Emergency Board Meeting Update, Responsible Recreation, and Prepping for Reopening

I wanted to start out this week explaining the last minute cancellation of Wednesday’s special Board of Supervisors meeting and apologize for any inconvenience it may have caused. In the hours before the meeting, we learned of legal and financial implications that needed further investigation. We wanted to ensure we were thorough in our process and had all relevant information for ourselves and for the public, so the decision was made to cancel the meeting.

We met in closed session this morning and discussed anticipated litigation. This is standard procedure that anticipated litigation involving the county is done in closed session. The Board took no action during our meeting this morning and announced we will be holding a special meeting, scheduled for Tuesday, May 26 at 10am. You will be able to find the agenda HERE as soon as it’s posted. I understand that there is a wide diversity of strongly-held opinions and concerns throughout the county and that diversity is clearly reflected in our own Board of Supervisors. 

Moving on to this weekend. While Memorial Day events have been cancelled, I ask each of you to remember, honor and mourn those who have given their lives defending our great nation. Please take a moment to pause and appreciate what they and their loved ones have sacrificed so that we can enjoy our lives, liberty, and pursuit of happiness.

This weekend also represents the unofficial start of summer. With temperatures warming up, I know many of us will be spending more time outside in the next few days, weeks, and months. We are fortunate to live in such a wonderful county with so many varied outdoor recreational opportunities, but we also need to remember to recreate safely this holiday weekend and in the summer ahead.

I am sharing this “Welcome to Tahoe” sign below because it has many helpful tips and guidance no matter where in Placer County you find yourself recreating this weekend or throughout the summer. Just because you are outside does not mean you can ignore the chance of transmitting or catching the virus. This poster also represents just one of the many collaborative efforts that have been happening throughout the county to help educate our public. Thanks to the Tahoe Fund and Take Care Tahoe for developing this messaging.

We have done a phenomenal job in this county of following protocols and keeping our cases low. Please continue to follow all of these tips and be safe wherever you are. We are fortunate to be reopening Stage 2 businesses and in order to continue for Placer County to move into Stage 3, we will need to continue to flatten the curve of this virus.

Speaking of Stage 3, I am getting numerous calls and emails everyday about the timeline for Stage 3. We continue to follow the state guidance, and we do not have specifics on when this might happen. Earlier this week, Governor Newsom did say that counties would be allowed to move to Stage 3 in “weeks, not months” so Placer County businesses should be planning for this to happen in June.

Our Placer County economic development team has created many resources for businesses to begin to get ready for Stage 3. That includes this Ready, Set, Prep site to help your business start working on a site specific plan, understand cleaning protocols, and more. I encourage ALL businesses that have not reopened yet to take time to prepare so you are ready as soon as we receive the greenlight from the state. Businesses included in Stage 3 are hair salons, gyms, and hotels/lodging/short-term rentals, so please be prepared.

I also have appreciated virtually participating with the Auburn Chamber Government Affairs and Economic Development Committee and Meddlers, the North Lake Tahoe Resort Association, and many other regional organizations and individuals throughout District 5. This input has provided great insight into the efforts, concerns, and specific needs and interests of individuals and business communities.

Thank you again to Placer County residents for all you have done over the past few months. This has definitely been a challenging time, but one we will get through together. I hope you have a safe, healthy, and enjoyable Memorial Day Weekend!

Cindy Gustafson, District 5 Supervisor

Can My Business Reopen?

The Placer Business Resource Center has developed a  tool for you to check if your business can safely reopen. Find out more HERE. Or call the Placer Business Recourse Team at 916-770-8380.

Printable Compliance Posters

Placer County has developed many printable posters that you can post at your business to let customers know what you are doing for their safety. The North Lake Tahoe Resort Association has created this poster for Tahoe businesses as well.

On Tuesday, Placer County was given the green light by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) to begin moving further into Stage 2 of the 4 Stages that Governor Newsom has detailed for the reopening of California. Thank you to the Placer County staff members that worked diligently to put together our attestation request. In that request, Placer was able to detail our readiness to handle openings due to our preparedness with additional testing capacity, hospital surge capacity, and support for vulnerable populations.  You can view the Placer County COVID-19 Variance Attestation submission that is posted on the CDPH website to get more information.

