Happy summer from the District 3 desk! The last few months have been filled with budget meetings, training sessions on disaster response and long-term recovery, and many visits and conversations with District 3 residents. In this issue of my newsletter, I'll share updates about fire prevention (both what the County is doing and what you can do), links to some upcoming events, and provide a second installment of my County snapshot series, this time focusing on Napa County's Health and Human Services Agency.

IN THE COMMUNITY

I participated in the Napa County Emergency Preparedness Fair held in St. Helena, and talked about the importance of having an emergency plan in place. Let’s get prepared!

My Board Aide Leah and I hosted a table at the Annual Flea Market in Angwin in May. We had the opportunity to meet and talk with residents regarding important issues facing the Angwin community. Looking forward to this event next year!

Joint Town Hall

On July 6, Congressman Mike Thompson and I hosted a Joint Community Town Hall meeting at the American Legion Hall in Saint Helena.

Congressman Thompson talked about his work in Washington DC. In his update on the Inflation Reduction Act, he reminded us that there are tax credits for residents who want to install clean energy appliances or solar in their homes. (Visit CleanEnergy.gov to learn more.)

I provided an update on three main points: wildfire, roads, and communication. I also thanked the Congressman for his work on the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). ARPA funds have allowed our County to create an Affordable ADU program, and a program to help childcare providers (read about it below!).

Thanks to everyone who attended the meeting and offered input and asked questions. Also, thank you to St. Helena Mayor Paul Dohring, Yountville Council Member Pam Reeves, Sheriff Oscar Ortiz, Napa County Fire Chief Mike Marcucci, and Calistoga Fire Chief Jed Matcham for joining and participating in the discussion.

I am grateful to Congressman Thompson for co-hosting this community meeting with me, and I look forward to collaborating again soon.

ON THE GROUND

Clover Flat Vouchers

By using this link, customers of Upper Valley Disposal & Recycling can request a voucher to cover the cost of self-haul disposal of green waste debris created by the January-to-March 2023 storms.

Vouchers are valid only at Clover Flat Landfill. Up to $80 per customer is available until funds for this project are expended.

Earn Your Defensible Space Certificate!

What’s Defensible Space? It’s the area around a structure within a 100-foot radius, where combustible vegetation and other materials must be cleared, reduced, or otherwise treated to slow the spread of fire.

The Napa County Fire Marshal's Office can now issue Defensible Space Compliance Certificates to properties that meet Napa County's Defensible Space Ordinance and Requirements.

To learn more about what you can do to create defensible space around your home and other buildings, please visit this link. You’ll find helpful videos, guides, and a “Firewise landscaping plant list” specifically for Napa County.

ON THE CALENDAR

Be sure to check out the Summer Cornhole Games every Wednesday night at the Pope Valley Farm Center!

National Night Out in Calistoga, 5-8pm at Pioneer Park August 1

National Night Out in St. Helena, 3-6pm at Napa Valley College, Upper Valley Campus August 1

Back to School Night at the Calistoga Elementary School August 25

Rural County Representatives of California (RCRC) Annual Conference September 20-23

IN THE BOARDROOM

Fire Prevention Funding

At our budget meetings on June 13 and 27, the Board approved significant funding for fire prevention and Napa Communities Firewise Foundation, at a level that maintains the strong support that the County has provided over the past three years. I have been in close contact with County staff and several Firewise board members over the past month to work on the path forward to accomplish this goal.

On June 27, the Board unanimously adopted a budget that provides for:

+ Continuing County support for Firewise at last year's adopted budget level ($5.4 million); and

+ Building in a 10% increase, which is commensurate with the increase in our overall County budget from last year to this year.

Want to learn more? Click here to read my FAQ on planning and funding fire prevention work in Napa County.

ARPA Funds to Help Expand Childcare

The Board of Supervisors allocated $3.8 million from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Coronavirus Recovery funds to develop a childcare investment program. The program provides funding to local childcare providers, either as a forgivable loan or as a restricted grant.

The program aims to help local providers buy or renovate a facility, and thereby increase their capacity to provide care. All application and agreement forms were available in both English and Spanish, along with individual support by staff.

The County received 26 applications, and the Board reviewed and approved funding for the top seven at our June 13th meeting. These seven applicants were chosen as they scored the highest for providing new childcare spots, and also for preserving spots for infant care and low-income spots - for a total of 377.

