Public Health to Open New Vaccine Clinic at Sierra College Grass Valley Campus Next Week

Access to COVID-19 vaccines continues to expand in Nevada County. Next week, Nevada County Public Health will launch a new vaccine clinic at the Sierra College campus in Grass Valley. With 210 appointments per day, five days a week, the clinic provides a significant expansion in appointment availability.

The clinic at Sierra College will administer the Moderna vaccine, which is available for anyone 18 years and over. Clinic hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, beginning May 4th. Vaccines will be administered in the Sierra College Gymnasium (Building N13), located at 250 Sierra College Drive. Parking in the Sierra College lot is free, so please do not purchase a parking permit at the campus entry. Appointments for the clinic are already available at MyTurn.ca.gov.

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Supervisors Award $500,000 in Last-Mile Broadband Grants

With the Board of Supervisors’ award this week of $500,000 to four local internet service providers (ISP), broadband service will be offered to 440 households to support distance learning, remote working, and tele-medicine. Each of the four projects offers a unique and innovative approach to expanding broadband in areas challenged by both remote geography and low population density.

The County’s Broadband Work Group worked with the Sierra Business Council to solicit applications from internet service providers and presented the award recommendations for the Board’s consideration. The funded ISPs include Northern Sierra Broadband, in the amount of $120,000; Nevada County Fiber, Inc., in the amount of $113,000; Exwire, Inc., dba Oasis Broadband, in the amount $62,000; and Spiral Fiber, Inc., in the amount of $205,000.

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Supervisors Award $5.8 Million to Support Local Economy

On Tuesday, the Nevada County Board of Supervisors unanimously allocated 30% of the County’s $19.3 Million allocation from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), approximately $5.8 Million, to support “Community & Economic Resiliency.” The $5.8 Million is intended to offset COVID-19 related economic hardships and disruptions to local businesses and nonprofits and foster economic recovery.

“As a Board, we intend to help our community recover from this pandemic. With these American Rescue Plan dollars from Washington, we can provide some immediate relief to our small businesses and nonprofits that have suffered so much already, and invest in longer-term recovery,” said Board Chair Dan Miller.

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2021 Board Objectives First Quarter Report

On behalf of the Board of Supervisors, we’re pleased to present the “2021 Board Objectives First Quarter Report.” The First Quarter Report summarizes the initiatives and performance measures used to track progress toward each of the Board's seven policy objectives:
Fiscal Stability and Core Services, Emergency Preparedness, Economic Development, Broadband, Cannabis, Housing, and Homelessness.

Questions or comments about this report should be directed to the County Executive Office at ceo@co.nevada.ca.us

Read the 2021 First Quarter Report

Nevada County Receives Early Psychosis Grant

Nevada County Behavioral Health has been awarded a nearly $2 million Early Psychosis Intervention Plus (EPI Plus) grant by the Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission (MHSOAC) for its Rural EPI Access through Cultural Humility (REACH) program. Half of all mental illnesses begin by age 14, and 75 percent by age 24. Psychotic symptoms, such as hallucinations and delusions, often emerge between the ages of 15 and 25.

Each year in California, 8,000 adolescents and young adults experience their first episode of psychosis. On average, it takes 18.5 months from initial symptoms of psychosis for someone to receive a diagnosis and treatment. Early treatment of psychosis, especially during the first episode, leads to the best outcomes. This newly funded program will implement an innovative hub and spoke model to provide evidence-based early psychosis and mood disorder detection and intervention services to Nevada County residents.

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Restaurant Revitalization Fund

SBA Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman today announced the U.S. Small Business Administration will begin registrations on Friday, April 30th, 2021, at 9 a.m. EDT and open applications on Monday, May 3rd, 2021, at noon EDT for the Restaurant Revitalization Fund. The online application will remain open to any eligible establishment until all funds are exhausted.

Established under the American Rescue Plan, and signed into law by President Joe Biden on March 11th, 2021, the Restaurant Revitalization Fund provides a total of $28.6 billion in direct relief funds to restaurants and other hard-hit food establishments that have experienced economic distress and significant operational losses due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This program will provide restaurants with funding equal to their pandemic-related revenue loss up to $10 million per business and no more than $5 million per physical location. Funds must be used for allowable expenses by March 11th, 2023.

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No Cost PPE for Small Businesses

The County of Nevada Office of Emergency Services (OES) is offering local small business owners, with 25 employees or less, masks and hand sanitizer at no cost. This personal protective equipment (PPE) has been made available to California small businesses through the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (CalOES) in collaboration with the Office of the Small Business Advocate (CalOSBA).

PPE will be available for pick up in Western Nevada County at four locations: the Nevada County Contractors Association, Grass Valley Chamber of Commerce, ZAP Manufacturing, and Penn Valley Chamber of Commerce. In Truckee, small businesses may pick up PPE from the Truckee Chamber of Commerce or the Truckee Downtown Merchants Association.

