Sonoma County Gazette Juy 2019

Community education and engagement was a central component of the regulation update process.
The County hosted six community meetings, met with numerous community associations, welcomed comments in person and online, and provided materials to educate people on the process and technical details.
Local governments are supporting this effort by hiring an educational leader who holds classes for neighborhod leaders and also will come to local meetings to help guide people through the process of being prepared for any emergency...
This has been a VERY long process with community meetings going back decades, yet STILL the problem remains complicated for homeowners from the headwaters of the Russian River, all the way throughout the
Stay safe in & around water LEARN TO SWIM: SEE page 21
fire, flood, and earthquakes.
These systems are being adopted
JULY 2019
POISON Drop How we VALUE Commuter Housing Fire Danger
for the protected Farallones? ~ 8
Human Life - Part 1 ~ 17
coming to West Santa Rosa ~ 29
on the North Coast ~ 44
TMDL:
READY for
How this Rule
Anything
Impacts Us
By Vesta Copestakes
At a recent community meeting, a
In mid-June, the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors took action to meet State mandated septic system regulations that protect water quality and public health.
woman spoke in frustration...
“Our Local Agency Management Program balances state regulations with local septic policy,” said Board Chair David Rabbitt. “In some areas we are providing more flexibility
to homeowners. For example, the new policy no longer requires septic system review for certain building improvements to existing structures.”
Map Your Neighborhood (MYN) & Citizens Organized to Prepare for Emergencies (COPE) are systems people are adopting because it puts them in charge of their own needs and lives.
“Why do we expect public
services to take care of what we
She’s part of a community
group who is taking emergency preparation into their own hands. In an emergency, of any kind, there are only so many First Responders available. They will be busy.
should take care of ourselves?
TMDL cont’d on page 19
across the country as Climate Change brings the consequences of extreme weather. Being prepared saves lives.
READY cont’d on page 10
Your Home Town: 28-44 Everything To Do CALENDAR: pgs 50 - 71