Happy New Year! In keeping with tradition, the Board of Supervisors started off the year by electing a new board chair and a new slate of officers. The board also made some scheduling decisions about some of the most significant issues coming up this year. You can read about both in this week’s edition of the SoCo Correspondent. You’ll also find stories about other important initiatives, including the expansion of a successful program that helps people experiencing a mental health crisis and the start of a major new housing project in the Roseland area of Santa Rosa.

As always, we encourage you to tell friends, colleagues and family members about this newsletter and urge them to sign up for the SoCo Correspondent so they can receive it directly, normally on the first and third week of each month.

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Supervisor David Rabbitt was elected 2024 chair of the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday in a unanimous vote of the five-member body, succeeding the board’s outgoing chair, Supervisor Chris Coursey.

District 5 Supervisor Lynda Hopkins was elected to serve as vice chair, and Supervisor James Gore was named chair pro-tem.

Rabbitt, who represents District 2 including Petaluma and southern Sonoma County, was elected to the Board of Supervisors in 2010. He served as chair in 2013, 2014 and 2019, and was vice chair in 2023.

After the election of officers, the Board of Supervisors reviewed its calendar of significant items for the year. The document, which is scheduled to be approved at the board’s Jan. 23 meeting, sets the agenda for major issues that the board expects to address in 2024. Some of the key issues include:

• Finalizing a tree ordinance
• Crafting a financial plan for a new county government center
• Approving a Climate Resilience Comprehensive Action Plan
• Implementing a CARE Court plan for people with mental health needs
• Awarding contracts for homelessness and Continuum of Care programs
• Considering implementing a Micro-Enterprise Kitchen program
• Continuing the General Plan update

“The passing of the gavel is always a good time to look back but also to look forward,” Supervisor Rabbitt said after thanking Supervisor Coursey for his leadership as chair. “The county still faces many challenges, including homelessness, climate action, wildfire resilience and budget questions. But with our collective work and our collective dedication, striving for that strategic goal of organizational excellence, I’m confident that we will get through anything that 2024 throws at us.”

Supervisor Chris Coursey inspects demolition work at the future site

of the Tierra de Rosas mixed-use development. 

A long-sought project to create housing and a vibrant community gathering space in the heart of Roseland is underway after years of work to make the dream a reality.

The old Dollar Tree store and adjacent Wind Toys building in Roseland were demolished last month, meeting a critical year-end deadline to start construction work on the site of the future Tierra de Rosas mixed-use development. The achievement prepares the development team to seek low-interest funding this year for future phases of construction.

The infrastructure component of the project will be built in three phases over the next three years, at an estimated cost of $40.5 million.

“We worked hard and creatively to close an $18 million funding gap and start construction before the end of 2023 because this project is essential to the future of Roseland,” said District 3 Supervisor Chris Coursey, who championed the project. “Tierra de Rosas will provide much-needed housing and stimulate economic growth in a community that has suffered too long from historical disinvestment.”

This spring, crews will begin building sewer and utility lines, sidewalks and other support infrastructure. In late 2024, the development team is scheduled to start building Casa Roseland, the affordable housing component of the project. When completed, the development will include 75 affordable apartments, 100 market-rate apartments, a civic building for community uses, a commercial parcel envisioned as a mercado food hall, and a one-acre public plaza. Mitote Food Park, a popular dining hub, is scheduled to remain open at least through the first phases of construction.

It is perhaps the single most important document in county government: the General Plan.

It shapes future growth, encourages housing and job development, fosters healthy and resilient communities, guides the protection and management of natural resources and promotes social and economic equity. Put simply, it provides high-level direction for county policies, investments and development over a period of two to three decades.

The county’s current General Plan, adopted in 2008, needs a comprehensive update to address new state requirements. Last month, the Board of Supervisors began the process of overhauling the General Plan, approving a process that will provide the public with extensive opportunities to shape the county’s foundational planning document over the next six years.

“The General Plan update is one of the most important projects that the county will undertake in the new year,” said Supervisor Chris Coursey, 2023 chair of the Board of Supervisors. “It will lay the groundwork for most of our land use, resource conservation, housing, public safety, climate and equity policies for decades. For this effort, we need a robust outreach strategy so that we can hear input from as many corners of our community as possible.”