Business sectors in Placer County that will be allowed to resume operations once they have implemented state reopening guidance– include shopping centers and all in-store retail, and dine-in restaurants — although bars, breweries and wineries will not be permitted to reopen beyond takeout and delivery at this time unless they provide in-house dining. Other businesses like car washes, pet grooming, landscape gardening, and outdoor venues like museums and open gallery spaces with modifications can also now open as well.

If you are business that is looking to reopen, you are urged to review guidance and post readiness checklists at your establishment to self-certify your commitment to reopen safely. These materials are now available for review and preparation on the new Reopen Placer website.

I know there is still concern from many residents and businesses as we head into summer and have increases in visitors to parts of our county. There are several required and voluntary steps we will take to strike that balance between public health and personal economic impacts as businesses begin to reopen. They include:

1. Monitor the number of COVID-19 cases, as required by the state, and develop plans to scale back reopening should our monitoring efforts reveal a need to do so.
2. Monitor our testing capabilities and hospital bed availability to ensure we are prepared for any increase in cases.
3. Develop and distribute messaging with our community and agency partners emphasizing physical distancing, face coverings and other COVID-19 related guidance throughout the region.
4. Work with our business partners on public health messaging to visitors before they arrive in the region.

We will continue to take a careful and balanced approach as we reopen. Education for everyone is still of utmost importance. Please continue to wear a face mask, maintain a six-foot distancing whenever possible, stay home when sick, and increase sanitation measures like washing hands frequently. If you need a COVID-19 test, additional sites are now available in Kings Beach, Grass Valley, and Roseville and appointments can be made HERE.

Thank you for your great work helping Placer County flatten the curve and to be one of the first counties in California to be able to enter the rest of Stage 2.

– Cindy Gustafson, District 5 Supervisor

Can My Business Reopen?

The Placer Business Resource Center has developed a  tool for you to check if your business can safely reopen. Find out more HERE. Or call the Placer Business Recourse Team at  916-770-8380.

STR Permit Deadline Extended

In light of the COVID-19 outbreak, the deadline to obtain a Short-Term Rental Permit has been extended to July 31, 2020. More details on permit requirements and how to apply can be found HERE.

What is the New Normal?

How to Reopen and Stay Healthy

How we live with the coronavirus until there is a cure is very challenging for all of us. Every aspect of our lives has changed and will continue to be different. We must protect our own health, protect our vulnerable neighbors, and find ways to establish a “new normal” so that our workplaces can reopen safely.Their efforts and yours have allowed us to dramatically flatten the curve. After a slight surge in positive cases in late March and early April, we have seen a dramatically slower increase over the past month. Our hospital systems have never been overwhelmed and people who have needed care have continued to receive it. With two new testing sites available in the county as of this week, we will be better able to locate cases sooner in order to isolate and treat those affected. We also recognize that moving forward, we need to adopt new ways of doing almost everything in our lives.  

On Tuesday, my fellow Board members and I passed a Resolution requesting the Governor acknowledge and allow counties to craft locally-specific guidelines to address a phased reopening. I voted in support of this resolution because I have seen that throughout this crisis, it’s been up to us at the local level to enforce and educate our citizens. One size doesn’t fit all. As a suburban and rural community, our businesses and services are unique and individualized. Each type and size of business needs to implement safe practices for their workers and their patrons. They have been working with our County staff to take a leadership role to develop individualized plans for reopening that will ensure public health and safety.

I want to honor Governor Newsom and his team for their incredible leadership during this crisis. We have been ahead of many other areas of the country in slowing the spread of this deadly virus. In my view, the Board of Supervisors followed up on the Governor’s Monday announcement that he would allow rural counties to address their individual needs under specific circumstances. The Governor recognizes that in this vast state “one size doesn’t fit all” and that the State must rely on partnerships with local governments to do the actual implementation and enforcement. Placer County municipalities, businesses, and residents want the opportunity to demonstrate our ability and willingness to do just that.

As of yesterday, Governor Newsom released guidance on the beginning of Phase 2 reopening, allowing for certain businesses to resume altered operations- including retailers offering curbside pick-up and delivery; and manufacturers and warehouses with additional physical distancing and sanitation procedures. He also detailed a roadmap for county governments that outlines how we could pursue a variance that would allow Placer County to begin moving through Phase 2 of reopening more quickly than other places in the state – if and only if we can meet specific standards.

