REACH Team Brings COVID-19 Vaccine to Most Vulnerable Residents

The Nevada County Public Health department has been at the forefront of COVID-19 response in Nevada County since the beginning of the pandemic. From leading prevention efforts to conducting case investigations and contact tracing, Public Health has led the charge to protect Nevada County residents from the virus.
One year later, there is finally light at the end of the tunnel. With three highly effective vaccines now available, the department’s current challenge is ensuring that all Nevada County residents have access to a vaccine. One of the key challenges is reaching older adults.

Enter the REACH (Resources for Equity & Access in Community Health) Team, the Public Health Department’s crew of nurses dedicated to vaccinating those with the most risk and the least access to COVID-19 vaccinations. The goal of the REACH Team is to vaccinate Nevada County residents who are less likely to have access through more traditional means. This includes older adults who don’t use the internet, people who are unable to leave their home due to lack of mobility or transportation, or those who haven’t received vaccine information due to language or communication barriers. “We are tasked with finding and immunizing those groups that may not otherwise have the information, time, or transportation to get a shot. This has always been Public Health’s mission. We are the safety net” said Cindy Wilson, Nevada County’s Director of Public Health Nursing.

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Collective Focus and Commitment Will Get Nevada County out of Purple Tier Restrictions

Nevada County’s COVID case rate has kept our communities countywide in the State’s Purple Tier. We are one county and can only open when, together, we have numbers that align with the State’s blueprint. The past year has been challenging and frustrating, but the science is very simple and settled– each one of us must remain vigilant, avoid gatherings, wear our masks, limit indoor activities with others, practice social distancing, and take all precautions to avoid spreading the virus. Individual action leads to collective mitigation that will get us all out of the most restrictive tier.

“We are at the cusp of moving forward towards the Red Tier, but we need everyone in our community to do their part so we can get back to business,” said Vice-Chair and District 4 Supervisor Sue Hoek.

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YubaNet Weekly COVID-19 Webinars, Thursdays at Noon

YubaNet is hosts weekly half-hour webinars every Thursday at noon to provide updates on COVID-19 and vaccine distribution in Nevada County. Public Health officials provide real-time updates on the availability of the vaccine, the county’s status in the state’s tier system and what to expect in the coming week.

Panelists, including doctors and other health care providers, will join occasionally to update Nevada County residents on the resources made available. Please click the image below to rewatch this week's meeting.

Register Here

Community Meeting: Introduction to CEQA, April 1^st

Join Nevada County for an online community meeting introducing CEQA (California Environmental Quality Act) to residents on Thursday, April 1st, 2021 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. CEQA is a statewide policy implemented for environmental protection. The CEQA law requirements mandate that state and local agencies to follow a protocol of analysis and public disclosure of potential environmental impacts associated with proposed development projects.

The County of Nevada is providing this online community meeting in order to educate anyone interested in how the CEQA process works and how they can become involved and informed of land use developments that they may be interested in learning more about.

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Build Defensible Space with Residential Debris Burning

Fire season will be here soon. Now is the perfect time of year to make your property more resilient to wildfire. To increase the likelihood that your home will withstand a wildfire, it is critical to implement defensible space.

This time of year offers a unique opportunity for residents to affordably and efficiently reduce green waste levels on their properties. CAL FIRE NEU lifted the Burn Suspension in November 2020, which means residential debris burning is allowable when the Northern Sierra Air Quality Management District deems it a permissible burn day. Open residential burning is allowed in unincorporated Nevada County without a permit from CAL FIRE or a local fire district. Soon, as the weather warms and humidity levels drop, CAL FIRE will announce when burn permits will be required. For now, residential burning is legal without a burn permit in unincorporated Nevada County.

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Town of Washington Builds Resilience through New Cal OES Funding and Food Bank Drive

On March 12th, The California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) approved the FY 2020-21 Community Power Resiliency allocation in the amount of $101,024 to serve the Town of Washington. The successful application received by the Washington County Water District was the result of careful review of the specific needs of the community and grant-writing support provided by Nevada County Office of Emergency Services and local grant writers, MD&M Consulting.