A dozen years ago, the county’s Behavioral Health division began testing a new approach to help individuals in the throes of a mental health crisis. Instead of dispatching law enforcement to these types of emergencies, the county began sending teams of mental health professionals.

Since then, several cities in Sonoma County have developed similar crisis response teams with funding from Measure O, a quarter-cent sales tax passed in 2020 to support mental health and homelessness services.

Now, these services are available in every corner of the county under a plan approved last month by the Board of Supervisors. Mobile Support Teams will respond to calls within 60 minutes in urban areas and 120 minutes in rural areas, at any time of day or night. They will include professionals trained to treat drug overdoses and mental health emergencies.

“Health experts and law enforcement agencies agree situations in which individuals are experiencing a non-violent mental health crisis are better handled by dedicated teams of specialists,” said Supervisor Chris Coursey, 2023 chair of the Board of Supervisors. “The results of the pilot program have been successful. Now we are preparing to offer this vital service anywhere in the county, anytime day or night.”

The program is expected to cost $11.6 million over three years, with Medi-Cal covering the majority of the costs. The remaining balance will be matched by Measure O, the local sales tax for mental health services, and Mental Health Services Act funds.

To obtain help during a mental health crisis, contact the Emergency Mental Health Hotline at 800-746-8181.

Most government offices in Sonoma County are located in Santa Rosa, home to a third of its residents. While it makes sense to concentrate government services in the county’s largest city, accessing those services can be inconvenient for people who do not live along the Highway 101 corridor.

It’s one reason why the Board of Supervisors has made it a priority to create regional service centers, moving government offices closer to underserved areas of the county. On Jan. 17, the county will open its first one in the Sonoma Valley: the East Sonoma County Services Center, located at 19080 Lomita Ave.

The hub will make it easier for east Sonoma County residents to access some critical county services without driving to Santa Rosa. Initially, it will offer limited appointments with staff for the Department of Child Support Services, Department of Health Services, Department of Human Services and District 1 Supervisor Susan Gorin. In the future, the county hopes to provide housing location services, in partnership with the county’s Community Development Commission and the City of Sonoma.

“The opening of a new service center in Sonoma Valley is cause for celebration for both the county and the entire Sonoma Valley community,” said Supervisor Gorin, who represents the area. “Many residents and families will soon be able to access county services without the need to drive out of town. We’re starting small and will be looking at what services are needed by residents so we can potentially expand offerings in the future.” 

On Jan. 26, Supervisor Gorin, her staff and representatives from various county departments will host an open house at the East Sonoma County Services Center in Sonoma Valley from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. to welcome residents to the new facility. Light refreshments will be served. The public is welcome.

Supervisor Lynda Hopkins, fifth from left, and Public Infrastructure Director Johannes Hoevertsz, to the right, host a ribbon-cutting ceremony to reopen Moscow Road on Dec. 22.

Moscow Road took a beating during the storms of 2019 and 2023.

The west Sonoma County road, a critical route to access homes in Monte Rio and Villa Grande, washed out in three places following torrential rains and flooding that pummeled the county. The Federal Emergency Management Agency agreed to pay for the $3.8 million repair, but reimbursement from FEMA for disaster projects requires years of additional coordination, design review and approvals.

With the road at risk of failure, which would have isolated more than 250 residents, the county found a creative way to accelerate the project. Last March, the Board of Supervisors instructed the Department of Public Infrastructure to move forward with permanent repairs of all three sites. Instead of waiting for FEMA funding, the county tapped into an intradepartmental revolving line of credit established by the board in 2021 to support emergency repairs. When state and federal reimbursements are received, the line of credit will be repaid.

“It took a lot of bureaucracy-busting, but we have delivered on our promise to reopen Moscow Road before the end of the year,” said District 5 Supervisor Lynda Hopkins, who represents the area. “Our action to restore safe access along Moscow Road ensures that it will be open as a critical evacuation route. And with the road reopened, we can now begin work with neighbors on potential traffic calming strategies.”

The County of Sonoma has been impacted by eight federally declared disasters since 2017, resulting in an estimated $100 million of damage to county transportation infrastructure.

A community park and public gathering space have long been a priority for residents of Mark West, an unincorporated neighborhood directly to the north of Santa Rosa. This month, the Board of Supervisors provided a critical piece of funding to help make that dream a reality.

