WELCOMING FEBRUARY….
District 5 Residents, Businesses, and Organizations:
Communities across the state—and country—are grappling with the complex issue of homelessness. While Placer County has the lowest rate of homelessness in Northern California, our Board, staff, and community partners are working diligently to address this issue and support the long-term health and wellbeing of Placer County communities.
The causes of homelessness are multifaceted, and the County approach reflects that. In December of 2021, Placer County Probation unveiled their Probation Outreach Vehicle to serve unhoused individuals. In August of last year, the County opened the Lotus Center, a 24/7 respite center for individuals in crisis. In April, the County secured funding for 82 units of permanent supportive housing and services. And the County continues to participate in the Regional Homelessness Response working group, having conversations with representatives from all six cities to find countywide, collaborative strategies.
The County also enacted a camping ordinance to prohibit camping in certain areas of County property. Last spring, homeless camping on the Placer County Government Center grew to a size and scale that we couldn’t continue to allow. It wasn’t safe or healthy for those camping there, it wasn’t safe for the public and the staff who need to access the site, and it impacted neighbors in the area. After enacting its camping ordinance, the County lawfully required individuals camping on the Government Center to relocate. Unfortunately, a number of those individuals filed a class claim against the County. Since September, the County has been working to resolve those claims, and in January a settlement was reached. Part of that settlement requires establishing a mobile temporary shelter at 11517 F Avenue on the Placer County Government Center. READ PRESS RELEASE
The goal of the mobile temporary shelter is to help unhoused individuals stabilize, connect to services, and find permanent housing. The shelter will include:
- Approximately 50 tents with cots and basic bedding
- Toilets and handwashing stations
- Showers, potable water, and trash service
- Fixed tent layout with limited storage and possessions
- 24/7 on-site supervision and enforcement of some basic rules
The site will function as a low barrier shelter, meaning that there will be no residency or drug-testing requirements for admittance. Shelter residents must comply with basic health and safety rules, such as a prohibition on weapons, drugs, and alcohol on site. The existing County building at 11517 F Avenue will be used as a staging area for shelter management, supportive services, and as a warming and cooling center during extreme weather. Once this shelter is in place, no one will be allowed to remain at the current informal encampment on F Avenue.
The establishment of this shelter represents a significant investment in addressing homelessness, and numerous studies indicate that assisting the unhoused into shelter and programs is more cost effective than the cost of chronic homelessness. A 2017 report conducted by UC Irvine in collaboration with Orange County found a 50% reduction in costs associated with providing housing and supportive services, versus leaving individuals in the cycle of homelessness. A 2017 brief by the National Alliance to End Homelessness looked at national data and found a cost reduction of 49.5% when chronically unhoused individuals were housed.
We ask that caring community members not drop off unauthorized donations, which generally contribute to waste and pest problems. Anyone interested in providing food or volunteering at the shelter should contact Probation Manager Aaron Johnson at (916) 543-7436.
In service,
Supervisor Cindy Gustafson
Recent D5 Community Events
Auburn Chamber of Commerce and Hwy 49 Business Association recently hosted their annual installation dinners. Our locally owned businesses are the heart and soul of our communities. Their dedicated owners and staff go above and beyond to serve their customers and to volunteer for special events and activities to increase the vitality of our communities.
Congratulations to the incoming Board Members and the outstanding award recipients, and thanks for your volunteer service!
AUBURN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE is for the local business owners, the local economy, and the local community. Everything they do and stand for aligns for the betterment of everyone who lives and works in and around Auburn, CA.
2023 BOARD OF DIRECTORS:
• President: Peggy Seitzinger
• President Elect: Josh Hanosh
• Vice President: Gary Gilligan
• Past President: Scotland McCallum
• Treasurer: Monique Hall
• Board Members: Eric Chun, Katie Kenoyer, Garrett Konrad, Natalie Litchfield, Candace Hile, Manouch Shirvanioun, Nalesh Chandra, and Cynthia Haynes
AUBURN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AWARD RECIPIENTS
• Volunteer of the Year: Katie Kenoyer
• Lifetime Achievement Award: Gary Gilligan
• Rising Star: Candace Hile
• Best Non-Profit: Stand Up Placer
• Best Local Event: Placer Grown Farmers Market
• New Entrepreneur: Eric Chun
• Jeanette Klebofski Ambassador of the Year Award: Bill Radakovitz
• Chamber Award: Kahl Muscott
• President’s Award: Arthur Chappell
HIGHWAY 49 BUSINESS ASSOCIATION was founded to give local businesses a networking opportunity to promote their businesses, to be a resource for local happenings and to give a voice to local businesses in political and economic activities.