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Nevada County Sanitation Proposed Sewer Rate Adjustments

The Nevada County Sanitation District No. 1 (“District”, “NCSD No. 1”) is responsible for 10 wastewater collection and treatment zones in Nevada County. The District is comprised of several “zones” in Western Nevada County, including Lake Wildwood, Lake of the Pines, Cascade Shores, North San Juan, Gold Creek, Higgins Village, Penn Valley, Valley Oak Court, Mountain Lake Estates, and Eden Ranch. The District is a dependent district operating under the authority of the NCSD No. 1 Board of Directors and is a branch of the Nevada County Department of Public Works. In total, the District serves 5600 customers.

To continue to provide safe, reliable sewer services with proper maintenance, NCSD No. 1 must evaluate fees. User charges (collected bi-annually on the tax roll), connection fees, permit fees, and other miscellaneous charges are intended to be the sole source of revenue. Also, they fund the operation and maintenance of the District’s sewer facilities.

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You are Invited! Join the Conversation May 5^th

The Nevada County Transportation Commission invites community members to participate in the first workshop to develop the READY Nevada County Extreme Climate Event Mobility and Adaptation Plan.

The Plan will identify natural hazard-related vulnerabilities of the road network in Nevada County and propose improvements to address them. At the first workshop, the project team will introduce the project and present initial findings related to existing conditions and known challenges. Following the presentation, we will invite the community to share feedback about challenges, hazards, and needs related to extreme climate events.

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Regional Housing Needs Survey Launched, Community Input Needed

The Mountain Housing Council of Tahoe Truckee (MHC), a project of the Tahoe Truckee Community Foundation, launched a new housing survey for employers and employees throughout the region in order to best assess the region’s housing needs. Survey results will provide an update on the key findings of the 2016 Truckee North Tahoe Regional Workforce Housing Needs Assessment and the more immediate impacts of COVID-19 on regional housing. They will also assist the MHC and partner agencies in developing appropriate housing strategies that are specifically tailored to neighborhoods throughout the region, as well as innovative strategies specific to solving the region’s unique housing needs.

“This information will be crucial in helping local governments, employers, and others prioritize what will best serve our local communities and their full-time, long-term housing needs," said Tara Zuardo, MHC’s Project Director. “It is crucial for our region and the individuals within it to have access to secure, diverse ranges of housing types in the community that they love and work in.” The survey will be open through May 7th, 2021, and can be accessed in Spanish and English through the link below.

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Burn Permits Required May 1^st, 2021

Saturday, May 1st, 2021, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) Nevada-Yuba-Placer Unit will require burn permits for residential vegetative material pile burning within Nevada, Yuba, and Placer Counties. Burning can only be done on permissive burn days. To find out if it is a permissive burn day, contact your local Air Pollution Control District (APCD) or Air Quality Management District (AQMD).

Burn permits can be obtained online at burnpermit.fire.ca.gov. Watch the mandatory video which reviews burning requirements and safety tips, fill in the required fields, submit the form and a burn permit will be created. The applicant must then print the permit. Permits are valid for the calendar year in which they are issued and must be reissued annually on or after January 1st of each year. You may still obtain a burn permit from your local fire station.

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Wreaths Across America Mobile Education Exhibit

The Wreaths Across America Mobile Education Exhibit will be visiting Grass Valley on Saturday, May 1st. The mobile exhibit will be at the Safeway Parking lot on Neal Street from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. and will be open to the public with social distancing, sanitation, and COVID-19 safety procedures in place.

The Wreaths Across America Mobile Education Exhibit emphasizes the goal of the organization, which is to Remember, Honor, and Teach about our United States veterans. The exhibit goes into the purpose of the ceremony, which is held every year in December (In our area it is held at St. Patrick's Cemetery in Grass Valley). There are activities for kids, such as folding a flag and making a wreath. Each part of the wreath will be explained. A special recognition is done for Vietnam Vets.

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Veterans Serving Veterans – Volunteers Needed

Before the pandemic, the Nevada County Veterans Services Office (CVSO) coordinated rides for our low-income, aging, and homeless veterans to get to their VA medical appointments. This service relied on the efforts of local veteran volunteers to transport these individuals from their home to their VA medical appointments and back using a county provided vehicle. Unfortunately, when the initial surge of COVID-19 swept through California, this service was suspended for the health and safety of both our volunteer drivers and the veterans who needed transportation.

As restrictions in California and our county are eased, CVSO is developing its repopulation plan and evaluating how they can safely return to offering in-person services. A major focus of the services that they would like to see return is their “Veterans Serving Veterans” transportation service. However, to offer this service they will need the assistance of our local volunteers once again.

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Job Openings at Nevada County: Intern - Human Resources Front Desk

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.

The Human Resources Office of the County of Nevada is seeking a front-desk intern. The front desk of the HR office is a busy place, with visitors coming in, calls ringing, and emails arriving. The front desk is a key hub of activity that supports the entire office made up of 7 regular staff and about 6 interns. We see the front desk internship as an opportunity to learn office skills in a supportive, teaching environment. While you're learning, you're also engaged in meaningful projects which are usually fun and challenging.

We want this internship to be a success for you, and so we've designed it to include cross-training in various areas of HR while you're working on the project. We will surround the intern in a learning-rich environment. We are a fun department which laughs a lot and enjoys great camaraderie!

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

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