Sonoma County Animal Services invites members of the community to its Coffee with an ACO (Animal Control Officer) event on Wednesday October 3^rd from 7:00 to 9:00 AM at Kaffe Mocha located at 397 Aviation Boulevard in Santa Rosa.

The City of Santa Rosa and County of Sonoma encourage residents rebuilding from the October 2017 wildfires to bring their questions to a Rebuilding Community Meeting on Thursday, February 15, 2018.

The County of Sonoma has issued the first Cannabis Cultivation Permit on Monday, December 4. Shannon and Cameron Hattan, co-founders of Fiddlers Greens, were issued a Zoning Permit from the Department of Ag Weights and Measures which allows up to 10,000 square feet of outdoor medical cannabis cultivation on their property outside of Sebastopol.

he Sonoma County Water Agency (Water Agency) Board of Directors and the Board of Directors of the Sonoma Valley County Sanitation District unanimously approved an ordinance to prorate annual sewer charges for residents whose homes were damaged or destroyed in the Sonoma Complex Fires in October, 2017.

The devastating October wildfires that swept through Sonoma County created a significant flood risk for people living in and nearby the burned areas until vegetation is restored.

The U.S. Small Business Administration opened a Business Recovery Center at the Sonoma County Economic Development Board, in partnership with the City of Santa Rosa. The office is located at 141 Stony Circle, Suite 155, Santa Rosa at The Courtyard building. The hours will be from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Friday.

Thanks to direct efforts of EDB staff,  the California Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank’s (IBank) approved a new Disaster Relief Loan Guarantee Fund Program and an expanded micro loan program on October 24^th, 2017, to assist businesses affected by the wildfires in Sonoma County and other state declared disaster areas.

SANTA ROSA, CA—The Sonoma County Economic Development Board (EDB) has engaged Magellan Advisors to assist the county in developing a Broadband Strategic Plan. Magellan’s senior team of consultants will work with the county, EDB and Access Sonoma Broadband (ASB) to successfully develop a plan for Sonoma County’s broadband future. 

The Sonoma County Economic Development Board (EDB) announces the launch of Strategic Sonoma, an innovative economic development planning effort in partnership with Santa Rosa Junior College, and the Sonoma County Workforce Investment Board. 

“The goal of Strategic Sonoma is to create a five year plan that identifies economic development opportunities for residents and businesses in Sonoma County,” said Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Shirlee Zane. “We look forward to meeting with the community, hearing what they have to say, and developing a plan to further grow our local economy.” 

On Wednesday, July 26, 2017 DHS received test results indicating that a low-level of blue-green algae toxins are present in certain areas of the river. In accordance with state guidance, the level of toxin present is enough to trigger the posting of “Caution” signs. Signs in both English and Spanish will be posted at the ten major beaches along the Russian River.

The Department of Health Services (DHS) is re-opening Monte Rio Beach after follow-up testing of samples taken showed diminished levels of coliform bacteria. DHS will remove the closure signs placed at the beach. The beach is open and safe to swim in.

Sonoma County celebrates National Economic Development Week from May 8-13th. The goal of National Economic Development Week is to increase awareness for local programs that create jobs, advance career development opportunities and increase the quality of life in Sonoma County.

Sonoma County Restaurant Week, the tastiest time of the year, will be held March 6 -12, 2017 and will feature a wide variety of restaurants and culinary options that feature local ingredients at great prices.

Today the Committee for Healthcare Improvement, a coalition of healthcare providers that is part of Sonoma County Health Action, announced health care organizations across Sonoma County are implementing common guidelines for safe pain management.

The Sonoma County Permit & Resource Management Department (PRMD) is holding a Public Workshop on Tuesday, November 29, 2016, 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM at the UC Davis Bodega Marine Laboratory. Community members are invited to participate in the workshop and share their input on ways to adapt to sea-level rise and protect the Sonoma County Coast.

The Sawmill Fire, which began at approximately 10:50 am today, has burned approximately 500 acres off Big Geysers Road and Geysers Resort Road, 10 miles east of Cloverdale. Due to ordered evacuations, the County of Sonoma has opened an Evacuation Center with the Red Cross. Read more

Sonoma County Department of Health Services’ Jen Lewis is selected to participate in the Culture of Health Leaders program. Lewis is currently the Department’s Special Projects Director and formerly was the Health Program Manager for the county-wide initiative Health Action.

The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors will conduct a public hearing on on Tuesday, July 19, 2016 at 2:30 PM to consider the proposed ballot measure on the November 8, 2016 general election ballot, amend General Plan maps to expand Community Separators, related policy amendments, and related rezoning to add the SR (Scenic Resources) overlay zone.

A community design workshop for the Springs Specific Plan will be held on Wednesday June 29th, 6:00 p.m., at the Sonoma Charter School Multi-Purpose Room, in Sonoma. The public is encouraged to attend and provide input into this exciting planning project for the Springs area, which includes the Highway 12 corridor from Agua Caliente Road to Verano Avenue.

