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When low-income residents fall on hard times – whether by storm, pandemic or job loss – the County of Sonoma’s safety net programs often provide critical support. In this edition of the SoCo Correspondent, we offer updates on recent initiatives, overseen by the Board of Supervisors, to help people who suffered the most during the COVID-19 pandemic and the torrential storms last winter. You will also learn about the county’s efforts to improve mental health services for foster youth, bolster the county’s transition to an all-electronic bus transit system, and shore up its emergency communications network.
As always, we encourage you to share this newsletter with friends, colleagues and family members or 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.
¿Está interesado en leer sobre lo que hace el Condado de Sonoma dos veces al mes? Este boletín estará disponible en español. Regístrese aquí para suscribirse a nuestro boletín, el SoCo Correspondent.
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Investing in our community — investing in us | |
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In 2021, during the throes of the pandemic, Sonoma County received $96 million through the federal American Rescue Plan Act to help individuals and communities most impacted by COVID-19.
The Board of Supervisors was given the task of dividing up these funds in ways that would have the greatest impact on the community. The Board set aside the single biggest chunk of funds – just over $39 million – for a series of investments through community-based organizations.
On Oct. 24, county staff will update the Board of Supervisors and the public on the results of those investments. The 27 projects selected through this Community Resilience Program targeted a wide range of needs, including food and financial assistance, mental health services, housing and education. All had a common goal: to help people who suffered the most during the pandemic while strengthening community organizations. In many cases, the county awarded funds to organizations that historically have had little or no experience with local, state or federal funding but are best positioned to provide direct support to marginalized communities.
At the Oct. 24 meeting, the Board will evaluate the results of the investments made to date and decide whether to extend them for an additional two years, through the end of 2025. The agenda for the Oct. 24 meeting will be available here. Please review closely to see how you can attend the meeting in person or watch it on Zoom.
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More than 1,700 people received help
from county emergency aid program
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A county initiative to help people most impacted by storms last winter distributed $812,853 in financial aid to more than 1,700 people, according to a report presented to the Board of Supervisors this month.
Recipients used the money to secure housing, purchase food and offset lost wages while the storms prevented them from working. Each received $250 to $800, depending on the level of need, following assessments at Recovery Support Centers in Guerneville, Healdsburg, Santa Rosa, Petaluma and Sonoma.
“Disasters – whether they come as floods, fires or pandemics – always lay their heaviest impacts on the most vulnerable members of our community,” said Supervisor Chris Coursey, chair of the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors. “Last winter’s storms caused widespread economic hardship in our county, and our emergency financial assistance fund helped hundreds of families feel a little more secure during that difficult time.”
Nearly $1.2 million remains in the Immediate Needs Fund. As a result, the county will issue a Request for Proposal to contract with community-based organizations that will be ready to issue financial assistance, in partnership with the county, during a future disaster.
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Residents encouraged to get COVID and flu shots | |
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Want to get one of the new COVID-19 or flu shots? If you have health insurance, contact your medical provider or community clinic for an appointment. Vaccine appointments are also available at local pharmacies, including CVS, Walgreens, Safeway and Walmart.
If you don’t have health insurance, you can still get vaccinated for free at Walgreens and CVS, which are participating in the federally-funded Bridge Access Program. In addition to contacting the pharmacies directly for appointments, you can also visit vaccines.gov, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s appointment site.
Because we have now moved into the endemic phase of COVID, Sonoma County, as with all 58 counties in the state, is no longer receiving state and federal funding to purchase and administer vaccines for the general public.
Sonoma County Interim Health Officer Dr. Karen Smith strongly recommends that everyone 6 months and older get an updated COVID-19 vaccine to protect against the potentially serious outcomes of COVID-19 illness this winter. Influenza vaccination is also recommended for everyone 6 months old and older. Vaccination remains the best protection against respiratory virus infections. Dr. Smith also recommends that both vaccinated and unvaccinated people wear masks in public indoor settings when the COVID or influenza risk in Sonoma County is high.
You can get four free rapid COVID-19 tests sent to your home by registering at COVIDtests.gov. If you have older tests at home, check to see if their expiration dates have been extended before throwing them out.
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County to open unique health center for foster youth | |
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It is a problem across California: There's a shortage of space in facilities that provide intensive mental health treatment to foster youths who have experienced trauma and are struggling with complex mental health issues.
Most Sonoma County foster youths who require this type of treatment must wait six to nine months, on average, at Valley of the Moon Children’s Center for placement in a higher-level therapeutic environment. Eighty percent of those individuals are ultimately sent to programs outside Sonoma County because there is not enough room in two local programs run by nonprofits.
But not for much longer. The Board of Supervisors this month unanimously approved a three-year pilot program to create a Short-Term Residential Therapeutic Program at the Valley of the Moon Children’s Center, the county’s shelter for foster youth. The therapeutic program, only the second such county program in the state, will be overseen by Sonoma County’s Human Services Department in partnership with the Department of Health Services. It is scheduled to open next summer.
