This year’s work at the Board of Supervisors is in full swing, with our Board retreat early in February and the adoption of the Board’s calendar of significant items, most recently. Also in February, our office participated in the National Association of Counties conference in Washington along with our county’s administrative, executive and legislative staff. The conference provided an opportunity to convene with officials from jurisdictions across the country to discuss effective solutions for common issues and confer on strategies to tackle shared challenges collaboratively. 

Locally, we have been directing efforts to respond to the latest cold front in the region, issuing weather alerts, distributing safety tips and collaborating with partners to activate warming centers. Visit SocoEmergency.com/emergency/extreme-cold/ for more. At the county, we also are continuing to advance our coronavirus recovery while transitioning our ongoing response work, as the state concludes its COVID-19 emergency declaration. Below, you can find updates on the Guaranteed Income Pilot Program and the Black Therapy Fund, two projects funded by American Rescue Plan Act dollars aimed to address disproportionate impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

In this newsletter you will also find information on community events, local climate action, and more. As always, thank you for your continued engagement. 

A pilot program that will provide a guaranteed income to 305 families in Sonoma County will begin issuing $500 monthly payments today to applicants selected for the 24-month trial.

The Pathway to Income Equity pilot will study the impact of unconditional, guaranteed income on reducing poverty and promoting economic mobility for families with young children. The program was developed by First 5 Sonoma County and funded by the County of Sonoma in partnership with three cities – Santa Rosa, Petaluma and Healdsburg. First 5 is partnering with the Fund for Guaranteed Income and a coalition of local community organizations to implement the program.

Pathway to Income Equity is one of more than 100 guaranteed income programs underway in the United States, including at least 22 in California.

Last week, the Board of Supervisors approved a multi-step plan to address the recurring homeless encampments along Joe Rodota Trail, declaring a shelter crisis and authorizing the creation of up to two emergency housing sites for unsheltered people to camp. The unanimously approved plan is part of a longer-term effort to create enough interim and permanent housing to significantly reduce homelessness in Sonoma County. 

Overall, the plan will expand interim housing and corresponding support services and return the Joe Rodota Trail to its intended purpose as a public park and a safe route for walking and cycling.

“We need to take a new approach to solve a long-standing problem that has repeatedly shut down one of the county’s most heavily used bike and pedestrian transportation corridors, while also making needed additions to the county’s inventory of shelter options,” said Supervisor Coursey. “The endless cycle of closing the Joe Rodota Trail to clear away hazardous encampments is not good for people who use the trail for its intended purpose, and it is not good for the unsheltered people who go there looking for a place to camp. It is expensive and ineffective. It is more efficient and humane to invest that money in solutions that will provide the wrap-around services needed to help move unhoused people toward safe and stable living situations.”

As part of part of its plan to become carbon neutral by 2030, the county is buying 10 more battery-powered transit buses to replace buses that run on compressed natural gas.

With the $10 million purchase, nearly 40 percent of Sonoma County Transit’s 49-bus fleet will run on electricity. The county currently has three all-electric buses, and six more are scheduled to arrive in June.

The new buses will have the longest range and the most battery capacity of any battery-powered bus currently on the market, with an expected minimum range of 300 miles between charges depending on passenger loads, weather and other factors that impact electric vehicle range.

Last June, the Board of Supervisors approved a plan to create and install a commemorative artwork recognizing the lives of those who perished in the 2017 wildfire complex. The project will be overseen by a Fire Memorial Task Force in conjunction with Creative Sonoma.

Preliminary goals for the memorial include creating a place for remembrance, and recognizing the various paths community members are taking in individually processing loss, grief and trauma.

"Communities are defined by how they come together in the face of adversity,” said Supervisor Coursey. “Creating a commemorative artwork is a long-lasting opportunity for us to honor the values that we shared before the Tubbs and Nuns fires changed our county forever, and to provide a place for solace, reflection and remembrance.”

The Office of Supervisor Coursey is accepting applications for appointment to the Commission on the Status of Women. As part of the Commission, members serve as advisors to the County of Sonoma Board of Supervisors and work to ensure that the issues impacting women and girls are given the necessary visibility to affect positive changes in public policy.

Looking for a career opportunity with the County of Sonoma? Check a list of our current and upcoming job opportunities, including Agricultural Program Assistant - Extra-Help, Departmental Accounting Manager, Sheriff's Custodian, and much more!

The Sonoma County Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) Program and Expenditure Plan Annual Update for 2022-2023 & Program Report for 2020-2021 has been updated on the Sonoma County Department of Health Services Behavioral Health Division (DHS-BHD) MHSA webpage and is available for public review from February 17, 2023 through March 21, 2023.

The Black Therapy Fund, a new partnership between the County of Sonoma and two community groups to improve mental health services for Black residents of all ages, is now accepting applications for free mental health counseling.

The fund is one of 27 community-based programs allocated funding by the Board last May through the American Rescue Plan Act and will provide more than 230 Sonoma County residents with up to 12 free video counseling sessions with culturally competent therapists. The program is managed by the Sonoma County Black Forum in partnership with the NAACP Santa Rosa-Sonoma County Branch.

