City Council Proclaims February Black History Month in Cloverdale

On February 8th, the City of Cloverdale adopted a Proclamation designating February 2023 Black History Month in Cloverdale. The Black History Month 2023 theme “Black Resistance“ explores how "African Americans have resisted historic and ongoing oppression in all forms.

Black History Month continues throughout the month of February. Across Sonoma County, community organizations, public libraries, musicians, artists and others will host performances, discussions, celebrations and more to highlight Black history and culture, including the impact of Martin Luther King Jr., whose birthday was celebrated Jan. 16.

The Sonoma County Library is hosting several virtual events during Black History Month, including family story times, book club meetings, documentary film discussions and more. (See the full list of the library’s events here.) The Sonoma County Library has curated a list of novels, audiobooks and more at:
Black History Month 2023 | Sonoma County Library (sonomalibrary.org)

The City Council encourages all citizens to participate in the many events, celebrate our diverse heritage and culture and continue our efforts to create a world that is more just, peaceful, and prosperous for all.

City Council Appoints Brooke Greene to the Sonoma County Library Commission

The City of Cloverdale is pleased to announce the selection of Brooke Greene as the new Cloverdale representative on the Sonoma County Library Commission. Ms. Greene was appointed by unanimous vote of the Cloverdale City Council. She was officially sworn into office by City Clerk Mike Maloney at the City Council meeting on February 8, 2023, for a four-year term concluding on February 8, 2027.

The City Council acknowledges the service of Reece Foxen who served as the City of Cloverdale appointed Library Commissioner from 2014-2022.

A Message from Chief Ferguson

As your Police Chief, I am deeply saddened and troubled by the horrific act of violence that resulted in the brutal and senseless death of Tyre Nichols at the hands of police officers. Across the nation, we find ourselves once again sickened at these senseless acts of police violence and abuse of power under the guise of law by those who are sworn to serve and protect their community.

The actions of these five police officers are contrary to the values, training, and protocols of our law enforcement profession and do not reflect all the meaningful work that the Cloverdale Police Officers, Dispatchers, and staff perform on a daily basis.

I want to reassure the Cloverdale Community that our agency has strict policies in place that prohibit the use of unreasonable force, require officers to immediately intervene if excessive force is attempted or used, require a duty to immediately report all use of force incidents, and provide immediate professional medical attention when needed.

The Cloverdale Police Department remains genuinely committed to our efforts to serve our community members, and provide services in a professional, fair and equitable manner, and with dignity and respect for all people and human life. We are also committed to holding officers accountable should they violate policies and laws that exist to protect the public.

Chief Ferguson's Message is found at the following link: Chiefs-message-Response-to-Tyre-Nichols-death (cloverdale.net)

Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) for Businesses

Was your business impacted by recent winter storms or flooding?

The Presidential Declaration Amendment of a Major Disaster for the State of California was recently updated and now includes Sonoma County. Small businesses in Sonoma County impacted by the winter storms and flooding starting December 27, 2022, are potentially eligible for the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL).

What is EIDL?

Working capital loans to help small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small businesses engaged in aquaculture, and most private, non-profit organizations of all sizes meet their ordinary and necessary financial obligations that cannot be met as a direct result of the disaster. These loans are intended to assist through the disaster recovery period.

Deadline to Apply: October 16, 2023

Applicants may apply online, receive additional disaster assistance information, and download applications at https://disasterloanassistance.sba.gov/.

For local assistance, contact the Sonoma County Economic Development Board at edb@sonoma-county.org or (707) 565-7170.

Water Supply / Precipitation Update

Water Supply Levels Update: Reservoirs Replenished, Drought is Now Moderate

Recent rains have significantly improved water storage at Lake Sonoma and Lake Mendocino. The U.S. Drought Monitor has officially moved Sonoma County's status from 'severe' to 'moderate' drought.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) have increased water storage capacity at Lake Mendocino by managing reservoir levels based on high-resolution weather forecast data. This innovative program is known as Forecast Informed Reservoir Operations (FIRO). According to Sonoma Water, water releases by the USACE from Lake Mendocino are necessary to prevent floods downstream due to potential incoming storms and to sustain Russian River Watershed wildlife.

