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In this week’s edition of SoCo Correspondent, we report on a big investment by the County to cut utility costs while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. We also provide updates on an expansion of flights at Sonoma County airport, a fun and educational event coming to the coast and a free livestream concert by Juilliard musicians performing from inside the Sonoma County jail.
If you have a friend or family member who lives in the area – or you know of a former Sonoma County resident who might be interested in receiving these updates – 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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Saving money for taxpayers while helping to save the planet | |
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Solar parking canopy at Sonoma County Airport, installed in 2022.
Using less energy isn’t just good for your budget. It can also help cut carbon emissions, which are warming the planet.
On Aug. 13, the Board of Supervisors put this concept to work, approving $28.2 million in projects that will reduce the use of electricity, natural gas and water in County buildings. They include deployment of energy-efficient LED lights, large batteries that store electricity for use during peak periods, and a 1.8 megawatt solar energy system that will generate nearly a quarter of the electricity needed at the County Administration Center campus.
“These upgrades are designed to pay for themselves over their lifetimes, at no cost to taxpayers, by reducing County spending on electricity, water and natural gas,” said Supervisor Lynda Hopkins, vice chair of the Board of Supervisors. “At the same time, today’s action will benefit the entire county by reducing carbon emissions that are accelerating climate change. It is a smart investment that will pay dividends for decades to come.”
In a related action, the County’s Climate Action and Resiliency Division unveiled a comprehensive plan last week to make County government operations carbon-neutral by 2030. The 167-page action plan, which includes 54 separate proposals, provides a detailed roadmap to reduce carbon emissions from County operations, increase carbon storage on County-owned lands, and make County operations more resilient to wildfires, droughts, floods and other climate hazards that increasingly threaten our communities. The Board of Supervisors is expected to review and vote on the plan’s proposals in September.
“This climate plan demonstrates the County government can become carbon-neutral by 2030, one of the central goals of the five-year strategic plan adopted by the Board of Supervisors in 2021,” said Barbara Lee, director of the Climate Action and Resiliency Division. “It builds upon a series of significant investments by the County since the 2017 wildfires that are making our communities safer, healthier and more resilient as our climate changes.”
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County partners with UC Master Gardener Program to expand educational garden at Los Guilicos campus | |
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The demonstration garden at Los Guilicos. (UC Master Gardener Program)
In 2020, the Glass fire swept over the Mayacamas Mountains and burned to the eastern edge of Santa Rosa. It consumed more than 300 homes in Sonoma County and destroyed the beloved garden at Valley of the Moon Children’s Center.
Volunteers with the UC Master Gardener Program coaxed the land back to life. They created a vegetable garden and pollinator garden, along with an outdoor classroom to teach children about beneficial bugs, habitat and climate change.
Last week, the Board of Supervisors expanded a five-year agreement that gave the UC Master Gardener Program rent-free access to 36,000 square feet of the garden area on the County’s Los Guilicos campus. Under the new partnership, the Master Gardeners will take on responsibility for tending the full original footprint of the garden area – approximately 201,380 square feet – for at least seven years, with the potential to extend the rent-free agreement for an additional five years.
“I continue to be in awe of our Master Gardeners,” said District 1 Supervisor Susan Gorin, who represents the Sonoma Valley. “This land burned in the 2020 Glass fire, and the Master Gardeners have created a beautiful oasis which stands as a powerful symbol of resiliency and rebirth. This garden is also a place of learning, where children can discover the benefits of sustainable gardening. This is a wonderful community asset and I wish the Master Gardeners continued success.”
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Spend the morning at Doran Beach and learn about sea otters | |
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Photo credit: Sea Otter Savvy
Join District 5 Supervisor Lynda Hopkins and her team at Doran Regional Park on Sept. 3 to learn about sea otters. Sea Otter Savvy, the Marine Mammal Center and other partners will be on hand to educate participants about sea otters, who once thrived along the Sonoma Coast but were driven to the brink of extinction in California by fur traders in the 18th and 19th centuries.
After more than a century of recovery efforts, there are now around 3,000 southern sea otters concentrated on the Central Coast, down from the estimated 16,000 that thrived between Baja and southern Oregon long ago. The population hasn’t expanded its range north or south in 25 years, and Northern California is still missing this keystone species.
On May 23, 2023 Supervisor Hopkins hosted a summit to explore the possibility and impacts of reintroducing southern sea otters to their former habitat on the Sonoma Coast. Sea otters are considered “ecosystem engineers” that help restore degraded coastal ecosystems by enhancing biodiversity and improving the health of coastal habitats. They even help to protect coastal communities from the impact of climate change by maintaining kelp forests and eelgrass beds, which sequester carbon.