The new program will shorten wait times for treatment and reduce disruption to the lives of foster youth by enabling them to remain in Sonoma County, making it easier to maintain supportive connections with family and friends.
“We now have space for this program at Valley of the Moon Children’s Center thanks to the success of our efforts helping local foster youth move out of institutions and into more familial home environments,” said Supervisor Chris Coursey, chair of the Board of Supervisors. “This program will buttress those efforts by ensuring that youth who require intensive therapy get the treatment they need, without delay or disruption, and put them on a path to a successful adulthood.”
The goal of the program is to transition these youth back to a family or independent living environment as soon as they are able to be safe and successful in these settings.
“Only one other county in the entire state is doing this,” said District 1 Supervisor Susan Gorin, who represents Sonoma Valley. “We have worked hard to develop an innovative solution to a difficult problem. This program will make a real difference in the lives of foster youth by ensuring they have access to mental health treatment when they need it most.”
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County to build charging station for electric buses | |
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The Board of Supervisors approved plans this month to build a $4.8 million facility to charge the county’s growing fleet of electric buses.
The charging station, which is expected to open in June, is a critical piece of the county’s plan to comply with state regulations that require transit operators to transition their fleets to zero-emission vehicles by 2040. Sonoma County Transit currently has nine electric buses in its fleet of 49 buses. In January, the Board of Supervisors authorized the purchase of 10 additional 40-foot electric buses, including charging equipment.
“This project is a direct investment in the health and well-being of our communities, now and in the future,” said Supervisor Chris Coursey, chair of the Board of Supervisors. “It reflects our commitment to leading on zero-emission public transportation and stands as an important example of local government doing its part to ensure access to both clean air and reliable transportation across our communities.”
The new charging facility is expected to have capacity to charge up to 32 vehicles overnight, plus a natural gas-powered generator with capacity to charge 10 buses in the event of a power disruption. It will be located at the Sonoma County Transit yard on West Robles Avenue in Santa Rosa.
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Faces of the County: Meet Emma Diemert | |
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An ongoing series highlighting public servants across a variety
of departments at the County of Sonoma.
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Photo: Emma Diemert and Ace.
(courtesy of Kelsey Joy)
Name: Emma Diemert
Title: Shelter Supervisor, Sonoma County Animal Services
Years with County: 5
Personal side: I live in Santa Rosa with my partner Jacob, my stepdaughter, Julia, and our three cats. Despite my vast love for dogs, I do consider myself a cat person. I’m from Fairhope, Alabama and grew up along the Gulf Coast. I do love California, but I miss Southern food so much.
Education and/or certifications: I attended Auburn University in Alabama (War Eagle!) and graduated with my bachelor’s in animal sciences.
What do you do? Animal Services works to protect the health and safety of people and animals. We enforce animal regulations, license dogs and cats, and operate the county’s animal shelter, where we provide spay/neuter and microchip services and house stray and surrendered animals. If we can’t reunite animals with their owners, their health and behavior are assessed for adoptability. I oversee the animal care staff at the shelter, where we currently are housing 108 dogs, 98 cats and four rabbits, and we house other animals from pigs to chickens. I review and make behavior plans for animals, help coordinate rescue transfers, and assist with our social media pages.
What gives you fulfillment? My favorite aspect of my job is being able to show scared, frightened animals love and compassion to help them become the best versions of themselves. I’m also extremely passionate about how animals impact humans. I know how valuable my relationship to animals is and how important that bond can be, so I try to incorporate that passion into my work with the humans, too. It’s very rewarding to help both people and animals. I’m also hugely passionate about our social media – one of my favorite things to do is film silly TikToks with the animals! It really helps me decompress, especially after a difficult day 😊
What is one of the biggest misconceptions about the shelter? Many people incorrectly believe that our agency euthanizes animals if they are not adopted in a specific time frame. We never humanely euthanize for time or space. We work hard to provide our animals with love and care through the entirety of their stay. We also want them placed into the best care, whether that is through adoption or by transferring them to another agency. Recently, animals have been tending to stay longer at the shelter – we have several dogs who have been in our shelter for 6+ months – which means we have to be flexible to provide them with the best care. While our shelter population has increased, we have worked on increasing our enrichment program, volunteer force, and assistance from outside agencies. We want people to walk into our facility knowing that the animals on our adoption floor are well cared for and loved while in our care. While our shelter is a temporary home for animals, we want them to feel safe and comfortable while waiting to find their forever family.
Passions outside of work? I love hiking, running, getting out into nature, camping, live music, and enjoying Sonoma County’s food scene. One of my favorite places to visit is Little Saint in Healdsburg.
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Find room to grow with a county job | |
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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 2 p.m. on Oct. 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 Oct. 25 class or sign up for our mailing list to be notified of future classes.
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Independent Office of Law Enforcement Review and Outreach releases annual report | |
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The Sonoma County Independent Office of Law Enforcement Review and Outreach will host a webinar on Oct. 19 to present details of its annual report to the public. Click here to join the 6 p.m. Zoom webinar.