If you or someone you know could benefit from free therapy via the Black Therapy Fund, apply online here. Patients can access the care they need quickly through the streamlined application process. The fund will accept applications until the roster is full. 

Nominations for Los Cien's 3rd Annual Puente & Ganas Awards are now open. We encourage you to share this with your network and to consider nominating individuals and organizations that you believe demonstrate leadership and/or innovation in dealing with an issue or need in the Latino community.

Earn It! Keep It! Save It!

• FREE 2021-2022 Tax Preparation
• FREE for households earning $66,000 or less
• FREE support provided by certified tax preparers
• FREE in-person or drop off tax preparation available
• U.S. CITIZENSHIP NOT REQUIRED

Every four years the AAA conducts a County wide Area Plan Needs Assessment to understand the need for and access to services for older adults in Sonoma County. Residents can submit feedback and participate by filling out a 10-minute survey and/or attending a focus group. 

TAKE A SURVEY:

Online surveys are available immediately and strongly encouraged to be completed.

Access English Survey HERE

Tome la encuesta en Español AQUI

Printed Surveys will are available at your local senior centers or upon request by calling 707-565-5900.

ATTEND A FOCUS GROUP:

Register for an online or in-person Focus Group. Focus groups will be held in various cities from Jan through March, and they will be conducted in English and Spanish, focusing on different needs and interests.

Register for a Focus Group Here

Community Action Partnership of Sonoma County in collaboration with Community Child Care Council of Sonoma County (4Cs) is administering funds to be used toward the improvement, expansion and construction of childcare facilities in Sonoma County, outside of the City of Santa Rosa.

Applications for funds are currently open.

The goal is to increase access to high-quality childcare options through expansion and retention of childcare slots for working families in the greater Sonoma County area.

Aid for Businesses Impacted by Storm 

Businesses impacted by the winter storms that started Dec. 27 may be eligible for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan from the U.S. Small Business Administration. 

The EIDL program offers low-interest loans to small businesses and nonprofits that cannot meet their normal financial obligations as a result of a disaster, providing a source of working capital to help small businesses survive until they can resume normal operations. The White House recently updated its presidential disaster declaration to include Sonoma County, making local businesses eligible to apply for the loans.

The deadline to apply is Oct. 16. Applications and additional information about disaster assistance is available at disasterloanassistance.sba.gov. For local assistance, contact the Sonoma County Economic Development Board at edb@sonoma-county.org or 707-565-7170.

Join Moorland Neighborhood Action Group for a conversation with representatives from the Sonoma County Sherriff's Office. Ask questions and learn about services and resoruces, crime prevention, community programs and more.



The event will be held on March 8 at 6pm at Amarosa Academy located at 3261 Dutton Ave, Santa Rosa Ca 95407. 

On Friday, March 10, from 3-4pm at the Santa Rosa Junior College, members of The Pomo Weaver’s Society, a local group of Pomo basket weavers discuss basket weaving and answer questions from the audience about weaving techniques, materials and culture. The discussion is moderated by Silver Galleto, basket weaver and founder of the Pomo Weaver’s Society, which has 30-40 active members today. 

Spark wonder and curiosity in your child for science, technology, engineering, and math! Bring them to the free science festival on Saturday, March 11, 2023, 10am-4pm, Sonoma County Fairgrounds. 

Meet employers offering local job opportunities and get support with housing, food access, transportation, and more!

100 – $25 gift cards will be given away to those participating in the event.

Need transportation, clothing, a haircut, resume prep, and more? Contact us at joblink@schsd.org



Lunch and refreshments provided!

California and Sonoma County Lift Public Health Orders

California and Sonoma County lifted COVID-19 public health orders this week. Please join us in thanking our local health care professionals for their heroic efforts over last three years. They have saved lives and kept us safe and healthy.

We are now moving into the endemic phase of COVID-19. This means that the virus is still circulating in the community but is now considered part of our everyday lives. For now, you can continue to get the latest COVID-19 information about available resources for vaccination, testing and treatment by visiting SoCoEmergency.com/coronavirus.

DHS offers COVID-19 Resource Tables at

Multiple Locations Across the County

You can get free at-home COVID-19 tests (while supplies last) and informational resources at these Department of Health Services resource tables. Bilingual outreach workers are available to answer your questions.

All are welcome. Social security and citizenship are not required. See calendar for details.

Test to Treat Program Available at

Jewish Community Free Clinic

If you are experiencing COVID symptoms and do not have a medical provider or permanent medical home, the Jewish Community Free Clinic can provide you with a self-test for you to take at your home or refer you to a testing center. Then, if you test positive, they can provide you with a free telehealth visit to discuss your eligibility for COVID medication. If you are eligible and interested in taking the medication, the Jewish Community Free Clinic can prescribe the medication for you — which you can pick up at a pharmacy at no cost to you. Call for an appointment at (707) 585-7780.

Self-reporting of At-Home Antigen Testing

We are encouraging the public to report their at-home antigen test result. It is confidential. Simply complete this online form. Once the form is submitted, those with positive results will receive links to isolation and quarantine guidelines and available resources.