SoCo Correspondent delivers the latest news from the County of Sonoma, twice a month, to your email inbox. Subscribe in English or Spanish and share with your friends and neighbors. | | Artist, site selected for memorial to 2017 wildfire victims | | |
The memorial to victims of the 2017 wildfires will be located alongside the parking lot at Nagasawa Community Park in Santa Rosa’s Fountaingrove neighborhood.
Anyone who lived through the 2017 wildfires will never forget them. In a matter of hours, flames took the lives of 24 people in Sonoma County and turned 5,300 homes into ash. As we approach the 10th anniversary of the disaster, Sonoma County is advancing plans to create a memorial that will honor our shared loss and the resolve that helped us rebuild.
Last week, the Board of Supervisors approved agreements with artist Cliff Garten and the City of Santa Rosa to create a public memorial in Nagasawa Community Park, located in a hillside Fountaingrove neighborhood devastated by the wind-driven inferno.
“This memorial will serve as a sanctuary for reflection and healing, a place that recognizes our grief while reminding us of our resilience,” said Supervisor Lynda Hopkins, chair of the Board of Supervisors.
With that vision in mind, the County turned to a designer known for weaving community stories into works of art. Garten, a nationally recognized sculptor and landscape architect, was awarded the $320,000 commission following a competitive bid process that drew 83 applicants from around the world. The memorial will be designed during a robust 16-week community engagement and design process starting in early 2026, giving residents a central role in shaping the memorial’s form and meaning.
“This project is rooted in listening. We intentionally selected an artist, not a design, because we wanted someone who could work collaboratively with the people most impacted by the 2017 fires,” said Tara Thompson, director of Creative Sonoma, which is overseeing the project. “Cliff Garten was selected because of his skill at engaging communities and transforming their stories into thoughtful public spaces.”
Fabrication and installation are expected to take about a year once the final design is approved by the Fire Memorial Task Force, a seven-person panel representing fire victims, first responders and the local arts community.
Community Foundation Sonoma County provided a $100,000 grant to support the creation of a memorial, which is expected to cost $536,000 in total.
| | County enters negotiations with USL to evaluate Fairgrounds for stadium development | | |
The County is taking an important next step in evaluating whether the Sonoma County Fairgrounds could become home to professional men’s and women’s soccer. On Tuesday, the Board of Supervisors approved a set of actions that will allow the County to formally participate in negotiations with the United Soccer League and the City of Santa Rosa while ensuring the public has a voice in the process.
The Board approved a new Letter of Intent between the County and USL, mirroring the City of Santa Rosa’s existing agreement with the nation’s largest professional soccer organization. The action does not commit the County to building a stadium. Instead, it creates a clear framework for USL to study the Fairgrounds, test design ideas, and examine whether the project makes financial sense. The agreement runs through Sept. 17, 2026.
To support this work, the Board of Supervisors adopted the charter for a temporary two-member committee, led by Supervisors Rebecca Hermosillo and Chris Coursey, that will guide staff as the County evaluates a potential public-private partnership with USL to develop a professional soccer stadium at the Fairgrounds.
In addition, the Board allocated funding to bring the public into the evaluation process. A series of public meetings will take place in early 2026 to give neighbors, businesses, labor groups, the soccer community and other stakeholders opportunities to provide input on what they would like to see in a potential sports and entertainment complex.
“This is an exciting opportunity for the Fairgrounds and for Sonoma County,” said Supervisor Lynda Hopkins, chair of the Board of Supervisors. “Professional soccer has the potential to bring new energy and activity to the site, and we’re committed to working closely with the community as we explore what this could look like.”
| | County updates ADU rules to make it easier to build homes | | |
Sonoma County is making it easier for residents to build additional homes on their property – and to legalize the ones already there. Last week, the Board of Supervisors approved a series of updates to the County’s Accessory Dwelling Unit ordinance that will open the door for more homeowners to create housing that fits their needs and budgets.
The ordinance aligns County rules with evolving state laws while removing hurdles that can make ADUs complicated or infeasible. The revised rules provide property owners in unincorporated areas of Sonoma County more flexibility in the configurations and combinations of ADUs they may have on their property. Lots with single-family dwellings may now have two ADUs of any type – detached new construction cottages, conversions from existing structures, or additions attached to the main house – while still meeting state requirements. Height limits are going up, parking mandates are going down, and older design rules that added cost without clear benefit are being removed.
Another major shift will help homeowners who built ADUs or junior units before 2020 but never got a permit for them. The new County rules implement an updated state law that requires a straightforward path to obtain permits for those unauthorized units. For many families, that means the chance to keep a rental unit, caregiver space or home for an adult child without fear of losing it.