Lake Mendocino Flood Release

On January 16, 2023, the US Army Corps of Engineers conducted a high-flow release at Coyote Valley Dam.

CA Department of Resources captured footage of the very full reservoir: Lake Mendocino 01-16-2023 - YouTube
Article: DWR - California’s Forecast-Informed Reservoir Operations Are Key to Managing Floods and Water Supplies, 1/16/23

You can access updates on the Russian River Flood Control & Water Conservation Improvement District website: Weekly Water Supply Conditions Update - Russian River Flood Control & Water Conservation Improvement District (rrfc.net)

Parks Update

Parks Staff continued making progress on critical park maintenance and park development projects. Park projects in progress this week include:

Jefferson Springs Landscape/Lighting (L&L) District Special Project
Cloverdale Boulevard Maintenance
Plaza Restrooms
Park Capital Improvement Projects

L&L Jefferson Springs Trail Rehabilitation Special Project

A scheduled trail rehabilitation project was completed at L&L District Jefferson Springs. The project was discussed during the annual LLAD district meetings and was included on this fiscal year budget with the intent to address some minor erosion issues as well as create a safe footpath for regular park visitors. Additional maintenance was also completed by local high school students looking to earn community service hours required to graduate. The three students shown in the image below reside in the Jefferson Springs District and specifically requested to contribute to their neighborhood aesthetics. Together the students applied 12 cubic yards of woodchips around the tree grove seating area.

Cloverdale Boulevard Maintenance

Preparations and maintenance activities continue in our downtown corridor in preparation of our annual Citrus Fair festivities. A significant amount of time was spent landscaping at the plaza, as well as the islands near the crosswalks around City Hall. All facilities and regular park maintenance was completed as well as the normal arborist requests responded to.

Plaza Restroom Open

Final touches were made surrounding the newly constructed restrooms at our downtown plaza. This includes installation of a new commercial grade backflow protector, sanitation of all drinking fountains and installation of woodchips around the restrooms where contactors recently excavation was necessary to connect all utilities. Features offered at the Plaza restrooms include:

ADA compliant drinking fountains
Doggy bowl fountain
Filtered bottle refill station
Exterior mounted sinks; and
Soap dispenser.

The restrooms will be officially open to the public this Friday, February 10th. Hours of operation will change depending on events and season, but normally will remain open daily from 8am -10pm.This is one of many exciting current park projects that will benefit the community, especially during events at our downtown plaza.

Park Capital Improvement Projects

Community Development and Parks continues to work on Park Capital Improvement Project. Projects in process include:

Plaza Restrooms - Two Unisex restrooms were recently installed at Plaza Park. Final plumbing connections are in process.
New Basketball court construction at the Second Street City Park, - Two new basketball courts are under construction at 2nd Street City Park. Preliminary grading of the courts is completed and is undergoing final compaction prior to grading.
Dog park adjacent to the Train Station (planning in process) - the City is currently negotiating a License Agreement with SMART for use of a portion of underutilized right-of-way for a public dog park.

Volunteer in Your Local Parks

Ready to become a VIP, or "Volunteer In Parks" and make a positive difference in your community? Great! Please take a moment to review our Volunteer In Parks flyer below and visit our website: Volunteer Opportunities | Cloverdale, CA - Official Website

RCPA/SCTA 2022 Annual Report Released

The 2022 Sonoma County Transportation Authority/Regional Climate Protection Authority (RCTA/RCPA) Annual Report has been released! The report details progress and successes on both the transportation and climate fronts.

Highlights of the 2021 Annual Report include the TIRCP grant award, completion of HWY 101 carpool lanes in Sonoma County, a Measure M /GoSonoma update, the adoption of an equity statement.

2022 Annual Report

2022-Annual-Report-1.30.22-for-Print-1.pdf (ca.gov)

SMART secures $118M Toward the Completion of the System’s Northern Extensions

The Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit District (SMART) announced the agency has been awarded $34M in Transit and InterCity Rail Corridor Project (TIRCP) funds toward building SMART railway and pathway extensions to communities in northern Sonoma County.