The Sonoma County Permit and Resource Management Department (PRMD) has launched a new permitting system enabling customers to participate more effectively in the County’s permitting process. Known as Permit Sonoma, the new system delivers more transparent services to support sustainable development and environmental protection in unincorporated Sonoma County.

Community Separators are rural open space lands identified in the County’s General Plan that separate cities and other communities.  They preserve city and community identity by providing visual relief from continuous urbanization.

The second of five community workshops on the Springs Specific Plan will be held on Monday, May 16, 2016 at 6:00 PM, at the Altimira Middle School Multi-Purpose Room, in Sonoma.

Today, the Sonoma County Department of Health Services (DHS) confirmed an individual tested positive for the Zika virus in Sonoma County. This individual is the first case of Zika in our county. While traveling in Central America the Sonoma County resident was bit by mosquitoes. Spread of the Zika virus occurs primarily through infected Aedes mosquitoes which are present throughout the Caribbean, South and Central America.

The Sonoma-Mendocino Economic Development District (EDD), created through a joint powers agreement between Sonoma County and Mendocino County in January 2015, today launched a new website.

Community Separators are lands that function to separate cities and unincorporated communities, contain urban development, and preserve distinct community identities by providing visual relief from continuous urbanization.

Community Separators are lands that function to separate cities and unincorporated communities, contain urban development, and preserve distinct community identities by providing visual relief from continuous urbanization.

The National Weather Service is currently forecasting a second storm to pass through Sonoma County, with more heavy rainfall and some minor flooding of rivers and creeks. 

The National Weather Service is currently forecasting a strong winter storm to pass over Sonoma County beginning today and continuing through Sunday

Today, the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors unanimously adopted an ordinance to establish a new grading system for food facilities using a color-coded placard program.

The first of five community engagement workshops on the Springs Specific Plan will be held on Monday, February 29, 2016 at 6:00 PM. The public is encouraged to attend and provide input into this exciting planning project for the Springs area, which includes the Highway 12 corridor from Agua Caliente Road to Verano Avenue.

This week, Creative Sonoma, a division of Sonoma County’s Economic Development Board, opened up the recruitment process for individuals who are interested in serving on its first Advisory Board.

Effective Tuesday, November 24, 2015, Sonoma County is issuing a “Code Blue” advisory in response to the National Weather Service’s Severe Weather Alert of extremely cold nights predicted for the next week.

On Tuesday, November 10th, the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors approved new one-time funding that will help build approximately 100 miles of new roads. The Board added $13.5 million of funding, which brings the total general fund contribution to roads to a record $25 million.

Today, the Sonoma County Department of Health Services (DHS) released the first- ever study of local farmworkers' health and well-being. The main finding from the study found that the vast majority of farmworkers permanently reside in Sonoma County with their families.

The Valley fire, which burned 75,781 acres, is now 75% contained. All roads in Sonoma County that were closed due to the Valley Fire are now open. Some road closures are still in effect in Lake County. Information regarding these closures can be found at www.fire.ca.gov/.

For those wishing to make donations of goods to the Valley Fire Shelter, the Calistoga Beverage Company, located at 865 Silverado Trail North, Calistoga, CA 94515 is currently the designated site for drop-offs. Donations will be accepted every day from 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM.

Residents of recently burned areas are advised to use caution in cleaning up ash from recent wildfires. The ash from trees burned in forest fires is relatively nontoxic and similar to ash that might be found in your fireplace. However, ash from burned homes and other items will likely contain metals, chemicals, and potentially asbestos, items that can be considered toxic if breathed in or touched with wet skin.

All advisory evacuation orders have been removed for Sonoma County residents. Soft road closures remain in place for two areas in northeast Sonoma County

Emergency responders make progress in combating the Valley Fire. Emergency responders report that while the fire continues to burn in the Geysers area, they have created significant fire breaks and removed hazards that were impeding fire crews. The fire remains active and is subject to changes.

For your safety, please avoid these areas. Individuals with residences or businesses in the area are allowed access these roads but are encouraged to use caution when entering.

The Valley Fire has burned 67,000 acres, is 15% contained, and 2,362 fire personnel from across the state are involved in the response. The Board of Supervisors approved supporting all County employees impacted by the disaster with a Disaster Leave Program which allows employees to share accrued leave time with those employees impacted by the disaster, and supported other administrative leave options that will assist impacted employees as they continue recovering from this event.

The Valley Fire spread further into Sonoma County last night, and fire boundaries have been set north of Knights Valley and east of Alexander Valley. The public is advised to avoid the area in order to facilitate emergency response.

Advisory evacuations were ordered by CAL FIRE for the following locations:

• Pine Flat Road, addresses 5000 and above
• Geysers Road out of Healdsburg, addresses 6000 and above
• Geysers Road out of Geyserville, addresses 9400 and above