WHY WE LOVE PLACER… THE PEOPLE, THE COMMUNITIES!
The last two weeks have reminded me of what makes any place great – it’s both the place and the people!
Last week we gathered to honor a legacy of volunteer public service that started in 1971! Past and present leaders from the Placer County Board of Supervisors and Planning Commission, Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, California Tahoe Conservancy, North Tahoe Public Utility District, Tahoe City Public Utility District, and Tahoe Nordic Search and Rescue, gathered with Larry and Patsy Sevison and their family, to recognize Larry’s 50+ years of service to Placer County and the Lake Tahoe region. Many of those people shared stories of Larry’s service through the decades. Each story had a common theme – that Larry’s humble, kind, and thoughtful leadership set an example for all of us to learn from and to strive for throughout our lives. WATCH DEDICATION VIDEO
Placer County – ranked as one of the Nation’s (40th) and California’s (3rd) healthiest communities!
We all know that wherever we reside in Placer County, we have chosen a very special place to live. Our residents benefit from the incredible beauty of our open space, our agricultural lands, our foothill communities, and our recreational opportunities in the High Sierra. We recently learned that Placer County was one of only three California counties that ranked in the top 50 of 3,000 counties nationwide, in the U.S. News’ 2022 Healthiest Communities rankings.
The fifth annual Healthiest Communities project from U.S. News assessed dozens of metrics that fall into 10 health and health-related categories, such as public safety, economy, housing and the environment. Individual metrics include community crime rates, obesity prevalence, high school graduation rate and walkability, and communities are scored on a 100-point scale tied to how they perform relative to one another. Placer County ranked third, just behind Santa Clara and San Mateo County, and just ahead of Marin County, Orange County, and Napa County. While we will always have more to improve, this survey is a good reminder of how fortunate we truly are as residents of Placer County.
As we enjoy our busy summer activities, let’s remember to keep working to make Placer County an even better place to live, work and play!
In service,
Cindy Gustafson, District 5 Supervisor
SUPERVISORS APPROVE A $1.22 BILLION BUDGET WITH A STRONG RAINY DAY FUND
The Placer County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to approve a balanced budget totaling $1,221,251,032 for fiscal year 2022-23, representing a 19.2% increase over FY 2021-22. The increase is attributed to inflationary costs and the addition of staffing to deliver services in key strategic areas of county operations. These cost increases are primarily offset with additional property and sales tax revenues related to the growing local economy. State and federal grant revenues have also increased to offset the growing cost of health and human services and public safety programs. Also included in the budget is an increase of $99.1 million in capital projects, which are funded by bond financing, capital reserves and state grants. LEARN MORE
I am proud that our county is in a strong financial position and can adequately serve its residents by providing comprehensive county services. Our state partners are pessimistic about the economy in the coming fiscal year and it’s imperative that we be prepared to backfill our services with reserve funds should the state decrease its budget allocations to counties.
UPDATE TO PLACER COUNTY HOUSING POLICY TARGETS INFILL AREAS FOR MORE HOUSING
Increasing the variety and affordability of housing in Placer County’s developed unincorporated areas is the goal of a series of policy changes approved Tuesday by the County Board of Supervisors. The proposed updates would align county code with sweeping changes to state law in recent years intended to address the growing housing affordability crisis in California. They would also allow innovative housing types like moveable tiny homes and co-housing or “cottage home” developments. While Placer County has for years been working to reduce barriers to housing construction, the Board of Supervisors and community members alike sought an extensive public engagement process to ensure a balance between meeting state requirements and preserving the character of existing communities through this broad update to Placer’s housing policy. LEARN MORE
AFTER POINT-IN-TIME COUNT RELEASE, PLACER COUNTY EYES CONTINUED PROGRESS
point-in-time release
The estimated number of unhoused community members in Placer County remains relatively steady compared to 2020, according to results of the 2022 Point-in-Time homeless census released today by the Homeless Resource Council of the Sierras. Placer County will use data from the count to inform its ongoing efforts to address homelessness, including a regional planning effort that is now entering its second phase. Results showed that the overall estimate of homeless individuals increased by less than 1% from 2020 to 2022, from 744 to 750, although the rate of homelessness per 10,000 people declined slightly during that time period. LEARN MORE
FREE ELECTION CANDIDATE WORKSHOP AVAILABLE
DATE: JULY 23 @ 10AM
LOCATION: The Assessor’s Confluence Room
There will be over 180 positions available on various local city councils, school boards, parks, fire, water and utility districts in Placer County this November. Citizens who are interested in serving their community and are registered voters are qualified to run for local office but may not know how to go about it. The Placer County Elections Office is holding a candidate workshop July 23 to take the mystery out of running for office. Prospective candidates and their supporters are encouraged to attend. Members of the media and the general public are also invited. The workshop will explain many of the details involved in running for public office including campaign financial disclosure filing, campaign techniques and working with the media. Guest speakers will include a successful candidate, a campaign consultant, member of the media, Placer County Clerk-Recorder-Registrar of Voters Ryan Ronco, and knowledgeable elections staff. Candidate filing for the November 2022 general election will open July 18 and close at 5pm on August 12. LEARN MORE
Wildfire Updates and Resources
HOT TEMPERATURES AND DROUGHT CONDITIONS WILL IMPACT FIRE SEASON FORECAST
Residents are urged to remain vigilant as we head into peak fire season. CAL FIRE/Placer County Fire Chief Brian Estes shares his fire season outlook and the increased resources that are dedicated to our region. WATCH VIDEO
PLACER COUNTY RESIDENTIAL CHIPPER PROGRAM
The Board of Supervisors recently approved $700,000 over two years to continue the expanded pilot Residential Chipper Program with the Placer County Resource Conservation District.
The Chipper Program is a good use of public funds because it provides a low-cost residential chipper service for Placer residents, incentivizes fuels reduction on residential properties, and promotes defensible space. LEARN MORE
FIRE SEASON IS UPON US – STAY PREPARED AND INFORMED!
We live in a beautiful, but fire danger critical area – it is ALL our responsibility to ensure we are fire-prepared. Please be vigilant with your actions and evacuation plans. SIGN UP FOR PLACER ALERT – it is the single best way to stay informed in an emergency.
IMPORTANT WILDFIRE RESOURCES:
- Placer Sierra Fire Safe Council
- Ready for Wildfire webpage
- Homeowner’s checklist
- Defensible space information
- Prepare for quick evacuation
- Build an emergency kit
- Sign up for Placer Alert
KEEP YOUR COOL DURING THE SUMMER HEAT
With hot temps in the forecast, make your next visit to Hidden Falls Regional Park an enjoyable one. Bring plenty of water and snacks, dress for weather conditions and know your limits. We hope to see you soon! LEARN MORE
PLACER COUNTY EMPLOYMENT WEBSITE IS UPDATED REGULARLY
Check out Placer County’s employment website for a list of open positions, including internships. Job seekers can apply for positions and sign up for job alerts to be notified of openings.
APPLY FOR A JOB | SIGN UP FOR JOB ALERTS!
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