“Together, these updates make ADUs more feasible on more properties, a key part of the County’s strategy to expand the supply of affordable housing in places people already live,” said Supervisor Lynda Hopkins, chair of the Board of Supervisors. “These changes give homeowners more flexibility and a clearer path to building or keeping the small homes that our community increasingly relies on.”
| | SCEIP to end residential financing next month while continuing to fund commercial projects | | |
Next month, the Sonoma County Energy Independence Program will stop accepting applications from homeowners seeking financing for upgrades that utilize energy and water more efficiently and harden buildings against wildfires and earthquakes.
The program will continue to offer long-term, fixed-rate loans for improvements to commercial, agricultural and industrial buildings, as well as multi-family housing with five or more units.
The changes stem from new federal regulations governing Property Assessed Clean Energy programs, a financing tool that helps property owners install solar energy systems, strengthen buildings against earthquakes and wildfires, and pay for more than 100 other types of upgrades – including roofs, windows, insulation, irrigation systems and electric vehicle chargers – with no upfront costs. The loans are repaid through a special assessment added to the borrower’s property tax bill, essentially attaching the debt to the property itself, not the individual.
Last July, the Board of Supervisors concluded that new federal rules would make the residential part of SCEIP too expensive to operate. The federal rules require residential PACE programs to follow mortgage-style underwriting standards, including verifying the homeowner’s income, credit, debt and employment. The requirements apply only to residential borrowers, not to commercial PACE financing, which is regulated by state and local laws.
As a result, SCEIP will no longer accept residential applications after Jan. 12 and will stop executing new residential contracts after Feb. 28. Existing contracts will continue to be supported until they are completed.
| | Board of Supervisors renews partnership that brings UC expertise straight to Sonoma County | | |
If you’ve ever gotten advice from a Master Gardener, watched a young person thrive in 4-H, or shopped at a farmer’s market, you’ve already felt the impact of UC Cooperative Extension – even if you didn’t know its name.
Last week, the Board of Supervisors renewed Sonoma County’s partnership with UC Cooperative Extension, continuing a 50-year relationship that brings University of California research and experts directly into our community. The new five-year agreement will run through the end of 2030.
UCCE’s mission is simple and far-reaching: extend knowledge developed at the University of California to improve the quality of life, the environment and the economic well-being of Californians. In Sonoma County, that takes many forms. Advisors and specialists support farmers and ranchers, help older adults access nutrition education, study wildfire and natural resources, guide local food production and offer hands-on learning for youth. It operates nearly a dozen specialized programs in Sonoma County, helping the public with everything from managing livestock, vineyards, watersheds and pests to the well-loved Master Gardeners and Master Food Preservers programs.
What makes UCCE unique is its local presence. UC advisors live and work in the communities they serve, translating research into practical solutions people can use – in fields, classrooms, kitchens and backyards. County support, totaling $1.4 million in the current fiscal year, provides staff, office space, equipment and vehicles that make their day-to-day work possible.
“UCCE’s work touches so many parts of daily life in Sonoma County,” said Supervisor Lynda Hopkins, chair of the Board of Supervisors. “Renewing this partnership means residents will continue to get practical, science-backed help, whether that’s growing food, protecting our environment, or giving young people a place to learn and lead.”
| | County honors 50 years of the Commission on the Status of Women | | |
The Commission celebrates its 50th anniversary on Dec. 11 during a reception at Oxford Suites in Rohnert Park.
Fifty years ago, Sonoma County took an important step toward improving gender equity by establishing the Commission on the Status of Women. Last week, the Board of Supervisors celebrated that milestone with a resolution honoring the Commission’s decades of advocacy, partnership and public service.
Created on Dec. 23, 1975, the Commission was charged with helping the County eliminate gender-based discrimination in housing, education, community services and related fields. Since then, generations of volunteer commissioners have advised the Board of Supervisors on issues affecting women and girls, ensuring those voices are heard in public policy.
The Commission’s mission remains grounded in that original purpose: promoting equal rights and opportunities, identifying conditions that reflect discrimination or prejudice, and advocating for social mobility, economic autonomy, reproductive freedom and equitable representation in leadership roles. Commissioners study local needs, prepare reports, highlight the contributions of women and girls, and refer residents to appropriate resources.
In its early years, the Commission helped launch the Women’s History Week project to recognize the historic achievements of women. That effort grew into a national movement that led Congress in 1987 to designate March as Women’s History Month.
Over five decades, the Commission has partnered with dozens of community organizations to support affordable child care, equal pay, domestic violence awareness, mental health advocacy, safety for immigrant women and girls, and the fight against human trafficking.
A gold resolution adopted by the Board of Supervisors on Dec. 9 commemorates the Commission’s 50th anniversary and calls for continued countywide support of its work “to ensure that the voices of women and girls are heard.”
| | Construction begins at County-backed affordable apartment complex in Healdsburg | | |
After years of planning and partnership, construction is now underway at Dry Creek Commons, a 58-unit apartment complex that will provide affordable housing for working families in north Healdsburg.
