Dear Friends, 

As I enter my eighth month serving as your Supervisor I am proud of the work we’ve accomplished. The District 1 team and I are grateful for the strong participation and support from our community in our recovery efforts. 

This month our district reached a milestone in vaccinations with the highest rate in the County. Over 90.1% of eligible residents in the south region have received at least one dose. That’s amazing! Please continue to protect yourself and keep those around you safe by following guidelines and wearing the recommended face mask indoors and making sure you get your second vaccine if you haven't already done so.

We’ve also continued our work and advocacy to help solve some of the issues that impact our south region communities. On August 10 at 6:00 pm, we’re hosting the first of many Community Town Hall's at San Ysidro Middle School. The Town Hall will serve to continue dialogue with the residents of San Ysidro and address some of the issues affecting them on a daily basis. I hope to see you there! 

I’d also like to share some resources below regarding our community grants and San Diego County Cool Zones. Remember that my team and I remain committed to serving you and connecting you to services and resources you might need. Please don’t hesitate in contacting my office, we’re here to serve you. 

In Service,

Vice Chair Nora Vargas

Supervisor, District 1

We’ve recently seen a surge in COVID-19 cases in the region because of the emergence of the Delta variant and as a County we recommend the use of face masks in indoor settings for vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals as a precaution to stop the spread.

Fortunately, our County ranks among the highest vaccination rates in the State and in the south region 90.1% of the eligible population has received at least one dose. Together, in San Diego County, we’ve fully vaccinated 71.9% of the eligible population and 82.1% have at least one dose. This is a huge success!

Although our vaccination rates are incredible, we should continue to be safe and if you haven't received the vaccine, please head to one of our vaccination centers to protect yourself and your loved ones. If you’ve already been vaccinated, encourage friends and family members to get the shot. Only together, we’ll be able to fully recover.

For more information, please visit coronavirus-sd.com/vaccine.

Since day one, the Tijuana River Valley has been one of my top priorities. Within the first weeks in my capacity as supervisor I led the efforts to declare the Tijuana River Valley pollution as a public health care crisis. This declaration was followed by the creation of the South County Environmental Justice Taskforce that is comprised of more than forty stakeholders including Federal, State, and local representatives from agencies, environmental justice organizations, and residents, to advocate for additional funding and resources together to address the Tijuana River Valley issue. The task force meets on a monthly basis and serves as a platform for stakeholders to interface from government agencies and institutions including the EPA and NAD Bank.

Last month, I renewed a resolution at the National Association of Counties Annual Conference. This resolution urges Congress to authorize and appropriate funding for projects identified by the EPA, and other appropriate federal agencies, that would address transboundary sewage or contaminated water flows that occur along United States/international borders. The resolution was unanimously approved by counties nationwide!

Recently, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) started the review of three alternatives for the use of the USMCA $300 Million for Tijuana River Valley infrastructure projects. I am committed to work closely with our local delegation and community stakeholders to identify the best alternative for our region and secure additional funding for monitoring, additional projects, and upgrades to the alternative we choose as we continue to go through this process.