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Greetings, and Happy New Year D4 residents! 


I hope this finds you well and starting 2023 from a place of strength, especially in light of the recent storms! Thank you to everyone who was involved in preparing for and responding to the severe weather. It requires a network of the County, cities, utility providers, and emergency response services working in coordination to ensure the safety of everyone in our community. You can find a list of the many resources available to D4 residents further down in this newsletter, and I encourage everyone to sign up for emergency alerts at AlertSCC.org


The Board of Supervisors welcomed newly elected District 1 Supervisor Sylvia Arenas and kicked off the year with three meetings in Board Chambers, including a priority setting session to discuss this Board’s shared near-term priorities so we understand where and how our limited resources of time, energy, and funds should be directed. Before we dive deeper into Board updates from January and the upcoming State of the County Address , I want to acknowledge a few present day and historical reminders of why our work at the County matters. 


It saddens and angers me to see more innocent lives ended by gun violence, with multiple mass shootings taking place in California over the past couple of weeks. No one should fear for their own life or their loved ones when they go to work, drop children off at school, or attend a community event. While we continue to need stronger action on a federal level to address gun violence, we must also continue building out resources in our community to ensure that support and treatment are available to everyone when they need it. We need to build workforce and infrastructure for mental health and substance use treatment, as well as crisis intervention and support services like the 988 Crisis & Suicide Prevention Lifeline


The challenges we face are daunting, so it is important to celebrate and honor those throughout history who overcame the unimaginable and pushed our society in a better direction. On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, I joined the African American Community Services Agency for the 43rd Annual MLK Luncheon, where guest speaker Symone Sanders reminded us of the necessary, uncomfortable work that is still to be done, and of the importance to stand up for any neighbor, coworker or even adversary who is treated unjustly. 


The Board of Supervisors presented a Proclamation recognizing Jan. 27, which is the anniversary of the liberation of the death camp Auschwitz-Birkenau by American and allied soldiers, as International Holocaust Remembrance Day. This date is recognized in remembrance of the 11 million human beings, including 6 million Jews, who were murdered by the Nazis. May their memories be for a blessing that infuses us with the fire and strength to fight hate and discrimination in all its forms, wherever it arises. 


At the same meeting, the Board presented a Commendation to the Vietnamese American Service Center recognizing the contributions to the Vietnamese community and others in the County as many here in Santa Clara County and around the world celebrate the Lunar New Year and look forward to the happiness and prosperity that come with the new year. 


Amidst, all the sobering reminders of the harsh realities of the world, we are blessed to be surrounded by these reminders that each day is an opportunity, and we can accomplish great things when we work together. 

 

Board Actions/Updates- 

Priority Setting Session – One of the January Board meetings was a dedicated priority setting session to discuss the Board's shared near-term priorities so we understand where and how our limited resources of time, energy, and funds should be directed. The Board met for a special meeting to develop a common understanding of: 

  1. Shared priorities and where CEO time & resources should be focused 
  2. How Board referrals are prioritized 
  3. How an equity lens is applied to County work 

I am appreciative of my colleagues for the thoughtful discussion, and I look forward to seeing what we can accomplish together for the residents of Santa Clara County. You can read more about the outcome from the meeting and more in this month’s Medium blog post.

 

I hope you can join me for my State of the County Address on Jan. 31 to hear more about my vision for Santa Clara County as President of the Board of Supervisors. The program will also feature a performance by the Lincoln High School chamber orchestra, a multicultural dance performance by Mosaic America, an ArtHouse and SV Creates collaborative presentation of student artwork, light refreshments and snacks catered by Zanotto’s Market, and more.  You can RSVP here, or you can watch the livestream here.


As we return to in-person gatherings, please feel free to send an invitation to my office for me to attend your neighborhood or community event. I enjoy engaging with residents and look forward to seeing you all soon. 

I am on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Nextdoor and LinkedIn. There you can find resources, news and events. 

As always, if you have questions, comments, or concerns, email me at supervisor.ellenberg@bos.sccgov.org. 

 

I and my team are here for you.  

 

Be well,  

 

Susan 


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