In order to do that, we must “demonstrate an ability to protect the public and essential workers”. Our Public Health Officer, Dr. Sisson, is already working with county staff to certify that Placer County is meeting the metrics laid out. This will allow us to reopen additional businesses in Phase 2 and establish protocols and procedures that both help our local economy and protect public health. Thank you to all the businesses and organizations that have proactively planned for reopening.

As we know, reopening is also primarily contingent on each and every one of us being responsible for our own actions. Please be sure to continue to stay at home if you feel unwell, maintain six feet of distance and wear a mask when in public, avoid physical contact like shaking hands, and wash your hands frequently. It is up to each of us to avoid situations that make us uncomfortable or feel at risk. We must use our personal judgement and caution as we move forward until this virus is eradicated.

I look forward to continue to work for you as we establish our “new normal” and reopen in a safe and healthy manner.

– Cindy Gustafson, District 5 Supervisor

Full I-80 Westbound Closure Scheduled Near Colfax for Paving Work Next Week

Caltrans will begin overnight paving work along an approximate three-mile stretch of westbound Interstate 80 between Rollins Lake Road and the State Route 174 junction in Colfax. Paving work is scheduled nightly from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. Tuesday, May 12 through Friday, May 15 with work concluding Saturday morning.

Detours from Interstate 80 will be in place during the westbound closure:

• Commercial and passenger vehicles will be detoured at the Interstate 80/State Route 20 junction to State Route 49 through Grass Valley and Auburn; connecting to Interstate 80 westbound via Bell Road. This detour is approximately 68 miles and will add around 40 minutes of additional travel time.
• Local traffic will be detoured at Secret Town Road/Magra Road to State Route 174; connecting to Interstate 80 westbound in Colfax.

Weather or unexpected events may delay or prolong the work.  You can find construction updates on Twitter @CaltransDist3 and on Facebook at CaltransDistrict3. For real-time traffic, click on Caltrans’ QuickMap quickmap.dot.ca.gov/.

Statewide Stay At Home Order and Phased Reopening- Take Care of Yourself and Others.

As of tomorrow, May 2, Placer County’s local health order will expire and residents will be guided by the governor’s Executive Order to stay at home. This transition will allow us to focus on planning for a phased reopening in partnership with local governments, health care, business and other stakeholders, as well as regional and state partners.

At our next Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday, May 5, we will also be discussing adopting a Resolution requesting the Governor acknowledge and allow counties to craft local guidelines to address a phased reopening.

As we all know, the goal of staying at home is to flatten the curve—to avoid a large number of cases all at once that would overwhelm the health care system and result in deaths that could have been prevented if cases were spread out over time. The current numbers demonstrate that staying at home has helped slow the spread of COVID-19 in Placer County. Thank you again for doing your part to ensure that our friends and neighbors who were in need of medical care were able to receive the care necessary.

While the local order is ending, area residents still need to stay at home. Governor Newsom’s statewide order remains in effect until further notice. The governor’s Executive Order permits critical workers in 13 sectors to work, and allows people to leave their homes for necessities such as food, medications and health care.

Answers to frequently asked questions about the state order can be found at covid19.ca.gov. Placer County will continue to receive questions about the state order from local businesses and residents, and will work to synthesize and address these with the state. Businesses that remain open as permitted under the governor’s order are still asked to adhere to physical distancing protocols provided on the county’s guidance page at www.placer.ca.gov/coronavirus/guidance. The health officer’s recommendation to wear face coverings when maintaining six feet of physical distance in public is not possible also remains in effect.

Placer County Public Health is focused on working with partners to build local capabilities necessary for an eventual and safe reopening. The state’s six indicators have been identified by Governor Newsom as:

• The ability to monitor and protect our communities through testing, contact tracing, isolating, and supporting those who are positive or exposed;
• The ability to prevent infection in people who are at risk for more severe COVID-19;
• The ability of the hospital and health system to handle surges;
• The ability to develop therapeutics to meet the demand;
• The ability for businesses, schools, and child care facilities to support physical distancing; and
• The ability to determine when to reinstitute certain measures, such as the stay-at-home orders, if necessary.

Placer County has created sector-specific task forces to ensure the reopening of our county is managed effectively within public health guidance protocols. The task forces will coordinate with the state, county departments, local cities, chambers of commerce, and business associations as well as our non-profit partners to share information and develop health and safety guidelines to assist all sectors of our community.

