Wildfire Risk Mitigation
This an ongoing challenge throughout the County, for you and your family, for businesses and for governmental agencies. We have raised millions of dollars in grants, private donations, and earmarks for fire safe clearing and I will continue to do everything I can to keep our lives and homes safe. I championed Measure V which would have brought in $12 million/year for local agencies, private homeowners and fire agencies. I will continue to advocate for better home insurance options, more active forest management, and evacuation route improvements.
Housing and the Houseless
In 2017 I called for the County to increase its investment in housing and human services to address our housing and homelessness crisis. In the past 6+ years we have built housing for low-income locals, transitional housing for our homeless population, renovated motels for homeless clients, rebuilt and expanded housing for mental health clients, created a Home Team to meet homeless folks where they are, expanded our substance use treatment services, and are embarking upon a full-service navigation center. This will remain a priority for me.
Responsiveness to Extreme Weather Events
During the past four years, our County has weathered two “snowmageddon’s”, dozens of public safety power shutoffs (PSPS), drastically lengthened fire seasons, and the life-threatening lack of warmth, shelter, and power that accompanied these events. We have stood up a robust Office of Emergency Services and established collaborative teams with PG&E, AT&T, CalFire, 211Connect, local non-profit providers and contracted snow and tree removal assistance. Remaining responsive and continuing to work through bureaucratic challenges is key as we move forward.
Universal Broadband
In 2018 I called for Broadband to be its own standalone priority objective for Nevada County, and we embarked upon an award-winning process to get investments at every level into our community. We are the only County to be completing a County-wide EIR to make it easier for local providers to get projects started. I was especially proud of our grant program to local providers when we decided we could no longer wait for the State and Federal programs to evolve. I will remain vigilant to keep the momentum going until we are all connected.
New Challenges and Investments
- Nevada County Courthouse: The establishment of a new County-wide Courthouse in the Nevada City corridor in District 1 will present new challenges and opportunities for the old Courthouse building. I will work in tandem with the City of Nevada City, and its residents to minimize the disruption and to creatively reimagine the best use of the old Courthouse building.
- Master planning for recreation and trails: I am thrilled that the County is embarking on a master planning effort to improve our recreation facilities and trail building and use opportunities throughout the County. This initiative, championed by myself and Supervisor Bullock will look at taking the best advantage of the outdoor opportunities in our beautiful community, and seek to improve our indoor sports opportunities at the same time. This effort will require robust local input and I look forward to working with you to create a master plan we can all be proud and excited about.
- Sustainability and Climate Change: Our newest priority objective, championed by myself and Supervisor Bullock, is our effort to take cost-saving and earth–friendly local actions to contribute to our local sustainability in the face of the changing climate. This includes transportation, housing, and energy efficiency measures that will benefit everyone, and acknowledge the challenge ahead for our younger generations.
