Page 35 - Sonoma County Gazette 11-19

Get Engaged: Local Coastal Plan
For the past 39 years, the Local Coastal Plan (LCP) has enabled us to protect our 55 miles of dramatic, sweeping coastline from being over-developed while providing opportunities to recreate and enjoy the coast. Permit Sonoma has been leading an update to the LCP.
Food Closet THANKS Forestville!
LCP concerns and opportunities - such as infrastructure at risk from sea level rise, high impact coastal erosion, and the California Coastal Trail - will be addressed in the document. The County of Sonoma invites the community to be involved in this impactful update of our LCP.
Food Closet’s all-volunteer whole heartedly thanks the Canyon Rock, the Forestville Chamber of Commerce, Forestville Planning Association and Community Fund Committee, Russian River Rotary, Sebastapol Rotary, and The Service Station, Tim Beutel & Lisa Harris, Jane Cochrane, Rick Cutler & Cathy Ann Coleman-Cutler, D & G Equity, Forestsville Family Dentistry, Glover’s Easy Score, Dr. Mark Olson, James & Cathleen Smith, Kent G. Ritchie, plus the Forestville United Methodist Church and their beloved members for the provision of 2019 a successful journey of feeding more than 80 Forestville families.
The public review draft of the LCP is available for public review on the project website: sonomacounty.ca.gov/LCP-Update. Printed copies are available for your review at Permit Sonoma and various public locations as posted on the webpage. For more information, contact Cecily Condon via e-mail: PRMD-LCP- Update@sonoma-county.org.
Our ESL classes are now held twice a week for adults and children and Forestville’s Main Street is being cleaned weekly now by Food Closet recipients “paying-it-forward” as part of the “JD Kaiwi Downtown Beautification Project”.
Public Workshops:
• POSTPONED DUE TO KINCAADE FIRE Bodega Bay, October 26, 10 AM-12 PM Bodega Bay Fire Station
The Redwood Empire Food Bank reports that in the 2019 fiscal year, for every $1 spent at the Food Bank, a whopping $35 worth of food was distributed to Forestville families! Thanks to each of YOU! This simply could not happen without your faithfulness in this important endeavor.
• Timber Cove, November 5, 6 PM-8 PM Timber Cove Fire Station
• The Sea Ranch, November 17, 12 PM-2 PM, Del Mar Hall
• Santa Rosa, November 21, 1:20 PM, Permit Sonoma Hearing room
After the public workshops are complete, public hearings are tentatively scheduled to begin with the Planning Commission in February 2020, with the goal of finalizing the LCP update by Summer 2020. Please know that if the community needs more time to meaningfully engage in the draft review and revision process, we will absolutely advocate for additional community meetings and time prior to the Planning Commission meeting in 2020.
Barbara St. Louis, Forestville
Community Outreach
KOWS radio strives to ensure that our voice reflects the community.
To this end, if you are a non-profit organization and you would like
to get the ‘word out’ about events, causes, or what your organization is all about, KOWS will include your announcement for FREE.
To find out more, check out:
kows92-5.org/2018/12/29/ submitting-a-psa-to-kows/
We only air PSAs for non-profit organizations. Commercial/for- profit businesses and organizations should contact us at kows@sonic.net to discuss paid program sponsorship. kows.fm/sponsors.
Flood Recovery FundGovernor Gavin Newsom signed a budget trailer bill in September which allocates $1.5 million to the Lower Russian River area affected by the February 2019 flood. The funds will be used for flood recovery projects, though a transparent, community-driven process. The Lower
Russian River Municipal Advisory Council, with representatives from the unincorporated towns affected by the flood, appointed an Ad Hoc committee at their October 17th meeting. This committee will be getting input on the most pressing community needs for these funds. Our thanks to Assemblymember Jim Wood and Senator Mike McGuire for helping to secure this funding.
Stay Safe: Disaster Prep: The Russian River Disaster Prep, Health
and Wellness Fair is being held November 16 from 1-3pm at the Guerneville School. We will have hundreds of disaster go bags or hand crank radio/lights free for attendees, as well as expert speakers, information tables, and free wellness services. Please plan to join us for this fun and informative event.
CalFire Fire Prevention GrantWe encourage local fire safety groups to apply to the California Climate Investments Fire Prevention Grant Program. Qualifying projects include those related to hazardous fuel reduction and removal of dead, dying, or diseased trees, fire prevention planning, and fire prevention education.
Joe Rodota Trail: The encampments along the Joe Rodota Trail have been of great concern to our community. I share your frustration and acknowledge the significant public safety concerns, the loss of use and enjoyment of
public space, and also the humanitarian crisis of so many people living in unacceptable conditions.
Eligible grantees may be State Agencies, Native American Tribes, local government including: fire districts, community services districts, water districts, and other special districts, or certified local conservation corps, Fire Safe Councils, or other nonprofit organizations organized under Section 501(c) (3) of the federal Internal Revenue Code.
The encampment is within the City of Santa Rosa, and the Joe Rodota Trail is part of the County’s Regional Parks System. Because of the overlapping jurisdiction and a complicated legal landscape, initially there was no clear path forward for resolving the encampment, leading to frustration by all. I am able to report, however, that we have made significant progress and have created
a partnership plan with the City of Santa Rosa that includes both the offering of services as well as an encampment de-mobilization within the next month.
I want to thank Santa Rosa Mayor Tom Schwedhelm for his willingness
to meet with me and the key role he played in developing a shared solution moving forward, and City and County staff for agreeing to work together to address this urgent public safety concern.
Applications are available and are due December 4, 2019 at 3:00 PM and can be found here: fire.ca.gov/grants/fire-prevention-grants/.
Challenges: PSPS: Sonoma County was part of the PG&E grand experiment called the PSPS, or “Public Safety” Power Shutoffs. While this PSPS was touted as a public safety measure, there was a disastrous lack of communication, transparency, and collaboration with affected communities. The effect of this shut off has been significant, from danger to those dependent on powered medical devices, economic harm to closed businesses and
their workforce, physical damage such as the high number of car accidents attributable to the lack of functioning traffic lights, and more. We are working to hold PG&E accountable with their regulatory authority, the CPUC. We hope PGE’s failures will result in future improvements to the process with better communication and reduced power shut downs.
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