Safety First!
As we continue to reopen businesses and activities, we expected to see COVID-19 cases increase in Placer County, and they continue to rise. The good news is we are still low in our per capita incidence compared to most areas of the State. For example, in California the most recent numbers show 514 cases of COVID 19 per 100,000 people and in Placer County there are 154 cases per 100,000 people. Nonetheless, I remain committed to the safe re-opening of Placer County, and I will continue to urge all of us to follow the guidance of health care professionals, including using a face covering when you can’t physically distance yourself.
If you are interested in helping to spread the word about the importance of wearing a mask in public, you can order yard signs from Take Care Tahoe. These messages were created to encourage responsible behavior in Tahoe, or any other community where people are out and about on trails, at beaches and visiting businesses. The URL displayed on the signs can be customized for your local organizations as well. The goal is to keep everyone safe and keep our communities open for the long-run. There are a lot of emotions surrounding this issue and it’s important to remember we all deal with stressful situations differently, but everyone can use a little positivity in the middle of a difficult time!
Reopening is important, but staying open is even more important. It’s up to each of us to protect our families, our friends, our colleagues and our communities. Now more than ever we need to depend upon each other!
At our Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday, we had many items of action and interest. Below are some of the most important:
- Adopted our 2020-2021 Final Budget – $1,020,071,376.
- Approved the Winery and Farm Brewery Zoning Text Amendment with minor revisions.
- Approved the Memorandum of Understanding with Trustees of California State University for a new campus in Western Placer.
- Amended our Declaration of Emergency to reflect Public Health and Safety Code.
- Received a presentation from PG&E on changes to improve the Public Safety Power Shutoff program as well as Community Wildfire Safety Program.
- Received a presentation from Placer County Probation on the Placer Re-Entry Program’s success.
In addition to serving on the Board of Supervisors I fulfill some additional assignments which include serving on the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) Governing Board and the California Tahoe Conservancy (CTC) Board. These Boards also met this week and covered many issues that are outside of our county but still affect our communities. Of specific interest to Placer County residents, TRPA received a briefing on the multi-agency efforts to address congestion on the State Route 89 recreation corridor (West Shore of Lake Tahoe) and the CTC approved a grant of $650,000 to California State Parks to complete design and permitting for the pier relocation and recreation improvements at Kings Beach State Recreation Area.
I also want to let you know that I will be hosting several virtual Town Hall meetings for residents throughout District 5 in the coming weeks, including one focused on fire issues. Please see below for more information on these meetings, and be sure to visit the District 5 calendar for the latest information on these and other District 5 meetings, including how to participate remotely. I look forward to seeing you online, and hearing about how you and your community are faring during this time.
Please don’t hesitate to contact my office if you have questions or need assistance with County issues or concerns.
Most importantly keep yourself and your loved ones safe and healthy.
– Cindy Gustafson, District 5 Supervisor
Placer’s Auburn library offers curbside service
Curbside service in Tahoe to follow soon…
The Placer County Library team developed the curbside program to maintain physical distancing and help keep customers safe while providing materials, including books, DVDs, audiobooks, and more.
Library cardholders are able to pick up materials 9 a.m.-12 p.m, Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays and return materials weekdays 9 a.m.-4 p.m. at the Auburn Library at 350 Nevada Street. Learn more
New county grant program in the works to offset pandemic hardships
(This program is currently being developed and we will provide information as it is available.)
Small businesses and nonprofit organizations in Placer County may be eligible for grant funding to offset negative economic impacts brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Learn more