The governor has announced four stages around how California may modify the statewide stay-at-home order in the future, as part of a “Resilience Roadmap.” State leaders made clear that California is still in stage 1, and movement to the second stage will be a statewide shift and not a local decision.

THANK YOU AGAIN for everything you are doing. I appreciate the feedback you have shared with me and my staff and I look forward to continuing to work for you. Remember, we are STRONGER TOGETHER.

– Cindy Gustafson, District 5 Supervisor

 Survey on Reopening Impacts Coming Monday

We want to hear from you! On Monday, Placer County will be releasing a Flash Vote Survey to find out how the transitioning to reopening will affect you. If you haven’t signed up for Flash Vote, please do so HERE so we can get your thoughts next week.

Multi-Family Residential Development Slated for North Auburn

The Placer County Planning Commission voted to approve the Gateway Commons Subdivision in North Auburn with a proposed creative layout that could help boost the county’s “attainable housing” supply. READ MORE.

Dear Friends and Neighbors –

We know how difficult the COVID 19 pandemic has been to cope with. It has turned all of our worlds upside down. Your commitment to close business, work from home and stop gathering in groups has made a huge difference in the course of this virus. We want to assure you there is a light at the end of this tunnel. We are here to serve you and will continue to manage this crisis.

We are flattening the curve in Placer County and we have our citizens to thank for doing their part and taking the necessary precautions to ensure we remain safe and healthy.  We know that there are significant financial struggles among us. Let us assure you that we are actively looking for opportunities within our authority, to assist our residents and businesses.  We are here for you.

In the meantime, we are urging residents to reach out to our local organizations for help with food, housing and childcare, utility assistance and mental health. You can find a listing of all these resources on our county website.

While we continue to meet our public health needs, it is imperative that we partner with our business community to prepare to get back to work. We will work with our businesses, industry by industry, to determine what is the best way to open our businesses and maintain the health and safety of customers and employees. While we work on this please, to the extent possible, shop local and help your neighbors’ businesses.

We are navigating a new time together and while we don’t have all the answers today, we are working tirelessly to provide you with useful resources and information. This crisis is rapidly evolving making it more important than ever for all of us to come together as a community. Whether you’re working in healthcare, concerned about your business or worried about your health: we hear you, we are listening. Placer County is here for you.

The pandemic has impacted all of us, some harsher than others. We are actively making progress to reduce the spread of this virus but the process is challenging. We want to let you know that we are actively engaged with our health partners, county, city, state and federal officials on all matters related to this pandemic. We promise to keep you informed and we will get through this together.

Placer County is here to serve you.

Updates for You

It’s hard to believe we are just about one month in to Placer County Health Officer Dr. Aimee Sisson’s first directive and the Governor’s Order for California. As I said last week, KEEP IT UP! We are seeing a “flattening of the curve” which is thanks to you and your family in doing everything we can to stop the spread. 

I also want to personally thank Dr. Sisson for her leadership and responsiveness during this ever-evolving situation. Earlier this week, Dr. Sisson released some amendments to her most recent Order allowing certain outdoor activities with limitations, if they can be done while maintaining physical distancing and by following specified requirements.

Here are some of the amendments you may be interested in:

• Golf courses, outdoor shooting and archery ranges may remain open if they follow guidance by the Health Officer .

• Dog parks may remain open if seating areas are closed, hand sanitizer is provided at the entrance/exit (or users bring their own hand sanitizer), and users bring their own water and waste bags. 

• Disc golf courses may remain open if there is no contact made with baskets.

• Tennis, pickleball, basketball, and volleyball courts may remain open for use by members of the same household only.

• Arborists, landscapers, gardeners, and similar service professionals can operate if they practice physical distancing throughout service and payment, clean any shared equipment between users, and do not travel in the same vehicles unless they are members of the same household.

If you would like clarity on any of the activities listed above or additional information on essential activities and businesses, you can read the entire April 10 Order HERE.

As I have mentioned previously, many of our local non-profits have increased their services due to greater demand from many of our friends and neighbors in need. These non-profits are working with limited resources, so if you are able to donate at this time, I encourage you to do so. HERE is a link to local non-profits in District 5 providing important services to our community.

THANK YOU AGAIN for everything you are doing. We are STRONGER TOGETHER and we will get through this.

– Cindy Gustafson, District 5 Supervisor

Dr. Aimee Sisson Answers Frequently Asked Questions

Dr. Sisson created a video to help understand some of the more frequently asked questions. You can watch the video HERE.

