your project through the Sonoma County Energy Independence Program

New acquisition by County links parks and open spaces in Sonoma Valley

The property, known as the 100-Acre Ranch, may be modest in size. But the recently acquired parcel serves as a critical lynchpin, linking a vast network of more than 11,000 acres of protected public land in Sonoma Valley.

 

The ranch bridges the gap between the eastern boundary of Saddle Mountain Preserve east of Rincon Valley and the northern boundary of Hood Mountain Regional Park and Open Space Preserve. Connecting the two properties creates opportunities for trails that will open the land to the public while supporting wildlife habitat and biodiversity.

 

Sonoma County Regional Parks purchased the property for $555,000 with contributions from the Sonoma Land Trust, the Dave and Vicki Stollmeyer Family Fund, the Sonoma County Parks Foundation and its Bill & Dave Legacy Fund. Additional funding was provided by Measure M – Parks for All and local park mitigation fees. The ranch will be opened for occasional tours in 2025 while Regional Parks develops a property master plan that will identify resource management, future trails, trail connections and public access.

 

“Protecting Sonoma Valley's rural character and ecological health is a top priority,” said Supervisor Susan Gorin, whose 1st District includes the park. “With this expansion, we help maintain the natural beauty of the area, prevent unnecessary development along scenic ridgelines, and maintain crucial wildlife movement corridors while paving the way for expanded opportunities for recreation in the future.”

Read more about the 100-Acre Ranch acquisition

EDITOR'S NOTE: An earlier version of this story incorrectly described the acquisition of the 100-Acre Ranch.

County’s financial strength leads to higher credit rating

Whether you are an ordinary person or a big government agency, a strong credit rating makes it cheaper to borrow money. In general, the higher your credit rating, the less you have to pay in interest because you are viewed by lenders as a safer bet to repay the loan.

 

So it was welcome news this month when international credit rating firm Fitch Ratings upgraded pension obligation bonds issued by the County in 2010 to AA+, up from AA. Fitch also affirmed the County’s Issuer Default Rating at AA+ – the second-highest rating it offers – and provided a “Stable” ratings outlook.

 

Fitch said the upgrade reflects the County’s continued strong financial operations, partly due to decisions by the Board of Supervisors to build up budget reserves. The rating agency also cited the strength of the local economy and the County’s healthy balance of debt to government revenue.

 

“Fitch is a major credit rating agency for municipalities, and we welcome their strong endorsement of our financial position,” said Supervisor David Rabbitt, chair of the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors. “This is a testament to the hard work we have done to keep our fiscal house in order.”

Read Fitch Ratings’ report on the County of Sonoma

County stages first-ever job fair inside the jail

Two men incarcerated at the Main Adult Detention Facility attend the Second Chance Job and Resource Fair.

 

Two-dozen local employers, training agencies and service providers walked into the Sonoma County jail last week with a lofty goal. They hoped their presence would help break the vicious cycle of recidivism, where some people who are released from jail struggle to find a job and return to crime, only to end up in jail again.

 

Having a job waiting for them can make a big difference to someone leaving jail, offering more than just a paycheck but also a purpose.

 

Sonoma County Job Link, the Sheriff’s Office and Probation Department teamed up on July 17 to host the Second Chance Job and Resource Fair, giving employers the opportunity to meet highly-motivated job-seekers who are scheduled to be released from the jail within 90 days. Many worked with Job Link in advance to create resumes for the event, the first of its kind at the jail. More than 90 of the approximately 700 people incarcerated at the jail attended the fair, where they also received information on education and training, housing, health care, expungement support, substance abuse treatment, mental health assistance, and financial guidance.

 

Many employers are not aware of the benefits of hiring people who have been incarcerated, said Carol McHale, program development manager with Job Link, part of the Sonoma County Human Services Department. Employers who hire ex-felons within one year after conviction or release are eligible for the Work Opportunity Tax Credit of up to $9,600. In addition, Job Link can cover a portion of the employee’s wages through On the Job Training or Transitional Work Experience programs.

 

If you are an employer and would like to learn more about the benefits of hiring people who have been incarcerated, contact Job Link at (707) 565-5550 or online at joblinksonoma.org.

Connect with Sonoma County Job Link

Cleaning up River Road, one bag of trash at a time

Supervisor Lynda Hopkins, second from right, and members of her team at the River Road cleanup.


District 5 Supervisor Lynda Hopkins, her staff and volunteers joined the Russian Riverkeeper Clean Team last week to clean up a half-mile stretch of River Road they’ve adopted in Forestville as part of the Adopt-A-Highway program.

 

The effort netted 21 bags of trash, one tire, and assorted large items like carpet, a car bumper, scrap wood and metal – about 650 pounds of garbage in all that would otherwise mar our roadways and eventually make its way into our watercourses.

 

“We appreciate the work that Russian Riverkeeper does year-round to preserve our local environment,” said Supervisor Hopkins, who represents west Sonoma County.

