Press Releases
Planning Commission to review draft Winery Events Ordinance on May 19
The Sonoma County Planning Commission will continue its consideration of a draft Winery Events Ordinance during a virtual public hearing on May 19 at 1:05 PM. The draft ordinance would apply to new and modified use permit applications for winery visitor-serving uses in agricultural zoning districts outside of the Coastal Zone. Read full story
Sonoma, Bay Area counties release preliminary homelessness count statistics
Sonoma County, alongside other Bay Area counties, was able to stave off a predicted catastrophic increase in homelessness over the last three years during COVID, according to preliminary results from the first official count of people experiencing homelessness since the start of the pandemic. Read full story
Bay Area Health Officers urge public to take precautions as COVID levels rise
Twelve Bay Area health officers are stressing the importance of taking safety precautions, including continued masking indoors, as the region experiences a new swell of COVID cases and hospitalizations. Read full story
Sonoma County Housing Authority opens project-based voucher waitlists for units in Healdsburg and Petaluma
The Sonoma County Housing Authority will accept housing voucher applications May 23 through July 1 for Project-Based Voucher waitlists. Applicants will be required to provide information regarding income and any preferences for which they may qualify. Read full story
Board of Supervisors approves temporary moratorium on new vacation rental permits
The Board of Supervisors voted today to establish a 45-day temporary moratorium on new vacation rental permits. The urgency ordinance addresses a spike in vacation rental applications while Permit Sonoma works to bring a comprehensive vacation rental ordinance to the Board of Supervisors for consideration on August 2. Read full story
Board approves $4.1 million in grant funding to support homeless action plan projects
The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors today approved the allocation of nearly $4.1 million in grant funding to support affordable housing projects, emergency shelters for the homeless, rental assistance programs and other initiatives to address the region’s housing and homelessness crises. Read full story
Board of Supervisors approves list of SB1 infrastructure projects for Fiscal Year 2022-23
The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors today approved a list of local streets and road projects to be completed during the 2023-24 construction season using nearly $12.6 million in anticipated revenue from SB1, the Road Repair and Accountability Act. The selection process for road projects is based on a two-year budget cycle and takes multiple criteria into consideration, including pavement condition, type and amount of usage, design characteristics, and geographic location within the county. Read full story