Burbank Housing held a groundbreaking ceremony last week to celebrate the start of construction, which will erect a pair of four-story apartment buildings on city-owned land along Dry Creek Road. The one- to three-bedroom rental units are reserved for households who earn up to 60 percent of area median income, or up to $97,860 annually for a family of five.
The Sonoma County Community Development Commission provided more than $1.4 million in funding for the project. In addition, it will subsidize rents on 14 units with project-based vouchers, a type of long-term rental assistance valued at $304,000 per year for 40 years.
“Projects like this don’t happen without sustained local commitment,” said District 4 Supervisor James Gore, who represents the area. “Dry Creek Commons will stand for generations as a testament to what strong collaboration between a city, the County, and an affordable housing developer can achieve.”
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Because she has a home, Rebekah Sammet can mark her children’s height on the wall, host birthday parties, and experience the rare kind of rest, she writes, “where your very atoms seem to relax.” In her intimate poem Because I Have a Home, she details the small, everyday freedoms made possible only when a person has a safe place to live – privacy, stability, and the ability to build a life without fear of being asked to move along.
Many of us take those things for granted. Sammet does not. After spending 20 years in and out of homelessness, she has now been permanently housed for six. She is a founding member of the County’s Learned Experience Advisory Planning board, a 14-member group of people who have all experienced homelessness and now advise the County on homeless policies and funding decisions. Sammet and the LEAP board were recently featured in an episode of SoCo Chat.
Sammet shared her poem last month at Threads, a three-day symposium hosted by the Department of Health Services that brought together more than 300 behavioral health and homelessness professionals from across California to exchange best practices, learn from successful programs and strengthen collaboration.
Her story grounded the room – and reminded everyone why stable housing is the foundation of a healthy community.
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Memorial service to remember lives lost in Sonoma County’s unhoused community | |
They may have lacked housing, but their lives helped shape our community, and their deaths are deeply felt. On Friday (Dec. 19), the Sonoma County Department of Health Services and HomeFirst will host a memorial service to mourn the loss of 43 people who died this year while experiencing homelessness.
The 11 a.m. memorial service will be held at the Arlene Francis Center, 99 6th St., Santa Rosa, and is open to the public. Reservations are requested.
The people being honored ranged in age from 22 to 80, with an average age of 58. Ten were women and 33 were men. A candle will be lit for each person as the community gathers to share reflections and recommit to the work of ending homelessness.
“With this heartfelt commemoration, we recognize the harsh realities that our unsheltered community members face every day and remember and honor those who have lost their lives this past year,” said Nolan Sullivan, director of the Department of Health Services. “Homelessness is a challenging public health issue and, while the number of unhoused in Sonoma County has dropped considerably, far too many people here and elsewhere continue to suffer from the lack of stable housing.”
The County’s annual point-in-time census identified 1,952 people experiencing homelessness in January, down 23 percent from the previous year yet a reminder of ongoing need.
The memorial is Sonoma County’s observance of National Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day, which takes place each year on the first day of winter – the longest night of the year. The service was planned with guidance from the County’s Lived Experience Advisory and Planning Board. Speakers will include representatives from LEAP, HomeFirst, the County’s Coordinated Entry team and local advocates.
| | County streamlines fence rules to reduce costs and delays | | |
Building a simple fence in Sonoma County is about to get easier. On Tuesday, the Board of Supervisors approved updates to the County’s fence ordinance that streamline permitting and cut the high costs and long wait times residents can face when trying to build or replace a fence.
Until now, most homeowners in unincorporated areas needed a Use Permit for fences taller than three feet in front of their properties or along roadways. Obtaining a Use Permit can cost more than $5,000 and take months or even years to complete.
The updated rules create clear, objective standards for fence height, location, materials and design, and allow most common fence types to move forward with either no permit or a simpler administrative review. The rules will allow certain fences up to 6 feet in height in the front yard and along roadways, and up to 8 feet in side and rear yards. Fences on working agricultural lands in designated scenic resource areas would also be exempted from design review, provided they are no more than 8 feet tall and made of common materials.
The changes are designed to make fence construction more predictable and affordable while retaining key standards that protect public safety and neighborhood compatibility.
(EDITORS NOTE: This story has been updated to remove an error in the description of the ordinance)
| | Find room to grow with a County job | | |
The County currently has more than 40 job openings posted on its website. How can you improve your chances of landing one?
Sign up for the next Start Here! class, which provides an overview of the County of Sonoma’s job application, examination and selection processes. The next two-hour class will be held Jan. 8 at 5:30 p.m. on Zoom.
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. 8 class or sign up for our mailing list to be notified of future classes.
| | Adopt the pet of the week | | |
My name is Sandy. I’m a 17-month-old female German shepherd mix who was brought to the shelter in July. I’m a 45-pound bundle of fun, full of tail wags and puppy energy, who’s looking for an active person or family who can keep up with my adventurous spirit. Will you take me home?
Sandy is one of dozens of cats, dogs, rabbits and other animals at Sonoma County Animal Services in need of adoption.
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