Online Planning and Building Applications Increased in March

Applications for building and planning permits in Placer County increased in March through the county’s online portal – eServices – despite the Community Development Resource Agency’s public counter closure in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. READ MORE

Dear Beloved North Tahoe Community: 

KEEP IT UP!  We are doing a great job staying home and socially distancing.  The curve is flattening, non- essential trips in our County are down over 70%, according to the Unacast Social Distancing Scorecard as of today.  Facing this pandemic is very hard. It has changed everything about our lives in the last month.  So many have closed their businesses, lost their jobs, and we are all fearful about the virus and about our future.  We will have much to do when it comes time to begin recovery – but for right now, what we are doing is making a difference.  We’ve got this – keep it up!

There have been a number of residents asking what we are doing to enforce Governor Newsom’s Executive Order and Placer County’s Health Officer’s Order. 

First, public education is the most important weapon in our war against this virus.  Placer County has been very proactive, with both local media and out-of-town media, educating the public through many channels about the Orders and health recommendations.   These efforts aren’t easy given the nature of our North Tahoe community.       

Let me provide some other insights.  Over the last two decades, North Lake Tahoe has continued to lose full-time population.  Those of us who are full-time residents make up a dwindling percentage of our community. Nine out of ten homes that are sold in this area are sold to buyers who do not live here full-time.  The most recent numbers indicate 68% of the homes in our community are owned by part-time residents.  The remainder are owned or occupied by full-time residents. 

Only 13.5% of all the homes in the community are used as short-term rentals.  For short-term rentals, Placer County does have the ability to issue citations and fines for those in violation of the “non-essential” order.  At the beginning of this crisis and before petitions and social media posts, property management firms indicated guests were cancelling in large numbers, and that the property management firms were cancelling the others.  Because some of the online platforms weren’t responding as quickly as our local management firms, Placer County initiated a series of emails and a letter to all short-term rental owners.  Our hotline and enforcement personnel, as well as our online contractor Host Compliance, have been tracking and responding to reported issues.  The results have indicated continued decreased activity with the most recent reports showing less than 3% of the units are being rented and each of those has been warned, cited, or further investigated.          

While we can’t enforce restrictions on part-time residents, Placer County has notified our part-time residents about the stay home order and suggested they stay in their primary residence during this time due to our area’s limited medical resources.  The vast majority of our part-time residents haven’t been coming here during this time.   For those who are, they aren’t coming here to hurt us – they are coming here to protect themselves, their properties, and their loved ones. While we may not agree with their decisions, we must respect them as neighbors and fellow human beings. 

Some have asked about establishing “check points” to regulate travel for visitors and part-time residents.  Federal and state highways are not under local control.  Speaking with our Sheriff’s Office, they will not set up check points, but they will continue to advise all of us that we should eliminate non-essential travel due to the risk of overwhelming medical services in our communities.   They have also assured us that law enforcement is not being used in any area of California to enforce what is “essential” or “non-essential travel.” 

I want to assure you that Placer County is in daily communication with Nevada County, the State, and our hospitals to ensure that they have the resources needed as well as the plans in place to serve all our communities.  Because of Californians’ early actions, and if we continue to act responsibly, we are hopeful that our hospitals won’t experience the issues that we are witnessing in other states.  Flattening the curve is essential for all of us.           

Please remember that our community is a complicated fabric of humans and whether we know them or not, our-part time residents are not the enemy – the virus should be our focus.   Let’s be civil, caring, and supportive.  We are all in this together. 

Many experts suggest that in times of chaos we can reduce our stress levels and stay healthier by focusing on what we can control – ourselves and our own actions. 

– Stay home.

– Avoid non-essential travel.

– Socially distance.

– Wear a face covering when we leave home.

If we practice all these, it shouldn’t matter who is in the house down the street, at the grocery store, or on the trail.

And a few other suggestions:

– Care for others.

– Donate where you can.

– Volunteer.

– Support a local business.

Reach out to those who might be facing this alone.

Let’s keep it up – we are making a difference!

Cindy Gustafson
Placer County District 5 Supervisor
cindygustafson@placer.ca.gov

Dear Friends and Neighbors-

Thank you to everyone who is doing their part to help stop the spread of COVID-19. As we continue to live through this unimaginable time in our history, I know many of you are facing hardships and struggles you had not thought possible just a few weeks ago. My heart goes out to so many in our community who are suffering, frightened and not sure where to turn.  So, I wanted to take this opportunity to provide resources for businesses and residents that may be struggling. And for those of us that are fortunate enough to have the ability, I wanted to share some places where you may want to donate during this crisis.

