AUGUST IS HERE, ENJOY THE END OF OUR BUSY SUMMER.
As we begin to wind down from another hot and busy summer, I want to thank everyone for doing their part to keep Placer County safe. There are so many ways each of you have contributed towards a successful summer, from preparing for wildfires to getting your COVID vaccination and traveling responsibly to supporting our local businesses. Let’s continue to work together to keep the momentum going and help provide Placer County a healthy, prosperous future.
Below you will find some news, updates and resources I thought you would find informative. As always, I encourage you to reach out to my office if you have additional comments, questions, or concerns. Thank you for taking the time to connect and for giving me the opportunity to serve you.
~ Cindy Gustafson, District 5 Supervisor
WILDFIRE & AIR QUALITY UPDATES
FIRE SEASON IS FAR FROM OVER!
Fall is still fire season, especially with the extreme drought. Please continue to be fire safe and vigilant with your actions and evacuation plans. SIGN UP FOR PLACER ALERT – it is the single best way to stay informed in an emergency.
PLAN, PREPARE, STAY AWARE + EVACUATION
Be prepared, know your evacuation routes, and listen to law enforcement! Please remember evacuations are a very coordinated effort between all law enforcement, fire districts, Caltrans, and our county roads – it’s a significant undertaking and planning between the agencies is extensive. In the event of an evacuation, please remain calm, follow the instructions of the emergency personnel, and have an action plan ready before the fire strikes. Have your kit ready to go for every family member, know at least two ways out of your neighborhood, and remember to check all your apps, alerts and social media pages – officials will constantly be pushing out messages immediately and as fast as they can. Don’t wait for the evacuation order – if you feel threatened, leave – and leave as soon as the evacuation is recommended by any officials. Depending on where the fire is located, law enforcement will determine which evacuation route is best, and officials will be placed in strategic areas to direct people where to go. Please don’t stop to try and ask questions – this will delay everyone’s evacuation – trust they are directing you a safe way to get as many people out as quickly as possible. LEARN MORE
IMPORTANT WILDFIRE RESOURCES:
- Placer Sierra Fire Safe Council
- Ready for Wildfire webpage
- Homeowner’s checklist
- Defensible space information
- Red Flag Warning Program
- Hi-lo sirens during evacuations
- Prepare for quick evacuation
- Build an emergency kit
- Sign up for Placer Alert
When Placer County is impacted, an air quality advisory will be issued to notify the public of the intermittent potential for poor air quality conditions from smoke from wildfires in several other northern California counties. If you can see or smell smoke, avoid all unnecessary outdoor activities, especially if you are in an area where visibility is greatly reduced.
Here are recommended ways to reduce your smoke exposure:
- Stay indoors with the windows and doors closed and if possible, run the air conditioner on the “recirculation” setting.
- Limit outdoor exertion and physical activity.
- Leave the smoke-impacted areas until conditions improve, if possible.
- Reduce unnecessary driving. If traveling through smoke-impacted areas, be sure that your vehicle’s ventilation system is on recirculate.
- FYI: non‐hepa paper face mask filters + bandana-type face coverings are not capable of filtering out extra fine particulates. Learn More
- View current and forecasted ozone levels on Spare the Air
- View air quality/smoke on AirNow
- View wildfire smoke information on Placer Air
COVID + Vaccination Updates
It is well known that the Delta variant is posing challenges across the country, including here in Placer County. The variant spreads rapidly among unvaccinated people and threatens some of our most vulnerable residents. The vaccine is proving to be some of the safest and most effective in history, so if you have not already, I encourage you to please get vaccinated to protect yourself, your family and your community. Especially with schools preparing to re-open with full-time in-person instruction, it is imperative we are taking all the necessary steps and precautions to keep our kids in school.
Dr. Robert Oldham sent out a letter last Wednesday to the Placer County Board of Supervisors with an update on covid in Placer County including case rates, hospitalizations, deaths from covid, vaccination rates and information, mask guidelines and more. READ LETTER
Here is a snapshot of today’s Placer stats:
- 7-day rate per 100K: 17.3
- 7-day positivity rate: 8.0%
- COVID-19 hospitalized patients: 110
- COVID-19 ICU patients: 25
California COVID-19 Dashboard | Placer County COVID-19 Dashboard
Eastern Placer County Updates
PLACER COUNTY’S CONTINUED INVESTMENT IN NORTH LAKE TAHOE | Since March, the board has approved approximately $1.4 million of transient occupancy tax revenues for more transportation and tourism sustainability projects after action was taken to form the North Lake Tahoe Tourism Business Improvement District. That action, approved by the local business community, freed up millions in transient occupancy tax for key priority programs in North Lake Tahoe, as defined by the region’s Tourism Master Plan. Since the creation of the new Tourism Business Improvement District, Placer County has used the freed up TOT funds to launch TART Connect on-demand transit service, contract with Clean Tahoe for a regional trash cleanup initiative, install a temporary traffic light to pilot one solution to help with road congestion at Grove Street and state Route 28 and more. LEARN MORE
PLACER COUNTY EXPANDS ON-DEMAND TRANSIT SERVICE TART CONNECT THROUGH THE WINTER SEASON | The Placer County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved $530,000 in transient occupancy tax funds to expand the TART Connect on-demand transit pilot program for the winter season. The funding will allow continued TART Connect service from December through April 2022, and will expand service into the Cedar Flat and Carnelian Bay area neighborhoods, now covering all Placer communities along Lake Tahoe. LEARN MORE
PLACER COUNTY SUPERVISORS APPROVE TEMPORARY MORATORIUM ON NEW SHORT-TERM RENTAL PERMITS IN NORTH LAKE TAHOE | The Placer County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved a temporary moratorium on new short-term rental permits in North Lake Tahoe, the latest in a series of recent actions to address an unprecedented and growing housing crisis in the region. The urgency ordinance, approved by a 4-0 vote, took effect upon board adoption and with two exceptions. It stops the issuance of all new short-term rental permits within the transient occupancy tax boundaries in eastern Placer County for an initial 45-day period. Exceptions to the moratorium are: Renewal applications for existing permits with no outstanding fees or violations and new applications submitted at least 24 hours prior to Tuesday’s approval. LEARN MORE
SIGNING CEREMONY COMMEMORATES HISTORIC CONSERVATION PROGRAM
The long-awaited Placer County Conservation Program was commemorated today at a signing ceremony in Lincoln, California, marking the approval of the historic plan. LEARN MORE
KEEP HISTORY ALIVE: VOLUNTEER AT PLACER COUNTY MUSEUMS
The Placer Museums Division is recruiting volunteers to join the ranks of the County’s amazing museum volunteers, docents and team members. LEARN MORE
Contact information:
175 Fulweiler Ave., Auburn, CA 95603
Supervisor Cindy Gustafson: cindygustafson@
District Aide Kelly McCaughna: kmccaughna@placer.ca.gov
District Aide Sophie Fox: sfox@placer.ca.gov
Assistant District Aide Lindsay Thayer: lthayer@placer.ca.gov
