Supervisor District 4

District 4 includes the communities of Lake Wildwood, North San Juan, Penn Valley, Rough and Ready, Spenceville, unincorporated areas along Highway 20, south down to the Perimeter Road area, and the McCourtney Road / Retrac Way area.

Supervisor Sue Hoek

District 4 is represented by Supervisor Sue Hoek, who began her first term in January of 2019 and served as chair in 2022.

Learn more about Supervisor Hoek

View a list of District 4 Supervisors, from 1856 to the present.

Committees & Commissions

Member:

Alternate:

Supervisor Hoek's Priorities

Each year, the Board of Supervisors adopts a set of objectives to guide county operations, programs, and services. Learn more about Supervisor Hoek's work on these and other priorities below.

Agriculture

Green icon with seedling graphic representing agriculture in Nevada CountyPromote and protect the agricultural industry within Nevada County.



Learn more:

  • In 2021 Nevada County updated the “Right to Farm” ordinance. This ordinance is a renewed commitment by the County to enhance and encourage agricultural operations within the county.
  • The Agricultural Commissioner’s Office produced the 2020 Annual Crop and Livestock Report. Direction was given to include cannabis as a supplemental report for next year's crop report, as allowed by Senate Bill 659 (2019).
  • Focus on land use issues affecting agriculture such as water, drought, and fire preparedness. Using the County’s General Plan document to help guide the county on long-term policy decisions. 
  • Work with local partners in agriculture including Ag Commissioner’s Office, Ag Advisory Commission, Farm Bureau, UC Cooperative Extension and local law enforcement (Sheriff’s Office) and fire (CAL FIRE) to create a livestock access pass for commercial livestock operators. This pass potentially allows commercial livestock operators the ability to access areas under evacuation in order to care for their animals.
  • Attention to zoning and preservation of ag land.

Emergency Preparedness

Ready Nevada County logoLead the community in all-hazards planning, preparedness, response, and recovery with a focus on wildfire; engage residents in emergency preparedness; create more defensible space around properties and roadways; and mitigate the impact of Public Safety Power Shutoff events.

Learn more:

  • Prioritizing roadside vegetation maintenance along evacuation routes. Annually, Public Works brushes approximately 50-70 miles and mows an estimated 40-50 miles (approximately 10 feet from the shoulder) of its 560 miles of County-maintained roadways. This maintenance cycle is completed every 8-10 years and is funded by gas-tax, vehicle license fee, and grants. See this map which shows progress on this project. 
  • I supported opening up North San Juan's community center as warming/cooling center and community resource center during Public Safety Power Shutoff events. The Penn Valley Library his also being used as a cooling center when necessary.
  • I support the numerous fire safe communities in District 4 from North San Juan to South County.
  • District 4 benefits from strong coordination and collaboration between its three fire districts (North San Juan, Penn Valley, and Rough and Ready) and CAL FIRE. Through a cooperative agreement, the CAL FIRE Grass Valley Emergency Command Center (GVECC) provides regional fire and medical dispatch services to Western Nevada County fire agencies.  Automatic Vehicle Locator (AVL) technology installed in CAL FIRE resources integrates with GVECC’s Computer Aided Dispatch program, providing for the dispatch of the closest available resources for a rapid response and aggressive fire attack.  Through cooperation and unified command with local fire and law enforcement agencies, 98.2% of the 55 vegetation fires that took place in District 4 in 2021 never grew beyond ten acres, exceeding CAL FIRE’s mission to contain 95% of all fires at ten acres or less.
  • Looking at making updates to the County's Hazardous Vegetation Ordinance in February-March of 2022.

Housing

Icon of a simple white house on a blue backgroundCoordinate with local jurisdictions, developers, and other partners to facilitate the development of and access to affordable and workforce housing development.


Learn more:

  • I'm so pleased to serve on the Regional Housing Authority's Board of Commissioners where we work to enhance communities by creating and sustaining decent, safe and affordable living environments that foster stability and increase self-sufficiency for people with lower incomes. The RHA was a critical partner in two affordable housing developments in Penn Valley: Lone Oak Senior Apartments and Courtyard at Penn Valley Apartments.
  • I support Hospitality House in their mission to to bring homeless people in Nevada County into a circle of community caring that offers shelter, sustenance, medical care, advocacy, opportunity, dignity, and hope as we assist them in transitioning from homelessness to housing.