Health and Human Services:

Director of Placer County Health and Human Services Department Jeff Brown, Placer County Public Health Officer Dr. Aimee Sisson, and their entire staff are working around the clock to assist our hospitals, health care professionals, and residents. If you or someone you know needs help with housing, support, or mental health services, you can find all the HHS Resources HERE. Also, please follow Dr. Sisson’s orders to stay-at-home carefully.  Each of us must do everything we can to slow down the spread of this virus.   

Business Resources:

The Placer County Economic Development Department has provided many business resources on their webpage. You can also call one of their team members at 916-770-8380. Whether you are a business or a worker, they have many opportunities for you to learn about what is available through programs at the federal, state, and county level.

Placer County also helps fund the Sierra Small Business Development Center and they are offering one-on-one appointments with business advisors who can help business owners navigate U.S. Small Business Administration loan applications, help with financials, cash flow issues and more. They can be reached by phone at 530-582-4800.

The Placer County Community Development Resource Agency (CDRA) continues to provide planning, engineering, building and inspection services to the public. The eServices portal is available 24/7.

If you are in a position to spend money at this time, please support local businesses in the ways you can- order to-go food from your favorite restaurants or purchase gift certificates from your favorite stores that you can use when they reopen. The more we can support each other, the better.

Healthcare Facilities and Non-Profits:

Whether you’re looking for resources for yourself or your family or you are fortunate enough to have the means to help out at this time, I would recommend you check out some of the amazing organizations that are serving District 5 residents during this crisis:

Central and Western Placer County:

Sutter Auburn Faith Hospital: You can donate medical supplies or give online to the areas of greatest need to support Sutter Health’s community response to COVID-19.

Placer Community Foundation: Donate to the COVID-19 Response Fund, which will deploy financial resources to community-based organizations to help them swiftly and effectively address the effects of the COVID-19 outbreak and mitigation measures in western Placer County.

Auburn Interfaith Food Closet: Provides groceries to those in need, living in Central Placer County, from Loomis to Emigrant Gap and Lake of the Pines to Foresthill. 

Seniors First: Currently providing to-go meals to seniors in need.

Boys and Girls Club of Placer County: Offering bags of food to families in need and virtual activities for kids.

Eastern Placer County:

Tahoe Forest Hospital Foundation:  Donate to the COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund. This fund will support the purchase of additional patient ventilators, provide Personal Protective Equipment for staff, supplement our COVID-19 Drive-by Clinic, and help with emergency staffing needs. 

Tahoe Truckee Community Foundation: Donate to the TTCF Emergency Response Fund which will be focused on our local nonprofits in eastern Placer County that serve as a safety-net for our locals.

Sierra Community House: Providing hunger relief through food distribution and crisis intervention services.

Sierra Senior Services: Offering “Meals on Wheels” lunches delivered to seniors’ homes and to-go lunches available for pick-up for seniors.

Boys and Girls Club of North Lake Tahoe: Providing free dinners three times per week to any child under 18.

We have an amazing community that is giving back and helping those in need.  I have been incredibly touched by the remarkable efforts of so many individuals and businesses who are struggling themselves but reach out to help each other, their neighbors, and even strangers.  My heart especially goes out to our phenomenal health care workers – they and their families are sacrificing so much to take care of us at great risk to their own health and well-being.  Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers. Take good care of yourself and your loved ones.  Stay well. Together, we will get through this.  

– Cindy Gustafson, District 5 Supervisor

Dear Friends and Neighbors-

These are harrowing times and Placer County is taking many steps to serve you through this crisis.  I urge you to stay in touch through our special COVID-19 webpage.   Yesterday, the Board of Supervisors received a report from Dr. Aimee Sisson further strengthening her plea for us all to shelter in place and restrict all non-essential travel.  Please follow her Directive and protect yourselves, your loved ones, and your community. 

We have received many questions and comments related to visitors travelling through Placer County to the Tahoe area during this crisis.  I want to assure you that our business community were the leaders in initiating the discouragement of visitation to the area.  They acted before the Governor’s Executive Order and have continued to strengthen those efforts. 