“We would like to continue to bring fun educational events such as these to provide the public opportunities to learn about potential sea otter reintroduction, which would not only be a restoration of a species, but a revival of ecological balance and health,” said Supervisor Hopkins, who represents the Sonoma County coastal area.
The event, which will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., will feature a sea otter sand sculpting contest judged by Supervisor Hopkins.
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Classical music program returns to Sonoma County jail | |
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Sonoma County Main Adult Detention Facility music program, April 2024.
An innovative program that uses classical music to bring hope and inspiration into prisons and jails across the United States will return to the Sonoma County jail this month.
Up to 20 women incarcerated at the Main Adult Detention Facility will learn how to create their own classical compositions during the 10-week program, a partnership between the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office, Project: Music Heals Us and Five Keys, an Oakland nonprofit. It culminates with a performance of the women's compositions by musicians from New York’s famed Juilliard School, one of the top performing art schools in the world.
A string quartet of Juilliard musicians will kick off the residency program on Aug. 26 by performing a concert inside the jail. The 9 a.m. concert will be livestreamed to the public via the Sheriff’s Office Facebook page.
Last spring, Sonoma County brought the program into the jail for the first time but limited it to men because women and men are separated during incarceration. Sonoma County was only the fourth county in California to host Project: Music Heals Us, which is designed to educate and encourage incarcerated people while promoting healing and building compassionate communities. Liana Whisler, a retired correctional lieutenant who helped bring the program to Sonoma County, described its transformative impact last March during an episode of the county’s SoCo Chat podcast series.
“They never realized in their life that they were capable of actually composing a piece of classical music,” Whisler said of the incarcerated individuals who took part in the program. “It has given them hope for their future. It is so amazing to see the light in their eyes and just the transformation in their behavior… They are learning to express their emotions in a way they've never been able to do in their entire life.”
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Coming soon: Direct flights from Sonoma County to Salt Lake City and San Bernardino County | |
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Avelo Airlines, which opened a crew base at Charles M. Schulz – Sonoma County Airport this spring, announced that it will add nonstop service to Salt Lake City, Utah, and Ontario, California beginning in October.
The expansion highlights Sonoma County’s value and importance as a destination and regional transportation hub. With the additions, STS will offer direct flights to 15 destinations across the western United States, including Los Angeles, Burbank, Orange County, San Diego, Palm Springs, Seattle, Portland, Dallas, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Bend, Boise and Kalispell.
“As our beloved airport continues to grow, I’m delighted to see more destinations offered by Avelo Airlines,” said District 4 Supervisor James Gore, who represents the airport area. “These will be great additions for the residents of Sonoma County.”
Avelo will start service to Ontario on Oct. 10 and to Salt Lake City Oct. 24. Nonstop flights on its fleet of Boeing Next-Generation 737 aircraft will be available Thursdays and Sundays.
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SoCo Chat catches up with Supervisor Hopkins and life in west county | |
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Supervisor Lynda Hopkins, right, speaks with County Communications Manager Paul Gullixson on a recent episode of SoCo Chat.
During her Aug. 13 appearance on SoCo Chat, Supervisor Lynda Hopkins provided insight into the unique opportunities and challenges in representing the vast and beautiful 5th District, which includes the lower Russian River basin as well as all of Sonoma County’s coast. She also shared updates on raising public awareness about restoring sea otters to the coast, discussed her continued efforts to provide County services directly to district residents, and provided some fun stories about life in west county. Watch or listen to this engaging and fun interview here.
Subscribe to SoCo Chat podcasts on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music and YouTube. Check out our growing library of episodes in both English and Spanish (Descubre nuestra creciente selección de episodios en inglés y español). Recent guests and topics of discussion have included:
Upcoming SoCo Chat episodes will include conversations with County Executive M. Christina Rivera; Melissa Valle, interim director of the County’s Office of Equity; and Jennielynn Holmes, CEO of Catholic Charities. Listen for a chance to win a SoCo Chat coffee mug by answering the trivia question of the week.
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Remembering those lost to drug overdoses | |
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Every day, 288 Americans die from a drug overdose. Two-thirds perish after using a synthetic opioid, primarily fentanyl.
On Aug. 31, the Sonoma County Department of Health Services will host a candlelight vigil in Santa Rosa to remember those who have died, to support family and friends left behind, and to expand public awareness of ways these deaths could have been prevented.
The 6 p.m. event, held at the Orenda Center at 1430 Neotomas Ave., marks International Overdose Awareness Day. Participants can learn how to prevent drug deaths, including training in how to recognize an opioid overdose and administer Naloxone, also sold as Narcan, a drug that reverses the effects of an overdose. The three-hour event will also include opportunities to contribute to a commemorative interactive art installation and listen to the stories of friends and family members who’ve lost loved ones to drugs.