The board approved a proposal by District 4 Supervisor James Gore to award $412,500 to the Mark West Area Community Fund, a nonprofit that is purchasing land for a community park in partnership with Sonoma Land Trust. The one-acre property, located off Old Redwood Highway, was the site of a preschool that burned to the ground during the 2017 wildfires.

“This new park will become a central hub for Mark West, which suffered so much during the 2017 firestorm,” Supervisor Gore said. “I am looking forward to the day when this property is once again filled with children playing and the sounds of joy and laughter.”

Sonoma County Ag + Open Space is contributing nearly $1.2 million to the project. Other major donors include the Saba Foundation, the Mark West Area Municipal Advisory Council, Sutter Health and contributions from individual Mark West residents.

On Jan. 1, the county’s Living Wage rose to $18.10 an hour, up from $17.65 an hour.

The Board of Supervisors boosted the Living Wage to prevent inflation from eroding the incomes of low-wage workers covered by the ordinance. The 2.8 percent increase matches the inflation rate measured in October by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Consumer Price Index for all Urban Consumers.

The county’s Living Wage ordinance sets a minimum wage for workers employed directly by the county government and workers at certain private companies and nonprofits that contract with the County of Sonoma. It is unrelated to the state minimum wage, which increased to $16 an hour on Jan. 1.

Economist Jerry Nickelsburg returns to Sonoma County on Jan. 25 to present an exclusive first look into Sonoma County's economic future at the 2024 Economic Perspective conference in Rohnert Park.

The annual conference, staged by the county Economic Development Board, will provide valuable insights into the changing economy as we launch into the new year. Nickelsburg heads the UCLA Anderson Forecast, the most widely followed economic forecast in California. He will be joined by Supervisor David Rabbitt, the 2024 chair of the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors, and a panel of local business leaders.

Admission is $55 and includes parking and breakfast. The two-hour conference, which begins at 7 a.m., will be held at the Sonoma State University Student Center, 1801 E. Cotati Ave. in Rohnert Park.

Elizabeth C. Herron, third from right, is honored

by the Board of Supervisors at its Dec. 12 meeting.

What does it mean to be brave? It all begins with the heart, the place where courage resides, says Elizabeth C. Herron, Sonoma County’s Poet Laureate.

Herron, whose two-year term as Poet Laureate ends in July, leads the Being Brave Poetry Project. Her workshops bring people together, many of whom may never have written a poem before, to talk about courage and find the language associated with what being brave means.

The Board of Supervisors honored Herron and her body of work with a Gold Resolution at its Dec. 12 meeting. The board chambers erupted into applause as Herron treated the audience to a new poem, titled “Prayer for Daily Courage,” that she wrote for the occasion.

“Let it be said we chose what was right, even when it was difficult,” one section of the poem implores. “Let it be said we were kind to each other, that we took care of our beautiful world. Let it be said we were guided by the wisdom of those who have gone before us. Let it be said we chose the path of courage.”

The U.S. Small Business Administration is offering low-interest federal disaster loans that provide working capital to small businesses in Sonoma County that suffered economic damage during the closure of California’s salmon fishery from April 6 to Oct. 31.

“Small businesses in Sonoma County that rely on salmon fishing for their livelihood were devastated when the fishery was shut down,” said District 5 Supervisor Lynda Hopkins, whose district includes the Sonoma Coast. “This disaster declaration will provide these local businesses with loans to help them recover.”

Businesses and nonprofits can apply for up to $2 million in Economic Injury Disaster Loans to help them pay their bills, debts and employee salaries. The loans have an interest rate of 4 percent for small businesses and 2.375 percent for nonprofits, with terms up to 30 years. The deadline to apply is Aug. 29.

Tara Thompson has been named director of Creative Sonoma, a division of the county’s Economic Development Board that supports Sonoma County’s creative community.

Previously, Thompson spent 16 years at the City of Santa Rosa, where she was named the city’s arts and culture manager in 2020. In that role, Thompson managed Santa Rosa’s public art program and special events, integrating the arts into planning and policy making as a form of economic development.