I wanted to take a moment to walk through a timeline of actions that the county has taken in the last few weeks dealing with this specific issue.

• March 3: Placer County Declared a State of Local Emergency
• March 6: Placer County opened Emergency Operations Center (EOC) to streamline communication among public safety, public health and law enforcement officials to actively respond to public health and safety needs.
• March 15: Major ski corporations self-initiate closures of their resorts in Placer County
• March 18: North Lake Tahoe Resort Association (NLTRA) sends a message advising travelers to “stay home” and avoid Tahoe. Placer County shares this information. https://www.nltra.org/events-trainings/north-lake-tahoe-asks-visitors-to-refine-travel-plans-amid-covid-19-pandemic/. 

• March 19: Placer County worked with city representatives on consistent implementation of Placer County Health Officer’s Directive to Shelter in Place and restrict all non-essential activities. Released at 3pm.
• That evening, California Governor Newsom issued an Executive Order for California’s stay at home order at “their place of residence”
• March 20: Conference call with North Lake Tahoe Resort Association (NLTRA) to develop a survey to lodging businesses – both commercial properties and professional property management firms. Majority were already closed or in the process of closing and cancelling future reservations. Many reported enormous volumes of visitor cancellations. Worked on multi-prong approach to educating potential visitors, dealing with STR owners, and contacting state officials for assistance.
• March 22:  Notified all short-term rental (STR) operators of the Governor’s Order for banning non-essential travel.
• March 23: Continued efforts with NLTRA to contact Federal/State/Business officials to address concerns with online platforms including Airbnb and VRBO – encouraging restrictions on their on-line platforms for rentals at this time. 
• March 24: Placer County Public Health Officer Dr. Sisson clarifies that commercial short-term rentals and leisure travel are not allowed under Governor Newsom’s Executive Order and should be ceased. Short-term rentals that aren’t in compliance with the guidance may be reported to Placer County’s short-term rental hotline at 530-448-8003. Reports may also be made online at http://www.hostcompliance.com/tips.
• March 25: Dr. Sisson’s comments shared with all TOT certificate holders.

Steps moving forward specific to Short Term rentals:

• Further publicize Short-Term Rental hotline number for reports of suspected rental activities in violation of Governor’s Executive Order.
• Working with our contractor Host Compliance to identify properties currently renting and reach out to inform them on Governor’s Executive Order.
• Requesting real-time reports from Host Compliance on rental activity.
• County code enforcement follow-up on complaints received by Host Compliance via calls to inform of Governor’s Order and issue warnings
• Law enforcement to proceed, as time allows, with citations for those ignoring the Governor’s Order
• Continue to engage Bay Area market outreach regarding concerns for our rural communities
• Provide on-going State advocacy to amplify messaging to owners and renters.

As we all know, this is an ever-changing situation, but I can assure you Placer County staff is working 24/7 to try to do everything we can to ensure the health and safety of our citizens. I will continue to provide updates to you as needed, but you can stay up to date with Placer County’s COVID-19 page. Please take care of yourself and follow the Governor’s Executive Order.

Thank you and be well.

– Cindy Gustafson, District 5 Supervisor

Dears Friends and Neighbors-

We are living in unprecedented times. The most important thing you can do now is to follow orders from our state and county government to stay at home in your permanent residence as much as possible. It is imperative for us to slow the spread of COVID-19 and protect those more vulnerable by separating ourselves as much as possible.

You are still able to leave your home to pick up groceries and medications and to exercise, but when you do venture out, please continue to stay six feet or more apart from others.

Again, in this time, it is imperative that we all take responsibility for ourselves and follow this order from our state government. Essential services will continue to be provided by our county staff, medical providers, at grocery stores, and by other businesses and non-profits in our communities helping some of the most vulnerable populations. Placer County is continually updating our information and you can visit the county’s COVID-19 page here.

I want to send a personal thank you to our first responders, medical personal, and local law enforcement for continuing to provide critical services. And also thank you to our business community and their employees. That includes those businesses that continue to ensure we have access to food, medicine, and other essentials at grocery stores, pharmacies, and gas stations. But is also includes the businesses that have closed. From our large ski resorts to our small, neighborhood establishments, closing temporarily is challenging for these businesses and their staff during this time, but they are playing an important role to limit social contact.

Thank you for doing your part to slowing the spread. Together, we will get through this.

– Cindy Gustafson, District 5 Supervisor