WHO’S READY FOR SUMMER?
With summer just around the corner, I’m reminded how fortunate we are to have so many recreational options in Placer County. The ample sunshine and warmth always bring a renewed and welcomed sense of optimism and good health. There are endless options to get outside and explore our beautiful region, including the many trails, rivers, reservoirs, lakes and peaks, just to name a few. Beyond that, our region is home to a vibrant and diverse set of communities, each with their own unique identity and a variety of amazing local businesses – this is truly what makes Placer County’s District 5 so special. Now more than ever, I encourage you to support your friends and neighbors by shopping, eating and playing locally. While visiting our incredible resources please take care of them like you would your own backyard – because they are! Your actions can go a long way… such as leaving no trace, being fire aware, and being kind, conscientious, and courteous to all those around you.
Not only do we have a great summer to look forward to, but there continues to be hopeful news and milestones in relation to the pandemic and vaccine distribution. Read on for some recent news, resources and events to keep you informed, involved, and prepared. Let’s continue to work together to ensure we have a fun and safe Placer County summer.
COVID UPDATE
While California is not seeing the large case surges that many other states are experiencing, we continue to experience a gradual increase in the number of cases in Placer County and in our region. Due to our case rate, we remain assigned to the Red Tier. Many factors seem to be driving this uptick, but the rise of more easily transmissible variants appears to be one significant factor. Fortunately, we continue to see much lower levels of severe illness and hospitalizations due to Covid-19 relative to what we were experiencing just a few months ago. Here is a snapshot of today’s stats:
- 7-day rate per 100K: 6.5 (RED)
- 7-day Positivity Rate: 2.4 (ORANGE)
- Health Equity: 4.0% (ORANGE)
ADDITIONAL COVID RESOURCES:
- Placer County Coronavirus Dashboard
- CDPH Activity and Business Tier Chart
- COVID-19 General Information
- COVID-19 Testing Appointment
SELF-SWABBING IS NOW AVAILABLE
Self-swabbing is now available at the OptumServe COVID-19 testing sites in Roseville and Truckee. Easy, fast and free; with turnaround generally between 1-2 days. Make an appointment: https://lhi.care/covidtesting
VACCINE UPDATE
Placer County continues to be a leader in vaccine distribution, and as of Monday, 303,514 doses have been administered countywide.
As of April 15, Placer County residents age 16 and above are eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine. Appointments are currently available at the County’s clinic, and many other providers across the County have also expanded eligibility.
If you haven’t yet gotten your vaccine – please text PLACERVACCINE to the number 898211 and you will be notified as more appointments are available. For those who need assistance, please call 211. Vaccine remains in short supply relative to the demand and to the capacity of local providers to administer.
ADDITIONAL VACCINE RESOURCES:
- Placer Vaccine Website
- Placer Appointment Information
- Placer Vaccine Dashboard
- CDPH Vaccine Dashboard
BODY WORN CAMERA UPDATE
The Placer County Board of Supervisors has approved body-worn cameras for sheriff’s deputies and correctional officers. The sheriff’s office expects to launch the $4.8 million program over the next nine months and thanks the Board of Supervisors for funding this crucial initiative. I really appreciate and strongly support this program. We’re 100% behind this as well as our law enforcement officers in getting this program to protect them and protect our constituents. Learn more
PLACER COUNTY PARKS & TRAILS MASTER PLAN VIRTUAL TOWN HALL MEETING
After a 4-year effort of surveys, public meetings, data gathering, writing, and editing, we invite you to attend a virtual Zoom Town Hall meeting on Thursday, May 6 at 6pm to get a refresher on the plan progress, review the major elements, see the latest edits based on public input, and give you an opportunity to ask questions and comment. Click Here to Join the Webinar
WILDFIRE PREPAREDNESS
IT’S ALWAYS THE RIGHT TIME TO BE WILDFIRE PREPARED, PLACER!