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New name for Economic Development Board reflects commitment to collaboration | |
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A single word can signify something significant. To underscore its commitment to meaningful partnerships, the County’s Economic Development Board changed a single word in its name last week and announced it will now be known as the Economic Development Collaborative.
Its core mission is unchanged: to grow a healthy economy by helping businesses succeed. The County agency provides confidential, no-cost consulting services to businesses seeking to start, relocate and grow in Sonoma County.
But the new name highlights its commitment to connect with the broader community and forge partnerships across diverse sectors. It follows the Board of Supervisors’ adoption in 2022 of the agency’s 3.0 Action Plan, which was created with guidance from community and business leaders to chart a path for Sonoma County’s economic development future. A key component of the 3.0 Action Plan is to enhance the agency’s role as a convener of stakeholders to align and collaborate on pressing economic goals.
“Today’s social, economic and environmental headwinds require us to work better together to boost upward mobility, grow quality jobs and make our communities more affordable and adaptable to economic shocks,” said Supervisor Lynda Hopkins, vice chair of the Board of Supervisors, which approved the name change on Aug. 13. “Collaboration is a key ingredient for success in accessing capital, applying for incentives and meeting regulatory requirements. This name change represents a focus on meaningful partnerships that support economic prosperity for all in Sonoma County.”
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How are groundwater levels changing in Sonoma County? | |
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Sonoma County’s groundwater sustainability agencies want to understand how water levels are changing in the county’s underground aquifers. They are now seeking property owners with wells in the Santa Rosa Plain, Petaluma Valley and Sonoma Valley to participate in a volunteer program to monitor water levels in their wells.
Participants will measure water levels in their well twice a year, in April and October, when water is typically highest and lowest. The information will be included in a new online Sonoma County Groundwater Data Dashboard launching later this summer. Most participants in the program will measure water levels following DIY training, but select wells may be included in a program where trained staff members will take measurements twice a year.
The County’s three groundwater sustainability agencies held a webinar on Aug. 19 to provide an overview of current groundwater conditions, tour the new data dashboard and describe how participants in the program will measure water levels and submit information to the online portal. A recording of the webinar is now available.
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Learn about homelessness in Sonoma County | |
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The Sonoma County Department of Health Services will hold an online public forum on Thursday, Aug. 29 to provide an overview of homelessness in Sonoma County and the housing and shelter options available for people who are experiencing homelessness.
The Zoom webinar, which will start at 5:30 p.m., will begin with a brief overview about shelter beds, permanent shelter housing beds and how they are being utilized in Sonoma County. Michael Gause, the manager of the County’s Ending Homelessness division, and Thai Hilton, Coordinated Entry coordinator, will also discuss the effectiveness of housing interventions and how homeless individuals flow through the network of services created to help them.
The presentation, which will be followed by an “open forum” style Q&A session, is the fifth in a series of online forums presented by Health Services to expand public awareness of homelessness in Sonoma County.
Last January, the County’s annual Point-in-Time count identified 2,522 people experiencing homelessness, an increase of 11 percent from 2023. Of those, 945 were living in an emergency shelter or transitional housing, down 3 percent from the previous year.
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County takes part in backpack giveaway event to kick off school year | |
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Sonoma County Communications Specialists Karina Garcia, right, and Matt Brown attend Mochilada.
More than 300 students received new backpacks and other supplies on Aug. 10 during the ninth annual Mochilada back-to-school event at Mitote Food Park in Santa Rosa’s Roseland district.
The event, hosted by the Roseland Community Building Initiative, included multiple community partners including the County of Sonoma. Represented by members of the CAO Central Communications team, the County provided information on programs and services, distributed water bottles and pencils, and helped residents sign up for SoCo Correspondent, one of the best ways to stay informed about County news.
County staff also plan to be on hand on Sept. 15 at Luther Burbank Center for the Arts during the 15th annual Fiesta de Independencia, a family-friendly festival honoring Latin American countries that recognize their independence during this month.
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Find room to grow with a County job | |
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The County currently has more than 50 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 two-hour virtual class will be held at 5:30 p.m. on Aug. 29.
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 Aug. 29 class or sign up for our mailing list to be notified of future classes.
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Adopt the pet of the week | |
Support your community by getting involved | |
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:
Your involvement can make a significant impact. Take the first step and explore how you can contribute to a brighter future for Sonoma County.
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Volunteer and employment opportunities | |
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Getting outside and enjoying the county | |
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Correction
A story published in the July 25 newsletter incorrectly reported the 100-Acre Ranch was purchased by Sonoma Ag + Open Space and later transferred to Sonoma County Regional Parks. Regional Parks purchased the property.
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