Creative Sonoma works to support artists, craftspeople, nonprofits and businesses whose work is creative at its core. It builds programs to obtain grant funding for the arts, offers professional development opportunities for people working in the creative community, provides individualized counseling to creative entrepreneurs and works to make arts education accessible to students. It is currently facilitating a project to build a memorial to people who died during the 2017 wildfires.

Adults living in poverty are now able to ride Sonoma County Transit buses for half-price, the result of a decision by the Board of Supervisors to increase discounts for people enrolled in the Clipper START program. Previously, participants received a 20 percent discount on single-ride transit fares.

The program, launched in 2020 by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, is open to adults between the ages of 19 and 64 who earn under 200 percent of the federal poverty level. Participants must live in one of the nine Bay Area counties and cannot already have a Regional Transit Connection Clipper Card for people with disabilities. After providing proof of income and identity, eligible adults will receive a personalized Clipper card that can be used for single-ride discounts on all transit systems in the Bay Area.

“Every bit counts, and participants can now count on a 50 percent discount when riding Sonoma County Transit and 20 other Bay Area transit agencies,” said Supervisor Chris Coursey, 2023 chair of the Board of Supervisors.

Since 2015, college students and veterans have been eligible to ride fare-free on Sonoma County Transit. Additional fare-free routes include the Windsor Shuttle, the Healdsburg Shuttle, the Sebastopol Shuttle, the Cloverdale Shuttle and local routes in Cotati and Rohnert Park. In 2023, Sonoma County Transit launched a pilot program to provide fare-free transit for youth riders between ages 5 and 18.

Bookmark this page on your favorite web browser: socoemergency.org

The website, created by the county’s Department of Emergency Management, is packed with information and resources that will help you prepare for an emergency, stay informed during an emergency, and connect with resources to help you recover when an emergency ends.

Recently the site was updated to include information on the outbreak of avian influenza, which has forced local poultry farms to euthanize more than 1 million birds in an attempt to prevent the virus from spreading. The Board of Supervisors declared a local emergency Dec. 5 after the virus was detected.

The site also has updated information on extreme cold events, including the location of local warming centers and the county’s criteria for when they will be opened.

Information is available in English and Spanish.

Registrations are now being accepted for the next Start Here! class, which provides an overview of the County of Sonoma’s job application, examination and selection processes. The two-hour virtual class will be held at 10 a.m. on Jan. 25.

The free class is intended for the public, whether you are looking for a new position now or planning for a future employment opportunity. Participants will learn how to submit a thorough application, best practices for the interview and examination, and much more.

Contact us at careers@sonoma-county.org to register for the Jan. 25 class or sign up for our mailing list to be notified of future classes.

My name is Bruno. I’m an Alaskan Husky who’s just over 2 years old and weighs 63 pounds. My caretakers say I am friendly and playful. While I can be a little shy at first when handling, I come around quickly. I’ve been at the shelter since May. Won’t you take me home?

Bruno is one of dozens of cats, dogs, rabbits and other animals at Sonoma County Animal Services in need of adoption.

Get involved with local government

Make a difference in Sonoma County! Local government thrives when passionate individuals like you step up to serve. There are countless opportunities for you to get involved and play a crucial role in shaping the future of our beloved Sonoma County. Check out the current vacancies: 

• Child Care Planning Council of Sonoma County: Advocate for comprehensive child care planning and coordination in our county.

• Community Action Partnership of Sonoma County: Partner with low-income families to achieve economic and social stability.

• Emergency Medical Care Council: Improve emergency medical care, oversee and maintain the system, and coordinate long-term planning for public education and injury prevention.

• Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health Advisory Board: Promote the health of families, children and adolescents in our community.

• Sonoma County Local Task Force on Integrated Waste Management: Develop policies and procedures for waste management, reduction and recycling.

• Workforce Investment Board: Lead an integrated workforce development system to ensure our county's vitality.

Your involvement can make a significant impact. Take the first step and explore how you can contribute to a brighter future for Sonoma County.

Volunteer opportunities

Make a difference in your community. Find out how you can give back here.

Employment opportunities

Take your next career step with the County of Sonoma. Explore employment opportunities here.

