Before commencing the year before us, I want to highlight some of the many accomplishments of 2024. Together with dedicated staff and engaged community members, we were able to accomplish so much.

Napa County 2024 Highlights

Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA)

• Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) – HHSA developed the CHIP to address our community’s needs. It outlines a long-term, systematic effort to improve the health of a community. The five broad priority areas identified are: access to Health Services, Housing, Behavioral Health, Racial Equity & LGBTQ Inclusion, and Economic Stability.
• Leveraging Funding to Create Opportunities for Prioritizing Community Health - HHSA received a total of $10 million dollars of funding through the Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement, Mental Health Services Act and Opioid Settlement Funds. Using these funds, HHSA contracted with community partner organizations to provide 36 new services for the next two to three years that relate to the CHIP.
• CareerPoint Napa - HHSA partnered with the Workforce Alliance of the North Bay to open CareerPoint Napa, a new American Job Center of California located at HHSA’s South Campus offices in Napa. This one-stop center provides comprehensive services to support both job seekers with vital resources and employers in meeting their workforce needs.
• Mobile Response Team goes 24/7 - HHSA’s Mental Health Mobile Response Team (MRT) provides community-based interventions for those experiencing a mental health crisis. At the beginning of 2024, it was expanded to provide 24/7 crisis intervention, de-escalation and stabilization services. The MRT is staffed by Licensed/Registered Mental Health Counselors and Mental Health Workers who can provide services throughout Napa County and is done in partnership with clinicians at Crestwood Behavioral Health.
• CARE Court – Napa County HHSA implemented the Community Assistance, Recovery and Empowerment (CARE) Act creating our CARE Court, a program to help adults with severe mental illnesses, like schizophrenia, get the treatment, housing, and support they need. This upstream diversion program is designed to help break the cycle of homelessness, criminalization, and institutionalization. 
• Winston’s C.U.P. – HHSA partnered with Winston’s Community Unity Project (Winston’s C.U.P.) to open a café at their building, starting October 1, 2024. The café serves healthy meals and offers a work experience program to help people facing challenges like homelessness or substance abuse gain skills in cooking, food service, and customer service, including earning a food handler's certificate.

Housing and Homelessness

• Annual Homelessness Report - The 2024 Point-in-Time (PIT) Count, an annual census of individuals experiencing sheltered and unsheltered homelessness, found an 18% decrease in the overall number of individuals experiencing homelessness in Napa County, from 506 people in 2023 to 414 in 2024. The data also showed an increase in first time homelessness.
• Farmworker Housing Needs & Impacts Assessment Report- The Housing and Homelessness division developed its first ever Farmworker Housing Needs & Impact Assessment Report that gave us a glimpse into the unique challenges faced by Napa Valley’s farmworkers. The report highlights the need for collective action to shift perspectives, tackle urgent issues together, and invest in housing solutions that support the well-being of our community both now and in the future.
• Napa Valley Housing Reports – The Housing and Homeless division also worked with a contractor, Generation Housing (Gen H) to develop two additional reports: The State of Housing in Napa Valley; and the Napa Valley Housing Needs Assessment. These reports provide us with an independent and objective evaluation of our community’s current housing situation. 

Fire

• Maintaining Our Commitment to Fire Prevention and Resilience - Napa County is committed to fire prevention and resilience. This year, the County completed five prescribed burns, including a project in Wild Horse Valley, to reduce fire risks and improve resilience. The chipping program also continues to lower fire fuel.

Chipping Program in District 5 (Countywide):

• Yards Chipped – 4,763 yds (47,849 yds total)
• Community Labor Hours – 1,147 hrs (23,031 hrs total)
• Jobs Chipped – 70 (1,058 jobs total)

In 2024, we approved our largest wildfire prevention investment ever—$50 million, including $37.5 million from the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) Grant. These funds will be used to improve evacuation routes and reduce fuel loads.

• Staffing and Defensible Space Inspections - Napa County Fire Marshal's Office increased staffing, as a result, a total of 4,529 defensible space inspections were performed. This is the most defensible space inspections performed in a single calendar year for Napa County.

