South Davis Library Success!

The Yolo County Board of Supervisors voted at their meeting on February 21st to accept a State Library grant of $8,783,400 and move forward with the South Davis Library project. We would like to thank Davis City Councilmembers Josh Chapman and Gloria Partida for giving public comment in support of the project. Supervisor Provenza was also happy to see former California Superintendent of Public Instruction Delaine Eastin speaking in support of the project at the Board meeting.

We would also like to recognize current and former members of the Yolo County Library Advisory Committee whose support was so essential in moving this project forward, including Holly Bishop, Nora Brazil, and Anthony Wright. We were also joined by Sharon Hallberg, another former member of the Library Advisory Committee and the former librarian of Davis High School. Their efforts over the years kept this project alive.

In addition to the live public comments, the Board received written comments in support of the project. We would like to thank retired Assemblymember Mariko Yamada who has supported this project since her time as the District 4 Supervisor, as well as Mary Stephens DeWall, Yolo County's longest serving librarian and a key champion of expanding library access. We are also grateful to Ximena Diez-Jackson, Sherrill Futrell, and the Galaviz family for submitting written letters of support.

This key victory is only the beginning, but we look forward to the day in 2026 when the Walnut Park Library in South Davis will open its doors to the public.

Recognizing Sandra Rodriguez

Supervisor Provenza had the opportunity this week to honor longtime former District 4 Assistant Deputy Supervisor Sandra Rodriguez for her tireless efforts on behalf of Yolo County.

Sandra has served as an employee of Yolo County for over 17 years and she worked as Supervisor Provenza's Assistant Deputy for more than 12 of those years.

She began her time with Yolo County as a paid intern in Supervisor Frank Sieferman Jr.'s District 3 office back in 2005. In 2006, Sandra joined Supervisor Mariko Yamada's District 4 office as the Assistant Deputy Supervisor. When Supervisor Provenza was elected in 2008, he was honored to have Sandra stay on as his Assistant Deputy.

While working in the District 4 Office, Sandra worked her way through college, showcasing her truly remarkable work ethic and ability to adapt to meet challenges. She also showcased a deep passion for getting involved in the community, serving as Co-Chair of the Día de los Niños committee and a committee member of Backpacks for Kids. She also helped organize Yolo County Women's History Month and Latino Heritage Month.

In addition to her volunteer work, Sandra shined as an exemplary public servant. She always performed her work to the highest possible standard and was willing to adapt to meet challenges head-on. Her work with constituents in District 4 (and across Yolo County) was especially impressive.

Sandra's first language was Spanish and her bilingual fluency helped her reach communities that can often struggle to be represented by their government. She went door-to-door at the former Royal Oaks Mobile Home Park in South Davis to raise awareness of the services that were available at the county and inform about the role of county supervisors. Thanks to these efforts, District 4 was able to not only discover a situation where home owners were being deprived of the equity in their homes, but put a stop to it as well.

Sandra also played a major role in helping resolve a flooding issue at the Highway 80 underpass near the Yolo Fruit Stand. Every year, massive storms would flood the underpass, leading to a substantial backup of traffic in the City of Davis and cutting off access to the Yolo Fruit Stand. Once the need for a flood-prevention culvert was identified, it was Sandra's diligent communication efforts that caught CalTrans' attention and lead to the culvert installation.

It would take at least an entire years' worth of newsletters to capture the work Sandra has done for Yolo County and those living in it. We are very fortunate that Sandra is still serving Yolo County, now in the role of executive assistant to the county administrator. We are excited to see the progress Sandra continues to make and are grateful for her dedicated and passionate service.

Public Defense Day

March 18th, 2023 will mark the 60th Anniversary of the Gideon vs. Wainwright Supreme Court decision which established the right of criminal defendants to be provided an attorney if they cannot afford one. Supervisor Provenza led the Board of Supervisors in recognizing this important occasion at the March 7th Board meeting where they presented a resolution to Yolo County Public Defender Tracie Olson.

Next up on the agenda...

The Board of Supervisors will be hearing an important update on the condition of the County's roads at an upcoming board meeting on Tuesday, April 4th, 2023. The Yolo County Community Services department will be presenting on their timeline for road maintenance and answering questions from Supervisors. If you would like to comment on your experiences with roads in Yolo County, feel free to reach out to my office by emailing Assistant Deputy Supervisor Oliver Snow at oliver.snow@yolocounty.org or calling (530) 757-5553. You will also have the option to make public comment at the meeting on the 4th at the County Administration Building at 625 Court Street, Room 206 in Woodland.