The seven recipients include:

·        Nature's Way Montessori, LLC

·        Le Petit Elephant Nursery and Preschool

·        Little Ivy Childcare, LLC

·        Children's Adventure Home Daycare

·        Bohan Family Childcare

·        Narvaez Family Childcare Home

Congratulations to all these local businesses; you strengthen our communities by providing a critical service for our working families.

ON THE ROADWAY

The Deer Park Guardrail is here

Big news on Deer Park Road: our Public Works team recently installed a new guardrail on Deer Park Road (above)! I received many emails from Angwin, Deer Park, and Pope Valley residents asking for this safety improvement; thanks to County staff for listening and taking action to respond to resident concerns.

Also, the County thanks California voters who approved raising the gas tax in 2018. This is largely what funded and made this project possible.

(Photo credit: Briana Marie Forgie)

SNAPSHOT ON COUNTY SERVICES

Department Spotlight: Health & Human Services Agency (HHSA)

Welcome to my second “County snapshot” – this month I’ll share some info about our Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA). Jennifer Yasumoto (at right in the photo, with Public Health Director Dr. Christine Wu and me) heads the department, and she and her team manage five program divisions and three administrative divisions. The five program divisions include: Comprehensive Services for Older Adults, Self Sufficiency Services, Child Welfare Services, Public Health, and Behavioral Health. (I’ve included links to many of the programs, so feel free to click on them to learn more, or share.)

HHSA’s Comprehensive Services for Older Adults Division provides a “one-stop shop” to meet the needs of older and disabled individuals. Programs include Adult Protective Services, which addresses risks such as abuse, neglect, financial exploitation and self-neglect; In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS), which authorizes payment for in-home care provider services for residents with Medi-Cal; the IHSS Public Authority, which maintains a list of active IHSS care providers; and the Public Guardian, which provides court-ordered conservatorship services. Finally, this division includes Veterans Services, which in 2022 helped residents with over 1,410 claims for federal VA benefits. If you know a veteran in need, please share this link!

HHSA’s Self Sufficiency Services Division administers public assistance benefits and employment and housing assistance. There are currently over 36,700 County residents who receive Medi-Cal, which provides health coverage. Through the CalFresh (food stamps) program, there are over 9,000 County residents, including kids, who receive monthly benefits to help buy food. The division also serves over 800 people in the CalWORKs program which provides cash assistance to eligible families that have a child(ren) in the home. In addition, families receiving CalWORKs, if eligible can receive employment services, including childcare and housing support which is critical for parents to be successful in their jobs.

HHSA’s Child Welfare Services Division works to prevent and intervene in family situations where children are at risk for neglect, abuse, or exploitation. Last year, the division received 1,472 reports of suspected child abuse and worked to ensure safety of children while preserving, rehabilitating, or reuniting families. HHSA CWS will place children in out-of-home care when necessary, and can place children in adoptive homes when reunification is not possible. It also provides services to youth ages 18-21 in non-extended foster care as they become adults.

HHSA’s Public Health Division provides a wide range of programs for children and families. Those programs include home visiting services, immunization services, nutritional benefits, and child development services. Public Health also investigates and prevents transmission of communicable diseases, and oversees the County’s emergency medical services system. Finally, the division is also a key partner in Live Healthy Napa County, a public-private partnership with our agency, aiming to protect and improve the health and wellbeing of every member of the community.

HHSA’s Behavioral Health Division provides substance use disorder and specialty mental health services to local residents. The division recently added a Mobile Response Team, which provides crisis intervention, de-escalation, safety planning, and stabilization support. To contact the Mobile Response Team, please call 707-299-2111.

Thanks to HHSA staff, Napa County is able to help residents in times of need.

That's it for this edition - thank you for reading! If you have a question or a topic you'd like to read about here, please email me at anne.cottrell@countyofnapa.org . You can also get in touch by emailing Leah, my District Aide, at leah.doyle-stevens@countyofnapa.org.

To see my weekly updates, please follow my Supervisor Anne Cottrell Facebook page and @supervisorannecottrell on Instagram. The County’s website and Facebook page are also good sources of information.

Thanks again. I look forward to serving and collaborating with you!

Anne Cottrell