Child Support Services

• Back to the community - Donated approximately 120 backpacks with school supplies to local youth who attend school in Napa County.
• State Performance - Currently, California's data on the performance of the 47 child support agencies is only available through August 2024. In each of the 8 months for which data is available, Napa County was either #1 or #2 in overall performance (cumulatively, not in any one particular category), as measured by the 4 federal performance measures.

Elections Division

• Remained in the top ten counties over 50,000 registered voters for percentage of eligible citizens registered to vote and turnout of registered voters.

Public Works

• Soscol Junction Interchange Project Opened - This $54 million infrastructure upgrade was funded by $19.7 million from Senate Bill 1 (the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017), $29.8 million in state and regional funds, and $3.7 million in local funds. This project replaced the signalized intersection of State Route 12/29, 221, and Soscol Ferry Road with an overpass and roundabouts, reducing congestions, improving commute times, and enhancing safety and connectivity for pedestrians and cyclists, including new bike lanes and walking paths that will connect to the Vine Trail. 
• Replacement Jail project nears completion - The County’s largest project ever is nearing completion on time and on budget. The $133 million facility was designed with numerous program spaces to offer services that promote rehabilitation and reduce recidivism. This much-needed facility will replace the damaged (from the 2014 earthquake) Downtown Napa Jail. 
• Airport Development - The two fixed-based operators (FBOs) have started construction on their terminals which will help invigorate the Napa Airport. We are also able to repave Taxiway Kilo thanks to a $4.3 million grant funded by the Federal Aviation Administration.

Planning, Building, & Environmental Services (PBES)

• New Airport Land Use Compatibility Plan (ALCUP) adopted in December 2024 - The Airport Land Use Commission (ALUC) embarked on developing an updated ALUCP in 2023. Last month (December 2024) they approved and adopted the fully updated the plan will ensure future development aligns with promoting public safety, minimizing conflicts and protecting the airport’s long-term viability.  
• Housing Element Certified - In July, Napa County’s Housing Element was certified by the state. Developed through extensive public outreach, this plan outlines goals and policies for housing development in unincorporated areas, including fair housing assessments and address homelessness.
• Regional Climate Action and Adaptation Plan (RCAAP) Development - Two in-person community meetings, several targeted outreach meetings to different stakeholder groups, and community surveys were conducted to gather important feedback that will guide the goals and values for the plan.
• Reusable Foodware ordinance adopted - In December we adopted a new Reusable Foodware and Waste Reduction Ordinance to reduce single-use plastic use throughout the County. Community outreach and education will be conducted to help community members and businesses be fully informed and prepared when enforcement begins in a year. 

San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC) developed and adopted the Regional Shoreline Adaptation Plan (RSAP)

BCDC is a California state agency established in 1965 to protect and enhance the San Francisco Bay and its shoreline. Its primary responsibilities include conservation, development regulation, public access, and climate adaptation. It is composed several voting members, representing a mix of state, regional, and local interests.

In December, BCDC adopted the RSAP which will guide the creation of coordinated, locally-planned sea level rise adaptation actions from across the 9 Bay Area Counties, that will work together to meet regional goals, and help prepare the region for the impacts of climate change.

SHARE Pilot Program made possible by the Bay Area Housing Finance Authority (BAHFA), led by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) and the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) Executive Board

The Stable Housing and Community Resilience Program or the “SHARE” Program for short, launched in Napa County as a rental assistance program for extremely low-income older adults. The SHARE Program gives up to $800 each month to help participants pay their rent and help them age in place.

The California State Association of Counties (CSAC) embarks on remodel of headquarters

CSAC is an organization that represents all 58 counties in California and advocates at the state and federal levels. As the CSAC Treasurer I have been part of the team that has established a nonprofit, the California Counties Capitol Building and Museum, that will lead the remodel of CSAC’s headquarters located in a historic building in the heart of the Capitol. This investment will ensure that CSAC is able to continue providing the highest service to California’s counties while preserving a historical building.

The Bay Area Regional Collaborative (BARC) continues to foster collaboration and thought partnership

BARC helps to coordinate the policy and planning work of its four membership agencies: ABAG, Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD), BCDC, and MTC. The work this collaborative has done this past year has continued to enhance the regional planning for the Bay Area.