Libraries

Icon showing a person reading against a dark green backgroundProvide District 4 with a comfortable and safe environment to pursue reading, access information, explore cultural opportunities, and build community connections. District 4 is unique in that it is served by the County-run Penn Valley Library and the community-supported San Juan Ridge Community Library.    

Learn more:

  • The Penn Valley Library, which opened in 2002, is the newest branch of the Nevada County Community Library system. This branch operates in the Lake Wildwood Shopping Center on Pleasant Valley Road across from the main entrance to Lake Wildwood.
  • In January 2021, the library moved to a larger location in the same shopping center, doubling in size to over 2,100 square feet.  The new location offers outdoor patio seating, a community meeting room, and an area for children to enjoy story time. This library location also serves as a cooling center during the hottest days of the year.

First Five

First FivePromote the importance of early childhood by investing in complex systems of care, empowering families, and strengthening the community.


Highlights from 2020-2021:

  • Over 740 children and over 350 parents were served through supportive services such as Family Resource Centers, Parenting Workshops, Early Childhood Behavioral Health Services, and developmental screenings.
  • Over 350 children and 140 parents were served through early education opportunities and quality child care providers.
  • Over 300 children and parents were served through home visiting services.
  • Commission staff participated in 2 formal Community Collaboratives and 3 additional COVID-related collaborative efforts centered around providing quality child care to families, coordinating home visitation services, and the development of a child abuse prevention plan that crosses sectors and public/private organizations.


What's Happening in District 4

Community Partners

Penn Valley Area Municipal Advisory Council

The Penn Valley Area Municipal Advisory Council  is a formal council established for the sole purpose of advising the District IV Supervisor, the Planning Department and Board of Supervisors on development and land use issues that are located within District IV boundaries and within either the Western Gateway Parks and Recreation District or the Penn Valley Fire District.

District 4 News

Subscribe to the District 4 newsletter for information and updates on Supervisor Hoek's work.

  1. California Preservation Foundation Awards 2023

    Bridgeport Covered Bridge Wins 2023 Preservation Design Award

    The Bridgeport Covered Bridge has been named as one of 16 winners of the California Preservation Foundation's 2023 Preservation Design Award, which recognizes the best in historic preservation, restoration, adaptive reuse, and rehabilitation. Learn More
  2. Community Wildfire Defense Grant

    Community Wildfire Defense Grant Funding Awarded to Projects in Nevada County

    On March 20, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that it was investing over $600,000 in wildfire protection projects in Nevada County through the Community Wildfire Defense Grant (CWDG) program. This program is designed to... Learn More
  3. CPUC Voice Service Complaint

    Landline, Cellular, and VoIP Customers: Help Improve Existing California Telephone Service Standards

    Have you experienced repeated or extended service outages? Poor response to customer service requests? Other non-billing challenges? Tell your story to the California Public Utility Commission so they can assess whether existing standards... Learn More
  4. Top Priorities in 2023

    Each year, the Board of Supervisors identifies our top priorities – our “objectives” – during the Board’s January workshop. These objectives aim to address community challenges, help prioritize staff time and resources, and guide the development of... Learn More
  5. Citizens Academy NewsFlash
  6. Transit Nevada County Connects Free Fare - NewsFlash

    Nevada County Connects Celebrates 12 Days of Free Transit Fares

    Celebrate the 12 days of Holiday Cheer as Nevada County Connects offers free fares on all routes from December 17th until the end of the year! It’s our gift to you for the holidays. Learn More
  7. Emergency Call Box

    Big Wins for the South Yuba River

    This fall, we celebrated the five-year anniversary of the South Yuba River Public Safety Cohort (known as “the Cohort”), a roundtable discussion group led by myself and District 1 Supervisor Heidi Hall, and... Learn More
  8. Funding Wins

    $6.6M in Federal Funding Awarded to Public Safety Projects in Nevada County

    Back in the spring of 2021, as Congress was starting to put together its proposed budget for FY22, they announced that they were bringing back federal “earmarks” – a portion of the federal budget that is set aside for... Learn More