SETTING THE STAGE FOR THE FUTURE
Last week, I joined my fellow Board of Supervisors and County leadership in a Strategic Planning Workshop. This was a great opportunity for the Board members to not only talk about our priorities, but also to get to know each other a little better. I appreciate the wisdom, background, and insight we were able to share and am excited about the initiatives we plan to undertake in the future.
During the workshop, one of the items we worked through together was revising and reaffirming Placer County’s Critical Success Factors which were first outlined by the Board in 2018. This was a great opportunity for the five of us to look at how far we’ve come since establishing that Strategic Plan while also making some necessary and relevant revisions to match our current goals and priorities. This was especially important since Supervisors Gore, Jones, and myself were not Board members in 2018. The Critical Success Factors have been a great metric for both county staff and the community to ensure that these goals are being achieved efficiently and effectively. The revised Critical Success Factors include:
- Strategic Relationships and Community Engagement
- Diversity of Achievable Housing Throughout the County
- Public Serving Infrastructure and Amenities
- Outcome-Focused Economic Development Strategies
- Prudent and Comprehensive Financial Planning
- Fiscally Sustainable Public Safety Services
- Innovative, Integrated County Services
- Balanced Land-Use Planning and Environmental Stewardship
We also discussed additional priorities and issues. Some of the ones that rose to the top included sustainable fire services, forest management, a county-wide homeless action plan, criminal justice reform, and increased farm to fork opportunities. Additional priorities I outlined included:
- Enhancing rural broadband/internet and emergency alert services
- Advancement of innovative transportation and transit solutions
- Development of future leaders in our county through County leadership programs
- Regular tracking of key indicators of quality of life – covering a wide variety of topics from mental health to economics
- Moving forward, the Board and I will continue to work together to refine these priorities and put work plans in place. I look forward to sharing more with you as these develop.
Below you will find some additional 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
COVID UPDATE
It’s been exactly one year since the first case of Covid was identified in Placer County. Despite the ups and downs our County has endured during this time, our current stats are hopeful and this is the BEST things have looked in awhile. Our case rate and our positivity rate are trending downward which means Placer County could be moving into the Red Tier as soon as mid-March – we will let you know as soon as we hear anything. And in other good news, our stats have also allowed outdoor sports to resume. Here are some our current key stats as of Friday, February 26. CLICK HERE to view all stats.
- 7-day rate per 100K: 7.6 (PURPLE)
- 7-Day Positivity Rate: 3.5% (ORANGE)
- Health Equity: 5.9% (RED)
- Hospitalizations/ICU:
- Confirmed Cases in Placer Hospitals: 39
- Confirmed Cases in Hospital Because of COVID: 34
- Cases in ICU because of COVID: 13
FEBRUARY EPIDEMIOLOGY (EPI) REPORT
In Public Health’s monthly COVID-19 update, they take a look at recent trends and provide an update on vaccination progress. CLICK HERE to read about the prevalence of COVID-19 in our community. New reports are published on the first Friday of each month. The next report should be available March 5, 2021. Click here for past and future reports
CONTACT TRACING
Contact tracing is when public health workers identify and notify the people who were exposed to infected people. They let them know that they’ve been in close contact with an infected person, and what to do next to keep themselves and their loved ones safe. Placer County has about 60 contact tracers/case investigators on staff which have proven critical in helping us manage sizeable surges. Learn More
COVID TESTING STILL AVAILABLE
Testing remains an important tool to help combat the spread of COVID-19 and keep our community moving forward. Schedule your test today at an OptumServe location near you: CLICK HERE or call 888-634-1123. There is ample availability.
ADDITIONAL COVID RESOURCES:
- Placer County Coronavirus Dashboard
- CDPH – Blueprint Data Chart (updated weekly)
- CDPH Activity and Business Tier Chart
- COVID-19 General Information
VACCINE UPDATE
Placer County is a proud leader in vaccine distribution in California – last week marked our 100,000th administered vaccine dose which is the highest per capita in the region. In addition, our vaccine clinic @ The Grounds administered their 30,000th dose last week. Our offices have been receiving countless emails, calls and comments from our constituents acknowledging their professionalism, efficiency and organization of the vaccine distribution and I personally want to thank all our staff who have contributed towards creating this positive experience. Watch a video on the county’s efforts HERE.
Currently, Placer County is offering vaccinations to individuals through to Phase1B. I understand there are still countless people who are awaiting appointments as well as their turn and I truly appreciate everyone’s patience. Placer County staff will continue to work hard to ensure all of our constituents have the opportunity to receive their vaccination as soon as possible.
ADDITIONAL COVID VACCINE RESOURCES:
SLEEVES UP PLACER
Social science tells us that when people see others around them talking about getting vaccinated, they are more likely to get vaccinated, too. You can help encourage more people — people you know! — to get vaccinated by sharing the #SleevesUpPlacer hashtag, graphics and messages. Learn More
Short-Term Rental Town Hall
Placer County will be hosting a virtual Short-Term Rental Town Hall on Wednesday, March 3 from 6-7:30pm. County staff will present an overview on the Short-Term Rental Program to date along with proposed revisions to the Short-Term Rental Ordinance. Staff will also answer questions submitted from the public. Meeting Link
Hidden Falls Public Hearing
The Board of Supervisors will conduct a public hearing on the expansion of the Hidden Falls Regional Park multi-use trail network on Monday, March 8 at 3pm. The public is welcome to participate either in person or via Zoom. Once posted, the agenda can be found HERE. Please CLICK HERE to submit public comment for this item.
Workforce Housing Preservation Program
Last week, the Board of Supervisors approved the Workforce Housing Preservation Program (WHPP) which is a new program that will help provide housing options for the local Placer workforce. The county’s WHPP will pay homeowners to deed restrict their properties so that only local workers can purchase or rent them. The program would provide qualifying home buyers a funding source that could be used for a down payment or renovations. Learn More
Serve on Housing Program Taskforce
Placer County is inviting interested individuals to apply to serve on the Housing Development Advisory Taskforce, a new board-appointed committee which will help to identify and move forward affordable housing projects in the county. The taskforce will consist of nine community members with expertise in housing development who understand the unique housing needs of the Placer region. To apply, download and fill out the application found HERE. Deadline is Friday, March 19 at 5pm.
Contact information:
175 Fulweiler Ave., Auburn, CA 95603
Supervisor Cindy Gustafson: cindygustafson@
District Director Lindsay Romack: lromack@placer.ca.gov
District Aide Kelly McCaughna: kmccaughna@placer.
Temporary Assistant District Aide Judy Friedman: jfriedman@placer.ca.
