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February 12, 2021

Valentine’s Day Drive-Through:
Sharing the Love with Our Seniors

The Healdsburg Senior Center and the Friends of the Senior Center hosted a Valentine’s Day drive-through today for more than 100 seniors from our community. They were greeted with friendly faces and handed goody-filled gift bags as well as special Valentine’s cards and messages from students in the Camp HBG Distance Learning Care program. Home deliveries were made to those who couldn’t drive to the event or who were more comfortable staying at home.

We can’t wait until we can celebrate these special occasions in-person with our older adult community. In the meantime, follow the Healdsburg Senior Center on Facebook ways to safely connect in the coming months! https://www.facebook.com/HealdsburgSeniorCenter

Valentine’s Day Light Décor Downtown

Experience the new light décor on the downtown plaza this holiday weekend. The lighted plaza archway has been transformed to include colored lights and an interactive element encouraging community members to write down the answer to the question, “Where do you send your love?” on a wooden heart and hang it on the arch.

City Parks staff also added accent lights throughout the plaza for our community and visitors. The “Love Tunnel” is part of the Illuminations art installation curated by local artist Jessica Martin and sponsored by the Healdsburg Tourism Improvement District. More information: www.artinhealdsburg.com

Update on Local Vaccine Distribution and COVID-19 Data

We continue to see rising vaccination rates and falling rates of COVID-19 cases. We’re still in the purple tier, but we’re making progress. Here’s the latest Sonoma County data as of Feb. 11.

Vaccine Distribution:

• Number of people with first dose: 47,722
• Number of people with second dose: 13,352
• Total doses: 74,426

To date, about 15 percent of Sonoma County residents have received at least one vaccine dose. For more information, go to: https://socoemergency.org/emergency/novel-coronavirus/vaccine-information/vaccine-data/

COVID-19 rates: 

• Rate of new daily cases/100,000 population: 20.5 (must be less than 7 to move to the next less-protective tier.) Note that last week, on Feb. 3, this number was 27.2.
• Testing positivity rate: 5.2  percent (must be less than 8 percent to move to the red tier.) Last week, this number was 6.5 percent.
• Equity metric testing positivity rate: 8.2 percent (must be less than 8 percent to move to the next less protective tier.) Last week, this number was 10.8 percent.

All three data points must be low enough for Sonoma County to move to the red tier. For more information, go to: https://covid19.ca.gov/safer-economy/#county-status

Help Open Sonoma County: Get Tested

We continue to encourage people to get tested for COVID-19 because the results can help move the county to a less-restrictive tier and thus open more businesses and activities. The County’s latest adjusted case rate of daily COVID-19 cases per 100,000 population is now 20.5. But the County's actual COVID-19 case rate is 16.8.

The State of California awards counties for the amount of testing they do. In Sonoma County, the testing numbers are lower than the state average, so it’s getting penalized in the adjusted case rate.

Free COVID-19 testing is available seven days a week. For more information on what COVID-19 test you should get, how to make an appointment, and where to get tested, please go to: https://socoemergency.org/emergency/novel-coronavirus/testing-and-tracing/

Feb. 12: Deadline to Submit Measure V Survey

If you haven’t submitted your Measure V survey yet, you still have a (little) time. The deadline is 11:59 PM tonight, Feb. 12. We mailed all community members the paper survey last month. If you can't find it, you can take it online.

English: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/GH2K67G 
Espanol: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Esp2021

Measure V is a half-cent sales tax that helps fund vital city services and programs, including public safety, street maintenance and repair, city facilities, and economic development. All of the revenue is spent locally to benefit Healdsburg residents. For more information, go to: https://www.ci.healdsburg.ca.us/405/Measure-V-Measure-T

Feb. 16: City Council Meeting

The Healdsburg City Council will meet via Zoom on Tuesday, Feb. 16, at 6 PM, instead of Monday because of the Presidents' Day holiday. The meeting agenda includes:

• Update on water supply and conservation programs
• COVID-19 and vaccine distribution: local efforts, latest numbers
• Mid-year budget review

Here's the full agenda packet, which includes instructions on how to participate in the Zoom meeting: https://healdsburgca.iqm2.com/Citizens/detail_meeting.aspx?ID=2002

If you'd just like to watch the meeting, it will be livestreamed on the City's Facebook page: www.facebook.com/cityofhealdsburg as well as on the City of Healdsburg website. Go to http://healdsburgca.iqm2.com/Citizens/default.aspx a few minutes before the meeting starts, and click on the video link.

Feb. 24: Solar Array Virtual Celebration

We just recently completed the largest floating solar array in the U.S., which will provide 8 percent of the City's annual power needs as well as other community benefits. Join us at www.facebook.com/cityofhealdsburg at 1 PM on Wednesday, Feb. 24, for a short Facebook Livestream video event with City Council and City Staff to celebrate. 
 
This 4.78 megawatt photovoltaic (PV) solar-array project is a major milestone for Healdsburg. In addition to providing 8 percent of the City’s electric needs, the solar arrays will reduce harmful algae blooms and improve the quality of the water to recycled-water users, which include local vineyards and farms.

The project also helps Healdsburg’s publicly owned utility to meet the State of California’s environmental sustainability requirements and climate goals. Healdsburg’s electric utility must continuously add renewable and carbon-free energy. In 2025, our electric power must be at least 50 percent renewable. In 2030, that requirement increases to 60 percent. These climate policies help ensure clean power for all ratepayers.

For more information, read our floating solar-array fact sheet: https://bit.ly/3pesSUP

How Much Solar Does Healdsburg Have?

At the end of 2020, the City had 5,673 kilowatts of solar tied into the City’s electric grid via 226 residential and 29 commercial solar photovoltaic (PV) arrays. All of these solar arrays generate 8.9 million kilowatt hours per year, according to a new solar PV report that Healdsburg’s Electric Department completed for the California Energy Commission.

The report tracks all residential and commercial solar installations in Healdsburg. The commercial PV arrays represent 80 percent of Healdsburg’s total solar power generation. Healdsburg in total uses 75 million kilowatt-hours annually. If you are interested in going solar, check out our informational guidebook here: https://bit.ly/3a9rQVM. You may also contact us with questions at conservation@ci.healdsburg.ca.us

March 4 and 18: Webinar on Building ADUs in Healdsburg

If you’re interested in building an accessory-dwelling unit (ADU, also known as an “in-law" or “granny unit) in Healdsburg, tune into a two-part webinar on March 4 and 18, from 6-7:30 PM. Staff from the City’s Planning & Building Department will provide information on Healdsburg's rules on ADUs as well as the planning, permitting and building process.

In the second webinar, local housing professionals and homeowners will discuss their real-world experiences in building accessory-dwelling units in Healdsburg. Register for the free webinar here: https://napasonomaadu.org/aduevents 

March 13: Mulch & Compost Giveaway

Grab your shovels and get ready to haul your own compost and mulch on March 13 from 8 AM – 1 PM at the Healdsburg Community Center. The Utility Department, in partnership with Mix Garden and Cold Creek Compost, wants to help residents cut the amount of water they need for landscaping by offering these soil amendments, which retain water and reduce evaporation.

Supplies will be limited to 1/2 cubic yard of material per utility customer. Proof of residency in Healdsburg, face mask and social distancing required. Get more information here:  https://smartlivinghealdsburg.org/1015/Compost-and-Mulch-Giveaway