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March 12, 2021

Sonoma County Moves to Red Tier on March 14

For the first time since the state established the Blueprint for a Safer Economy, Sonoma County will move out of the most-restrictive purple tier and into the less-restrictive red tier at 12:01 AM on Sunday, March 14.

This change is a result of the state adjusting the minimum case-rate requirement from 7 to 10 per 100,000 people once 2 million vaccine doses have been administered in the 400 zip codes most disproportionately impacted by the virus. As a result, the state credited Sonoma County with two weeks of maintaining fewer than 10 cases per 100,000 people.

Moving from the purple tier into the red tier for the county means that:

• Restaurants may open indoors with 25 percent capacity or a maximum of 100 people, whichever is fewer.
  
• Retail establishments may open indoors at 50 percent capacity.
  
• Movie theaters may open indoors with 25 percent capacity or 100 people, whichever is fewer.
  
• Gyms may open indoors with 10 percent capacity.
  
• Museums, zoos, and aquariums may open indoor activities at 25 percent capacity.
  
• Breweries, wineries and distilleries that don’t serve meals may open outdoors with modifications, which include ensuring that patrons make reservations and observe a 90-minute limit. Service for on-site consumption must end by 8 PM.
  
• Bars that don’t serve meals remain closed in the purple and red tiers. 

For safety reasons, please continue to follow mitigation measures such as social distancing, wearing face masks, and washing your hands. Getting tested is also still vital. For more information, go to socoemergency.org.

This Saturday: Mulch & Compost Giveaway

Join us this Saturday, March 13, from 8 AM to 1 PM for a haul-your-own compost and mulch giveaway at the Community Center. Compost and mulch help to replenish the soil with nutrients, improve moisture retention, and reduce evaporation which is crucial during these drought conditions.

Bring your buckets and shovels! Residents are welcome to take up to a half-yard per material with proof of residency. 

March 15: City Council Meeting

The Healdsburg City Council will meet online via Zoom for a regular session on Monday, March 15, at 6 PM. Agenda items include:

• General Plan Annual Report 2020
• Growth Management Program Annual Report
• Speed Survey
• 2020 Housing Element Annual Report

Recording Available of ADU Webinar

On March 4, City planning and building staff members gave a presentation in a free webinar on how to build an accessory-dwelling unit (ADU) in Healdsburg. The second part of the webinar, which will be held on March 18 from 6-7:30 PM, will feature local homeowners’ experiences in building ADUs, also known as “granny units."

If you’re interested in building an ADU in Healdsburg and missed the March 4 webinar, the recording, as well as details and registration for the March 18 webinar, can be found here: https://napasonomaadu.org/blog/part-i-how-to-build-an-adu-in-healdsburg-webinar

The webinar is organized by the Napa Sonoma ADU Center, a nonprofit organization fiscally sponsored by the Napa Valley Community Foundation with support from Community Foundation Sonoma County. In addition, the webinar is presented in collaboration with Healdsburg 2040, a local community group.

Arts and Culture Master Plan Community Engagement

This week, the Community Services Department, in partnership with the community-based Creative Leadership Team and Corazón Healdsburg, hosted a series of virtual community conversations on arts and culture.
 
The online meetings included a public-art presentation, open community forums, and panel discussions from our Latinx and youth community. The feedback we received will help shape the City’s final arts and culture plan, which is on track to be completed this spring. We also ask all community members to complete this bilingual arts and culture survey: https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/5230818/Healdsburg-AC

For more information on the arts and culture master-planning process, please visit: https://www.ci.healdsburg.ca.us/891/Arts-and-Culture-Master-Plan

Gauntlett Roof Replacement Now Complete

The new Gauntlett reservoir roof structure is now place! Completed this month, the new roof is a self-supporting steel-arch structure with clear spans of 100 ft. from north to south and 110 ft. from east to west. The new roof is fully compliant with current building codes and will serve Healdsburg well into the future. 

The old roof was constructed in 1957 and relied on wood timbers that were at the end of their useful life; many of the wood beams were broken or rotten. Over the next two months, the contractor will install lights, restore piping, and clean up the project site. 

Spring Recreation Sports Programming

Healdsburg Community Services is partnering with the National Academy of Athletics to offer a series of youth sports activities this spring. Programs will include tee ball skills and drills, soccer workshops, “Little Dribblers” basketball, and a spring break basketball camp.
 
Community Services moved forward after the state’s public-health department recently updated its guidelines and protocols for youth sports, which allows for increased programming with specific modifications.  

We are thrilled to resume some of our normal programming. Please stay tuned for information on spring/summer activities and camps. Learn more about our sports programs by going to https://apm.activecommunities.com/healdsburgparksandrecreation

Water Conservation Tips

Drought conditions continue to persist; our region is below 40 percent of typical rainfall, which means low storage levels at Lake Mendocino. We encourage all community members to conserve water so we have enough clean water through the fall.

Please do not perform these prohibited water-wasting activities:

• Irrigating outdoor vegetation during and within 48 hours after measurable rainfall.
• Hosing down sidewalks, walkways, driveways or other hard surfaces. Tip: Use a broom instead!
• Allowing irrigation run-off from overwatering or sprinkler-overspray of landscapes into streets and storm drains
• Using a hose without a self-closing shut-off nozzle to wash cars, boats, or trailers.
• Using potable water in decorative water fountains or other water features that do not recirculate the water.