Placer County remains one of the top in California for community-led fire preparedness efforts with our Placer County Fire Safe Alliance, a group of local, state and federal agencies and community partners, who support local Firewise Communities and fire safe councils throughout the county.
FOREST THINNING TO REDUCE WILDFIRE RISK
Prioritizing forest health heading into fire season, our Board of Supervisors voted this week to execute forest thinning for an additional 3,000 acres of the French Meadows Forest Restoration Project this year (here is the press release)
BURN PERMITS REQUIRED STARTING MAY 1
Starting May 1, the CAL FIRE Nevada-Yuba-Placer Unit will require burn permits for residential burning in Placer County. No-burn days are still in effect and can be confirmed on the Placer County Air Pollution Control District website. Learn more
Additional Resources:
FROM THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY OF NORTH LAKE TAHOE: TAKE THE SUSTAINABLE TRAVEL PLEDGE
The magic of Lake Tahoe lies in the culture of our communities and the natural beauty that surrounds us. To protect and preserve vulnerable ecosystems and residential communities, regional visitor bureaus have joined forces to focus on educational tactics that reinforce the importance of mindful, responsible travel. Before embarking on a journey to our beloved region, please take the North Lake Tahoe Traveler Responsibility Pledge. We appreciate your commitment to preserving the natural wonders of the Sierra! Take the Pledge + watch the video below to learn more!
PLACER COUNTY PROBATION LAUNCHES NEW COMMUNITY MOBILE WORK CREW PROGRAM
The Placer County Probation Department has launched a new in-house mobile work crew program with the goal to provide increased accountability for program participants, while allowing the opportunity to give back to the local community. Learn more
LAMALFA, THOMPSON INTRODUCE UTILITY RESILIENCE & RELIABILITY ACT
Congressmembers LaMalfa and Thompson introduced the Utility Resilience and Reliability Act, a bipartisan bill to make the national energy grid more reliable and resilient to natural disasters and extreme weather events. Text of the bill can be found here.
WHILE ALL OF THIS IS POSITIVE NEWS, we still have many challenges to address to help our residents & businesses.
BROADBAND | Throughout the foothills and up to the High Sierra, we continue to have problems with our broadband services. I asked county staff to give me a breakdown of the various types of broadband in order to better understand both the technology, as well as the options for the county moving forward. View the PowerPoint to see some of our conclusions.
COMMERCIAL INSURANCE DATA CALL NOTICE | In an open letter dated April 13, Commissioner Ricardo Lara addressed the Commercial Insurance Data Call notice, acknowledging that insurance companies are non-renewing or refusing to write commercial insurance. Lara directed commercial insurance companies doing business in the state to provide detailed information to his Department within 60 days about the availability of commercial insurance. This new commercial insurance data will help inform her actions as well as actions that the Governor and California State Legislature can take to further protect our businesses. Read Letter
There is so much more to work on to address your needs and concerns. Please don’t hesitate to contact our office and we will work with County staff to get you answers and solutions.
In service,
Cindy Gustafson, District 5 Supervisor
Let’s Make This the Biggest Big Day of Giving Ever for Placer Nonprofits
Big Day of Giving is just a few days away – May 6, 2021! Placer’s nonprofits and our neighbors who they serve need your help more than ever this year. Let’s make it our biggest year yet! Learn more
North Lake Tahoe & Truckee Regional Officials Cancel Fourth of July Events for 2021
North Lake Tahoe and Truckee regional officials have made the difficult decision to cancel this year’s annual Fourth of July fireworks displays in the North Lake Tahoe area. Challenges to outdoor destinations across the country have been on the rise during the COVID-19 pandemic. We hope these cancelations will reduce crowd concerns during an already busy time for the region. Read more
Contact information:
175 Fulweiler Ave., Auburn, CA 95603
Supervisor Cindy Gustafson: cindygustafson@
District Aide Kelly McCaughna: kmccaughna@placer.ca.gov
Assistant District Aide Lindsay Thayer: lthayer@placer.ca.gov
Assistant District Aide Sophie Fox: sfox@placer.ca.gov