SMART also announced that $40M in Regional Measure 3 (RM3) toll revenues allocated towards the Windsor and Healdsburg extensions, was now available due to a recent California Supreme Court decision to dismiss litigation contesting RM3. SMART is also currently awaiting announcements for three other grant applications for the Windsor and Healdsburg extensions. If these grant applications are successful, SMART will be able to complete the extension to Windsor in 2025 and to Healdsburg in 2026. SMART’s strategy is to wait for the results of these grant requests, to determine how to best leverage funding to complete the northern extensions.

To date, SMART has secured $118M for completion of the northern extensions as follows:

$34M Transit and Intercity Rail Program
$40M Regional Measure 3
$44M Local, state, and federal resources

Pending grant applications for Windsor and Healdsburg extensions include:

Transit and Intercity Rail Corridor Project funds – announcement is expected April 2023
Solution for Congested Corridors funds – announcement is expected June 2023
Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements funds – announcement is expected June 2023

CPUC Accelerates Climate Credit to Assist Those Experiencing High Natural Gas Prices Throughout California

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) tracks natural gas prices in preparation for the winter. Since early December, natural gas prices have tripled due to a variety of factors including early cold weather in the Western states. The cost of natural gas is paid by utilities and that cost is passed directly to utility customers. As the cost of natural gas paid by the utilities rose, residents throughout the state have been faced with higher energy bills. These high bills could continue if these market conditions persist.

While the CPUC does not regulate natural gas prices or natural gas producers, given the impact of the high prices on utility customers, and given the role that natural gas plays in electricity production, the CPUC has taken immediate actions to address the issue. Upon seeing the price spikes in December, the CPUC promptly directed utilities to enhance customer communications via email, social media, customer calls, bill inserts, community-based organizations, television spots, and even text messages to those enrolled in text communications. This includes information on enrolling in income qualified programs like CARE and FERA, enrolling in seasonal billing plans to stabilize monthly bills, opting into rate forecast tools, and strategies to safely conserve while retaining health, comfort, and safety during the holidays. MORE

Phone Numbers and Websites for Energy Assistance Programs

Utility Phone # Website

PG&E 866-743-2273 CARE

Meeting Notices and Schedule:

The City Council has established various subcommittees to help set management objectives for city government, adopt a city budget for fulfilling those management objectives, and ensure accountability to the citizens of Cloverdale.

Subcommittee Meeting Schedules:

Finance, Administration & Police - Next Meeting: March 6, 2023
Planning & Sustainability - Next Meeting: February 21, 2023
Public Works & Facilities - Next Meeting: February 28, 2023
Joint City/Cloverdale Unified School District - Next Meeting: February 20, 2023
Homelessness Community Advisory Group - Next Meeting: February 13, 2023

Council Subcommittee Schedules:

For more information about City Council Subcommittees, visit: https://www.cloverdale.net/242/City-Council-Subcommittees

Regional Board Meetings:

Sonoma Clean Power - March 2, 2023
RCPA/SCTA Board of Directors Meeting - March 13, 2023
Sonoma County Library Commission - March 1 and April 4, 2023
Northern Sonoma County Air District Board Meeting - February 8, 2023

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Special Events:

14th Annual Lake Sonoma Steelhead Festival - Saturday, February 11, 2023 @ 10:00 am - 4:00 pm

You are invited tothe free celectration of the annual Steelhead migration on Saturday, February 11, from 10 AM – 4 PM on the grounds of the Milt Brandt Visitor Center at Lake Sonoma. Sonoma Water joins the Friends of Lake Sonoma, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the California Department of Fish & Wildlife to host the festival, which is, as always, a “rain or shine” event.

The free 2023 celebration will focus on educating young and old alike on environmental stewardship, preservation of natural resources and protection of threatened and endangered species. Local band Solorio will perform, community organizations and small businesses will offer exhibits and activities for all ages, and food and drink will be available for purchase. Bring the whole family!