Resilient Infrastructure

Enhance services to the community by investing in County facilities and infrastructure; including roads, buildings, communications, and flood protection.

Why is Resilient Infrastructure a Strategic Plan Pillar?

Some of Sonoma County’s existing roads, bridges, communications networks, and public buildings were not designed to modern standards capable of withstanding the impacts of fires, floods, seismic and Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) events. Our aging infrastructure requires rehabilitation, replacement, and ongoing investments to enhance services to the community.

Creating resilient infrastructure is an investment in the future of Sonoma County and critical to ensuring a healthy economic foundation for the community. Through this Strategic Plan pillar,the Board of Supervisors can mobilize countywide efforts towards preparation, mitigation and prevention of community impacts caused by emergencies and natural disasters.

Current Resilient Infrastructure Work at the County

The Board of Supervisors has prioritized investment in roads and bridge infrastructure with ongoing funding of over $120million across the County’s 1,380 mile road network,through activities such as pavement preservation and rehabilitation (large-scale paving projects), corrective road maintenance (pot hole repair, brush cutting, etc.), bridge retrofits/replacements, and various other road safety and improvement projects.

In addition, the Board invests $5 million in annual Capital Improvement Budget funding to support over 2 million square feet of County office, detention, health, Courts-shared use, and specialty purpose facilities. Funding in recent years have focused on adding generators to Veterans buildings frequently used as shelters during disasters, and improving the resiliency of the County’s data center, communications network, and mobile systems to withstand power outages and expand remote work capabilities.

Pillar Goals and Objectives

Goal 1: Invest in County buildings and technology solutions to enhance service delivery and improve employee mobility.

Objective 1: Design new County Center to be carbon neutral and zero waste; and pursue carbon reduction and zero waste plans for remaining County facilities.
Objective 2: Adopt design standards for County office improvement projects to maximize opportunities for telework and incorporate revised workstation space standards
Objective 3: Develop technology tools that enhance employee mobility and promote virtual service delivery models in order to reduce County facility space needs.
Objective 4: Establish neighborhood/regional and satellite service centers in order to improve access to services.

Goal 2: Invest in capital improvements to ensure resiliency of services and improve disaster preparedness.

Objective 1: Strengthen critical communications infrastructure and information technology tools relied upon during disasters to ensure critical services continue.
Objective 2: Ensure resiliency of electrical power at County facilities used for evacuation sites, warming/cooling centers, or as alternate facilities for delivery of critical services.
Objective 3: Replace aging and undersized Emergency Operations Center (EOC) to improve disaster preparedness and response.

Goal 3: Continue to invest in critical roads infrastructure.

Objective 1: Continue to maintain road segments, increase efforts on vegetation removal and drainage features, and improve pavement conditions in neighborhoods.
Objective 2: Increase investment on preventative maintenance on all infrastructure/facilities.
Objective 3: Seek out funding for critical transit corridors and future transit opportunities.
Objective 4: Construct new pedestrian and bicycle facilities, where appropriate, and adopt maintenance guidelines on roads to consider bicyclists and pedestrians.
Objective 5: Develop policies to promote installation and install infrastructure for electrical vehicle charging stations.

Goal 4: Implement countywide technological solutions to promote resiliency and expand community access.

Objective 1: Invest in communications infrastructure within the community to improve broadband and internet access.
Objective 2: Leverage existing fiber optic infrastructure and grant opportunities to expand broadband access across County.

Goal 5: Support, fund, and expand flood protection.

Objective 1: Develop partnerships with cities, tribal governments, and private organizations regarding flood protection and sustainability to identify gaps and address climate change impacts.
Objective 2: Implement land use planning and assessments to address flood protection, including river setbacks and riparian corridors.
Objective 3: Evaluate the feasibility, creation, and/or update of Flood Protection Plans and seek out financing mechanisms to establish protection zones countywide.

Printable Versions

English

Resilient Infrastructure
(PDF: 296 kb)

Spanish

Infraestructura resiliente
(PDF: 296 kb)