 

Additional opportunities to volunteer can be found at the Russian Riverkeeper website. Stay tuned for future opportunities to help the District 5 team clean up River Road.

Connect with Russian Riverkeeper

SoCo Chat takes you inside the Sonoma County Fair

The annual Sonoma County Fair returns Aug. 1 for an 11-day run. There is something for everyone at the County Fair, which this year offers the theme of “The Greatest Fair on Earth.” This is true whether you’re a fan of amusement park rides, carnival games, live music, horse racing, farm animals, arts and crafts displays, or fair food. Find out what’s new and exciting at this year’s fair by listening to a new episode of SoCo Chat featuring Becky Bartling, chief executive officer of the Sonoma County Fairgrounds

 

Meanwhile, wildfire season is now approaching its peak. Make sure you are prepared by listening to SoCo Ready, our special four-part podcast series on how to get ready for wildfire season. Episodes include:

 


Subscribe to SoCo Chat podcasts on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music and YouTube. Check out our growing library of episodes in both English and Spanish. Recent guests and topics of discussion have included:

 

  • Melissa Ladrech, the County’s Mental Health Services Act coordinator, discusses the mental health crisis among children.
  • Supervisor David Rabbitt, chair of the Board of Supervisors, explains the County’s budget process and how decisions are made about spending local tax dollars.
  • Supervisor James Gore, who represents the Fourth District, discusses insights gained from the recent Point Fire and his work representing the County in the National Association of Counties.
  • Supervisor Chris Coursey, who represents the Third District, looks back on his first four years in office and shares his observations about the successes he has witnessed and the challenges ahead.

 

Upcoming SoCo Chat episodes will include a conversation with Angela Struckmann, director of the Department of Human Services, about the County’s safety net and how it helps residents bounce back from hard times. Listen for a chance to win a SoCo Chat coffee mug by answering the trivia question of the week.

SoCo Chat podcast logo with since 2024 and a retro microphone in the middle
Join the conversation at SoCo Chat

Find room to grow with a County job

The County currently has more than 50 job openings posted on its website. How can you improve your chances of landing one?

 

Sign up for the next Start Here! class, which provides an overview of the County of Sonoma’s job application, examination and selection processes. The two-hour virtual class will be held at 2 p.m. on July 31.

 

The free class is intended for the public, whether you are looking for a new position now or planning for a future employment opportunity. Participants will learn how to submit a thorough application, best practices for the interview and examination, and much more.

 

Contact us at careers@sonoma-county.org to register for the July 31 class or sign up for our mailing list to be notified of future classes.

Explore current job openings

Adopt the pet of the week

My name is Sadie. I’m an 8-year-old Siberian husky mix who was brought to the shelter in February. I weigh 50 pounds and I’m a friendly girl who is not shy about seeking attention. I’d love to go on walks with you and improve my leash skills, as I pull a little bit. Will you bring me into your family?

 

Sadie is one of dozens of cats, dogs, rabbits and other animals at Sonoma County Animal Services in need of adoption.

View animals available for adoption

Support your community by getting involved

Get involved with local government


Make a difference in Sonoma County! Local government thrives when passionate individuals like you step up to serve. There are countless opportunities for you to get involved and play a crucial role in shaping the future of our beloved Sonoma County. Check out the current vacancies:




Your involvement can make a significant impact. Take the first step and explore how you can contribute to a brighter future for Sonoma County.

Find out more and apply online

Volunteer and employment opportunities

Volunteer opportunities


Make a difference in your community. Find out how you can give back here.

Employment opportunities


Take your next career step with the County of Sonoma. Explore employment opportunities here.

In the news

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Upcoming events

A megaphone against the backdrop of a blackboard with chalk writing that says, "Save the Date!"

Upcoming events

Aug. 1             Planning Commission

Aug. 6             Aging & Disability Commission executive committee

Aug. 7             IOLERO Community Advisory Council

Aug. 8             Lower Russian River Municipal Advisory Council

Aug. 8             Commission on the Status of Women

Aug. 13           Board of Supervisors

Aug. 14           Mark West Area Municipal Advisory Council

Aug. 14           Springs Municipal Advisory Council

Aug. 15           Planning Commission

Aug. 15           Fish and Wildlife Commission

Aug. 20           Board of Supervisors

Aug. 21           Community Development Committee

Aug. 21           Measure O Citizen’s Oversight Committee

Aug. 22           Ag + Open Space Advisory Committee

Aug. 27           Human Rights Commission

Aug. 28           Economic Development Board

Aug. 28           Homeless Coalition Board

Aug. 28           Sonoma Valley Community Advisory Commission

Sept. 2            Labor Day (most County offices closed)

Sept. 4            Creative Sonoma Advisory Board

Getting outside and enjoying the county

Aug. 3             Nuestros Parques hike in Spanish – Chanslor Ranch

Aug. 10           Science Saturday: Marble Mazes – Environmental Discovery Center

Aug. 11           Tidepool Talk – Doran Regional Park

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A publication of the County Administrator’s Office – Communications Staff