2023 BOARD OF DIRECTORS:
• President: Peter Konrad
• Vice President: Jerry Picaman
• Treasurer: Irene Yamasaki
• Secretary: Madonna Anglin
• Past President: Monique Hall
• Director: Tony Ferrari
PLACER COMMUNITY FOUNDATION recently hosted a donor appreciation dinner where I had the honor to speak. The blaze spread nearly 77,000 acres in Placer and El Dorado County with 4000 firefighters assigned to the fire – resulting in the largest evacuation in Placer County history, with 6000 people facing up to 11 consecutive days of evacuation. Placer Community Foundation established the Mosquito Fire Relief Fund, raising $314K which was distributed to an estimated 2500 households. Similarly, Placer Community Foundation raised $258K for the River Fire and $20K for the Winter Storms. LEARN MORE
NORTHSTAR CALIFORNIA is celebrating their 50th anniversary of operations this season! This past weekend I was excited to partake in the celebration which included 3 fun-filled days with live music, ice sculptures, a drone show, operations showcase, and so much more. LEARN MORE
Additional Resources + News
PLACER COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT SEEKS VOLUNTEERS FOR GRAND JURY SERVICE
The Superior Court of California, County of Placer is seeking volunteers to serve on the 2023-2024 Placer County Grand Jury. The Court encourages applications from all citizens to enable the Grand Jury to represent a broad cross-section of the Placer County community. The one-year term for successful applicants begins on July 1, 2023 and ends on June 30, 2024. The Grand Jury’s primary function is to examine governments within Placer County, inclusive of the county government, city governments, and special districts to ensure that public agencies are conducting business in an appropriate and efficient manner. READ NEWS RELEASE + MORE INFO
PLACER COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS APPROVES EIGHT TAHOE PROJECTS FOR 2022.23
Based on the recommendation of the Capital Advisory Projects Committee, eight capital improvement projects have received funding in eastern Placer County. On Tuesday, January 24, the Placer County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the allocation of $4,493,818 in Tourism Occupancy Tax funds consistent with CAP Committee recommendations to fund these eight projects for the 2022-23 fiscal year. LEARN MORE
I’m thankful for the CAP Committee’s deliberation and commitment to recommending these projects in our region.There are many important needs in our area and I’m so thankful the committee reserved funds for future projects that could go to addressing critical housing and transportation issues.
FREE TAX PREP FOR INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES
Placer County Health and Human Services is now providing free tax assistance to eligible individuals and families, in cooperation with the IRS and United Way, through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program. VITA helps wage earners with the highest need receive their earned income tax credit, a refundable federal and state income tax credit for low-to moderate-income working individuals and families. Anyone earning income up to $65K in 2022 is eligible for this free program. LEARN MORE
Public Safety Reports District 5 • January 2023
- Collisions: 138 YTD
• 1 Fatality - Citations: 298
- DUI Arrests: 21
- Felony Arrests (Non-DUI): 1
- Misdemeanor Arrests (Non-DUI): 1
- Assist Disabled Motorists: 128
- Stolen Vehicle Recoveries: 5
- Collisions: 49
- Fatalities: 0
- Citations: 103
- DUI Arrests: 25
- Felony Arrests (Non-DUI): 0
- Misdemeanor Arrests (Non-DUI): 0
- Assist Disabled Motorists: 216
- Stolen Vehicle Recoveries: 2
CAL FIRE/PLACER COUNTY FIRE DEPT.
- Acres Burned: 0
- Wildland Fire: 0
- Structure Fire: 40
- Vehicle Fire: 10
- Other Fire: 128
- Medical Responses: 758
- HazMat: 114
- LE Activity: 1
- PSA/Other: 60
- Total Incidents: 1,111
Additional Resources
- Placer Business Resource Center
- North Tahoe Community Alliance
- Sierra Small Business Development Center
- California State Treasurer’s Office
Placer Alert notifies residents about emergency events and other important public safety information via phone call, text or email. Please help us to help you by signing up to receive these important alerts. SIGN UP!
Free, confidential, multilingual and available 24/7. Connect to resources for housing, food, transportation, healthcare, heat safety resources and more. Your source for non-emergency disaster information. LEARN MORE
Contact information:
175 Fulweiler Ave., Auburn, CA 95603
Supervisor Cindy Gustafson: cindygustafson@
District Aide Sophie Fox: sfox@placer.ca.gov
Deputy District Director Katelynn Hopkins: khopkins@placer.ca.
Assistant District Aide Lindsay Thayer: lthayer@placer.ca.gov