The approved funds will be used to prepare the Town of Washington for power outages due to Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS) and other events that result in loss of power. Two standby generators will be purchased for the Fire Station and Water Treatment and Filtration Plant, as well as handheld, battery operated radios for the Fire Department. Resources will also be allocated to update the emergency plan in accordance with Cal OES guidelines covering power outages and other disasters.

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Keri Klein: Public Defense Week

This week we celebrated Gideon’s Week, a.k.a. Public Defense Week.

A year ago, we were suddenly faced with a global pandemic. We weren’t able to celebrate the good work of the Public Defender’s office and those who help us help our clients. This year, staff from the Public Defender’s office utilized the week for some introspection and training, but also to acknowledge the good work that has been going on despite a pandemic. We are blessed to have the support and assistance of many different parts of the community, from county departments, like Behavioral Health and Social Services, to community-based organizations like Hospitality House, the HOME Team, Spirit Center, Common Goals, the Crisis Intervention Unit and Granite Wellness. We work together to help our clients and to better the community.

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Board of Supervisors March 23^rd Agenda Preview

Pursuant to Governor Gavin Newsom's Executive Order pertaining to the convening of public meetings in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the County of Nevada hereby provides notice that it will hold its regularly scheduled meeting of the Board of Supervisors by remote. The Board of Supervisors will attend the meeting and participate to the same extent as if they were present. Tuesday's March 23rd meeting starts at 9:00 a.m. Please refer to pages 8 and 9 of the agenda to find the ways you can provide public comment. Highlights on the agenda include but are not limited to the following. Please visit the link below for the full agenda.

Following the consent calendar, the Board will receive the 2021 Tahoe National Forest update from Forest Supervisor Mr. Eli Ilano.

Scheduled to start at 11:00 a.m. the Board will hold a public hearing to consider amendments to the Nevada County Land Use and Development Code regarding Cannabis Cultivation and Administrative Enforcement in all zoning districts in the unincorporated areas of Nevada County.

March 23rd Agenda

State Assistance for Eligible Renters and Landlords Is Available

If you’re an income eligible renter who has experienced a financial hardship due to COVID-19 and have past due rent, or you’re a landlord who has experienced a loss in income because of unpaid rent, you may be eligible to get financial assistance now through the CA COVID-19 Rent Relief program.

This is a new program launched this week by the State of California. Eligible renters can also receive help paying future rent, equal to 25% of their monthly amount to help them stay in their homes, and 100% of up to 12 months of unpaid or future utility bills. To learn more, check eligibility requirements, apply or connect with a Local Partner Network organization who can assist you further, visit HousingIsKey.com or call 833-430-2122, toll free.

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Nevada County Receives TEXTIO Leadership Award

Human Resources are pleased to be honored with the first-ever TEXTIO Leadership Award for our use of the TEXTIO tool.

TEXTIO is an augmented writing tool that we rely on to help us with writing our job postings. Reading a job posting (job advertisement) is often the public’s first impression of us as an employer. We want to capitalize on the moment and create a positive impression of our workplace through the words we use in our job advertisements. We do this by running each of our postings through the TEXTIO tool which signals when a subtle shift in language might be called for. Small changes can have a huge impact on job attractiveness. We want to draw in the reader; we want to encourage a diverse applicant pool to apply for our positions because they like what they read about who we are!

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Job Openings at Nevada County: Buyer I/II

Nevada County employs approximately 800 employees covering a full range of services and positions, from accountants to wastewater treatment system operators. In Nevada County, quality of life comes first. It is the only rural California county with two designated Cultural Arts Districts and is known for its abundance of outdoor recreational activities.

Join the Nevada County Purchasing Team to begin your career in government procurement. We are currently seeking a Buyer I or an experienced Buyer II to fill this fast-paced position that services all Nevada County Departments. Successful candidates will have a variety of assignments in the area of procurement including price quoting, specification writing and the preparation of bids, RFP’s and public project documents. We are looking for an individual with excellent communication and writing skills. The Buyer I position requires a minimum of 60 college units and preferably one year of governmental procurement while the higher level position requires two years of experience.

Find out more information about this position online. Have a question? Contact Human Resources by calling (530) 265-7010 and selecting option 2.

New jobs this week:

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