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• Rapid spread of COVID-19 subvariant expected to continue (Jan. 10)
• Sonoma County opens new 5th District satellite office (Jan. 9)
• Volunteers needed for Sonoma County homeless count (Jan. 8)
• Princess, Sonoma County Animal Shelter’s longest resident, adopted after 644 days (Jan. 8) 
• Large chunk of Sonoma Developmental Center land to be transferred to State Parks (Jan. 4)
• Avian bird flu could cost local bird producers millions (Jan. 4)
• Lake Sonoma, Mendocino reservoirs ‘healthy’ at start of 2024 (Jan. 3)
• Sonoma County Registrar of Voters Office changes hours 1 day a week (Jan. 3)
• Thousands of undocumented immigrants living in Sonoma County likely left out of Medi-Cal expansion (Jan. 2)
• Most common domestic destinations from Charles M. Schulz-Sonoma County Airport (Dec. 28)
• Husky adopted from Sonoma County Animal Shelter after over a year with help of social media (Dec. 23)
• Health authorities point to lag in vaccinations as Sonoma County records 5 new COVID-19 deaths (Dec. 22)
• Sonoma County awarded nearly $2 million in housing vouchers for family and youth (Dec. 22)
• Honoring those who died while homeless in Sonoma County (Dec. 21)
• New additions poised to turn Hood Mountain Regional Park into a 5-square-mile ‘urban backcountry’ (Dec. 20)
• New Sonoma County bird flu cases affect more than 500,000 birds in biggest outbreak yet (Dec. 20)
• $2 million grant awarded to Sonoma Water to help salmon, steelhead in Russian River (Dec. 20)
• Sonoma County takes part in national day of remembrance for lives lost to homelessness (Dec. 20)
• Foster families needed in Sonoma County; recruitment efforts to dispel myths about who is qualified (Dec. 19)
• Sonoma County next entity to crack down on sideshows, put further penalties on participants, promoters, spectators (Dec. 19)
• Sonoma County Transit increasing discount for eligible adults beginning next month (Dec. 18)
• ‘No Party Preference’ voters must take action to participate in March presidential primary (Dec. 17)
• Two conservation deals protect hundreds of acres of Laguna de Santa Rosa ranchland, key waterways (Dec. 16)
• Sonoma County supervisors approve emergency moratorium on tree removal, oak woodland conversions (Dec. 15)
• 24 to watch in 2024: Sonoma County Administrator Christina Rivera (Dec. 15)
• 24 to watch in 2024: Mark Heine, Sonoma County Fire District chief (Dec. 15)
• Charles M. Schulz-Sonoma County Airport edges closer to another record year (Dec. 15)
• County OKs $185,000 in Tourism Impact Fund grants for Sonoma Valley nonprofits (Dec. 15)
• Bird flu outbreak hitting Sonoma County poultry producers hard (Dec. 15)
• Counseling for the overwhelmed and those in crisis available throughout county in 2024 (Dec. 14)

Upcoming events

Jan. 15 - Martin Luther King Day (most county offices closed)

Jan. 17 - Area Agency on Aging Advisory Council

Jan. 17 - Community Development Committee

Jan. 17 - Fire Memorial Task Force

Jan. 18 - Planning Commission

Jan. 18 - Continuum of Care quarterly membership meeting

Jan. 18 - Coast Municipal Advisory Council

Jan. 23 - Board of Supervisors

Jan. 23 - Human Rights Commission

Jan. 24 - Sonoma Valley Community Advisory Commission

Jan. 24 - Homeless Coalition Board

Jan. 25 - 2024 Economic Perspective conference

Jan. 25 - Ag + Open Space Advisory Committee

Jan. 20 - Board of Supervisors

Feb. 1 - Planning Commission

Feb. 6 - Board of Supervisors

Feb. 7 - IOLERO Community Advisory Council

Feb. 8 - Commission on the Status of Women

Feb. 8 - Lower Russian River Municipal Advisory Council

Feb. 12 - Lincoln’s Birthday (most county offices closed)

Getting outside and enjoying the county

Jan. 15 - Martin Luther King Hr. Workday - Andy’s Unity Park

Jan. 16 - Bilingual Dog Training - Andy’s Unity Park

Jan. 27 - Winter Birding Wonders: Tips And Tools - Spring Lake Regional Park

Interested in what's going on at the County of Sonoma?

Sign up for the SoCo Correspondent here.

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A publication of the County Administrator’s Office – Communications Staff