The report, presented to the Board of Supervisors on Sept. 26, recaps IOLERO’s audits of 27 cases involving complaints against the Sheriff’s Office. It includes audits of two officer-involved shootings, two in-custody deaths and three cases involving canine use of force.
The IOLERO annual report is the first since the full implementation of Measure P, a 2020 voter-approved initiative that strengthened the agency’s oversight authority, including the power to conduct independent investigations in specific cases.
“This past year, IOLERO worked hard to move forward on the voters’ vision in Measure P. We hired new staff, kept up with the flow of audits, identified patterns in those audits that allowed us to flag policy issues for the Sheriff’s Office, and reached out to the public,” said John Alden, IOLERO director. “Next year, we hope to do even more. Now that we are fully staffed, we have turned our attention to other Measure P-mandated programs to launch: a whistleblower reporting system, audits of civil cases, and our first independent investigation, among other things.”
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Cloverdale ranch to become new park | |
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A 209-acre ranch west of Cloverdale will be opened to the public and preserved in perpetuity for recreation, thanks to a partnership between Sonoma County Ag + Open Space, the City of Cloverdale and the Lyda family.
Ag + Open Space purchased the Soda Springs Ranch from the Lyda family for $2.1 million and immediately transferred ownership to the City of Cloverdale. The open space district will continue to hold a conservation easement with a recreational covenant on the land, ensuring that it will be a natural and recreational resource for generations to come.
The ranch is just north of Porterfield Creek Trails Open Space Preserve, a park that was conserved and developed with support from Ag + Open Space. Visible from Highway 101, the undeveloped property is home to mountainous climbs, oak woodlands, grasslands, fir forest and redwood groves. It has been owned by four generations of the Lyda family, who used it for timber harvest, hunting, grazing and personal recreation.
“This partnership represents a huge win for the public and our natural resources,” said Sonoma County Supervisor James Gore, who also serves as a director for Ag + Open Space. “It is a gamechanger for Cloverdale and the entire Sonoma County community. This property will complete a ridge to river nexus, connecting with City Park and River Park. We are all excited and inspired!”
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Critical communications hub gets upgrade | |
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The Board of Supervisors approved plans to address structural deficiencies in a 50-year-old communications tower on Sonoma Mountain, shoring up a critical hub for the county’s communications network.
The $198,000 construction project will repair rust and corrosion damage to 320 structural steel cross-brace members and climbing equipment on the tower. Crews will also replace guy wires that help to stabilize the 185-foot tower and inspect their anchor structures.
The county’s network of 20 communications sites is maintained by the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office and inspected periodically to maintain their structural integrity. The Sonoma Mountain site plays a central role in supporting public safety communications during emergencies.
The most recent inspection, which identified the deficiencies, was conducted in January.
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County reports on 2022 ICE requests
for information on jail inmates
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The federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency asked the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office to notify it before releasing 332 inmates from the county jail in 2022, an increase of 184 percent from the previous year.
Upon reviewing the requests, the Sheriff’s Office returned 54 responses to ICE, an increase of 64 percent from the previous year. The statistics were released to the public on Tuesday evening at an annual hearing required under a 2018 state law, the Transparent Review of Unjust Transfers and Holds (TRUTH) Act.
While ICE notification requests increased significantly last year, they remained below the average of 429 requests received annually by the county from 2018 through 2021, when notification requests by ICE dropped sharply.
The Sheriff’s Office does not enforce Federal immigration law, deport anyone, ask for immigration status, have authority over ICE, nor conduct immigration sweeps. It provides inmate release dates to ICE pursuant to state law, which limits how state and local law enforcement can collaborate with federal immigration agencies and helps ensure that schools, hospitals and courthouses are safe spaces for everyone in our community.
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Want to help the community?
Consider hiring someone who is homeless
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Sonoma County Job Link will host a free lunch on Oct. 25 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Santa Rosa to educate local employers on ways the county supports local businesses that hire individuals who are homeless.
A panel of experts will discuss the benefits of inclusive hiring practices, including incentives available for local employers, and answer questions about their experiences hiring homeless people through the county’s Job Link program.
Call (707) 565-2381 or email cwillover@schsd.org for information or to RSVP for the free lunch at Sonoma County Job Link, 2227 Capricorn Way, Suite 100, Santa Rosa.
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Support your community by getting involved | |
Get involved with local government
Government is only as good as the people who step forward to serve. There are many ways you can become involved in local government by serving on local boards, commissions and committees.
Current vacancies include:
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Green Valley Cemetery District: To oversee care of the grounds, sell plots and maintain records of burials, secure liability insurance, provide annual audit materials and submit an annual report to the State Controller’s Office.
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Workforce Investment Board: To lead an integrated workforce development system to ensure the county’s economic vitality and quality of life.
Check out the list of current vacancies and discover how you can help shape the future of Sonoma County.
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Adopt the pet of the month | | |
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My name is Shadow. I’m a 7-month-old male shorthair cat who’s been at the shelter since Aug. 5. Will you take me into your home?
Shadow is one of dozens of cats, dogs, rabbits and other animals at Sonoma County Animal Services in need of adoption.
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Volunteer and employment opportunities | |
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